Some of my favorite things in the world are amusement parks. Every year or two my family made it’s way to Disney World when visiting my grandpa in Florida. This created a deep appreciation and love for amusement parks. However, I also developed an intense hatred of thrill rides. Gradually, I have gotten over it and now love them. The best part of amusement parks are, of course, the rides. I can spend hours riding the same ride as long as it has a story, intricate theming, and excitement.
However, something happens every so often that confuses and saddens me and that is the removal/updating of a ride. I understand why it has to happen but it still can’t help me feel better. That’s where Defunctland comes in.
Defunctland is a youtube channel and podcast made by Kevin Perjurer with the sole purpose of going in-depth into the history of rides and parks. It talks about favorites like Jaws: the Ride, Kongfrontation, Journey into the Imagination, DisneyQuest and more. These rides and places had a special place in people’s hearts and now they don’t exist but that doesn’t mean they should be forgotten.
Each episode goes in-depth into the creation of the ride. It covers the ideas behind the ride, the construction, the opening, its peak heyday, the decline, and finally the demolition/abandoning of the ride. With each step fully detailed and covered. Within all the details, you find problems that you never even knew existed within the rides. For example, the Jaws ride always had problems with the mechanical shark and had to change from their original version. This gives some interesting insight into fan favorites. Overall, Kevin Purjerer beautifully creates a space for fans to delve into the historical side of amusement parks. I know for me, this has created even more appreciation for the amusement parks I was raised on.
If you have an interest in amusement parks or amusement parks history I would definitely recommend checking Defunctland out.
What is your favorite ride of all time? Comment down below.
Two Spartans 