Defunctland: The American Idol Theme Park Experience

[@DanGamingFan2406]

I learned 3 important lessons from this video, and they are: 1. One's relevancy is directly tied to Wikipedia. 2. "The Desk" is the make or break for an authentic singing audition experience. 3. Have fun.

[@watershipup7101]

Those are some good life lessons.

[@waterbullstudios9195]

Having fun is the secret to winning American Idol apparently. That and looking good.

[@andrewtennant1889]

You forgot about the 4th lesson Denim

[@Code7Unltd]

>One's relevancy is directly tied to Wikipedia Knowing the editor group's propensity for allowing falsifying info along with approving of circularly-sourced lies and slander, that might not be a good thing. Let's not forget that Wikipedia's editors are a gaggle of socially lifeless shut-ins. Remember that consumer revolt misidentified as 'harassment group' called "Gamergate"? The group that first falsely identified them as such were people in the news industry fighting to preserve their jobs.

[@dragonbretheren]

To be fair, if you don't even have a Wikipedia page, how relevant are you?

[@qualityghost]

the dry humour was on point in this one. "Whether it was a genuine interest in vocal talent, or some biological yearning for the age of public executions" killed me

[@littlelistmaker]

My favorite line from the vid

[@bimpadimp]

jotaro i love you

[@Jaxident]

This was legit the hardest I've laughed at one of his videos and I'm not even all the way through it yet

[@CranberryCartoons]

“[doug] translated perfectly to live action with no issues” while it sloooowly zooms in on the horrific live action porkchop made me laugh really hard

[@Story_Trail]

100% He’s often SO funny in his videos. But he was firing on all cylinders here. I was laughing throughout.

[@yourstruly9013]

I got so invested in the American Idol lore in the first 10 minutes that I forgot I was watching Defunctland and this video was about a theme park.

[@keirgomcginlay2044]

Same man.

[@CrayonMemories]

Same

[@TaylorHappel]

Same and now I need to watch a history of American Idol

[@SonicsniperV7]

Same

[@beedeepresents]

Came to the comments for this lol

[@alaynajcurry]

30:09 Hey! That’s me singing at the grand opening event. 😊 Met all the Idol winners and cast members. One of the coolest nights of my life! I got second place and, since the winner was above the age limit for the real show, he gave me the dream ticket and I used it to get ahead of the line at the auditions for the next season.

[@gallatinwrestling6422]

Nice glad you had fun, I thought the whole thing would flunk the fact it went on as long as it did is impressive

[@dharmallars]

Seems unfair to me that they let people of basically all ages audition at the theme park without telling them they might not qualify for the real show. What a waste of their time!

[@Rebochan]

@@dharmallars eh, they might have just wanted to have fun and didn't care about the prize

[@SamuraiDoggo14]

How did you do?

[@alaynajcurry]

@@SamuraiDoggo14Made it a few rounds but it was really eye opening to see how the show really worked. 🫠 Apparently I didn’t have enough of a “story.”

[@BlackCatCards]

I can’t stop laughing how you cut to every winner’s piece of advice which is to “have fun”

[@LowTierFallout]

His humor is brilliant. Hilarious but not taking away from the actual analysis.

[@YoutubePizzer]

and stay in school

[@hambor12]

Somehow less energy than Scarlett Johansson telling Hatsune Miku (in a voicemail) to "believe in yourself and all your dreams will come true"

[@woobharb]

We do not care 😐

[@woobharb]

Anime pfp 😐😐

[@AyaneFukumi]

The main indicator that American Idol was a cultural phenomenon was it was featured in Shrek 2.

[@goodluck5642]

Shrek 2 shoulda had more Ford ads

[@gwennorthcutt421]

my dad watched 8+ seasons of american idol (i stopped watching with him at that point) and i still remmeber the shrek show best. simon finally got to show his (lack of) chops!

[@pyromaniacalmagpie3198]

DreamWorks did Simon Cowell dirty and I love them for that.

[@shocktilyoudrop]

I FORGOT ABOUT THAT!! God I remember picking the "unpopular" choices and getting mad that simon decided he won every time lol

[@duckysnake]

The parody is featured as a dvd bonus, but it’s not in the actual film, common misconception

[@clairemartin790]

Just wanted to drop in and let you know that this is no longer the "high point of my life." 46:18

[@PredictableEnigma]

Glad things only went up from there!

[@supernebula101]

This comment is jawesome

[@ItsDesca]

Okay i need to know, how badly did it jumpscare you to have your full name read out by Defunctland

[@clairemartin790]

@@ItsDesca my band mate told me I was name checked. He didn't have a timestamp so I watched in anticipation for 46 minutes and it still made my soul exit my body for a bit. Nothing like having a mommy manager with the local paper on speed dial. 😂

[@Game_Hero]

I'm sure Peggy Sullivan is proud of where you are now

[@Ene-Chan]

"This room was also called The Coke Room which was either a refference to the soft drink sponsership... or a way to really prepare these contestants for Hollywood" oh my god kevin

[@natalyst]

holy shit that went over my head until i read this comment lmao, for some reason i just accepted it as "ah yes, everyone gets soft drink sponserships"

[@skywolfx76]

I mean, he's not lying lol

[@TheRealSullyG]

This whole attraction is insane from a technical perspective. Running this show/process up to 7 times a day for nearly 6 years? Say what you want about the attraction itself, but that is impressive.

[@jerryveve3397]

Right? With every step of the process, I thought WOW that's a lot of work for something almost no one would see. With that setup they might as well launch a real TV show and put it on Disney Channel or something, really bring back the "Studio" in Hollywood Studios

[@P0rk_Sinigang]

It really is so much work.

[@ryyzan3055]

Imagine how much hatred you would have for amateur singing after a summer of running this

[@Syngekhoomei]

What a grind

[@Tconlon251_2]

My biggest sympathies go to the guys who had to clean up the confetti every night More than that, I have to wonder. With 2,200 front of the line passes, none of the winners ever ran into each other and had to wait in a smaller line?

[@aether905]

I won’t lie, when the “Simon” said “at the bridge part I’d consider jumping off” I laughed it was so out of left field

[@csabaweisz8791]

LowTierJudge

[@curlytop3194]

It might not be theme park appropriate, but it was a really good line.

[@kattriella1331]

I know! My reaction was, "Sir, you're out of pocket!" and then laughing until I choked.

[@rootbourne4454]

He understood the assignment.

[@daphneemorency2081]

The Hannibal Lecter line was also insanely out of pocket for a Disney park lmao

[@khinojosable]

"Have fun" is this year's "Toot Toot Chugga Chugga Big Red Car."

[@austinreed7343]

Or “Bear Fact”

[@ultimapower6950]

Hey remember when people rode that one submarine thing and when the hatch opened they got blinded, y’know Deep Blue Blinding Sunlight.

