To Infinity and Beyond: The Future of Walt Disney World

[DisneyManOne]

EPCOT Center
World Showcase
~~~~~
Tapestry of Nations

​

When the afternoon comes, the streets of World Showcase come alive with the return of Tapestry of Nations. Tapestry of Nations, created for the Millennium Celebration, is a celebration of the human spirit in the form of a processional. It is a story of unity told and led by the Sage of Time, a wise grandfatherly figure. He reminds us that years ago, humans lived in peace and harmony with one another and with the Earth. But as time passed, humans strove to rule the Earth and to rule over each other. Today, while there are still disputes and power struggles, humans are realizing that life is not about what country you can conquer and which people you can persecute. We are realizing that it is acceptable to be different. We are learning from each other improving our lives and our societies. Each one of us is a single thread. As we realize we are all a part of one human family, we join together to celebrate our differences, our similarities, and our accomplishments hand in hand. Our threads weave themselves together forming a tapestry of one human family. We are many nations and we are many people, but within each one of us we all have the same threads of joy, kindness, compassion, and love which weave together to form our human spirit. Each of us and our ethnic, cultural differences are represented by the different groups of puppets. Within each group, each puppet is different. Tapestry of Nations shows us how we can embrace each other and celebrate life together as the puppets dance together along with us, the human audience, which is invited to interact with the puppets to the heartbeat of drums. The procession will be pretty much unchanged. The parade will make two runs throughout the day: one in the afternoon, and one in the evening, just before IllumiNations, which, of course, will remain EPCOT Center's nighttime spectacular.

And I guess that just about does it for EPCOT Center. ith the park's name reverting back to the original, a new entrance, complete renovations to Spaceship Earth and the Imagination Pavilion, the returns of Wonders of Life, World of Motion, The Living Seas and Horizons, eight new pavilions for World Showcase, amongst several other additions made to almost all of the pavilions, I believe that EPCOT Center has become a much stronger park and has established itself as the way it was originally intended to be: a real-world experience where guests could learn about communication, the world, the wonders of nature, the sky and sea and to unlock imagination. While the park had originally suffered for being an "educational" park, yes, education is intertwined with this park, but now, additions like Soarin', The Mysterious Galaxy, StormRider, Horizons, Journey Into Imagination, Matterhorn Bobsleds, Mythica, Mt. Fuji, Mary Poppins' Jolly Holiday, Sindbad’s Seven Voyages, and Viagem da Amazônia, amongst so many other things in the park help repel against the idea of the park just being educational. This is the perfect mix of educational and entertainment without having to commercialize the park into being too "dumbed down" or "cartoonish". I believe that this park is strong now and has so much more to offer, but still reflects on all of the eras of EPCOT that we have come to know and love.

And to close out this part of the thread, allow me to play you what I think should be the theme song for all of EPCOT Center:

​

 

[Pi on my Cake]

EPCOT Center​

World Showcase​

~~~~~​

Tapestry of Nations​

​

​

When the afternoon comes, the streets of World Showcase come alive with the return of Tapestry of Nations. Tapestry of Nations, created for the Millennium Celebration, is a celebration of the human spirit in the form of a processional. It is a story of unity told and led by the Sage of Time, a wise grandfatherly figure. He reminds us that years ago, humans lived in peace and harmony with one another and with the Earth. But as time passed, humans strove to rule the Earth and to rule over each other. Today, while there are still disputes and power struggles, humans are realizing that life is not about what country you can conquer and which people you can persecute. We are realizing that it is acceptable to be different. We are learning from each other improving our lives and our societies. Each one of us is a single thread. As we realize we are all a part of one human family, we join together to celebrate our differences, our similarities, and our accomplishments hand in hand. Our threads weave themselves together forming a tapestry of one human family. We are many nations and we are many people, but within each one of us we all have the same threads of joy, kindness, compassion, and love which weave together to form our human spirit. Each of us and our ethnic, cultural differences are represented by the different groups of puppets. Within each group, each puppet is different. Tapestry of Nations shows us how we can embrace each other and celebrate life together as the puppets dance together along with us, the human audience, which is invited to interact with the puppets to the heartbeat of drums. The procession will be pretty much unchanged. The parade will make two runs throughout the day: one in the afternoon, and one in the evening, just before IllumiNations, which, of course, will remain EPCOT Center's nighttime spectacular.

And I guess that just about does it for EPCOT Center. ith the park's name reverting back to the original, a new entrance, complete renovations to Spaceship Earth and the Imagination Pavilion, the returns of Wonders of Life, World of Motion, The Living Seas and Horizons, eight new pavilions for World Showcase, amongst several other additions made to almost all of the pavilions, I believe that EPCOT Center has become a much stronger park and has established itself as the way it was originally intended to be: a real-world experience where guests could learn about communication, the world, the wonders of nature, the sky and sea and to unlock imagination. While the park had originally suffered for being an "educational" park, yes, education is intertwined with this park, but now, additions like Soarin', The Mysterious Galaxy, StormRider, Horizons, Journey Into Imagination, Matterhorn Bobsleds, Mythica, Mt. Fuji, Mary Poppins' Jolly Holiday, Sindbad’s Seven Voyages, and Viagem da Amazônia, amongst so many other things in the park help repel against the idea of the park just being educational. This is the perfect mix of educational and entertainment without having to commercialize the park into being too "dumbed down" or "cartoonish". I believe that this park is strong now and has so much more to offer, but still reflects on all of the eras of EPCOT that we have come to know and love.

And to close out this part of the thread, allow me to play you what I think should be the theme song for all of EPCOT Center:

​

Love everything so far! Except that parade coming back. It's a fine parade, but those puppet people scared the *(word I can't say on this site)* out of me when I was little lol

 

[DisneyManOne]

Love everything so far! Except that parade coming back. It's a fine parade, but those puppet people scared the *(word I can't say on this site)* out of me when I was little lol

Oh, really? Well, I never got the chance to see it myself, so I'd like to bring it back, to finally give EPCOT its own afternoon parade.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mousecellaneous
Disney's Progress City Resort

Now, before we get on to Disney's Hollywoodland, there's actually one more EPCOT Center-related thing I'd like to tell you about. This is an idea many of us have had, and @Imagineerland pretty much brought to life in his latest series of EPCOT-related plans: an EPCOT hotel. This hotel, which I'd refer to as Disney's Progress City Resort, is a mid-sized hotel built right outside the park's main entrance. It's split into two halves and mirrored along the central axis. Now, let's see what @Imagineerland had to say about it.

"I knew that I wanted to the hotel to be symmetrical, but I also did not want it to block the central view in the entrance sequence of the park. I wanted it to be able to look into the park but not intrude on the park. But there was plenty of land on either side for a split concept, so I thought I could make it work. Each side is 3 towers of approximately 5 floors and they are connected with a Peoplemover that arcs around and stops at the monorail station. What is more futuristic than an interhotel transportation system. The pivot building on each side flares out at the bottom to create a small atrium void at the base (Image 1). The east side includes the lobby, restaurants, and service facilities for the hotel, plus the bus stops and an elevated walkway to the hotel parking lot. There would be a table service restaurant on an upper level that looks into the park. The pool is on the roof of the farthest east tower and features an infinity edge that looks into the park (Image 2)."

