A Disney fan has begun recreating beloved attractions from Disneyland and Disney World inside the PS4's content creation engine Dreams. Dreams is a piece of software that allows users to create video games and interactive experiences and share them with other players. After a few delays, it released in February to positive reviews, and fans have begun using it to create some truly impressive experiences. A recent update also added VR support to the title.
The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the entertainment industry hard in a lot of different ways. Movie releases have been delayed as theaters close in accordance with quarantine laws. Sporting events are struggling to take place, with socially distanced players and empty bleachers. And Disney's theme parks have suffered closures across the world. As the emergency lessens in certain regions, parks like Disneyland Paris and Shanghai Disneyland have begun reopening with heavy precautions. Even in America, where infection rates are still shockingly high, Florida's Walt Disney World has reopened its doors. As of this writing, the original Disneyland park in Anaheim, California is still closed, despite previous announcements from Disney stating intent to reopen it as well.
These closures have been devastating not just for Disney but for its fans, who adore the company's theme parks and the many attractions offered within. Since it will likely be many, many months until parks like Disneyland can be visited safely, some fans have begun looking for alternate ways to experience the Disney magic. As Bloody Disgusting recently spotted, Dreams creator TheArmyofDos has begun recreating beloved Disney rides and attractions inside the game, using its VR mode to provide an immersive experience that even includes the ride queues. Classic Disneyland rides Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye and Space Mountain have both been modeled in the game, as has the Disney's California Adventure attraction Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. A full video of the Indiana Jones ride experience can be found below, including a walkthrough of the queue.
The Disney park attractions are well known for their extensive theming and dogged attention to detail in every aspect of the ride experience, right down to the walk to the ride. TheArmyofDos has clearly done their homework in this regard, replicating to some degree every single factor of the ride that they've modeled. Obviously, the appearance is somewhat limited by the graphical capabilities of Dreams but at the very least, everything can be immediately identified with its real-world counterpart. TheArmyofDos has even included the audio that plays during the experience, from characters sharing ride safety information to the soundtrack that plays during Space Mountain.
TheArmyofDos's VR Disney rides are no genuine substitute for the real thing, but it's still amazing how much work and dedication they've put into making these replicated rides so true to life. It's truly impressive to see the kinds of things that people are able to create with enough time and imagination. These Dreams creations show a huge amount of love for the Disney parks and it's genuinely touching to see. If any Disney fans are out there eagerly waiting for the reopening of Disneyland, Dreams provides a compelling and heartwarming way to pass the time.
Source: Bloody Disgusting, Hakke/YouTube