[@ao9688]

“Denim”

[@QueenofVHS]

...Toot Toot Chugga Chugga Big Denim Car 😂

[@LonkinPork]

just don't tell Adam Conover

[@TruthInMotionStudios]

My wife was one of the contestants for this ride/show. It was super cool and a very unique experience. When you got through the auditions they gave you a lanyard to wear around with the Idol logo on it. As we were walking around a little girl’s mom stopped us and said that her daughter (8 or 9) wanted my wife’s autograph. The little girl was so starstruck and couldn’t speak. It was the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen.

[@EATSxBABIES]

I swear Kevin could upload an hour long feature length video on the history of the fancy socks used by Disney personalities and I'd still watch it all.

[@jackreynolds2178]

Yeah, because at some point, it'd turn into an amazing piece about the person who chose the socks for the outfits they wore, and it'll make us all cry

[@churrosolos]

I’d watch it

[@Mattatiah95]

Second that XD

[@AeonFM]

He'd also magically slip Michael Eisner somewhere in there lol

[@mrjmlol]

i would watch it 5 times over

[@alyssablackwell9042]

The "have fun" somehow gets funnier every time, this video's "his mother is very proud"

[@ZoeG2099]

where is "his mother is very proud" from?

[@willno8888]

@@ZoeG2099 HBomberguy's video about the origin of the roblox Oof sound, which slowly becomes a callout for a widescale liar Tommy Tallarico. The line is said by him and becomes a joke throughout the masterpiece of a video.

[@Lawnie]

I can't believe Tommy Tallarico was the first American to be an Idol.

[@KJTD]

​@@LawnieIt's crazy how he cofounded American Idol. His mother must be very proud

[@frorociousexpress]

He's got a Guinness World Record for playing to the largest American Idol audience

[@minimusminor]

Paula saying "you're a sweet soul, and it comes across when you sing" while Simon audibly takes the fattest slurp on his drink as the frame zooms is such a good bit.

[@piper3778]

28:47

[@Anolaana]

@@piper3778 Thanks! And wow, I'm surprised that has never became a modern gif.

[@FelipeJaquez]

The cup was probably filled with plastic surgery grade silicon.

[@katiepinderbrown]

I was a casting director for Idol Experience and I just want to say thank you for preserving and educating people on the history of this attraction. We did feel it was misunderstood and underappreciated, and the observation at 1:06:15 that this experience was truly unique and special especially for the participants is something our cast lived every day and still look back on fondly with gratitude ten years after closing. Thank you for helping to keep its legacy alive!

[@matthewsaari6577]

I agree this seems like an awesome attraction. It's a real bummer how much they've dumbed down the attractions at theme parks these days to simple rides, shops, and actors to take photos with. Interactive elements are just scanning to get a currency that does nothing. Disney only recent attempt seems to be like the star cruiser which they put behind thousand dollar paywalls and even that had fairly simplistic play. Learning about the turf wars in frontier land, adventure books that completing changed the park, or daily events are so much cooler. Disney is so expensive as the gate it would be much easier to justify with these daily events and stuff running through the park that would create deep memories.

[@phillyphakename1255]

That's really the underlying theme I see with Disney. Thousands of people who are putting in their all to make something awesome. Sometimes it isn't enough, sometimes the economics don't work out, the culture changes, maybe the technology is ahead of its time, but even when it doesn't work, the effort shines through.

[@MrWolfSnack]

The main issue is with Disney itself. They have a LONG LONG history of saying "hey let's make a themed [ride/attraction]" in a "nobody asked" moment, and then doing it at a time when said show or movie the ride is based on, is long past its prime or public interest, thusly sealing the fate of the attraction before it's even opened. It explicity gives the idea of old rich men playing with money in their office and having no idea what's happening in the outside world. I think if Disney had opened this attraction up around season 2 or 3 of American Idol, it would have been MASSIVE. That being said, for it to open as late as it did, and end up being a Great Value brand American Idol experience, and all the behind the scenes operating expenditures involved in hosting this attraction, for it to last as long as it did and actually turn out fond memories for the contestants and staff, and continue running without a hitch for all those years is nothing short of remarkable, so to say it was a total failure would be incorrect. It did what it set out to do, and for fans of the show and fans of singing competitions and talent shows in general, it created a worthwhile experience for that.

[@doggans]

I'm glad all that b-roll I shot of that building exterior twelve years ago has FINALLY been put to good use!

[@jlagerholm]

I am too. Thanks for sharing it.

[@NeoNovastar]

Dude thank you for documenting that!!

[@ez-ru3do]

you’re such a legend. work like this is so important no matter how little it may seem

[@bigredjanie]

As someone who watched that video almost a decade ago it's so cool seeing your footage in this!

[@MrWolfSnack]

Always document everything you see, you never know when and where it will come in handy.

[@CPU9incarnate]

Glad you pulled out of that FastPass PTSD pretty quickly

[@presleydejean4638]

That Michael Eisner bit Where you explain in full and believable detail how he stole the plans for Disney MGM from Universal and then ended it with an unceremonious "allegedly" was hilarious

[@hambor12]

You can just hear the mickey mouse shaped red dot sight turn off the second he says Allegedly

[@bthorne2]

he really really stepped up his game with this video....my dude needs to put out some more videos.

[@CaptainJZH]

"He KNEW the plans, he SAW the plans!!"

[@racheljackson4428]

well there were good things to come out from Michael Eisner.

[@dharmallars]

The animation of the plans coming out of his head was amazing

[@NathanielBandy]

I had no idea they made a theme park attraction that was ACTUALLY connected to the show, that's honestly really damn cool

[@KetsubanSolo]

(Gets roasted by Simon "Scuttlebug" Cowell) Every goddamn time

[@TheInfamousBertman]

It's cool but I was thinking at the end, when he mentioned that 2000 dream tickets were awarded, how many of those resulted in ending up on the top 16? Only 5-6 as far as I could tell. Not exactly a good ratio.

[@returnalnocturnal7729]

Hold up, it's Nathaniel B

[@TheRunicBlade]

@@TheInfamousBertman 5-6 out of 2000 sounds bad, but during the height of its popularity, Idol would occasionally have 10,000 people at a single audition day and pass as few as ten through to the Hollywood stage, much less the voting rounds. Relative to the general population, dream ticket holders have been extremely successful.

[@ovar1anwarrior406]

Ain’t you Nathaniel B

[@dragonbretheren]

"What's your advice?" and the progressively shortening "Just relax, be yourself, and have fun" -> "have fun" was a good recurring bit.

[@alexparker3277]

By the 5th time this hit, I was in stitches.

[@ZackaryWilliams77]

Agreed, these moments are why I always tune in to these videos. Even though I never watched/liked American Idol in the first place. But I did, "Have Fun."

[@ThwipThwipBoom]

It's family friendly safe advice to give.

