Rick West's Exclusive Interview With Disney Imagineer Kyle Barnes on the Creation of Trader Sam's

One of the hottest stories right now in Disney enthusiast circles is the massive renovation that the Disneyland Hotel is undergoing in Anaheim, California. New tower designs with over-the-top lavishly-themed suites, an incredible new Monorail Pool and perhaps the most talked about new fixture of them all... Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar!

Sam's has spread across Disney fan forums, tweets and podcasts from coast to coast and around the world in just the few short weeks that it's been open at the hotel. An incredibly potent mix of Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room and the sorely-missed Orlando favorite The Adventurers Club, Trader Sam's has taken on legendary status almost immediately out of the starting gate. Fueled mostly by Disney fans using social media, the interest in this new hangout is growing by leaps and bounds.

But what exactly is Trader Sam's?

On the outside, Trader Sam's looks like a very laid-back Polynesian-styled lounge. At night, live Hawaiian music is performed under the glow of burning torches and Tiki lanterns, as guests relax on outdoor couches or sit at tables sipping away at gorgeous tropical drinks. It is both scenic and romantic, attracting an older crowd, perhaps seeking some peace away from the frenzied pace of the theme parks and the tens of thousands of visitors they attract. Casual laughter and mellow conversation blends with the peaceful guitar (and sometimes ukulele) music and soothing voices of the live performers.

It is so incredibly serene.

And then it happens. From inside Trader Sam's, beyond two massive wooden carved doors, the sound of a bell being rung loudly - clang, clang, clang - is suddenly drowned out by tribal-like chanting of Cast Members and bar patrons alike: "UH-OA! UH-OA! UH-OA OA OA!"

The interior of Trader Sam's is the total opposite of the peaceful patio lounge outside. Inside, guests find themselves in a richly-themed, dimly-lit bar that looks like the Tiki Room, Jungle Cruise and Adventureland all got up and left Disneyland to come have a round of drinks at the hotel! Every inch of the interior is cram-packed with pictures, post cards and mysterious artifacts, from Tiki carvings (did those eyes just move?) to correspondence from famed archaeologist Indiana Jones.

Over the dull roar of patrons drinking and gawking at the sights, the clanging rings out once again as a Cast Member frantically swings the bell clapper back and forth and screams, "WE HAVE A SHIPWRECK!" The lights in the bar go out, thunder rumbles and lightning flickers as Trader Sam's is enveloped in a deep blue glow and the sound of wind howls through the room. Behind the bar, a model of a ship inside a large glass bottle is magically tossed about on a wicked sea and actually sinks right before your eyes!

The storm passes, and the lighting returns to normal. But the lights are the only thing that appear to be "normal" in this wondrous place of booze and enchantment. Around the bar itself, guests slowly realize that they've grown by several inches - or perhaps they've shrunken a couple feet. The bar stools themselves randomly rise and drop, which is great for a laugh or perhaps even some drunken confusion for unsuspecting visitors!

Disney enthusiasts will find great tributes on the walls of Trader Sam's to Disney personalities as well, including a banjo with reference to Disney Legend Harper Goff, who was an extraordinary Disney artist credited with the exterior design of the Nautilus for 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, and outside of Disney, was the art director for Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Goff played the banjo for the Disney band called the Firehouse Five Plus Two. In later years, Harper Goff was instrumental in designing the layout of World Showcase for Epcot, as well as the concepts for the Japan, Italy and United Kingdom Pavilions.

Once again, the madness that is Trader Sam's is accented with the clanging of the bar bell, as the Cast Members scream out, "KRAKATOA!" Then, everyone begins chanting, "Krakatoa! Krakatoa! Krakatoa!" The lights go out again, and then flash bright red as a massive explosion shakes the bar. Outside a faux window, a distant volcano blows its top, spewing fire and lava. It's corny, clever and everyone loves it!

As the lighting again returns to normal, it is very apparent to everyone that this is the mother of all Tiki bars!

Trader Sam's is a huge investment for Disney, and as you might imagine, something like an enchanted bar is right up the alley of many of the company's most talented Imagineers. As grinning Tikis looked on, and the bar's many "skippers" brought food and drink to thirsty guests, I huddled in a dark corner with Walt Disney Imagineer Kyle Barnes, who works in the WDI Interior Design department. Over the lava-like glow of my Krakatoa Punch, I leaned in close and spoke with Kyle about bringing the legend of Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar to life...

Rick West: Kyle, first of all, congratulations on the very successful opening of Trader Sam's! This is truly a gem in the Disneyland Resort treasure trove, and has fans excited around the world! Before we get into the specifics of designing Trader Sam's, let's first get acquainted with you, and your career! How long have you been a Disney Imagineer?

Kyle Barnes: I've worked for Walt Disney Imagineering for 21 years.

West: And what is your role at WDI?

Barnes: I'm an Interior Design/Principal Resource Specialist.

West: That sounds really cool! What projects have you been involved in, and what role did you play?

Barnes: Some recent projects I've worked on include Tokyo DisneySea and Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando, where I was an Interior Designer on Toy Story Midway Mania for those parks. I was an Interior Designer for Stitch Encounter for Hong Kong Disneyland. And I also was an Interior Designer right here at Disneyland on the Star Tours remodel.

West: That's fantastic! And what a cool job you have! One of these days, maybe I'll get to Hong Kong Disneyland and Tokyo Disney, but I do visit Disneyland about once a week and love what you guys did with the new interior for Star Tours; congratulations on that!

Okay, so let's get to it. Tell us how Trader Sam's came to be. It seems to be the love child of Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room and the greatly-missed Adventurers Club that was at Walt Disney World for many years.

Barnes: The current remodel of the Disneyland Hotel transformed the hotel tower names to reflect the themed lands of Disneyland. The Trader Sam's / Tangaroa Terrace concept was best suited due to the adjacent Adventure Tower. Several of us on the team are Tiki enthusiasts, and were passionate that it would be a welcomed addition to the resort. When Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room debuted in 1963, for many of our guests, it was their first exposure to Polynesian lore. We incorporated that into an exploration motif similar to The Adventurers Club. This allowed us to combine elements from an assortment of exotic Disney adventures.

West: The inside portion of the bar itself is very small; I believe 47 is the maximum occupancy posted. Was the decision to make such an intimate bar one that WDI opted for, or were you working within the constraints of the existing structure that was there prior to Sam's?

Barnes: We were working within the constraints of the existing structure.

West: The interior design of Trader Sam's is fantastic; there is enough Disney trivia plastered across its walls to keep enthusiasts very busy observing the fine details during their visits. With such a rich pallet to choose from, who decided on the decorations and how? It seems it would be a monumental task!

Barnes: The Trader Sam's team brainstormed an initial prop / decor wish list. We were very fortunate to have the extremely enthusiastic Brandon Kleyla from the WDI Props Department. He was responsible for the incredible feat of locating, creating and installing the vast number of props - approximately 1,600.

West: Are there elements inside Trader Sam's that pay homage to the Adventurers Club? If so, what are they?

Barnes: The beloved Adventurers Club was a source of inspiration to the team. We included several elements from it. Most notably, the Ship In A Bottle, and the Shrinking Barstools; both of which were customized for Trader Sam's installation.

West: Some of the drinks "trigger" special effects within Trader Sam's when ordered; tell us a bit about this process. When was it decided to have this type of interactive element, and how did you go about figuring what drinks would trigger what effects within the bar? Walk us through that creative process.

Barnes: As soon as we decided we wanted to have special effects in the bar, we started talking about having drinks and effects tied together, to help create storytelling magic.

We worked closely with our partners in the Food and Beverage Concept Development team to match the drinks to the effects. In the end, it seems quite natural to have the “Shipwreck on the Rocks” trigger the sinking ship in the bottle effect; “Krakatoa Punch” cause the volcano viewed through the “window” to erupt; and “Uh-Oa”, the Tiki goddess of disaster to create a typhoon scene!

West: The outside of Trader Sam's is lovely, too. But it is very different than what's found on the inside of the bar. Was it a premeditated decision to keep the vast majority of the Tiki theming inside, or were you trying to be more cohesive on the outside with the surrounding hotel environment?

Barnes: Our architect designed an exterior that skillfully adapted Tiki style to blend with the surrounding Disneyland Hotel resort. Trader Sam's extensive theming and magic are revealed once the guest is inside.

West: Tangaroa Terrace is obviously part of the whole Trader Sam's / Tiki environment, but is nowhere near as richly-themed as Sam's. Was there ever any plan to make Tangaroa into a full-blown themed experience like the bar, or was it always seen as a quick meal "pick-up location" for pool guests or those at Trader Sam's?

