Plot Synopsis

Narrated by Paget Brewster and executive produced by Dwayne Johnson, BEHIND THE ATTRACTION is a 10-episode docuseries that explores how Disney Imagineers designed and transformed attractions at Disney Parks -- from the 1950s to today. Each episode focuses on a different attraction, including:

Jungle Cruise: Join a skipper for the story behind Jungle Cruise, and try to spot the backside of water! When Walt decided to create the original immersive attraction, he tasked Imagineers with building a river in the Southern California desert AND the mechanical animals to populate it. Lead designer Harper Goff and horticulturist Bill Evans scrambled to get it all built in time for Disneyland Park's grand opening in 1955. Guests have been cruising its waters ever since. Dwayne Johnson also appears in this episode where he discusses his childhood memories of the attraction and his favorite joke from the skippers.

Haunted Mansion: Welcome, foolish mortals, to the Haunted Mansion -- enter if you dare! When Walt Disney developed the attraction, he didn't specify if it should be funny or scary. Ultimately, it became a perfect blend of both. Haunted Mansion proved so popular that it inspired several later iterations, including the chilling Phantom Manor at Disneyland Paris and the weird and wonderful Mystic Manor at Hong Kong Disneyland.

Star Tours: Lightspeed to Endor! A long time ago...Disney created Star Tours, a thrilling simulator attraction that takes guests to a galaxy far, far away. It inspired Imagineers to build a whole new land -- Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. There, guests can use the Force to explore the remote outpost of Batuu and the cutting-edge attractions Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror: Discover the ups (and downs!) of creating this gravity-defying attraction set in the eerie world of Rod Serling's renowned TWILIGHT ZONE television series. Then hold on tight as Imagineers reimagine the Disney California Adventure version as Guardians of the Galaxy -- Mission: BREAKOUT! Learn what it took to build the attraction and what it takes to ride it!

Space Mountain: You're about to hear the story of Space Mountain in T-minus 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...launch! Walt's vision of an attraction that simulates space travel was a design challenge Imagineer John Hench tackled head on, creating a signature structure now in Disney Parks around the world. Imagineers continued the tradition by creating another thrilling indoor attraction, the landmark TRON Lightcycle Power Run at Shanghai Disney Resort.

The Castles: Castles are at the heart of Disney Parks around the world. The original at Disneyland Resort in California quickly became a symbol of The Walt Disney Company on par with Mickey Mouse. Hear the unique story behind each one and learn how Imagineers designed and built them

Disneyland Hotel: Disneyland Resort with no hotel -- what?! It almost happened. Check in to see how Walt got it built. Envisioned as an extension of the Park, funding for the hotel proved hard to come by, so Walt struck a deal with producer Jack Wrather. Jack would own the hotel, but Walt's name would be on it. Together, they made it into an immersive experience, setting the stage for all Disney hotels to come. After Jack's death, The Walt Disney Company bought the Disneyland Hotel. Today, Disney operates dozens of hotels worldwide.

"it's a small world": It all began at the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair! If a chance encounter between an Academy Award-winning actress and Walt Disney hadn't taken place, this beloved attraction might never have been created. With its signature, unforgettable song, its flume boat ride design, and Audio-Animatronics figures, it was a huge success. Versions were designed and built in Disney Parks around the planet, proving that it really is a small world, after all!

Trains, Trams, and Monorails: All aboard! Everything moves at DisneyParks, especially the guests -- by land, water, and air! Walt loved locomotion of all kinds -- trains, trams, monorails, and boats. They're all fun, but Walt also believed the monorail could help cities end traffic. The vast transportation network at Walt Disney World Resort is a testament to that. Every Disney Park built since has continued this tradition, creating transportation systems to whisk guests efficiently to their destinations.

Hall of Presidents: This unprecedented presidential attraction in Liberty Square at the Magic Kingdom brings our commanders in chief to life. Walt created the world's first human Audio-Animatronics figure based on his childhood hero, Abraham Lincoln. Honest Abe helped launch this revolutionary technology that populates Disney Parks today. Who knows what the future holds for this mesmerizing Disney technology?

