The Dark Side of Disney (Documentary Review)

The documentary the Dark Side of Disney, directed by Philip B. Swift

It’s easy to look upon Disney as just a place for kids and their straight-arrow parents. It is a high-tech playground for rich families, but that view is far too simple. When you take a closer look at the guests that visit Walt Disney World, it’s a diverse group. There are many parents with strollers, but you also have adults obsessed with every inch of the parks. They grew up in the ‘80s and ‘90s and were hooked by regular family trips to Orlando. These fans are the focus of Philip B. Swift’s new documentary The Dark Side of Disney. It’s an engaging look at a dedicated group that strikes close to home.

Inspired by Leonard Kinsey’s 2011 book of the same name, this film isn’t really the seedy look at Disney you might expect. Swift does sneak into the utilidors beneath The Magic Kingdom with a fake ID. Following some important advice (“Act like you hate life, you’ll fit right in”), he discovers that the holy grail is a little dull. There’s also some mild drug use and other rule-breaking, but that isn’t the real theme. The driving force is people so obsessed with Walt Disney World that just visiting normally isn’t enough. When Swift explores backstage areas, we’re living vicariously through his actions.

A perfect example is the efforts of Dave Ensign, known to most Disney fans as Hoot Gibson. Along with his friend The Chief, Ensign went beyond riding the beloved attraction Horizons. They stepped off the vehicles and explored the unseen corners of the pavilion. The videos of these guys hanging out among the animatronics are wonderfully surreal. I’d heard about the exploits of Hoot and The Chief from the Mesa Verde Times blog, but it was still a highlight. Getting to hear Ensign describe their risky and surprisingly easy adventure was thrilling to this Horizons fan. You can tell from hearing him talk that Ensign loves Walt Disney World.

The Dark Side of Disney’s centerpiece is a week-long trip by Swift and two friends to Orlando. He plans to try out some of Kinsey’s ideas from his book and meet up with Disney fans. Along with sneaking into the backstage areas, they also attempt to “Drink around the World” at EPCOT. Part of me is intrigued by the idea of having a drink at every World Showcase pavilion. It would certainly end in disaster, however. Swift and his friend Zach do pretty well but end up in a rough state. The ongoing story of Zach’s first trip to Walt Disney World is also fun. Zach’s reactions to Spaceship Earth, Test Track, and others without any prior knowledge are priceless. The look on his face when the car speeds up on Space Mountain is worth the price of admission.

There’s a definite old-school vibe to this film, especially in its love for the original EPCOT Center. Swift’s use of the cheesy “A Day at EPCOT Center” special exemplifies the feeling that we’ve lost something at Walt Disney World today. The place that charmed people like Kinsey and Ensign isn’t exactly there now. Even so, there’s still enough to make for a fun trip. Centering the story on Swift’s trip gives us material from inside the parks today. That approach helps Swift avoid just looking at the past. There’s tension about avoiding security guards while having fun at today’s parks.

I should give the caveat that The Dark Side of Disney won’t click with some fans. This isn’t a documentary about the genius of Walt or the magic created by today’s Imagineers. I enjoy those approaches but appreciate the difference here. It’s fun to meet an odd guy like Logan who cries at a Christopher Cross performance in EPCOT. His arrival is jarring, but he grows on you by the end. Logan takes drugs to enjoy Walt Disney World, but he’s still a fan. Kinsey’s work also isn’t for all tastes, but it springs from serious fandom. He appears frequently to offer helpful advice to Swift and provide his own history. I wasn’t that familiar with Kinsey beyond his books, so it was interesting to learn more about his background.

Philip and Beth Swift with his father in the movie The Dark Side of Disney.

Swift bookends the story with his mom, who tells an emotional story about her visits to Disney with her mom. After showing off her various memorabilia, she talks about scattering her mom’s ashes at The Magic Kingdom. That move is illegal, but it feels okay because of their strong bond with the parks. Opening the film this way creates a much different feeling than if we’d started at the utilidors. When she returns to speak about her own cancer (and how strangers at Disney supported her), it brings the story full circle and adds resonance to all of it.

Another personal element is the impending birth of Swift’s daughter. We meet his pregnant wife, who doesn’t seem to mind if he ends up in jail. He needs to be back in time for the birth, though. Meeting both his mom and newborn daughter remind us of how loving Walt Disney World crosses generations. My parents took me there as a kid almost every year, and I’ve started doing the same with my daughters. We’re all passing the Disney gene to our kids.

The Dark Side of Disney also digs into other facets of the fan community, including social clubs at Disneyland and podcasters like James H. Carter II of Creepy Kingdom. Its title may suggest something darker, but it’s really a celebration of fan culture. The Internet has made it easy for people from every walk of life to connect about the parks. This documentary provides just a sampling of the great stories out there about Walt Disney World fans. Swift also uses clever filmmaking techniques to keep the pace rolling. The device of the rewinding VHS tape sets the right retro feel. Most of the subjects are in their 30s and 40s; few are teens swooning over the latest products. These are my people, and it’s a blast to spend time with them.