Barnes: Indeed, they are two distinctly different spaces. Tangaroa Terrace serves food all day, and should feel open to guests and address the needs of the pool area. Trader Sam's is a lounge; the most effective way to tell our story was in a controlled, window-less environment.

West: Kyle, again, congratulations to you and the entire WDI design team on the opening and success of Trader Sam's! It's a wonderful addition to the Disneyland Hotel and resort in general! We speak for a lot of fans when we say we love it, and hope it remains open for a long, long time!

Barnes: Mahalo!

While that may be the end of our interview, I assure you, that is far from the end of the Trader Sam's adventure, dear reader!

Trader Sam's is open daily from 9:00 A.M. - 1:30 A.M. at the Disneyland Hotel, and is open to people of all ages. Be advised however, that at peak periods, Cast Members have been carding at the door, so that only adults 21 years of age or older may enter the inside of the bar.

And now, for our own review and observations...

Trader Sam's has become one of our favorite places at the Disneyland Resort to hang out at each weekend (and if we're really in need of a Sam's fix, a mid-week run to the bar from our home in Los Angeles isn't unheard of). We have found that while we adore the inside - and absolutely recommend first-time visitors spend a good portion of their time there to absorb the surroundings - we agree after a month or so of visiting the bar that we prefer the very relaxed, romantic outdoor patio. The live music is absolutely wonderful, and being under the lit torches and night sky just can't be beat. Plus, the backdrop of the gorgeous Monorail Pool water slides is too cool, and at 9:30ish each evening during the summer, the fireworks from Disneyland echo off the towers of the Disneyland Hotel and really sound extra-loud!

For those coming from the theme parks, Trader Sam's is about a 10-15 minute walk through Downtown Disney. We prefer jumping on the Monorail in Tomorrowland if we happen to be inside Disneyland already; from the Monorail station, Trader Sam's is a short walk - probably no more than five minutes or so. It's important to remember however, that Monorail service back to Tomorrowland ceases about 30 minutes prior to park closing time, so if you happen to have too much fun at Sam's and miss the Monorail, it's going to be a long walk back through Downtown Disney.

As we've said, there is live music nightly at Trader Sam's. Usually, this consists of one gentleman strumming a guitar or ukulele, singing traditional Hawaiian and other songs by request over a small sound system. On occasion, we have seen up to three performers together, but most of the time, it's a single musician. And they're great - very friendly, and absolutely very pleasing to the guests sitting outside. That said, one of the negatives that Disney really needs to address is that even on Friday and Saturday nights, the live performers at Trader Sam's have to call it quits at 10:00 P.M., and piped-in music suddenly drowns them out. Plain and simple, everyone hates this. When the musicians say they have to call it a night, people boo, and beg them to play longer. You can tell even the performers hate their 10:00 P.M. curfew. It makes no sense to anyone. On a weekend - definitely Friday or Saturday night, there is no reason they cannot play until midnight at least. The music is mellow, it's not loud, and if Disney is worried about waking anyone up in the nearby towers, the simple question I pose is this - who do they think is in bed at 10:00 P.M. on a Friday or Saturday night at the Disneyland Resort anyway? If it's children they're worried about, most of them are still milling around Disneyland, considering Mickey and Minnie stay out in Town Square until about midnight. And any parent can attest to the fact that if their kids are sleeping at 10:00 P.M., nothing is going to wake them - especially not a mellow Hawaiian singer! Children sleep like the dead, folks.

If anything, the very clear message that Disney management should understand is that the minute the live entertainment ends at Trader Sam's, people begin to vacate the patio. That translates to less cash being spent. That should get someone's attention.  We're very hopeful that this issue will be resolved, as a huge part of the allure for us when we visit Trader Sam's is the hospitality and presence of the live performers.

We have sampled many of the exotic drinks offered at Trader Sam's, and thus far, my personal favorite is the Piranha Pool; a magical blend of strawberry vodka, pineapple juice, cream of coconut, strawberry puree, and Blue Curacao. Yummy, yummy, yummy, kids! Most of the drinks at Trader Sam's, we have found to be very tasty - there are even a few non-alcoholic concoctions for the young adventurers in your group - or your party's designated skipper! The drinks are about average in cost compared to other Tiki bar drinks elsewhere. The bummer is that Annual Passholders do not get a discount on booze at the Disneyland Resort (apparently in California, it is against the law to offer discounts on alcohol), so a trip to Trader Sam's is definitely not cheap, especially if you throw a meal in with it. One more word to the wise about drinks at Trader Sam's: Krakatoa Punch and the HippopotoMai-Tai come in souvenir glasses that add about $5.00 or so to the cost of the drink. If you do not want the additional cost/glass, simply make that clear to your server, and he or she will bring you the drink in an alternate glass. That said, the glasses for both drinks are uber-cool, and we own them both and plan to get more so we have sets!

Speaking of food, Trader Sam's offers a limited menu that is definitely on the expensive side, but, is very, very good. We have tried most of the items on the menu, and haven't had a single thing that we didn't like. However, as I said, the menu isn't cheap. The Pu Pu Platter (pictured to the left) is $15.99, and as you can see, there aren't huge portions to go around. Even with the Annual Pass discount (you do get a discount on food), the prices at Trader Sam's for food are steep.

Our suggestion (besides the obvious of eating somewhere else before venturing to Sam's for drinks) is to head next door to the brand-new Tangaroa Terrace, which is the "restaurant" add-on. There, you can find a slightly bigger selection of meals, including hamburgers that are really tasty. You order, pay for your food and then take a number back to your table at Trader Sam's and a Cast Member will bring your food to you! Service is very fast and we haven't had a negative experience with this method at all. The Hawaiian Cheeseburger is my favorite; it comes with a 1/3 pound angus patty, teriyaki sauce, fresh grilled pineapple, havarti cheese, bacon, lettuce, and tomato, served on a multi-grain bun with sweet potato fries. It's not a huge burger, but it definitely does the job and is much more satisfying than the more expensive "bar food" from the Sam's menu. Note that Tangaroa Terrace stops serving food around 10:00 P.M. (as of this writing), so if you're going to get your burger on, be sure you do it earlier in the night so your tummy isn't disappointed with you!

The Kalua Pork Flatbread is very good at Sam's, as are the Panko-Crusted Chinese Long Beans. Our respect goes out to the cooks at Trader Sam's and Tangaroa (same kitchen). And we definitely would recommend the food to anyone. Just be prepared for the price to be a bit on the steep side. And of course, any time you order both food and drink at Trader Sam's, you do get a discount on your food, so don't forget to produce your Annual Pass, because unlike inside the parks, the Cast Members at Sam's do not readily ask you if you have an AP; it's all on you to remember as a Passholder.

Which brings me to the next point that we are very hopeful that Disney will work out sooner than later. Currently, Trader Sam's and Tangaroa Terrace do not validate parking for Downtown Disney guests. The validation occurs at "table service" restaurants throughout Downtown Disney. There may be something I'm missing here - but when a server comes to us and brings a menu that has both alcoholic beverages as well as food items, that seems pretty much like table service to us. And to a whole lot of other folks too, who have apparently voiced their opinion and dislike to Sam's Cast Members about not offering validation. A couple can just as easily rack up a tab that rivals any other location at Downtown Disney while enjoying Trader Sam's. It makes no sense at all that we can go eat and drink at Rainforest Cafe or wherever else and be validated, but can't be at Trader Sam's. We remain hopeful that management will take a good look at this - because as much as we love Sam's, it's kind of a stretch to go out and move our car out and back into the lot every three hours because they refuse to validate our business there. And there's no way we're paying a dime for parking when we already have Annual Passes and spend a lot of cash at Trader Sam's on food and booze. It's easier just to call it a night and leave before our three hours of free parking are up than hassle with moving the car, trying to get validated elsewhere, or jumping through any hoops. Again, it boils down to management understanding that they're turning cash away when guests are under a time constraint.

Last but certainly not least, I want to discuss the Cast Members - "skippers" - themselves at Trader Sam's. This is a unique environment, and in turn, almost demands special personnel making up the cast. Disney puts on a show, and absolutely at Trader Sam's, the Cast Members play a critical role.

Like with anything new, there are still some issues to work out. Most of the wait staff that we've encountered have been very friendly, but somewhat... timid, I suppose you could say. It feels like they're still really struggling to get into the whole theme and feel of the bar. Rather than wild, humorous banter, most of it feels like awkward, forced dialogue from a staff that perhaps doesn't necessarily want to be over-the-top.

