Defunctland: The History of Nara Dreamland

Defunctland goes to Japan to discuss the history of the eventually abandoned Disneyland knock-off, Nara Dreamland!
Buy Defunctland T-Shirts:
teespring.com/stores/defunctland
Donate on Patreon:
/ defunctland
Follow Defunctland on Social Media:
Twitter: / defunctland
Facebook: / defunctland
Defunctland Subreddit: / defunctland
For more great content, visit defunctland.com
Get in touch with Defunctland: [e-mail]

[@Jaxymann]

Immense respect for the guy on the boat. Even with just one person on the ride, he gave it his all to the very end. That my friends, is a model of dedication. I salute you Jungle Cruise guy.

[@christopherfarrel264]

"Wrong Ride Buddy"

[@ashm2338]

That broke my heart as well. What a good man.

[@mollysministuff]

"There's my boss, oh, and over there is my mother in law"

[@MrGconstantine1972]

@@mollysministuff yeah, he still kept it humorous, good on him.

[@famousclub4792]

What scene is thay

[@PaigeHankins28]

So many articles about Nara Dreamland only go into its abandoned state, and gloss over its entire history by dismissing it as a "cheap" Disneyland ripoff. This video does more to, in a way, pay respect than probably any other piece I've seen done on the park.

[@nullValo]

@Descendant of a slave but not a cheap one.

[@faflamingo2193]

@@nullValo still a rip off

[@sillygoose635]

@@faflamingo2193 no.

[@faflamingo2193]

@@sillygoose635 oh yes.....

[@youthfullyfe3962]

@@sillygoose635 yes it was. They had the layout why copy Disneyland though? They could've did something completely different

[@kaninekodiak]

I feel so bad for everyone who worked at Nara Dreamland when Tokyo Disney opened :( that poor guy on the safari ride looked like he was putting in so much effort to still put on a good show despite having only one rider. Abandoned parks make me sad because they brought hundreds of thousands of people joy, only to be forgotten and eventually destroyed. RIP Nara Dreamland. You may not have had the best of luck, but you still did your job and brought joy to millions. I salute you.

[@charlesthehandsomeandbrave2956]

that guy in the safari ride looks like he's dead inside

[@KairuHakubi]

Basically anything that caters to lots of people by design gets sad when it inevitably tapers off, because it stops making any sense.

[@housemouseshorts]

it was spooky not sad. It was fucked up and desterbing.

[@Ultimaton100]

Wherever he wound up after the park closed, I hope he’s doing well. It’s easy to see he is a dedicated worker.

[@icegodz2]

Disney should have bought out Nara land and made it an official Disney park... would’ve been better for both partys

[@3Davmawey]

Man, the mascots' final speech at the very end was kind of heartbreaking...

[@yoced8213]

Ikr

[@andyjay729]

Top 10 Saddest Anime Moments

[@TimperialBroadcastingAgency]

I'm not sniffling, you're sniffling. Nah, I'm sniffling. :,(

[@billydoidge7661]

For some reason they were using the music from it's a small world

[@saxboi1144]

@@billydoidge7661 They probably gave up on the whole avoiding copyright thing on the last day and tried to make it as Disney as possible.

[@writerpatrick]

It's a little unfair to call it a knock-off since Disney was initially involved and they were led along by Disney into thinking they were developing a Disney park and were forced to change it at the last minute when Disney pulled out. They had invested too much money to make major changes or to abandon it completely.

[@ParappatheRapper]

I think for what they had to work with, seeing as the park was just about finished, they did a fine job attempting to refit it as something else. I mean, I think I would have more fun at Nara Dreamland in it's hey-day than Disney Land right now.

[@Pizzacam-xf9hz]

When’s Disney Gonna Owe Ran-Chan And Dori-Chan?

[@guildrich]

@writerpatrick Exactly!

[@teddysdollistuffs]

@@Pizzacam-xf9hz because the park named as "Nara Dreamland" not "Nara Disneyland" they are not agree to the park licensing. So in the end, they provided different characters/mascots for the park.

[@Survul]

@Nigel Cam right, theme parks HATE being able to license popular and profitable franchises, perfect logic!

[@crowmigration8245]

The guy roaming around an open theme park alone was way creepier than when it was abandoned.

[@zdproductions3903]

More sad than creepy

[@patrickisebola6390]

Which scene because I totally kind of forgot

[@ilovemayoi5856]

666 likes lol

[@crowmigration8245]

Must be 10:16

[@mikotoh]

i would have LOVED to see nara dreamland when it was empty but still operating like that tbh

[@maxis2k]

A 45 year run is nothing to sneeze at. There's been countless successful theme parks that failed long before that. And as someone who grew up with the "old" Disneyland (well, pre Eisner Disneyland), I would have loved to visit this place.

[@StAngerNo1]

I think the main reason they failed in the end was, because the park wasn't modernized. It is hard to impress a 2000s audience with rides and attractions from the 60s, but in the beginning it must have been amazing for the time.

[@encinobalboa]

Make that pre-Eisner and pre-Iger Disney.

[@kaitourobin3206]

I think that why it closed, It never update it rides. It never had the chance to kept up with diseny, but since it never evolved itself away from the orginal diseny design it couldn't stand on it own. They should had became like Knott's Berry Farm. Knott's Berry Farm Amusement Park is literally 7 miles or 14 minutes without traffic apart from Disenyland. Yet it is comfortable does well for itself.

