How did you spend quarantine? Because if you didn’t use your time to build an insanely detailed, 60-attraction mini theme park dedicated to Taylor Swift, well then take a seat. Because that’s what SuperSwiftie Matthew Ables did and his TaylorLand will just blow your mind.
The theme park enthusiast who spends his time attending Swift’s concerts when he’s not riding roller coasters was stuck at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, unable to pursue his two biggest passions. So he did what anyone in his position would do: he built a Taylor Swift theme park in his basement. “I actually had arrangements to do both of those things this summer, but evidently 2020 had other plans,” Ables explains at the beginning of a half-hour video tour of his park.
“And apparently those plans included me designing a full-fledged Taylor Swift theme park called WonderLand,” he says, describing how the idea came to him at his 22nd birthday party, after which he sketched out his idea with seven lands, which included “Debut,” “Fearless,” “Speak Now,” “Red,” “1989,” “Reputation” and “Lover.”
Then Folklore dropped, and Ables had to rethink his whole concept, and add in Folkore-themed elements to the 60-attraction list. After learning to play new songs including “Betty” on the piano, Ables had a better sense of how he could integrate Taylor’s surprise eighth album into the mix of his incredibly detailed theme park map. The fantasy attraction includes restaurants, rides and shows, all inspired by Swift’s songs, albums and videos, with each one containing their own backstory and detailed description, all laid out in the 30-minute tour video posted last week.
Visitors enter through “DebutLand,” can grab a bite at “Abigail’s Cafeteria,” make a TikTok at the giant “Love Story Ring,” get some thrills in the “Fearless” zone, hop on the “Speak Now Snow Plow,” ride the “I Knew You Were Trouble,” coaster, chill out at the “Stay Stay Stay Hotel” and go on an epic adventure in the “Look What You Made Me Do Experience,” which is housed in the Reputation zone, accompanied by a scaled remake of that tour’s stage show.
Don’t forget the Blank Space mansion, the “Bad Blood” Swiftcycle drift 4D simulator or the “Out of the Woods” log flume, not far from the “Should’ve Said No” wooden coaster and the “Cardigan” emporium. You can “Shake It Off” at the dance party stage, hit the 1989 Commissary, right next to the “New Romantics Record Changer Adventure,” where Swifties can hop a ride on a giant turntable inspired by the lyrics to the 1989 album track.
There’s a “Wildest Dreams” swinging ride, “State of Grace Performance Palace” and, of course, the “Don’t Blame Me Flamin’ Foods” stand. There is way more to discover, and Ables promises he’s left room for future albums as well.
Check out Ables’ full park tour video, or the shorter YouTube version below.
