Referenced By / Disney Theme Parks

Being amongst the most famous theme parks in the world, there are no shortage of homages to the Disney Theme Parks in media.

For more parodies based on the Disney Parks, go to Souvenir Land.

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Anime & Manga

• At the end of episode 6 of Interspecies Reviewers, the will-o'-the-wisp ladies put on an illusionary light-show parade based on the Main Street Electrical Parade.
• Disney's Hollywood Studios (known at the time it was written as Disney-MGM Studios) was featured prominently near the end of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean, where the Stand Bohemian Rhapsody brings its characters to life off of the pages, signposts, and other extremities. One of the main protagonists, Narciso Anasui, points out their disappearance by saying, "Fuck's sake! If there's no Mickey, this shit ain't Disney!!"

Comic Books

• Winkyworld, in DC Universe comics by Chuck Dixon, is a pastiche of the Disney theme parks based on a cartoon called Winky Blink and Friends. Most notable for the time they bought Green Arrow's ashram with the intent of converting it into a theme park. Also, in the Bat Family Crossover "Legacy", when Nightwing and Robin are discussing where in Paris Ra's al Ghul would release a virus for maximum exposure, they dismiss Eurowinkyworld, because there's no-one there.
• In the Doctor Who Magazine strip "Welcome to Tickle Town", Tickle Town theme park has a ride warning visitors who insist on trying to leave about all the horrors outside, which is clearly meant to fit the tune of "it's a small world".

Comic Strips

• Sherman's Lagoon:
  • Here, Sherman dubs the Shark Hall of Fame "the maneater's Magic Kingdom".
  • In this strip, part of a series of strips where Sherman and Hawthorne visit Lake Nicaragua, a native shark asks them if they've ever been to Nicaragua before. Sherman responds that no, he hasn't, but he's been to the Mexico pavilion at EPCOT Center.
  • One series of strips has Hawthorne discovering a pipe that leads to Disneyland, which he promptly takes Sherman and Ernest to.
  • One series of strips has Sherman dragging his family to a theme park called "Walrus World". The first ride they go on there is called "Walruses of the Caribbean". Take a wild guess what Disney ride that's a reference to. When they go over to get in line, they are greeted by a sign reading "The wait from here is roughly half your life."
  Sherman: I may need a corn dog.
  Megan: Ya think?
• Garfield: In this strip, Garfield discovers that a mouse is using him as a screen to show his vacation slides. One of the vacation slides shows the mouse in front of a castle holding a Mickey Mouse-shaped balloon just like those sold at the Disney theme parks.
• Get Fuzzy: In this strip, Bucky has broken every light bulb in the house. As he rushes out of the room, Rob demands to know where he's going now. Bucky's response is, "I'M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!"
• Off the Mark:
  • A mouse couple◊ with a child is asked if they've been to Disney World. Indeed, they have - and the child mouse has ears very similar to Mickey's...
  • This strip◊ reveals that Sean Penn at one point wore the Goofy Suit at one of the Disney theme parks.
  • "Don't just stand there, call for backup!"◊
• Pearls Before Swine:
  • In this strip, Rat writes yet another letter to French President Chirac, complaining that despite his previous letters the people of France are STILL rude to the Americans. As such, they must not be punished via having Euro Disneyland be expanded to include the entire nation of France - adding that "if you're nice, we won't make you wear the mouse ears."
  • This strip has Rat writing a letter to Disneyland to suggest that they update "it's a small world" to make it more "relevant and up-to-date with the times"... namely, by having the dolls beating the crap out of each other. He also begs them to change the music, suggesting that they have a Metallica song play throughout the ride instead.
• Mother Goose and Grimm:
  • "Gesundheit."◊
  • "It's another Disney World ride turned into a feature film."◊

