Yup. I was watching his video on that Cinderella Castle Mystery Tour ride and I'm like, "Okay I would actually do that though." Too bad a) it was at Tokyo Disneyland and b) it's now gone....I think it would do well with older audiences in America. Also, the aesthetic of this Space Mountain was so pleasing, with the steampunk theme. Imagine a whole park like that though.
It was one of the only memorable things. I mean that ride was great, but the rest of the park is pretty.... meh. Especially considering everything is in French, now this isn't perse bad. But it would have helped attendance a lot if it was more Europe inclusive. After all.. many kids from many countries did not get a real disney experience because of the language barrier. English would have been a better choice.
@@JustARandomInternetUserHere everything in the parks is in French AND in English. Some character (like Goofy) only speaks English. Speaking toys like Buzz Lightyear or Woody are only available in English.
"This ride is perfect, and it saved the whole park! ...Let's change it!" Why do marketing people think you have to renew a thing for people to want it again? The greatest movies are perfectly rewatchable. Nobody minds reading their favourite book again. We play our favourite songs over and over. If it's good, it'll pass the test of time!
Apparently Disney's filmmakers disagree because they're re-making pretty much all of their animated classics in live action for no real reason. Seriously, I'm DREADING the live action Mulan remake, because Mulan is my favorite movie ever.
@@cadenwatson2942 That would actually make a LOT of sense,.They've already changed the laws several times to extend the maximum amount of time you can have a copyright, so extending it any more would be taking the piss. So I think their only option is to remake the movies to keep the copyrights.
What's kinda interesting is that if they were to revert the ride back to the original theming... they could then market THAT as a new ride because it's been long enough that most younger audiences wouldn't have experienced it. 2005-2019 is long enough for current teenagers to be born.
@@akshit318 yeah marketing it as a revitalization of a classic works well. I've never been to Disneyland Paris but after watching this I feel sad for the changes to space mountain and discovery land haha. Easy to tug the heart strings
I agree, I'd actually be interested in going to see the original more than the 'Mission 2' one. I went to Disneyland Paris as a kid but couldnt go on Space Mountain cause my parents were just buzzkills and wouldnt go on it with me and I was too young to go alone, now I missed the chance to see the Verne style one and he's a favourite author of mine.
@@Unlesslight It was genuinely amazing. Sprint back to the entrance once you got off amazing. I'm surprised they didnt show it but the moon you slowly coast up to had a happy face until you got too close and then it turned angry as you crested the drop that led into the remainder of the ride. The viewing platforms inside where you could watch the coasters go around with everything lit up via blacklight and that cannon... the boom noise could be heard from outside the ride and the smoke pluming everywhere... good times, been so long since I was last there I didn't even realise they had watered it down into ....this...
This is one of the saddest defunctland episodes, because the ride still exists. No issues forced it's closure. It has just been watered down and made a shadow of its former self as part of a cynical advertising scheme.
I'd take the storyless ride any day. In this case I feel they could have done something different though, an actual new ride or renovating a disappointing part of the park or something. Making the ride worse seems to have no actual benefit aside from advertising dollars.
I rode the original in 2003 and then was very excited to go back and see the smiling moon in 2005 only for it to be generic misson 2 bullshit... Literally broke my heart. The original ride shaped so much of my childhood sense of imagination and love twards steampunk and old scifi stuff
@@EvanCWaters I guess to show who was running the show. unfortunately, when his projects tank, he's the first face that comes to everyone's mind when things go wrong.
I had the privilege of going on the original Space Mountain at Disneyland Paris when I was a child. Nothing was greater than the sense of wonderment and excitement as a child as you saw the cannon boom as you entered Discoveryland for the first time, echoing throughout the park. The ride's queue, the thematic nuance, the subtle touches, the score, and so much more much made for an unforgettable trip. It saddens me that I can't appreciate it again as an adult with all the knowledge I have of it now, but I can always remember that cannon shot of my childhood. Conversely, Mission 2 is such a pale comparison that I have once been on Space Mountain without music and with ZERO lighting and I can say that it was a better experience than Mission 2. Was planning to go with friends again some time next year. I think, until Disney stops trying to inject soulless thought into something with so much soul, I might hold off.
Never got to ride before Hyperspace, so I'm just happy to have seen the incredible Verne-esque exteriors in Discoveryland. Seems like it's only a matter of time before they trash those too. PS I never expected to see a Ken Ashcorp comment on a Defunctland video. Love your music dude!
This video doesn't even include the motivation for the gun engineers building their space gun. Basically, there was no war happening and therefore no demand for guns, but being Americans they couldn't not build guns. So, they decided the best option to alleviate their boredom was to build a giant gun powerful enough to enable spaceflight. Which is possibly the most American thing ever written.
Me about halfway in: "I'm so so happy for those Imagineers! I actually want to go to Disneyland Paris now that sounds spectacular!" Me 30 seconds later: "ah, of course"
Any time you hear the name Eisner in the series... it’s immediately followed by multi billion dollar losses, multiple consecutive times, and ideas you’ll be screaming at the screen that are obvious to fail lmao
Yep, all of this channel videos are very interesting, but this one was a bit misleading, when I clicked on it I thought "oh wow, did eurodisney close?" nope, not at all, eurodisney is still open today.
The story of Space Mountain: From the Earth to the Moon is the nutshell version of what is wrong with today’s Disney parks. All of the magic and whimsy is being replaced in favor of blatant cash grabs. I mean, we all know that the point of these parks is to make money, but now it feels like they’re not even trying to hide it. “You like Guardians of the Galaxy? We can do that! Haha holy shit, we know you idiots will pay out the nose for Stars Wars! STAR WARS ALL THE THINGS!” Brilliant use of Clair de Lune, by the way.
I will say with Star Wars, their idea behind it was somewhat in the right space (no pun intended). They saw the success Wizarding World had. Everyone loved it, from people who don't know or care much about Harry Potter to the die hard fans. It's a really immersive experience which people tend to like. That's Disney's goal with Star Wars Land. Although, they are doing some things wrong with it, like not allowing guests to wear jedi robes they buy in the parks.
HEY at least with guardians they did put the efort to at least made it justice to his predecesor,randomize drops,animatronics,they had imageniers doing the ebst they can,and will lead to a marvel land.
Did you ever hear the tragedy of Space Mountain: From the Earth to the Moon? I thought not. It's not a story Eisner would tell you. It's a defuct legend. Earth to the Moon was a themed roller coaster so fun and so loved it could use it's theme to influence the French to ride it… It had such a respect of Jules Verne that it could even keep the Euro Disneyland from dying. Love and creativity is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural. It became so successful… the only thing people were afraid of was losing it, which eventually, of course, they did. Unfortunately, Disney rebranded it as a generic space ride, then they rebranded it to Star Wars. Ironic. It could save the park from death, but not itself.
the quote suits well the mindset of the engineers that first sent people to the moon. make sure it works, expect it not to work, make backups for those too. they even made a manually operated alternative explosive means for leaving the moon where you just gotta hang on.
Honestly cannot believe Space Mountain saved EuroDisneyland. Crazy to think that the fun little ride changed it all. Thanks for making this video Kevin, really interesting.
Disney Dan i mean did you see those asteroids and stars zoomin by? And now there's tie fighters?! Space Mountain is like the height of pure unfiltered joy. You're zoomin along goin all over the galaxy, and you're getting shot at by lazers and watching the big bang happen while going 740mph, then you look back and all your friends and family are there and they're feeling the same awesome experience. If there was a space mountain in every city it could become a world religion. For an hour every sunday you wait in line, then ride space mountain, and then just go about your week. Crime would be nonexistant, the economy would skyrocket, the human experience would become a perfect ecstasy centered around this ideal multimedia experience. Nirvana. Paradise. Riding Space Mountain. Forget the bible, ride space mountain and listen to heavy metal every day of your life FUCK SUPERSTAR LIMO SM ALL DAY🌌🌌🌌🌌🌌🌌🌌🌌🌌🌌🌌🌌
as a french person who only went to disneyland paris when i was a kid in like 2005 and who grew up reading jules verne (and is forever scarred about his high school french literature final being an analysis of a jules verne extract lmao), this is the only defunctland video i've ever watched feeling nostalgia... this is so interesting bc watching the other defunctland videos make me go like "who would want to go there? who would want to go to a disney theme park knowing all the dirty stuff behind it, the long waiting lines, and everything in between?" and now i understand...childhood memories.