And that is where the great divide is going to lie for the time being between Trader Sam's and the once-mighty Adventurers Club in Orlando. At the Adventurers Club, the cast was the cast - everyone had a name, and a wild, detailed story that they had no problem getting into with guests as they sipped their drinks. Cast Members were encouraged by Disney and fans alike to become wild, zany and wonderful. And they were; the atmosphere of The Adventurers Club was totally unique and even years after its closure, Disney enthusiasts continue to talk about it with great love and appreciation.

Trader Sam's can become that. It needs to become that. We, the fans, want it to become that. However, it is up to Disney to equip these Cast Members with the support, training and understanding of what this show is all about. These folks need to really turn it up a few notches - perhaps even to "Maynard" level (hard core fans will know of whom I speak). If they're not comfortable becoming outspoken skippers with wild tales to embellish us with, then management needs to make some changes. There are plenty of other locations for those who can't or won't bring it to Trader Sam's - and likewise, I imagine there are plenty of Cast Members throughout the hotels thinking of how much fun it would be to become a crazy skipper serving up drinks and tall tales there; those are the folks we need to see populate this new location. Those are the Cast Members that Disney needs to seek out internally (or externally with new hires). Once that comes full circle and the staff really lets loose - then the Trader Sam's experience will explode and become as legendary as The Adventurers Club once was. And knock on Tiki wood... once that happens, and Disney sees how much fun and income comes from Sam's, perhaps we will eventually see such a location open at Walt Disney World again as their Downtown Disney area is under massive re-imagining now. God knows, our Floridian friends out there would certainly love to have this type of bar once again. Here's to hoping, folks! Kungaloosh!

We adore Trader Sam's. For its few kinks that need ironing out, it has scores of strengths that we're absolutely in love with. Nothing is more relaxing and fun than meeting with friends and loved ones at Sam's on a warm summer evening and sipping the night away with music and laughter. We raise a toast to all Imagineers who contributed to the design of Trader Sam's, and thank them for a wondrous gift! Here's to many adventures in the Enchanted Tiki Bar.

Okole maluna!

Discuss Trader Sam's in the TPA Forum

Story by Rick West

Okay, maybe not that long ago, and not that far away, Star Tours opened at Disneyland to an eager world under the new Team Disney management of Michael Eisner and the late Frank Wells. The opening ceremony was nothing short of a Star Wars fan's dream, with George Lucas in attendance flanked by other icons from the famous films. For the next 23 years, Disneyland visitors boarded their Starspeeder 3000s and zipped across the galaxy on their wayward trip to the forest moon of Endor. Star Tours was a new standard in theme park simulator-based ride technology, and it wowed guests of all ages. For the first time, we all got to feel what it was like to battle above the surface of the Death Star, to dogfight Imperial Tie Fighters in outer space, and to make the jump to hyperspace. For all intents and purposes, Star Tours was a high-tech, amazing addition to Disneyland that really boosted the credibility of Team Disney in the eyes of fans and investors alike.

After decades of service, Star Tours began to show its age. A lot. The simulator cabins creaked and groaned, vibrated way too much during their paces, and the ride film itself was murky, and just totally worn-out. In the opinion of many guests (and likely Cast Members too), it was time for Star Tours to take it's final flight. And that's exactly what took place the night of July 27, 2010.

But the legacy of the attraction was far from over. In the months prior to Star Tours' closure, Disney announced that the attraction would return in 2011 with all-new destinations and surprises. Some fans were elated; others, not so much. I was included in that latter bunch, and I will explain why...

When I learned that Star Tours would re-launch again, in 3-D, I was highly-critical and totally skeptical. After more than 20 years of Star Tours, I felt that Tomorrowland absolutely deserved something fresh; something completely new for guests. Re-hashing Star Tours with the crutch/gimmick of 3-D was utterly disappointing to me. And the thought of the new film trilogy characters being used... Yuck. No thanks. Besides the dreaded imagery of Lucas cramming Jar-Jar Binks down our throats again, the idea of a simulator experience in general just screamed '90s to me; so over it. And with 3-D being forced on us regularly now at movie theaters, the idea of 3-D anything couldn't have been more unappealing. While Star Tours' simulator technology was awesome when it debuted in 1987 (although it soft-opened in 1986), that was 1989; and this is 2011. Simulator technology is pretty much old hat these days. We've all been there, done that. Every park has them; even traveling carnivals. And so, I waited, with mostly jaded and unenthusiastic curiosity.

The weeks leading up to the official re-opening of Star Tours brought about an interesting new aspect of fandom: social media.

In the age of Facebook, text messaging and Twitter, it was very interesting to see how fast word spread once Star Tours began its Cast Member testing. And on the heels of Cast previews, came the tweets heard around the world: Star Tours had soft-opened to guests. In addition to Cast Member previews and occasional soft open periods, Disneyland began its own social media push, with a "lottery" for its Annual Passholders to win preview trips as well. The face of soft-open for attractions has changed forever with the advent of social media. It seems just like yesterday, you actually had to physically go to the park and see if the new attraction happened to be open, etc. Now, thanks to Twitter and the general instant nature of social media, we knew the minute Star Tours opened, whether we were at the Disneyland Resort, elsewhere in Southern California or anywhere around the world.

We had plenty of rides on Star Tours prior to the media event officially opening the attraction, and I'll share my thoughts in detail next. Before that however, there's the matter of the media event itself that needs to be discussed.

On May 20, 2011, Star Tours re-launched in Orlando at Walt Disney World, nicely coinciding with their annual Star Wars Weekends celebration. Their opening ceremony was really well done, and featured Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), George Lucas and Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company. With the help also of little R2-D2, and an attempt to thwart the re-launch of Star Tours by Darth Vader and his Imperial forces, the media event was quite the spectacle, and Tours re-opened in Orlando with a hell of a show. With Darth Vader proclaiming the battle just beginning and ordering Imperial forces to "set their course for the Anaheim System", we felt certain that we here at Disneyland were in for a real treat come media day!

Hyperspace forward to the morning of June 3, 2011. As part of Disneyland Resort's "Soundsational Summer" media blitz, we entered Disneyland Park before opening, passing a long line of hard core fans that had waited all night to try and catch a glimpse of the Star Tours re-launch ceremony, and to be some of the first guests to ride the attraction on its official opening day. Considering the amount of media and the lack of room in Tomorrowland, I was worried that the fans would have no chance at being allowed anywhere near the ceremony. I tweeted these concerns the day before to our followers.

We walked down an empty Main Street USA, and waited to take pictures and video of the fans being walked in, which we did. There were Disney fans, Star Wars fans and a mesh of the two in abundance. Leia hair buns, Jedi robes and scores of Star Wars/Star Tours shirts were out in full force! The group was led down one of the sidewalks of Main Street, and everyone did so in a friendly, orderly fashion. The vibe was very positive. The fans were held near the Hub, and we went on in to Tomorrowland, where they were practicing the opening ceremony (something I have never seen done before anywhere immediately before an event). I right away picked up on the fact that no high-profile names or people were announced/mentioned during the run-through of the ceremony. This worried me, and I tweeted as such.

We were led backstage, behind Space Mountain, where we re-entered Tomorrowland near the Space Mountain bathrooms/Captain EO exit. After a brief wait, we took our positions in the media viewing area for the Star Tours ceremony.

I was really surprised by how small the entire viewing area was. I'd say it was roughly 1/3 the size of the Little Mermaid's media area the day before; and I felt certain the Star Tours ceremony would be much bigger in scale, considering the fact that George Lucas was rumored to already be at the Disneyland Resort to participate, and the fact that Anthony Daniels was in Los Angeles that morning and was actively tweeting that he had a busy day ahead. Indeed, we still held onto hope for an epic Star Tours event!

As the minutes passed, Stormtroopers took to the old PeopleMover track above the media/invited guest viewing area. They made hostile gestures at the crowd, threatening to shoot anyone giving them trouble; it was a fun, really cool visual!

The familiar Star Tours "tone" came on a few times announcing the coming departure of Star Tours; another really nice touch that added to the mounting excitement.

In the minutes leading up to the Star Tours re-launch, I took a moment to scan the crowd of guests sitting in front of the media risers. It was really nice to see WDI legend Tony Baxter sitting near the stage, camera in hand, capturing the moment for himself. He was seated next to Tom Fitzgerald, who worked with Tony on the original version of Star Tours so many years ago.