[@PredictableEnigma]

I for one like that Carrie Underwood told us to stay in school

[@honeybie170]

Personal favorite running gags throughout this video 1. Denim 2. Wikipedia Relevancy Test 3. "Have fun"

[@PetProjects2011]

4. The Desk

[@DogNamedWatson]

5. Ryan Seacrest Type

[@meg1365]

6. The clips with the"aaaAAaaah" sound in them

[@SadeN_0]

@@DogNamedWatson which, to be clear, is from BoJack Horseman

[@TheSongwritingCat]

I laughed at the Wikipedia Relevancy Test every time

[@Trashious12345]

My wife tried out for AI on TV but was rejected before she had a chance to sing because too many people showed up to the audition. One day at HS we happened to walk passed a sign saying auditions were happening now and we decided she should try. She made it to 2nd place at the final. She has since passed away and its one of our son and mine's favorite memories. Seeing her feel so close to her dream and enjoying every min of it while showing off her voice. It was special.

[@NEWYORKER131]

what an amazing memory. so sorry for your loss

[@adamgreenspan4988]

Ohhh, one day at Hollywood Studios… thinking it was “High School” really got me confused for a minute.😂

[@NerdPrideSF]

Thank you for sharing this

[@litneyloxan]

@@adamgreenspan4988I had to go back and read it again after reading your comment 😂

[@cmmiestcat]

Jesus that was dark. Sorry tho

[@emmasolis9106]

This is an INSANE video to watch directly after Jenny Nicholson’s deep dive into the Star Wars Starcruiser, which practically promised this exact experience except Star Wars. You’re telling me they COULD do luxury, bespoke guest experiences, and they DID, for six years…for regular guests who just walked in on any old day???? For AMERICAN IDOL???

[@timothymclean]

To be fair, The Rejection Desk is a much cheaper experience to replicate than a luxury starship. To continue being fair, Disney shot itself in the foot with the concept of the Starcruiser, especially since management apparently wasn't willing to invest the resources needed to give it a shot at success.

[@obscurequestions]

the wikipedia photo test is actually THE most accurate way to test a person’s popularity/cultural relevance! can confirm I use it all the time

[@obscurequestions]

WGAT THE HELL I GOT HEARTED????? OMG MR PERJURER DEFUNCTLAND I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS SM THANK YOU this comment isn’t even (entirely) a joke btw, I do this a lot

[@TheoRae8289]

That is honestly adorable in the best way@@obscurequestions

[@jvgreendarmok]

@@obscurequestions A comment heart from Kevin Perjurer is no wikipedia photo, but it's a start. 😉

[@arsonist___]

this is exactly why i was forced to add a wikipedia photo to my favorite artist's page. otherwise he wouldnt seem relevant enough

[@obscurequestions]

@@TheoRae8289 you have no idea how happy I was over seeing that, it made my whole week

[@RTGame]

Advice for watching this video? Just have fun

[@thejman5683]

Didn’t expect you of all people to be here

[@MundanePixels]

Advice for participating in the replies to this comment? Just have fun (Much like the American Idol experience, the replies to RT's comment act as a smaller scale version of the 'real thing' that the video's main comment section represents. I point this out because I am very bored and procrastinating sleeping)

[@thestradiosmiles]

Get on up there and sing Country Roads. It's time.

[@YouTubeSucks666]

I hate you!

[@pedroemo5477]

Wheb they finally make a tf2 update, stay away

[@EATSxBABIES]

I love how the video has 2 main themes, denim and a thinly veiled frustration at Wikipedia being unreliable for highly niche research on people who are still alive.

[@JacksonBockus]

I think the most important theme is that we have fun.

[@monettemoradi]

As a Big Time Rush fan. Katlyn Tarver is Wikipedia worthy to me… Jo and Kendall were my OTP

[@LancerX916]

For a while I had a Wikipedia page about my career. Sadly, they put someone else's picture instead of mine on it. So I know how frustrating it was.

[@ChunkyJo]

The subtitle of this episode is: Defunctland: Have Fun, Denim.

[@LancerX916]

@AzureWolf168 Yeah, my friend requested a change of the photo and even sent them a correct one, but they never did it. We just gave up, it really did not make much of a difference in my life.

[@JesseHMW]

I watched the attraction as a kid, and when they were going to announce the winner they took like 3 mins building suspense so I, at age like 6, yelled "Got on with it already" and got a big laugh from ppl and it was like the proudest moment of my life lol

[@tyson263]

"And also in it's 7th place finisher, Jennifer Hudson" This line just dropkicked me out of nowhere, holy shit

[@rafaelmarkos4489]

Ikr, I can't imagine finding 6 people better than her at performing in a single season.

[@AkutomiNamikaze]

If I remember correctly, Simon said that she had a "Broadway Voice", which he intended to be a negative, but just made him look like the biggest dumbass in music history.

[@graycat7704]

Funny enough she did do broadway

[@noahstrube1027]

EGOT Winner Jennifer Hudson. Simon Cowell can suck it.

[@donovandrayton2233]

​@@rafaelmarkos4489I mean, tbf, Fantasia's probably my favorite American Idol winner ever from a vocal talent standpoint. If anyone was gonna be above J.Hud, I don't mind it being her.

[@bigduke5902]

I cannot believe they were able to keep this thing going every single day for so long. Hearing about how this attraction was operated was actually stressing me out. What an incredibly ambitious project this was.

[@flashter6101]

That's the main thing I was thinking

[@jennymcelligott]

My husband worked it as one of their professional interns in ‘10 or ‘11. He said it was wild.

[@MikadoYuma]

Yeah, it surprised me that it was successful for so long.

[@kball4737]

My takeaway from this video is Kevin wanted to do a DefunctTV for American Idol but you cant autopsy something that refuses to die

[@rainyrouge5123]

It will never die

[@adiaphoros6842]

Vivisection is the only way then.

[@nickgarcia1292]

@rainyrouge5123 it's still going?

[@zacharymcleod8050]

@@nickgarcia1292how tf 😂😂😂

[@spaceshiplewis]

Zombie Idol

[@theeternalcowboy]

I worked at this ride during the disney internship program in 2011 and once someone took a dump in their theater seat -- totally packed theater, somehow none of the ushers noticed and none of the other guests either.

[@TheFirstBhau]

Honestly it's kind of impressive that an attraction requiring large amounts of skilled park operators, active guest engagement, and complicated sets based on an IP that was relevant in the wrong decade managed to stay in operation for 6 years, only to be taken out by Star Wars of all things instead of violently imploding in Disney's face

[@laureng2110]

Yeah, I predicted 'it's far too expensive to run and it needs too many participants' being its downfall, not 'people just sorta stopped watching American Idol'

[@suedenim]

I was really impressed by how well thought out and resourced this attraction was. It would have been easy to throw together a half-assed karaoke show with a bit of theming, but they went all in. Which is one of the things I've always admired about Disney on all its forms. You might or might not like a given project, but (with occasional exceptions) it won't be because they half-assed it.

