ThNks for this footage! Really interesting to see the park in action, even if it was well past its prime. I'm a bit sad for all of the people who spent fun days with family there as a kid. That must have been heaven for them, as they didn't necessarily have Disney to compare it to. When you're a kid, even the simplest things seem magical.
This is very sad to see a failed theme park. So many people put their time and effort to make it a wonderful experience. I am currently watching the abandoned exploration videos to see a comparison when this park was in use and when it is now abandoned.
I wouldn't exactly call an amusement park that lasted for 45 years a failed theme park. Granted it plummeted in popularity when competition arrived in Japan but beforehand it did fairly well as the de-facto Disneyland before the real deal came around 22 years after Nara Dreamland's opening. It had a good run.
Also, the eary to mid 00's were considerably a low point in Japanese Amusement Parks, Nara Dreamland was one on several parks across Japan to end up closing at the time.
Quite a scoop! I always wanted to visit Nara Dreamland, and would love to see more (but not if I have to listen to that damn music)! It always seemed to me that the Nara park was based on a late 50s DL wall map, since their park had two vestigial side streets off of their Main Street, where DL's map indicated the future Liberty Street & Edison Square.
I'm not sure about that "unverified" report below but having read all the Jim Korkis books about factually confirmed Disney history, Nara's creator ( Kunizo Matsuo ) was in talks with Walt to make a park in Japan. Things fell through when the owner refused to pay Disney's rather high licensing costs, but until that point they did work closely together. The eventual appearance of Nara didn't hit Disney by surprise at all, it was simply a deal that fell through. Kunizo built his own ( as the video's intro said, without ANY understanding of why Walt's park worked ) and this train wreck is the result. DREAM land? Nightmare Outpost is more like it. Kudos to David for visiting this and a huge THANK YOU for posting and sharing. This is like watching a real-world "what not to do" training video.
I love the 2000s era. Although I grew up in it. But I sooo bad wanted to see japan in that late 90s/early 2000s era. That era hit differently. I watch video recordings ppl did of Japan in the late 90s n early 2000s.
Interesting to watch but had to turn the music down in order to make it through the entire video. Would have been afraid to ride some of those attractions thinking, when was the last maintenance schedule done??
Here is the UNVERIFIED story I've heard about this park. Once Disneyland became known around the world, an enterprising group from Japan were sent to the Walt's park to study and copy it. Apparently, they took pictures of every square inch only to come back and replicate as much of it as they could. After Nara Dreamland opened and Walt caught wind of this "replica", he sent a group out to Japan to survey the situation. The day the Disney contingency arrived, Dreamworld management were excited because "the creators" were coming and they wanted to honor them. Japanese management didn't really understand the situation and Disney never took action. Perhaps this video explains why.
Actually they came and talked to Walt Disney about building a second Disneyland in Japan. He liked the idea and they started building it. It towards the end they had to pull out because of disagreements for licensing fees so they had to rebrand it as the park was nearly done anyway.
@@TackyFlamingo that's true. We don't know if Walt after hearing about it and sending them over was considering buying it and rebranding it back to Nara Disneyland but that would've been interesting to see.
4:12 it's can't be possible, dude.... How can they copy a map if it isn't published yet.... Dude.... I'm not good at mathematics but I can tell you that 1960 comes way before 1965.....
I was going to say this shows that America does things better, but honestly modern-day Disney corporation doesn't seem to have Walt's eye for perfectionism the way he did. It is a little strange nobody at Disney went after the businessman that went ahead and built this park using the same layout as Disneyland. Maybe it wasn't illegal as long as they didn't use any of the trademarked characters?
Technically Nara Dreamland was a joint venture with Disney but licensing fee issues with Disney's IP led to them dropping support of Dreamland and was supposed to be demolished thereafter. Nara's side was unwilling to do that considering the park was 95% completed and found a loophole as long as no Disney theme or IPs were used, it could pass as a park with it's own identity, even though it's clear as day Dreamland was intended to be the first Disneyland. I would say your last part of your post was right on the money also there was no need for Disney to target them directly in a financial standpoint since they stuck it to Nara Dreamland in an even more clever albeit vindictive way and granted Tokyo that long awaited Disneyland 2 decades later. I like a lot of things Japanese but I certainly like my Theme Parks just as I like my cars, American.
ThNks for this footage! Really interesting to see the park in action, even if it was well past its prime. I'm a bit sad for all of the people who spent fun days with family there as a kid. That must have been heaven for them, as they didn't necessarily have Disney to compare it to. When you're a kid, even the simplest things seem magical.
Loved when the girl ran off the track.. so funny 😂
timestamp!
@@dietcheese2546 5:51
This is like a weird, alternate reality Disneyland
Pixar universe's Disney
This is very sad to see a failed theme park. So many people put their time and effort to make it a wonderful experience. I am currently watching the abandoned exploration videos to see a comparison when this park was in use and when it is now abandoned.
I wouldn't exactly call an amusement park that lasted for 45 years a failed theme park. Granted it plummeted in popularity when competition arrived in Japan but beforehand it did fairly well as the de-facto Disneyland before the real deal came around 22 years after Nara Dreamland's opening. It had a good run.
Also, the eary to mid 00's were considerably a low point in Japanese Amusement Parks, Nara Dreamland was one on several parks across Japan to end up closing at the time.
Seems so familiar, yet so unsettling
Quite a scoop! I always wanted to visit Nara Dreamland, and would love to see more (but not if I have to listen to that damn music)! It always seemed to me that the Nara park was based on a late 50s DL wall map, since their park had two vestigial side streets off of their Main Street, where DL's map indicated the future Liberty Street & Edison Square.