Film -- Animation

• Aladdin:
  • After being set free, the Genie puts on a Goofy hat a la the ones sold at the Disney theme parks.
  • Before they escape the Cave of Wonders, the Genie tells Aladdin and Abu to keep their hands and arms inside the carpet - a reference to the "safety spiels" you hear on pretty much every attraction at the Disney theme parks.
  • At one point, the Genie says, "Aladdin, you've just won the heart of a princess! What are you going to do next?" - an obvious reference to the iconic I'm Going to Disney World! advertising campaign.
  • In the first direct-to-video sequel, The Return of Jafar, after the Genie returns, Aladdin asks him if he's seen the whole world already. Cue a reference to "it's a small world".
• A Goofy Movie: Goofy and Max visit "Lester's Possum Park", which features an animatronic show based on the Country Bear Jamboree.
• The Lion King (1994): When Zazu is stuck in a cage and forced to sing for Scar's entertainment, Scar requests that he sing something with a little bounce in it. Zazu responds by singing "It's a small world after all..." to which Scar replies, "NO! No! ANYTHING but that!"
  • At one point in The Lion King 1 ½, Timon sings "It's a Small World" as well.
• Monsters, Inc.: At different points throughout the movie, Disneyland attraction posters can be spotted in the background.
• Rugrats in Paris: Among the attractions at Euro Reptarland is a parody of "it's a small world" called "Ooey Gooey World".
• Shrek: The information booth, with its singing wooden dolls, is clearly a parody of "it's a small world".
• Hercules: During "I Won't Say I'm In Love", the Muses make like the singing busts from The Haunted Mansion.
• The Emperor's New Groove: When Yzma and Kronk get on the roller coaster to Yzma's lab, the "Please remain seated and keep your arms and legs in at all times." spiel heard in many of the Disney attractions can be heard before the coaster launches.
  • In the direct-to-video sequel, Kronk's New Groove, the ride to Yzma's NEW secret lab is a parody of "it's a small world"... or at least, it starts off that way.
• The Tigger Movie: During Tigger's song about his family tree, a jugband of Tiggers resembling the Five Bear Rugs from the Country Bear Jamboree can be seen.
• In Toy Story 2, Tour Guide Barbie says, "Remain seated please. Permanencer sentados por favor." A reference to the Matterhorn spiel.

Film -- Live Action

• Forty Pounds Of Trouble: A good chunk of the movie takes place during a trip to Disneyland, marking the first time a non-Disney company was allowed to film there.
• Jurassic Park: John Hammond comments at one point that when Disneyland first opened, nothing worked. Ian then says that when Pirates of the Caribbean breaks down, the pirates don't eat the tourists. Hammond also incorrectly states that the park opened in 1956 — it opened in 1955.
• Spaceballs: When our heroes meet the diminutive Dinks, Lone Starr asks "When did we get to Disneyland?"
• That Thing You Do!: Guy finds out that the band's bassist T.B. has gone AWOL before their big TV appearance and yells "Where the hell is he?!". The scene then cuts to him at Disneyland hanging out with Mickey Mouse and Goofy.

Literature

• A text story in the Doctor Who Magazine Yearbook 1995 has the First Doctor and his companions visit a far future version of Paris called Urrodiznee.
• In Hogfather, the Dolls of All Nations singing " Wouldn't It Be Nice If Everyone Was Nice?" as part of Crumley's Hogswatch display is another parody of "it's a small world".

Live-Action TV

• If a series airs on ABC, it is pretty much set in stone that there should be an episode where the characters visit a Disney park.
• The George Lopez Show:
  • "Fishing Cubans" focuses on George, Ernie and Vic going on a boating trip to help Vic's brother escape from Cuba. Ernie mentions that his mom thinks he's at EPCOT.
  • "George Goes to Disneyland" has the characters going to Disneyland (natch).
• The Big Bang Theory:
  • Penny, Amy, and Bernadette have been to Disneyland as a group twice, the first time also bringing Sheldon. Despite having an established fear of dogs (cynophobia), Sheldon apparently wasn't bothered by Pluto, but was strangely afraid of the more humanoid Goofy.
    • The second time the girls went, they returned in full princess costume: Penny was Aurora, Amy was Snow White, and Bernadette was Cinderella. Leonard and Howard immediately got them into bed, while Sheldon was unaroused.
  • In the episode where Leonard, Howard and Raj go to Las Vegas, at one point Raj says, "Disneyland can suck it. THIS is the happiest place on Earth!"
  • In one episode, when Sheldon is forced to take a vacation from work, Howard suggests Orlando, bringing up Disney World as a reason to go. At another point in the episode, Sheldon says that next year he's going to EPCOT.
• The Muppet Show: One episode ends with the Muppets singing "It's a Small World".
• Mystery Science Theater 3000: At one point in the episode where Joel, Tom, and Crow watch Hercules Unchained, as the natives carry one of the characters to a tribal building, Tom says, "Oh, they're taking him to the Tiki Room!"
• Whose Line Is It Anyway?: At one point in Show #408 of the original US version, Drew says this to the audience...
  Drew: By the way, I want to remind you... if you're planning a trip to Disney World this year... Disney World or Disneyland or California Adventure... you can say anything you want to the people working there, and they HAVE to be nice to you.