[@kaitourobin3206]

@@TackyFlamingo Actually those rides had modernized several time already. There not the same when they first open. With New Cue lines, Animatronics, decorations, etc. last November they also shut down the Snow White Ride for a upgrade. "We’re always looking for new and innovative ways to enhance our storytelling at the Disneyland Resort. I’m delighted to share that we have exciting changes coming to Snow White’s Scary Adventures in Disneyland park next year. This classic Fantasyland attraction, Disneyland park’s only ride-through princess attraction, will be updated with new magic inside and out in 2020. Walt Disney Imagineering is reimagining how the classic tale of Snow White lives happily ever after, and guests will be invited to follow along with her story." My saddest update is they changed Soar from flying over Calforina to Flying over the world. I miss seeing all the beauty calforina had to offer. Bigger Update needed is the Epoct 480p resolution scenes of nature. Oh wow, such graphics. They to update to at least 4k or maybe even 8k. It quite funny.

[@kaitourobin3206]

@@TackyFlamingo Matterhorn tacks had been change, New Yeti animatronics( old one was move to Terror of tower), new cue line. It small world also got a new clock face, new dolls and decorations, plus it has it Christmas special added. Pirates of Caribbean probably had the most updates then anyone. From removal of the real skeletons to complete overhall to include the movies and jack sparrow. Basically what i getting at is i watch way too much disenyland documentaries on each individual ride.

[@supercharmander1]

11:23-12:04 I feel so sorry for that man leading the ride. He literally has one member in his audience but he's pouring his heart and soul into his performance. If I was behind that camera, I would've given him a hug and told him he did a good job.

[@Rammstein45]

The Japanese take incredible pride in their work.

[@idioticreborn]

Yeah. Quite depressing.

[@maxwellglover4880]

its better than some of the jungle cruise rides in disneyland, its so hilarious,

[@ElenaGlitch]

“Say hello to my boss” is my favorite part of this video. He’s trying so hard. Bless him.

[@jongon0848]

Same, I hope the poor guy is doing well today. He seemed so nice and dedicated

[@dardend4155]

That last sendoff speech by the mascots was honestly very touching. Sad that a place where so many people played and had fun was so broken down in the end. Worse that it was left to sit there and nobody cared about it enough to even clean it up. It was somebody's dream, and it was left to rust alone. Sad.

[@austinreed7343]

Marina Shine Sydney’s Wonderland agrees.

[@curtiscrane5415]

*cries*i agree. nara dreamland:help! tokyo disneyland:*deletes dreamland:nope!!!HAHAHAHAHA!!!

[@lynnlRDR-RDR2]

very much agree

[@lynnlRDR-RDR2]

i just dont understand the logic of people

[@nikolasgunadi765]

I cried

[@Thumper17]

"But Ancestorland was closed for a waterpark." That hurt me in my soul.

[@thetheatreorgan168]

HAH HAH, ITS ME MICKEY MOUSE, SAY GOODBYE TO FRONTIERLAND, NEW ORLEANS SQUARE, THE RIVERS OF AMERICA, ALL NOW BECOMING THE ALL NEW DISNEY SPLASH WATERPARK, AT DISNEYLAND RESORT ANAHEIM, OUR NEW THIRD GATE!

[@zakunick1]

The ancestors are spinning in their graves. And getting lots of airtime on the new Nara Wild Slide! The largest water slide in all of Japan!!

[@Jacob630]

@@thetheatreorgan168DISMEHEHEHEHE. SSKPSPALEKSHSHSNSHSHSNSHSHSHDHD

[@Jacob630]

Devs,vf!!vf!v

[@Jacob630]

NO NO NO NO NO.

[@switchbuckle5th]

He "strongly believed that a park like Disneyland would work perfectly in Japan." Well as it turns out he wasn't wrong... in fact he was more right than he knew.

[@m.syauqiabdurahman2798]

I mean Tokyo Disneyland Probably More Better Than WDW And Original Disneyland (Still Loved This 2 Parks tho)

[@lollamo7608]

@@m.syauqiabdurahman2798 nah I been there, even without expectations about it whether being better or not, it feel just the same way as going to WDW and Disneyland. People just say it's better because they don't speak Japanese, doesn't mean better lol.

[@brickman409]

"Wrong ride, buddy" I died at that part lmao

[@theYear_project]

Timestamp?

[@thanachartmaneechote9517]

"Say hello to my boss" Makes me laugh so fcking hard.

[@Jacob630]

@@theYear_projectcode

[@ADAMan123]

Ok but who else kind of feels bad for Nara Dreamland? Just imagine how sad it was when some rides were operating but nobody was there ) :

[@fullofbarkingdogs]

Footage of the final day of operation is so sad. The park was a ghost town.

[@RariettyC]

That Jungle Cruise skipper was working so hard for that one person in the boat with him :(

[@SuperWolsey]

Adam Ferry Thanks, Ron Miller and Oriental Company....smh

[@scottsattan3430]

are we gonna talk about how the music playing at the end with the two mascots talking is literally the small world song

[@hughmahn484]

What's Disney going to do, shut down the park?

[@CoercedJab]

Whoa are you saying that dreamland was knocking off Disneyland!? Unbelievable...

