An Abandoned Amusement Park in Batangas Could've Been Disneyland

Sweeping grasslands, towering castles, thrilling rides—it's all a story of what could have been. Fantasy World in Lemery, Batangas, was intended to be the Disneyland of the Philippines, but the ambitious Japanese proprietor couldn't secure enough funds and everything now lays half finished atop a little hill.

Four hours from Manila, Fantasy World is now under the management of the neighborhood homeowner's association and curious tourists can still enter by paying a P1,000 fee for 10 people. Unlike the abandoned amusement parks in Japan which all look eerily decrepit, the facilities in this local Disneyland are still pretty well-maintained. The rides don't run, but they're still clean, sturdy, and, well, full of hope.

Traveler Cody Buffington recently featured Fantasy World on his YouTube channel, so you can see for youself how majestic if could've been.