"government funded mermaids" now there's a phrase I wasn't expecting to hear today

@RuRaynor

3 жыл бұрын

Ma tax dollars going on fish-hussies!

@Teag_Brohman15

3 жыл бұрын

does that mean Trump has a tank full of them purely to feed to Piranhas?

@alexbrown1930

3 жыл бұрын

You know, neither was I. But, as state employees, they likely get all those fun benefits like state retirement, state health care, etc. It sounds like it might have ended up being a good deal for them.

One time when my mom and I were eating lunch at Earl of Sandwich in Disney Springs we got into a conversation with a woman who worked there and it turned out she used to be a mermaid at Weeki Wachee back in the day!

@bronxbearbud272

3 жыл бұрын

(with a disapproving sidelong look at Ariel and her covetous horde of "treasures") and I bet her autograph was the one worth getting!

All the mermaids and princess now are all certified scuba divers. We are blessed to have this great beautiful place in my state. A must see when in Fl

I was a mermaid loving child, and when I was little we visited Weeki Wachee and saw the mermaids. That is one of my fondest childhood memories.

I enjoyed it when I went there back in the late 80s. I wanted to grow up to be a mermaid.

I remember that when I watched Mr Peabody and the Mermaid for the first time I was mesmerized by the underwater scenes, I thought they had built some kind of massive pool or something, I never imagined it was a set built in natural springs that were actually used for it!

It's rare that stories like this have a HAPPY ending as opposed to Disney running them out of business

@darryldanzinger9996

3 жыл бұрын

Disney is demonic literally, plain and simple!

@britnyboo138

2 жыл бұрын

Sadly it's not like it use to be :(

Now we need Rob’s history of Cypress Gardens, the ‘original” Florida theme park. The fact that Disney essentially killed the park is a great tie in to the channel and us, the viewers.

@JeffFrmJoisey

3 жыл бұрын

Cypress Gardens is now a part of Legoland and parts of the original park still exist.

@carminecostello

3 жыл бұрын

I'd like a video on Cypress Garden's too. I don't think Disney really caused them to close. They last 30 years after WDW opened in 1971. It was possibly more about lack of new interesting entertainment and the drop in tourism after 9/11 that they called it quits. But I'm not an expert, Rob can find out for us :)

@Rick-vm8bl

3 жыл бұрын

Theres loads you could do. For example there was a never complete park called Little England, then there was Splendid China, Gatorland, Marco Polo Park, etc

@bronxbearbud272

3 жыл бұрын

If I can piggyback with my own gradually developed but pretty resolved notion that yes, Disney ruined a lot of things down there, I will say that Ariel and the shallow smile she offers from whatever ersatz plasticine throne in her cement-bound chlorinated realm will never hold a light to these young ladies as they smiled and frolicked in these clear warm waters

@Clay3613

3 жыл бұрын

@@bronxbearbud272 Ariel is still hot. So many big words for so little.

If there's one thing my childself would've loved to see would be mermaids.

Video Suggestion: The history of MagiQuest. MagiQuest was a real world interactive adventure game. It was originally located in Myrtle Beach, and later spread across the world, and then became partially defunct after being bought out by Great Wolf Lodge. There is a ton of interesting history behind it, but not a lot of good videos telling it’s history. There is a great MagiQuest discord server and subreddit that can answer pretty much any questions about it.

@Clay3613

3 жыл бұрын

One still exist in Pigeon Forge Tennessee.

@taylorvickerman1508

3 жыл бұрын

Clay3613 Yup! I actually just went there too. Unfortunately, it is the only stand-alone location left. All the other ones reside in Great Wold Lodges, which don’t have nearly the same amount of content and immersion as the original locations (although they are still great)

@fusetunes

3 жыл бұрын

I remember that!! It was at Mall of America when I visited as a kid. I only ever played the free demo but I can still recall it pretty vividly. Haven’t seen many people talk about it though :0

I saw these shows as a little girl in the early 1960's while on vacation with my parents. It was wonderful.

I live 12 minutes away from this park and every time family comes to visit we take them to watch the mermaids. It’s a wonderful experience each time. It never gets old. You can also paddle board weeki wachee year round. I love it.

