The Jim Hill Media Podcast Network Villains, Funhouses, and the Alice Ride That Was Almost Too Dangerous to Build (Ep. 528)
Len Testa, Jim Hill, and Imagineer Jim Shull dig into the wild, weird, and wonderfully unsafe history of Disney’s unbuilt Alice in Wonderland walkthrough attraction—complete with collapsing stairs, spinning barrels, and push-bag trees.
Also in this episode:
- Disneyland’s Funhouse That Never Was – Concept art and site plans reveal a walkthrough filled with rotating platforms, disorienting ramps, and a healthy disregard for OSHA.
- Why Alice’s Walkthrough Got the Axe – Was it the cost, the chaos, or the fact that guests might leave with concussions and playing cards in their pockets?
- Alice’s Maze Lives On – How elements of the walkthrough survived in Paris and Shanghai—hedges, live-action inspiration, and all.
- Buzz Lightyear’s Costume Was a Health Risk – The original walk-around suit nearly wrecked cast members’ backs and required Disney to cover chiropractor visits.
- Everest and the Yeti (Still Broken) – Jim Shull gives the latest on Disco Yeti, ride longevity, and why any real fix won’t happen until Expedition Everest hits its track expiration date.
- Universal’s Deep Survey Dive – A guest poll so long and personal it should’ve come with a HIPAA notice.
From fantasy to funhouse nightmares, and from Buzz to barrel rolls, this week’s show explores the wildest ideas Disney never built—and the things they probably shouldn't have.
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