@@thekornreeper want to know how much better computers have gotten? your average current day laptop. has a computing power slightly greater than the computer used by the national central statistics bureau in the netherlands. a computer that was 2 stories tall and took the bottom 2 floors of the building.
Would you rather he had been next to the supercomputer housing Lyoko? Boy, imagine if Code Lyoko were a series created by Disney's division in France. That would've been odd (no pun intended).
I think that this can be summed up in one word. Personality. From the Earth to the Moon had it's own style, atmosphere, and charm to it that was wholly unique, even for Disney. It had personality. It was gorgeous. Now look what it was replaced with. Carbon copies of earlier attractions in a souless cashgrab, just like the entire concept of Disneyland Paris was in the first place. It was only because of that one imagineer that dedicated the park to a unique concept that it wasn't a total flop. You just don't see that kind of character from the modern Disney anymore. Neither in film or in the parks
@@cariopuppetmaster I'm not familiar with the parks in Tokyo, but if I remember correctly, a different company actually runs and maintains the park and merely has Disney licensing, so it's not actually a part of the Disney company, just a park paying to use their properties.
I think this is the first time I've genuinely felt really sad and cried at the end of one of these videos. Claire de Lune is the perfect piece to end on, it's a shame the ride never returned to its former glory.
One positive now is that it's at least not painful to ride anymore. It got new trains from Vekoma with the vest restraints when it was transformed into Hyperspace Mountain
This was more or less a bittersweet feeling: Space Mountain: From the Earth to the Moon saved EuroDisney/Disney Paris, but it still suffered the shame obnoxious revamping that Disney tends to do simply because they think it'll bring bucks (looking at you Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror turned into Guardians of the Galaxy in California Adventure). I do hope they bring back the old style of that ride, it does seem like the most unique of the Space Mountain ride.
The only ride to leave me shaking when it stopped. They changed it right before twilight zone was announced to get a reboot. I guess this is the reason Disney is just buying companies now rather than getting sponsorships.
I knew it was Tower of Terror but never knew it was Twilight Zone themed! That sucks that I never got to experience that ride, only the lame Guardians one
Truly a tragic story for all theme park lovers. “From The Earth To The Moon” sounds like it was amazing. I don’t even ride roller coaster (my stomach won’t let me) and I would still love to see this one in its glory days. Especially since it had the bullet and smoke effects on the outside, so even onlookers would get a little treat.
I went on the Jules Verne ride 18 years ago, and I can say it is the best memory I have of Eurodisney... I didn't know it was closed, I thought it would still be waiting for me. That's really sad, it was such an amazing experience.
@@tomhill3248 i don’t think it’s ruined per say, it was the first hyperspace mountain i ever went on and i thought it was phenomenal, it was such a fun ride, but the original looks so beautiful and i adore the theming, i’m so sad we will probably never see it again 😭
Yeah, same! I went to Disneyland Paris years ago as a wee child. I forget when exactly but was probably about that long ago. Space Mountain was my favorite ride at the park! Of course being a small child, I didn't realize it was styled after Jules Verne's from Earth to the Moon, and I didn't now what a steampunk was. Still! Legit sad to learn they changed it to just a generic Star Wars cash grab. Makes me reconsider my idea to go back there if I find myself back in Paris in the future.
Randomfools THANK YOU. I heard the music. I knew it. I knew I knew it. But I had no clue how. I rewatched the video. I drew blanks, checked the description for credit. Chewed on it a few hours. Finally found these two posts and I won’t have to twitch and rock while racking my brain.
Because Emmy nominated films generally credit their music sources instead of stealing them and not mentioning them anywhere, ignoring all requests from people asking where they were stolen from. Stay classy.
Wow, you told a STORY. This was touching, too! This had the pacing of a short movie, not a documentary. And yet, it was just cold hard facts. Thank you for this, I was entertained and never bored at any part of your clip. Great job!
I am guessing that is because this is an ongoing saga whose ending is still undetermined. For the time being, it looks like any "saviors" to Disneyland Paris' well-being are quick fixes until the powers that be decide to "innovate" once more & then they are back where they started. One step forward, three steps back.
I am consistently impressed with this channel. The research and editing are impeccable. Somehow telling a story about an amazing ride, but also a theme park that seems to run into horrible problems at every turn. The content you all make is amazing and shows how attractions really are more than just that.
Austin Hamilton What really sets it is the era appropriate marketing. Those VHS tapes I have that recorded those TV movies are now far more valuable for the commercials they hold.
"Hey I know we just got back on our feet after years of financial struggle, so I decided it would be a good choice to go double or nothing and start production on another Euro Disney Park that will put us in another bad financial situation if it fails."
To be fair. There was a political reason behind that. I don't remember all details but Disney was expected to build a second park before a certain year (originally planned one year after Eurodisney opening...) or they would lose terrain something like that. Which is why they rushed to open a second, and empty park, which failed too.
I did that ride. I loved it a lot. Just enough speed for my taste and I was quite amazed by seeing the moon, also the music/sounds. It made it seems a lot faster when it’s just your cool 50 km/h
Growing up reading Jule Verne's book and riding the Retro themed space mountain was my childhood. I think Disney is now destroying dreams instead of inspiring them.
Are you sure I’m watching UA-cam?? This is so GOOD & well done and produced that I thought I was watching my Television! I had to do a “double take” and actually make sure I was on UA-cam!! Great video, man!! 👍🏻👏🏻 🤖🤓
Cyberman Bill This channel is great. I am a truck driver and I have down time at stops... Makes the time go by faster!!! Sometimes I want to finish before I leave!!!
I grew up in Belgium and went to EuroDisney / Disneyland Paris a handful of times as a teenager and a young adult. I remember the original Space Mountain so well! It was indeed the best themed indoor rollercoaster ever! Loved the original design, theme and music! I'm so glad I got to experience it. Great video (as always!)
Alexander H he apologizes for making us wait and yet he still produces quality content at such a relatively fast rate that I don’t know how he does it. One of the best dudes on UA-cam
That Space Mountain ad which was featured in 90's Disney VHS cassettes, still sends chills to my spine. As a kid it looked and especially sounded ominous but also intriguing thing to see and experience.
I love how artistically these are put together. The classical music and the cuts to original ads as well as showing the prototype art is just amazing and always gets to me.
I remember the original spacemountainride, it was just opened for a few weeks, and it was the first ride I ever took that had inversions. Not only did this change my view on how rolercoaster should be enjoyed, but it is up to this day the best I've ever went on. I went on it twice that day, the first ride was normal, as intended. The second ride later that day, the ride malfunctioned just before lift-off. We were already in the seats, and couldn't get out. They still let the ride continue, but without the music and with all lights on. You'd think that that would break the magic of the ride, but I got to see how the ride was build, what it actually looked like, and I was still in awe of what they had built. The entire build in the style of Jules Vernes made this ride play with my imagination, and the way it build up to getting to the moon was really well done. Hearing how they changed all that makes me sad. For years have I advertised people to go in the spacemountain if they go to Eurodisney, only to now realise that they probably think how overrated the ride is. If I ever talk about the ride now, I'll mention that it isn't the ride it used to be anymore.
Possibly your best 2-part video to date. With all of your previous references to the failure of Euro Disneyland, your much-anticipated explanation was everything I hoped it would be.
Fantastic work here, I never knew much about Euro Disney beyond it being one more example of Eisner hubris, and I wasn't prepared for such a bittersweet, poignant episode. The Imagineers worked so hard to create something unique and special and the suits just couldn't leave well enough alone to let it stay special. That quote at the end choked me up a bit cause oh Jules, how I wish you were right.
They Americanized it so much, they should have let the French put there spin on it. Would’ve been so much more unique. Let me clarify that I said let the FRENCH put there own twist on it. Not a French themed park, I meant more creative ideas that the people of France put into the park. It would have been cool instead of this half assed park.
I'm American, and even I feel it would've been better off as a Jules Verne attraction. Disneyland Paris SHOULD have a more French theme, given it's location.
