Story and Review by Rick West

On September 18, 1986, Walt Disney Imagineering lifted the veil on Captain EO at Disneyland Park, just days after the attraction's debut at Epcot on September 12th.  Unlike any 3-D film before it, Captain EO employed state-of-the-art special effects on and off-screen, as well as a brand new type of film system, developed by Kodak and Disney that delivered a sharper, more vivid 70mm film experience than audiences had ever seen.

Captain EO featured off-screen special effects such as in-theater lasers, fog machines and special lighting that made the film "come alive" - it was the industry's first "4-D" attraction, which would pave the way for all theme park 3-D film experiences to come.

The film, which is just shy of 20 minutes, was created by Walt Disney Imagineering and Industrial Light & Magic, executive produced by George Lucas, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and stars Michael Jackson.  Now, we're going to assume that you know something about Captain EO as we proceed with this story.  If you never have seen it, the film can be found online, however, now that it's back open at Disneyland - what do you need YouTube for?

Audiences in the '80s were blown away by the technical wizardry and the musical genius of Captain EO.  With a lovable cast of misfit characters and some cutting-edge cinematic goodness, Captain EO quickly became one of the most popular attractions The Walt Disney Company has ever created.  In fact, Captain EO didn't just call America "home" - the attraction also existed at Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disneyland.  Michael Jackson's international fan base made Captain EO an instant success.  Whether you were or weren't a Jackson fan in the '80s, no one could deny how... cool Captain EO - the attraction - was.  And if you were a Michael Jackson fan at the time (there were a few, as I recall) - it was pure bliss.

Captain EO operated at Disneyland Resort from September of 1986 to April 7, 1997.  I actually attended the final night of Captain EO at Disneyland all those years ago, and I have my pink 3-D glasses from the very final performance as part of the Theme Park Adventure archives.  It was a very emotional farewell and honestly, no one ever figured we'd ever see the attraction return again.  It just doesn't happen very often, and attractions coming back pretty much as they were after being gone for more than a decade... no way.

And then, on June 25, 2009, the unimaginable happened; the world lost Michael Jackson.

The surge in the entertainer's popularity was enormous, as it always is when celebrities pass away unexpectedly, be it Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Elvis or more recently, Heath Ledger.  As people everywhere mourned the loss of Jackson and tried to come to grips that the "King of Pop" was now moonwalking amongst the stars, Disney fans almost immediately began the rally cry to bring Captain EO back as a tribute to the fallen performer.

At first, top executives at Disney blew it off and publicly denied that such a thing would ever be considered.  But as time passed, it became evident that Disney was indeed, working on a comeback for the Captain and his crew.  On December 18, 2009, Disney announced that Captain EO would be returning for a limited engagement to the Magic Eye Theater in Tomorrowland at Disneyland.

Fans were delighted and the rumor mill kicked in full - what, if anything, would be new in this version of EO?  How would the film be cleaned up and how would it look and sound?  What special effects would be used in the attraction, and would new effects be added due to the Magic Eye Theater being equipped with new technologies for Honey, I Shrunk the Audience?  With months to ponder all of the possibilities, it was a fan's wonderland of armchair Imagineering.  Message boards, blogs and sites were abuzz with theories, ideas and what-ifs about the return of Captain EO. 

In the final weeks leading up to the debut, as Cast Member testing commenced and physical changes began taking place to the exterior of the Magic Eye Theater, more on-site reporting and speculation was passed on via Twitter and over various channels of enthusiast communication.  Deep rumbling - bass - was heard outside the theater, and the discussion seemed to focus on the theater's motion platform.  Created for Honey, I Shrunk the Audience, the motion platform is basically the theater's seating area, sitting atop giant air bladders that allow the entire floor to bounce and move; a powerful show element, if used properly.  Early reports indicated that Imagineers were having issues getting the platform to work like they wanted it to.  There was talk that if the motion base wouldn't do what Imagineers wanted, that it would simply not be employed by the Captain EO show.  However, if the motion base was easy to incorporate into the experience, what would it do?  How would it add to the experience?

Questions, questions, questions.