[@CrimsonDoveKarting]

​@@suedenimI'll be honest, that's what my family always thought it was, we wanted to do it for shits and giggles but the line was always wrapped around the building so we didn't care lol

[@cmaden78]

Excellent phrase " imploding in D's face" lmao like a certain space hotel?😏🫣✨😝

[@cmaden78]

Even employed in the parks( as in free entrance) never once was even tempted to enter that attraction. Of course I can't sing ...but still. I can tell u where every bathroom in every park( including pleasure Island) is well mbe was and nope never went in those doors😂

[@lukisprieston477]

I’m not joking at all, “Pants on the Ground” was an integral part of my childhood with my brothers and I had entirely forgotten about it. What the hell.

[@jstarstudios7110]

Haven't seen yet, but read that to the tune of "Stamp on the Ground

[@ringsystemmusic]

Saaaaame lol

[@allikazaam]

LITERALLY. had no idea what he was talking about until he played the clip of him singing it and i got flashbanged with memories

[@MrWolfSnack]

I remember in high school pants on the ground was popular in certain circles. I still remember seeing it on TV to this day and quote is song at random times there are pants on the ground.

[@MrGksarathy]

Oh man, all the memories have come flooding back. Gods, being a 2000s kid was wild.

[@MikeyD2787]

I competed in the Experience and made it to the final show (where I came in second). You got one small detail wrong... when you auditioned in the first room, you were asked to sing any song you'd like, a'capella. Only when you made it to the coke room, were you asked to choose a song from that list and then rehearse it for your second audition. That would be the same song you performed in the main show, if you made it. Also... they made us wear these really high-tech sensors that made the automatic lights on stage follow us during our performances. (You can see the sensor clipped onto some of the people in certain shots of this video). Also, the show really was karaoke... they had a really impressive teleprompter in the rafters at the very back of the theater. Most audience members never saw it. My favorite part was that for the rest of my week at WDW, I kept getting recognized by random people. I would get random applause and cheers from out if nowhere. One family made me sign their kids' autograph books. I think about those kids all the time... grown adults now, flipping through their old Disney World autograph book and seeing my autograph in-between Mickey and Goofy. #blessed

[@kill4551]

Awesome comment, thanks for sharing : )

[@skeetsmcgrew3282]

That's adorable

[@clairemartin790]

Omg - you're right on the last part! I felt like a celeb during my vacation, hence why I said at age 14 it was the high point of my life. 😂

[@nvrndingsmmr]

This is amazing! Thanks for sharing!!

[@Hifuutorian]

@@clairemartin790 You were that person?!

[@ash34005]

The fact that you give us a brief background on Michael Eisner every episode is classic 😂

[@terribleterribleterrible]

I live for Kevin's Eisner features

[@redryan20000]

The running gag of "do you have any advice? Just have fun" gets me every time.

[@kennynelson3189]

“What advice do you h-“ “HAVE FUN”

[@a.j.larson5513]

The way you always know it’s coming when he goes “*winner’s name* then proceeded to visit Disney world, and film segments to be inserted into the show…”

[@HomegirlMontoyaDPS]

"It's the early 2000s, and being famous sounds like a GOOD idea." banger opening line

[@Insert_Creativity_Here]

Fr

[@pacnano]

Seeing an episode on this is insane. Nobody would have any reason to believe me, but my dad was a golden ticket winner. He was too old to actually go on the show, but he kept the ticket. I VIVIDLY remember going to the backstage set to film the biography intro with him when I was like 12. What a crazy memory.

[@embunchofnumbers]

Did they air his golden ticket audition?

[@pacnano]

@@embunchofnumbers No, he was 40 when he did it, so even though he won he couldn’t audition on the real show. There is a clip of his performance at Disney on KZbin somewhere.

[@lotus_flower2000]

​@@pacnanowas he aware of that before auditioning?

[@pacnano]

@@lotus_flower2000 He told me he wanted to do it for fun, so I’m guessing if he did know, he probably didn’t care. I imagine the employees told him before he auditioned.

[@Ian42_]

I bet he’s beautiful

[@WCRfan126]

The absolute WHIPLASH this video gave me where I’d be so invested in the American Idol history that suddenly Disney World shows up, and then I get invested in the whole history of MGM Studios only for the American Idol history to hit me like a truck. For 30 minutes I kept forgetting what video I was watching

[@SirLightsOut99]

Ok, but "you are to pop music what Hannibal Lecter is to the food network" is legit one of the funniest insults I've heard in a while.

[@racheljackson4428]

i wonder what Anthony Hopkins thinks of the insult.

[@bolognabaloney4961]

"The bridge part.. I'd consider jumping off of" i am rolling at the thought that those words were legitimately said to somebody in a disney park lmfaoooo

[@avixenk]

I can practically see it. Some parent: "oh my god!" Their kid: "daddy what does that mean?"

[@floridaflamingogirl3119]

It's what would happen if Jungle Cruise skippers were allowed to get 20% more unhinged

[@erikdaniels0n]

Same with the Hannibal Lecter roast 😭

[@hambor12]

@@floridaflamingogirl3119If the Skipper Dans were honest

[@CallMeCrazyCallMePoor]

That actor was having the time of his life.

[@Game_Hero]

29:37 Seeing Grumpy holding a sign saying "Simon is my IDOL!" was the kind of spiritual experience I didn't know I needed.

[@samdancer101]

Honestly, it's adorable good for you Grumpy!

[@lergia]

its so funny to me fsr

[@mckennaharvey4116]

My mom did this in December of 2009! I remember the theatre was almost entirely empty except for the families of the singers. My mom is still mad that she lost because the guy who won had a bigger family and they were voting for him on the buttons of empty seats😅 but so great to see a video about this!!

[@teal_m_101]

Not even American Idol is immune to voter fraud.

[@drumline17]

Almost empty in 2009?? Surprised it lasted 5 more years after that

[@stormhawkdude]

As someone who's mother was one of the Lighting Technicians for multiple seasons both for Idol when they were in Hollywood and America X Factor; she confirmed that yes, Simon was a real jerk on and off camera, but he was half the diva that Seacrest was to the actual crews working for them. It's why she still accepted calls to work X Factor when it came over to the US. I have plenty of vacation memories that were paid for thanks to Mr. Cowell

[@TeruteruBozusama]

"Never so bad it's not good for something", Norwegian saying.

[@livewiiiiire]

​@@TeruteruBozusamathis is a fantastic saying, thank you for sharing it

[@amberw3829]

Having to film a movie at a theme park with explosions going off in the background every 20 minutes honestly feels like a running gag from bojack horseman. I guess reality is sillier than fiction.