[@a2d]

Olivia Sattan Right! It's like they were bowing down to their rodent overlords.

[@torilee6677]

Hugh Mahn I snort-laughed. It’s an accomplishment to get one of those outta me 😂

[@ThereMayBeLions]

It's almost like Disney helped them build Nara Dreamland.....wait a minute....

[@welcomestranger]

It's a great story. Sad that it will always be regarded as a "Disneyland rip-off" because it was always originally an official Disneyland with just a name change and minor cosmetic alterations before opening.

[@ulvesparker]

I was there!!! I was born in Nara, my parents lived nearby, and I have vague memories of going to a magical Disneyland-like place as a toddler (on a leash). We rode on the back of a giant turtle which took us to this fabulous castle under the sea.

[@rosietyler]

"on a leash" kind of an unnecessary and sus addition

[@quintaye]

@@rosietyler I mean, not really... Having a child "on a leash" is a common joke which refers to young children needed to be constantly supervised due to their curious and adventurous nature. He simply added that to his comment for a sense of humor and comedy, so it's not really "unnecessary". And it is only "sus" because you are the one who thought of it in a weird way.

[@dharmallars]

@@rosietyler wait do you seriously think this person is talking about a fetish thing? They were a kid you freak

[@pineconesnowstorm]

@@quintaye their parents actually just tied a leash around their neck and dragged them around the park

[@m00dyalien]

Have you guys literally never seen one of those monkey leash backpacks before

[@Caledon91]

Nara Dreamland = The manga. Tokyo Disneyland = The anime.

[@fullofbarkingdogs]

As long as Netflix doesn't put out a live-action remake.

[@RariettyC]

The American live-action remake is California Adventure.

[@mariopikaman1]

don't say you know the anime if you haven't read the manga

[@fullofbarkingdogs]

Harsh but accurate.

[@brandonlyon730]

At least California Adventure has gotten better after its major renovation, might not be as good as Disneyland and it would have been nice to see the original ideas but at least it's not a big disaster like it was when it first opened.

[@cutielamerr]

Props to that Jungle Cruise Skipper doing his best spiel with only one person on the boat. I was dying when he introduced his, “mother in law.” Awesome episode overall! I had no idea Walt actually helped guide this park before disagreements on licensing.

[@fullofbarkingdogs]

That skipper addressing "everybody" on the boat gets me every time.

[@Zoot101]

Those aren't actually subtitles, they're snarky comments added by the person who shot the video.

[@KristinAlder]

This is the first video that I've seen that's addressed Walt helped guide Nara.

[@unclepatrick2]

My father was station in Japan in 1969 and My parents took my Sister and I to both Nara Dreamland and Yokohama Dreamland before we left in 1971. I remember being scare of a man in Samurai Armor at Nara.

[@moon-rvr]

Oh, so you're a "Dreamer" ? If so, then which is Dori and which is Ran? Is Dori the boy and Ran is a girl, or is it the other way around ? I really need to know. \(>__

[@TackyFlamingo]

s a b a d o/Theswitcher27 Ran is the boy and Dori is the girl

[@duckwindowthatoneguy]

@@TackyFlamingo Actually in some videos of the Characters, people call the girl one Ran-Chan and the boy one Dori-Chan. In the Dream Of You video (Which is like a documentary on Yokohama Dreamland) it has Ran-Chan and Dori-Chan talking about the park and to each other, both say their name so that confirms it.

[@mikotoh]

that is SO FUCKING COOL

[@lollamo7608]

Evidence or you're just attempting to seek attention for useless likes lol

[@TheProperPeople]

Awesome, definitely the most thoroughly researched vid and best collection of historical footage I've seen on the park!

[@Defunctland]

Thank you! And thank you for being brave enough to document it in its abandoned state! Truly amazing footage.

[@fullofbarkingdogs]

Thanks! And thank *you* for giving us such awesome footage.

[@CollinMckenna]

I thought it seemed familiar! Must've seen your original video :)

[@vandangerousinc7001]

Your Nara Dreamland video is one of my favorites :)

[@CPD0123a]

@@Defunctland A small side thing to maybe look at, is it possible that this was the inspiration to the anime Amagi Brilliant Park? It's about a theme park in a similar situation, and the lead cast member, Izusu Sento, also just happens to wear a British Redcoat style uniform. Thankfully, that's in the world of anime and the park is saved at the end, but I wonder if this wasn't the inspiration.

[@kimmiewise1044]

Maybe this is what Chihiro’s dad was referencing in Spirited Away. Miyazaki is old enough to probably have gone to Nara Dreamland as a teenager at most. While he said his inspiration was from abandoned historical districts near his Studio I think the entrance to Yubaba’s “Park” is very similar to the American entrances of theme parks as well as the entrance seen of Nara Dreamland. The AncestorLand also makes things even more clearer as Bathhouses are somewhat of a historical staple of Japan especially when the park opened. And the train in the park also seems to function like the train/boat in the movie. It’s insane how much of a concept of Nara Dreamland I had already before even watching the video and without knowing it exists. Now that I know, I feel even closer, not only to Spirited Away but to the origins of its mythos. Amazing...

[@mustakimrozak8299]

wow . Good theory .

