Theme Parks That Have Shamelessly Ripped off Disney
When you’re the best at something, you’re going to get ripped off.
People say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and Disney gets flattered a LOT.
I’ll prove that today by describing several theme park attractions that totally rip off pay homage to beloved Disney attractions. Prepare to be shocked!
Eurosat CanCan Coaster – Europa Park
You can look at the opening moments from the video and know where I’m going with this.
Yes, that ride building looks suspiciously like a geodesic dome. In fact, it appears eerily similar to Spaceship Earth at EPCOT.
Now, Disney doesn’t own any trademark or copyright claims to geodesic domes. Even if it, international law has proven challenging to enforce.
You may not know about Europa Park, which operates in Rust, Germany, approximately 310 miles away from Disneyland Paris.
Throughout the years, Europa Park has taken inspiration from Disney attractions and, you know, this entire freakin’ building.
The park opened in 1975, which means it existed before Disneyland Paris and EPCOT. However, the Eurosat CanCan Coaster opened in 1989.
Yes, that’s long after Spaceship Earth debuted. It’s a questionable business practice to duplicate such a similar structure, but that’s what happened.
On the plus side, the ride itself bears no similarities to Spaceship Earth. Instead, it tells a story involving the legendary Moulin Rouge dance hall in Paris.
Of course, that change only happened a couple of years ago. Here’s how Eurosat worked before then:
So, yes. It was Space Mountain before that. Europa Park is skirting the law with its transparent ride mimicry.
Pirates in Batavia – Europa Park
Oh, no, we’re not done with Europa Park yet. Last year, this place doubled (tripled?) down on its love of all things Disney.
Meet Pirates in Batavia:
You probably didn’t even need to watch the footage to know which attraction it mirrors.
Yes, Pirates in Batavita is a shinier, more modern version of Pirates of the Caribbean.
Since Europa Park isn’t beholden to decades of Walt Disney history, it could start from scratch with its designs.
I must admit that some set pieces and ride elements look fresher than the ones at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom.
However, Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure crushes it in terms of appearance…and quality.
Jigu Maul aka Global Village – Everland
This non-Disney attraction proves the point of the ride it’s “honoring.”
Jigu Maul, which literally translates as Global Village, represents a South Korean theme park’s spin on It’s a Small World.
You can watch the above video and then try to figure out why the lawyers aren’t involved.
By any stretch of the imagination, Jigu Maul apes borrows liberally from It’s a Small World.
The song used on the ride even sounds like It’s a Small World!
Clearly, some parks don’t care whether the idea-stealing is painfully obvious.
Blazing Fury at Dollywood
Now we’re going old school. In 1978, the new owners of this park, Silver Dollar City, created a roller coaster.
This attraction doesn’t mimic any one specific Disney attraction inasmuch as all of them.
At the time, Silver Dollar City rides appeared indistinguishable. To solve that problem, they constructed one with the kind of theming you’d expect from Disney.
Not coincidentally, Blazing Fury has stood the test of time as one of the best roller coasters ever made. It’s an institution at the park now called Dollywood.
The sets marry some of the ideas from Big Thunder Mountain Railroad with the structure of Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.
Moments of action are interspersed with dark ride sets that tell a story. Importantly, Blazing Fury is the oldest ride of the three.
So, even though it took inspiration from Disney theming, it’s the only ride on this that has an argument for originality.
Bobsleigh – Nara Dreamland (Defunct)
Okay, I’m cheating a bit by mentioning this attraction. After all, it doesn’t exist anymore.
In fact, the entire theme park, Nara Dreamland in Nara, Japan, closed back in 2006.
When you watch the video, you’ll understand why I must include it.
Yes, the park designers built a steel roller coaster imitates Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland. And yes, they constructed an artificial mountain, too.
The people involved with the development of Nara Dreamland have admitted that they loved Disney so much that they wanted their own version.
Since Nara is about seven hours from Tokyo, that city’s Tokyo Disneyland didn’t solve the problem. So, they made their own.
The coaster carts even duplicate the originals on Matterhorn Bobsleds. This one’s shameless.
Nara Dreamland got demolished a few years ago, thereby eliminating the evidence of copyright infringement.
Universal’s Islands of Adventure – Universal Orlando Resort
Here’s a remarkable piece of theme park history that you might not even know.
When Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened in 1998, it lacked some of the features it had promised.
The company had struggled financially due to some unexpected setbacks, including the flawed opening of Disneyland Paris.
In the wake of these revenue shortfalls, Disney had performed layoffs and cut back on its plans for Animal Kingdom.
Weirdly, these two aspects tie into the same story at Universal. That park had struggled to find its footing during its first decade.
So, when a sudden influx of former Imagineers and cast members became available, Universal hired them immediately.
These folks felt bitterness over Eisner’s decision-making and wanted to help the competition.
The new Universal employees worked together on a second park, which would become Islands of Adventure.
This new park shared many similarities to Disney’s canceled plans for other parks and themed lands.
In fact, Animal Kingdom’s opening day speech included references to Beastly Kingdom, a themed land that Eisner had delayed until phase two.
As you know, phase two at Animal Kingdom didn’t play out as planned, and Beastly Kingdom never existed.
Those former Disney workers knew about the plans, though. They constructed an island called Lost Continent that mirrors that look.
Yes, Universal borrowed the idea for an entire themed land from Disney!
Later, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter would lean into this theft. You know the dragon that sits on top of Gringotts Bank?
That idea comes straight from the Beastly Kingdom proposal illustrations!
When you walk through parts of Islands of Adventure, you might as well be strolling through a Disney park that never was.
Feature Image Rights: Matt Stroshane