Reviewing the Competition: How Peter Pan Might Hold a Clue to Adventure Time's Success

Have you ever wondered what an average day in Neverland is like for Peter Pan? Sleep late, fry up some crocodile eggs, fight pirates, play games, visit mermaids, fight pirates, have lunch on the volcano, fight pirates....

In a nutshell, that's the drawing power of Cartoon Network's smash hit animated series, Adventure Time: Its hero, Finn, lives every boy's dream of the perfect treehouse-based life. Blend Neverland with the post-apocalyptic world of Ralph Bakshi's Wizards, add heaps of Mad-Libs random craziness, and you've got a show full of endless story possibilities.

If you're an Adventure Time fan, think about it a moment:

The Original Star Tours: Best Backstory Ever

The current, reworked version of Star Tours is a remarkable upgrade. The ride's been improved in nearly every way, but I still prefer the original 1987 storyline, which revolved around the Star Tours company itself. The way their shady business practices slowly unfolded during your wait in the queue was absolutely ingenious.

On the surface, Star Tours presented itself as a professional, well-run, safety-conscious travel company which had set up shop in Tomorrowland to offer scenic vacations on Hoth, Tattooine and Endor. As you entered the departure lobby, everything shined, glistened, blinked and flashed with the excitement of adventure and the latest technology. The promo music, the company jingle, the friendly film clip announcer -- it all seemed so inviting and warm.

But, as you proceeded through the line, you began to notice that Star Tours was not quite the company it pretended to be.