[@alexagreen2968]

Sounds like a possibility. There are quite a few abandoned theme parks in Japan.

[@CPD0123a]

Given the mascots, I wonder if it was the inspiration to Amagi Brilliant Park. They're wearing British redcoats, and the main lead of the Amagi cast, Sento, wears one too.

[@claudia73472]

Great, now i wanna visit it even more😭 Love spirited away so yeah to bad this one closed ☹

[@vireo2543]

It makes me sad to see how quickly people go in to vandalize places soon as they close. :( The Jungle Cruise knock-off guy was giving it his all despite only have one guest riding, kudos to him and I hope he found a better job after the park closed.

[@Noanimesigmaskibidi69]

No

[@idontevenknow9758]

Why am I tearing up about a theme park in Japan I never heard of and never visited?!? The ending with the mascots was so sad but full of optimism.

[@JeffreyPiatt]

So it didn't start out as a knock off. It was basically the first attempt at a global Disneyland franchise before euro Disneyland.

[@Brandis13]

Actually, as said in the video, Tokyo DIsneyland was the first international Disneyland, opening in 1983, Euro Disney took another nine years to open, in 1992. Only difference was that Tokyo Disney is fully owned and operated by Oriental Land Company, only paying license fees to Disney while EuroDisney (at least at the opening) had been finance by the Walt Disney Company and was partially owned by them, they owned 49% of the shares of EuroDisney SCA, the parks operator, which still had to pay licensing fees to the Walt Disney Company. Finally, in 2017, the Walt Disney Company bought out all the minority shareholders of EuroDisney SCA and now is the sole owner of Disneyland Paris.

[@Cooe.]

Rofl *facepalm* FAIL

[@Noanimesigmaskibidi69]

@@Cooe.did we already yg for this

[@Jacob630]

⁠@@Brandis13I Think He Was Talking About The First Global Disneyland In A Union, Like The EU.

[@brycevo]

Nara Dreamland seemed nice. I saw two videos, one of the functioning park and one of the ruins. The colors were bright, the architecture was fantastic, and it had interesting attractions. It's disappointing what happened to it. But it's eeriely beautiful in it's derilect state.

[@RumerPriestly]

Why'd you leave and like the same comment twice, my man?

[@brycevo]

Rumer Priestly App bugged out and said error, so I wrote a second comment. KZbin then crashed, but I deleted the repeat comment.

[@ninjanippledog725]

I know right, it wouldve been great to have gone. And incredibly interesting to see an actual "ancestral" area, the most things for japanese culture in theme parks is a vague 'asia' area called Oriental-something or asiana or something weird. Or even the culture local to the area, in america at least, is just 'we looked cool n had guuuns n lassoos'. (I know theres plenty of culture to be found elsewhere, just its cool to have it all in one place, ya know. Something not being at a theme park wouldnt stop me from learning, its just neat lol)

[@SPRidley]

I watched many videos before on abandoned Nara Dreamland, but never knew about actually being worked with Disney at the beginning before plans fell apart. What an amazing amount of old footage also. And wow, that ending with the best memories are your smiles actually hit me pretty hard for something I never thought much of it. Is always sad when theme parks close. Also, that skipper is a hero.

[@JSoba09]

I know, that little speech at the end was unnaturally heartbreaking. Here I am in America moaning about the Back to the Future ride being closed at Universal, when an entire piece of Japanese amusement park history was quietly snuffed out. At least Universal Studios is still around.

[@MattMcIrvin]

In "Spirited Away," Chihiro's dad's initial theory when the family wanders into the spirit world is that they've found an abandoned amusement park, and he mentions that the recession created a lot of them. I've always wondered if they had some particular park(s) in mind. Nara Dreamland would have been too late, but Yokohama Dreamland shut down about a year before the movie came out. Given the pace of animation production, that might still be too late...

[@threepoint14159265]

Both closed after the film's 2001 release, but they would have been good as dead by then, so you're probably right.

[@KFLeite_]

there were tons of minor theme parks all over japan that were opened during the postwar economic boom. a lot of people in the late 90s saw amusement parks from their childhood become abandoned. nara and yokohama were some of the biggest examples, but the issue was so much greater. even today people still post videos exploring old abandoned theme parks.

[@pablocasas5906]

There's a similar scene in the anime movie Paprika, directed by the late Satoshi Kon. The main characters go to an abandoned theme park, and one of them mentioned that he used to visit it when he was a child

[@iwakuralain1459]

I thought the same. Chihiro's dad said that in the 90s several parks closed down

[@MattMcIrvin]

@@KFLeite_ It also occurs to me that Japan's aging demographics probably mean that the demand for parks primarily catering to children and teenagers cratered from what it had been after the war. The one Japanese park I've actually been to (very recently) was the above-mentioned Tokyo DisneySea, and like, say, Epcot, it clearly aims to appeal to adults at least as much as children. Something similar, of course, is happening in America. There's been a lot of consolidation, the Baby Boom is long over and there are also more ways of being entertained.

[@RabbitEarsCh]

Even with the park collapsing around them, the employees still gave it their all. Jungle Cruise Guy is an inspiration.

[@LauraDixon2025]

These have a better quality than some professional documentries, this is some good stuff, keep up the good work, if I only ran a television company so that I could hire you

[@SirBlackReeds]

You mean like the Bashir Michael Jackson documentary?