Theme Parks

• The Universal Studios parks in Orlando and Hollywood have quite a few:
  • The queue for Shrek 4D features posters advertising attractions such as The Enchanted Tick Room, Great Moments With Mr. Farquaad (a reference to Disneyland's Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln attraction) and Donkbo the Flying Talking Donkey (a parody of the Dumbo the Flying Elephant attraction).
  • The Simpsons Ride:
    • At one point during the ride, Homer and Marge go on a boat ride that's literally just Pirates of the Caribbean with dinosaurs.
    • The queue features posters for Krustyland attractions clearly based on rides like The Haunted Mansion (the "Haunted Condo"), The Hall of Presidents (the "Hall of the Secretaries of the Interior"), and even EPCOT's now-defunct Kitchen Kabaret (a "Four Food Groups Singing Spectacular").
  • In the Hollywood version of Jurassic Park River Adventure, a wrecked boat has a pair of Mickey Mouse Ears floating in the water near it.
  • Similarly, Orlando's now-closed Twister...Ride it Out attraction featured a pair of Mickey Mouse Ears stuck in the tires of a jeep.

Video Games

• A piece of concept art for Deltarune features a note giving away that the entrance to Queen's mansion in Chapter 2 was designed after "that toy story ride," specifically the Tokyo DisneySea version of Toy Story Mania (whose entrance is a giant grinning effigy of Woody's head).
• Persona 5 has Haru's Phantom Thieves celebration party at a place called "Destineyland". Makoto refers it to "the kingdom of dreams" as well as Ann, Ryuji and Futaba wearing animal ear headbands as a stand-in for the Mickey Mouse ear hats.
• The final level of Psychonauts 2, of all places, is a twisted parody of "it's a small world", with cardboard cutouts in place of dolls and the message of unity and world peace replaced with a Propaganda Machine extolling the Big Bad as a victim and benevolent savior, demonizing the heroes, and retelling a very false, self-serving version of the history of the Grulovian royal family.
• Super Mario RPG: the credits segment is in the style of a parade, with the final segment clearly referencing the Main Street Electrical Parade.

Web Comics

• Sheldon: One strip has Gramp freaking out a stranger by walking behind him at night. In order to reassure the man that he's not a freak, he starts singing "Yo Ho, Yo Ho, A Pirate's Life For Me".

Web Video

• The Nostalgia Critic: In the Critic's review of Signs, he says that a character's having his lips open all the time makes him look less natural than Disney's Hall of Presidents.