It would be interesting if they revived it as the original intended Nara Disneyland today.
I'm not sure about that "unverified" report below but having read all the Jim Korkis books about factually confirmed Disney history, Nara's creator ( Kunizo Matsuo ) was in talks with Walt to make a park in Japan. Things fell through when the owner refused to pay Disney's rather high licensing costs, but until that point they did work closely together. The eventual appearance of Nara didn't hit Disney by surprise at all, it was simply a deal that fell through. Kunizo built his own ( as the video's intro said, without ANY understanding of why Walt's park worked ) and this train wreck is the result. DREAM land? Nightmare Outpost is more like it. Kudos to David for visiting this and a huge THANK YOU for posting and sharing. This is like watching a real-world "what not to do" training video.
Actually the park was successful for years until Tokyo Disneyland opend up. This video was when it was on it's last legs.
So nice to get to see it once it was active.
Even then this is far from the parks prime
I love the 2000s era. Although I grew up in it. But I sooo bad wanted to see japan in that late 90s/early 2000s era. That era hit differently. I watch video recordings ppl did of Japan in the late 90s n early 2000s.
You can see why the park closed I would have loved to visit it though (open or closed) but we can’t even do that now 😭
The music sounds so cheesy funny lol
1966年、高校三年生の時同級生二人といった時とは大分違いますね。お伽の国には竜宮城や未来の国のハイウェイはちゃんと溝が切ってあった。潜水艦もありました。過去の国には外輪船が江戸時代の町並みがあった。ただジャングル巡航船はジャングルの感じが悪かった。それでも何処か本場のディズニーランドド雰囲気は味わえました。その後２本に本物のディズニーランドが日本にできるとは!
I love Nora dreamland it’s my favourite part even though I got demolished I wish I got to see what it was like
Interesting to watch but had to turn the music down in order to make it through the entire video. Would have been afraid to ride some of those attractions thinking, when was the last maintenance schedule done??
Wish they had shown the haunted trail(one with the witch out front)
That was awesome
Fantastic footage shame about the music...
I love Ultraman!
Sehun's Land (Sefun's Land) (2000) (Sefun no Tochi) (セフンの土地)
4/18/00
Here is the UNVERIFIED story I've heard about this park. Once Disneyland became known around the world, an enterprising group from Japan were sent to the Walt's park to study and copy it. Apparently, they took pictures of every square inch only to come back and replicate as much of it as they could. After Nara Dreamland opened and Walt caught wind of this "replica", he sent a group out to Japan to survey the situation. The day the Disney contingency arrived, Dreamworld management were excited because "the creators" were coming and they wanted to honor them. Japanese management didn't really understand the situation and Disney never took action. Perhaps this video explains why.
Actually they came and talked to Walt Disney about building a second Disneyland in Japan. He liked the idea and they started building it. It towards the end they had to pull out because of disagreements for licensing fees so they had to rebrand it as the park was nearly done anyway.
@@TackyFlamingo that's true. We don't know if Walt after hearing about it and sending them over was considering buying it and rebranding it back to Nara Disneyland but that would've been interesting to see.
Great video. Just need the shots with writing to stay up a bit longer, I keep missing the last line.
2:30 😅😅 Yeah
This vid just really saddens me
So this is why Tokyo Disneyland was built so they can abandon nara dreamland
Well they took most of the employees there too 😂
I know Nara best for the Todaiji Temple complex
It’s a shame Nara got demolished, like my ears by this cringe music
Ouuu interesting
2:31 the meaning of that symbol also had been reversed and frequently used by a well known chancellor in Germany back in the 1930s
Hitler!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is true bro!
sometimes, the best music, is no music at all
That Lame Old Place Shut Down Ages Ago
Que mal lo quería visitar y fue demolido que mal
4:12 it's can't be possible, dude.... How can they copy a map if it isn't published yet.... Dude.... I'm not good at mathematics but I can tell you that 1960 comes way before 1965.....
I think he meant "in the 1960s", so it could have been published after 1965
The background music is sounds like Sakura simulator game
Confusing, that there doesn’t seem to give employees there 😂
How was this in the 2000s? Looks like 1980s or 1990s lol
Well 2000 we were still in the 90's
Most people were still using VHS camcorders in 2000.
@@BAKU2K2 I agree
Nara had the money but not the vision.
It aint faur i wish i was born 1961 and gi there
I was going to say this shows that America does things better, but honestly modern-day Disney corporation doesn't seem to have Walt's eye for perfectionism the way he did. It is a little strange nobody at Disney went after the businessman that went ahead and built this park using the same layout as Disneyland. Maybe it wasn't illegal as long as they didn't use any of the trademarked characters?
Technically Nara Dreamland was a joint venture with Disney but licensing fee issues with Disney's IP led to them dropping support of Dreamland and was supposed to be demolished thereafter. Nara's side was unwilling to do that considering the park was 95% completed and found a loophole as long as no Disney theme or IPs were used, it could pass as a park with it's own identity, even though it's clear as day Dreamland was intended to be the first Disneyland. I would say your last part of your post was right on the money also there was no need for Disney to target them directly in a financial standpoint since they stuck it to Nara Dreamland in an even more clever albeit vindictive way and granted Tokyo that long awaited Disneyland 2 decades later.
I like a lot of things Japanese but I certainly like my Theme Parks just as I like my cars, American.
No lines
Well Tokyo Disneyland was already opened
Along time ago
music is so damn annoying
Tokyo Disneyland is better than dreamland
Jujiiiexirf ifis