Finally, Disneyland announced that Captain EO would re-open to the public the morning of February 23, 2010.  The wait was finally over.  Now, all attention and excitement focused on the attraction's actual debut.  Disneyland continued to throw bits of information about EO to its followers on Twitter and finally, fans were told they could line up beginning at midnight on February 23rd.  The return of Captain EO was upon us - the attraction's re-opening set in stone.

At this point, I want to make it very clear to those reading that I am going to go into specifics about the Captain EO Tribute attraction.  If you're looking to avoid spoilers or detailed discussion about the "new" Captain EO show, I thank you for reading - and suggest you stop now. 

Though the line for Captain EO's first public show was allowed to form at midnight, not many fans were willing to brave the windy, chilled winter night in Anaheim to have a spot secured.  Instead, most fans - us included - showed up early in the morning once the sun came out.  The line outside of Disneyland's Main Gate did grow - but not by the thousands that Disneyland officials were expecting.  The lack of masses of Michael Jackson fans actually made for a very comfortable, friendly environment.  Everyone in line (there were maybe 250 of us or so for a good chunk of the morning) was given a waiver to sign, because there would be filming during the event.  That was kind of odd for us, since usually, we are the ones filming people and taking pictures during media events.  However, Disneyland's recent policy of only inviting one person per website as media to these events has simply made us opt to blend into the crowd and enjoy these moments with the rest of the fans as fans for the most part; what's the point of attending media events alone when you can get the same pictures and access as anyone else with your partner, other staff members, etc?

So, in line we stood with friends and took in the moment around us.  Media was shooting, fans and executives were being interviewed and the sense of excitement in the air was very real and very nice.  There is something to be said about a theme park event like this where everyone is friendly, having fun and not stressed about whether or not they will be able to see anything or be included.  Everyone was set to be in the first showing (the theater holds over 500 guests), so the atmosphere was one of relaxed waiting; having a good time.

Two very young children came dressed as Michael Jackson, much to the delight and dismay of the guests waiting in line.  While it was really amusing - and the kids absolutely were Jackson fans, dance moves and all - it was also whispered by some that their parent perhaps did that seeking media attention, or a shared spotlight for a few moments.  I suppose both things are true - their mother seemed to like the cameras and attention from the crowd, so whatever.  The kids were cute, they didn't appear embarrassed, and other people bring their kids to Disneyland each day stuffed in princess costumes anyway, so I suppose there's not much of a difference in this case.  It was a celebration of the love people have for Michael Jackson.

Other fans in line had home-made Captain EO shirts and jackets.  Throughout the crowd, it was also not uncommon to spot fans wearing original Captain EO Opening Day shirts from the '80s; that was very cool.  Folks who were perhaps too young to be Captain EO fans the first time around were already sporting some of the new merchandise.  And many other people wore various Jackson shirts and memorabilia.  Occasionally, adults dressed like Michael Jackson were seen - but most people were pretty mellow and just there to be part of Disneyland history.

Imagineering Legend Tony Baxter was on-hand, greeting fans and conducting media interviews.  The really cool thing that we noticed at this event was that not only us older kids know who Tony is... young Disney fans were calling out to him and approaching for pictures and autographs.  In a company culture where Imagineering really doesn't spawn the type of "legends" that we have had in the past to look up to, Tony Baxter is one of very few left of a vanishing breed.  To witness young fans truly excited to see him at the EO event even though he had little to do with this incarnation of the attraction, was really special to me.  It lets me know that the flame is still burning out there - and that younger fans are just as hungry for behind-the-scenes knowledge and are just as excited about people like Tony as we were back in the day.  Seeing one of my own heroes and old friends surrounded by new, young fans - totally made my day.  It tells me that the type of stories we do here on Theme Park Adventure and the countless other fan sites online that still educate their readers and pay homage to people like Tony are totally viable and that we serve a critical role in shaping and inspiring young theme park enthusiasts today to become the future website owners and industry writers, dreamers and executives of tomorrow.

At approximately 9:40 A.M., a cheer went up and slowly, we all made our way into the Magic Kingdom.  For a few minutes, there was an unwanted sense of dismay throughout the crowd, as it was evident that all of the Magic Mornings guests from the hotels that had been given early entrance to Disneyland were also heading down Main Street toward Tomorrowland.  A group of about five young adults fell in step next to us saying, "Oh, sweet... that Captain EO thing is opening!"

