Disney+ Behind the Attraction Review: A Fascinating Watch

It’s finally here and I can finally talk about it as Behind the Attraction hits Disney+ and I can release this Behind the Attraction review right here on Back to the Movies.

Behind The Attraction takes viewers into the history of how popular Disney attractions and destinations came to be, how they have changed over time, and how fans continue to obsess over them. The series will feature interviews with fans as well as Disney Imagineers and other people behind the scenes.

Peek beyond the magic of Disney Parks to discover what goes into your favourite Disney attractions.

Are you read for this Behind the Attraction review?

From Executive Producers Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia and Brian Volk-Weiss, explore how Imagineers filled the Haunted Mansion with 999 happy haunts, how the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™ transformed into Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! (while defying gravity in the process) and why Space Mountain took so long to launch.

From the 1950s to today, from Jungle Cruise to “it’s a small world” to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Disney Parks attractions have amazed millions. And this is the story of how they did it.

What’s so wonderful about Disney+ Behind the Attraction is the quirky way in which each individual story is told.

From imagineers to key workers on each individual project per episode we get a unique and wonderful insight into famous Disney attractions.

Dive into the journey and evolution of attraction concept art to competition and even one step further with certain attractions revamped and updated over the years.

Seeing Space Mountain being re-tracked or the launch system at Disneyland Paris is a joy to behold and that’s just one episode!

Let’s dive into this Behind the Attraction review shall we?

Here are just a select few attractions that Behind the Attraction brings us an exclusive look into:

Jungle Cruise

With Dwayne Johnson as executive producer on this project it’s no surprise that Jungle Cruise was one episode of attraction focus.

A brand new film is soon to hit cinemas named after said attractions and featuring guess who, yes, Dwayne Johnson himself.

Join a skipper for the story behind Jungle Cruise, and try to spot the backside of water!

When Walt decided to create the original immersive attraction, he tasked Imagineers with building a river in the Southern California desert AND the mechanical animals to populate it.

Lead designer Harper Goff and horticulturist Bill Evans scrambled to get it all built in time for Disneyland® Park’s grand opening in 1955.

Guests have been cruising its waters ever since.

Dwayne Johnson also appears in this episode where he discusses his childhood memories of the attraction and his favorite joke from the skippers.

Star Tours

Up next within this Behind the Attraction review is easily one of my favourite episodes!

Lightspeed to Endor! A long time ago…Disney created Star Tours, a thrilling simulator attraction that takes guests to a galaxy far, far away.

It inspired Imagineers to build a whole new land — Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

There, guests can use the Force to explore the remote outpost of Batuu and the cutting-edge attractions Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.

Seeing the planning that went into this land expansion was absolutely insane.

Imagineers take detail and research to the next level and that’s why they create some of the best attractions in the world.

Galaxy’s Edge is an absolute Marvel and Rise of the Resistance is a ride that could stand completely unrivalled in the theme park landscape for at least another 5 years without competition.

It truly is remarkable.

An episode that dives into Star Tours and its changes over the years is certainly a fun one and it’s amazing to see so many Easter eggs dotted around the ride that preserves the history of not only Star Wars but the ride itself.

George Lucas has some little interview cameo segments in this one but it certainly looks like old footage ripped from an age old interview.

Still very cool to witness though.

Haunted Mansion

Welcome, foolish mortals, to the Haunted Mansion — enter if you dare!

When Walt Disney developed the attraction, he didn’t specify if it should be funny or scary.

Ultimately, it became a perfect blend of both.

Haunted Mansion proved so popular that it inspired several later iterations, including the chilling Phantom Manor at Disneyland Paris and the weird and wonderful Mystic Manor at Hong Kong Disneyland.

This episode also provides a great contrast to the Tower of Terror episode as the Imagineers tried to create a similar vibe to Haunted Mansion but went down the sci-fi paranormal route rather than your classic horror movie ghost story route.