I feel like it's not prohibitively expensive to fly from France to Florida or California, and then experience a distinctly American theme park in the US itself. If you're going to any Disney park, especially if you're staying in the resort(s), you're already spending some $$$ anyways, and you can find good Disney travel packages from just about anywhere. But maybe the failures of previous French theme parks were in their heads too much to let it be too unique. They just stuck to the formula.
Oh no I was watching the 1st part and I was thinking if it’s like version Disney with lots of French culture and such and I was really tempted to maybe go but if it’s just Americanized what’s the point of going??? I’m already in California and can go to Disneyland with an annual pass
@@cs1458 While I'd prefer a more European Disneyland Paris, it's insanely more expensive to go to Florida or Cali Disney than Disneyland Paris. I've been to both within the last decade, and I could go to Paris tomorrow, but would need to save for at least a year to go to the US, but would prefer to save for 2 or 3
@@isthatallowed2887 You're just thinking about it from an American point of view, people in France are already surrounded by French culture, if they want a French theme park there are loads to choose from. You go to Disneyland for Disney
@@madeline569 why? Like, I’m a little confused, is it good for the park to shut down? Or, are you wanting it to do better and improve and to learn from failure?
@@BlueTyphoon2017 Disney has a global reputation as a miserable, greedy corporation. Maybe if they'd focused on providing quality product instead of relentless expansion, takeovers and acquisition of intellectual copyright they'd deserve a little sympathy.
Y'know this series started as a home for interesting ride facts, but now it's the place to go when you wanna hear something emotion-inducing. Amazing work, Kevin. I'm glad to be here for the ride. Also, I demand that entire pavilion gets built in VR. I will learn how to 3D model for VR to help make it happen if need be.
One of my favourite and clearest memories of Euro Disney was from Space Mountain. Although the soundtrack is amazing, for some reason our ride had loads of English people on there (Including me and my family), and while we were waiting for the cannon to shoot, everyone starting singing "Land of Hope and Glory". It was one of the most bizarre things I've seen and made the ride so much more fun for me.
I'm shook. Let me explain: My family and i went to Disneyland Paris in 1996 with two befriended families we knew from elementary school. We stayed at Disney's Davy Crockett Ranch for three days over a long weekend. I vividly recall the Space Mountain tv spot and my excitement for everything space themed. Honestly, my only expectation for Disneyland was Space Mountain. One of my classmates was crazy for the castle and shows and stuff and i found that sacrilegious. Didn't he saw the same commercials as i did? I can remember some parts of the trip but mostly Space Mountain. On saturday and sunday the line for the ride was unbearable as a kid as we waited for what felt like hours. But the next day, because monday was a regular workday for most people and it was raining a little, the park was practically empty. No line at Space Mountain, JACKPOT. After the ride i went straight back to the start, over and over again. Dozens of times. The ride even got stuck and they turned on the light for the technician to fix it. I was excited to see the inner workings and was a little bit disappointed to realise how small the dome was compared to my imagination. But at the same time impressed by how all of that was capable of producing such an amazing experience. Now 22 years later I want to plan my second trip to Disneyland with my fiancée and i revel in nostalgia. I was telling her about Space Mountain and how awesome it was, how much fun i had and how my dad didn't went for a second ride because he was to scared. So i lookup some videos on youtube and stumble on this. I didn't know they changed it and i don't know if i like it. And while Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain or Mission 2 might be fun rides, they are most definitely not the ones i will be going back for.
I won a trip to Disneyland Paris back in 2001, and went there as a 13 year-old kid with a bunch of other kids I didn't knew at all. Only thing I clearly remember, was Space Mountain. I remember how surprised I was because I didn't expect it to have a loop, and I thought it was the wildest ride EVER. Then I went in 2018... tried the Star Wars-version, and was shocked at how cheap it seemed. They literally just put some new lights and music in it, all theming etc. is basically the same. Cash grab for sure!
I actually clapped out loud at the ending. This series is a beautiful, compelling, high production value documentary of some of the greatest ideas, innovations, and experiences of the past. Season 3 is incredible so far, but this will always be my favorite episode. Clair de lune playing at the end actually made me tear a little. Thank you for doing what you do.
Oh man, you really delivered on the second part! I seriously wish I could have gone on From the Earth to the Moon (even with my motion sickness), but alas, Eisner's unfortunate tendency to count his chickens before they even roost remains a haunting force behind many tragedies. Lovely usage of Clair de Lune.
You've outdone yourselves with this one. When I started watching this channel months ago I thought of the videos as just cool facts/history about rides from a guy with a crazy voice. Now they are progressing to straight up cinematic art. Loved it, props to the whole team!!!
I’m still not entirely sure how I stumbled across Defunctland during season 1 but I’m so glad I did. The quality of episodes show just how much you truly care about the history behind these attractions. I love watching old episodes whenever I’m stressed. Thank you so much, Kevin, for creating this series and sharing your passion with all of us! I also always have great knowledge for trivia nights now because of it lol
with every video, I get more and more impressed. Your production value has SKYROCKETED recently and I am loving the quality and topics of these videos! Keep up the good work!!!
Man, every time I see one of these videos I get a little sadder that it's something I'll never be able to experience (or experience again in some cases). It's so sad, that first version of Space Mountain seemed absolutely gorgeous and breath taking compared to the Disney World version I'm well acquainted with.
I must say your videos are very well done, they inspire a sense of nostalgia for things I never experienced. Your ability to dive into the subject matter and find the stories of the people who gave everything to build amusement is absolutely top tier!
I've lived in Florida all my life, amusement parks in general kind of just became a part of life for me. Honestly it got to a point where I just had this overall "meh" feeling about them. And then I stumbled across your UA-cam series a couple weeks ago. I honestly can't say that my overall feelings on amusement parks or their rides have changed overall, but you've definitely given me an appreciation for the history of it all. More than anything I just enjoy a good story; I've enjoyed seeing how these attractions have evolved (and in most cases perished, unfortunately), and I've enjoyed seeing how your own channel has evolved. Keep up the awesome work, my dude.
its honestly a little ridiculous how excited i got when the beginning of the og trailer for space mountain started playing, it was an advert on one of my disney videotapes as a kid and every single time i watched it i got so excited, to this day i still basically remember it word for word. I was also a very young child when i saw it first so i genuinely believed that space mountain was scientifically proven to be the greatest ride in the universe. I had hyped it up so much in my mind that when i finally got to go to disneyland and rode it, i considered it one of the most important moments in my young life. The crazy thing is that it actually managed to live up to my expectations.
Loved the addition of Clair de Lune at the end. I wish I could've been able to have gone on this ride when it was in its former glory. It sounds amazing.
Everything about this episode is absolutely beautiful! Clair de Lune not only perfectly captured the entire episode, it probably made this my all time favorite episode of Defunctland. 💕
This was my first ever coaster. I had no idea what to expect so that initial boost caught me off guard! I also remember the slow down when you see the moon with a face, I was looking at it thinking "huh, what's that doing here" for you to suddenly drop. The whole experience stuck with me way more than any other ride has.
What an excellent ending quote. I’ve been waiting on the edge of my seat for this second part! Thank you for so much attention to detail. I’ve really been enjoying season 2 so far.
I was a military kid who got stuck in Germany, which meant all of our senior trips were at Disney Paris. I had only been to Disneyworld California when I was a toddler so Disneyland Paris was actually super fun to me, not too busy, pretty easy to get on many rides, and I distinctly remember my friends and I running to get on the last ride for Space Mountain as the fireworks started. It was only a day trip but I had a blast
Best Defunctland ever. Loved literally every second of it, and I actually found myself rooting for Disneyland Paris and cheering when Space Mountain brought them out of financial turmoil, even though I already knew much of the history. Thank you so much Kevin, this was an incredible video.
Disney: You get capitalism! France: We'd really rather not have you gentrify our countryside thanks Disney: Okay how about a park that celebrates your national culture and contributions to literature and science fiction? France: Oh hey this is really neat we're starting to change out mind about- Disney: Into the garbage! Now it's gone and replaced with capitalism. France: But- Disney: Now that one's gone! Hope you like Star Wars!
Not really, there are other issues behind the scene, mostly the financial part on europe part is really bad and they took some bad loan that get worse every year. Also nearly all attraction park get new attraction each year in europe, eurodisney ? one every four year at best...
