Considering the original Cinderella Castle Mystery Tour left TDL in April of 2006 (over ten years ago?!?) and has been replaced by Cinderella's Fairy Tale Hall in 2011, I'm going to assume that my version of the project takes place in an alternate universe where the Mystery Tour never left our existence in the first place...
Just to make sure I'm able to turn SOMETHING in this time around, here is my project now. Yes, I know it's early.
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In April of 2006, TDL guests were shocked to discover that the classic Cinderella Castle Mystery Tour had quickly and quietly closed, perhaps permanently. It's old marquee lay in midair by its hinges for years following, gradually fading in color and appearance as the walkthrough attraction's ornate door sat locked in a state of rot. Somewhere deep beneath Cinderella Castle lurked the animatronic remnants of
The Black Cauldron's Horned King, still waiting to put a spell on visitors with his advanced animatronics...
For nearly six years, the real estate was left untouched until, finally, in late-2012, the marquee came down and construction walls went up. Skeletons (a la
The Skeleton Dance) adorned the construction walls in fabulous black-and-white, each clutching a written tabloid or bit of concept art hinting at what adventures were to follow in the future deep beneath Cinderella Castle... Vivid imagery hinted at the likes of Dr. Facilier and even Shere Khan taking residence beneath the castle, perhaps a hint at an even
more villainous attraction. On April 13, 2013,
The Underworld opened in place of the classic Mystery Tour, bringing new light to Disney's villains, both famous
and infamous.
The Underworld
Approaching the former entrance to the Mystery Tour, we find the old marquee to have been replaced by a sign in the shape of Dr. Facilier's crooked top hat, complete with lettering written in the font of "melting green slime," a sight typical to villain-pertaining fonts. On either side of the old entrance stands a hand-carved skeleton (a statue), each holding a flickering torch while looking onward toward the cloudy horizon. As night falls, their hollowed-eyes illuminate a magma-like shade of red, a grim reminder of the horrors to come...
Upon initial entry, we find the interior of the castle to be JUST what one would expect to find inside the fantasy-delving castle; colorful tapestries, a cheerful arrangement of "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes," warmly-lit torches, and even classic portraits of famous Disney protagonists, some taken
directly from the original Mystery Tour; Cinderella, Pinocchio, Aurora, Snow White, and Taran. The new portraits include Belle, Ariel, Tiana, and Hercules. Meandering a short distance forward, the quaint corridor transitions into the
Grand Foyer.
Notably, a mighty fireplace to rival even that of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry roars to the foyer's northernmost point, a magnificent painting (not to mention a realistic painting, a la Leonardo Da Vinci) depicting the likes of Mount Olympus hung proudly above it. For those with a keen eye, they may notice the menacing gargoyles crafted into the base of the fireplace, their menacing visage peering into our very souls... It is in the Foyer where we are first introduced to our host, a friendly Japanese-speaking CM with a self-given degree in Cinderella Castle's lore and history. According to our host, in the Dark Ages, the grounds of the castle were used for hexing rituals by an ancient tribe to celebrate the supernatural. It wasn't until the Royal Family overthrew the tribe and erected the castle in its place that the rituals ceased. Our host decrees that this very fireplace was once the site of many a ritual, rumored to be an actual passage into the Underworld. Before proceeding further in our tour of the castle, lightning and thunder strike, the fireplace melding into an eerie shade of green. An evil laugh rings out (all of the dialogue is presented in Japanese, but for now, I'll be typing in English)...
"Ladies and gentlemen, a tip of the hat from Dr. Facilier!"
The iconic "Shadowman" festers among the roaring flames (via mist screen), the "spirited" silhouettes of his "friends on the other side" ominously festering around the now-darkened chamber. "Dr. Facilier! What are you doing here?" Our host timidly asks.
"Just thought I'd drop-in and pay my respects to my NEW friends." "New friends?! Well, you are certainly no friend of mine!"
"Haha, foolish mortal. We're all friends here in the Underworld." Suddenly, the painting of Mount Olympus morphs into a "landscape" view of the Underworld, as seen in
Hercules. Hades' skull-shaped domain and the three-headed Cerberus can be seen lurking in the shadows, while thousands of souls aimlessly flow down the River Styx. "So the legends of the tribe are true," our host mumbles in disbelief. "This fireplace IS a passage to the Underworld."
