Disneyland's Undead Nightmare

[Outbound]

For years, Universal has outdone Disney every October. Where Disneyland has Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, Universal has Halloween Horror Nights. Just from the name alone, it is clear which audience the two parks are marketing towards. Disney is known for being family-friendly so they are afraid of creating something truly scary. While Universal is more thrill-focused.

But what if one year, Disney decided to push their marketing aside and go the Universal route? Combining their mastery at theming to create a truly "scary" Disneyland overhaul.

Welcome to your Nightmare.

This October travesty struck Disneyland. A virus of unknown origin has broken out in the Western Side of the Park, decimating Adventureland, Frontierland, New Orleans Square, Critter Country, and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. The virus turns the dead… undead!

Luckily, Disneyland has been able to quarantine the plague. Main Street USA, Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, and Mickey’s Toontown all operate at their regular, kid-friendly stations with some light Halloween decorations.

But that’s not the case for the lands “infected”. This half of the park closes late August for extreme renovations, altering the entire feel of the land. Pathways become scare-zones. Meet and greets turn hostile. Attractions are reimagined to fit this new theme. But the most ambitious part of the overhaul is fitting the entire region into one, cohesive narrative. This is Disney storytelling at its finest.

Logistics
Disney’s Undead Nightmare will run September 1st - November 1st. The Plague Zone is shut down on August 16th to alter the appearance of the lands. After November 1st, it will undergo renovations until November 15th for things to return to normal.

Undead Nightmare is only open at night, from 5 PM - 12 PM. In Galaxy’s Edge fashion, you’ll have to purchase an extra ticket (costing about ½ a standard park ticket) for this game-changing experience. But given the extensive retheme it is a worthwhile purchase.

To accommodate for half the park shutdown to most guests, standard ticket prices are lowered to ⅔ original price and the total number of guests halved. Furthermore, a guest may purchase a Night Ticket which grants them access to the park right at 5 PM, for yet another reduced price.

When entering the Three Undead Nightmare Gates (Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland Border) guests should provide their ticket for entry. As the virus is deadly, guests must receive the Plague Immunity, which also happens to let guests enter and leave the Plague Zone at will.

After receiving their immunity, guests can take a free pager. Here the main storyline of Undead Nightmare emerges - Disneyland needs your help to uncover where the Plague began, and discover how to stop it. You may take one of the complimentary pagers, or download Disneyland App (this is the preferred option, but even guests without mobile devices should be able to experience the adventure).

Our first mission tells us to head to the Frontierland Shooting Gallery…

(To be Continued Next Week)​

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

It looks cool, but wouldn’t it make sense moving it to DCA? Just curious.

 

[Outbound]

It looks cool, but wouldn’t it make sense moving it to DCA? Just curious.

Realistically? Yes. But giving classic Disneyland an evil overhaul is a big part of this thread's fun. For example: Jungle Cruise, a happy-go-lucky ride for the past 60 years, will become a zombie-infested horror ride.

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

Because I thought DCA would fit well heck even bringing in Marvel Zombies in Avengers Campus, but I see your point. Wonder what IPs would be mazes.

 

[Imagineer Brandon]

i've long wanted to do something with the concept of a disney halloween horror nights and i really enjoy your execution of that idea thus far. i'll definitely keep an eye on this.

 

[Outbound]

When guests enter the Undead Nightmare, they are allowed to freely explore the various infected lands and ride any attractions. There is only one area restricted to guests who are completing the "story mode", but we'll discuss that in detail later.

Should you wish to uncover the secrets of the Undead Nightmare, you'll want to first travel to Frontierland. The old western town has become overrun by slow zombies that have a habit of following wayward guests. Luckily, the shops in the town are clear of enemies - although the shopkeepers aren't very friendly. When you enter, they might point a (fake) shotgun at you, and ask if you've been bitten.

And smack dab in the middle of all the chaos is the friendly Skeleton Gang.

These guys died before the plague hit, so they lack the typical "evil" you'd expect from the zombies. Instead, they try to lighten up the mood with a good ol' country song:

"We're not zombies cuz we're already DEAD! Already DEAD! Already DEAD! We're not zombies cuz we're already DEAD! We're playing the BANJO now!"