The first five episodes of BEHIND THE ATTRACTION dropped on Wednesday, July 21, 2021 on Disney+. The remaining Season 1 episodes debuted one month later on Wednesday, August 25, 2021 on Disney+.
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The sophomore season of BEHIND THE ATTRACTION premiered on Wednesday, November 1, 2023 on Disney+. Season 2 continues to showcase more quintessential Disney Parks' attractions including Pirates of the Caribbean, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Indiana Jones Adventure, EPCOT, The Food, and Nighttime Spectaculars. Attractions in the second season are:

Pirates of the Caribbean: It's a pirate's life for everybody aboard Pirates of the Caribbean! Walt Disney loved adventure stories, especially ones that featured swashbuckling pirates. That inspiration led to one of the most beloved attractions in Disney history. Initially conceived as a wax museum, technological advances convinced Walt that a more sophisticated attraction could be created using state-of-the-art Audio-Animatronics figures. The classic version in Anaheim proved so successful it spawned a hit movie franchise and iterations in Disney parks around the world, including the cutting edge reimagining at Shanghai Disneyland.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: Step aboard the wildest ride in the wilderness! Based on a concept by Disney Legend Marc Davis, Imagineer Tony Baxter reimagined this mountainous thrill ride that is sure to float your goat! Inspired by the American West, this attraction has spread around the world. The version at Disneyland Paris is on an island and is connected to Phantom Manor, while the ones at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Park are inverted versions of each other on opposite coasts. Hong Kong Disneyland Park even boasts a sister attraction - Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad has it all -- runaway trains, mining town Rainbow Ridge, disturbed spirits, and spinning possums! Rumor has it there's even a secret goat trick...

Indiana Jones Adventure: Crack the whip and join Indiana Jones on the adventure of a lifetime -- just beware of the snakes! Following the success of Star Tours, Michael Eisner and Frank Wells thought it was time to have George Lucas bring another cinematic hero to the Disney parks. With action sequences in every Indiana Jones movie that seemed like blueprints for exciting attractions, the choice was obvious. Indy is everywhere in the parks, from a live action stunt show, to Disney's first inversion roller coaster at Disneyland Paris, to the thrilling Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland Park that proved so popular another one was built at Tokyo DisneySea. These attractions are so good, they belong in a museum!

EPCOT: Where can you both glimpse the future and travel the world without leaving Florida? At the Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow, where the impossible becomes possible! When it opened in 1982 at Walt Disney World Resort, EPCOT was the biggest Disney park yet. At its heart stands the astounding architectural achievement that is Spaceship Earth. Arrayed around the lagoon, World Showcase features pavilions that celebrate nations from around the world. Some even host attractions, like Norway's Frozen Ever After and France's Remy's Ratatouille Adventure, as well as Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in the World Discovery neighborhood. As long as there is imagination left in the world, EPCOT will never be complete.

The Food: Churros, DOLE Whip, turkey legs, and more... Discover the stories behind these tasty treats! Walt knew food was crucial to the park going experience. From 'walk-around' snacks to themed dining experiences like the piratical Blue Bayou Restaurant, there's something for everyone. Learn how the churro debuted at a Disneyland teen nightclub, how the Central Bakery makes all of Disneyland's sweets, and what goes on at the secretive Flavor Lab at Walt Disney World. What's the Flavor Lab? That would be telling! Globally, explore how Disneyland Paris puts their twist on Walt's favorites, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort creates character-shaped dim sum, and Tokyo Disneyland reimagines popcorn, to name a few. Food keeps the story going beyond the attractions!

Nighttime Spectaculars: The magic continues after dark with Disney Parks' nighttime spectaculars. What began as a fireworks show in the skies above Disneyland Park has evolved, over the years, into a wide array of shows at Disney parks around the globe. Thanks to technological innovations like projection mapping, mist screens, and even drones, they have become more spectacular with every passing year. Longstanding Disney favorites like the Main Street Electrical Parade, Fantasmic!, and World of Color have been joined by newer dazzlers like Momentous at Hong Kong Disneyland Park and ILLUMINATE! at Shanghai Disneyland. Come for the attractions, stay for the shows!