 

[disneyforever101396]

EPCOT Center​

World Showcase​

~~~~~​

Tapestry of Nations​

​

​

When the afternoon comes, the streets of World Showcase come alive with the return of Tapestry of Nations. Tapestry of Nations, created for the Millennium Celebration, is a celebration of the human spirit in the form of a processional. It is a story of unity told and led by the Sage of Time, a wise grandfatherly figure. He reminds us that years ago, humans lived in peace and harmony with one another and with the Earth. But as time passed, humans strove to rule the Earth and to rule over each other. Today, while there are still disputes and power struggles, humans are realizing that life is not about what country you can conquer and which people you can persecute. We are realizing that it is acceptable to be different. We are learning from each other improving our lives and our societies. Each one of us is a single thread. As we realize we are all a part of one human family, we join together to celebrate our differences, our similarities, and our accomplishments hand in hand. Our threads weave themselves together forming a tapestry of one human family. We are many nations and we are many people, but within each one of us we all have the same threads of joy, kindness, compassion, and love which weave together to form our human spirit. Each of us and our ethnic, cultural differences are represented by the different groups of puppets. Within each group, each puppet is different. Tapestry of Nations shows us how we can embrace each other and celebrate life together as the puppets dance together along with us, the human audience, which is invited to interact with the puppets to the heartbeat of drums. The procession will be pretty much unchanged. The parade will make two runs throughout the day: one in the afternoon, and one in the evening, just before IllumiNations, which, of course, will remain EPCOT Center's nighttime spectacular.

And I guess that just about does it for EPCOT Center. ith the park's name reverting back to the original, a new entrance, complete renovations to Spaceship Earth and the Imagination Pavilion, the returns of Wonders of Life, World of Motion, The Living Seas and Horizons, eight new pavilions for World Showcase, amongst several other additions made to almost all of the pavilions, I believe that EPCOT Center has become a much stronger park and has established itself as the way it was originally intended to be: a real-world experience where guests could learn about communication, the world, the wonders of nature, the sky and sea and to unlock imagination. While the park had originally suffered for being an "educational" park, yes, education is intertwined with this park, but now, additions like Soarin', The Mysterious Galaxy, StormRider, Horizons, Journey Into Imagination, Matterhorn Bobsleds, Mythica, Mt. Fuji, Mary Poppins' Jolly Holiday, Sindbad’s Seven Voyages, and Viagem da Amazônia, amongst so many other things in the park help repel against the idea of the park just being educational. This is the perfect mix of educational and entertainment without having to commercialize the park into being too "dumbed down" or "cartoonish". I believe that this park is strong now and has so much more to offer, but still reflects on all of the eras of EPCOT that we have come to know and love.

And to close out this part of the thread, allow me to play you what I think should be the theme song for all of EPCOT Center:

​

I would love to see this parade. I saw a glimpse of it when I was five on my Tarzan VHS Tape. It's looks amazing.

 

[DisneyManOne]

I would love to see this parade. I saw a glimpse of it when I was five on my Tarzan VHS Tape. It's looks amazing.

Ah yes, that's how I first saw that parade. Didn't get a chance to visit Epcot until 2004...even though I had been to Disney twice before in 2002 and 2003.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When Disney's Hollywood Studios opened on May 1st, 1989, it was meant to be a working film studio with a theme park component. As a result, the various attractions and shows on the theme park side were not necessarily meant to take up the whole day. Over the years, the working studio component faded away and the Disney-MGM Studios became more of a traditional theme park. However, the attractions and shows found in the park have not changed substantially enough to keep up with this change in the park’s main function. As a result, the rebranded Disney’s Hollywood Studios is still considered by many to be a half-day park lacking a sufficient number of attractions to warrant spending a whole day there. Disney’s Hollywood Studios today is probably the park that needs the most work of all four of the parks here at Walt Disney World. Although no longer a working studios, it has yet to fully make the jump to being a full-fledged theme park and it sometimes feels as though it is still looking for its true identity. One of the things that works against the park is its layout, lacking the same hub-and-spoke design that makes Magic Kingdom so easily navigable. Rather than having a defined layout, the park is more a mass of streets and buildings that blend into each other, much like a real motion picture studio; this layout makes travelling through the park from one point to another somewhat of a challenge. Another pitfall is the park’s small size, the smallest of all the Florida parks. At the same time, the park does have a few things working in its favor. First, the Hollywood theme of the park is one that encompasses so much of what Disney is about. In addition, the park already has a set of themed areas, but the themes just need to be more defined and developed. I truly believe that Disney’s Hollywood Studios is the park with the most potential, but in order to realize that potential it will require a lot of work. My goal for Hollywood Studios is to better develop its themes, firmly establish the park’s identity, and yet still remain true to the original mission of the park as presenting “The Hollywood that never was and always will be.”

My main plan for DHS is to divide it into two distinct halves. The first half is A Tribute to Hollywood, honoring the Golden Ages of Hollywood and the art of filmmaking. This encompasses Hollywood Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard, Echo Lake and Animation Courtyard. The second half is Where Movies Come to Life, which takes you far from the soundstage and right inside your favorite films. This encompasses Muppets Courtyard, Star Wars Land, Toy Story Land, as well as a new land I’ll describe later. Some parts of the park will actually serve as transitional areas to ease guests into each different area of the park (Muppets Courtyard--quasi-studio/IP-based area; Animation Courtyard, honoring Disney/Pixar animation and how it's made--segue into land based on Toy Story). In addition, The Great Movie Ride still remains strong, serving as a reminder of both sides of this park: a tribute to the movies and a taste of "movies-come-to-life". Are you ready? Well, as they say in the movie biz: “Lights, camera, action!”

Plus, with all the talk of a new name for a park (and seeing as how most of the proposed names are bogus), I came up with my own name for the place.

Disney's Hollywoodland

​

Disney's Hollywoodland, a reborn take on the original Disney-MGM Studios, is a reverent celebration of Hollywood, not as a place, but as a state of mind. The notion of Hollywood is alive with sights, sounds, glamour, fame, adventure, and mystery. For that reason, Disney's Hollywoodland is not a movie studio. You won’t see or hear the term “movie magic,” and you’d be hard-pressed to find studio-rig lighting. Hollywood is a place of enduring hope where stories come to life and viewers escape into impossible worlds of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy. That describes Disney's Hollywoodland pretty well, too. This is a place where guests can step into the worlds of some of their favorite films, from old favorites to modern-day offerings. You can even learn how to operate a puppet just like Jim Henson or see first-hand how your favorite animated features are created. In fact, the entire park can be summed up in the park's dedication address.

"To all who explore these worlds of adventure: welcome. Disney's Hollywoodland celebrates the intrigue, romance, imagination, and optimism dreamed up by daring minds such as Walt Disney and those like him who forever changed – and were forever changed by – the magic of cinema. This unique world is a Hollywood that never was, and always will be; and is dedicated to the dreamers that it continues to inspire. May these lands born of imagination be a source of wonder for all."

~~~~~~~​

Along the front half of Hollywood Boulevard, I'd make no changes. It's a beautiful thoroughfare, and a perfect way to ease guests in for a day of fun at the movies. There's only two major changes I'd make: First, get rid of the stage in front of the Chinese Theatre and replace it with a large planter. And second; nestled along the Chinese Theatre are the tranquil and gorgeous gardens of the Eastern Gardens, which lead towards the Hollywoodland Hills, the dramatic backdrop of Hollywood Boulevard. Under the hill’s uneven letters reading "HOLLYWOODLAND" are the garden’s walking paths, bridges, streams, pagodas, and waterfalls that serve as a break from the hustle and bustle of Tinseltown.

​

You couldn't have picked a better day to come to Hollywood, because the Chinese Theatre is playing host to the world premiere of a brand-new Mickey Mouse short!

http://www./wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Screen-Shot-2017-07-15-at-6.43.49-PM-800x400.jpg​

But as much as I'm excited for this new event, I simply can't help but feel nostalgic for the theater's former tenant, The Great Movie Ride. I sometimes wonder what it would be like to give that old classic the update it so richly deserves. In fact, in my ideal plans, after playing its world-premiere stint here at the Chinese Theatre, this new Mickey Mouse short will make its way to a corner of the park that's yet to be discovered; and The Great Movie Ride will make its triumphant return; albeit with a few changes. What changes, you ask? You'll find out...