So obviously, despite the controlled crowd, the signed waivers and careful planning, someone fumbled at the five yard line.  Suddenly, our comfortable crowd had swelled and each of us was visibly nervous that we'd be bumped from the first showing by random Disneyland guests that just happened to fall in line with all of us.  The change in mood was absolutely palpable.  Guests were growling about Disney Cast Members not escorting us properly down Main Street - even Cast Members themselves were a bit stressed, commenting about how someone screwed up and now they had no idea who'd been in line all this time and who had just joined the group.  The process of getting the EO line from Main Gate to Tomorrowland could have and should have been a lot better-planned.  However, could haves and should haves aside, we all made our way past Star Tours, toward the Magic Eye Theater.

More cheering went through the crowd and people began chanting, "E-O!  E-O!"  It went from being tense to exciting again and once we all started filing into the switchback queue in front of the theater, it was apparent that despite the sudden addition of in-park guests, we were all totally going to be included in the 10:00 A.M. debut show.

The media platform was set up facing the attraction.  Bright lights and cameras were on the crowd as reporters from morning newscasts grinned and gave their viewers a glimpse of what was taking place behind them.  One of the first things we noticed was the new Captain EO sign on the front of the theater.  It is really nice - just as nice, if not more so than the attraction's original signage.  Since EO is at Disneyland as a "limited run", I was frankly, concerned that Disneyland might go the cheap route with the signage; thankfully, that is not the case.

As we passed through the turnstiles, we were handed our yellow 3-D glasses (left over from Honey, I Shrunk the Audience) and made our way toward the front of the queue, which is lined with Captain EO attraction posters.  Soon, the preshow began on the monitors and to the delight of everyone - Disney has given us the original Captain EO preshow video in-full.  Everyone watched quietly and respectfully - the time machine had started up and we were on our way backward through the decades!

Once the doors to the theater opened, the applause and whistling was at fever pitch.  Excited, happy guests flooded into the theater, moving down each row and definitely filling in each and every seat.  It was a packed house.  Along the back of the theater stood Disney management folks as well as several performers from the Captain EO cast, including dancers and Debbie Carrington, who played Odie in the film.

The theater was filled with eager fans, young and old, illuminated by both media lights for filming as well as hundreds of camera/cell phone flashes going off as everyone documented the event in their own way.  This was the moment we'd all waited for, for months.  The wait was over.

As the cheering died down and the lights dimmed, a Cast Member greeted the crowd and gave a short introductory talk about the media and the film (we will have that video here on Theme Park Adventure in the coming days to accompany this story).  It was great and everyone was totally into it.  The new spiel invites guests to relax and enjoy the film as Disneyland and Kodak take us back to 1986.

There was continuous applause and cheering throughout the film as guests' favorite characters appeared back on the screen.  Of course, when Michael Jackson was revealed, the applause lasted for a good 20 seconds or so; there was a lot of love in that theater.  And in each show we've seen since, the applause for Jackson is just as heartfelt and intense as during the debut.

The show concluded with people dancing in their seats and once the lights came up, a huge round of applause and cheers filled the theater again as people stood.  And that was it - history made once again at Disneyland as Captain EO returned to the Magic Eye Theater. 

Shows continued throughout the day as hundreds and hundreds of fans filed in to witness Captain EO (many people saw it multiple times as well, leaving the theater only to get right back in the queue).  Judging by the excitement and applause, I'd say that Captain EO Tribute is going to be a huge, long-running success for Disneyland.

There have been no changes to the film itself.  Some folks speculated that perhaps an, "In Loving Memory" notation or something along those lines would be tacked on to the end of Captain EO.  That isn't the case.  The film itself has been cleaned up and looks and sounds really good.  Even though it's obvious that the film itself is more than two decades old, the image quality is better than Honey, I Shrunk the Audience ever was.  Not sure whether that speaks to the care WDI took in restoring Captain EO, or the horrible quality that Disneyland was apparently okay with for years with Honey.  Whichever the case, Captain EO looks really good, so props to those involved with the restoration of the film.