How are you using a computer or the internet if you hate commerce and business so much? You know the things that have pushed technology to where it is. Better question why aren't you living in the communist paradise of venezuela? Fuck those capitalists who can wipe their ass with real toilet paper and aren't starving or dying from the lack of medicines amirite comrade.
This makes so much sense. I’ve been to DLP loads of times, and only rode Space Mountain once - in about 2010. Both my dad and I thought it was a rubbish experience, and nothing compared to Thunder Mountain, etc. I always wondered why it was so revered - I had no idea they’d changed it!
This series was beautifully written, well researched, and put together with love and care. I applaud everyone who worked on this intriguing and captivating series heartily. Admittedly, I sat after work, tipped a few back, and genuinely enjoyed each episode from beginning to end one after the other in rapt attention. I can honestly say that there are few works on this platform that I’ve found that have captivated me so. I tip my hat to the lot of you, and raise a glass high to ya. Thank you, sincerely.
I'm grateful for videos like this that allow me to learn about and experience rides that I never got the chance to experience myself. You're helping keep the magic alive, thanks.
What a beautifully edited and researched video. Makes me sad I was never able to ride the original coaster. Also, I had no idea the park has been struggling, growing up in the 2000s a lot of my friends and classmates would go to Disneyland Paris during the summer holidays and such (not me, mainly because of money and my parents flat-out refusing to lol). Not to mention all the advertisements for it I’d see. Made me think it was the peak holiday destination in Europe
I honestly could cry. I loved Space Mountain so much, it was maybe the best ride ever created. You really do it justice with this video and there were quite a few things I could learn despite having gathered lots of information about its history over the years. Thank you very much for that, the ending gave me goosebumps. Let's hope Space Mountain will return one day for everyone to experience.
Dang, the irony of that Jules Verne quote you put in at the end! You're no slouch at story-telling either, Kevin. Mini-stories are essentially what the Defunctland series is. You're really doing amazingly with this & I'm riddled with the "what could have been..." feels after every video. But yeah, that Jules Verne quote there is, tragically, the perfect zinger.
what a wonderfully put-together video! kevin does it again, always keeping me interested and on the edge of my seat. fabulous work as always, favorite video to date!
Could you do a Defunctland about all of Epcot's defunct pavilions like innoventions and other pavilions that do not warrant their own episode? I think that would be a really interesting episode!
Wow, this was just the best video I have ever seen in UA-cam. And thank you for doing this. As a Disney child born in 1994 and constantly going to the parks, I remembered the change in Disneyland resort, especially is Tomorrowland. I remembered the rocket rods, innovations where the advances in technology and games was, and submarines. Then, all I can remember is bit by bit the theme of the land decreased over time. I never knew why but thanks to you and others (Park History, Offhand Disney, Yesterworld, etc.) my childhood question now been answered. Thank you for taking the time to research and create these wonderfully made videos. They are simply the best. It is sad that the Disney resorts did not become what they should been all because of capitalism and greed. The parks are moving away from Walt's vision and just becoming a place of just IPs. It sad not to see true imagination and originality anymore in the parks. I hope someday someone can fix the damage done in the resorts, especially Disneyland, Disney World, and Disneyland Paris.
Can't lie another reason why attendance rocketed after space mountain was due to the opening of the euro tunnel, which means more Brits which live Disney
You ever get excited about a ride and then remember you’re watching DEFUNCT land
Yup. I was watching his video on that Cinderella Castle Mystery Tour ride and I'm like, "Okay I would actually do that though." Too bad a) it was at Tokyo Disneyland and b) it's now gone....I think it would do well with older audiences in America. Also, the aesthetic of this Space Mountain was so pleasing, with the steampunk theme. Imagine a whole park like that though.
So often :(
It was one of the only memorable things. I mean that ride was great, but the rest of the park is pretty.... meh. Especially considering everything is in French, now this isn't perse bad. But it would have helped attendance a lot if it was more Europe inclusive. After all.. many kids from many countries did not get a real disney experience because of the language barrier. English would have been a better choice.
Anyone remember that Topspin themed to Tomb Raider? Would have been nice to check out if they didn't trash it.
@@JustARandomInternetUserHere everything in the parks is in French AND in English. Some character (like Goofy) only speaks English. Speaking toys like Buzz Lightyear or Woody are only available in English.
"This ride is perfect, and it saved the whole park! ...Let's change it!"
Why do marketing people think you have to renew a thing for people to want it again? The greatest movies are perfectly rewatchable. Nobody minds reading their favourite book again. We play our favourite songs over and over. If it's good, it'll pass the test of time!
YESSSS
Apparently Disney's filmmakers disagree because they're re-making pretty much all of their animated classics in live action for no real reason.
Seriously, I'm DREADING the live action Mulan remake, because Mulan is my favorite movie ever.
I heard they’re remaking the movies so they can keep the copyrights or something...
@@cadenwatson2942 That would actually make a LOT of sense,.They've already changed the laws several times to extend the maximum amount of time you can have a copyright, so extending it any more would be taking the piss. So I think their only option is to remake the movies to keep the copyrights.
Yeah that's great and all BUT WHAT IF we remade our classic Disney films except this time made them live action? :DDDDDDDDDDDD
What's kinda interesting is that if they were to revert the ride back to the original theming... they could then market THAT as a new ride because it's been long enough that most younger audiences wouldn't have experienced it. 2005-2019 is long enough for current teenagers to be born.
Or they can market it as nostalgia, trip down memory lane... They are very good at that
@@akshit318 yeah marketing it as a revitalization of a classic works well. I've never been to Disneyland Paris but after watching this I feel sad for the changes to space mountain and discovery land haha. Easy to tug the heart strings
I would really want to know what it was like on the original version, I've done only mission 2 (I hope I'll do hyperspace soon)
I agree, I'd actually be interested in going to see the original more than the 'Mission 2' one. I went to Disneyland Paris as a kid but couldnt go on Space Mountain cause my parents were just buzzkills and wouldnt go on it with me and I was too young to go alone, now I missed the chance to see the Verne style one and he's a favourite author of mine.
@@Unlesslight It was genuinely amazing. Sprint back to the entrance once you got off amazing.
I'm surprised they didnt show it but the moon you slowly coast up to had a happy face until you got too close and then it turned angry as you crested the drop that led into the remainder of the ride. The viewing platforms inside where you could watch the coasters go around with everything lit up via blacklight and that cannon... the boom noise could be heard from outside the ride and the smoke pluming everywhere... good times, been so long since I was last there I didn't even realise they had watered it down into ....this...
This is one of the saddest defunctland episodes, because the ride still exists. No issues forced it's closure. It has just been watered down and made a shadow of its former self as part of a cynical advertising scheme.
BioSpark I do agree but I do have one question would you rather have a thrilling ride with no story or a park that doesn't exist
I'd take the storyless ride any day. In this case I feel they could have done something different though, an actual new ride or renovating a disappointing part of the park or something. Making the ride worse seems to have no actual benefit aside from advertising dollars.
That's why we need communism
BioSpark Yeah but now you get to see star wars instead of that old 40s polio infected captain nemo trash 😎
I rode the original in 2003 and then was very excited to go back and see the smiling moon in 2005 only for it to be generic misson 2 bullshit... Literally broke my heart. The original ride shaped so much of my childhood sense of imagination and love twards steampunk and old scifi stuff
the delay in michael eisner saying “camera” after “lights” is the most michael eisner thing to ever happen
I felt SUCH secondhand embarrassment
I know he was in charge of the company but why did he have to be the guy to announce everything?
@@EvanCWaters I guess to show who was running the show. unfortunately, when his projects tank, he's the first face that comes to everyone's mind when things go wrong.
Michael Eisner is a modern day Andrew Jackson
"Lights"
".... 😀..... Camera."
I had the privilege of going on the original Space Mountain at Disneyland Paris when I was a child. Nothing was greater than the sense of wonderment and excitement as a child as you saw the cannon boom as you entered Discoveryland for the first time, echoing throughout the park. The ride's queue, the thematic nuance, the subtle touches, the score, and so much more much made for an unforgettable trip. It saddens me that I can't appreciate it again as an adult with all the knowledge I have of it now, but I can always remember that cannon shot of my childhood.