 

[DisneyManOne]

In the grand style of @MANEATINGWREATH's excellent ride-throughs, I shall take you through my ideal version of one of WDW's most iconic attractions.
==========================================================================================

The Great Movie Ride

The great legacy of Hollywood has left us with so many amazing films, and The Great Movie Ride is Disney's way of paying tribute to some of them.

Our adventure begins on the edge of Hollywood Boulevard. We find ourselves standing before an exact replica of the TCL Chinese Theatre. Instrumental pieces from various movies play. The actual Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles had been studied to be re-created and detailed in exact appearance here at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Not only was the exterior of the Theatre created, but even the forecourt was created, having actual celebrity handprints and spurting fountains along the rim of the Theatre. In fact, as part of the re-branding from Disney's Hollywood Studios to Disney's Hollywoodland, celebrity handprint ceremonies have once again become a norm. We head forward, inside the Theatre, our excitement mounting.

Walking into the Chinese Theatre, at first, guests may not realize that some things have changed. The area still appears to be nothing more than a movie theatre lobby with a couple of glass cases scattered about holding old movie props. But, as guests get closer to the props, they’ll soon realize that not all is as it seems; the props seem to be “alive”, allowing guests to see that this is no ordinary theatre. Here, the movies come to life.

Lining the walls are various electronic poster displays. The posters switch between the ride’s logo and movie posters that come to life with some animated element. As guests move through the queue, the first prop they’ll find is the carousel horse from Mary Poppins. Enclosed within a glass case, the horse is still magically moving up and down and back and forth, just as it did in the movie. Continuing past the horse, guests then come across the “Mighty Thor’s” costume, and right next to it is his magic hammer, from The Avengers. While Thor’s costume is being held within a glass case, it appears the theatre staff has had a bit more difficulty with his hammer…it’s so heavy that it’s fallen through the bottom of the case! The glass has been removed, and all guests can see is the very bottom of the hammer handle poking out of a hole within the base of the case. Posted on the outside of the case is a hand-written note reading, “Too heavy—can’t lift up. Please help!” Persistent guests who attempt to pull the hammer out might find they have about as much strength as the mighty “God of Thunder”.

Further in the queue, guests will find the treasure chest that holds Davy Jones’ heart, from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. If they listen closely and touch the case, they’ll be able to hear and/or feel his broken heart pulsating beneath the glass. The final prop found in the queue, just before guests step into the next room, is the great Sorcerer Yensid’s hat, made famous by the “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” scene in Fantasia. Every now and again, if guests are paying attention, they’ll notice the hat twinkling with magic.

Entering the Theatre Room, guests will note that nothing about this room has changed, save for the trailers being played, which now reflect the changes made to the attraction show scenes. Moving back and forth through the switchbacks, anticipation builds as guests begin to wonder which scenes the Imagineers could have chosen from the new films being represented in the ride.

Heading onto the load dock, guests will still step onto a typical Hollywood soundstage, dressed up to appear as though guests are looking out to the original "HOLLYWOODLAND" sign and neighborhood. The sounds of a film crew preparing for a shoot are heard in the background.

Up ahead, a large, theatre-style tram waits. The tram looks exactly like it did back in the day, however, the space for the live cast member is gone, since this version of the ride is fully audibly narrated by Leonard Maltin. Leonard Maltin has had a long history with Disney, introducing the various volumes of the Walt Disney Treasures box set series, and hosting Treasures from the Disney Vault on Turner Classic Movies. He'd be a perfect choice to take us into the wonderful world of movies. In addition, the cars do not travel two at a time anymore. This change occurs in order to fully perform some of the new scenes, and to make sure the audio narration flows perfectly. Guests board the vehicle, and once all are comfortably seated, the voice of Mr. Maltin is heard: "Hello, everyone, and welcome aboard. At this time, I'd like to ask everybody to please remain seated throughout the ride, and keep your hands and arms within the vehicle at all times. Also, for the safety of our cast, and the comfort of those around you, please no flash photography or use of external video lights. Alright everybody, get ready, because it’s showtime! Ready when you are, C.B.!" All of a sudden, a big booming voice is heard, shouting "Lights! Camera! And...ACTION!"

With that, a chorus of voices begins to sing: "Hooray for Hollywood! That screwy, ballyhooey Hollywood! Where any office boy or young mechanic can be a panic with just a good-looking pan..." Our tram begins to move. We slowly make our way past the elaborate mural and towards a glittering neon marquee advertising “A SPECTACULAR JOURNEY INTO THE MOVIES! CHILLS! – THRILLS! – ROMANCE! – A CAST OF THOUSANDS!” As we begin moving, Mr. Maltin announces "And we are rolling! Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of Disney's Hollywoodland, welcome to a celebration of cinema as you’ve never seen before! Welcome to The Great Movie Ride! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Leonard Maltin, and I'll be your host for this one-of-a-kind experience. On this tour, we'll leave this soundstage behind and enter into the heart of some of Hollywood's greatest motion pictures. From the Old West to the rooftops of London and along the yellow brick road, there really is no place like the movies."

Passing underneath that neon-lit marquee, we pass by glittering blue curtains and into a world unlike any other. This is no soundstage, my friends. This time, the movies are real, and anything can happen.

==========================================================================================

Part Two to follow! Stay tuned.

 

[Pi on my Cake]

In the grand style of @MANEATINGWREATH's excellent ride-throughs, I shall take you through my ideal version of one of WDW's most iconic attractions.
==========================================================================================

The Great Movie Ride

The great legacy of Hollywood has left us with so many amazing films, and The Great Movie Ride is Disney's way of paying tribute to some of them.

Our adventure begins on the edge of Hollywood Boulevard. We find ourselves standing before an exact replica of the TCL Chinese Theatre. Instrumental pieces from various movies play. The actual Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles had been studied to be re-created and detailed in exact appearance here at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Not only was the exterior of the Theatre created, but even the forecourt was created, having actual celebrity handprints and spurting fountains along the rim of the Theatre. In fact, as part of the re-branding from Disney's Hollywood Studios to Disney's Hollywoodland, celebrity handprint ceremonies have once again become a norm. We head forward, inside the Theatre, our excitement mounting.

Walking into the Chinese Theatre, at first, guests may not realize that some things have changed. The area still appears to be nothing more than a movie theatre lobby with a couple of glass cases scattered about holding old movie props. But, as guests get closer to the props, they’ll soon realize that not all is as it seems; the props seem to be “alive”, allowing guests to see that this is no ordinary theatre. Here, the movies come to life.

Lining the walls are various electronic poster displays. The posters switch between the ride’s logo and movie posters that come to life with some animated element. As guests move through the queue, the first prop they’ll find is the carousel horse from Mary Poppins. Enclosed within a glass case, the horse is still magically moving up and down and back and forth, just as it did in the movie. Continuing past the horse, guests then come across the “Mighty Thor’s” costume, and right next to it is his magic hammer, from The Avengers. While Thor’s costume is being held within a glass case, it appears the theatre staff has had a bit more difficulty with his hammer…it’s so heavy that it’s fallen through the bottom of the case! The glass has been removed, and all guests can see is the very bottom of the hammer handle poking out of a hole within the base of the case. Posted on the outside of the case is a hand-written note reading, “Too heavy—can’t lift up. Please help!” Persistent guests who attempt to pull the hammer out might find they have about as much strength as the mighty “God of Thunder”.

Further in the queue, guests will find the treasure chest that holds Davy Jones’ heart, from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. If they listen closely and touch the case, they’ll be able to hear and/or feel his broken heart pulsating beneath the glass. The final prop found in the queue, just before guests step into the next room, is the great Sorcerer Yensid’s hat, made famous by the “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” scene in Fantasia. Every now and again, if guests are paying attention, they’ll notice the hat twinkling with magic.