[@AlexandriatheRed]

The “Ryan Seacrest Type” made me think of Bojack too 😂

[@sallomon2357]

I guess this shows just HOW well people working on Bojack did their homework.

[@Game_Hero]

@@AlexandriatheRed apparently it was in Bojack

[@AlexandriatheRed]

@@Game_Hero yes, I know. That’s why mentioned it??

[@GreatMewtwo]

@@sallomon2357 Remember that Michael Eisner's company helped produce Bojack.

[@Yoshimitsu4prez]

“The bottom crest of his sphere body” talking about Mike Wazowski getting kicked in the nuts somehow had me rolling

[@jshersher]

No I guffawed at this line

[@rudythewriter8088]

lol same

[@MrWolfSnack]

Question. Is Mike Wazowski and the Minions related, like the same family, or species, even, of alien. Something that keeps me awake at night.

[@timothymclean]

*nut

[@shardell]

The production value for this all day show running daily for 6 years is absolutely absurd. Frankly insanely impressive for just some mostly forgotten theme park attraction

[@MrWolfSnack]

I was getting interested in theme park history and stuff at the same time this ride was closing (2014) and I never seen news it was closing.

[@oneinathousand2156]

The steady shift in Kevin getting more and more informal with his narration in these videos while still being informative has been delightful to see.

[@OkayYaraman]

You could say he’s being “informal-tive“.

[@ryshow9118]

​@@OkayYaramanReported and blocked 😂😂😂

[@waffleson45]

It's made them worse for me. I miss professionalism I'm KZbin videos, everyone thinks their a comedian eventually.

[@JustAnIssac]

@@waffleson45 Hello KZbin videos I'm dad

[@toolazytochangeprofilepic]

@@waffleson45 you must be fun at parties

[@I_Love_Learning]

To be honest, I'm surprised Defuncters didn't rush to add images to the Wikipedia pages and annoy Kevin.

[@Defunctland]

No one would dare sully the legitimacy of the Wikipedia Music Group Relevancy Test

[@johnwhitney5840]

​@@Defunctlandhow are you doing

[@iSmartMan1]

​@@DefunctlandWhat if this video increases their relevancy?

[@TwoPairSA]

... _yet_

[@uhoh6092]

@@johnwhitney5840how are you doing John?

[@rosebyanyname]

*“It’s the early 2000s and being famous sounds like a GOOD idea.”* Fewer than 10 seconds in and Kevin summarized what sociologists have written entire books trying to say. I AM IN.

[@Hallmark44]

As we cut to a clip of Britney. Oof.

[@MrWolfSnack]

@@Hallmark44 It is awful how Amanda Bynes and Britney have both turned out. They look horrid. I was into all those pop girl bands back then, I guess I was weird. At least Avril made it out fine. I guess being edgy and punk saves lives.

[@robriley6135]

honestly of all of the attractions covered on this channel this one sounds the most genuinely amazing. like getting such an in depth and impressively themed experience as an auditioner just sounds like a total dream come true for some people, the idea is so so good and it sounds like it absolutely bled money trying to make that idea come to life, as all good art should do

[@littlestcuttlefish]

I'll never forget. My dad required we record things like idol to skip commercials. We start watching a few hours after it premiered when the two contestants were both named David. And right after Ryan said '...David...' it cut off. Never seen my dad laugh so hard

[@lll.24601]

I remember that season!! I still wonder if these two Davids are doing well music wise. Also I remember how a few friends of mine liked one of the Davids (Archuleta).

[@binx5512]

​@@lll.24601 maybe it was me, I was absolutely IN LOVE with him when I was like, 11 😂😂 'crush' gets me every time! I stopped watching the show because he didn't win

[@MrSeam0nk3y]

I remever that! It was David Cook and David Archilleta ​@@lll.24601

[@Anon_Spartan]

Your dad sounds like a cool content pirate dude.

[@bananafax]

David Archuleta is still very notable in the Mormon community. He did a stint with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and would do yearly Christmas tours around the Mormonsphere. A couple of years ago he came out as something between gay and bisexual which kind of rocked the notably homophobic (more accurately "homomisic") Mormon community. A year ago he announced that he was leaving organized religion which was incredibly shocking given that he was the poster child for the Brighamite Mormon sect for years. As a lifelong faithful believer in Mormonism my leaving was fairly close to his. These days I'm told that he's in the process of writing a "leaving religion/coming out" album. Also, note that members of the Brighamite Mormonism sect (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, remember the little 'd' as they couldn't get the rights to the big one) did a 180 on the term Mormon in 2018, and I can guarantee that they're pissed off just from me referring to them by that. They're also notably transphobic so the dead-naming is justified.

[@AnythingForSouls]

"the bridge part i considered jumping off " what an insult I love it ESPECIALLY at Disney of all places its just perfect.

[@juicebox9657]

yeah i audibly laughed at that one

[@LetMeExplainStudios]

Ah yes. I actually got rejected at the MGM American Idol experience once! Oh well. I did alright in the end, I guess. XD

[@SamuraiDoggo14]

Wait, you were rejected? HOW?

[@Mario87456]

That shouldn’t be really funny to you that should actually hurt a lot.

[@SamuraiDoggo14]

@Mario87456 People take these differently. Besides, she has 4 million subs on KZbin, so I think she turned out okay.

[@Mario87456]

@@SamuraiDoggo14 I guess that’s true, admittedly I don’t look back at the whole thing positively as a audience member unfortunately as the majority of the people I voted for never won causing me to yell boo every time that happened and much to the embarrassment of my own parents one of those times the winner’s parents was sitting right next to us or very close to us at least, needless to say my parents were not happy with me yelling boo while the winner’s parents were close by. So unfortunately unlike many others I just have a lot of bad memories with this whole thing and I am glad it is gone. Not to mention in general I have a lot of embarrassing memories related to the whole American Idol tv show that I wish I could forget.

[@cameraman01productions]

Can't be worse than my epic weeb dance audition lmao

[@handmetheparachute]

Kevin, never have I once cared abour American Idol on my 20+ years on this earth. I'm not surprised that you, of all people, could keep me invested for over an hour with its history and Disney tie-in. Another great documentary. Fantastic work. I had fun.

[@sapph42]

There’s a very subtle bit of humor the way he keeps playing the American Idol theme, but just the last note

[@Somerandomjingleberry]

I find it incredibly funny because that last scooping chord is the only thing I remember about the theme, probably due to its liberal use in transitions from one “scene” to the next in the actual show. Like, it’s not even a song, just a singular noise that’s iconic to the brand. It’s like they captured a fraction of the power of the THX chord and applied it all over the place and it WORKED

[@paleodan]

The music in these documentaries is always on point.