The Skeleton Gang play a sample of their songs once every 5 minutes. You can get a full sample of their songs by visiting the Golden Horseshoe during prime dinner time. The manager opens the show by apologizing to the guests for the lack of talent; these were the only guys available.
---
All things considered, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad handled everything well. Cobwebs dominate the rockwork, but the core essence of the ride remains the same. Until you board, that is. Turns out some zombie messed with the controls of the mine train, and now we're going backwards. Oh well.

A backward roller coaster might be a bit too scary for most guests, so for this reason, "Story Mode" does not involve this attraction. We want everyone to experience the adventure without fear of roller coasters getting in the way. But those strictly following their pagers are encouraged to ride the attraction now.
---
But if you thought Frontierland was scary, think again. The zombies there don't bother you much. The border between Frontierland and Fantasyland, on the other hand, is home to the real locals.

Some of the Native Americans have become infected, and they are far more aggressive than their cowboy counterparts. Taking a liking to tomahawks, these guys are sure to make your journey between Frontierland and Galaxy's Edge a true undead nightmare.
---
Now let's talk about this "story". Said guests will want to go to the Frontierland Shooting Gallery. Upon arrival, our phone or pager tells us our mission must be extra-classified, therefore, you need to complete the game for your first real assignment. The play mechanics have shifted: instead of real money, the system now wants you to input five separate gold coins. The five unique gold coins can be found in five different locations around Frontierland, forcing guests to go on a scavenger hunt in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. Good luck.

After playing the game (your final score does not matter) your phone and pager are updated with a simple graphic.
No words needed.

 

[The Lochness Monsta]

Haha, great idea, but it would never happen. Unless Disney could sell very late night parties to teens and adults.

 

[Outbound]

Batuu is in chaos. Once, the First Order occupied the city with an undercover resistance to fight. Now, both the First Order and Resistance have formed an uneasy alliance against a zombie infection.

All zombies wear battle-damaged Imperial Era Stormtrooper gear. The First Order Stormtroopers, having not yet fallen to the plague, guard key building entryways.

This simple interaction makes Batuu one of the most dynamic of the ravaged lands. Occasionally, a First Order trooper will proclaim HALT! followed by a blaster noise, and the nearest Zombie actor will fall to the ground. Within seconds they are unnaturally crawling back up.

Although the First Order certainly isn’t good guys, desperate times come for desperate measures.

---
SMUGGLER’S RUN
Sharp-witted guests will recognize the Frontierland Shooting Range’s message takes them to Millenium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run. Sure enough, entering this attraction you will be subjected to a completely original experience. Disney has said they aren’t afraid of changing up the Smuggler’s Run experience, so this attraction makes for the perfect Halloween remodel.

Instead of Hondo, guests will be treated to near accurate depiction of Lando Calrissian in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Billy Dee Williams has been brought on to voice his animatronic.

“Hello there! You’ve been selected by the Resistance for a special assignment - pilot the Millenium Falcon to the Forest Moon of Endor. We need pilots to steer the ship, engineers to repair the ship, and gunners to defend the ship. Insider spies tell us the First Order has begun evacuating the ruins of old Second Death Star. We just don’t know why. So we need you to travel there. Find out if they’re building a fourth Death Star, or whatever.”

Excuse me General Calrissian, but my programming ensures me there have only been three Death Stars in existence. It is a common misconception to view Starkiller -”

“I don’t care what your programming tells you Threepio, there’s been three Death Stars and the Empire loves building more. So find out what’s going on, and quickly.”

With this guests board the Millenium Falcon and take off, working in groups of six. The ships exist Batuu and hyperspace to Endor, where they plunge in the Forest Moon’s largest ocean. It is not long before we reach the Second Death Star.

The Falcon plunges into the ocean. Auxiliary lighting is turned on and we descend into darkness.

We pass beneath the North Tower, home of Palpatine’s Throne Room, and eventually find a long trench. We enter the trench and into the Death Star proper. Everything is flooded. Once massive chasms become serpentine paths, as we slowly approach the First Order’s flickering beacon.

