Looking Back On the Opening of New Fantasyland (1983)

In 1983, Disneyland's Fantasyland received a massive overhaul. To promote the changes, a TV special called "Believe You Can...And You Can!" was produced. Starting out as an innocent plug for the revamped park area, it eventually devolved into utter nonsense and nightmare fuel. Join Heather O'Rourke ("Poltergeist") as she is declared a heretic and put on trial by the beloved Disney characters!
EDIT: Almost forgot to say that most of the clips I used came from otownguy79's channel. Check it out for more great Disney content!
/ otownguy79

[@shipguy55]

Having non-believers fed to crocodiles sounds more like some sort of religious crusade than a promotion for Disneyland.

[@ColinLooksBack]

No one expects the Disney Inquisition! (Why didn't I think to make that joke in the video? Dammit.)

[@carminecdinoproductions]

Colin LooksBack The Disney Inquisition?

[@Fire-Wolf-The-Wolgan]

Hook might as well say this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJuzh56IdtR4eLM

[@epaddon]

@@ColinLooksBack When they all point at Heather, are they going in unison, "She's HERE!"

[@lambiegabby4055]

Dude,that special is frucking insane. It really is a product of its time. And to tell you the truth,I love it. I even came up with a short film titled “heather” where a depressed young girl is preyed upon by the mascot characters at “happiland” who wish to harm her since she “does not believe” whatever that means. The main villain is called “enigma”.looks friendly on the surface,but a manipulative bastard who preys on “non-believers”. Wanting means of protection,her teddy bear she always carries comes to life. The teddy bear,”lucy”,comforts heather and defends her when danger draws near. Together,along with heather’s brother,try to find a way to stop enigma before it’s too late.

[@Furby_Productions]

So let me get this straight. If you believe hard enough, everything will just work in your favor and if you don't believe, Mickey and his gang might want to "have a chat with you"

[@ColinLooksBack]

It's all part of the 80's "Scare 'Em Delusional" program. I think it was related to the "D.A.R.E." program, but I can't find any concrete proof.

[@Attmay]

It got worse in subsequent decades. Back then, the rabbit hole had only gotten so deep.

[@MovieFan1912]

So just 🎶Dream a little harder🎶 and everything will go your way?

[@KellogsR-ny7ug]

Reagan Era How appropriate

[@TheLostBoysGirls]

We remember that special growing up, especially for that completely crazy trial scene at the end. Also, so glad that we were not the only one to notice that Pinocchio didn’t become a real boy at the end of his ride. That always bothered us each time we rode on it. Amazing video overall on the history of New Fantasyland.

[@92JazzQueen]

Again it's kind of sad to see Heather in this old special and knowing she died young.

[@oooh19]

agreed!

[@carminecdinoproductions]

92JazzQueen Agreed... This is kinda sad...

[@zoewollstonecraft6655]

Yeah I miss her 😔😭💔

[@TickleMonster333]

The way Stromboli says ‘’Donkey’’, sounds like a certain green ogre

[@Nick-ty9us]

Stromboli and the coachman, where voiced by the same person an actor named Charles Judes so maybe that’s why he says pull my wagon and about the donkey thing

[@IsaiahEFisher]

So the moral of the story is: Believe in yourself and your wishes, or your favorite Disney characters will kill you. What a moral. And it does explain why some kids are afraid to meet the characters at the parks.

[@raggedyanarchist]

I actually remember a few years back I was watching a very old episode of Mr. Dressup (from the early '80s, I think? Casey and Finnigan were there). Mr. Dressup was talking to Casey about stars and candles and other things people like to wish on, and Casey asked if he were to wish really really hard if it would come true. Mr. Dressup told him pretty bluntly no but it's fun to pretend, and also if you wish for something plausible, maybe you could put the wheels in motion to MAKE it come true. It kinda caught me off guard -- I'd quite honestly never heard that message in children's programming. This is kinda the opposite, innit. Anyway, I wish you get lots more views! ;)

[@ColinLooksBack]

Thank you! And you're right, that gently realistic message is surprisingly rare in kids media.

