"This Cannot Be Real," Wildly Unusual Attraction Officially Being Built at Magic Kingdom

Disney Parks are known for building incredibly immersive rides, experiences, and lands. Ever since Walt Disney himself launched the first-ever Disney park, Disneyland, in Anaheim, Southern California, fans have flocked to the company’s resorts in their millions over the last 69 years.

Occasionally, though, Disney announces something that truly raises eyebrows, and an upcoming Magic Kingdom Park attraction may be the weirdest thing they have done yet. As one fan said on Instagram, “This cannot be real.”

However, this unusual attraction is not the only thing in the works at the Walt Disney World Resort’s leading theme park as Magic Kingdom prepares to change for good.

Magic Kingdom Developments

What is happening currently at Magic Kingdom?

The biggest update happening in Magic Kingdom Park currently is the ongoing refurbishment and retheming of Splash Mountain in Frontierland. In early 2023, the popular–but highly divisive–water log flume ride shuttered forever at both Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, and Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. The closure came after Disney reevaluated the cultural significance of Splash Mountain, which is based on the animated sequences of the controversial movie Song of the South (1946).

The closure of Splash Mountain drew a mixed response, but even with petitions being made, Disney moved forward with the retheme, and sometime this year, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will officially open on both coasts. Following Tiana and her friends directly after the events of The Princess and the Frog (2009), Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is still under construction, and ride and vehicle testing is currently underway.

What about the future of Magic Kingdom?

The future of Magic Kingdom is never certain, or that’s how it feels to fans who have been following development updates for the theme park resort over the years. Six years after its announcement at the D23 Expo 2017, TRON Lightcycle / Run opened in Tomorrowland next to the classic Space Mountain. Of course, the pandemic shutdowns widely affected any plans Walt Disney World had, but as fans pointed out, Universal has managed to build an entire new gate in the same amount of time.

And while Universal is constructing Epic Universe, which is slated to open in 2025, Disney still only has concepts and “blue sky” ideas. At the D23 Expo in 2022, Josh D’Amaro (Chairman of Disney Experiences) unveiled potential plans to bring the Coco and Encanto franchises, as well as the Disney Villains, to Magic Kingdom in the area beyond Big Thunder Mountain. They also shared plans to include Moana and Zootopia in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

However, this was back when Bob Chapek was running the House of Mouse, and after he was ousted in late 2022, Bob Iger stepped back in as Chief Executive Officer. So, then, it wasn’t that much of a shock when, at Destination D23 in 2023, plans for the theme parks had seemingly changed. At Animal Kingdom, it now looks set to be Encanto and Indiana Jones taking over the current DinoLand, U.S.A., in an area dubbed the Tropical Americas. There was no comment regarding the expected extension of Magic Kingdom.

But with Bob Iger back in the hot seat and $60 billion pledged into parks and experiences over the next decade, it will be interesting to see if these “blue sky” ideas come to fruition. The current financial investment, specifically for parks and resorts, sits at $30 billion. Could that be enough to bring a much-desired fifth theme park to Walt Disney World Resort? Fans are hoping so, and Iger hasn’t necessarily denied it.

One other change coming to The Most Magical Place on Earth is a new and unusual attraction heading to the Storybook Circus area of the theme park.

Smellephants on Parade

What is Smellephants on Parade?

Back in 2023, Disney Parks announced via social media that a new experience titled Smellephants on Parade would be debuting inside the Fantasyland Storybook Circus area of the Magic Kingdom. At the time, Disney described the experience as a “search and sniff” adventure.

“There’s an all-new interactive experience coming to Magic Kingdom!” the Instagram post reads. “‘Smellephants on Parade’ will be a family-friendly ‘search and sniff’ adventure in Storybook Circus, presented by @scentsy, the Official Home Fragrance of @WaltDisneyWorld.”

The interactive attraction is inspired by Dumbo‘s Pink elephants on parade.

Related: Disney World Guests Need To Prepare as 7.6 Million Visitors Descend on Orlando

When will the attraction open?

There is no confirmed date for the opening of Smellephants on Parade, but a recent report reveals that an area inside of the Storybook Circus, near Dumbo the Flying Elephant, has been cleared for use–likely for this upcoming new attraction.

Earlier this week, development seemed to be underway for Smellephants on Parade. In a new permit filing on March 14, 2024, it can be seen that Themeworks Inc. will be performing construction at a Storybook Circus location, most likely for the new “search and sniff” experience. The permit is for the installation of show sets.

Themeworks Inc. recently worked on the newest EPCOT ride, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, which has been entertaining guests since mid-2023.

Are fans excited for the attraction?

As with any new theme park announcement, Disney fans had a mixed reaction to the Smellephants on Parade attraction. While a handful of people rejoiced at the addition of more Dumbo at the parks, others couldn’t help but ask why. One comment on Disney Parks’ official Instagram post said, “This cannot be real,” while others didn’t know if the announcement was a joke or not.

A large portion of the comments shared disdain for Disney bringing Scentsy into the parks through Smellephants on Parade. Scentsy is the official fragrance of the Disney World park, but many aren’t happy that the multi-level marketing (MLM) business is part of the upcoming attraction.

More comments included digs at Disney for seemingly letting go of creativity and originality. The topic of Imagineering using Intellectual Properties (IP) over original ideas has long been a point of contention in the Disney park space. Bob Iger, Josh D’Amaro, and Disneyland Resort President Ken Potrock have all spoken about infusing popular franchises at the parks, and if recent news is anything to go by, fans can expect more IP to arrive in the near future.

But, when looking at Smellephants on Parade, it’s not the first time Disney Parks has introduced a new experience themed around the senses. In fact. just last year, Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana, made its debut at EPCOT in the new World Nature area of the theme park. Journey of Water allows guests to experience the magic of water through touch, sight, sound, and smell. The walkthrough experience is the first Moana-themed attraction at Walt Disney World Resort, but with the recent expansion of the “Moana Universe,” Disney could be gearing up to give this beloved character a bigger footprint at the parks.

Related: Bob Iger’s $60 Billion Surfaces, New Attraction Officially Announced for Disney

Who knows whether Smellephants on Parade will become a big hit for Disney World? The low-stakes attraction might be just what some guests need to escape the hustle and bustle of Magic Kingdom Park.

What do you think of Smellephants on Parade coming to Magic Kingdom at Disney World? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!