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

Discover the ups (and downs!) of creating this gravity-defying attraction set in the eerie world of Rod Serling’s renowned “Twilight Zone” television series.

Then hold on tight as Imagineers reimagine the Disney California Adventure version as Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! Learn what it took to build the attraction — and what it takes to ride it!

I must admit I lost interest at the Guardians of the Galaxy part, I think rebranding a classic attraction to meet modern Disney products is never a good idea, I actually rather hate it.

But looking at the history of the ride and especially how they created such a unique ride system with the help from elevator manufacturers was really intriguing.

Trains, Trams, and Monorails

All aboard! Everything moves at Disney Parks, especially the guests — by land, water, and air! Walt loved locomotion of all kinds — trains, trams, monorails, and boats.

They’re all fun, but Walt also believed the monorail could help cities end traffic.

The vast transportation network at Walt Disney World Resort is a testament to that.

Every Disney Park built since has continued this tradition, creating transportation systems to whisk guests efficiently to their destinations.

Certainly not my favourite episode but the level of detail once again is the stand out point for me during this particular episode.

Hall of Presidents

This unprecedented presidential attraction in Liberty Square at the Magic Kingdom brings our commanders in chief to life.

Walt created the world’s first human Audio-Animatronics® figure based on his childhood hero, Abraham Lincoln.

Honest Abe helped launch this revolutionary technology that populates Disney Parks today.

Who knows what the future holds for this mesmerizing Disney technology?

I haven’t seen this one yet!

Space Mountain

You’re about to hear the story of Space Mountain in T-minus 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…launch!

Walt’s vision of an attraction that simulates space travel was a design challenge Imagineer John Hench tackled head on, creating a signature structure now in Disney Parks around the world.

Imagineers continued the tradition by creating another thrilling indoor attraction, the landmark TRON Lightcycle Power Run at Shanghai Disney Resort.

Even though Space Mountain is certainly not my favourite Disney attraction on paper this episode was certainly the most fun.

Watching Imagineers bounce between ideas of travelling through space not to mention incorporating loops and keeping the ride system different to that of the Matterhorn.

This is certainly the episode to watch if you’re a roller coaster junkie!

“it’s a small world”

It all began at the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair! If a chance encounter between an Academy Award®-winning actress and Walt Disney hadn’t taken place, this beloved attraction might never have been created.

With its signature, unforgettable song, its flume boat ride design, and AudioAnimatronics® figures, it was a huge success.

Versions were designed and built in Disney Parks around the planet, proving that it really is a small world, after all!

If you can put up with the annoying soundtrack you’ll be able to put up with the annoying episode.

The most interesting segment in this episode is the exploration of the world’s fair and how Disney absolutely conquered all!

Disneyland Hotel

Disneyland® Resort with no hotel — what?! It almost happened. Check in to see how Walt got it built.

Envisioned as an extension of the Park, funding for the hotel proved hard to come by, so Walt struck a deal with producer Jack Wrather.

Jack would own the hotel, but Walt’s name would be on it. Together, they made it into an immersive experience, setting the stage for all Disney hotels to come.

After Jack’s death, The Walt Disney Company bought the Disneyland® Hotel. 

Today, Disney operates dozens of hotels worldwide.

This is another episode I’ve yet to watch as part of my Behind the Attraction review, I’ve purposely left it until the end with me being such a huge fan of hotels and especially Disney detailed hotels!

The Castles

Castles are at the heart of Disney Parks around the world.

The original at Disneyland® Resort in California quickly became a symbol of The Walt Disney Company on par with Mickey Mouse. 

Hear the unique story behind each one and learn how Imagineers designed and built them.

It just wouldn’t be Disney without the castles and this really is the gem in the crown of such a wonderful behind the attraction series.

A wonderful culmination of imagination, magic and brilliance come together with a quirky narrator and easy to digest content.

Highly recommend!

Head on over to Disney Plus TODAY and check it out!

Behind the Attraction review by Sean Evans