Western Animation

• Animaniacs: At one point during the episode "King Yakko", after Yakko wins the war, Dot asks him what he's going to do next. Yakko says "I'm going to Dis..." before being cut off.
• The Critic: In one episode, the immensely wealthy Duke Phillips (a parody of Ted Turner) buys Disney, and renames the park "Phillipsland". As a cost-cutting measure, rather that construct a new animatronic of newly elected President Bill Clinton, he uses one of the bears from the Country Bear Jamboree to read his lines. He tells Jay that so far, no-one has noticed.
• In an episode of The Emperor's New School, during the Once an Episode secret lab roller coaster ride, an announcer says "Do not pull down on the safety bar. I will lower it for you." The safety bar then lowers on its own and Kronk responds with "Cool." The line and mechanism are verbatum from the load room of The Haunted Mansion.
• The Fairly OddParents!: In the episode "Tiny Timmy", Timmy encounters an amusement park inside Vicky's body called "Kidneyland".
  • In "That Old Black Magic", among the rides at the amusement park where the episode takes place is called "It's a Dull World Ride".
• Family Guy:
  • In the episode "The Courtship of Stewie's Father", Peter takes Stewie to Disney World.
• Futurama: In "The Series Has Landed", the characters visit a theme park on the moon. Attractions include a Pirates of the Caribbean parody about whalers on the moon and a parody of the Country Bear Jamboree called the "Goophy Gopher Revue".
• Freakazoid!: In "Freakazoid is History", after Freakazoid prevents Pearl Harbor, he discovers that this has resulted in Euro Disneyland being packed.
• Garfield and Friends: In the episode "Model Behavior", after a supermodel that Jon has a crush on comes on to him, Garfield comments, "Well, since I'm already here in Fantasyland, I might as well go ride the Matterhorn Bobsleds..."
• Gumby: In "Mirror-aculous Recovery", after he and Gumby experience an earthquake and a lightning storm, Pokey comments, "Boy, this beats Disneyland."
• Histeria!: In the episode "Music", the prize in a parody of The Dating Game is a trip to "Euro Dizzyland", a deserted theme park.
• Jackie Chan Adventures: In the series, there is a theme park called Moose World, which is said to have locations in California, Florida, and Hong Kong. You do the math.
• My Life as a Teenage Robot: The episode "The Wonderful World of Wizzly" has Jenny, Brad and Tuck going to a theme park called Wizzly World, an obvious parody of the Disney Parks. Rides include a parody of "it's a small world" called "The World Ain't So Big", an Autopia-esque attraction called "Rush Hour", and Rocket to the Moon-esque attraction. Jenny is angered by the park's animatronics being forced to entertain the guests and encourages them to fight back. This, of course, backfires on her spectacularly.
• Pinky and the Brain:
  • In one episode, the Brain tells Pinky that someday they shall live in a world where a mouse is king and the humans are forced to do their bidding. Pinky asks if he means Orlando.
  • In an episode of the much-hated spinoff Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain, the characters go to a theme park called Duckyland, which features a parody of "it's a small world". The Brain plans to put a subliminal message into the ride's audio track. Spoiler alert - it doesn't work.
• The Simpsons:
  • "Selma's Choice": The theme park "Duff Gardens" features rides that parody "it's a small world" and The Hall of Presidents and an electrical parade a la the ones at Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom.
  • In "Bart on the Road", Bart and his friends narrow their choices for where to go on their road trip to Disney World or Knoxville for the 1982 World's Fair.
  • In "Much Apu About Nothing", Homer describes Springfield, which is allegedly overrun with bears, as a "Country Bear Jamboroo".
  • "Itchy and Scratchy Land" is one long parody of the Disney theme parks. Near the end, we get a look at EURO Itchy and Scratchy Land - a parody of Disneyland Paris, which has zero visitors.
  • In "The Great Louse Detective", Marge says that she doesn't think prison is a good place to bring children. Lisa responds that it still beats Disney's California Adventure.
  • In "My Mother the Carjacker", Homer tells his mother that he'll hide her "someplace where there's nobody for miles" - Disney's California Adventure.
  • "Special Edna" features the Simpsons going to "EFCOT", an obvious parody of EPCOT. The episode ends with Homer escaping to the Magic Kingdom.
  • "I Don't Wanna Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" gives us a theme park called Plaster Mountain, which includes attractions called "It's a Long Line" (which is obviously a parody of "it's a small world") and "Mr. Frog's Mild Ride" (an obvious parody of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride).
  • "Rednecks and Broomsticks" has a scene where Cletus introduces his own version of the Country Bear Jamboree.
  • "The Man Who Came To Be Dinner" has the Simpsons visiting "Dizzneeland". Attractions there include a parody of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride called "Mr. Bug's Slow Crawl", a "Country Storm Trooper Jamboree", and a "Hall of Dizznee C.E.O.'s" (clearly a parody of the Hall of Presidents - which, by the way, isn't located at Disneyland).
  • A theme park called "Diz-Nee Land" also appears in "Old Money". It claims not to be affiliated with Disney.
  • "Bart's New Friend" has Homer and Bart returning to Itchy and Scratchy Land and taking a ride on a parody of Soarin' Over California called Soarin' Over Springfield.

Cast Member: We've returned to Itchy and Scratchy Land, which means you'll have to pay again.

• Wabbit: A Looney Tunes Production: In the episode "Amusement Pork", Bugs encounters run-down animatronics based on ones from Disney attractions: a beaver and an alligator who look like they just stepped out of America Sings, a parrot a la those from The Enchanted Tiki Room, a sea serpent and a mermaid similar to those from Submarine Voyage, a parody of the father from Carousel of Progress, and even a caveman and a mammoth from the World's Fair Magic Skyway attraction!
• Wander over Yonder: In "The Bounty", while at a theme park, the infamous "Remain seated please! ¡Permanencer sentados por favor!" spiel is heard at an amusement park that Wander and Sylvia are at.