[@LauraDixon2025]

jacoblgames never heard of it!

[@SirBlackReeds]

+Gary Dixon Living With Michael Jackson. Look it up.

[@aii5748]

The ending where the mascots said they loved everyone's smiles legit *made me cry.* Too sad. :'(

[@FableWolfe]

There's something just so depressing about old and forgotten places, as I've always thought. This place is exceptionally so. It's like a dream died.

[@dennywordkiller4253]

This is the first video I've come across which actually provides a detailed history of Nara Dreamland. It wasn't intended to be a knockoff, which seems to be the general impression. Had they moved forward with this project after Walt Disney's death this park's fate would likely have been much different.

[@ellaeverdeen]

I was enthralled with the idea of Nara Dreamland a couple years ago. I watched most every urban explorer video and looked at so many pictures...I had no clue the park was leveled. I actually felt my heart sink when you said that. :(

[@colbyjackcheesestick]

new defunctland day is the best day

[@tootsie_]

That just made me genuinely depressed. That guy on the jungle cruise was trying so hard to impress a crowd of no one.

[@joevinski1]

So very in-depth I’ve seen many Nara videos and I honestly have learned sooooo much more from your video the all the others combined thank you for making such great content

[@Dave-te5bs]

I’m really tearful right now. It’s so sad to see a park with so much potential falter during the changing times.

[@turtleofpride4572]

My boss My mother in law MY SIDES

[@fullofbarkingdogs]

Can we just give a major shoutout to that Skipper? I love him.

[@Robert-vi9fx]

Legend says he's still skippering to this day.

[@barrag3463]

What were they going to do, fire him?

[@cecilyerker]

That skipper was doing his entire routine for ONE GUEST IN THE BOAT!

[@maddinpictures3102]

Danger! Danger! PangPang!

[@marglefarble8280]

6:06 The person going nuts on the teacups is cracking me up.

[@DarkOmegaMK2]

This was such a depressing departure for a park, i am so heartbroken.

[@Brainulator9]

This is the first video I've seen detailing the rides before its closure. I saw a news article from February 2017 or thereabouts showing that the park had already been demolished by then, and Google Maps displays dirt and rubble where the park once stood. They were moving quick.

[@Brainulator9]

That said... they really should have done more to give people a reason to go there over the higher-end parks.

[@fullofbarkingdogs]

Yeah, demolition ended in late December 2017 I believe! SK Housing left the park be for a while, and then they did a majority of the demolition in a very short period of time. Worst part to see was the demolition of Aska. :(

[@Brainulator9]

Is that when cleanup ended or the last structures were torn down?

[@fullofbarkingdogs]

From what I read, the site was leveled and cleaned by December.

[@Brainulator9]

Apparently, I typed 2018 when I meant to say 2017. So yeah, February 2017 is what I meant. Omitting the beginning parts of the URLs to bypass KZbin's filters: pipeaway.com/nara-dreamland-amusement-park-end/ Says a visit in March 2017 proved the site is now a barren wasteland. This was what I was thinking of when I wrote the comment. dezeen.com/2017/02/06/nara-dreamland-deserted-japan-theme-park-photography-romain-veillon/ Says it was "demolished at the end of 2016", implying it was finished before 2017 started. pauljonesblog.com/2016/10/20/nara-dreamland-demolished/ Here's an anchor to either post, as well as a timeline.

[@TPMvids]

Really loved this video man! Such a fascinating place

[@howesy9568]

An interaction between two of my favourite channels!

[@edwardanimations6296]

shh.. you see that? that's a wild TPM, it is very rare outside it's habitat, we must be quiet to not frighten it

[@lilxamryn]

TPMvids TPM!!! WOW I LOVE YOUR CHANNEL!!!

[@elizapii6520]

The quality of these videos is just amazing. Truly a hidden treasure on KZbin! Should have millions of subscribers based on the pure quality.

[@jackwilliams2766]

i must agree, you are literally one of the best youtubers on this platform

[@lemagreengreen]

Totally. Glad I'm stumbled across this channel

[@anonymouslynamed1513]

Couldn't agree more

[@DonSMDT]

Yeah but how early were you?

[@randomcookieboy]

*sniffle* that ending was beautiful... I’m not crying, you are!

[@Godzilla-on2mz]

Cwazzycwafter Nope u are :D

[@mustakimrozak8299]

Cheer Up Cwazzy .

[@soot.gremlin1056]

*sniff* nUUu

[@Jacob630]

@@mustakimrozak8299SHUT UP

[@Jacob630]

@@Godzilla-on2mzNO

[@DistoryDan]

YES! INCREDIBLE! I've dug into this land a lot in the past and am completely fascinated by it! Great topic & great video Kevin! Nice work!

[@Brainulator9]

By chance, have you also seen Bright Sun Films's video on Nara Dreamland?

[@christysilva5822]

Disney Dan is always so positive on youtube comment sections. Lets all be like Disney Dan.

[@syxepop]

"By chance, have you also seen Bright Sun Films' video on Nara Dreamland?" Courtesy of your friends at Alphabet (YT's owners) you'll most likely find the video mentioned on the suggested list at the right of these comments at or very near the top, so you can compare for yourself after you watch this video. IMHO, Jake's video is good, but Kevin did dig a little deeper into it (also helps it was made after Jake's). BTW, both Kevin and Jake are entertaining for their diverse style...