Conversely, Mission 2 is such a pale comparison that I have once been on Space Mountain without music and with ZERO lighting and I can say that it was a better experience than Mission 2. Was planning to go with friends again some time next year. I think, until Disney stops trying to inject soulless thought into something with so much soul, I might hold off.
I hate how they took away the steampunk theming from the ride, it kinda separates it from the rest of discoveryland.
Never got to ride before Hyperspace, so I'm just happy to have seen the incredible Verne-esque exteriors in Discoveryland. Seems like it's only a matter of time before they trash those too.
PS I never expected to see a Ken Ashcorp comment on a Defunctland video. Love your music dude!
You sound so gay
@@lucasoheyze4597 imagine having an appreciation for something making someone gay 😂😂😂😂 get the fuck out
Truer words have never been spoken.
"It is part of the American temperament to foresee everything in business, even failure."
Verne really had us pegged.
Drew Winslow , absolutely.
He and Wells were amazing visionaries, they foresaw so many things, even atomic weapons.
We're so predictable.
This video doesn't even include the motivation for the gun engineers building their space gun. Basically, there was no war happening and therefore no demand for guns, but being Americans they couldn't not build guns. So, they decided the best option to alleviate their boredom was to build a giant gun powerful enough to enable spaceflight.
Which is possibly the most American thing ever written.
Verne pegged us 😳
Me about halfway in: "I'm so so happy for those Imagineers! I actually want to go to Disneyland Paris now that sounds spectacular!"
Me 30 seconds later: "ah, of course"
Any time you hear the name Eisner in the series... it’s immediately followed by multi billion dollar losses, multiple consecutive times, and ideas you’ll be screaming at the screen that are obvious to fail lmao
@@skivvy3565 still he was the best CEO Disney had in the last 40 years
@@skivvy3565 Iger is way worse
@@tufab3494 Can't blame him either. Seemed to be holding the company together in a time of financial trouble, not the reasons for it.
As much as I love Star Wars, I would rather have the original French space mountain than the Star Wars one.
TheJman5683 thier switching it back too the normal space mountain now
Xinless Vice mission 2 or from the earth to the moon?
TheJman5683 I believe mission 2 though if they could give it additions as well that would be nice.
I am really sad that they changed it. The ride was so good.
@@wolfbrother4395 "We've got to have.... money..."
This series has grown to be a masterclass of editing and research. Every video is an improvement on an already strong library.
Moderately Neato I CONCUR!!
Yep, all of this channel videos are very interesting, but this one was a bit misleading, when I clicked on it I thought "oh wow, did eurodisney close?" nope, not at all, eurodisney is still open today.
The story of Space Mountain: From the Earth to the Moon is the nutshell version of what is wrong with today’s Disney parks. All of the magic and whimsy is being replaced in favor of blatant cash grabs. I mean, we all know that the point of these parks is to make money, but now it feels like they’re not even trying to hide it. “You like Guardians of the Galaxy? We can do that! Haha holy shit, we know you idiots will pay out the nose for Stars Wars! STAR WARS ALL THE THINGS!”
Brilliant use of Clair de Lune, by the way.
I will say with Star Wars, their idea behind it was somewhat in the right space (no pun intended). They saw the success Wizarding World had. Everyone loved it, from people who don't know or care much about Harry Potter to the die hard fans. It's a really immersive experience which people tend to like. That's Disney's goal with Star Wars Land. Although, they are doing some things wrong with it, like not allowing guests to wear jedi robes they buy in the parks.
This is now the definitive use of Clair de Lune for me.
Disney parks are only promos for their movie brands.
omg its clair de lune!!! thats why im crying over an attraction ive never went
HEY at least with guardians they did put the efort to at least made it justice to his predecesor,randomize drops,animatronics,they had imageniers doing the ebst they can,and will lead to a marvel land.
Did you ever hear the tragedy of Space Mountain: From the Earth to the Moon? I thought not. It's not a story Eisner would tell you. It's a defuct legend. Earth to the Moon was a themed roller coaster so fun and so loved it could use it's theme to influence the French to ride it… It had such a respect of Jules Verne that it could even keep the Euro Disneyland from dying. Love and creativity is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural. It became so successful… the only thing people were afraid of was losing it, which eventually, of course, they did. Unfortunately, Disney rebranded it as a generic space ride, then they rebranded it to Star Wars. Ironic. It could save the park from death, but not itself.
Is it possible to recreate this ride?
@@TheNMan64 Not from a Disney Executive
10/10 comment chain
This has got to be one of the most amazing comments I’ve ever read on UA-cam 🏆
Ending it with the quote from Jules Verne, amazing. I got chills
@@stevenreilly3345 thats not very nice
I actually shed a tear 😢
Emily L Clair de Lune was a bittersweet addition, too.
@@stevenreilly3345 shut up boomer
the quote suits well the mindset of the engineers that first sent people to the moon.
make sure it works, expect it not to work, make backups for those too.
they even made a manually operated alternative explosive means for leaving the moon where you just gotta hang on.
Honestly cannot believe Space Mountain saved EuroDisneyland. Crazy to think that the fun little ride changed it all.
Thanks for making this video Kevin, really interesting.
Disney Dan technically saudi money saved disneyland
My dad described it as "being beaten round the head in a dark room". Maybe they could re-name it the CIA Ride to drum up interest.
I can believe it.
Disney Dan i mean did you see those asteroids and stars zoomin by? And now there's tie fighters?!
Space Mountain is like the height of pure unfiltered joy. You're zoomin along goin all over the galaxy, and you're getting shot at by lazers and watching the big bang happen while going 740mph, then you look back and all your friends and family are there and they're feeling the same awesome experience.
If there was a space mountain in every city it could become a world religion. For an hour every sunday you wait in line, then ride space mountain, and then just go about your week. Crime would be nonexistant, the economy would skyrocket, the human experience would become a perfect ecstasy centered around this ideal multimedia experience.
Nirvana. Paradise. Riding Space Mountain.
Forget the bible, ride space mountain and listen to heavy metal every day of your life FUCK SUPERSTAR LIMO SM ALL DAY🌌🌌🌌🌌🌌🌌🌌🌌🌌🌌🌌🌌
+Sergio Jose I love everything about your comment.
as a french person who only went to disneyland paris when i was a kid in like 2005 and who grew up reading jules verne (and is forever scarred about his high school french literature final being an analysis of a jules verne extract lmao), this is the only defunctland video i've ever watched feeling nostalgia... this is so interesting bc watching the other defunctland videos make me go like "who would want to go there? who would want to go to a disney theme park knowing all the dirty stuff behind it, the long waiting lines, and everything in between?" and now i understand...childhood memories.
That is the weakest looking supercomputer I have ever seen, Mickey.
jane doe , a Casio TI-82 has more power :)
@@thekornreeper want to know how much better computers have gotten? your average current day laptop. has a computing power slightly greater than the computer used by the national central statistics bureau in the netherlands. a computer that was 2 stories tall and took the bottom 2 floors of the building.
asura, being of wrath , that’s true 🧮
Would you rather he had been next to the supercomputer housing Lyoko?
Boy, imagine if Code Lyoko were a series created by Disney's division in France. That would've been odd (no pun intended).
I'm pretty sure the computers in our graphing calculators have more power than what got us to the Moon and back
I think that this can be summed up in one word. Personality. From the Earth to the Moon had it's own style, atmosphere, and charm to it that was wholly unique, even for Disney. It had personality. It was gorgeous.
Now look what it was replaced with. Carbon copies of earlier attractions in a souless cashgrab, just like the entire concept of Disneyland Paris was in the first place. It was only because of that one imagineer that dedicated the park to a unique concept that it wasn't a total flop.
You just don't see that kind of character from the modern Disney anymore. Neither in film or in the parks
CMD 3 what about the one in Tokyo?
@@cariopuppetmaster I'm not familiar with the parks in Tokyo, but if I remember correctly, a different company actually runs and maintains the park and merely has Disney licensing, so it's not actually a part of the Disney company, just a park paying to use their properties.
CMD 3 have you ever even been to disneyland paris ? Goddamn the place has so much charm. Don’t talk about what you don’t know
They're more machine now then man...
Disney as a company has always been greedy I’m not sure what you expected lol.
I think this is the first time I've genuinely felt really sad and cried at the end of one of these videos. Claire de Lune is the perfect piece to end on, it's a shame the ride never returned to its former glory.