Entering the Theatre Room, guests will note that nothing about this room has changed, save for the trailers being played, which now reflect the changes made to the attraction show scenes. Moving back and forth through the switchbacks, anticipation builds as guests begin to wonder which scenes the Imagineers could have chosen from the new films being represented in the ride.

Heading onto the load dock, guests will still step onto a typical Hollywood soundstage, dressed up to appear as though guests are looking out to the original "HOLLYWOODLAND" sign and neighborhood. The sounds of a film crew preparing for a shoot are heard in the background.

Up ahead, a large, theatre-style tram waits. The tram looks exactly like it did back in the day, however, the space for the live cast member is gone, since this version of the ride is fully audibly narrated by Leonard Maltin. Leonard Maltin has had a long history with Disney, introducing the various volumes of the Walt Disney Treasures box set series, and hosting Treasures from the Disney Vault on Turner Classic Movies. He'd be a perfect choice to take us into the wonderful world of movies. In addition, the cars do not travel two at a time anymore. This change occurs in order to fully perform some of the new scenes, and to make sure the audio narration flows perfectly. Guests board the vehicle, and once all are comfortably seated, the voice of Mr. Maltin is heard: "Hello, everyone, and welcome aboard. At this time, I'd like to ask everybody to please remain seated throughout the ride, and keep your hands and arms within the vehicle at all times. Also, for the safety of our cast, and the comfort of those around you, please no flash photography or use of external video lights. Alright everybody, get ready, because it’s showtime! Ready when you are, C.B.!" All of a sudden, a big booming voice is heard, shouting "Lights! Camera! And...ACTION!"

With that, a chorus of voices begins to sing: "Hooray for Hollywood! That screwy, ballyhooey Hollywood! Where any office boy or young mechanic can be a panic with just a good-looking pan..." Our tram begins to move. We slowly make our way past the elaborate mural and towards a glittering neon marquee advertising “A SPECTACULAR JOURNEY INTO THE MOVIES! CHILLS! – THRILLS! – ROMANCE! – A CAST OF THOUSANDS!” As we begin moving, Mr. Maltin announces "And we are rolling! Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of Disney's Hollywoodland, welcome to a celebration of cinema as you’ve never seen before! Welcome to The Great Movie Ride! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Leonard Maltin, and I'll be your host for this one-of-a-kind experience. On this tour, we'll leave this soundstage behind and enter into the heart of some of Hollywood's greatest motion pictures. From the Old West to the rooftops of London and along the yellow brick road, there really is no place like the movies."

Passing underneath that neon-lit marquee, we pass by glittering blue curtains and into a world unlike any other. This is no soundstage, my friends. This time, the movies are real, and anything can happen.

==========================================================================================

Part Two to follow! Stay tuned.

I'm not sure about getting rid of the live host, but I'm very intrigued about how it will go.

Also, I absolutely adore your queue! A great update on the classic version!

 

[DisneyManOne]

I'm not sure about getting rid of the live host, but I'm very intrigued about how it will go.

Also, I absolutely adore your queue! A great update on the classic version!

Well, in the cases of some of the new movies represented here, live actors will be used to bring to life some of the scenes. But anyways, let's dive into the first half of this new take on The Great Movie Ride.

==========================================================================================

Upon passing the curtains, we find ourselves on a completely black and white set with older piano music playing in the background. Standing in front of some trees on a stylized dirt road is an AA figure of Charlie Chaplin in his most famous role, the Tramp. Leaning on his cane a bit and tweaking his mustache, he looks at the guests and smiles. Behind him the screen featuring the trees and background starts to change, and we are treated to a brief montage of some of Chaplin's most famous roles, from The Gold Rush to The Great Dictator. We hear Leonard say, "Where better to begin our tour of Hollywood history than right here at the dawn of American film with one of its most beloved stars? Charlie Chaplin was one of the most famous actors in the history of filmmaking. His career spanned over 75 years and both his silent and speaking films have had a massive impact on the way we make movies even today." As the tram moves forward, the AA figure of Chaplin waves goodbye at guests as they make their way to the next scene.

Moving a very short distance from Chaplin, to our left, an animatronic Gene Kelly, in character as Don Lockwood, sings while swinging on a lamppost in the middle of a rainstorm."...Come on with the rain, I've a smile on my face..." he sings, while Leonard announces, "With the advent of sound films came movie musicals, and the gold standard is often considered to be the 1952 classic 'Singin' in the Rain', starring Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor."

Moving into the next showroom, we’re brought to the rooftops of London, as cutouts of chimney sweeps sway back and forth, and Mary Poppins (as played by Julie Andrews) and Bert (Dick Van ) sing in harmony, “…No where is there a more happier crew, than them what sings chim-chim-cheree-chim-cheroo…” Leonard says, "Here's one of the quintessential Disney musicals, Mary Poppins. Starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van , this classic earned 13 Academy Award nominations, and won five, including one for Andrews’ portrayal of the nanny who is practically perfect in every way."

Leaving the rooftops of London behind, our tram enters a recreation of 1945 New York City. Garbage litters the streets, as the buildings rust and mold in decay. Flickering street lamps and hotel signs faintly illuminate the area. A fight brews in a nearby apartment, seen only in shadow behind the window shade. We can hear city sounds in the background. "Welcome to the seedy underbelly of New York City, the scene of the iconic gangster film 'The Godfather', starring Marlon Brando, Al Pacino and James Caan", says Leonard. "Originally released in 1972, 'The Godfather' is notable for being the first film to portray gangsters seriously as dramatic figures of real complexity, with real depth of character, and tell the story from their perspective."

Passing by a building window, we see the Godfather himself, Don Vito Corleone (as played by Marlon Brando), the head of the most powerful mafia family in all of New York. He is in a meeting with his godson Johnny Fontaine (Al Martino) and his sons, Sonny (James Caan) and Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall). "Tell me", Vito asks Johnny, "do you spend time with your family?" "Sure I do", he replies. "Good", Vito responds. "Because a man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man. You look terrible. I want you to eat, I want you to rest well. And a month from now this Hollywood big shot's gonna give you what you want." "Too late", Johnny replies. "They start shooting in a week." And Vito responds with that most famous of lines: "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse."



The northern streets of NYC give way to the Southern styles of another classic epic: Gone with the Wind. "One of the most famous epics in Hollywood history is 'Gone with the Wind', a tale of love, loss and redemption set amidst the dramatic tableau of the American Civil War." Indeed, we see the Civil War represented in one dark scene: the siege and burning of Atlanta by the Union Army. Using a mix of real flame and fake flame (a la Pirates of the Caribbean), we watch as the citizens of Atlanta (all played by live actors) make to leave. We slowly make our way through this scene, which takes the space once held by the Gangster Switch, watching the people flee and the flames build higher. At the farthest edge of the room, on the outskirts of this burning town are Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) and Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh), both of whom are also live actors. Rhett casts an ashen look towards us. "Take a good look, my dear", he says. "It's a historic moment. You can tell your grandchildren how you watched the Old South disappear one night."

Moving on, the old Western town has been transformed into a completely different kind of Western town: Rock Ridge from Mel Brooks' classic comedy Blazing Saddles. Every single building is changed up to look like the Rock Ridge in the movie. The triumphant theme plays, the sound of hooves clopping coming from the horizon. There to greet the trams as they enter Rock Ridge are live actors portraying Bart (Cleavon Little) and Jim (Gene Wilder), better known as the "Waco Kid". Bart tips his hat and gives us a smile and a wink. "Howdy, folks!" he cries. "Isn't it a lovely day?", Suddenly, a gunshot whistles right past us and hits a nearby rock, causing Bart and Jim to duck. "Looks like we're under attack", Jim says, stating the obvious. "There's only one way to go at a time like this", Bart says. "And what way is that?" Jim asks. "The other way!" Bart replies, as he and Jim dash inside one of the buildings.