[@gerrymonfort7766]

Disney Dan Nytrmhgf

[@thefirstgayexvicepresident225]

Christy Mccoy Fuck Disney Dan.

[@RariettyC]

This park circa early-2000s looks like if Disneyland never updated or renovated past 1960 and was bought out by Six Flags or Cedar Fair or some other regional theme park chain, who promptly sold the park to a much smaller company after tearing down the best-themed attractions to build a few coasters and a water park. I guess we should be super glad Walt's dream in California succeeded so it didn't suffer the same fate.

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

Rarietty Now you know how the folks of Aurora, OH felt about Geugua Lake and Sea World.

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

@Nigel Cam That's a shame.

[@Jacob630]

Mad Anime Fan

[@torcoolguy]

Watching the death of a theme park over 15 minutes is incredibly sad. The mascots saying goodbye really got me teared up.

[@ecpcharles]

IF YOU ARE WONDERING THE INTRO/OUTRO MUSIC IS: intro: as immovable as the mountain - yi nantiro outro: the way of the warrior - yi nantiro

[@breadvelvet]

that kim pedersen footage is absolutely incredible. this vid actually brought a tear to my eye and i don't really understand why but this is so good

[@CKT1138]

The ending is pretty sad to be honest

[@maxmcclelland06]

i was feeling sad because of being in a rock and a hard place. when a new defunctland releases, it brightens my day!

[@JurzGarz]

What’s wrong bro?

[@Hessed3712]

I think there was a Sailor Moon episode where the main characters visited the park.....I think.

[@RainbowMilk1996]

Hessed3712 yeah I remember that episode. Wasn't there like a princess walk-around character that was evil?

[@HaohmaruHL]

Hessed3712 episode 11. They go to Yumeland. Yume means dream in Japanese. So yeah..

[@TheAirstation86]

@@HaohmaruHL replying a year later. Now there's a interactive Sailor Moon attraction......at Universal Studios Japan.

[@Pizzacam-xf9hz]

Ran-Chan: I wonder if we were in that episode of Sailor Moon. Because the place was called Dreamland wasn't it?

[@Jacob630]

@@Pizzacam-xf9hzHi!

[@ghostreyn]

Mad respect for the maker of Nara Dreamland for not just dropping the whole thing once Walt backed out. Despite being a knock off, it seems it was a source of joy for many in Japan for many years.

[@nitroedits2834]

new defunctland always brightens my spirits bless you kevin :)

[@dreamdog5748]

Same

[@danid.1074]

Nara Dreamland is definitely on the list of places I wish I could have explored in person

[@infuturetensewdannijeanbla9721]

Is it possible to marry a KZbin channel? I'm in love with the new presentation and subject matter. Great work!

[@fullofbarkingdogs]

It's 2018, we can probably make something happen.

[@infuturetensewdannijeanbla9721]

Noah Randall fingers crossed...

[@SirBlackReeds]

Defunctland is way out of your league. Aim lower.

[@infuturetensewdannijeanbla9721]

jacoblgames dang... 😢

[@DonSMDT]

Go watch Many A True Nerd's 4th anniversary video .

[@arnold20139]

Out of all the defunctland videos, this is one of the saddest. I can't help to tear up Everytime I watch it.

[@metademetra]

That footage reminded me of that one episode of Southpark where Cartman bought his own theme park so he would be the only person going on rides. Except really creepy.

[@spyrelle3970]

It makes me wonder, what if a theme park purposely left one of its lands to rot and decided that'd be its new theme? The defunct Nara Dreamland looked honestly fascinating. Even though I've never even known about it, I'm sad to see it be demolished.

[@katev9988]

Not to rip on @SublimeHawk6 but I think it would actually be really expensive because of maintenance. The theming of Haunted Mansion is notoriously difficult to keep up and having an entire land like that would prob be a ton of work. It would be pretty cool though

[@matthewbowen5841]

I wonder what they could call it... maybe... um... I give up.

[@Pellbort]

Always so sad to see such places become forgotten husks of their former selves only to eventually fall and fade into history. A stark reminder of the fate that awaits every one of us. :(

[@MasterofRoku]

Pete Rockwell Damn.

[@NumeroLetter]

It's a shame that Disney couldn't have just bought out Nara Dreamland and worked with what they had there instead of opening a brand new park. I get that logistically it would've been hard to deal with demoing all the knock-off stuff in order to do that, but it would've been wonderful to keep this place alive. It breaks my heart that this park had to go, but at least it brought people smiles for 45 years.

[@SovereignAure]

Why demolish the "knock-off" stuff? It was designed by the same people who worked on the original Disneyland, leave/update it as a monument to Walt himself. As much of the original Disneyland was constantly being updated and replaced, this would have been a unique opportunity to preserve/restore something classic from the era. It's just unfortunate that Disney backed out of this park initially and never decided to aquire it later.

[@Benkenobi8118]

- The park was doomed with the decision to build in Nara, not Tokyo. It makes sense from a Japanese perspective to do Nara, but the business needs to be where the people are and the largest concentration is in Tokyo. I wonder if that was the frustration with Walt, realizing that this very difficult and risky venture was hindered by location. Same with Hong Kong Disneyland. I wonder if Disney will ever sort that out.