The music began, and the Star Tours ceremony was underway! Immediately delving into the cheesy side of things, the ceremony began as a scuffle for the last Star Tours seat between a Jedi and the Imperial Forces. Unfortunately, what took place before the media and eager VIP guests was a very awkward lightsaber and blaster battle… minus real sabers and firing blasters, that is. It was like watching over-grown kids play Star Wars for an uneasy several minutes until Darth Vader finally took to the stage. At last, a chance for coolness! Or not.

All of Vader’s lines in the Star Tours opening ceremony were sound bytes from the films that really were kind of mashed in to the dialogue to almost fit the situation.

Come on… Vader got a whole ton of custom dialogue in Orlando, including the wonderful, “Set our course for the Anaheim System!” and the best we got was, “Impressive” and “The Force is strong with this one.” It was really, really disappointing.

Much too long and awkward, a hooded Jedi that Vader does “play fight” with on the stage revealed himself (kinda) to be Tom Staggs, Chairman, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Darth Vader kind of wandered off like a total wimp and Staggs then proceeded to talk about Imagineering and Lucas’ team working together to create this new version of the classic Disney attraction. Tom Staggs may be the nicest guy in the world; but… he is so not a charismatic speaker. His seemingly unenthusiastic discussion about the talented men and women who worked on the project really was as awkward as the play fighting we’d just witnessed. Honestly, there is no disrespect meant at all toward Tom here. It’s just… come on Disney, have someone passionate and/or animated do the talking at crucial events such as these. Tom Staggs, not the guy.

And with little more, the attraction was opened and that was that. No celebrities, no Lucas, no real excitement. But before I proceed about the ride itself, let me just further ponder this dismal excuse of an attraction opening ceremony a few more moments.

Orlando’s Star Tours was re-opened by Bob Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Walt Disney Company, George Lucas, Anthony Daniels (C-3PO) and a slew of other characters and creatures in a really cool opening ceremony. Granted, it was all part of Walt Disney World’s annual Star Wars Weekends. However, Disneyland was so given the short end of the stick on this one that even jaded media representatives there on behalf of television stations and newspapers were asking, “That’s it?” aloud to each other. 

Bob Iger wasn’t on hand for any of Disneyland’s media blitz – not for Mermaid, Soundsational or Star Tours. Granted, he’s a busy guy – but really, how often do new attractions open at Disneyland Resort? Maybe he was busy christening another Disney cruise ship somewhere. And George Lucas – he lives an hour away by airplane. He must have been too busy, despite the fact that he always takes the opportunity to comment about what a huge Disneyland fan he is, and how important the Anaheim park has been to him his whole life. And then there was Anthony Daniels, who was in Los Angeles, 35 minutes north of Disneyland that morning, in town for the Star Wars in Concert event at the Hollywood Bowl that night. Surely, Disney could have sent a car for him to be at Disneyland at 9:30 A.M. couldn’t they? Daniels was apparently too busy tweeting about the view from his hotel and what he should or shouldn’t eat for breakfast to be bothered with a second Star Tours opening.

If I seem a bit bitter, I am. Disneyland always seems to get the short end of the stick when it comes to special events.  It’s something Disneyland fans have learned to expect over the years. And that’s why the opening ceremony for Ariel’s Undersea Adventure was so amazing.  The sharp contrast between how truly beautiful the Mermaid opening was versus the pathetic, amateur Tours opening was… mind-blowing.  Hell, Tom Fitzgerald was sitting right there in the audience next to Tony Baxter – they should have let Tom talk about the project! Something heart-felt and special! Anything! But no – we got a horrifyingly short, absolutely embarrassing opening ceremony that Disneyland likely knows they blew in every way.

So… horns to all who were too busy to participate in our Star Tours re-launch. I never thought I’d live to write the following sentence:

At least Eisner was always there for these things.

Once the media spent some time riding Tours, it finally officially opened to the throngs of guests who had waited ever so patiently in the Hub for their time to ride. And ride they did! By noon, the queue for Star Tours had reached almost four hours, zig-zagging back and forth throughout the Hub, along side Plaza Inn and the Corndog Cart on Main Street before finally snaking into Tomorrowland. The hot June sun beat down on fans with intergalactic hairdos, wookie backpacks, and even some wearing full Jedi robes. But that didn’t deter any high spirits – these men and women were on a mission! It was a great morning and everyone had a wonderful time experiencing Star Tours – proving ultimately, it’s all about the talent of the Imagineers and the enthusiasm of the guests that make Disneyland magic – not celebrities or executives making an appearance.

If you’re looking to remain spoiler-free regarding Star Tours, this is where you’ll want to disembark from our story. Get on out to Disneyland and ride Tours for yourself a few times, then come back and read the rest of this story to see if you agree or not with my observations. And have a blast; it really is amazing what they’ve done!

The queue for Star Tours remained, as we suspected it would, to be the same layout; the footprint of the attraction was unchanged from its original version. There would have been no reason to change anything to begin with, so that wasn’t a surprise at all. The first half of the queue is virtually unchanged physically (obviously, everything has been touched up, re-painted, and updated). The most notable addition in the first part of the queue is the gorgeous high-definition screen that showcases Star Tours destinations and flight information. Holy wampa poop, it’s clear! 8 out of every 10 men entering the queue stare at that and instantly say, “I want one in our house.” It’s the end-all of a high-def screen and is in all seriousness, stunning.

Star Tours Imagineers Steven Speigel and Tom Fitzgerald

The videos are fun and the flight information amusing (including the notice that flights to Alderaan have been cancelled – in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, that is the planet that gets blown to pieces by the Death Star). The banter between C-3PO and R2-D2 is equally as cute, and while there are some old Star Tours bits still in play, there is new dialogue that is awesome, including a total dig at the infamous character Jar Jar Binks that had us laughing out loud!

The second portion of the Star Tours queue is where the big changes have come. The two G2 droids (originally Geese in the America Sings attraction in Tomorrowland) are still in place, but their company has changed a bit – including a decommissioned Captain Rex, who sputters fragmented parts of his dialogue from the original attraction before shorting out! It’s kind of sad, but a really cool tribute that Imagineers made to the attraction’s original pilot. The great part of the upper queue for Tours is a G2 droid checking luggage; he scans it and we get to see inside each bit of luggage as they go through security – the inside jokes are abundant at this point, and those paying close attention will see everything from Aladdin’s lamp to Madame Leota from The Haunted Mansion! It’s wonderful – and guests love this!

The attraction is of course, in 3-D. Disney weighed its options and ultimately went with Dolby, which is using cutting-edge technology to create stunning 3-D film. The glasses themselves are very thick and sturdy – a huge departure from the age-old “Captain EO” glasses we’ve all become familiar with at Disney theme parks. Inside word is that the glasses aren’t cheap – they actually cost upward of $10.00 or more per unit. The playback frame rate of the film is very fast, making what riders see in 3-D incredibly clear and completely realistic. It’s by far, the most stunning 3-D I have ever seen; I was, and still am blown away by it each time I ride Star Tours.

Star Tours is of course, a simulator attraction – and the movement of the cabins has been taken to the next level as well for the new version of the ride. In addition to the up and down movements we all expect, some of the bigger surprises come when the Starspeeder gets shaken from side-to-side in the jaws of a mammoth underwater creature! It’s awesome and shocks the hell out of everyone on board – you can hear it in their screams, laughter and applause. The overall movement of the simulators seems to be more fluid and less violent than before; this is absolutely done with the long-term maintenance of the simulators in mind. However, it doesn’t take away from the show at all. I personally think the Star Tours movements are much better now than they’ve ever been.

We all know that the huge technological “hook” of Star Tours: The Adventures Continue is the fact that there are multiple random possibilities of flight experiences; 54, to be exact. This is achieved by multiple sequences being selected and locked in the same way a slot machine’s RNG (random number generator) chooses what your outcome is going to be long before the reels stop spinning. Once the dispatch sequence is initiated, the computer system selects the various components that will make up a flight experience, and away you go! It’s really impressive technology at play here – and everyone finds quickly that they have their favorite sequences. Obviously, visitors that ride Tours maybe only once every five, 10, or more years will not get the full impact of the new technology. But for the millions of local visitors, this is a great way to get folks to ride Tours over and over again. My personal favorite sequences are the Vader beginning, Kashyyyk (the wookie planet – love wookie on the windshield!), Princess Leia transmission (because the animation of Carrie Fisher is jaw-dropping) and Naboo (nothing beats the underwater sequence as you get thrashed from side-to-side). I mean, they’re all great – with something for everyone from all of the Star Wars films.

And that is one of the things that most people have questioned; the timeline of Star Tours. If this version of Tours is supposed to be a prequel, then Captain Rex wouldn’t exist and shouldn’t be in the queue. The Star Wars characters are all wrong too, according to the timeline and lore of the franchise. However – that has been answered adequately by Imagineers, who consulted with George Lucas about this. It was Lucas who wanted everything thrown in – regardless of correct timelines.