[@adeadphish7931]

I was about to connect on that. I had a good laugh

[@Begeru]

I think he got sick of hearing it so much while editing he wanted us to suffer too lol

[@MrWolfSnack]

Have fun

[@ArmundJay]

the "have fun" gag has me in fucking stitches lmao

[@sozzll]

So fucking hilarious the instant cut to the “advice” people get on the attraction is amazing

[@Greendogblue]

the fact it just so passive and nonchalantly cut in each time so you don't even realize it's a gag until the fourth or fifth one was really what did it for me

[@ArmundJay]

@@Greendogblue i love Kevin's dry humor; it catches me by surprise every time!

[@TwoPairSA]

33:46 "The Coke room, which was either a reference to the soft drink sponsorship, or a way to _really_ prepare these contestants for Hollywood" It's jokes like this that keep me coming back to this channel. Well, that and the incredibly researched deep dives into both theme park and pop culture history... but mostly the way Kevin downplays zingers like this.

[@ExplorerDS6789]

Why else do you think everyone LOVES the '80s so much?

[@M50A1]

​@@ExplorerDS6789i would too if i had access to Coke 😵‍💫

[@Begeru]

Cmon that was like such an obvious joke. He makes much better ones in this video.

[@warlockd]

I just like the delivery.

[@FroJSimpson]

I had the privilege of sitting in the tech room one day backstage at the American Idol Experience when I was a Cast Member at WDW. The most impressive thing about the whole thing was how quickly the video editors worked to create a professional looking 1-1.5 minute video "package" in the extremely limited time between a live performance and the recap video at the end of that show, repeated constantly several times throughout the day.

[@dogwild]

fr i was watching those interstitial packages amazed at how they must've had a well-oiled machine between the host, camera operator(s), and maybe a producer who knew the exact types of shots and interview footage they needed, and then editors to quickly throw it all together, up to seven (!!!) times a day like clockwork

[@Fay7666]

You think about how they could produce this show that required not just a massive amount of cast members actively working on it, but also a large amount of industry professionals actively working across all shows. And all with only the last show being shown _outside_ instead of at least maybe producing it for Disney Channel or something. It's amazing. Nowadays, they can't even figure out how to make an interactive hotel.

[@inshaneindabrain1961]

The punchline of the american idol theme briefly playing everywhere is great lmao

[@MovieFan1912]

It’s just like in the last video, where 🎶Toot, toot, chugga chugga, big red car!🎶 would be cut off earlier and earlier.

[@TexTheBest]

The fact that Kelly Clarkson is still famous now, between daytime tv show watchers AND tik tok kids that think most of her covers SMOKE the original versions, really is amazing. The very first Americans Idol!

[@skeetsmcgrew3282]

She also somehow looks better now than she did back when she won. I heard her do an Aurora cover last week and was legit amazed how well she did

[@PredictableEnigma]

The first CD I ever bought for my portable CD player was her first album. Ahhh memories. Her skill is real.

[@PrincessTsunade12]

​@@PredictableEnigmaMe too! I knew every word on that album and would daydream music videos along to the song. 😅

[@MrWolfSnack]

Even more amazing how she shifted from pop to country and then back to pop again.

[@spiritomb108]

The fact that this triples as the entire history of formerly MGM Studios and also American Idol as a whole is crazy.

[@ryancasey7713]

I’ve noticed a lot of his videos do that. The FastPass doc is basically a history of how Disney World went from Theme Park to a self-actualizing hodgepodge, and the Disney Channel bumper song video basically chronicles the rise and fall of the channel. Even older ones too, like the Walt’s Epcot one is really a reflection on the last days and legacy of Walt Disney.

[@floridaflamingogirl3119]

I know. I feel like I watched every episode of a TV show that, before watching this video, I had hardly ever watched.

[@alexherman77]

I didn’t even watch American Idol except for a couple one off times but that signature transition sound activated something in the back of my head like some kind of sleeper agent.

[@merylcruz3820]

I LOVE the snark in this one. Also referencing Bojack's "Ryan Seacrest type" joke is prime. I laughed every time.

[@skeetsmcgrew3282]

Bojack, thank you. I could not remember what that joke was from

[@Serrot304]

I thought it was that, just didn't know if that was a regular thing

[@jaceylong8646]

Okay so he wasnt quoting disney then dang, i thought maybe this just an industry term

[@myriadmediamusings]

Makes it even more humorously relevant when you remember that the company that produced Bojack before it aired on Netflix was owned by none other...than Michael Eisner.

[@MrWolfSnack]

@@myriadmediamusings ALLEGEDLY

[@ghostwithahat3965]

This video brought back a really sweet memory of mine from when I was a kid. When I went to Disney for the first time, Hollywood Studios was the park I was most excited for SPECIFICALLY because of this attraction. I talked about it for weeks beforehand because I thought I would get a chance to sing on stage. I genuinely wanted to forgo even seeing Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom just to get to Hollywood studios first. Unfortunately for me, I was also about 6 years old with zero vocal training, so I wasn't allowed to join the competition yet. Despite this, my parents were somehow able to get me an "audition" with one of the workers. I sang my little heart out and had a fantastic time. Afterwards, the worker told me that my audition was "one of the best he's ever seen" and that he was going to save my name until I turned 15 so I could later on join the competition for real. Obviously, this wasn't true; I was and still am just okay at singing. But at the time, I was so happy it was unbelievable. I thought I was going to be a star and began literally counting down the days until I turned 15. I'm a few years past 15 now, but I still think about that audition sometimes. I actually had no idea the attraction shut down until now. Looks like the world just wasn't ready for me.

[@SamIAm2000]

That is the sweetest thing to read. Your little heart must have been fit to burst. I love it when adults go out of their way to do special things for children like that.

[@critespranberry8872]

I love that the fastpass video did so much psychic damage that Kevin can't hear the phrase with out a thousand yard stare XD

[@Mobius-ct9zq]

I think the internet as a whole will never think of Fastpass without thinking of Kevin's video

[@joe_kloos8512]

I love how the advice every winner gives, despite being the same, comes off more cynical and sarcastic with each person.

[@timothymclean]

Repetition will do that. If you repeat something enough, it stops sounding like an earnest statement and more like a requirement, or perhaps a comedic bit. Repetition will do that. If you repeat something enough, it stops sounding like an earnest statement and more like a requirement, or perhaps a comedic bit. Repetition will do that. If you repeat something enough, it stops sounding like an earnest statement and more like a requirement, or perhaps a punchline.

[@CJDJKobe]

I'm glad Bojack's 'Ryan Seacrest type' has entered the lexicon

[@directorjake]

This is literally what I was thinking throughout the entire video.

[@myriadmediamusings]

All part of Michael Eisner’s plan to make a further mark on pop culture.

[@gabriellaberman]

I searched far and wide for a comment on this. I can’t hear his name without putting Type on the end now

[@eileenherbert8607]

Fun fact: the guy playing Simon is actually named Simon. He was married to my acting teacher and I met him several times. He even gave me feedback on a monologue once, American Idol-style from behind a desk, although he was very nice! lol

[@TheoRae8289]

Simple connections like this is why I love documentary content on this platform so much.