[@thesteelrodent1796]

@@Benkenobi8118 Disney kind of screwed over Hong Kong when they opened in Shanghai, so it's in the same boat as the Paris park where it's barely making a profit

[@ZanderEzekial77]

Great video! I love the Small World theme playing at the end while the soldier characters are talking. I wonder how much genuine Disney stuff like that ended up in the park despite the business ties falling apart.

[@sallyversace6784]

At 10:47, you can see Mickey and Minnie plush dolls in a store window.

[@sanichuuu]

I just had a bad day and this episode comes up! Defunctland episodes are something I look forward to because it always makes me happy! Sorry for the sappy comment Kevin but I wanted to thank you for making my day bright again!

[@wendy-zarate]

dearhoneylemon hope your day gets better! 😄

[@TheSmart-CasualGamer]

I'm really interested in languages and dialects, especially Asian ones as they have a certain charm to their complexity and strange extra bits, so it's interesting hearing how "Disneyland" was pronounced in the Japanese video introducing Dreamland. And I have to say a very well done to Dreamland. It wasn't a knockoff, it did it's best with what it had and it managed to run for nearly 50 years. Very well done.

[@PsychedelicCharm]

I feel sorry for the kids who used to visit Nara Dreamland. Seeing a theme park that you grew up with deteriorate like that can be just heartbreaking.

[@doctoradventure413]

This might be one of the most fascinating episodes yet, keep up the good work!

[@Jake-ut4vo]

I don’t remember this Isle of Dogs scene

[@projectalpha22_va]

Jacob Carlin Look up the clapping scene from Citizen Kane. That’s me, to you.

[@ripsnortintime2186]

I feel like you're referencing the slide scene where Atari just goes on a slide in the trash and chief just stood there

[@elijahtoombs3524]

this comment currently has 666 l.ikes

[@blitzn00dle50]

So now we know why that slide was there

[@sebastiansuescum2186]

Damn... that ending... like, it hit me right in the feels, the park decaying, the rides empty, and the final speech of the mascots made this really sad for me...

[@FoxyPinkGirl]

This episode made me cry. I’m even crying now. What a wonderful rich history and loving employees. It’s so heartbreaking to see nobody there but that one lone tourist riding the rides and then seeing the park abandoned. I wish people would’ve kept visiting and the park able to stabilize and keep going. So heartbreaking 😭

[@JinxAesthel]

This episode was super interesting! I've never seen anything talking about Nara Dreamland when it was actually open so I had no idea about any of this!

[@ethancooper3946]

I went into this thinking “how could they get away with such an obvious cheap knockoff!”, and left wishing it was still open and that the licensing didn’t fall through.

[@trblxyz]

i knew this will tear me up but i kept watching. Abandoned places that used to be filled with people always make me feel so sad, thinking there used to be people smiling, having fun and dream to go to this place... and time to time that place starts to lose those smiles from millions, thousands, hundreds, ten, till none... I salute workers that still do their best till the end...

[@lactosetheintolerant1812]

That ending honestly made me tear up. Truly a beautiful gesture and a poignant set of last words to go out on. Very noble. Yeah, it was a knock-off Disneyland that technically served its purpose when the real deal came ashore. But I suppose that wasn't the point. That park gave millions of people a sense of joy and wonder they've never experienced before. And at the end of the day, the budget, the showiness, none of that mattered. They brought legitimate joy over many, many long years to those who have searched for it. They were sad the park was closing, but it was entirely paid for many times over with the joy and inspiration brought to their patron's imaginations.

[@thelittlephish2]

Defuntland feels like the theme park version of panpizza: both are great channels, and they have new videos every other week, with podcasts in between. 💙

[@irishmanrants89]

thelittlephish2 The only difference is that Kevin isn’t nearly as depressing or pathetic.

[@Suburbansanity]

New Defunctland!!!! AND IT"S NARA DREAMLAND THIS IS A DREAM COME TRUE

[@webcam1213]

YO its so crazy how much your channel has grown in just the couple months ive been subscribed. Keep up the great work !!

[@PsychoSavager289]

I snuck into Dreamland one summer night in 2015. One of the most incredible nights of my life. Thank you so much for this video - I have always wondered about the park's backstory. I am amazed the same rides that opened in the 60s were still operating in the 2000s!

[@neekMarieM14]

I came back to this episode after rewatching the Sailor Moon episode that has "Yume-land" (Dreamland). It really does add context and depth to the episode.

[@AgentLevitar]

I swear at 10:15 I thought it was just a test run for the next season of Nara Dreamland but after a minute in, I realized that it was just another day of regular work :( Bless the guy on the Jungle Cruise. He put on a lot of effort despite there only being one customer.

[@timschneider6687]

Watching through this series from the beginning, I've felt a lot of emotions about the different defunct attractions: bafflement at the fact that they could be taken down, disappointment at lost opportunities, terror at the rides that were properly dangerous and shouldn't have stayed up as long as they did, but this is the first time I think I've felt genuine sadness when watching one of these videos. Nara Dreamland seemed like such a charming place and the fact that it suffered such a slow, pitiful death just hit me. That note you added about how very few people attending its closing day, and even fewer stayed for the whole day, was the real kicker for me. Such a wonderful place poorly remembered due to years of neglect and apathy. A place that once brought joy to millions a year dwindling until only a handful even cared enough about it to come out for its last day of operation. And not really through any fault of its own, but because of its inability to compete with the bigger entertainment industries who came to Japan and took its audience. Nara was a pioneer in Japanese amusement parks, and yet it became known solely as a dilapitated, pathetic ruin, ripe with people poking through to look at its rotting corpse.