Thousands of Disneyland guests zig-zag through the Hub in the Star Tours opening day queue

The point of Star Tours is to bring guests some of the most memorable moments and best elements of all the Star Wars films – so Lucas said just go for it, and that is exactly what WDI did. And I have absolutely no problem with that. You have to take it at face value, and enjoy it.

Something that I have come across several times since Star Tours re-opened have been people complaining that they’ve gotten some of the same sequences multiple times, and how disappointed they are. This ranges from casual guests to Disney podcast personalities. I listen to this and think, “HELLO! Would you rather go back to the same single experience we’ve had for the past 20 freaking years? Are you seriously complaining because you’ve had the same sequences already?” People are amazing that way – how quickly they forget what was, and how fast they complain about something shiny and new. It’s amusing and frustrating at the same time. But, people are people.

One marketing misstep that I think Disney made when getting the information out to the media was trumpeting the fact that more than 1,000 Imagineers worked on Star Tours. That actually really works against the message they’re trying to convey. At base value, I understand – anyone that had anything to do with this attraction is referred to as an Imagineer. And in that case, I can see how more than 1,000 “Imagineers” contributed to the attraction. However – and it’s a huge however – when you consider that old school classics such as Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion had actually a very small core of talented Imagineers working on the projects – saying that it took more than 1,000 for a simulator attraction actually makes Disney sound really bad, in my opinion. Even Indiana Jones Temple of the Forbidden Eye had a core team of just over 50 Imagineers. I guess it’s all in wording and the way it’s taken – it just rubs me the wrong way when Disney seems bent on pushing the fact that so many people worked on one attraction. But I digress…

I went in to Star Tours completely jaded and prepared to pick it to pieces. Simulators are so ‘90s to me. And 3-D… if I have another 3-D experience shoved down my throat, I will scream! However, hard as I tried to find something I didn’t like about Star Tours from a technical point of view, I can find nothing. Nothing at all. What Tom Fitzgerald and the rest of the Star Tours team has done is nothing short of modern day voodoo. Star Tours is a flawless, perfect re-imagining of the classic attraction that has been bettered in every way. Star Tours was so ragged and tired by the time it closed, I honestly thought it was a lost cause. However, after experiencing Star Tours: The Adventures Continue almost 20 times at the writing of this story, I absolutely have no doubt that WDI has breathed at least 15 more years into this attraction; perhaps longer.

Major kudos to all involved in this project; you should all be very excited and proud of your accomplishment. The Star Wars universe has never been so wonderfully alive and vivid for people of all ages to explore and enjoy. The cheers of approval are genuine and the enthusiasm of the guests leaving the Starspeeders is palpable.  

Star Tours: The Adventures continue renews our faith in the art of Imagineering and proves that Disney magic is still alive and well in Anaheim, Orlando or anywhere else in the galaxy!

Story By Rick West

Media assembled for the opening ceremony of Ariel's Undersea Adventure

From the moment I first heard her smoky voice belt out "Poor Unfortunate Souls", I was in love with Pat Carroll’s performance and the life she breathed into Ursula. In my opinion, Ursula is one of Disney's greatest villains of all time, thanks in huge part also to the sheer musical genius of Alan Menken and the late but never-forgotten Howard Ashman.

The Little Mermaid brought about a new, fresh air of excitement throughout The Walt Disney Company. Inevitably, Ariel and friends would swim their way into the hearts of billions; something that the Disney marketing and consumer product machines certainly tapped in to - and have continued to do so for decades, from toys and video games, to Broadway productions and theme park restaurants and meet-and-greet locations. Naturally, it wasn't a question of if, but when the world would be given a Little Mermaid attraction.

And while different sources will vary with early accounts, it's certain to say that serious discussions regarding a Mermaid attraction date back to at least the early to mid '90s, when Imagineers entertained the idea of the CircleVision show building as a possible attraction location, re-drawing the boundary lines of Fantasyland and Tomorrowland inside Disneyland. Ultimately, that didn't happen and CircleVision became the queue for the ill-fated Rocket Rods attraction, and now is home to Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters for the foreseeable future. Other projects and parks have come along since then - but WDI never lost the desire to bring this special animated feature to life at the Disneyland Resort. What the Imagineers back then couldn't have seen coming was a failing second gate in Anaheim, desperately in need of a fairy tale twist of fate; a course that The Little Mermaid would play a major role in righting so many years later.

Too Much of a Good Thing?

Walt Disney was a master of giving the public enough of a glimpse of Disneyland projects to entice visitors from far and near to come to Anaheim to see what was new at The Happiest Place on Earth. And that tradition has continued throughout the years. Many… mature Disneyland fans will remember the Preview Center on Main Street U.S.A., which served as an early marketing tool for new and upcoming attractions at the park. The large Splash Mountain model that now resides in The Walt Disney Story was once part of the Preview Center, actually. Imagineers have always enjoyed showing off their ambitious ideas to fans and curious guests.

Following in that tradition, Disney Imagineering began unveiling Ariel's Undersea Adventure within the Blue Sky Cellar at California Adventure. Videos, concept art and models went on display, giving the public more than a little look at the coming attraction. In fact, the entire ride layout was depicted in a large overview model of the attraction. While the general public seemed really interested at this behind-the-scenes look, it took many Disney enthusiasts by surprise that the company would show everything about the attraction as it was being built. And I agree that it was a really unusual move for WDI to allow so much of this attraction to be seen prior to it opening. In a way, it absolutely killed some of the anticipation factor that goes into waiting as a new Disney attraction is being built; with Mermaid, it was all at our finger tips - models and artwork at Blue Sky Cellar, or videos of the Animatronics figures being created and programmed touted online within official Disneyland blogs.

Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Tom Staggs welcomes Alan Menken to the stage!

The one and only Jodi Benson, singing "Part of Your World"!

Yet, despite the fact that Disney left few surprises to be found for ourselves, come opening day, the attraction was packed with enthusiastic guests ready to take their own journey under the sea into the world of The Little Mermaid. Whether you liked or were somewhat surprised by Disney's show-all marketing push surrounding Ariel's Undersea Adventure, it's impossible to argue that it wasn't a success. Mermaid has become one of the most popular attractions at California Adventure, signaling just how ready the public is for more "classic" Disney magic to be bestowed upon the theme park.

Under The Sea Around De World!

Ariel's Undersea Adventure was not the first Little Mermaid attraction from Disney. Other parks had Ariel and the gang much sooner than we did here in California. In January 1992, Walt Disney World opened the charming show Voyage of the Little Mermaid, a 15-minute musical/puppet show that incorporates live actors and beautiful special effects to take guests underwater into the world of Ariel, Sebastian and Flounder. On a much grander scale, Mermaid Lagoon, a huge themed area filled with attractions, restaurants and a Cirque-like show based on The Little Mermaid opened in September 2001 at Tokyo DisneySea, and is still one of the park's most popular attractions.

California Adventure's Little Mermaid attraction was the third to open, and soon, Florida will get a clone of California's as they unveil their new Fantasyland in The Magic Kingdom in 2012; the only difference apparently will be the exterior building and queue. 

Whozits and Whatzits Galore

While in the queue for Ariel’s Undersea Adventure, one of the first things we noticed was the beautiful attention to detail. From sea shells molded into the cement to appear as they would on a sandy beach, to sculpted seaweed light fixtures above, the craftsmanship that went into the Mermaid building is absolutely wonderful, and should not go unnoticed.  It is a real plus that given the choice, Imagineers opted for the more detailed queue than a cheaper, “it’ll do” version.  The façade itself is styled after large boardwalk bathhouse/plunge buildings that dotted America’s coasts in the early 1900s, and is truly a great representation of the new Paradise Pier re-imagining at Disney California Adventure. Huge props to those involved with the design of the attraction’s exterior and queue. A bit of trivia for those newer Disneyland fans: the Triton sculpture that adorns the top of Mermaid’s show building was originally a featured piece in Triton’s Garden, now the home of Pixie Hollow at Disneyland; it’s great that Imagineers were able to incorporate the piece into the attraction’s façade! So remember, when in the queue for Mermaid, take the time to really look around – below your feet, along the walls, high above in the ceiling; the love and artistry that went into the building itself is very evident and we totally notice and appreciate it.

