Disney Parks have been the symbol of magic and wonder for generations of theme park guests for decades. While that's certainly a legacy maintained to this very day, sometimes Disney can do things that really make our skin crawl.
Although fixtures like the Tower of Terror, Expedition Everest, and the iconic Haunted Mansion are designed intentionally to give us the shivers. Sometimes, Disney can be freaky without ever meaning to, and that's what makes it all the more unsettling. Case in point, a new video from "it's a small world."
Disney gets weird with promotional POV
One of the hip things to do on platforms like TikTok and Instagram is to post POV videos. Things like "POV: you wake up at your favorite beach" or "POV you went to the eye doctor as a kid." These scenarios are all relatable and even a bit mundane at times, but places like Disney know how to utilize trends in their marketing.
A recent post on the official Disney Parks TikTok shared something similar to promote the Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort, but instead of a ride POV or a walk down the middle of Main Street USA, viewers were treated to something incredibly unsettling.
Disney posted a POV on TikTok that said, "POV: you wake up in 1971 as a doll inside 'it's a small world.'" If you think that scenario sounds like absolute nightmare fuel, you're not the only one.
The video (found here) shows the ride from the perspective of one of the dozens of animatronic puppets in the happiest cruise around the world. While it's definitely cute at times, the idea of seeing the ride from a doll's perspective has a creep factor that just won't quit. The icing on the cake: Disney knows exactly what they're doing.
Several viewers are commenting how uncharacteristically creepy this is in the space below. A few stand-out examples include Rose Explodes' comment that reads, "Disney, I love you... but I'm scared." to which Disney replies, "Scared of how much you love us?"
Further down, a user identified as "Lady of Time Cosplay" writes, "I didn’t know the Disney parks TikTok did horror videos." And Disney cheekily added, "Be a part of the magic." Anyone else feeling just a bit eeked out here?
In this writer's opinion, this is either the funniest response to a video Disney has done in some time, or it's one of the creepiest things shared on the mouse's social media page since the reveal of the Haunted Mansion bar on the Disney Treasure. Either way, the entertainment value is undeniable.
Either Disney tried to make something sweet and wholesome with the puppets on "small world" and they simply reacted appropriately to the audience, or the company was fully aware of its uncanny nature and was totally playing up the creep. Still a genius move from Disney's marketing.
"it's a small world" can be enjoyed (and feared) at nearly all the Disney Parks.