"My dear friend, you're looking at the last remaining descendant of that same tribe you speak of," Facilier chortles.
"The land on which this castle is built is rightfully MINE." In a blinding flash, the flames of the fireplace extinguish, Facilier vanishes, and the spirits disappear in a conjoint bloodcurdling scream. Slowly, the brick panels of the fireplace part to reveal an earthy, almost Indiana Jones Adventure-like passageway beyond. Bats can be heard chirping as an underscore to inhuman screams and wails. "Very well," our host says. "I suppose we should venture forward with the tour. Stay together now! And refrain from smoking and flash photography!" As such, we meander forward and into the cavern beyond... Dr. Facilier's laughter rings out as we push forward in our intrepid steps...
The Menagerie is our first stop in the Underworld, where the spirits of fallen beasts - mythical or otherwise - are kept locked within bone-crafted cages. A distorted rendition of "Serengeti Serenade" (iconic to the original
Jungle Book) echoes throughout the grotto, often interspersed by a screeching bat or wailing ghost. Eerie green eyes peer out from the darkened corners, while our host points out the first of several villains found throughout our unnatural tour. Shere Khan and Scar make an appearance in neighboring bone-cages, Shere Khan's iconic yellow eyes following our every move, Scar simply gnawing on a bone. Shere Khan emits a low growl, almost like a possessed motorcycle. In one dark corner, Kaa's hypnotic eyes swirl in an attempt to paralyze us in our tracks, not considering our possible distraction by Shenzi, Banzai and Ed hanging from birdcages suspended from the cavernous ceiling, the three hyenas bickering with one another. Somewhere in the distance, a raven caws in a repeated screech.
The
real danger in the Menagerie comes to us in the form of Maleficent, having permanently transformed into a dragon in the afterlife...which is appropriate considering her death in
Sleeping Beauty. As with the original tour, the sleeping dragon awakens with a start, frightening our host into running the opposite direction and henceforth out of the Menagerie, and right into...
The Crypt. Here we find the final resting place of several defeated villains, including elaborate, upright coffins dedicated to the likes of Jafar, the Evil Queen, the Horned King, and even Governor Ratcliffe. As we pass through, our host points out the fallen villains were defeated long ago by the forces of good but are perhaps not yet ready to be permanently put to rest. Immediately, the stone coffins begin to tremble and shake, green light emitting from within each individual tomb. Naturally, our host freaks out - again - and takes us further into the Underworld, crossing a narrow path overlooking a miniature diorama of the River Styx and Hades domain.
A spiral staircase leads us into what appears to be some sort of shrine or sanctuary... Menacing gargoyles look on from the shadows, while a stained-glass window displaying the Seven Stages of Grief (as portrayed by Renaissance-style skeletons) casts light into the chamber... The
Sanctuary is the aptly-named dwelling of Claude Frollo, the villain of
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. Although Frollo himself does not make a physical appearance, his shadow is cast upon the wall, cackling wildly. Our host nervously takes us into the next locale of the tour...the dwelling spaces of Hades and the Fates who, although unseen, have recently been in the room as judging by the board game-type diagram ladden in monster-shaped figurines and a small Hercules figurine. Cerberus lurks in a dark corner of the room, his nine red eyes looking outward as all three heads lean forward with a snarl, just barely missing our heads...
The final scene is - for lack of a better description - an animatronic and three-dimensional set piece recreation of the iconic "Friends on the Other Side" sequence, minus the addition of Naveen and his assistant (what's his name?! What's his name?!). One of the world's most advanced (and expensive) animatronics creates Dr. Facilier in addition to expansive projection mapping and fog-based effects. After evading the clutches of the Doctor, we pass through a narrow corridor lined with human skeletons, all scattered and jabbed upon jagged rocks. Facilier's spritely shadow gives chase as we approach a light at the end of the tunnel... Our host bids us farewell and we depart back into Fantasyland, almost as if nothing had happened at all.
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It's not much and makes NO sense in several aspects, but it's better than me posting nothing.
Think of this as a better version of my iconic Salacious Crumb's Giggle Gas Express attraction.
I've really been lacking in the creative strengths this season.
The old grey MEW just ain't what he used to be.