I LOVE DISNEY!!! But I am very happy that this place is still going. It’s far enough away to be its own attraction.... like many others who have been around for decades. I went here as a child... it was magical to me as a little girl. Gatorland in Orlando has also been around for a long time and still growing and thriving. Living in Florida is like a perpetual vacation.

Mr. Limpet! My dad loves Don Knox so I grew up watching his movies all the time. Thanks for the great memory reminder! 💜🐟

I've wanted to go there since I was 10 in 1963 and didn't make it until I was age 66, 2019---IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT--how blessed that it still exist unlike so many other great Florida attractions AND IT IS WORTH THE DRIVE! It is still the best value in Florida for family fun and I can't wait to go back...from Orlando where I live it's about a 90-minute drive. It is the oldest Florida tourist attraction and we also love the next oldest, also blessed it still exists, that's Gatorland, southeast of Orlando. It was very sad when we lost the very popular Ocala's Six Gun Territory attraction, across the road from Silver Springs-home of the glass bottom boats (also once owned by ABC) and has a long & rich history, but sadly closed and re-opened as a state park, blessed we can still visit but it just isn't the same thrill as it was before. So there are lots of things to do in Florida besides the amusement parks and when we have visitors as living in Florida you tend to get a lot, we try to introduce them to the more NATURAL parts of Florida's wonders and all of the amazing springs are always appreciated! A favorite is north about 90-minutes from Orlando, Blue Springs State Park, where we go every winter to visit the incoming manatees that winter there in the warmer waters, no mermaids, but a magical place.

@scurvacioust7626

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for posting

Wow. These women putting in the time and dedication to put on these shows and did it for.... Bathing suits and food? That is so unimaginable today.

It’s wild to see my home town being talked about anywhere on KZread

I lived in the Clearwater area of Florida and went many times to Weeki Wachee as a child in the 60's. When asked what I wanted to be when I grew up it was a Weeki Wachee mermaid. That never happened but I am so glad to see the mermaid show is still around after all these years.

Awesome topic, I love the classic roadside attractions, especially mermaids. Weeki Watchee is on top of my bucket list.

Up in North Fl we have Wakulla Springs... swim with the gators!! Well, they are on one side and you swim on the other side.... I remember going to Weeki Wachee when I was a kid. and that was 60 years ago.

who is the 1 monster who gave this a thumbs down? great video!

@buckzz___

3 жыл бұрын

It sucks that there are 5 now :(

So magical that a place like that existed naturally, and they it was used for such a neat thing. I wish Disney could bring the merfolks back, at least once in a while ;o;

Always loved Weekie Wachee ! Living in Florida 52 years. ..

i was there in 76 and really thought they were real. Such a good memory.

Kind of surprised you didn’t talk about it’s water park, Buccaneer Bay. I grew up living close to this place so it will have hold a place in my heart. Thank you for featuring this place in one of your videos.

When I was a kid, I was entranced by the Weeki Wachie commercials (on our b&w TV). A 1982 trip to Clearwater, FL gave me the chance to see the new Epcot. But the mermaid show was on my "must do" list. I loved it, cheesiness and all!

Ah! This brings back such good memories! I was obsessed with mermaids in elementary school, and when I went down to visit my grandparents in Florida circa 2007, they took me here! It was so enchanting and mesmerizing. Glad to hear they're still running and getting the funding!

if my 2021 trip to Florida happens, I will be going to see those mermaids.

Ayyy I live there, my friend’s mom is a mermaid. Cool video!

My dad was always promising to take me here as a child. We never did end up getting to go and he passed when I was young. Seeing this made me nostalgic of all the stories he told me of visiting here.

I am glad you brought this place up. I have been wondering about the history of mermaid shows for a while. I will definitely go if I ever get the chance to go to Florida.

This was fascinating! Would really like to visit and see the mermaids for myself!

The Weeki Wachee river/spring was the highlight of my teen years. We lived floating down the river as teens since i lived in the area. It’s an awesome place. We also had plenty of field trips there. My childhood was great. Thanks for this video about one my favorite things about my hometown.