[@JamesCooperAdams]

Arts Sake alumni as well??

[@eileenherbert8607]

@@JamesCooperAdams Yessss!!!!!

[@dorothyallspice1862]

That’s so cool!

[@halfplusgood7115]

My best advice to enjoy this video- "Have fun!"

[@Felix-Orion]

I remember walking by this attraction and really wanting to do it, but never getting to do it because I wasn't an adult at the time and didn't really have the independence to break off from my family to do it. Really glad this video shows the ins and outs, highs and lows of it. Part of me still wishes I could've tried but seeing the time commitment needed for it also makes me glad I didn't.

[@hithere5005]

That Simon job had to be one of the most sought after jobs in the park. You get to sit there and tell guests they suck. As far as park actor jobs go, that’s got to be top of the list.

[@Eviltwin531]

Honestly, a biography of Disneyland cast members would be an absolute hoot of a book. I've heard some whispers about the good, the bad, and the ugly (apparently the dudes love being Gaston, naturally, and women loathed being Meg from Hercules because that giant pompadour-ponytail wig was just whiplash waiting to happen,) but a nice compilation of the war-stories (the great, the horrible, and the hilarious) would be great.

[@princesscrystal6410]

@@Eviltwin531we need Kevin to do a history of cast members

[@Eviltwin531]

@@princesscrystal6410 I'm guessing most are signed to NDAs that would make our hair curl, so at best they could only speak anonymously, but it might be interesting.

[@BackdoorBarnyard]

@@Eviltwin531 forget about the character actors, I want to hear from the cast members who have to do the dirty work

[@GenerationNextNextNext]

Yeah, unless you meet an angry mom outside who stalks you for being cruel to her baby.

[@austinm.1378]

The sob story bit made me lose my mind. “DO YOU KNOW THAT I SING?” “…Do I what?”

[@Begeru]

Unintentional comedic genius

[@timothymclean]

I wouldn't be surprised if the contestant's grandmother just didn't hear the question. Both of my grandparents are hard of hearing, which makes conversations between them slow and awkward if someone isn't available to repeat what they said at a louder volume. But it's pretty funny if you're not thinking about that.

[@austinm.1378]

@@timothymclean I sure wasn’t thinking about it six months ago when I posted this comment and I’m sure the editor of the video also wasn’t thinking about it. They were thinking it was a funny moment, which it objectively is.

[@skylarkblue1]

I'll admit, over 2000 tickets, 6 years and multiple people actually getting onto the show and even doing well - that is impressive and I think the attraction was worth being made and earned it's spot.

[@kstephenson5857]

Phenomenal video, seriously. I am a History major, and it drives me crazy how many KZbinrs do 1.5 hr + "documentaries" or long video essays that are not substantive, interesting, or factual. But I have yet to see a Defunctland video that is not genuinely funny, educational, and clever - it's amazing to me.

[@MrWolfSnack]

Most youtubers are making those videos to farm clicks and content. There is no passion in it, they just want to get the free cash because they won't go out and get a job at Kohls.

[@russianbot8576]

saw a video that i reckon from the title is ninety minutes trying to 'fix' one (1) pokemon in one (1) particular game. vid length is getting ridiculous and has been but that was when i realised we ran past the point of absurdity.

[@michellesiegel4994]

I was a contestant on the American Idol Experience twice actually. The first time I did it, I made it to the finale show. I didn’t win but it just so happened that the comedian Sinbad was in the park that day and he surprised us on stage. We then got to hang out with him and his wife backstage for the entirety of the show. Such great people and the show was an experience I’ll never forget!

[@mamesushi136]

reminds me of that tragedy

[@brianlondergan4607]

Did you remember to have fun?

[@E2theBizzle]

@@mamesushi136I didn’t even know he was sick.

[@starsINSPACE]

You're misremembering. It was Shaq there not Sinbad. /jk

[@PoleTooke]

What happened the second time you did it? You only told us about the first time

[@Tube-tb4he]

“The bridge part, I considered jumping off of” is an amazing line.

[@asystole_]

bro was cookin with that one

[@MrWolfSnack]

@@asystole_ He cooked so hard they had to call Gordon Ramsay

[@erikdaniels0n]

“You are to pop music what Hannibal Lecter is to the Food Network” is actually a genuinely sick burn, not even gonna lie

[@Kaltagstar96]

Honestly, that sounds like something the actual Simon Cowell would've said.

[@roychen5235]

​@@Kaltagstar96 Don't disrespect fake Simon Cowell like that, he was way funnier than actual Simon Cowell

[@greatscott175]

51:41 'Golden' subtitle misspelled as 'Godlen' Am hearing impaired, thank you so much just for HAVING subtitles

[@jlagerholm]

Fixed. Thanks for letting us know about the mistake and I'm glad you like them.

[@christinadustman2229]

My friend actually won the American Idol Experience on our senior trip in 2013. I had to sign off as her guardian because she wasn’t over 18 yet. I had to stay with her for the day as she went through the audition and all that went with it. It was a pretty cool experience (though I did waste precious park time sitting in green rooms as I wasn’t allowed to leave.) We had our entire graduating class and teachers come see her in the finale and vote for her. She never got to sing in front of the real judges of American Idol because by the time she auditioned for producers, they already had enough contestants for the show. I still have the video of the confetti raining down on her and our entire graduating class waiting outside and cheering for her. I completely forgot about it until I watched your video. As always, excellent work!

[@yeskaitlyn8029]

wow awesome memoru

[@planescaped]

Hope they at least returned her ticket to cut in line so she could use it next year considering they were full by the time they reached her city. I assume they didn't though.

[@rosera99]

I swear he literally took every opportunity he could to play the American Idol sound

[@jessicapaoli7587]

just like the “toot toot chugga chugga big red car” in his wiggles dark ride video getting one word shorter every time it was played

[@bladudemovies]

baaAWaaaaa!

[@rebeccacrow9427]

The only place that uses it more is the American Idol video game. Call Me Kevin has a great video featuring him getting really mad at the sound effect

[@LilFiremaster]

Gave me Network TV PTSD flashbacks.

[@leahpeachie]

i dont know why but i have found out through this video that that sound effect gives me an innate anxiety reaction

[@AjaxGb]

I love how Kevin can make his distaste for Ellen blatantly obvious without saying anything negative about her, showing any negative footage, or even changing the tone of his voice.

[@glittery_cucumber]

It's because he always sounds sarcastic haha

[@mktj1]

I don’t always watch videos by Defunctland, but when I do I try and have fun with it.

[@elliottpartridge5542]

Your editing is astronomical. The constant cut backs to the boring audition desk when “authenticity” is mentioned. The “just have fun” from every winner. There’s more than just good scripts that make these videos so high quality.