[@JustinCammer]

Wow, love the channel. This episode was amazing, as I've heard about this place and seen some abandoned videos.. but you did a great job expanding on what this place once was. I was also really into the Imagination episode as I grew up going on that ride. Each episode continues to get better. Keep it up! :)

[@michaelsanchez440]

Justin Cammer, did you know that this a similar to Tokyo Disneyland?

[@GarbageDayProductions]

These are probably my most anticipated videos of the week, love each one and so glad you're covering this park

[@Plntlvr1983]

Bruh the saddest part of this is them saying goodbye before closing

[@joonvioleta]

Today Is The 13th Anniversary Of Nara Dreamland’s Last Day Of Operation RIP.

[@e.keough2975]

Aw that last part with the dreamland characters actually brought tears to my eyes and I don’t know why

[@1upgamer959]

Playing its a small world when closing the park is sad.

[@arranmcgee2582]

Defunct land is the best way to end any day

[@jonhanson8925]

Also a great way to start the day here in Asia!

[@BrinIoca]

"More than anything, our best memory will be people's smiles!" Cue the waterworks.....I'm a grown woman, I shouldn't be upset...

[@Poofiemus]

I wonder why Nara Dreamland never licensed Japanese properties after the Disney licensing fell through? Japan even in the 60's and 70's had a lot of unique IPs that could have really set it apart.

[@Brainulator9]

My question is why they seemingly made little to no effort to set them apart from Tokyo Disneyland.

[@fullofbarkingdogs]

By the time Tokyo Disneyland opened, the park was already sliding into an attendance slump. There just wasn't enough money to make major changes, apart from tearing down Ancestorland in favor of a generic water park.. (I will forever be confused about that decision.)

[@Jacob630]

@@fullofbarkingdogsNO

[@BAKU2K2]

In the late 90's Nara Dreamland had this huge collab with Ultraman, but by then it was way to late, the opening of Tokyo DisneySea and Universal Studios Japan would be the final nail in the coffin for not only both Dreamland parks, but also many smaller showa-era amusement parks across Japan.

[@Jacob630]

@@Brainulator9NO

[@DailyDoseOfMigue]

FINALLY!!! Waited for this episode forever!!!!!!! Thank you!!!! Love it!

[@ElectedNews]

Love defunctland! Thanks Kevin

[@xingcat]

It's sad that a park that took an opportunity to become its own thing could't sustain itself. Then again, against Disney and Universal, it would have been an uphill battle in the best of situations.

[@guildrich]

I wouldn't necessarily call Nara Dreamland a knockoff. More like, _inspired_ by Disneyland. If anything, Nara Dreamland was actually supposed to be an _official_ Disney park, but Walt and Matsuo couldn't reach an agreement. But by that time, Dreamland was already nearing completion, so Matsuo decided to simply drop the Disney names and branding and create his own mascots for the park.

[@katiematott5656]

A new Defunctland on my birthday! I have been blessed by the almighty Perj

[@fullofbarkingdogs]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

[@Brainulator9]

Happy birthday!

[@Kaltagstar96]

I feel so damn sorry for the people working in Nara, especially in the later years, it must have been truly horrible to have to work there despite no customers being there. But you have to give them all the credit in the world for trying to make chicken salad out of chicken shit.

[@tamiinix]

That speech at the end made me cry

[@elevatoralarmcoasterandarc1214]

Very depressing.

[@bennitori4]

If there is one silver lining to this story, it's the fact that even if Nara Dreamland doesn't live on, at least that skipper and those mascots saying goodbye will be preserved forever. I don't know if Nara Dreamland was any good (and never will know) but the skipper and those mascots showed that Nara Dreamland was populated by people who seemed to really care.

[@dawsontaylor7236]

I know Dreamland is a Disney knock off but I feel so sad. That last clip was really just, sad.

[@ninjanippledog725]

Its not a knock off, it was legitimate, until disney pulled out and it was too late to change the theming. Knock offs are trying to recreate something, usually for cheap, and to cash in. This was actual co-work. They have the sameish rides/areas (besides ancestral) because thats what disney wanted in an expansion.

[@guthetanuki256]

Did you not watch the video? He clearly stated it wasn't a knockoff

[@effluviah7544]

These are so well-made, it's unreal. Keep up the great work, and thanks for another great defunct park breakdown! ;)

[@nickpompeii]

Love this episode, thought I knew a lot about Nara Dreamland but this was fact filled! Good watch♡

[@eugenelim1872]

I just stumbled on this video and I have to say the research, animations and quality of this video are just mindblowing. I actually feel a deep sense of loss over Nara Dreamland; it feels like you guys really captured the soul of this place, in its prime and in its eventual decline. It might not have meant much to many people, but because of this video Nara Dreamland actually means something to me now (and I trust many other viewers too). And maybe that’s just how Nara Dreamland’s legacy intersects with this channel’s as well. Amazing work, guys!