One positive now is that it's at least not painful to ride anymore. It got new trains from Vekoma with the vest restraints when it was transformed into Hyperspace Mountain
@@AdamSmith-gs2dv when did that happen? It's been about five years since I've been to Disneyland
The first commercial for Space Mountain: From the Earth to the Moon gave me goosebumps. I remember it from my childhood.
Are you a fellow 90s kid??
This was more or less a bittersweet feeling: Space Mountain: From the Earth to the Moon saved EuroDisney/Disney Paris, but it still suffered the shame obnoxious revamping that Disney tends to do simply because they think it'll bring bucks (looking at you Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror turned into Guardians of the Galaxy in California Adventure). I do hope they bring back the old style of that ride, it does seem like the most unique of the Space Mountain ride.
To be fair, I believe time is about up on the licence with MGM, so they lose the rights to Twilight Zone soon either way.
The only ride to leave me shaking when it stopped. They changed it right before twilight zone was announced to get a reboot. I guess this is the reason Disney is just buying companies now rather than getting sponsorships.
The fit of theming and sightlines of GotG is obnoxious. They’ll probably raze buena vista street to finalize the front into IP land.
I knew it was Tower of Terror but never knew it was Twilight Zone themed! That sucks that I never got to experience that ride, only the lame Guardians one
I wish that the Guardians ride was built from the ground up instead of just straight up replacing an iconic Disney ride );
Truly a tragic story for all theme park lovers. “From The Earth To The Moon” sounds like it was amazing. I don’t even ride roller coaster (my stomach won’t let me) and I would still love to see this one in its glory days. Especially since it had the bullet and smoke effects on the outside, so even onlookers would get a little treat.
I went on the Jules Verne ride 18 years ago, and I can say it is the best memory I have of Eurodisney... I didn't know it was closed, I thought it would still be waiting for me. That's really sad, it was such an amazing experience.
Its good people have good memories of it still. It looks like it was amazing
It's actually not been closed, just uh, kinda ruined. Changed if you will. Still probably a decent ride even if not as good as the original.
@@tomhill3248 i don’t think it’s ruined per say, it was the first hyperspace mountain i ever went on and i thought it was phenomenal, it was such a fun ride, but the original looks so beautiful and i adore the theming, i’m so sad we will probably never see it again 😭
Yeah, same! I went to Disneyland Paris years ago as a wee child. I forget when exactly but was probably about that long ago. Space Mountain was my favorite ride at the park! Of course being a small child, I didn't realize it was styled after Jules Verne's from Earth to the Moon, and I didn't now what a steampunk was. Still! Legit sad to learn they changed it to just a generic Star Wars cash grab. Makes me reconsider my idea to go back there if I find myself back in Paris in the future.
That "Clair de Lune" at the end gave me chills..
Alex Cleveland it actually made me cry lol! I'm kind of a softy for classical though.
It was perfectly placed...I was like where have I heard that recentl....The Evil Within series!
Randomfools THANK YOU. I heard the music. I knew it. I knew I knew it. But I had no clue how. I rewatched the video. I drew blanks, checked the description for credit. Chewed on it a few hours. Finally found these two posts and I won’t have to twitch and rock while racking my brain.
It genuinely makes me sad that I’ll never get to go on the original ride
Well hopefully The Defunctland VR will have it
Time travel???
In the future, of course
Can UA-cam videos be nominated for Emmy's? Because this one deserves it
Same here
They can, actually, iirc
It’s happened with the Lizzy Bennet Diaries (a fantastic web series by the way)
Because Emmy nominated films generally credit their music sources instead of stealing them and not mentioning them anywhere, ignoring all requests from people asking where they were stolen from. Stay classy.
@Clone 42: Shut the hell up asshole.
Wow, you told a STORY. This was touching, too!
This had the pacing of a short movie, not a documentary. And yet, it was just cold hard facts. Thank you for this, I was entertained and never bored at any part of your clip. Great job!
Yes, excellent film.👊
"This will hopefully be the end of the struggles of Disneyland Paris."
Coronavirus: "OH HELLO THERE!"
Damn, what an episode. Ending gave me chills.
I am guessing that is because this is an ongoing saga whose ending is still undetermined. For the time being, it looks like any "saviors" to Disneyland Paris' well-being are quick fixes until the powers that be decide to "innovate" once more & then they are back where they started. One step forward, three steps back.
I am consistently impressed with this channel. The research and editing are impeccable. Somehow telling a story about an amazing ride, but also a theme park that seems to run into horrible problems at every turn. The content you all make is amazing and shows how attractions really are more than just that.
Austin Hamilton What really sets it is the era appropriate marketing. Those VHS tapes I have that recorded those TV movies are now far more valuable for the commercials they hold.
This is probably the most oddly emotional Defunctland video you've made. I almost shed a single tear at the ending.
I expect this.
"Hey I know we just got back on our feet after years of financial struggle, so I decided it would be a good choice to go double or nothing and start production on another Euro Disney Park that will put us in another bad financial situation if it fails."
Investors' pressure doesn't make a bad idea better.
Iger is literally a Kingdom Hearts villain what else do you expect from him?
To be fair. There was a political reason behind that. I don't remember all details but Disney was expected to build a second park before a certain year (originally planned one year after Eurodisney opening...) or they would lose terrain something like that.
Which is why they rushed to open a second, and empty park, which failed too.
@@jasonn.5115 uh this was about eisner
Iger wasnt at the company yet
I saw that and I was like damn is that absolutely stupid
how is this video so beautiful? it makes me miss a ride i never knew existed
funtomco exactly how I feel!
I will tell you all french fan of disneyland paris miss space mountain, and we hope it will return one day !
I did that ride. I loved it a lot. Just enough speed for my taste and I was quite amazed by seeing the moon, also the music/sounds. It made it seems a lot faster when it’s just your cool 50 km/h
Growing up reading Jule Verne's book and riding the Retro themed space mountain was my childhood.
I think Disney is now destroying dreams instead of inspiring them.
8:04 Donald just can't take all this terrible acting.
🤣
To be fair, it is dubbed over haha
That and somewhere around 8:40 the mom holds up 3 fingers when she says second time.
Somehow Donald is the most human of the actors there
No, its foreshadowing.
Donald knew it wouldn't be enough to save the park.
Are you sure I’m watching UA-cam??
This is so GOOD & well done and produced that I thought I was watching my Television!
I had to do a “double take” and actually make sure I was on UA-cam!!
Great video, man!! 👍🏻👏🏻
🤖🤓
Cyberman Bill mueusur6eysDYDYueeeyyueyyyeuydye7 I ede7iae99e99uduudu6EYHHHHhd7p6lwpus. Ggyhujjz. 0nx .gffggyy €______€88££889
Blake Scott Wow!!!
Cyberman Bill This channel is great. I am a truck driver and I have down time at stops... Makes the time go by faster!!! Sometimes I want to finish before I leave!!!
why is double take in quotes
FWIW I would totally watch a Defunctland TV show... just saying.
I grew up in Belgium and went to EuroDisney / Disneyland Paris a handful of times as a teenager and a young adult. I remember the original Space Mountain so well! It was indeed the best themed indoor rollercoaster ever! Loved the original design, theme and music! I'm so glad I got to experience it. Great video (as always!)
Oh my, the dubbing on that French promo was very cringe inducing.
Yeah, but the mouth movements not matching the voices implies dubbing
*Man in booth to voice actors in their pajamas or sweatsuits* Oh guys, just make a bunch of "Wees!" and "Hahas!" like you're on a roller coaster
7:56 is the cringe
Fucking abysmal
You realize everything dubbed drom English sounds like this?
Kevin was so apologetic about making us wait, but this is my new favourite episode and well worth the extra time. Thank you Defunctland❤
Alexander H he apologizes for making us wait and yet he still produces quality content at such a relatively fast rate that I don’t know how he does it. One of the best dudes on UA-cam
BurtSampson no doubt about it
That Space Mountain ad which was featured in 90's Disney VHS cassettes, still sends chills to my spine. As a kid it looked and especially sounded ominous but also intriguing thing to see and experience.
It's always the best attractions that end up defunct.
But defunct with honor.
