Michael Jackson: Man, Myth, Theme Park Designer

Michael Jackson is experiencing the kind of renaissance that happens when an iconic figure crosses over from living breathing legend to idolized, exalted hero dead before his time. And the more that the media digs into his past, the more that we find he truly was one-of-a-kind, a unicorn of a performer -- someone who genuinely seemed to be "motivated by a genuine desire to delight his audience." One such motivation manifested itself in a theme park, one that sadly, never came to fruition. The enchanting Peter Pan Neverland theme park was highly conceptual; in the mockups you could see it was possible to enter the park by "flying" on a magic carpet ride, or by boat, through some mysterious caves. Ahem.

The interior of the park split off into several different “lands”: Lost Boys for little ones, Mermaid Lagoon for relaxing, Indian Village for adventure rides, Pixie Kingdom for carnival rides, and the Pirates village with Skull Rock nearby as well as Captain Hook’s ship—perfect for live shows. MJ started these plans back in 1997, when he was in tight with Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal—Disneyland Paris’ biggest private stockholder. However, the venture fell apart by 2000 when Jackson and the Prince had a falling out. We’ll have to enjoy Mermaid Lagoon and Skull Island in our imaginations.