Defunctland

In the Season 3 Premiere, Kevin and company go all the way back to the 19th century to explore the origins of World's Fairs, the Ferris Wheel, and much much more.

In this episode, Kevin discusses the history of Walt Disney's childhood amusement park, Kansas City's Electric Park and all of its attractions, including Hale's Tours of the World, the Loop the Loop Coaster, and Alligator Joe.

In this episode, Kevin travels back to the tail end of the Roaring Twenties to look at the development of the Century of Progress fair in Chicago and how the World's Exposition changed the United States and its view of progress

One of the single most important stories in theme park history has nothing to do with a theme park. This is Walt's Field Day, the Craziest Party Walt Disney Ever Threw. An Editorial Note on This Production: This video features many quotes from Walt Disney and his staff, read in the video by actors. Some of these quotes, said decades later, are placed in the story as if they are being said in the moment. This was done in such a way as to not change the meaning or intention of the original quote, but it does alter the context. On a few occasions, a dialogue scene is constructed out of past quotes said at different times. Specifically, Walt most likely did not yell "You commie sons of b----" immediately after Babbitt's mocking of him with the megaphone, but Walt did say those words in reference to Babbitt and the protestors. These quotes, and this video as a whole, would not be possible without the work of hundreds of researchers, journalists, and writers. Below are a few and where you can find more of their work:

In this episode of Defunctland, Kevin follows Walt Disney to a small Kiddieland in Los Angeles named Beverly Park, run by the savvy and multi-talented David Bradley.

Before Disneyland, Walt Disney envisioned a smaller theme park, called Mickey Mouse Park, to be placed at his Burbank Studio. In this episode, Kevin discusses the events that led to its creation and the influences it would have on Disneyland.

In this episode, Kevin finally reaches the opening of Disneyland, focusing on the development and history of Tomorrowland 1955, the first, hastily-made version of the famous theme park land, including attractions such famous attractions as Rocket to the Moon, Autopia, Space Station X-1, the Matterhorn, the Skyway, Submarine Voyage, and the Monorail.

In this fiery episode of Defunctland, Kevin tells five stories from New York's infamous playground of pleasure, Coney Island.

In this episode, Kevin remains in New York to discuss the short-lived but elaborate Freedomland U.S.A. designed by Disneyland's former manager, C.V. Wood.

All roads converge at the 1964-65 New York World's Fair, as the infamous city planner Robert Moses recruits Walt Disney to create the greatest fair in the history of the world.

Walt Disney made ambitious plans for a City of Tomorrow named E.P.C.O.T. just before his death in 1966, but the plans were soon abandoned. What were Walt's ideas for his city of the future, what happened to the project, and would it have worked?

In this episode, Kevin discusses the history of Disneyland's Adventure Thru Inner Space, a ride that shrank guests to the size of an atom and was sponsored by an infamous company.

On December 15, 1966, Walt Disney died. Sixteen years later, on October 1, 1982, EPCOT Center opened. This documentary covers the journey that took place in between.