Same, atleast we will be able to ride it... Virtually
jacoblgames *********************************************************Usually
I love how artistically these are put together. The classical music and the cuts to original ads as well as showing the prototype art is just amazing and always gets to me.
I remember the original spacemountainride, it was just opened for a few weeks, and it was the first ride I ever took that had inversions. Not only did this change my view on how rolercoaster should be enjoyed, but it is up to this day the best I've ever went on. I went on it twice that day, the first ride was normal, as intended. The second ride later that day, the ride malfunctioned just before lift-off. We were already in the seats, and couldn't get out. They still let the ride continue, but without the music and with all lights on. You'd think that that would break the magic of the ride, but I got to see how the ride was build, what it actually looked like, and I was still in awe of what they had built.
The entire build in the style of Jules Vernes made this ride play with my imagination, and the way it build up to getting to the moon was really well done. Hearing how they changed all that makes me sad. For years have I advertised people to go in the spacemountain if they go to Eurodisney, only to now realise that they probably think how overrated the ride is. If I ever talk about the ride now, I'll mention that it isn't the ride it used to be anymore.
Possibly your best 2-part video to date. With all of your previous references to the failure of Euro Disneyland, your much-anticipated explanation was everything I hoped it would be.
Fantastic work here, I never knew much about Euro Disney beyond it being one more example of Eisner hubris, and I wasn't prepared for such a bittersweet, poignant episode. The Imagineers worked so hard to create something unique and special and the suits just couldn't leave well enough alone to let it stay special. That quote at the end choked me up a bit cause oh Jules, how I wish you were right.
16:58 I literally screamed "Nooo!" out loud. I guessed what was coming, and I was right.
Damn you...
season 2 has unreal quality dude. I'm so impressed with the level of detail in each video
They Americanized it so much, they should have let the French put there spin on it. Would’ve been so much more unique.
Let me clarify that I said let the FRENCH put there own twist on it. Not a French themed park, I meant more creative ideas that the people of France put into the park. It would have been cool instead of this half assed park.
I'm American, and even I feel it would've been better off as a Jules Verne attraction.
Disneyland Paris SHOULD have a more French theme, given it's location.
I feel like it's not prohibitively expensive to fly from France to Florida or California, and then experience a distinctly American theme park in the US itself. If you're going to any Disney park, especially if you're staying in the resort(s), you're already spending some $$$ anyways, and you can find good Disney travel packages from just about anywhere. But maybe the failures of previous French theme parks were in their heads too much to let it be too unique. They just stuck to the formula.
Oh no I was watching the 1st part and I was thinking if it’s like version Disney with lots of French culture and such and I was really tempted to maybe go but if it’s just Americanized what’s the point of going??? I’m already in California and can go to Disneyland with an annual pass
@@cs1458 While I'd prefer a more European Disneyland Paris, it's insanely more expensive to go to Florida or Cali Disney than Disneyland Paris. I've been to both within the last decade, and I could go to Paris tomorrow, but would need to save for at least a year to go to the US, but would prefer to save for 2 or 3
@@isthatallowed2887 You're just thinking about it from an American point of view, people in France are already surrounded by French culture, if they want a French theme park there are loads to choose from. You go to Disneyland for Disney
Watching Disney fail miserably due to their greed is so deeply satisfying
90th like
We love to see it :)
Wait, why? Like, will it encourage them to do better in the future? To make the rides better so they’ll turn more profit?
@@madeline569 why? Like, I’m a little confused, is it good for the park to shut down? Or, are you wanting it to do better and improve and to learn from failure?
@@BlueTyphoon2017 Disney has a global reputation as a miserable, greedy corporation. Maybe if they'd focused on providing quality product instead of relentless expansion, takeovers and acquisition of intellectual copyright they'd deserve a little sympathy.
clair de lune really adds such emotional depth to the video
Joanna Miral I thought it was gymnopedie no 1 :p
yeah i think its gymnopedie by satie
Gymnopédie n.º 1 at the beginning, Clair de Lune at the end of the video.
Crying right now
Y'know this series started as a home for interesting ride facts, but now it's the place to go when you wanna hear something emotion-inducing. Amazing work, Kevin. I'm glad to be here for the ride.
Also, I demand that entire pavilion gets built in VR. I will learn how to 3D model for VR to help make it happen if need be.
One of my favourite and clearest memories of Euro Disney was from Space Mountain. Although the soundtrack is amazing, for some reason our ride had loads of English people on there (Including me and my family), and while we were waiting for the cannon to shoot, everyone starting singing "Land of Hope and Glory". It was one of the most bizarre things I've seen and made the ride so much more fun for me.
Just a quick add on, I showed my media students the first half of the episode in class with HW being to watch part 2.
I'm shook.
Let me explain:
My family and i went to Disneyland Paris in 1996 with two befriended families we knew from elementary school. We stayed at Disney's Davy Crockett Ranch for three days over a long weekend.
I vividly recall the Space Mountain tv spot and my excitement for everything space themed. Honestly, my only expectation for Disneyland was Space Mountain. One of my classmates was crazy for the castle and shows and stuff and i found that sacrilegious. Didn't he saw the same commercials as i did?
I can remember some parts of the trip but mostly Space Mountain. On saturday and sunday the line for the ride was unbearable as a kid as we waited for what felt like hours.
But the next day, because monday was a regular workday for most people and it was raining a little, the park was practically empty. No line at Space Mountain, JACKPOT.
After the ride i went straight back to the start, over and over again. Dozens of times. The ride even got stuck and they turned on the light for the technician to fix it. I was excited to see the inner workings and was a little bit disappointed to realise how small the dome was compared to my imagination. But at the same time impressed by how all of that was capable of producing such an amazing experience.
Now 22 years later I want to plan my second trip to Disneyland with my fiancée and i revel in nostalgia. I was telling her about Space Mountain and how awesome it was, how much fun i had and how my dad didn't went for a second ride because he was to scared. So i lookup some videos on youtube and stumble on this.
I didn't know they changed it and i don't know if i like it.
And while Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain or Mission 2 might be fun rides, they are most definitely not the ones i will be going back for.
FiesoDuck OMG. I went in 1996. I was 14. Space mountain is my best memory. That and planet Hollywood
I won a trip to Disneyland Paris back in 2001, and went there as a 13 year-old kid with a bunch of other kids I didn't knew at all.
Only thing I clearly remember, was Space Mountain. I remember how surprised I was because I didn't expect it to have a loop, and I thought it was the wildest ride EVER.
Then I went in 2018... tried the Star Wars-version, and was shocked at how cheap it seemed. They literally just put some new lights and music in it, all theming etc. is basically the same.
Cash grab for sure!
Give it a chance. It's not that bad.
FiesoDuck hyperspace moutain is insanely good.
I actually clapped out loud at the ending.
This series is a beautiful, compelling, high production value documentary of some of the greatest ideas, innovations, and experiences of the past.
Season 3 is incredible so far, but this will always be my favorite episode.
Clair de lune playing at the end actually made me tear a little.
Thank you for doing what you do.
This, combined with the first part, might be my favorite episode of Defunctland.
Oh man, you really delivered on the second part! I seriously wish I could have gone on From the Earth to the Moon (even with my motion sickness), but alas, Eisner's unfortunate tendency to count his chickens before they even roost remains a haunting force behind many tragedies.
Lovely usage of Clair de Lune.
Welcome to Sunk Cost Fallacy: the Documentary with our main star Michael Eisner.
Excellent two-part episode. You really know how to write these out in ways that are entirely engaging.
When you fall in love with the featured ride, but remember the shows called defunctland 😥
Watching the transition of faces from 17:08 - 17:12 had me howling
You've outdone yourselves with this one. When I started watching this channel months ago I thought of the videos as just cool facts/history about rides from a guy with a crazy voice. Now they are progressing to straight up cinematic art. Loved it, props to the whole team!!!
I’m still not entirely sure how I stumbled across Defunctland during season 1 but I’m so glad I did. The quality of episodes show just how much you truly care about the history behind these attractions. I love watching old episodes whenever I’m stressed. Thank you so much, Kevin, for creating this series and sharing your passion with all of us! I also always have great knowledge for trivia nights now because of it lol
Oh that Clare de lune at the end got me. Wonderful touch.
I like that.
with every video, I get more and more impressed. Your production value has SKYROCKETED recently and I am loving the quality and topics of these videos! Keep up the good work!!!