After a few seconds of silence, a big gunfight starts up. Cowboys, bandits, and townsfolk alike all engage in a huge shootout a la a classic western film. It's Bart, Jim and the good people of Rock Ridge vs. Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Kormann) and his goons. Humor ensues as expected in a Mel Brooks film, including a bull emerging from a laundromat with giant polka-dotted underwear on its horns, an old woman hitting a bandit over the head with her purse, and Lili von Shtupp (Madeline Kahn) singing German hymns with WWI German soldiers. Bart, noticing we're in the middle of the fight, directs us towards the Sheriff's Office, the doors of which magically open. We're safe...or so we think...



Before us is an inky, seemingly endless tunnel filled with nothing but utter darkness. That unsettling cavernous ambiance fills the air, setting a grim tone for the world of horror, the next stop on our journey. Suddenly, our tram begins to halt, emitting electric sparks and slamming the brakes off-and-on, off-and-on. This can't be good. Leonard's worried tone fills our ears. "Uh, don't worry, folks. We're just experiencing a few technical difficulties. I'm sure we'll be fine; and we'll be..." Suddenly, Leonard's voice cuts off, replaced with static, as if being interrupted by something...or someone. After sitting in utter silence for a few moments, without warning, a fearsome werewolf leaps from the darkness, just barely missing the trolley. Luckily, a sheet of glass is between us and the beast. The werewolf's howl echoes out in perfect pitch, lighting up a series of other glass walls. As it turns out, we have pulled right into the elevator sequence from The Cabin in the Woods. Countless monsters from both film, literature, folklore, and the imagination of the filmmakers appear from within glass elevators of all shapes and sizes, each creepy creature trying to break free and make us their lunch. A skull-faced spirit pounds away at its containment while a neighboring giant glares at us from its far-too-small elevator. Other monsters include a collection of zombies trying to break free, an angry tree-monster, a Pinhead-type character with buzz-saws protruding from his face, the Sugar Plum Fairy (a.k.a. a little girl in a tutu with a face composed of circular rows of endless shark teeth), a family wearing baby-faced masks and suits, suspicious doctors, a unicorn (oddly enough), a couple of living scarecrows, and worst of all - a clown.

==========================================================================================

Cliffhanger! Our journey will resume in the next post. Oh, and BTW, I must say: the Cabin in the Woods sequence was something @MANEATINGWREATH thought of back on Visions Fantastic. As he explained it...

The Cabin in the Woods replaces the first chunk of the original Alien scene, right where you currently hear the announcer guy introducing the movie. The property in this portion is big enough for the elevator scene, trust me.

So, most of the monsters in the horror segment are either an animatronic or projection. Here is a complete list of monsters and the effects that make them possible.

Werewolf: Animatronic
Ghost: Projection
Clown: Animatronic
Giant: Forced-perspective static figure
Four Zombies: Animatronics
Four Family Members (a la The Strangers: Static figures
Angry Tree: Projection
Two Scarecrows: Forced-perspective projections (far away)
Vampire: Forced-perspective projection
Unicorn: Static figure (also forced-perspective)
Two Suspicious Doctors: Static figures
Sugar Plum Fairy: Animatronic
Pinhead-type Guy: Animatronic (he's twirling his little orb jigsaw puzzle around slowly)
Dragon: Forced-perspective projection
Giant Spider: Forced-perspective projection
Bat-Dragon: Forced-perspective projection
Ventriloquist Dummy: Forced-perspective static figure
Giant Cobra: Forced-perspective projection
Tyrannosaurus: Forced-perspective projection
Horned-Gorilla: Animatronic
Japanese Little Girl Ghost: Projection

There's actually going to be a lot of strobes in the elevator scene which will make it seem as if the static figures are...well, alive?
One last note on that scene - the elevator scene needs to seem endless, so many of the boxes will be forced-perspective. Black-lit murals of even more elevators will grace the walls in addition to mirrors, making the scene even MORE endless.

Stay tuned for Part Three!

 

[MANEATINGWREATH]

Well, in the cases of some of the new movies represented here, live actors will be used to bring to life some of the scenes. But anyways, let's dive into the first half of this new take on The Great Movie Ride.

==========================================================================================

Upon passing the curtains, we find ourselves on a completely black and white set with older piano music playing in the background. Standing in front of some trees on a stylized dirt road is an AA figure of Charlie Chaplin in his most famous role, the Tramp. Leaning on his cane a bit and tweaking his mustache, he looks at the guests and smiles. Behind him the screen featuring the trees and background starts to change, and we are treated to a brief montage of some of Chaplin's most famous roles, from The Gold Rush to The Great Dictator. We hear Leonard say, "Where better to begin our tour of Hollywood history than right here at the dawn of American film with one of its most beloved stars? Charlie Chaplin was one of the most famous actors in the history of filmmaking. His career spanned over 75 years and both his silent and speaking films have had a massive impact on the way we make movies even today." As the tram moves forward, the AA figure of Chaplin waves goodbye at guests as they make their way to the next scene.

Moving a very short distance from Chaplin, to our left, an animatronic Gene Kelly, in character as Don Lockwood, sings while swinging on a lamppost in the middle of a rainstorm."...Come on with the rain, I've a smile on my face..." he sings, while Leonard announces, "With the advent of sound films came movie musicals, and the gold standard is often considered to be the 1952 classic 'Singin' in the Rain', starring Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor."

Moving into the next showroom, we’re brought to the rooftops of London, as cutouts of chimney sweeps sway back and forth, and Mary Poppins (as played by Julie Andrews) and Bert (**** Van ****) sing in harmony, “…No where is there a more happier crew, than them what sings chim-chim-cheree-chim-cheroo…” Leonard says, "Here's one of the quintessential Disney musicals, Mary Poppins. Starring Julie Andrews and **** Van ****, this classic earned 13 Academy Award nominations, and won five, including one for Andrews’ portrayal of the nanny who is practically perfect in every way."

Leaving the rooftops of London behind, our tram enters a recreation of 1945 New York City. Garbage litters the streets, as the buildings rust and mold in decay. Flickering street lamps and hotel signs faintly illuminate the area. A fight brews in a nearby apartment, seen only in shadow behind the window shade. We can hear city sounds in the background. "Welcome to the seedy underbelly of New York City, the scene of the iconic gangster film 'The Godfather', starring Marlon Brando, Al Pacino and James Caan", says Leonard. "Originally released in 1972, 'The Godfather' is notable for being the first film to portray gangsters seriously as dramatic figures of real complexity, with real depth of character, and tell the story from their perspective."

Passing by a building window, we see the Godfather himself, Don Vito Corleone (as played by Marlon Brando), the head of the most powerful mafia family in all of New York. He is in a meeting with his godson Johnny Fontaine (Al Martino) and his sons, Sonny (James Caan) and Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall). "Tell me", Vito asks Johnny, "do you spend time with your family?" "Sure I do", he replies. "Good", Vito responds. "Because a man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man. You look terrible. I want you to eat, I want you to rest well. And a month from now this Hollywood big shot's gonna give you what you want." "Too late", Johnny replies. "They start shooting in a week." And Vito responds with that most famous of lines: "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse."



The northern streets of NYC give way to the Southern styles of another classic epic: Gone with the Wind. "One of the most famous epics in Hollywood history is 'Gone with the Wind', a tale of love, loss and redemption set amidst the dramatic tableau of the American Civil War." Indeed, we see the Civil War represented in one dark scene: the siege and burning of Atlanta by the Union Army. Using a mix of real flame and fake flame (a la Pirates of the Caribbean), we watch as the citizens of Atlanta (all played by live actors) make to leave. We slowly make our way through this scene, which takes the space once held by the Gangster Switch, watching the people flee and the flames build higher. At the farthest edge of the room, on the outskirts of this burning town are Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) and Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh), both of whom are also live actors. Rhett casts an ashen look towards us. "Take a good look, my dear", he says. "It's a historic moment. You can tell your grandchildren how you watched the Old South disappear one night."