I love that the government literally owns Mermaids! This is what your taxes are funding folks lol! In all seriousness great video Rob, this place has been a staple of my childhood and it was fun to hear its history!

@bronxbearbud272

3 жыл бұрын

Happy memories of childhood days at the government-built and operated Playland in Rye, New York leads me to observe "Taxpayer money well spent!" but I like this channel and want to behave, we can match over politics somewhere else some other time

@FunDisneyFan

3 жыл бұрын

bronxbearbud isn’t it so fun to see some of the things your taxes pay for lol!

@bronxbearbud272

3 жыл бұрын

Sure, especially when those things are raining waves of the delight and happiness down on the taxpayer instead of bombs and misery on an enemy we shouldn't have in the first place

@FunDisneyFan

3 жыл бұрын

bronxbearbud lol!

@bronxbearbud272

3 жыл бұрын

@@FunDisneyFan teehee! It was very funny the way that one girl was eating a ham sandwich underwater, indeed (wink)

I absolutely love weeki wachee springs and have since I was a kid. It's the best place to swim and enjoy a hot day in Florida. They have a water park on the other side included in admission

Im so glad that other people know about and remember this place. I LOVED going there when I visited my grandparents in Sarasota. It was such a charming and fun visit, all the mermaids were so friendly and fun!

Great video, I live here and drive by this every day.

this was a defunctland episode with a happy ending

Great video! I LOVED WW as a child. I visited there about 7 years ago and "The Little Mermaid" was the show. It was fantastic! The visit was so much fun. Thanks for showcasing WW. It's still a cool place to go.

oh yes i remenber that park i havent been there since i was 5 years old i am now 50 wow how time has flown and how i miss my florida

Honestly, Rob, I miss the intro. Maybe it's because I grew up watching network television with the teaser-theme song-show format, but it feels like something is missing when you plow right through into the story.

Looking forward to when it reopens! We definitely have it on out list! So glad they kept the Mermaids!

Ahhhhh Memories of the good ole days. Such an experience

That was great Rob. I heard of it before but never seen such an in-depth account. Can't wait to see more.

this is a great video, as usual! thank you for creating such compelling stories with AMAZING archival footage.

I live like a half hour from here. Used to go here on school field trips and to the attached water park buccaneer bay with my mom. It's cheap to go there. It's a nice day out if you're in the area

I really enjoyed this video. Another awesome video you have made. I really enjoy your channel and always look forward to you new videos. Thank you so much

This was great! Nice video. Weeki Wachee water is my veins and appreciate your efforts. I learned some new things about my region/history.

I used to visit Weeki Wachee Springs as a kid when I visited my grandparents! The water slides were awesome and the mermaid shows were amazing!

I drive right by this theme park at least twice a month. Interesting history.

Going there is one of the best experiences of my life❤

Been there several times and its a fun trip. I am surprised you didn't touch on buccaneer bay.

I’ve been to central Florida about seven times in the last twenty years, but never knew where exactly this place was (I never knew it was much closer to Tampa than Orlando)...also I had assumed it was no longer open since I never saw any advertisements for it when I stayed in Orlando...Wish I had made the drive; my girls would’ve LOVED this!

Great video. Weeki Wachee Springs kind of reminds me of Aquarena Springs in San Marcos, TX. They had an underwater theater also.

Thanks! Very informative and well done.

I loved this, and always love your videos. My only complaint is they could be longer, haha.

I love your videos! Please make one on VMK the Virtual Magic Kingdom online game that used to take over my life in my teen years lmao

@FigmentForever

3 жыл бұрын

It’s still around Btw. Albeit non-Disney ran but they even put out new content regularly.

@jerpica.d6735

3 жыл бұрын

I have a mac and it only works on my fiances PC that recently died so I don’t get to play the remake often!

@FigmentForever

3 жыл бұрын

Jerpica.d it should work fine on Mac even. I’ve gotten it to work on my IPhone. If you need help you can always add me on Twitter @figmentforever and id be happy to help. They have so many events daily

@FigmentForever

3 жыл бұрын

Jerpica.d also, I’m very sorry for your loss 😢

Very cool episode Rob!