Man, every time I see one of these videos I get a little sadder that it's something I'll never be able to experience (or experience again in some cases). It's so sad, that first version of Space Mountain seemed absolutely gorgeous and breath taking compared to the Disney World version I'm well acquainted with.
Star Shiranui The blueprint for that whole area was incredible. Surprised Tokyo Sea doesn't have the budget for that.
I must say your videos are very well done, they inspire a sense of nostalgia for things I never experienced. Your ability to dive into the subject matter and find the stories of the people who gave everything to build amusement is absolutely top tier!
Great use of Satie’s and Debussy’s music!
These videos have become my favorite on UA-cam, so relaxing, informative, and low-key hilarious.
I feel like we need an update video for this one, since so much has happened over the past 6 years.
I get it.
my god, that discovery mountain concept art is gorgeous
Intro straight up gave me chills. God your channel has grown so much, its inspiring. Never stop doing what you love man.
The last couple minutes with the quotes and Clair de Lune in the background were just wonderful
Clair de Lune is one of my favourite pieces of music ever; just hearing it gets me choked up.
I've lived in Florida all my life, amusement parks in general kind of just became a part of life for me. Honestly it got to a point where I just had this overall "meh" feeling about them. And then I stumbled across your UA-cam series a couple weeks ago. I honestly can't say that my overall feelings on amusement parks or their rides have changed overall, but you've definitely given me an appreciation for the history of it all. More than anything I just enjoy a good story; I've enjoyed seeing how these attractions have evolved (and in most cases perished, unfortunately), and I've enjoyed seeing how your own channel has evolved. Keep up the awesome work, my dude.
its honestly a little ridiculous how excited i got when the beginning of the og trailer for space mountain started playing, it was an advert on one of my disney videotapes as a kid and every single time i watched it i got so excited, to this day i still basically remember it word for word. I was also a very young child when i saw it first so i genuinely believed that space mountain was scientifically proven to be the greatest ride in the universe. I had hyped it up so much in my mind that when i finally got to go to disneyland and rode it, i considered it one of the most important moments in my young life. The crazy thing is that it actually managed to live up to my expectations.
Loved the addition of Clair de Lune at the end. I wish I could've been able to have gone on this ride when it was in its former glory. It sounds amazing.
Yeah, I was too smoll to go on the original... Fucking sucks dude...
There is a NL2 recreation of the ride on Steam now.
Everything about this episode is absolutely beautiful! Clair de Lune not only perfectly captured the entire episode, it probably made this my all time favorite episode of Defunctland. 💕
This was my first ever coaster. I had no idea what to expect so that initial boost caught me off guard! I also remember the slow down when you see the moon with a face, I was looking at it thinking "huh, what's that doing here" for you to suddenly drop. The whole experience stuck with me way more than any other ride has.
Consistently putting out high quality content. This is the only channel on UA-cam that I stop whatever I'm doing to watch!
What an excellent ending quote. I’ve been waiting on the edge of my seat for this second part! Thank you for so much attention to detail. I’ve really been enjoying season 2 so far.
I was a military kid who got stuck in Germany, which meant all of our senior trips were at Disney Paris. I had only been to Disneyworld California when I was a toddler so Disneyland Paris was actually super fun to me, not too busy, pretty easy to get on many rides, and I distinctly remember my friends and I running to get on the last ride for Space Mountain as the fireworks started. It was only a day trip but I had a blast
Best Defunctland ever. Loved literally every second of it, and I actually found myself rooting for Disneyland Paris and cheering when Space Mountain brought them out of financial turmoil, even though I already knew much of the history. Thank you so much Kevin, this was an incredible video.
Disney: You get capitalism!
France: We'd really rather not have you gentrify our countryside thanks
Disney: Okay how about a park that celebrates your national culture and contributions to literature and science fiction?
France: Oh hey this is really neat we're starting to change out mind about-
Disney: Into the garbage! Now it's gone and replaced with capitalism.
France: But-
Disney: Now that one's gone! Hope you like Star Wars!
Well-said! The fact that this was failing in the middle of Disney's 90s golden age is puzzling.
Not really, there are other issues behind the scene, mostly the financial part on europe part is really bad and they took some bad loan that get worse every year.
Also nearly all attraction park get new attraction each year in europe, eurodisney ? one every four year at best...
How are you using a computer or the internet if you hate commerce and business so much? You know the things that have pushed technology to where it is.
Better question why aren't you living in the communist paradise of venezuela? Fuck those capitalists who can wipe their ass with real toilet paper and aren't starving or dying from the lack of medicines amirite comrade.
I believe the OP is talking about Consumerism (especially Disney's brand), and not Capitalism.
>gentrify
This makes so much sense. I’ve been to DLP loads of times, and only rode Space Mountain once - in about 2010. Both my dad and I thought it was a rubbish experience, and nothing compared to Thunder Mountain, etc. I always wondered why it was so revered - I had no idea they’d changed it!
This was so worth the wait, an absolutely incredible episode!
I stopped listening to music as soon as I got the alert for this video. I love the series so much and their is never a bad video
This series was beautifully written, well researched, and put together with love and care. I applaud everyone who worked on this intriguing and captivating series heartily. Admittedly, I sat after work, tipped a few back, and genuinely enjoyed each episode from beginning to end one after the other in rapt attention. I can honestly say that there are few works on this platform that I’ve found that have captivated me so. I tip my hat to the lot of you, and raise a glass high to ya. Thank you, sincerely.
That ending made me feel things.....
Kevin, please! Yamete kudasai!
Altima NEO what?
Scrambled 59 "please, stop it!"
Altima NEO ....
I'm grateful for videos like this that allow me to learn about and experience rides that I never got the chance to experience myself. You're helping keep the magic alive, thanks.
What a beautifully edited and researched video. Makes me sad I was never able to ride the original coaster. Also, I had no idea the park has been struggling, growing up in the 2000s a lot of my friends and classmates would go to Disneyland Paris during the summer holidays and such (not me, mainly because of money and my parents flat-out refusing to lol). Not to mention all the advertisements for it I’d see. Made me think it was the peak holiday destination in Europe
You're a legitimately good filmmaker.
I honestly could cry. I loved Space Mountain so much, it was maybe the best ride ever created. You really do it justice with this video and there were quite a few things I could learn despite having gathered lots of information about its history over the years. Thank you very much for that, the ending gave me goosebumps. Let's hope Space Mountain will return one day for everyone to experience.
Dang, the irony of that Jules Verne quote you put in at the end! You're no slouch at story-telling either, Kevin. Mini-stories are essentially what the Defunctland series is. You're really doing amazingly with this & I'm riddled with the "what could have been..." feels after every video. But yeah, that Jules Verne quote there is, tragically, the perfect zinger.
I'm not crying you are.
This was brilliant.
I was going to say the same thing 😢
what a wonderfully put-together video! kevin does it again, always keeping me interested and on the edge of my seat. fabulous work as always, favorite video to date!
That ending made me cry ,just the quote and the calming and emotional music
Could you do a Defunctland about all of Epcot's defunct pavilions like innoventions and other pavilions that do not warrant their own episode? I think that would be a really interesting episode!
Wow, this was just the best video I have ever seen in UA-cam. And thank you for doing this. As a Disney child born in 1994 and constantly going to the parks, I remembered the change in Disneyland resort, especially is Tomorrowland. I remembered the rocket rods, innovations where the advances in technology and games was, and submarines. Then, all I can remember is bit by bit the theme of the land decreased over time. I never knew why but thanks to you and others (Park History, Offhand Disney, Yesterworld, etc.) my childhood question now been answered. Thank you for taking the time to research and create these wonderfully made videos. They are simply the best. It is sad that the Disney resorts did not become what they should been all because of capitalism and greed. The parks are moving away from Walt's vision and just becoming a place of just IPs. It sad not to see true imagination and originality anymore in the parks. I hope someday someone can fix the damage done in the resorts, especially Disneyland, Disney World, and Disneyland Paris.
I love how old amusement park ads were so bold with saying “THIS IS THE BEST RIDE IN THE UNIVERSE.”
You remember that.
Can't lie another reason why attendance rocketed after space mountain was due to the opening of the euro tunnel, which means more Brits which live Disney
You mean the Chunnel right?