Documenting Attractions Prior to Demolition

[Timekeeper]

If you haven't already guessed from my comments in recent posts, I am very much into documenting WDW attractions - mainly those that are about to be closed, retired and destroyed. This includes video, audio, 35mm still, etc.

My curiosity is this: Does the Disney team do anything to document their own attractions prior to destroying them?

Using the Carousel of Progress as an example: knowing (or assuming) that it will be closed very soon, I would imagine Disney employing professional videographers to set up their equipment (after hours) and recording the show numerous times. The best clips would then be edited to create a type of "master video" of the attraction. What they do with it from that point is up to them. It just seems rather odd to me that they would do absolutely nothing of that sort.

(I don't think that the short clips seen on promotional videos would suffice.)

Maybe someone can shed some light on this.

-TK

 

[Fievel]

I'm betting they have these videos already from every ride...including the dark coasters with the lights on, construction shots, blueprints, etc

 

[DisJosh]

I've got em all on tape.......I'm sure Disney has tons upon tons of film documenting ride construction and the actual completed attraction.

 

[goofy]

Does any1 know wat they do with the ride??

I mean all the Audio Animitronics and sets and stuff they dont just throw them in a large bin (trash can to those over the pond) do they ?????


Is there like huge big storage places some whrere where all the old rides are stored like 20,000 leagues, toads wild ride. horizons, delta dream flight,

This way it would be possibe to bring them back if they need to.

It would be a waste to throw them out and if they do ill give u some cash for COP (or ill take everythin out the bin)

 

[wdwmaniac]

I heard they use the animatronics in other rides and same with the old ride systems sometimes.

 

[Kevin]

They keep everything they can that would have future reuseable potential. You still hear about things from Horizons showing up around property.

 

[MrPromey]

Originally posted by goofy
Does any1 know wat they do with the ride??

I mean all the Audio Animitronics and sets and stuff they dont just throw them in a large bin (trash can to those over the pond) do they ?????


Is there like huge big storage places some whrere where all the old rides are stored like 20,000 leagues, toads wild ride. horizons, delta dream flight,

This way it would be possibe to bring them back if they need to.

It would be a waste to throw them out and if they do ill give u some cash for COP (or ill take everythin out the bin)

Well, they recycle a lot of the stuff. Many of the props from several of the scenes in Horizons, were tagged to go to Disney Seas when they began dismantling the sets… In the case of things like 20,000 leagues, the ride vehicles are behind the show building itself. Lots of stuff goes up for auction too. Not too long ago Disney was selling one of the Toads Wild Ride cars on Ebay. Bidding was up to I think about $10,000.00 and they wanted nearly another two to package and ship it. They sell/auction off stuff at the Disneyana conventions, too. I remember after the 25th b-day at that years convention, you could buy a piece of the birthday cake (vinyl strip). One of the original Dumbo cars from MK sold for over $40,000 one year… The animatronics are almost always recycled, too. These things are incredibly expensive, even for the really simple ones. If nothing else they can still take the skin off of old ones and redo them to look differently…

 

[Timekeeper]

Originally posted by MrPromey


If nothing else they can still take the skin off of old ones and redo them to look differently…

...but I don't have any skin.

- Timekeeper

 

[MrPromey]

Originally posted by Timekeeper


...but I don't have any skin.

- Timekeeper

In that case they could strip you of your 'plating' and put skin on you… They'll probably have to do something about that hair, too

 

[MrPromey]

Originally posted by Timekeeper


...but I don't have any skin.

- Timekeeper

They reused another robot-looking animatronics from the Motorola exhibits in Innoventions when they were remodeled. He used to host a show and now he sort of hovers (not literally) over a glowing ball and talks in a pre-show area...