The sound in Captain EO could honestly, be louder than it is.  With all of the reports over the past few weeks about hearing the rumbling coming from the theater, I thought for sure that it would be much louder than it actually is.  EO's volume isn't really low... it's just not really loud.  Certain portions of the soundtrack - especially the dialogue - are somewhat hard to hear.  The music portion of the show is pretty good as far as volume level is concerned.  However, if it was raised a bit, I doubt anyone would mind.

Due to the 3-D technology used in the '80s, the film tends to not be as clear when you're not sitting dead-center as it is with newer 3-D films these days.  During the first show, we sat fairly close to the front but off to the left.  Many of the shots were blurred and double-imaged.  This was remedied once we sat in the back of the theater, toward the center of the row in following shows.  We tweeted this information and reiterate it here - the best image and sound experience you can have at Captain EO is in the rear of the theater, as close to the center as possible.  If you're too close, or off to the side, the image on the screen will be blurred and the sound will not sound quite right in some parts of the movie.  There is no way to remedy the visual issues at play here, so get yourselves to the back of the theater, folks.  This isn't usually too hard, since it's human nature to rush to the front of anything for the "best view".  If you wait by the door just past the turnstiles where the glasses are handed out as you enter the preshow area, you will find yourself close to the back row as soon as you enter the theater.

The single most disappointing aspect of Captain EO Tribute, is the exclusion of the in-theater laser and fog machine effects.  During the original show, bright green lasers blasted across the theater and "smoke" from fog machines would "explode" from the walls next to the screen as the lasers hit.  Leaving these effects out is a glaring omission that Imagineers have confirmed will not be coming back to the show.  This leaves odd, really loud sound effects in the soundtrack while the accompanying in-theater effects go missing.  Perhaps new EO fans will not know any difference, but it seems that the majority of long-time Disney fans all agree that this is very disappointing.  Especially since it's not like it would cost Disney much at all to reinstall or program '80s technology into the show again.  I'm quite sure it was a budgetary thing; that doesn't make it right... it just makes it kind of understandable, knowing that Disneyland likely wanted EO installed on a shoestring budget for the maximum return.

There were other missing effects as well.  In the original show, when the spaceship crash-lands, a huge amount of fog would blow out all over the front of the audience from the base of the screen.  This is also excluded from the show.  Also absent is the fog effect and accompanying "color spectrum" light that appeared in the film as the Supreme Leader is changed back to her sweet, normal self and then again at the end of the film as the spaceship zips off into hyperspace or whatever and disappears before the Captain EO logo comes flying down into the screen. 

At the point in the film where the spacecraft crashes, and the "spotlight" comes on before revealing an egg-and-sausage-covered Captain EO, a bright spot would shine out over the audience once upon a time; this effect has also gone missing and makes for a slightly odd few seconds where the theater seems too dark.  While this is an awkward moment, it's nowhere as noticeable as the missing lasers and fog, it does need to be added to the "Absent" list when discussing the technical aspects of Captain EO Tribute.

One of the other biggest complaints that fans are writing and talking about is the exclusion of the "star field" screen as the lights dim and the presentation begins.  Obviously this was something that was worked into the original show's design with fiber optics in the EO screen, etc.  To replace the current screen now would definitely not be cost-effective, but it is good that people haven't forgotten the way the show used to begin.

On the positive side, there are new effects that have been added to the show that don't necessarily counter-balance the missing ones - but they at least make it more interesting.

The most notable addition to Captain EO is the inclusion of the theater's motion platform.  It has, in fact, been added to the show in a big way.  Not only is it used to emphasize the more "dramatic" moments in the show, Imagineers also programmed it to move to the beat during the film's biggest song/dance segment, "We Are Here to Change the World".

Having the theater suddenly move when an explosion occurs is absolutely impressive - and the reaction of the crowd is awesome, regardless of the fact that most of the guests should know they're sitting on top of a huge motion base (assuming they've ever seen Honey, I Shrunk the Audience).  There are problems with this, however, which we discussed with designers Rick Rothschild and Tony Baxter later in the day at Disneyland.  In the second part of the show, the platform currently bounces and moves to the beat of the song.  The bouncing/rolling is pretty much on-going, and my concern is that some guests may become motion sick if they are not prepared for this.  Hell, when I worked Pirates of the Caribbean back in the day, we'd have guests get really sea-sick just from riding that, let alone sitting in a theater that moves and bounces in the dark for a long period of time.

