4. Tomorrowland grows up

Tomorrowland has always faced a fundamental problem as a themed-land— what happens when yesterday’s future becomes today?

We mentioned in our exploration of Walt Disney World in the 80’s, Tomorrowland used to be a steely-grey place, calling to mind themes of space shuttles and hard science fiction. It was a future that arrived too quickly, and by the mid-90’s, Tomorrowland was starting to feel drab and dated.

In 1994, Tomorrowland underwent a total renovation. The land was given a complete facelift straight out of early pulp science fiction. Endless grey was replaced with a cacophony of bronze, chrome, and vibrant colors. The land became a city of the future-that-never-was, complete with a spaceport, public transportation, mail carrier (thanks to Fed-Ex), and a creepy corporate overlord manipulating the masses. The Star Jets became the Astro Orbiter, Robin Williams’ Timekeeper replaced American Journeys, and in a bid to draw those coveted teens, Disney introduced their scariest attraction ever, The EXTRATerrorestrial Alien Encounter (I cannot describe how much this 90’s kid hated that horror-fest of a ride, even as I came to appreciate it in later years).

5. The Toons take over

New Tomorrowland wasn’t the only Magic Kingdom upgrade for 90’s kids.

Splash Mountain had only been open a few years in Disneyland when it rolled into Magic Kingdom bigger and better than before. In 1992, Splash Mountain arrived at Walt Disney World with additional scenes and comfy double-wide seating. The attraction quickly became one of the most popular in the park, regularly drawing multi-hour waits. There was no Fastpass back then, so smart guests waited to catch it during the parades and fireworks. In the off-season, you could even marathon ride it!

The other big winner for kids at Magic Kingdom was the arrival of Mickey’s Toontown Fair—previously Mickey’s Birthdayland, Toyland, and Starland. Mickey’s Toontown Fair acted as sort of a vacation-home counterpart to Disneyland’s Toontown. Kids could explore Mickey and Minnie’s country homes, splash about at Donald’s Boat, and of course, ride the Barnstormer. How many of you remember standing in line to meet Mickey at the Judge’s Tent?

6. Epcot races with the future

Video: YouTube, User: Attractions Magazine

Epcot went through its own series of changes in the 90’s. World Showcase gained a“secret” entrance in 1990, fiber optics were added to the concrete surrounding Spaceship Earth plaza, and Spaceship Earth received a much-needed upgrade in 1994 with the addition of new scenes, improved imagery, and a new voiceover with Jeremy Irons.

That same year, Epcot gained a new attraction that proved a surprising hit with 90’s kids—Innoventions. Over the course of a walk through Innoventions, you could try dozens of new technologies (I distinctly remember trying “video phones” for the first time there), learn how they might change life in the future, try sodas from around the world (Beverly was as awful back then as it is now), and best of all, play tons of video games.

Let’s face it—while Innoventions was pretty cool when it arrived (though adults picked up on the heavy-handed sponsorship and product placements), kids and teens flocked straight to the attraction’s Sega exhibition. Guests could try dozens of new games for the Sega Genesis, Sega CD, and Sega Saturn, with a special focus on Sonic the Hedgehog. It was basically a free arcade right in the middle of Walt Disney World!

1999 also brought us Test Track, though it looked very different from the version we have today. The original Test Track had a charming sense of humor with a distinctly lighthearted take on crash testing. Clanging tools made music in the queue while guests observed safety robotics at work. A cheeky pre-show prepared guests for their part in Chevrolet’s safety testing protocol—including a bit of hilarious dark humor. This playful theme carried throughout the ride, concluding with Disney’s best timed joke on an attraction ever: launching nervous guests at a barrier test wall only to open it at the last second. Good times!

7. Epcot’s Canada became unexpectedly awesome

Video: YouTube, User: UndercoverTourist.com

While all of World Showcase’s pavilions have their own charm, kids in the 90’s probably didn’t think of the Canada pavilion as a must-visit destination. Indeed, 80’s and 90’s kids commonly reported finding World Showcase a little dull compared to Future World.

The Canada pavilion won two unexpected sources of awesomeness in the 90’s. First, Disney introduced guests to the Canadian wonder pastry that is Beaver Tails. Beaver Tails are a popular treat in Canada similar to Navajo fry bread—a warm, thick flatbread topped with whatever you like. You could get everything from cinnamon sugar, to fruit, to a full spread of s’mores on your Beaver Tails at Epcot. I especially liked the Killaloe Sunrise flavor (cinnamon-sugar with a hint of lemon).

The other exciting addition to the pavilion was the arrival of Off-Kilter— Epcot’s most bangin’ kilt-wearing rock band. There was just something about Off-Kilter’s foot stomping music that made even the most bored kid want to stop and grin. The band became so beloved over the years that fans protested their replacement decades later!

8. The Neverland Club

This is one you may not be familiar with, but during the 90’s, Disney introduced their first children’s activity centers—one night play camps where parents could take an evening off while Disney watched the kids. The absolute best of these was The Polynesian Resort’s Neverland Club.

The Neverland Club was an absolutely genius concept for a kid’s care center. Many small children often get upset when dropped off for school or day care. Disney brilliantly hacked their way around this. Kids that at the Neverland Club weren’t checked in at a boring desk—they were welcomed into Wendy Darling’s bedroom, sprinkled with pixie dust, and sent gleefully through the window into Neverland.

This club seriously had everything. During free time, kids could play in an enchanted forest, take over a pirate ship, compete on the classic video games, or explore Skull Island. Regular activities and crafts were organized to keep kids busy, and on some nights, kids even got to meet animals from Discovery Island. My parents seriously couldn’t get me to leave.

On the subject of Discovery Island…

9. The opening of Disney’s Animal Kingdom!

The opening of Disney’s Animal Kingdom was undoubtedly the single most significant event of the 90’s at Walt Disney World, though it didn’t happen until 1998. Guests could hardly wrap their minds around what Disney was promising—an animal park that didn’t feel like a zoo, a sort of Discovery Island on steroids that seamlessly blended Disney attractions with expansive wildlife exhibits.

The opening of Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a fascinating story in and of itself, but for 90’s kids, it was like nothing anyone had ever seen. Kilimanjaro Safaris took the concept of the Jungle Cruise and made it real with an ever-changing tour of the African savannah (a hit despite its weirdly dark poacher story). It’s Tough to Be a Bug capped off Disney’s 4D movie line-up, Festival of the Lion King brought Disney Renaissance magic to life with stunning acrobatics, and Countdown to Extinction both delighted and scared the pants off young guests eager for thrills. The Discovery Island and Pangani Forest exploration trails gave guests even more chances to get up close to wildlife, and in 1999, the Asia expansion arrived with the mysterious Maharajah Jungle Trek and the drenching Kali River Rapids.

While the park ran into its share of hiccups early on (including the shelfing of the Beastly Kingdom expansion concept), Disney’s Animal Kingdom grew into one of Disney’s most beautiful parks ever. If you had the pleasure of experiencing it during those opening two years, you were one lucky 90’s kid (or kid at heart!).

What is your favorite memory of Disney parks in the 90’s? Join us next week when we explore the best Walt Disney World memories for 2000’s kids!

Enjoy this article? Keep reading to learn 8 Mouth Watering Savory Dishes from Disney Parks You Can Make at Home… or 8 Sweet Treats!