Over the past couple years it has been blatantly obvious that Disney has been trying to attach a cinematic plot to its attractions in all four (and possibly five theme parks when Hong Kong is finished) theme parks. The attractions Country Bear Jamboree, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Haunted Mansion have either very subtle backgrounds (like HM) to no background (like CB) and to having no plot to its ride (like POTC, which is just a bunch of pirates who pillage and plunder and riffle and loot drink up me hearties yo ho).
Thats why Disney has created the three movies to allow the rider to understand the plot and background that is missing from these attractions. Finally we now know the background of the Country Bears, how the got together and what they did prior to performing the same performance several times a day over thirty years at WDW, but sadly not at DL anymore (and Im not to sure about DLP and TDL either). Ans also with the release of POTC: Curse of the Black Pearl riders will understand the reason to the fully-in-tacked and animated skeletons, the jokes about the pillaging pirates and the little insiders like the dog and the cell
keys.
However the movie that will be the best attribution to any Disney-theme park attraction, will be the Haunted Mansion. Since it opened in 1969, the background of the ride was very subtle, where we were only given subtle hints like the home’s owner, Master Gracey, the clairvoyant crystal baller, Madame Leota, the nameless bride in the attic and the ghost-host who in his previous life hung himself to escape the mansion. The plot of the ride seemed to be eliminated due to some graphic aspects, such as the hatbox ghost whose decapitated head appeared and reappeared in a box with the help the “pepper’s illusion” (thanks
Doombuggies.com).
With years of conjuring up lore from cast members, there has been several stories built around the attraction which ranged from a New Orleans sea captain, Master Gracey, buying
a mansion for his new wife. Since the house was haunted the sea captain went mad killed his wife by hiding the body in a chest (which is next to the ghost bride in the DL version) and
then committed suicide by hanging himself, thus making himself the Ghost Host. The DLP version of the ride is a little different from the others, where there is actually a plot, the bride
is seen a lot more and the Phantom (aka the ghost host) is more visible and crucial to the story. Hopefully the movie this fall will highlight the background.
To return back to the topic of this post, it maybe evident that Disney is purposely creating movies to “Disney-fy” attractions. Some are more apparent than others like POTC and HM,
but some attractions cannot be used to create movies. So there is little doubt that there will be “It’s a Small World the Movie” in 2006 or “Hall of Presidents the Movie” in 2007.
However when an attraction is deemed an uncinemtatic feature, a movie can be created to alter the attraction, and thus, serving a double purpose. For instance when “Tarzan” came out it was coincidental that Animal Kingdom came out around the same time and hence solving two problems: a cinematic feature and a basis for creating an attraction. This idea of killing two birds with one stone is possibly the basis for many of the movies recently brought by Disney, Touchstone, Mirimax, etc. The following are some of the trends of movies “Disney-fying” attractions:
Tarzan -> Animal Kingdom / Tarzan Rocks, Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse Rehab (TDL and DL)
Dinosaur-> Countdown to Extinction (Where’s the Disney?)-> Dinosaur the Ride
Lion King -> Symbiosis from Epcot’s The Land (Where’s the Disney?) -> Circle of Life
Aladdin, Lion King -> Tiki Tiki Room (Where’s the Disney?) -> Tiki Tiki Room Under New Management
Aladdin -> Adventureland (Where’s the Disney?) -> Magic Carpets
Pixar’s Toy Story -> Tomorrowland (Where’s the Disney?) -> Buzz
Lightyear Ranger Spin
Pixar’s Toy Story-> Wonder’s of Life (Where’s the Disney? Other than Goofy)-> Life rehab (Epcot /PG rumored)
Pixar’s Finding Nemo -> Living Seas (Where’s the Disney?) -> 2005 Seas rehab
Brother Bear -> DCA Grizzly Mountain (Where’s the Disney?) -> Brother Bear Themed Attraction at DCA (rumored)
Brother Bear -> Animal Kingdom (Where’s the Disney?) -> North America in Animal Kingdom (rumored)
Pixar’s Cars (2005)-> Test Track or Autopia (Where’s the Disney?) -> PG Test Track Rehab or Autopia Rehab (rumored)
Lilo & Stitch -> Alien Encounter ( Where’s the Disney?) -> Alien Encounter Rehab (rumored)
Monsters Inc. -> Universe of Energy (Where’s the Disney?) -> UoE Rehab (rumored)
Even though some of Disney’s movies flopped, one would have wondered what they would have or could created or altered if they were a success and if they were intended for an
attraction:
Mission to Mars -> Mission: Space (although hosted by Gary Sinese)
Treasure Planet -> Tomorrowland Attraction
Empire’s New Groove -> Peru in World Showcase, South America in Animal Kingdom
Reign of Fire -> Beastly Kingdom in Animal Kingdom
SO NEXT TIME WHEN A DISNEY MOVIE COMES OUT THINK OF THE POSSIBLE ATTRACTIONS THAT WILL BE CREATED or MAYBE.......ALTERED!