If motion sickness isn't a concern, then the main feeling I had about the extended use of the platform is that it is too much of a distraction.  When your seats suddenly bounce as the result of an explosion or to emphasize a scare or tense moment, that's one thing.  When your seat bounces and moves throughout the entire song and dance bit, it becomes distracting, honestly.  At least to me, it does.  Rather than a gag/effects tool to enhance the experience, it becomes the experience and you're more aware that the theater is moving non-stop than what's happening in the movie.  I watched as people looked around the theater during the song - they were more interested in watching everyone moving than the action on the screen; to me, that's a problem.

Details of the discussion with had with Rick and Tony aside, it's safe to say that we'll likely see tweaks and changes made to the platform's programming in the days and weeks to come.  Expect perhaps even more violent jolts, or maybe the softer "rolling" of the theater to disappear completely.  Time will tell, but we do feel that the design team will work it out and get it right so that it's a well-executed, key effects tool for the show as a whole, and not just a mess of, "look what the theater can do!"

I'm sure I'm not alone on this side-thought... but part of me is really unsettled whenever the theater moves at all, because it really feels like an earthquake.  I've been in plenty of quake simulators and have lived through my share of 6.0+ quakes in the past 40 years.  Nothing feels more accurate than the rolling motion the Honey, I Shrunk the Audience theater platform is capable of.  It wasn't designed that way - but it sure as hell nails it.  I couldn't help but wonder if some folks watching Captain EO will think they're experiencing a quake instead of a theater that was designed to bounce 500+ people at a time around.  I mentioned this thought to Tony and Rick and they laughed, saying, "Oh, it can really feel like an earthquake if we turn it up!  You haven't seen anything!"  The curious part of me would love to see what the theater is capable of.  Sadly, I doubt that will ever happen - but in my mind's eye, I see folks getting thrown from their seats.  And yeah... that's kinda amusing!  You know it is!

When Hooter blows his trunk at the audience, a mixture of air and "moisture" (that's the delicate way of saying space elephant snot) blast the audience from the theater seats.  This is a great add, but it feels like it doesn't work half the time.  Hopefully, WDI will work this out and really emphasize this gag - because it's great!

Finally - and I think this is maybe my favorite show effect because it's so well-integrated into the experience - a "wind" blast marks the end of the film as EO's spacecraft takes off and launches back into space.  Regardless that there is no oxygen in space to make wind in the first place, who cares?  The sudden gust of air is fantastic and is a wonderful final moment as our experience comes to an end!  This is the perfect example of show enhancement at its finest - it adds to the overall experience, is noticeable enough to get a reaction from guests, but isn't so in-your-face that it takes away from what's happening on the screen.  Great stuff!

Before I close, I should mention that there is "new" Captain EO merchandise available (like we didn't see that coming) throughout Tomorrowland.  It's quite possible that the EO merch is available now at other locations such as the Emporium on Main Street or World of Disney in Downtown Disney, but Tomorrowland is as far as we needed to go.  There are shirts and sweatshirts bearing the EO logo as well as poster art.  There are also buttons and a small attraction poster print available as well.  The unfortunate thing with the merch, is that it appears that Disneyland opted to price gouge, marking the shirts up to $27 and the other merch more expensive than you'd expect.  The material used for the shirts is pretty thin - they don't strike me as souvenirs that will last through too many washes before cracking or wearing thin with holes.  It's a shame that Disneyland couldn't just sell the EO shirts at $19.95, which seems to be a pretty common price point at most other theme parks for their basic shirts.  After tax, you're looking at a $30 Captain EO shirt, if you really want one.  And judging by the folks walking around with Disneyland shopping bags, it's safe to assume that the bean counters are likely extremely happy that fans love the attraction enough to choke up the cash for all of the over-priced merchandise in the frenzy of the moment.  Our suggestion is to find someone with a Premium Annual Pass to buy it for you so at least their discount takes some of the cost from the hands of greed.  Enough said about that.