Tour of the Kingdom

One of the first things that struck us was how close the load area is for Mermaid to the front door of the building. I suppose we just assumed that much of the queue would also be within the show building, but that is not the case. The switchbacks outside make up approximately 90% of the entire queue for the attraction. Once inside, you make one long switchback and you’re on the ride. It’s actually very cool to look at the attraction from the outside and see guests boarding the clam shell vehicles in front of a massive mural that spans the load/unload area, following in the footsteps of Disneyland’s classic dark rides such as Peter Pan and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.

The ride system itself is an “Omnimover”, named by Disney Legend Bob Gurr, which was developed by WED (Now Walt Disney Imagineering) in the mid 1960s. In “clam shell” form, Disneyland’s first version was the Atommobiles in Adventure Thru Inner Space, which opened in summer of 1967. The second, and arguably most popular clam shell version of the Omnimover system at Disneyland was used in The Haunted Mansion, which opened in 1969. Most of us grew up with one or both of these attractions, so seeing a third generation of clam shells really used as clam shells in Ariel’s Undersea Adventure is really cool! An interesting observation – after literally going on The Haunted Mansion my whole life, I found that my body automatically “knows” just the right height to step in and out of the Mansion’s vehicles, and when getting into the clam shells in Mermaid, I find myself over-stepping both into and out of the vehicles, as they sit just slightly lower to the ground than the Mansion’s do; I’m sure other life-long Disneylanders have experienced this as well.

There is no need to break down the ride scene-by-scene, as that’s no fun; we want you to visit Disneyland and experience this new attraction for yourself. I will however, discuss my own likes and observations in the paragraphs to come, so if you want to avoid spoilers, you’re going to want to skip ahead to the final section of this article.

Sherie Rene Scott performs "Poor Unfortunate Souls".

The Animatronics created for Mermaid are absolutely stunning. Created by third-party robotics company Garner Holt Productions, the Audio-Animatronics figures in the attraction, from Scuttle to King Triton are easily, the best figures anywhere at the Disneyland Resort. The single most jaw-dropping gem in this bunch is Ursula, standing over 7 feet tall and 12 feet wide. Her movement is so life-like and fluid, it’s pretty startling when you first encounter her in person. Disney showcased her in preview videos, but nothing compares to being just feet away from her as she performs “Poor Unfortunate Souls”. The marriage of cutting-edge Animatronics technology and Imagineering “magic” have combined, and really take Mermaid to the next level of “classic dark ride” experience from Disney. In the spirit of the ever-present guessing game of, “What Would Walt Think?” I believe he’d be absolutely thrilled with what’s been accomplished here. The knee-jerk reactionary thought at the same time is, we sincerely hope that Disneyland maintenance crews are equipped and shown exactly how to maintain and care for these new figures, because their advanced movement and fluid abilities are what make them so special; we’ll know the moment quality begins to slip and proper maintenance isn’t being performed to keep these Animatronics in top form.

Jodi Benson and Sherie Rene Scott duel it out with their songs from The Little Mermaid to the delight of the audience!

As many bloggers, journalists and podcasts have already stated, this attraction is not technically on par with “E”-Ticket experiences such as Indiana Jones or Pirates of the Caribbean; it never was intended to be (although the Animatronics used in the ride surpass even the best figures in any of Disneyland Resort’s biggest adventures). So don’t go in to The Little Mermaid with the expectation that it’s going to be the greatest thing since you stared at Mara; you’ll likely be disappointed if you go in expecting that caliber of attraction. That said, Ariel’s Undersea Adventure is a wonderful dark ride in the tradition of the Fantasyland attractions and Monsters, Inc. Personally, I’ve described it as a cross between The Haunted Mansion, It’s a Small World and Winnie the Pooh. I’ll explain:

The Haunted Mansion bit is easy – you ride in a clam shell Omnimover vehicle, which we’re all familiar with. With regard to Small World and Pooh, The Little Mermaid features some black light elements, but is mostly lit with bright and colorful show lighting. Immediately, some fans were turned off by the fact that much of the show lighting – especially in the attraction’s large Under the Sea scene – is plainly visible, as it is in Small World. After many rides through Mermaid, I’m certain that what throws most people is that while this is classified as a “dark ride”, there is very little black light used at all, as opposed to the Fantasyland attractions at Disneyland, which are primarily lit via ultraviolet bulbs and black light-reactive paint. Ariel’s Undersea Adventure is a family attraction that incorporates many lighting methods. I do agree that in the case of the Under the Sea scene, a lot of show lighting is visible if you happen to look up at the ceiling. However, I’m going to suggest that most visitors will be looking straight ahead at the intended field of vision, which is bursting with colorful figures and animated creatures. Very few of us are literally riding through, examining the ceiling. And in the event that guests do look up at the ceiling, I will further suggest that most of them won’t think twice that there is show lighting visible; the general public – especially children – just don’t think that way. Rather than studying the lights in the ceiling, I would tell fans to look for the hidden Mr. Limpet in the Under the Sea section of the ride instead if they’re that inclined to look around; he’s there – you just have to know where to look for him! Imagineers included this loving tribute to Don Knott’s, an entertainer that many of them truly admired as they grew up. Even though The Incredible Mr. Limpet is not a Disney film, the nod fits right in and is a special extra little touch from WDI.

The portion of the attraction that is black-lit is Ursula’s lair, and it is really well done; the art direction is spot on. In fact, as you pass into the lair under Ursula’s eel companions Flotsam and Jetsam, you find yourself wanting the ride system to move slower so you can take it in and watch it longer!

Ariel is obviously the star of the attraction, and she appears in Animatronics form in four of the scenes: Ariel’s Grotto, Under the Sea, Kiss the Girl and the finale (which is a lot, considering Indiana Jones only appears three times in Temple of the Forbidden Eye, in comparison). Of the four, the most stunning in my opinion, is in her grotto, where we first find her, singing “Part of Your World”. To say this is an emotional moment is an understatement.  She is so beautiful and animated so brilliantly that actually coming face-to-face with her is pure Disney magic. Total geek moment – I admit openly that the first time we rode this attraction, I got completely choked up when we first saw Ariel. Everything about the grotto scene is perfect, from the lighting to Ariel’s “floating hair”, which Imagineers worked tirelessly on to perfect and give the illusion that it was floating underwater. The end result is fantastic, and I imagine this particular scene will become a guest favorite not just in this ride, but as a stand-out memory from their overall Disneyland Resort trip. I’ll even go so far as to say that it’s going to become one of those classic Disney attraction moments such as the ship battle scene in Pirates, flying over London in Peter Pan, or the Ballroom in The Haunted Mansion. Coming face-to-face with Ariel singing “Part of Your World” is as epic as it gets, folks; especially for little girls that have grown up watching The Little Mermaid. It’s the stuff goose bumps come from, and I love it.

Another favorite is Sebastian. We’re in love with this amazing little figure! He is just about perfect, whether he’s spying on Ariel in horror in her grotto or conducting in Under the Sea. He is one of the smallest full-blown Animatronics figures ever created for a Disney attraction and most definitely is ground-breaking in his movement and life-like presentation. Huge kudos to the folks at Garner Holt and WDI on bringing everyone’s favorite crab to life – he’s adorable!

The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure officially opens!

Percussion… Strings… Winds… Words…

One of the most endearing aspects of The Little Mermaid is the music of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, who took us on a lyrical journey under the sea, into a sea witch’s clutches, and onto a royal wedding barge. Their incredible music brought The Little Mermaid off of the screen and into our hearts, and the world instantly fell in love with Ariel as she sang about becoming human. If animation is one of the Disney company’s cornerstones, surely music is another. The score and songs for Mermaid became classic, earning Menken and Ashman two Academy Awards – for Best Score and Best Song – “Under the Sea”. One of the film’s other songs – “Kiss the Girl” – was also nominated for Best Song, signaling that Disney had returned to the realm of animated features in a huge way. Howard Ashman died of AIDS in 1991, after completing musical work for both Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin with his friend and partner Alan Menken. It shook the Disney company, and entertainment industry as a whole to the core. Ashman is often remembered in speeches and interviews as a true Disney Legend who helped reshape the company and help return it to its rightful place in film entertainment and beyond.

Jodi Benson remained on stage for a moment once the attraction opened to blow kisses and wave to everyone.

A true tribute to Howard Ashman and Alan Menken is the non-stop flow of guests through Ariel’s Undersea Adventure who smile and sing along with each scene. What a fitting honor to have countless guests of all ages caught up in the celebration of your songs in a Disney park attraction inspired by a film you helped create. We’ve witnessed this over and over again – and think it is wonderful. Whenever you ride through Ariel’s Undersea Adventure, take a moment to remember the two men who so lovingly taught a crab to conduct, and gave a mermaid her voice. 