[@mightyfilm]

Way to make it so your littlest kid DOESN'T want to visit a Disney theme park. Oh, all your favorite lovely little childhood cartoon characters want to kill you. Pure magic, right there.

[@SarahJareth]

I find it unsettling that Snow White was just chill with her evil stepmother trying to poison a 7 yr old little girl

[@Attmay]

She dealt with poltergeists three times, I think she can deal with a wicked stepmother.

[@matthewn1566]

You should talk more about those campy Disney theme park specials. You must be really good at it.

[@ColinLooksBack]

Thanks! I'll have to consult the archives for some more crazy specials.

[@Attmay]

You haven’t lived until you’ve heard Ricky Schroder sing “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah.“

[@Tabbyclaw]

I spent the entire video thinking of that MST3K clip, only for it to pop up at the end. Perfect.

[@TylerRakstis]

Yesterworld did cover most of the history of the Fantasyland attractions if any of you want to take a look.

[@alishahird897]

I think if you look closely at anything Disney (or from our childhood) that "wait a minute" moment will pop up....a pause of confusion. But it is fairytales and fiction, if you analyze it long enough your bound to find somethin that doesn't quite make sense.

[@MsDisneylandlover]

Rip to that little girl

[@zoewollstonecraft6655]

Her name is Heather O'Rourke

[@holyshard530]

Honestly, they could've softened the second half of the special..I would not wanna be put into a crocodiles mouth if I all of the sudden stopped believing in magic and the power of wishes. Maybe instead of the characters seeing Heather and booing at her and threatening to kill her, maybe they can put some expression into it..some could be whispering to eachother about her, some could be looking at her, afraid or maybe curious. And the whole villians wanting to kill her should have some reactions from other characters, some could be surprised and some villains might support them. And when captain hook gives the warning to non believers, some characters should agree and some might disagree.

[@kaylemathewcomendador6964]

Yikes, that part with the Disney characters acting all cultish and with the trial felt like something from Robot Chicken or South Park, not a official Disney special 😰🤯. I can only imagine the mood of the person who wrote that part 😰🤔. Either the writer wasn’t very fond about working on this special or he got a strange sense of humor about Disney 🤔🤷‍♂️. Nice retrospective on it still 😁👍.

[@carminecdinoproductions]

Kayle Mathew Comendador Yeah... Robot Chicken and South Park did it weirder!

[@ColinLooksBack]

If this was a writer's subtle trolling the company, that would honestly make the whole thing even more hilarious.

[@carminecdinoproductions]

@@ColinLooksBack Hilarious indeed!

[@Attmay]

They allowed themselves a bit of mild irreverence every now and then. *Fun With Mr. Future* is one such example. Heather O’Rourke was in another Disney special around the same time, the opening of Epcot. That at least was more optimistic about the future and less about “you must believe what we tell you to believe or else.“

[@nicole-ls4jb]

The dad just got a new promotion with a big raise! Blowing some coin on a ticket to Disneyland (which I'm SURE was much cheaper then, beyond just inflation) was a no-brainer!

[@coenh1922]

Wow that is the weirdest special I have ever heard of it seems natural for the villains to want to harm her but with the heroes joining in it is just weird there is some major nightmare fuel in this one wonder how they ever managed to air it but it still sounds like something that would be fun to watch with friends

[@Attmay]

It was at this point that Disney’s perspective on what makes heroes heroes and villains villains seemed to shift.

[@ungurdagda813]

The MST3K stinger at the end is what really seals the deal for me. I like you. Good taste.

[@wickedfeylady]

This special got way, way darker than it ever had to be! What is this, Jonestown or some other creepy cult, where they're calling for Heather to die for being an 'unbeliever?" Also, Heather is stuck in the model...Beetlejuice, anyone? Also I see the goons but not everyone's favorite, Cradle Goon.