Moving on, the old Western town has been transformed into a completely different kind of Western town: Rock Ridge from Mel Brooks' classic comedy Blazing Saddles. Every single building is changed up to look like the Rock Ridge in the movie. The triumphant theme plays, the sound of hooves clopping coming from the horizon. There to greet the trams as they enter Rock Ridge are live actors portraying Bart (Cleavon Little) and Jim (Gene Wilder), better known as the "Waco Kid". Bart tips his hat and gives us a smile and a wink. "Howdy, folks!" he cries. "Isn't it a lovely day?", Suddenly, a gunshot whistles right past us and hits a nearby rock, causing Bart and Jim to duck. "Looks like we're under attack", Jim says, stating the obvious. "There's only one way to go at a time like this", Bart says. "And what way is that?" Jim asks. "The other way!" Bart replies, as he and Jim dash inside one of the buildings.



After a few seconds of silence, a big gunfight starts up. Cowboys, bandits, and townsfolk alike all engage in a huge shootout a la a classic western film. It's Bart, Jim and the good people of Rock Ridge vs. Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Kormann) and his goons. Humor ensues as expected in a Mel Brooks film, including a bull emerging from a laundromat with giant polka-dotted underwear on its horns, an old woman hitting a bandit over the head with her purse, and Lili von Shtupp (Madeline Kahn) singing German hymns with WWI German soldiers. Bart, noticing we're in the middle of the fight, directs us towards the Sheriff's Office, the doors of which magically open. We're safe...or so we think...



Before us is an inky, seemingly endless tunnel filled with nothing but utter darkness. That unsettling cavernous ambiance fills the air, setting a grim tone for the world of horror, the next stop on our journey. Suddenly, our tram begins to halt, emitting electric sparks and slamming the brakes off-and-on, off-and-on. This can't be good. Leonard's worried tone fills our ears. "Uh, don't worry, folks. We're just experiencing a few technical difficulties. I'm sure we'll be fine; and we'll be..." Suddenly, Leonard's voice cuts off, replaced with static, as if being interrupted by something...or someone. After sitting in utter silence for a few moments, without warning, a fearsome werewolf leaps from the darkness, just barely missing the trolley. Luckily, a sheet of glass is between us and the beast. The werewolf's howl echoes out in perfect pitch, lighting up a series of other glass walls. As it turns out, we have pulled right into the elevator sequence from The Cabin in the Woods. Countless monsters from both film, literature, folklore, and the imagination of the filmmakers appear from within glass elevators of all shapes and sizes, each creepy creature trying to break free and make us their lunch. A skull-faced spirit pounds away at its containment while a neighboring giant glares at us from its far-too-small elevator. Other monsters include a collection of zombies trying to break free, an angry tree-monster, a Pinhead-type character with buzz-saws protruding from his face, the Sugar Plum Fairy (a.k.a. a little girl in a tutu with a face composed of circular rows of endless shark teeth), a family wearing baby-faced masks and suits, suspicious doctors, a unicorn (oddly enough), a couple of living scarecrows, and worst of all - a clown.

==========================================================================================

Cliffhanger! Our journey will resume in the next post. Oh, and BTW, I must say: the Cabin in the Woods sequence was something @MANEATINGWREATH thought of back on Visions Fantastic. As he explained it...

The Cabin in the Woods replaces the first chunk of the original Alien scene, right where you currently hear the announcer guy introducing the movie. The property in this portion is big enough for the elevator scene, trust me.

So, most of the monsters in the horror segment are either an animatronic or projection. Here is a complete list of monsters and the effects that make them possible.

Werewolf: Animatronic
Ghost: Projection
Clown: Animatronic
Giant: Forced-perspective static figure
Four Zombies: Animatronics
Four Family Members (a la The Strangers: Static figures
Angry Tree: Projection
Two Scarecrows: Forced-perspective projections (far away)
Vampire: Forced-perspective projection
Unicorn: Static figure (also forced-perspective)
Two Suspicious Doctors: Static figures
Sugar Plum Fairy: Animatronic
Pinhead-type Guy: Animatronic (he's twirling his little orb jigsaw puzzle around slowly)
Dragon: Forced-perspective projection
Giant Spider: Forced-perspective projection
Bat-Dragon: Forced-perspective projection
Ventriloquist Dummy: Forced-perspective static figure
Giant Cobra: Forced-perspective projection
Tyrannosaurus: Forced-perspective projection
Horned-Gorilla: Animatronic
Japanese Little Girl Ghost: Projection

There's actually going to be a lot of strobes in the elevator scene which will make it seem as if the static figures are...well, alive?
One last note on that scene - the elevator scene needs to seem endless, so many of the boxes will be forced-perspective. Black-lit murals of even more elevators will grace the walls in addition to mirrors, making the scene even MORE endless.

Stay tuned for Part Three!

Where did you find that quote from VF? I've been meaning to find a way to go back and dig up all my old work.

 

[Suchomimus]

Well, in the cases of some of the new movies represented here, live actors will be used to bring to life some of the scenes. But anyways, let's dive into the first half of this new take on The Great Movie Ride.

==========================================================================================

Upon passing the curtains, we find ourselves on a completely black and white set with older piano music playing in the background. Standing in front of some trees on a stylized dirt road is an AA figure of Charlie Chaplin in his most famous role, the Tramp. Leaning on his cane a bit and tweaking his mustache, he looks at the guests and smiles. Behind him the screen featuring the trees and background starts to change, and we are treated to a brief montage of some of Chaplin's most famous roles, from The Gold Rush to The Great Dictator. We hear Leonard say, "Where better to begin our tour of Hollywood history than right here at the dawn of American film with one of its most beloved stars? Charlie Chaplin was one of the most famous actors in the history of filmmaking. His career spanned over 75 years and both his silent and speaking films have had a massive impact on the way we make movies even today." As the tram moves forward, the AA figure of Chaplin waves goodbye at guests as they make their way to the next scene.

Moving a very short distance from Chaplin, to our left, an animatronic Gene Kelly, in character as Don Lockwood, sings while swinging on a lamppost in the middle of a rainstorm."...Come on with the rain, I've a smile on my face..." he sings, while Leonard announces, "With the advent of sound films came movie musicals, and the gold standard is often considered to be the 1952 classic 'Singin' in the Rain', starring Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor."

Moving into the next showroom, we’re brought to the rooftops of London, as cutouts of chimney sweeps sway back and forth, and Mary Poppins (as played by Julie Andrews) and Bert (**** Van ****) sing in harmony, “…No where is there a more happier crew, than them what sings chim-chim-cheree-chim-cheroo…” Leonard says, "Here's one of the quintessential Disney musicals, Mary Poppins. Starring Julie Andrews and **** Van ****, this classic earned 13 Academy Award nominations, and won five, including one for Andrews’ portrayal of the nanny who is practically perfect in every way."

Leaving the rooftops of London behind, our tram enters a recreation of 1945 New York City. Garbage litters the streets, as the buildings rust and mold in decay. Flickering street lamps and hotel signs faintly illuminate the area. A fight brews in a nearby apartment, seen only in shadow behind the window shade. We can hear city sounds in the background. "Welcome to the seedy underbelly of New York City, the scene of the iconic gangster film 'The Godfather', starring Marlon Brando, Al Pacino and James Caan", says Leonard. "Originally released in 1972, 'The Godfather' is notable for being the first film to portray gangsters seriously as dramatic figures of real complexity, with real depth of character, and tell the story from their perspective."