Part of Your World 

On the afternoon of June 2, 2011, hundreds of members of the media from all corners of the globe – news stations, magazines, radio, and Internet, gathered outside of Ariel’s Undersea Adventure to witness the spectacle that is a Disney attraction opening ceremony.  Theme Park Adventure was invited to attend this momentous occasion, and we had a perfect, bird’s-eye-view of the stage that had been set up just feet away from the front door of the attraction.

Tom Staggs, chairman of Walt Disney Park and Resorts presided over the attraction’s opening ceremony, stating that Mermaid is part of the re-imagining of DCA and a critical part of infusing the park with more of the traditional Disney characters and magic that the company is known for. He acknowledged everyone who worked hard to bring Ariel’s Undersea Adventure to life, which resonated nicely with the audience of media and fans lined up behind the media bleachers.

Tom also acknowledged Pat Carroll, the voice of Ursula. She was in attendance, but uses a mobility scooter to get around and so, was not on stage. Pat waved as everyone cheered for her – it was a special moment for me, considering how much I have loved the character of Ursula over the past two decades. It’s fantastic that Disney had Pat there – in fact, she was at the parks for several days, much to the thrill of fans. Ms. Carroll was very approachable and paused to take pictures with guests and sign autographs. She is as cute as cute can be – and just hearing that voice come out of her – it was so very special for everyone.

Staggs then introduced Alan Menken to the stage. The roar from the audience was heartfelt and awesome. Mr. Menken seemed genuinely thrilled to be part of the opening ceremony and stated that having his music in the attraction is a “dream-come-true”. He spoke of Howard Ashman, and what a thrill it was to be part of the entire Little Mermaid experience.

The highlight of the ceremony came when Tom introduced none other than Jodi Benson, the voice of Ariel. She sang “Part of Your World”, and I have to say, it was one of the most emotional moments, if not the most emotional moment I have ever witnessed during an attraction opening event. As she sang the song, you could feel the electricity in the air – a true lump-in-the-throat moment, if ever there was one. Ms. Benson sounded fantastic and everyone was visibly moved by the performance of the film’s iconic song. After she finished, Jodi took a moment to say how honored she was to be part of this, and also thanked Alan Menken and Howard Ashman for inviting her to be part of The Little Mermaid. The crowd erupted into applause and cheers for her in a true show of affection. 

Following Jodi Benson, Sherie Rene Scott was welcomed to the stage to perform her Broadway version of Ursula’s “Poor Unfortunate Souls”, which naturally, brought the house down! Ms. Scott said it was an honor to leave her lair in New York City to come be with Alan Menken, Jodi Benson and especially Pat Carroll. 

With a bit more musical fanfare, the ceremony reached fever-pitch as Jodi Benson and Sherie Rene Scott had a musical duel, intertwining their songs. King Triton’s trident was waved, the huge backdrop curtain fell, revealing the full facade, and Tom Staggs welcomed everyone to Ariel’s Undersea Adventure, declaring the attraction open!

The ceremony was nothing short of epic. I’ve attended many, many attraction ceremonies at Disneyland Resort, from the opening of Indiana Jones to New Tomorrowland and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. I can honestly say that Mermaid’s opening was the most emotional and picture-perfect of them all. It’s not about how many celebrities you can invite to your party. It’s not about how much pyro you can set off.

The one and only Pat Carroll greeting adoring fans - we love you, Pat!

The opening of Ariel’s Undersea Adventure had all of the right people and elements in place to be both impressive for the media and more importantly, deeply, very deeply-satisfying to us fans. To all who had a part in creating the opening ceremony for Mermaid, we say thank you so very much for really giving us something special; something that we’ll all remember for the rest of our lives when we look back on that beautiful June afternoon at California Adventure.

Ariel’s Undersea Adventure marks the next major milestone in re-Imagineering Disney California Adventure into the park it deserved to be all along. The Little Mermaid attraction will no doubt, take its place over the coming decades as a classic in the company of Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland and even the larger attractions such as It’s a Small World and The Haunted Mansion. You see, Mermaid is more than just another dark ride; it is the full-circle completion of a film that took The Walt Disney Company out of its darkest hours, and re-defined a true fairy tale princess for children around the world. From the silver screen to Broadway, The Little Mermaid was always so much more than just an animated feature; it was the return of the Disney spirit to the studio. Ariel found her voice, gave Disney animators and artists a new lease on life, and in all ways that would have made Walt very proud, became part of our world…

Discuss The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure on the TPA Message Board

Story by Rick West

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

On January 9, 1987, Star Tours opened at Disneyland Park, the second collaborative effort between George Lucas and the newly-formed "Team Disney" forces of Michael Eisner and the late Frank Wells.

After the wildly-successful opening of Captain EO, Star Tours exploded onto the scene, giving Disneyland its newest "E" Ticket attraction and driving home with light speed the undeniable truth that The Walt Disney Company was back and stronger than ever under the new guidance of Eisner and Wells. No one had ever seen anything like Star Tours before - it would blaze the trail for similar simulator attractions at parks around the world for decades to come. With the combined wizardry of Lucasfilm's Industrial Light and Magic and Walt Disney Imagineering, the Star Wars universe was a perfect fit for Tomorrowland.

But we know all of that, and this is not going to be a Star Tours history lesson. I just want to take a moment and strike the chord that connects all of us as Disneyland and fans of Star Wars. Being born in 1970, I definitely qualify as a "Star Wars kid", as do many of our readers. And for those who came along after us "old guys", it's safe to say you're Star Tours kids, thanks to the attraction keeping the flame burning brightly for more than 20 years for guests of all ages to discover. For many of our readers, Star Tours has always been there - just like Pirates, Matterhorn or Tiki Room have "always been there" for the older crowd. The magic of Star Tours is that it was able to connect all of us - whether 40-years-old or 14-years-old - and bring us together on a fantastic, misguided adventure to the forest moon of Endor.

God knows, the chatter about "Star Tours 2" has been going on for eons; it really is nothing new. Imagineers have pushed for this change for years and years. Finally, after too long, in my opinion, they finally got the green light they were waiting on and began the process for real. The impact came at closing time on July 26, 2010, as enthusiasts from all walks made their way down Main Street USA to Tomorrowland to board the StarSpeeder 3000 one final time just before the doors to the attraction were closed and locked.

It truly was the final boarding call for this beloved attraction.

Fans have been flocking to Disneyland over the past week or so with cameras and camcorders in hand to document this attraction and to say their own goodbyes. We did, and it was truly very emotional for me. I remember as a teen going to Disneyland and getting my first ride; it was nothing short of amazing. Years later, I would take my grandfather, Joseph West, on Star Tours; it was the last "new" attraction we went on together the last time I took him to Disneyland and he loved it; insisted on riding it twice, and said it was his favorite ride, he was so impressed - and he was the one who was the life-long Pirates of the Caribbean fan, so that said a lot.

I remember other great trips as well - especially with my long-time dear friend, Don Schockow... "THE TRENCH!" Good, good times.

But I digress; we all have our fond Star Tours memories that are personal and special to each of us in our own way. Those are beautiful treasures, folks; keep them alive and keep those moments close to your heart forever - because that's what it's all about in the end; our own cherished moments with these attractions acting as the centerpieces.

TPA reader Maddy Mazurek shared this personal memory with us:

"My favorite memory of Star Tours was when I went with a club my Senior year of high school. I was secretary of Club Bridges, a club designed to "bridge the gap" between special education students and the rest of the student body. Every year, the special education students go to Disneyland on a field trip, and I was asked to be a chaperone. Everyone was asked to pick their favorite ride before we left so we could try to make everyone happy once we arrived. The shyest, most quiet girl in class said her favorite was Star Tours. When we got to Disneyland, that was the first ride we went on. The girl asked me to sit with her, so I did. She was so excited and after the ride, she talked more than I had ever heard her talk before. She spent the rest of the day telling me how much she loved it and reciting lines from the ride.

"Disney brings magic to all people and the effect this magic has, is so inspiring."

We thank Maddy for sharing that awesome memory with us - there are hundreds of thousands out there that are all wonderful in their own way.

Personal memories aside, we all shared common love for the Star Tours experience. Walking into the queue and seeing the StarSpeeder there with C-3PO and R2-D2; what an absolutely awesome visual that was. We were all instantly 12 again - and it was fantastic.