[@ColinLooksBack]

My personal favorite Goon is actually the bug-eyed one, who was in the parade. I like to hope Cradle Goon was there, too, but there aren't any pictures of him. I only ever found two Goon photos. Pictures and video of that parade are relatively scarce.

[@Humbledingify]

If Mickey offers you a glass of punch, just say no.

[@KellogsR-ny7ug]

You think Disney will try to make a grab for Beetlejuice or do that still Warner Bros?

[@taotwinkleamv257]

it's like something stra8ght out of a creepypasta

[@ColinLooksBack]

It's missing the hyperrealisitc blood tho

[@randomboy3m98]

@@ColinLooksBack Well it is in the deleted scene where Heather is declared a non-believer and fed to the crocodile.

[@Triad3Force]

Let's see...A little girl who's worried about her family moving to a new town, get's swept up into a magical land of strange, sometimes scary creatures, goes on an adventure and is put on trial at the end to prove she's learned how to believe in herself. Yep, this is were Hayao Miyazaki got the plot for Spirited Away. lol :D

[@Rubberman202]

The Disney parks is kind of a blind spot when it comes to me and my history as a Disney fan, so it's cool watching these videos documenting the history of them and the various updates they got over the years.

[@Kirby54_watchesstuff]

Pepole back then: oh boy! I cant wait to ride rides the whole day at disney! Disney: three. Take it or leave it.

[@arnequis]

He never said that there were only three rides in Disneyland back then. He said that there were only three DARK RIDES in FANTASYLAND. There were other, non-dark rides in Fantasyland (Mad Tea Party, Dumbo Flying Elephants, King Arthur's Carousel, to name a few), and there were plenty more rides throughout the rest of the park back when it first opened.

[@Kirby54_watchesstuff]

@@arnequis 💀

[@IsaiahEFisher]

(In the tune of “When You Wish Upon a Star”) Believe Wishes Do Come True, Or Else Disney Will Kill You! Believe in the Disney Style, Or Be Fed To The Crocodile!

[@TheCartoonGuy987]

Why did the Disney characters inside this poor little girl that has to move

[@carminecdinoproductions]

There are some Disney characters that made cults in some of their respective movies!

[@Zzzk23]

Dang these writers.......wow. They were gonna murder a kid for not believing.

[@maxordman4100]

Mickey Mouse and Captain Hook as friends? Clara’s dancing is also quite frightening. Also the brother is a real jerk. He leaves Alice alone to spend time with his girlfriend and then only returns halfway through the trial. Then he forces to go along with the Disney characters’ twisted philosophy. I’m sensing some strong Alice in Wonderland inspiration. The Disney characters are acting towards Heather a lot like the Wonderland characters act towards Alice. Also they basically put Heather in a very Alice like outfit. Quite the pretty tripy special! Truly a fever dream of an amusement park advertisement!

[@adamcarr8738]

Morey Amsterdam can make a sane man crazy Morey Amsterdam could make a nice guy kill - The Dead Milkmen Love this channel! Thanks Colin!

[@emilyfuller1563]

Wow. I hadn't heard about this, but now I wish I didn't. WTF Disney?!? *shudders*

[@TheCartoonGuy987]

Why did they leave a seven-year-old girl alone at Disneyland

[@oooh19]

lol she wasn't alone they were filming this

[@cartoongamegirl3335]

Here are some Looking Back suggestions: The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh The Book of Pooh My Friends Tigger and Pooh The Jim Henson Hour Muppet Vision 3D Follow That Bird Elmo in Grouchland Elmo Saves Christmas Muppet Babies Stitch’s Great Escape Turtle Talk with Crush Also I felt so sorry for this little girl. The Disney characters should’ve known better too. Hmm...I wonder if they’ll ever remake this special set in the present time.