[@floridaflamingogirl3119]

Also, the fact that Kevin probably had to watch dozens, maybe even hundreds, of hours of American Idol and then cut them down to video size.

[@blake4248]

Heyyyy I found myself in the footage! 58:16 I'm the young girl in pink being filmed by my mom! Man this footage must be yearsss old but super fun to randomly spot!

[@GenerationNextNextNext]

Now I feel so old...😭

[@eleanorjones5093]

❤❤

[@gallatinwrestling6422]

That would be insane to find random footage of yourself you probably don't have years down the line

[@xQuigley]

To everyone who is about to watch the video: I know it's challenging to sit through a +1hr long documental but my advice is to just have fun

[@jamesrosewell9081]

Ahaha

[@negative6442]

I watch on 2x speed for a reason

[@gracel2mart]

@@negative6442I just watch part and come back later lol

[@IllDawgable]

and denim

[@BleachDemon707]

Oh, thanks for the advice... not really though 🙄

[@TheCobaltOwl]

It's pretty cool seeing how much behind-the-scenes work the chosen contestants had to go through for the attraction. If MGM/Hollywood Studios' original purpose was to bring the behind-the-scenes experience of film and television-making to the viewers as park guests, this was probably the most immersive and effective attraction they had.

[@zack1stplayer]

"The bridge part... I'd consider jumping off of." This character is the best part of the experience, holy shit dude. I want to go perform/watch this just for that actor's roasts

[@abbyelectric]

ngl, I'm a sensitive little bitch and if I was ever roasted by "Simon" like that, I'd laugh too. I mean, the age range was 14 and up, surely you're old enough at that age to know they're just playing the part for authenticity's sake.

[@InfinitySevens]

Man, that reminds me of those "HE GOT THAT HIDDEN TALENT 🔥🔥🔥 KEEP IT HIDDEN🔥🔥🔥" comments that are popular lately.

[@someguywithatophat7599]

yeah, but i think that telling someone that they should off themselves, is a little too far and that is what that is, telling someone to jump off a bridge is telling them to kill their self like obviously it wasnt meant to be taken seriously, However, it could easily hit a very very sore spot

[@robthegobbler]

@@someguywithatophat7599i interpreted the joke as him saying HE would jump off, your version definitely elevates things 😅

[@MrWolfSnack]

@@robthegobbler Yes, the joke was the singing was so bad it made fake Simon want to jump off a bridge. However, whoever filmed that moment and captured that actor, captured that the intonation his voice delivered that line in, he put the wrong personification on "I'd" and made it seem like he was giving advice to the contestant and not talking about himself.

[@wednesday181]

I had legitimately forgotten about "Pants On The Ground", so thank you for bringing that gem back to my attention.

[@eloramaxwell7020]

I don't think it's ever left my head lol. My husband I recited the entire thing lol

[@izzyhall3499]

I didn't know this was from American Idol. It's lived in my brain rent-free for years.

[@meggaluardi1883]

I remembered it but completely forgot it was from Idol

[@munchingbanana4566]

The snark here is amazing, I love how it even bleeds through when you aren't talking. That running gag of cutting to audio of the attraction just for it to be that same overly reused sound byte of some generic game show noise kills me!

[@_PinkiePie.]

Literally, every time he'd explain something and cut to show a 2 second clip of the attraction with the _oooweeeoow_ noise had me dying. Happens multiple times around 35:26 for those wondering

[@sprouting_lady]

Came for Defunctland, stayed for the American Idol retrospective. I'd forgotten how much of a watershed moment season 8 was for the show. Even at the time, it felt like the writing was on the wall between rumors of Paula leaving and Adam Lambert losing to....*checks notes because I legitimately forgot his name after 15 minutes* Kris Allen.

[@MrWolfSnack]

Its no coincidence after Daughtry's season pretty much every winner has become a forgettable name or never was remembered to begin with. I had totally forgotten about Sanjaya.

[@MatthewPrower]

just what i needed this Valentine’s Day: reality show theme parks …and michael eisner (and there’s not even an opening credits logo)

[@cartersmith54]

Don't forget And denim

[@BrianaMichelleMeyer]

We will never escape him

[@DigiRangerScott]

Hello there

[@dx-ek4vr]

Michael Eisner, the gift that keeps on giving.

[@soniclion0]

Have fun

[@breeandtea840]

I work at a community theatre near Orlando and we often get donations from Disney World from defunct attractions. Including the chairs from the American Idol experience that are now in our black box stage.

[@MrWolfSnack]

That is a fascinating and important bit of information. Disney is usually VERY VERY predatory about their props, they usually get destroyed, shredded, and burned when they are no longer needed and never make it off the property.

[@wowds1]

The "HAVE FUN" advice sprinkled in from American Idol winners was so beautifully executed and made me audibly laugh. Defunctland doesn't miss.

[@stanbai5263]

What's especially great about these videos is the pure nostalgia I get from them. I definitely have fun

[@BanksLee]

Thank you Kevin for not subjecting your audience to my singing, and apologies you had to hear it. 😅 Video came out great! A wonderful, funny and informative deep dive as always. Happy to have been able to help out in a small way.

[@jamesbryan9267]

❤❤❤❤ what an honor to be part of a defunctland documentary!!!

[@jlagerholm]

Thank you for sharing your experience.

[@pinkjellybean4019]

That’s so cool that you commented on the video!! I hope you at least had fun. It still had to be a cool experience that not many people got to do. ❤️

[@emilycatherineleite2180]

We literally screamed when we saw you!!!

[@C1audin]

YOOOOOO

[@Kelly_C]

i have gone 15 years genuinely believing that my memory of seeing this attraction was false, thank you for validating me

[@xChaosFlower]

Right? I remember rumors about production plans. I don't remember it actually happening.

[@Dreamskater100]

@@xChaosFlower Is there an actual theme park with a theme ride or experience on this? Thats why I clicked. Or is it just a metaphor in the title? Thanks.

[@RADkate]

take your adhd meds and watch the video@@Dreamskater100

[@soulslikefan6760]

​@Dreamskater100 I mean I hope you have watched the video by now, but yes, there is a theme park attraction, just takes a while to get there.

[@Dreamskater100]

@@soulslikefan6760 Thanks. What is the timestamp?

[@enjoyinglife1234]

I auditioned for this when I was 16 and I got to the preliminary round show singing part of your world. The actual audition process was incredibly fun. I remember jumping up and down and screaming when the judge told me I would be going on to the live show. In the end, I lost to a guy who sang a breakup song when his wife was in the audience. Afterwards, a family asked for a picture with me and I felt extremely cool.

[@AdahnFlorence]

44:34 I will not forget those things Mike Wazowski said during his session at the Laugh Floor. He truly was having a bad day.