Then the signal breaks. Seconds after, the engineer’s screens shut down, then the gunners. Last, the auxiliary lights. There is now a total blackness. The Engineers must turn it back on. When successful, only the lighting returns… and there’s a zombie right in front!

JUMP SCARE! The Pilots turn the ship back as an increasing number of Undead Stormtroopers follow, undistributed by the aquatic atmosphere. We turn the ship downward and descend deeper into the beast. This area is falling apart, and the pilots must weave their way through the ruins to survive. The ship enters a long tunnel, and we take a breather. When we run straight into the First Order.

Kylo opens with his (now customary) force freeze. But in contrast to our Star Tours Adventures, when he notices who we are, lets go.

“Oh… it’s you. I thought you were… those things.”

Just then, an Undead Stormtrooper attacks the First Order party. One Stormtrooper is taken down while the rest finish off the zombie.

“This situation has called for desperate action. Fighting amongst ourselves now is meaningless, we must find a way out.”

Kylo and his dozen Stormtroopers board their TIE Fighters, and we all fly in formation. Kylo offers mediocre (good) or negative feedback depending on our skill, but no matter how poorly we fly the Falcon, at the end of the day we are able to reach the old Death Star center, where Lando destroyed the station 30 years prior. And then…

“I find your lack of faith disturbing.”

The remains of Darth Vader appear (though lacking his helmet) and begin using the force to send ripples across the Death Star. Kylo initially appears intrigued by his beloved grandfather, but upon realizing what the zombie is doing, he orders everyone to flee as quickly as possible. Undead Vader uses the force to implode the station once again, and we must flee the explosion in a desperate chase.

After escaping, Kylo Ren announces he “appreciates you for not ruining our escape” before the First Order flees to Hyperspace, enemies once more.

---
INTEL STATION BETA
Guests exiting the revamped Smuggler’s Run will find an Imperial Droid, similar to K-2SO in design, representing the First Order thanking the guests for helping the Supreme Leader. It then tells us as a reward, we might be interested in checking out the now-abandoned Intel Station Beta, which they believe holds the answers to the plague’s origins. Unfortunately, the station was abandoned due to the high concentration of undead.

I was going to insert another picture of Stormtrooper Zombies, but I think you get the idea by now.

Intel Station Beta is a horror maze themed around this concept. Although any guest may enter, it is not marked on the map, and a wandering guest wouldn’t know to check the computer at the end of the maze for secret information. In this light, it serves as both an important story point for those playing along the adventure, and a serviceable horror maze for those just wanting some scares.

At the end of the Maze is a broken computer. After pressing it a few times, it will suddenly turn on:

REBOOTING. REBOOTING. ONLINE! SEARCHING FOR ORIGIN…. SEARCHING FOR ORIGIN… SEARCHING FOR - ORIGIN FOUND. COORDINATES TRANSMITTED.

​

 

[Miru]

Because I thought DCA would fit well heck even bringing in Marvel Zombies in Avengers Campus, but I see your point. Wonder what IPs would be mazes.

Perhaps in the future they could do a double-header at both parks, plus maybe Downtown Disney/the hotels for an adults-only premium experience? But for New Orleans Square, I really hope Facillier’s involved. He’s a perfect choice.

 

[Deathmournex]

Perhaps in the future they could do a double-header at both parks, plus maybe Downtown Disney/the hotels for an adults-only premium experience? But for New Orleans Square, I really hope Facillier’s involved. He’s a perfect choice.

Faciliers involved? you mean mr samedi? or is it lazuli? man lazuli and samedi rhyme

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

Faciliers involved? you mean mr samedi? or is it lazuli? man lazuli and samedi rhyme

I think you meant Papa Legba.

 

[Outbound]

Alright, it's been too long. I went on a long grind and got this project done before Halloween.

As we approach the Haunted Mansion, we learn to our shock that it is locked! Then, the Ghost Host begins to speak:

“Ah, have you come to seek refuge? Look a while longer. For 60 years we’ve been asking for new guests. Finally we get one, and of course, now you want to join. Oh, boo-hoo, no more Haunted Mansion for you! If you want to come for the day, you’ll need to get the bronze, silver, and gold keys. We know where they are, but we’re not telling you! Oh… a-ha ha ha ha ha ha ha - cough cough cough!!!”