[@Nick-ty9us]

Morey Amsterdam also had a sitcom that aired on radio and television from 1948 to 1949 on CBS which ran for 13 episodes then it was picked up by the dumont television network a month later in 1949, and it ran for 58 episodes until 1950 then he went on to be on the Dick Van Dyke show.

[@jaggerguth4391]

Man... And I Thought Tales from The Haunted Mansion is Scary.

[@thundertits]

this should have been poltergeist 3

[@oobs-gamingandmore4249]

It should of been called "Believe You Can... OR ELSE."

[@mickeymouseproductions8977]

No one: Winnie the Pooh at 8:50: Ö

[@nickmanzo8459]

I’m rather late to this video, but this reminded me of something I can barely remember, basically it was some kind of Disney showcase on ABC, where this kid somehow got sucked into an evil side of Disneyworld, where Maleficent is trying to terrify him, and he screws around with these controls that summon other monsters. I know it existed, but I just barely remember it. If you could find this special or whatever it was, I’d love to find it.

[@carminecdinoproductions]

There’s a New Fantastyland at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom and there’s gonna be one for Tokyo Disneyland and there should be some New Fantasylands for Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland with Peter Pan’s Flight and Journey of the Little Mermaid along with a New Adventureland, and Shanghai Disneyland with some Frozen! Hopefully we’ll get some new Adventurelands and Tomorrowlands...

[@SarahJareth]

What in the unholy freak? Just wow just wha?

[@MrShugarcube]

if only her outfit had been BLUE!!...you know...like Alice?

[@mr.stripes4428]

Oh well, at least the specisal was good to watch and has meaning to be made.

[@renaecassidy7510]

❤️

[@jolliwoodstudios]

very strange indeed.

[@MovieFan1912]

10:26-10:31 I guess they shouldn’t have told the kids to just dream a little harder and be conventionally attractive, so you don’t have to be proactive.

[@Nick-ty9us]

So Buddy from the Dick Van Dyke show is helping the girl from 1982‘s poltergeist

[@carminecdinoproductions]

I think there should be dark rides for Moana, Mulan, Hercules, Aladdin, The Lion King, and The Jungle Book!

[@ariquarius2939]

that ending

[@thejoeker3947]

11:2 Gideon should be on top 10 cutest villians on watch mojo.com

[@MrBegliocchi]

3:47 That shot is creepy

[@Stoogemanify]

What shot from :57 to :59

[@MsDisneylandlover]

Can someone please upload this special in full

[@KellogsR-ny7ug]

m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/f4qnc5mdbdykrqs&pp=ygUbRGlzYmV5bGFuZCBoZWF0aGVyIG8gcm91cmtl Here’s part 1

[@tomperkins4965]

This is before Heath O'Rourke died that too bad most of the time.

[@n.d.engleson6499]

9:13 The early 80s were weird. What did you except?

[@MsDisneylandlover]

I was born in 84 yeah yeah

[@clarktooncrossing3975]

Ah, so this is what would happen is Disney produced a cult picture. So, which one of the happy residents of Fantasyland brought the Kool Aid?

[@carminecdinoproductions]

Totally exciting, true believers...

[@Thehorrorpopguy]

Question, did the haunted mansion come before Walt Disney died or after?

[@Thehorrorpopguy]

And there any haunted mansion abandoned animatronics?

[@jonathanmartin9845]

Which specific music cues/covers did you use for the video?

[@MsDisneylandlover]

It's all about tiana loved her

[@Horseprincess259]

Hi Colin Your the best👍🏻😋🙂

[@MegaOrwell1984]

Disney's The Wicker Man.

[@MsDisneylandlover]

Anyone going to disneyland in the orange County on July 17th I trying to go to go July 28th

[@darreylhenderson702]

Could they have exaggerated Maleficent's horns anymore? 😂

[@MsDisneylandlover]

Shoot I am scared of the snow scary adventure ride that what I am scared of

[@randomboy3m98]

Plot twist: Justin Bieber went back in time and made this to threaten people who aren't Beliebers.

[@Attmay]

Dislam.