The soundtrack of the queue - all of the inside jokes and chatter going on, coupled with the really cool "tour package" videos on the huge display screen in the terminal; it was a top-notch production. We will always remember the paging of, "Mr. Morrow... Mr. Tom Morrow", or "Mr. Egroeg Sacul" (George Lucas backward) and the whimsical bickering between R2 and 3PO. Further up in the queue, in "Sector 2", the adorable G2 droids entertained us with great lines such as singing, "I've been working on the same droid... all the live long day!" The cool thing is, that droid was actually one of the geese from America Sings; in that attraction, it sang, "I've been workin' on the railroad... all the live long day!" Lots of nostaliga to go around. Lots. Those looking closely could still see the webbed feet and little tails on the G2 droids; that was always a favorite touch of mine.

And once we reached the boarding area, who didn't forever love Ms. Jenifer Lewis - also known as "the funky hair-do lady" - welcoming all of us, and asking us to have a nice flight? Now she is the epitome of a cult classic at Disneyland, folks! We loved her for being the "Star Tours lady" for over two decades, and most of us didn't even know she went on to bigger and better things! To us, she was always simply the Star Tours chick! It would be tremendous fun if Walt Disney Imagineering were to bring her back to do the pre-board for Star Tours 2.0; most people wouldn't make the connection probably, but I think the long-time Tours fans would go nuts. I have no idea whether or not this has been thought of - but wouldn't it be awesome?

The Star Tours queue was so packed with inside jokes and really cool little details that an entire article could be written about that alone. And once onboard the StarSpeeder... that was when the real magic took place. Back in the day, when simulator attractions weren't a dime a dozen, it really felt like we'd left Disneyland for the forest moon of Endor!

As a high school kid in 1987, I remember getting really excited seeing the Star Tours commercial on television - especially cool was the silhouette of Mickey Mouse as the StarSpeeder doors popped open. I was also a skeptical 17-year-old at the time (yeah, yeah, now I'm an even more skeptical 40-year-old... I know), and wondered just how this attraction worked and how it would feel. Wow... the first time I rode was a huge reality check that Disneyland rides could be cool - even to teens! I was blown away, especially by the "light speed" effect - and loved Star Tours ever since, even though in later years I have become very critical of how badly Disneyland has let it age.

A couple years later, as an Attractions Cast Member at Disneyland, I had the opportunity to watch the simulators in action from a maintenance area; that was during a time in my life when I was learning that I loved knowing how the magic was done more than the end result. Long before TPA came along, the seeds of interest and genuine love of attractions and their inner workings were planted.

I came along just a few years too late - but many of my Cast Member co-workers were there as Star Tours was being tested and fine-tuned. One of my favorite stories is that once in a while as the attraction was being tested, the film and movement of the cabin would be out of sync just by a second or two - the result made people really ill! The thought of Cast Members getting totally motion sick on the ride as it was being tested actually makes me wish I could have experienced that aspect of Star Tours too!

The ride itself, was a Star Wars kid's dream-come-true. Who didn't always want to fly down the Death Star trench or go head-to-head with Imperial Tie Fighters (although I was always an Imperial fan, myself - it's all about Vader, baby)? The visuals by ILM and the creative genius of Walt Disney Imagineering truly granted us that wish, didn't they? When working properly, the originality of the attraction technology, the storytelling and power of the Star Wars universe and the classic John Williams themes combined to bring Disneylanders a near-perfect attraction. Definitely an "E" Ticket of epic proportions.

Even with some of its flaws - none more grating to me than the horrible edit as the StarSpeeder entered the comet - Star Tours was so much fun that it truly became a classic very quickly for generations of Disneyland guests. Star Tours was hokey, but it worked - it was over-the-top, but we loved it. It was Disney magic at its best when the park needed it the most.

My own personal favorite gag of the ride took place on the screen to the front right of the cabin, where video transmissions would broadcast from. As you come out of hyperspace, the monitor would say "Approaching Endor". As the StarSpeeder completely over-shot the moon, the screen very casually switched to "Leaving Endor". It was a simply little joke that always made me laugh and those I pointed it out to over the years. The detail was charming, from the gags on-screen to the "Remove Before Flight" tag that hung from the ship's robotic Captain Rex. It was brilliant, through and through.

The nostalgia thread continued even in the ride film, as we always got a glimpse of the Mighty Microscope and its miniature Atomobiles as the StarSpeeder left the port. There was so much creative love poured into this attraction - and it showed.

As we documented Star Tours, my heart was heavy. It's never fun or pleasant for me to document an attraction before its closure; especially attractions that we've grown attached to over the years. For me, Star Tours was a biggie. I have been at many attraction closures at Disneyland over the past almost-16 years that we've been doing Theme Park Adventure; it never gets easier or "routine", even though the motions of taking hundreds of images is a bit mechanical. There comes a point when enough pictures have been taken. We turn off the cameras and back out of "work mode". We become the fans that we are at the core and take the last part of the moment in personally.

Several Cast Members during the visit told guests who were taking pictures, "It's not really going away, you know. We're just updating it." My respectful response to them was, "It will never be the same." Most of them hung for a moment and smiling, admitted, "Yeah. I know."

This story isn't about Star Tours 2.0, but I'll just say that as someone who has loved this attraction since it opened, it will not be the same, regardless of the bells and whistles employed. When it comes down to it in my opinion, the upgrade should have come 10 years ago, when the Star Wars frenzy was in high-gear; before we all realized how awful the new Star Wars films would be and how not like the original Trilogy they are. All of the 3-D imagery and technical effects in the world cannot compensate for a soulless subject.

Regardless of what WDI comes up with for Tours 2.0, it truly will never be the same and everyone knows it. I honestly wish they'd simply used the space for something completely new. I only hope that somehow, the Imagineering team behind 2.0 will sincerely strive to maintain the high level of humor and humanity that the original attraction captured so beautifully. We'll find out in less than a year; until then, we wait and see.

With cameras off, we walked the queue one final time. Slowly. Taking it all in: the battle damage on the StarSpeeder in the maintenance bay; the final announcement for the owner of a red and black landspeeder, vehicle ID THX-1138 to return to the craft; C-3PO and R2-D2 quibbling amongst themselves in grand fashion that we all know and adore; the G2 droids in Sector 2 messing around; the backlit robot being welded and worked on behind a closed door.

Our group was sent to board our final flight just as the outer doors to the cabin opened; I never got to see the pre-board video that last time. I stepped into the blacklight-lit expanse between doors and simulator and glanced at the painted StarSpeeder and looked up into the darkness above one last time as the Star Wars music played. Once all belted in and underway, I cannot deny the huge lump in my throat as we dodged comets, Imperial Star Destroyers and made the jump to light speed one last time.

Before I knew it, it was all over and the exit music was playing. I was the first in my row near the exit doors, so I couldn't even linger and look one last time at the empty cabin. My final flight had come and gone all too quickly. Captain Rex and the wild and crazy misadventure of Star Tours had finally jumped to light speed one last time - into the Disneyland story forever.

Star Tours will live on forever in the hearts and memories of millions of Disneyland guests. It served its purpose and as cliché as it seems, I took comfort in imagining hearing Walt's voice say that Disneyland will never be complete. You know the speech. Even Walt knew things would always be in a state of constant change at Disneyland. Yet, we get attached to these things - these attractions. Hydraulic fluid, cold metal and miles of electric wiring become "friends" of ours over the years. More than just rides - they serve as comfort for many of us in difficult times; times of loss in our lives when we need a smile, times of struggle when we need to forget about "reality" for a few precious minutes, times of loneliness when we feel there is no one yet we don't feel left behind when laughing along with strangers.

These attractions grow on us over the years, and we grow with these attractions. They are machines that we have personal investments in. They are our "safe places" - our Laughin' Place. We are grateful that we had Star Tours and will never forget it.

Thank you to all of the Imagineers that brought Star Tours to life all those years ago. It truly was amazing and so very, very loved.

No more promises of doing better next time, Rex...

You did great.

The exterior of Star Tours at Disneyland Park
			We'll never forget those oh-so-'80s costumes!
			Inside the extended Star Tours queue
		The PeopleMover track
			Inside the main Star Tours queue
	The Star Tours mural in Tomorrowland on the attraction's show building
Star Tours at night
	Do you measure up?
	The StarSpeeder 3000	Sector 2
	The ride control console for Star Tours	The Star Tours boarding area	Inside the StarSpeeder 3000
			R2!
		Everyone loves -3PO
The G2 droids in Sector 2			The exit area of Star Tours
			Goodbye, Captain Rex
			LIGHT SPEED TO ENDOR!

Special thanks to our dear friend, Joe Bailey for assisting with these Star Tours images.

DISCUSS THIS STORY ON THE TPA MESSAGE BOARD

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.