Our apps inform us that in order to enter the Haunted Mansion, you must acquire the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Keys, which are in New Orleans Square, Adventureland, and Chainsaw Country. You are free to acquire the keys in any way you choose, giving you free access to the entirety of the park.

THE BRONZE KEY
Critter Country has been appropriately renamed.

The entire land has become one large scare ground, with both Splash Mountain and Winnie the Pooh shutting down. Cast members here dress in “hillbilly” wear and are prone to whipping out a chainsaw.

Chainsaw Country does boast one new attraction - the Haunted Railroad. As we established earlier, the Disneyland Railroad continues to operate from Main Street to Tomorrowland to Fantasyland. However, the track used near Chainsaw Country will be home to a new “Haunted Train Ride”, with a creaky train slowly headed along the path, accompanied by dozens of hidden actors.

This is the easiest key to obtain. All you must do is walk to the attraction, ride the attraction, and then encounter a surprise exit-turned haunted walkthrough.

THE SILVER KEY
The frontier outpost at Adventureland has descended into madness, as the vines and moss claim it back into the jungle. Mist machines are everywhere, making it nigh impossible to see beyond a few buildings. Most residents appear to have turned to madness, often resorting to a strange chant: all in unison.

But despite everything, the Jungle Cruise remains standing, insistent on its survival for the upcoming feature film. The Skippers continued to provide light-hearted tours despite the grim circumstances.

Welcome all to the Jungle Cruise! I’m your tour guide, ______. Remember to stay in the boat at all times. Now, let’s begin our journey through the jungle - AHHH!

Oh well, you all saw it coming but someone must have been fooled. Turns out, the Jungle Cruise is NOT like it is originally. Rather, it has been converted into a horror ride with numerous jumpscares of wild jungle beasts. Tigers, lions, hippos, and piranhas, all are out for your flesh.

The ride’s layout remains the same, so before long we return to the Skipper Base and exit. But as we prepare to leave, we hear ominous chanting from a nearby temple… with a lot of birds.

This directs us to the Enchanted Tiki Room, but as we enter we realized something is terribly off. For one, the “Tiki” part of the Room has been replaced with “Voodoo”. The Gods that once rested at the entrance are now fast asleep. Inside, the birds appear particularly crazed, as their four leaders announce their dedication for Voodoo magic. They sing about it many times:

We like the Voodoo magic,
Oh yes oh yes oh yes we do,
We like the Voodoo magic,
Because it lets us do what is true.
We went to New Orleans,
We found the doctor there,
He showed us the magic of the voodoo,
So we guess we’ll do it too.

Then, the female birds come in, to sing about how they too enjoy Voodoo magic. As it becomes increasingly apparent the birds are literally just going to sing about voodoo (and occasionally do it on one other, in a comedic fashion), the Tiki Gods reawaken. They save the day by repeating the "Tiki Tiki Tiki Room" song from the original, breaking the birds' trance. As it turns out, they were being unknowingly controlled by some other force. The birds thank the Tikis, but the Gods leave as quickly as they enter.

The birds proclaim it is time to take a "Jungle Trek", leading us to our final mission: Indiana Jones.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye remains in operation with no changes. Therefore it will not be part of this experience. Instead, we are tasked with venturing through the jungle on our own on the Indiana Jones Jungle Trek. This new scare maze sees us run into the various villains of the Indiana Jones franchise, from Thugees to a Nazi Tank.

For younger audiences, there is Yzma's Jungle Trek, which follows Yzma's various exploits from the Emperor's New Groove. This is less graphic than Indiana Jones, but still has a few jump scares. You are free to choose which of the two mazes you'd like to complete, and both result in the rewarding of the Silver Key.

THE GOLD KEY
The Gold Key is located in New Orleans Square. In the midst of all this, New Orleans was the most drastically hit, with the city turning into anarchy. Most shops have shut down, with Frontierland and Adventureland the new shopping hub. This makes a lot of sense, because there will be overall fewer people in the area, and the focus is on the scares.