Passing by a building window, we see the Godfather himself, Don Vito Corleone (as played by Marlon Brando), the head of the most powerful mafia family in all of New York. He is in a meeting with his godson Johnny Fontaine (Al Martino) and his sons, Sonny (James Caan) and Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall). "Tell me", Vito asks Johnny, "do you spend time with your family?" "Sure I do", he replies. "Good", Vito responds. "Because a man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man. You look terrible. I want you to eat, I want you to rest well. And a month from now this Hollywood big shot's gonna give you what you want." "Too late", Johnny replies. "They start shooting in a week." And Vito responds with that most famous of lines: "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse."



The northern streets of NYC give way to the Southern styles of another classic epic: Gone with the Wind. "One of the most famous epics in Hollywood history is 'Gone with the Wind', a tale of love, loss and redemption set amidst the dramatic tableau of the American Civil War." Indeed, we see the Civil War represented in one dark scene: the siege and burning of Atlanta by the Union Army. Using a mix of real flame and fake flame (a la Pirates of the Caribbean), we watch as the citizens of Atlanta (all played by live actors) make to leave. We slowly make our way through this scene, which takes the space once held by the Gangster Switch, watching the people flee and the flames build higher. At the farthest edge of the room, on the outskirts of this burning town are Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) and Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh), both of whom are also live actors. Rhett casts an ashen look towards us. "Take a good look, my dear", he says. "It's a historic moment. You can tell your grandchildren how you watched the Old South disappear one night."

Moving on, the old Western town has been transformed into a completely different kind of Western town: Rock Ridge from Mel Brooks' classic comedy Blazing Saddles. Every single building is changed up to look like the Rock Ridge in the movie. The triumphant theme plays, the sound of hooves clopping coming from the horizon. There to greet the trams as they enter Rock Ridge are live actors portraying Bart (Cleavon Little) and Jim (Gene Wilder), better known as the "Waco Kid". Bart tips his hat and gives us a smile and a wink. "Howdy, folks!" he cries. "Isn't it a lovely day?", Suddenly, a gunshot whistles right past us and hits a nearby rock, causing Bart and Jim to duck. "Looks like we're under attack", Jim says, stating the obvious. "There's only one way to go at a time like this", Bart says. "And what way is that?" Jim asks. "The other way!" Bart replies, as he and Jim dash inside one of the buildings.



After a few seconds of silence, a big gunfight starts up. Cowboys, bandits, and townsfolk alike all engage in a huge shootout a la a classic western film. It's Bart, Jim and the good people of Rock Ridge vs. Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Kormann) and his goons. Humor ensues as expected in a Mel Brooks film, including a bull emerging from a laundromat with giant polka-dotted underwear on its horns, an old woman hitting a bandit over the head with her purse, and Lili von Shtupp (Madeline Kahn) singing German hymns with WWI German soldiers. Bart, noticing we're in the middle of the fight, directs us towards the Sheriff's Office, the doors of which magically open. We're safe...or so we think...



Before us is an inky, seemingly endless tunnel filled with nothing but utter darkness. That unsettling cavernous ambiance fills the air, setting a grim tone for the world of horror, the next stop on our journey. Suddenly, our tram begins to halt, emitting electric sparks and slamming the brakes off-and-on, off-and-on. This can't be good. Leonard's worried tone fills our ears. "Uh, don't worry, folks. We're just experiencing a few technical difficulties. I'm sure we'll be fine; and we'll be..." Suddenly, Leonard's voice cuts off, replaced with static, as if being interrupted by something...or someone. After sitting in utter silence for a few moments, without warning, a fearsome werewolf leaps from the darkness, just barely missing the trolley. Luckily, a sheet of glass is between us and the beast. The werewolf's howl echoes out in perfect pitch, lighting up a series of other glass walls. As it turns out, we have pulled right into the elevator sequence from The Cabin in the Woods. Countless monsters from both film, literature, folklore, and the imagination of the filmmakers appear from within glass elevators of all shapes and sizes, each creepy creature trying to break free and make us their lunch. A skull-faced spirit pounds away at its containment while a neighboring giant glares at us from its far-too-small elevator. Other monsters include a collection of zombies trying to break free, an angry tree-monster, a Pinhead-type character with buzz-saws protruding from his face, the Sugar Plum Fairy (a.k.a. a little girl in a tutu with a face composed of circular rows of endless shark teeth), a family wearing baby-faced masks and suits, suspicious doctors, a unicorn (oddly enough), a couple of living scarecrows, and worst of all - a clown.

==========================================================================================

Cliffhanger! Our journey will resume in the next post. Oh, and BTW, I must say: the Cabin in the Woods sequence was something @MANEATINGWREATH thought of back on Visions Fantastic. As he explained it...

The Cabin in the Woods replaces the first chunk of the original Alien scene, right where you currently hear the announcer guy introducing the movie. The property in this portion is big enough for the elevator scene, trust me.

So, most of the monsters in the horror segment are either an animatronic or projection. Here is a complete list of monsters and the effects that make them possible.

Werewolf: Animatronic
Ghost: Projection
Clown: Animatronic
Giant: Forced-perspective static figure
Four Zombies: Animatronics
Four Family Members (a la The Strangers: Static figures
Angry Tree: Projection
Two Scarecrows: Forced-perspective projections (far away)
Vampire: Forced-perspective projection
Unicorn: Static figure (also forced-perspective)
Two Suspicious Doctors: Static figures
Sugar Plum Fairy: Animatronic
Pinhead-type Guy: Animatronic (he's twirling his little orb jigsaw puzzle around slowly)
Dragon: Forced-perspective projection
Giant Spider: Forced-perspective projection
Bat-Dragon: Forced-perspective projection
Ventriloquist Dummy: Forced-perspective static figure
Giant Cobra: Forced-perspective projection
Tyrannosaurus: Forced-perspective projection
Horned-Gorilla: Animatronic
Japanese Little Girl Ghost: Projection

There's actually going to be a lot of strobes in the elevator scene which will make it seem as if the static figures are...well, alive?
One last note on that scene - the elevator scene needs to seem endless, so many of the boxes will be forced-perspective. Black-lit murals of even more elevators will grace the walls in addition to mirrors, making the scene even MORE endless.

Stay tuned for Part Three!

Am I the only one who thinks it’s a stretch to use Blazing Saddles and CitW for this?

 

[DisneyManOne]

Where did you find that quote from VF? I've been meaning to find a way to go back and dig up all my old work.

Here, have a thing!

Am I the only one who thinks it’s a stretch to use Blazing Saddles and CitW for this?

Well, they are a bit adult, but in the case of Blazing Saddles, I'm using a scene not outright offensive, and with CitW, well...Disney has put out scarier stuff than this.

Come on, everybody: let's wrap this production up!

==========================================================================================

The haunting giggle of the clown gives way to new sight - familiar to those fans of the original Great Movie Ride - the spaceship Nostromo from Alien. A PA announcement rings out as we enter the spaceship through a near-destroyed corridor filled with flashing lights and broken television monitors. "WARNING! REMAIN IN YOUR VEHICLE! THE AREA YOU ARE ENTERING IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. PROCEED WITH CAUTION." The old (albeit updated) animatronic of Sigourney Weaver as Lieutenant Ripley remains, hiding from the title creature of the film which springs from the nearest wall in a blast of steam and strobes. The trolley quickly jolts forward, leaving Nostromo behind and a vast jungle.

As we enter, a screech of static fills our ears and Leonard's voice returns! "Phew! That was a close one! You've got to be careful around these parts, because the world of film can sometimes be quite treacherous. Take our next film, for example. The action-packed world of 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' is adventurous and magical, yet filled to the brim with pure danger. Terrifying villains and greedy grave robbers lurk around every corner in addition to ancient curses, countless booby traps, vile spirits and...snakes...why did it have to be snakes?" Sure enough, a cluster of various jungle snakes swarm around the jungle floor. Amazonian natives peer out from the bushes as our trolley takes us into the mouth of an ancient river-side temple, but not before nearly being bitten by a surprise snake attack from above.

