If there’s one movie-inspired attraction missing from theme parks, it’s Home Alone (1990).
These days, there are rides based on almost anything you can think of: Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, King Kong, Fast and Furious, Jaws, Spider-Man, The Avengers – you name it, either Universal Studios, Disneyland, or Disney World has it.
But to films of the more old-school variety, like Ghostbusters (1984), Gremlins (1984), or in this case, the holiday classic Home Alone, they’re few and far between.
Of course, events like Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights are a great way to experience things like Ghostbusters in the form of temporary walk-through attractions, but Home Alone never gets a look-in.
There was a Home Alone experience in the U.K. last Christmas, but it was nothing more than a re-creation of the McCallister living room, staircase, and master bedroom.
But now that Disney now owns the IP, having acquired it through 20th Century Fox in 2019, where’s the Home Alone roller coaster at Disneyland or Disney World?
We’d love to step inside the doors of the large McCallister house, wander its hallways while we queue for the ride (but watch out for those Micro Machines), climb the stairs (and be on the lookout for flying tins of paint), before climbing aboard a roller coaster that looks like something out of Duncan’s Toy Chest from the 1992 sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (yes, now we’re taking liberties, but everyone loves that film just as much).
However, while there are no Home Alone roller coasters in existence yet, there is a fan-made virtual roller coaster ride you can enjoy from the comfort of your own couch.
Virtual rides are a great way to experience the thrill of a theme park from the comfort of your own home. There are lots of them on YouTube, and, naturally, Home Alone found its way on there two years ago courtesy of Johnmalla 2xlc.
Complete with John Williams’ iconic Home Alone score, an opening credits intro (which really gets the immersion going from the off-set), soundbites from many characters including the Wet Bandits Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern), as well as the upbeat rendition of “Carol of the Bells” as heard in the film, the “Home Alone Planet Coaster Movie Ride” is a 15-minute virtual experience that takes you through many familiar set pieces (in virtual form, of course), throughout the McCallister residence and beyond.
Check it out for yourself below:
Related: ‘Home Alone’ Originally a Tragedy, Deleted Scene Changes Entire Movie
Since it was uploaded, the video has amassed 288K views. And subscribers and other users haven’t been shy in expressing their awe at the Home Alone virtual roller coaster, with one describing it as “by far the best planet coaster build ever, just awesome!”
Another asks us to imagine it was “a real coaster at a park somewhere,” a comment echoed by others, with one saying, “I definitely hope a park like Universal or Disney could build a ride like this!” and another saying they would “ride it a million times.”
One user asks the creator to make a virtual Home Alone 2 roller coaster ride. We’ll just have to wait and see if they decide to take us on a tour through Duncan’s Toy Chest and a snowy Central Park. And Kevin’s uncle’s booby-trapped NYC apartment, of course.
Obviously, a virtual roller coaster is no substitute for the real thing. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, these types of YouTube videos became popular with park enthusiasts who were stuck indoors (the Disney Magic Moments website is a more official example of this).
And they still come in really handy when kitting out your home for a surprise birthday party for a loved one. Just be sure to use the biggest TV you have (a computer screen won’t do, and a smart phone or a tablet are just pointless), dim or turn off the lights to block out any distractions in your peripheral vision, sit back, and enjoy the virtual ride.
Will Disney Parks Ever Introduce a Home Alone Ride?
With so many new Disney Parks projects currently underway and on the horizon, never say never. Disneyland Paris recently announced a major overhaul to its second park, Walt Disney Studios, which will eventually be renamed to Disney Adventure World and feature new areas such as the World of Frozen and a yet-to-be-named Lion King-themed land.
Earlier this year, Disney also announced that Disneyland Abu Dhabi is also underway. Furthermore, Disney World is currently going through many major changes, with Grand Avenue at Disney’s Hollywood Studios being repaved into a Monsters, Inc.-themed land and Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland being re-themed into Cars‘ Piston Peak.
So, could a Home Alone attraction find its way into one of the resorts? Only time will tell. But we think the House of Mouse is short-changing itself when it comes to holiday classics that reside in its vault, as it’s also seemingly ignoring the equally iconic film, The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), which is long overdue its own theme park attraction.
All six Home Alone movies are streaming on Disney+.
Would you like to see a Home Alone ride at Disney Parks? Let us know in the comments down below!
