OLIVIA WEST

Ferris Bueller's Best Land Ever

 

You’ve got one perfect, golden day to live life to the fullest…in classic Ferris Bueller style. From the high-energy parade to amazing shops and restaurants and a high-speed car chase through Chicago, the Best Land Ever offers excitement, adventure, and a never-ending party.

 

 

THE NEIGHBORHOOD

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Ferris Bueller’s residential neighborhood is a quintessential, cheerful neighborhood from the 1980s with grassy lawns and tidy flowerbeds. Guests meander this somewhat quieter section of the land to find a small quick-serve restaurant, an ice cream shop, a walk-through attraction, and the icon of the land: the Save Ferris Wheel.

 

The Bueller House – Walk-thru

The first sight guests see when entering the neighborhood is the stately home of the Buellers, with neatly manicured hedges ringing the front driveway. They are welcomed into the house and have a look around because they're all Ferris’s friends there. The entry foyer is filled with get-well flowers for Ferris. Steam billows out from the bathroom door; guests can hear Ferris singing “Danke Shoen” in the shower. In the bedroom, guests can push open the door and see the ingenious Rube Goldberg-esque invention Ferris made and even play with his interactive sound effects stereo.

 

Save Ferris Wheel – D-ticket

The icon of Ferris’s neighborhood and the tallest sight in town is the huge water tower, recently painted to read “SAVE FERRIS.” But that’s not all! In order to draw even more attention to the landmark, the good people of Chicago have built a giant Ferris wheel around the tower itself. Now guests from all over can come to take a ride on the wheel, soaring high into the sky and getting the best view imaginable of the city.

 

31 Flavors – Ice Cream Shop

This cheerful, upbeat, and poppy ice cream parlor is a favorite of Ferris’s friends to grab a scoop of ice cream and catch up on the latest gossip from school.

 

Shermer High School – Façade

Guests stroll by Ferris Bueller’s High School, a strict-looking brick building that clashes hilariously with the audio heard from within. The droll voice of a teacher calls roll, listing off names and getting stuck on the absent Bueller. “Bueller…Bueller…Bueller…”

 

From another window, guests can hear Principal Ed Rooney’s secretary espousing the many virtues of Ferris Bueller. “…He’s a righteous dude.”

 

Concrete steps lead up to the front door, skirted on either side by leafy green trees. A hand-painted banner over the door reminds everyone of the upcoming Spring Fling.

 

Police Station – Façade

When passing the exterior of the local police station, guests see a drama playing out in silhouette through the windows. Curly-haired Jeanie sits stiffly on a couch next to a casually slouched figure…every so often they lock in a passionate embrace. Occasionally, the siren flashes and wails on a parked police car outside.

 

The Frye House – Façade

Ferris described Cameron’s house as being like a museum: “Very cold, very beautiful, and you’re not allowed to touch anything.” But from the outside, it’s a classic example of minimalist architecture and seemingly a perfect display room for Mr. Frye’s ’61 Ferrari, seen inside the window.  

 

Shakey’s – Quick Serve Restaurant

Around the corner from Ferris’s house, a comfortable pizza joint is the regular hangout for locals looking to grab a slice and catch the game on TV. The cozy, wood-paneled interior is packed with red-and-white-checkered tables and the walls are plastered in framed pictures of sports teams and Chicago celebrities. Guests place their orders at the center counter, choosing between pizza and other all-American favorites, then find a seat in the main room. A plethora of TVs around the space show an exciting baseball game in the Chicago Cubs stadium and if they watch closely, they may even catch a glimpse of Cameron and Ferris in the stands.

 

DOWNTOWN

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Guests walk out of the residential neighborhood and into downtown Chicago, a bustling district full of commercial shops and eateries with a skyline dominated by soaring skyscrapers and of course, Wrigley Field. 

 

Chez Quis – Full Serve Restaurant

The Chicago elite may dine here but don’t let that scare you off – so does Ferris Bueller! Guests proceed past the fancy brick exterior, draped elegantly with ivy and wrought iron, to the loveably stuffy interior of the restaurant. There, guests have to contend with the snobbiest of waiters to secure a table and order some food.  Potted ferns and exorbitant floral arrangements accentuate the pristinely white-walled restaurant while the large wall paintings depict the snobbiest subjects imaginable. Guests won’t be able to help laughing at the ridiculous entrees on the menu, like pancreas, or at the fussy, condescending waiters who always keep things lively.

 

Flower Shop – Façade

A vibrant storefront downtown displays a window full of flower bouquets while a sign on the window announces, “Same day delivery! Singing telegrams available!”

 

Ira’s Instruments Music Shop – Façade

Could this be where Ferris bought his synthesizer keyboard? Ira’s Instruments sells everything from bassoons to bass guitars and every kind of technical music gear you could want. A sign on the window advertises clarinet lessons and new Synthesizer keyboards!

 

The Art Museum – Façade

Two green stone lions flank the front steps up to the Chicago Art Museum, where a large colorful banner announces a Georges Seurat exhibit inside.

 

Abe Froman’s Sausage Cart – Food Cart

Guests looking for a quick bite during their best day ever need look no further than Abe Froman’s Sausage Cart. “The Sausage King of Chicago” is treating the city to some of his sausage specialties, served up from a modest little red-and-white cart downtown.

 

Twist and Shout Parade

You know you twist so fine! It’s the most electric, exciting, and colorful parade Chicago has to offer: the Twist and Shout Parade. So come on, come on, come on over now to the streets of downtown where elaborately decorated parade floats will flood the streets as confetti rains from the sky. The final float bears the man of the hour himself: Ferris Bueller! Lip-syncing his heart out to the iconic Beatles song, he leads everyone in the dance party of a lifetime.

 

Joy Ride - E-ticket

It’s the best day ever and Ferris, Cameron, and Sloan are busy living it up downtown…but there’s just one problem: they need to get Cameron’s Ferrari back home before his dad notices it’s gone. So Ferris recruits guests to take the car back home for him, and of course, he’ll understand if they have a little fun with it first. What starts out as a lively joyride downtown quickly becomes a high-speed chase as they swerve to avoid the parade, outrun the police, and beat Mr. Frye home. The finale comes crashing down – literally – as guests squeal into the garage and accidentally burst through the back wall, plummeting down an unexpected drop in a heart-stopping end to the amazing adventure.

 

Save Ferris Pop-Up Shop - Exit Retail

The community has banded together to save their favorite ailing youth! A small pop-up shop has been erected downtown to raise money with Ferris Bueller-themed merchandise…all proceeds go to save Ferris! Guests can browse through mugs and t-shirts, and even replicas of some of Ferris’ favorite clothes to show their support!