The local Pirates have begun plundering the city, and our first task is it find the five pieces to a treasure map hidden within the city. This is not unlike the Frontierland task, however, this significantly more challenging, both in map placement and scarers. The Pirate Zombies run amuck; with gold no longer of any value to them, they now seek your flesh.

Once you collect all pieces (done so with your app or pager, to save paper). You put together the map and recognize the location to be leading you to the mythical Club 33. Entering, we find it has been renovated into the home of the evil Dr. Facilier.

Facilier’s home is a haunted house. Various fearful frights emerge from the shadows as you slowly make your way through the room and into the Voodoo room. We see a large map of Disneyland, with various attractions circled and crossed out. The Tiki Room is one of them. Then, we only hear one song:

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me!

Turning around, we realize Pirates of the Carribean is next on the list.

The attraction of Pirates has been altered ever-so-slightly, with the timing of certain sequences altered to be scarier. For example, the skeletons no longer rest in place but are now prone to jumping out at riders. The biggest change is the replacement of Davy Jones with Dr. Facilier, who tells us it is too late to undo what he has done.

The rest of the attractions play out as normal, with the assumption Facilier was trying to scare us from the ordinary ride (to be fair, Pirates has a pretty messed up story). But as we exit the attraction, we are congratulated for surviving Facilier’s adventures and rewarded the Gold Key.

THE HAUNTED MANSION
With all three keys, guests enter the Haunted Mansion on a separate queue. Any guest riding the attraction without the keys will experience the traditional Haunted Mansion attraction, while those with the keys will get a different audio tour.

Thank you for coming to our Haunted Refugee. You see, us happy haunts are not like those outside. Here, all ghosts and mortals alike are welcome here. Perhaps you wish to stay here longer than usual, hmm?

Wait a minute. You think we are the cause of concern! No, don’t be silly! We have no reason to spread that infection across the land! It is less marketing for us. Never trust old broken computers - it seemed to have been targeted incorrectly. We happy haunts know exactly where this cause of concern originated from. Yes, it is the island. Tom Sawyer’s Island. Farewell, foolish mortals! Perhaps when this is all over, you shall like to join us?

As it turns out, this was all a misunderstanding. The Haunted Mansion is not responsible for the Plague, but they do have answers as to who. Whoever it is, they are on Tom Sawyer’s Island, so we must prepare for a final scare maze… where there is truly no escape.

TOM SAWYER’S ISLAND
Guests board rafts. They must have their three golden keys on either app or pager to do so. Every 15 minutes, a new raft kicks off, transporting many guests seeking a conclusion to their great journey.

The island is one great scare maze, with dozens of individual experiences, too numerous to describe here. Some examples, however, include a mill that only starts when guests walk inside, or a twisting mine home to some elaborate scares.

Yet at the end of the day, all roads lead to one place - a cavernous lair and home to the virus. It is here where we find our true culprit, much to our utter shock…

Discover the Culprits!

Spoiler: who dunnit

The Country Bear Jamboree was angry at Disneyland for removing their show in 2001, so they waited in secret for 9 long years, bitterly awaiting a chance at vengeance. That was when Big Al stumbled upon a solution - zombies, then at the height of popular culture. Unfortunately, it took so long to invent the formula, they got pushed back another 9 long years.

The Country Bears force us to watch one of their shows before peacefully letting us leave. With this, our journey has come to an end, but guests are nevertheless encouraged to continue exploring the “infected” side of the park to find extra attractions and hidden secrets.

Two weeks after Halloween, Disneyland has returned to normal… save one change! Tom Sawyer’s Island now hosts a new attraction - the Country Bear Jamboree! Disneyland has announced it is time for the bears to return, though they will not give any hint towards what event prompted them to do so... wink wink.

Thank you for reading Disney’s Undead Nightmare! I hope this limited Imagineering project of mine helps inspire you - for either your own Disney projects or just the Spooky Season in general.

​

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

Wow.

 

[Miru]

The plot twist blew my freakin’ mind. Maybe they could have teamed up with some other extinct attraction protagonist (T.O.Morrow?) to help them. The Muppets could be responsible for what happens in DCA.