Superstar Limo: The Story of Disney’s Lamest Ride – Pt. 1
Photo: CrispyCream27 via CC
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The story of the Disney theme parks — and of Disney in general — is defined by innovation, imagination, and more than a little magic. While most of its legendary theme park attractions have been beloved and cherished for generations, this isn’t always the case. This is the story of how poor choices, circumstances beyond control, and a fair amount of folly resulted in arguably Disney’s lamest attraction in its history. This is the story of Superstar Limo.
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Superstar Limo and California Adventure
The 1980s were a tumultuous time for Disney. Despite the success of its theme parks, the company wasn’t doing particularly well. Amidst financial issues, box office failures, and the fear of a takeover, Disney began to rely more heavily on its theme parks for revenue. In 1982, Disney began to consider adding a “second gate” at Disneyland. In other words, they wanted to build a second theme park in the area and turn Disneyland into a resort. This would encourage guests to stay longer in order to see everything.
The plans for this second park wouldn’t begin to move forward until the 1990s. The initial plans were very ambitious, but after Euro Disney proved to be a financial disaster, the plans were scaled back. The concept then transformed in a California-themed park, an odd choice considering the park would be located in California. The idea was to keep guests on site for longer and offer them the same experiences they’d enjoy if they left Disney to explore the real California.
This bizarre attempt to compress all of California into a theme park was officially announced in 1996 as Disney’s California Adventure. Also announced was one of the premier attractions in the park: a dark ride called Superstar Limo.
The best laid plans
As initially planned, Superstar Limo was to be a quirky, joke-filled tribute to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. The concept involved the guests assuming the role of a movie star on their way to the premiere of their new big movie. Unfortunately, the paparazzi are hot on their heels, and a high-speed pursuit begins. The ride was to be a combination of a traditional dark ride and a roller coaster and would’ve seen guests fleeing the paparazzi through familiar Los Angeles landmarks.
It wasn’t anything groundbreaking, but the ride would have been a fun, inoffensive addition to California Adventure. However, this version of the ride would never come to be, and for the most tragic reason possible.
In August of 1997, Princess Diana was killed in a limo accident while fleeing the paparazzi. The tragedy shocked the world, and officially placed Superstar Limo into the realm of bad taste. It also meant that the expensive new theme park wouldn’t have one of its big attractions on opening day.
Unless, of course, it was changed drastically enough to avoid an association with the death of Princess Diana.
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How exactly did Disney claw their way out of this predicament? Read part two of this article for the insane and horrifying answer.
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