Strange effects omissions, over-priced merchandise and bouncing theater aside, the overall reaction to the return of Captain EO to Disneyland is undeniably positive.  More than positive - fans are thrilled to have the show back.  The applause is genuine and the '80s look of the film and its on-screen special effects make it even more endearing now to audiences in 2010.  For now, Captain EO has come home to Disneyland.  In death, Michael Jackson is bigger than ever before.  Speculation of Michael's questionable past and dark allegations have melted away completely - in Tomorrowland, 1986 is alive and well as adoring fans and long-time Disneylanders clap, dance and sing along with a beloved, classic attraction and its legendary hero... Captain EO.

DISCUSS THE RETURN OF CAPTAIN EO ON THE TPA MESSAGE BOARD

By Rick West

Unless you were hiding under a rock somewhere on a distant planet, you have no doubt hear - if not witnessed for yourself - what a massive success the Halloween Time at Disneyland Resort event was this year.

With massive success came huge and in  this case, unexpected crowd surges that were unprecedented for Disneyland at this time of year.  The public show of appreciation and affection for Disney's Halloween creativity this year broke attendance records and honestly caught the company off-guard, even though it had anticipated a decent turn-out for this during the month of October.

As the masses flooded the theme parks (especially Disneyland), Cast Members were forbidden to sign in or sign family/friends in on the weekends and in some severe cases, Annual Passholders were turned away at the gates; even Premium holders, which is also a very rare occurrence.  Halloween Time was a smashing success, and there's no doubt in my mind that Disneyland will take that and run with it to the next level in 2010.  It's too huge of a money-maker not to expand it and take it to new heights.

Arguably, the best part of the season was the really popular Halloween Screams fireworks show.  Hosted by Jack Skellington, park guests were treated to a ghoulish visual treat in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle as Zero soared overhead (like Tink and Dumbo) and a large inflatable "balloon" beside the Castle became an animated Jack face, as well as the screen for projected visuals throughout the show.

Halloween Screams was an amazing treat - but there were tricks.  Unless you were willing to fight the crowds and plant yourself in front of (and I mean in front of) the Castle at least an hour or more ahead of the show, you wouldn't have a perfect view, and in some cases, couldn't see the projections at all, taking away half of  the charm of the production instantly.  It was frustrating, because everyone wanted to see this thing.

During the first part of October, the facade for It's a Small World began being used for the projections as well - which was really cool and much less crowded.  Yet, the crowds surged.  The writing was and is on the wall - the number of people wanting to see the show outnumbered the park's viewing capacity for the show.  Hell, it was vastly superior to the summer fireworks show - why wouldn't everyone be starving for something new and better?  I wondered out loud all month why the flat side of the Matterhorn wasn't utilized as a projection spot for the show; it would immediately expand your viewing audience and would open up the scope of the show to "epic size", including the mountain as previous shows have done.

The answer lies on Rivers of America.  What you may not know is that in the final days of Halloween Time, the water screens used for Fantasmic! on Rivers of America were turned into Halloween Screams projection surfaces.  Suddenly, the viewing capacity of this show became almost a non-issue, with the entire riverfront suddenly becoming a viewing area for thousands and thousands of Disneyland guests.  Even portions of the Castle are visible from the River, which means we all could see Zero doing his thing as well - it was a win-win for everyone in this case.

We caught wind of this and hustled out to Disneyland to see the final show and see the water screens in action for ourselves.  Below are images that I snapped with my iPhone; this was such a last-minute thing, that I didn't have my camera with me, so I do apologize for the image quality.  It at least gives you a glimpse of how it was - and I am positive, how it will be on a much larger scale next season.

Trick or treat!

Story by Rick West

One of the most time-honored hidden gems at Disneyland is the Sleeping Beauty Castle walk-through, where guests have the opportunity to view charming little dioramas depicting scenes from the Walt Disney classic animated film Sleeping Beauty.