Thats why Disney has created the three movies to allow the rider to understand the plot and background that is missing from these attractions. Finally we now know the background of the Country Bears, how the got together and what they did prior to performing the same performance several times a day over thirty years at WDW, but sadly not at DL anymore (and Im not to sure about DLP and TDL either). Ans also with the release of POTC: Curse of the Black Pearl riders will understand the reason to the fully-in-tacked and animated skeletons, the jokes about the pillaging pirates and the little insiders like the dog and the cell
keys.
However the movie that will be the best attribution to any Disney-theme park attraction, will be the Haunted Mansion. Since it opened in 1969, the background of the ride was very subtle, where we were only given subtle hints like the home’s owner, Master Gracey, the clairvoyant crystal baller, Madame Leota, the nameless bride in the attic and the ghost-host who in his previous life hung himself to escape the mansion. The plot of the ride seemed to be eliminated due to some graphic aspects, such as the hatbox ghost whose decapitated head appeared and reappeared in a box with the help the “pepper’s illusion” (thanks
Doombuggies.com).
With years of conjuring up lore from cast members, there has been several stories built around the attraction which ranged from a New Orleans sea captain, Master Gracey, buying
a mansion for his new wife. Since the house was haunted the sea captain went mad killed his wife by hiding the body in a chest (which is next to the ghost bride in the DL version) and
then committed suicide by hanging himself, thus making himself the Ghost Host. The DLP version of the ride is a little different from the others, where there is actually a plot, the bride
is seen a lot more and the Phantom (aka the ghost host) is more visible and crucial to the story. Hopefully the movie this fall will highlight the background.
To return back to the topic of this post, it maybe evident that Disney is purposely creating movies to “Disney-fy” attractions. Some are more apparent than others like POTC and HM,
but some attractions cannot be used to create movies. So there is little doubt that there will be “It’s a Small World the Movie” in 2006 or “Hall of Presidents the Movie” in 2007.
However when an attraction is deemed an uncinemtatic feature, a movie can be created to alter the attraction, and thus, serving a double purpose. For instance when “Tarzan” came out it was coincidental that Animal Kingdom came out around the same time and hence solving two problems: a cinematic feature and a basis for creating an attraction. This idea of killing two birds with one stone is possibly the basis for many of the movies recently brought by Disney, Touchstone, Mirimax, etc. The following are some of the trends of movies “Disney-fying” attractions:
Tarzan -> Animal Kingdom / Tarzan Rocks, Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse Rehab (TDL and DL)
Dinosaur-> Countdown to Extinction (Where’s the Disney?)-> Dinosaur the Ride
Lion King -> Symbiosis from Epcot’s The Land (Where’s the Disney?) -> Circle of Life
Aladdin, Lion King -> Tiki Tiki Room (Where’s the Disney?) -> Tiki Tiki Room Under New Management
Aladdin -> Adventureland (Where’s the Disney?) -> Magic Carpets
Pixar’s Toy Story -> Tomorrowland (Where’s the Disney?) -> Buzz
Lightyear Ranger Spin
Pixar’s Toy Story-> Wonder’s of Life (Where’s the Disney? Other than Goofy)-> Life rehab (Epcot /PG rumored)
Pixar’s Finding Nemo -> Living Seas (Where’s the Disney?) -> 2005 Seas rehab
Brother Bear -> DCA Grizzly Mountain (Where’s the Disney?) -> Brother Bear Themed Attraction at DCA (rumored)
Brother Bear -> Animal Kingdom (Where’s the Disney?) -> North America in Animal Kingdom (rumored)
Pixar’s Cars (2005)-> Test Track or Autopia (Where’s the Disney?) -> PG Test Track Rehab or Autopia Rehab (rumored)
Lilo & Stitch -> Alien Encounter ( Where’s the Disney?) -> Alien Encounter Rehab (rumored)
Monsters Inc. -> Universe of Energy (Where’s the Disney?) -> UoE Rehab (rumored)
Even though some of Disney’s movies flopped, one would have wondered what they would have or could created or altered if they were a success and if they were intended for an
attraction:
Mission to Mars -> Mission: Space (although hosted by Gary Sinese)
Treasure Planet -> Tomorrowland Attraction
Empire’s New Groove -> Peru in World Showcase, South America in Animal Kingdom
Reign of Fire -> Beastly Kingdom in Animal Kingdom
SO NEXT TIME WHEN A DISNEY MOVIE COMES OUT THINK OF THE POSSIBLE ATTRACTIONS THAT WILL BE CREATED or MAYBE.......ALTERED!
-Alex