I love going there :) such a nice slice of nature and magic

I used to live ten miles from there so many childhood memories. Well actuly we lived super close we lived in spring hill

I did not go into this video expecting it to follow the entire backstory of Radiator Springs

My grandparents lived in Holiday, about 30 minutes south of Weeki Wachee. As we were 4 sisters, it was a touchstone of our summer visits. I wonder if my brother has any memories of it?

I am here because we had seen the Weeki Wachee Mermaids when I was a kid and I was reminded because I was reading a book in which one of the characters used to be one of those mermaids, lol.

I remember going there when I was younger. I don’t remember much, but I do clearly remember the gator viewing boat ride. It was great, but terrifying. Lol

Excellent work!

I went there two years ago, I recommend it to anyone. It has the shows and a water park

Grew up going here in the early 2000’s, the mermaid shows were my favorite but I always got so scared when the bad guy would pop out of the porthole at the top of the underwater stage 😭

Fun show. Fun park. Fun river to float. Great place to catch the native mermaids, too.(manatees)

Great video!

This one was a lot of fun!!!

Thank you, We will be going there as soon as we can.

It's right down the road from me. We love it. Unfortunately the park has been closed for months due to covid

This is so interesting to find out the history of the area. I'm from St Pete and I have always wanted to go see the mermaids

I think this is the only remaining Disney focused channel that I follow, having become so demoralized by the way so many of them have urged what I think is a foolish and dreadfully consequential rush back to the parks,. and because of your consistently intriguing and detailed content. Now let me go see what those mermaids are up to, thanks!

@yotsubafanfan

3 жыл бұрын

Have you seen Yesterworld or Defunctland? Both of them cover Disney parks history as well. I use them as substitutions for when I can't go to the parks (which is all the time.)

i remember when paris hilton and nicole richie went there on the simple life lol

I just rewatched the episode of Simple Life where Paris and Nichole went here and that brought me and I wasn't even on youtube

Newton Perry is my great grandpa omg!!!

How great is that song!!??

@michellecarns7381

3 жыл бұрын

The hubs and I lost it when the song came on ...... such a gem!! Lol

It's a drive but it is awesome

I know how to freedive and that place is a dream freediving spot for me... 💖

The airreal photos are awsome

......................love that place...........

Hooray! 🧜🏼‍♀️

I went in 2008 with my parents, since I didn't know anything about it until they brought me to it. Haven't been back since.

Disney was never conceived this way. Imagen a underwater Disney them park. Or a sunken Disney's castel tour.

Rob, here’s an idea for video- Jazz Clubs at Walt Disney World. There was the village lounge, top of the world and pleasure island jazz co, also jazz was featured throughout the parks.

I love it It's history intrvew review years it's good I am fun

Could you possibly do one of these videos about Busch Gardens in Tampa Florida, or one about Sarasota Jungle Gardens in Sarasota Florida? Thanks!

Our parents took us there in the 60's- still remember the mermaids

Took my family there when my daughter was still the perfect age for this. Grateful they kept this running, I always tell my friends about it

wow, usually there are 10000+ before i get to see your videos.

Ive gone to weeki watchee a million times

I can’t tell you how much this video makes me paranoid as an Australian who is terrified of swimming in natural bodies of water, due to all the crocodiles

Love how retro this place is! Don't let Disney anywhere near this place. They'd triple the price and make it a Little Mermaid attraction. Also glad it hasn't turned into a dumbass condo development. Enjoy it while it lasts!

Loved Ann Blyth

Thanks.

Id like to add that the town of Weeki Wachee was dissolved last month (July 2020). It is now apart of the neighboring city of Spring Hill. I wonder if the outcome would had been different for the town had it held on to the springs

@stahppls2293

3 жыл бұрын

Weeki Wachi only has 13 residents apparently and the dissolving has no effect on the state park

I went to the water park there it was Cool

I've been there!!!!

I was taught to swim by one of the mermaids. She and her husband owned a place in homasassa.