As one of the theme park's earliest attractions, the Sleeping Beauty Castle walk-through has welcomed millions of visitors since 1957.  Walt Disney himself was the one that wanted guests to be able to go up inside the castle - and what Walt wanted, Walt got!  What the world got for generations was a simple but very sweet walk-through, self-guided tour, far away from the crowded hustle and bustle of the park's busy walkways and attraction queues; it was a unique, almost-private spot right in the heart of the Magic Kingdom.

When America was forever changed on September 11, 2001, the Sleeping Beauty Castle walk-through was shuttered.  There was no way that Disney officials could have unsupervised individuals walking freely and unsupervised up into what is absolutely one of America's most recognizable icons - not with wide-spread fears of anthrax attacks, more explosive attacks or anything else criminal the mind could conjure keeping our country on pins and needles. 

Though the original attraction that was rich with original Eyvind Earle artwork and Ken Anderson's Imagineering genius had been altered (not for the better) by Imagineers in 1977, Disneyland fans everywhere felt that they had seen the final passing of this cherished little "A" Ticket attraction forever.

The year was 2007.  Enter our long-time friend, Tony Baxter, Senior Vice President of Creative Development at Walt Disney Imagineering.  The chief Imagineer of the Disneyland Park, Tony wanted the castle walk-through back up and running, returned to its original glory, but with modern technical wizardry thrown in for good measure to that the fans and fans of generations to come would not be bored or under-wowed by the attraction.

With a minimal budget and a grass-roots team, Tony and the project's Art Director, Chris Merritt began the daunting task of re-creating the walk-through, while staying faithful to the original Earle/Anderson vision using modern "storytelling" technology.  The project lasted the better part of 18 months and when all was said and done, the Sleeping Beauty Castle walk-through re-opened at the end of 2008, just in time for the massive holiday crowds and the special edition DVD of Sleeping Beauty, which offers viewers an in-depth look at the new attraction as one of its special features.

Theme Park Adventure traveled to Disneyland and had a look for ourselves at what Tony, Chris and the other Imagineers had done within the beloved castle.  There's no sugar-coating that goes on here at TPA, so let's just say that personal friendships with these folks aside, the castle walk-through is fantastic.  Not only are the "peek-ins" technically stunning, they are beautifully-crafted and it is quite evident that this re-Imagineering of a Disneyland classic was done by the right people with the right intentions.  Had this project fallen into the wrong hands, who knows what it would have looked like when it opened.  However, Baxter and Merritt held true to the attraction's past and delivered a slam-dunk that has delighted Disneyland guests, young and old alike.

We were very pleased to see that the Sleeping Beauty Castle walk-through was packed with curious guests.  In fact, it was so crowded that taking pictures for this story proved to be a very challenging undertaking.  The crowded stairways and hallways made getting just the right shots almost impossible; we didn't want to hog the space, nor did we want to ruin the show for anyone, so we simply did the best we could on the fly.  What I can tell you is that while we were having a look at the attraction for ourselves, there was constant dialogue from all of the guests passing through about how cool the walk-through is, how beautiful and neat the dioramas are and how it is now much better than it's ever been before.  Those are the best compliments you can get - from guests that have never heard of Tony Baxter or Chris Merritt.  Guests just enjoying Disneyland with their friends and families - genuinely impressed by the visual treasure that is now available once again within Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Another aspect of this re-design is something we were very impressed by - a "virtual tour" of the attraction for Disneyland's disabled guests, that are unable to make it up the stairs and into the narrow walkways within Sleeping Beauty Castle.  Just near the exit of the attraction is a small room that has been adorned with lavish furniture and "castle" decorations.  Within that room, is a magic mirror that transports disabled guests into the upper levels of Sleeping Beauty Castle so that they may see what able-bodied guests are looking at as well.  It is a classy, sincere touch that I am sure, means a great deal to those unable to see the walk-through for themselves.  Major props to all involved for the addition of this virtual tour.

Theme Park Adventure knows that its readers will love what's been done inside the castle - so get on out to the Disneyland Resort and check it out for yourselves!  The best time to visit the walk-through is either immediately after park opening or later at night, when many of the younger Disneylanders have called it a day.  Just whatever you do - go see it.  It's an awesome reminder that when you have the right people with solid, focused intent working on a project such as this - true Disney magic can still happen.  And that is very comforting to many Disney fans these days, I'm quite sure.