Disneyland has had a lasting impact on the theme park industry. Numerous parks have tried to emulate the magical Disney feeling worldwide. Some of these parks have grown to great success, like Europa-Park in Germany; however, others fall dormant like the ambitious Dreamland in Japan. Trying to emulate such a beloved experience is a huge risk. More recently the Disney influence has found its way to the Final Fantasy XIV housing community, and it’s a smash hit!
Fluffyland, located in the small Data Center of Materia, Bismarck in Empyreum Ward 6, is a multi-plot theme park experience. Though small, the community of Materia came together to wish upon a star and make theme park enthusiasts’ dreams come true. Fluffyland is a Disneyland adjacent experience including ride recreations like Pirates of the Fluffybeans inspired by the famous Disney boat ride, and Flight of the Carby inspired by Space Mountain. And that isn’t even half the experiences you can find when you visit Fluffyland.
Fluffyland founder, Alaura Danon, as well as the entire Fluffyland creative team, spoke with Fanbyte about ride inspirations and what’s coming to Fluffyland in the future.
What attractions can you see at FFXIV’s Fluffyland?
From bumper cars to blasting through space on the back of a Carbuncle, Fluffyland has a plethora of attractions. This project is the work of many creators with the passion to present an amazing experience for FFXIV players. Each ride is located inside specific plots among the housing ward, with a few experiences located around the exterior. A full list of current attractions offered can be found below.
| Ride | Creator | Location |
| Aurum Vale Safaris | Teige Zuheltzer | Plot 58 |
| Fluffyland Bumper Cars | Liara Helperton | Plot 51 |
| Pirates of the Fluffybeans | Alaura Danon | Plot 60 |
| Fluffy in 3D! | Zevnn Grey | Plot 55 |
| Fluffy’s Deathporium | Saya Aogane | Plot 54 |
| Minecraft Mischief | Sylve | Plot 57 |
| Flight of the Carby | Sylve | Plot 56 |
| Eorzean Falcon Ride | Alaura Danon | Plot 59 |
| Fluffyland Parade | Meph | Plot 49 Exterior |
Fluffyland honors rides like Disney’s Space Mountain
Each Fluffyland attraction is inspired by a popular Disneyland experience, or an iconic staple of amusement parks. The two largest attractions are Pirates of the Fluffybeans and Flight of the Carby.
Pirates of the Fluffybeans, inspired by the Pirates of the Caribbean ride located at several Disney World locations around the world, is a full walkthrough experience including a completely themed queue. Since FFXIV is not equipped with moveable ride vehicles, the Fluffyland team opted to trust that the player would use their imagination.
This didn’t stop Alaura from creating a full pirate boat vehicle for guests to sit in and gpose. The experience includes famous moments from the Disney ride like the jail cell and burning city. The ride path then leads players to the Free Company room door where the pirates gift shop is located, similar to the ending of many themed attractions.
Flight of the Carby is inspired by Space Mountain, another Disney staple. This is another walkthrough experience; however each scene you enter contains another ride vehicle to help preserve the magic. This ride ends with a black screen that simulates the feeling of warping through space.
Don’t miss the FC rooms in the Flight of the Carby plot because they include an amazing photo op inspired by the Tron Lightcycle Power Run roller coaster at Magic Kingdom and Shanghai Disney Resort.
Other Disney inspired attractions at Fluffyland are an Eorzean Falcon ride inspired by Smuggler’s Run, Minecraft Mischief inspired by Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom, Fluffy in 3D inspired by Muppet Vision 3D at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Aurum Vale Safaris inspired by Kilimanjaro Safari at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Do they have a mascot? Mickey Mouse meet FFXIV’s Fat Cat
Just like Disney’s iconic Mickey Mouse, Fluffyland has a character that pulls the collective spirit of the park together, Fluffy. Fluffyland’s mascot is FFXIV’s famous fat cat minion. Fat Cat has become a staple of the game ever since its release. The beloved minion shows its whiskers in several of Fluffyland’s attractions creating a singular identity for the park that makes it feel more than just several separate housing designs.
But why Fluffyland instead of Fatcatland? The “Fluffy” portion of the name comes from something very familiar to Alaura. It’s called Fluffyland since it’s named after their Fat Cat minion, Fluffy. This is similar to how Walt Disney was inspired by things and places dear to him like how Main Street in the Magic Kingdom is based on his hometown.
Though the theme park sprung from an endless desire to display creativity among close friends, Alaura knew there needed to be more than just Fluffy to help the park connect to players. “I told them to just theme it after Fluffy or any of the other characters/minions in FFXIV since the mouse over at Disney has many friends, Fluffy can too!”
FFXIV theme park teases its Disneyland Forward
The current state of Fluffyland is beyond what most creative venues aspire to achieve in FFXIV. Fluffyland seeks to expand even further into a full immersive experience for roleplayers and thrill seekers. To bring that dream to life, Fluffyland has several attractions undergoing construction and are recruiting designers to make player’s dreams come true.
Alaura gave us the full sneak peek. “We should be getting a haunted house, some eateries and maybe a bar! We also will be using the Ingleside as our Grand Fluffy Hotel in which we will create themed rooms/suites in the apartments! We have bigger surprises in store, but I will keep those as a secret for now.”
As the new Disneyland Forward has been greenlit for Anaheim, California, so has Fluffyland for Materia, Bismarck. It may be a small star after all, but the dreams of players shine bright through the incredible Fluffyland project.
