Have you ever noticed that once inside any Disney Park, the greatest attempt has been made to preserve the illusion that you are in another time and place? To be honest, this is one of my favorite things about Disney Parks. It’s one of the reasons I feel as though I can slip away from reality and live within my own youthful imagination for a time. The real world doesn’t exist inside Disney (paying hefty prices for certain items aside).
When Disneyland was built, a large berm was built around the park to preserve that illusion. Though the rapid growth around Disneyland over the years, along with the Tower of Terror inside California Adventure looming in plain sight, has somewhat challenged this design, the feature remains key to the design of the Magic Kingdom. This, along with the benefit of land ownership around the park, helps to maintain the desired illusion and resulting effect. Nevertheless, there are certain areas within the Magic Kingdom where glimpses of that which lies outside the park can be seen.
This, however, provides us with an opportunity to appreciate the park and its design in a new and different way. When standing with any land, ask yourself what lies just over the horizon. The genius of Disney Imagineers is that they have accounted for this.
So, the next time you are in the Magic Kingdom, think about what lies just beyond the horizon, and appreciate the details in the Disney Design.