Mysterious music from the film plays, putting our tram to a stop. Indiana Jones himself, also a live actor, appears at the top of a nearby shrine, ready to grab a small, golden idol. He turns to see us. "Is that a - is that a tram? What are you doing here? You must leave at once, the gods of this temple will be angered by our presence. You must..." But before he can stop us, the temple begins to shake. "Now you've done it." The idol sinks down into its pedestal. Indy darts down the stairs towards us, grabbing a hold of the tram. "Get out! I've seen this happen too many times before!" But the tram won't start. It's sinking in quicksand. "Quicksand? Quicksand?!" But that's not all. A huge boulder has appeared on the other side of the tram! "Uh-oh. I have a very bad feeling about this", Indy strangely says (isn't that a Star Wars gag?). Indy darts around the side of the tram and approaches a series of floor-switches. "These booby traps outta do the trick." He slams his foot on a switch, causing a giant spike to come flying down from the vine-entangled ceiling. Just before the boulder crushes both ourselves and Indy, the spike stabs into the boulder, thus saving the day. "Well, that was a close one. Next time - leave the adventuring to the professional - me." And with that, our tram departs from the temple.

Upon leaving the temple, we find ourselves along the wind-swept sands of the Middle East. Before us stands the mighty Red Sea, raging and churning against the land. Our tram stops. "Oh, no!" Leonard says. "How are we going to get across this ocean?" Suddenly, the sound of oncoming chariots fills our ears. "That doesn't sound good." Suddenly, an actor dressed in red robes and a long, grey beard walks up onto a ledge overlooking the sea. This is Moses (Charlton Heston). "Be not afraid", he tells us. "After this day, you shall see his chariots no more." He stretches his hands over the sea. "The Lord of Hosts will do battle for us. Behold His mighty hand." A low rumbling fills the air. Suddenly, the sea parts down the middle, its waves crashing along the sides. "Well, I'll be!" Leonard muses. "It's a miracle!" "Now go down through the midst of the waters. May God be with you." We proceed down through the parted sea as Leonard tells us, "This glorious moment you've just witnessed comes from Cecil B. DeMille's 1956 epic 'The Ten Commandments'. Starring Charles Heston and Yul Brynner, this film received seven Oscar nominations, but won solely for Best Visual Effects."

We find ourselves changing course from the Red Sea to the Atlantic Ocean, circa 1912. To our right, Rose Dewitt-Bukater (Kate Winslet) lies on a wooden frame, as Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) holds on from the water below, re-enacting their last moments together and one of the most iconic moments of the movie. "I love you, Jack", Rose whispers. "Don't you do that", Jack replies. "Don't say your good-byes. Not yet, do you understand me?" "I'm so cold." "Listen, Rose. You're gonna get out of here, you're gonna go on and you're gonna make lots of babies, and you're gonna watch them grow. You're gonna die an old... an old lady warm in her bed, not here, not this night. Not like this, do you understand me?" "I can't feel my body." "Winning that ticket, Rose, was the best thing that ever happened to me... it brought me to you. And I'm thankful for that, Rose. I'm thankful. You must do me this honor. Promise me you'll survive. That you won't give up, no matter what happens, no matter how hopeless. Promise me now, Rose, and never let go of that promise." "I promise." "Never let go." "I'll never let go, Jack. I'll never let go. I promise." Behind them is the RMS Titanic, half submerged “underwater”. The lights occasionally flicker aboard the ship, and the room is dominated by the sounds of the ship’s sinking. A water effect is achieved using a semi-transparent blue plastic sheet, molded to look like waves. By placing this a few feet off of the ground in a dimly-lit room and slightly changing the lighting, the “ocean” will appear to actually move. Leonard tells us, "From the raging Red Sea to the mysterious North Atlantic Ocean, we find ourselves in the modern masterpiece 'Titanic'. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, this film is one of the most popular films of all time, and held the record for highest-grossing movie for nearly thirteen years."

From the cold Atlantic Ocean, the instrumental strains of "As Time Goes By" swell as we come to the airport scene in the well-known film romance Casablanca. Leonard tells us "To continue this romantic theme, here's Humphrey Bogart in his most famous film role. In 1942, Bogart finally got to spread his wings and romance the beautiful Ingrid Bergman in 'Casablanca'." Much like the current scene the room is decked out in drab, older colors but it has also been expanded. The entire room has been redone, with the wall opposite of Ilsa and Rick painted to look like guests are in the middle of an airport runway, with fog and lights surrounding them. To the right are still animatronics of Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) and Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) standing next to the plane, as Blaine quotes the famous lines from the film. This redo however also gives Lund speaking lines as well. “I'm saying it because it's true. Inside of us, we both know you belong with Victor. If that plane leaves the ground and you're not with him, you'll regret it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life.” “But what about us?” “We'll always have Paris. We didn't have, we, we lost it until you came to Casablanca. We got it back last night.” “When I said I would never leave you...” “And you never will. But I've got a job to do, too. Where I'm going, you can't follow. Ilsa, I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Someday you'll understand that. Now... here's looking at you, kid.”

Moving on to the next room, the drab colors of 1940s Casablanca give way to the colorful pastels of 1980s Disney. In this nighttime scene (to blend in with the last room as well as to better hide where exactly the props end and the paintings begin) guests look to the left and see an AA of Ariel, better known as The Little Mermaid (the screen that projected Sorcerer Mickey has been carved out, allowing a single AA to fit), leaning on a rock and looking out to the right at Prince Eric’s Castle. As the wind blows, she recreates the famous scene from the film. “I don’t know when, I don’t know how, but I know something’s starting right now... Watch and you’ll see, someday I’ll be part of your world!” As the tide crashes to the shore and stars twinkle overhead, Leonard speaks. "Animation is a special kind of filmmaking. Almost any genre can be brought to life through animation, and romance takes the forefront in the classic film 'The Little Mermaid'. Originally released in 1989, 'The Little Mermaid' helped kick start a new golden era of Disney animated films known as the Disney Renaissance, an era which gave us films like 'Beauty and the Beast' and 'The Lion King'."

As we exit, we can see the funnel of a sepia-toned tornado swirling in the distance...

As the tornado lifts, we arrive in the bright and colorful village of Munchkinland. Upon entering, we see Dorothy Gale’s old Kansas farmhouse, which sits upon the body of the Wicked Witch of the East, her ruby-slipper-clad feet sticking out. "Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore", Leonard quotes. "Yes, folks, we’ve come “over the rainbow” and into one of the most beloved and acclaimed films ever made: 'The Wizard of Oz'!"

I am not getting rid of this scene. Besides, "The Wizard of Oz" is just too perfect a scene to end on. As we enter, we hear the Munchkins singing "Ding-Dong, the Witch is Dead" in celebration of the death of the Wicked Witch of the East, who met her end when a tornado brought Dorothy's humble Kansas abode smack-dab into the magical land of Oz. Speaking of which, she and Glinda (both of whom are live actresses) are standing in the middle of town, looking on in happiness. Suddenly, the merriment is ruined by a sudden burst of red smoke. As the smoke dissipates, we see the figure of one of cinema’s most iconic villains: the Wicked Witch of the West (also a live actress). The Munchkins duck back down in fear.

"Who killed my sister?" the Witch demands. "Who killed the Witch of the East? Was it you?" she asks, pointing towards Dorothy. "No, it was an accident! I didn't mean to kill anybody, really, I didn't!" Dorothy replies. "Well, my little pretty, I can cause accidents, too!" the Witch threatens. "Oh, rubbish!" Glinda declares, coming to Dorothy's aid. "You have no power here. Begone, before somebody drops a house on you, too." "Very well", says the Witch. "I'll bide my time. But just try to stay out of my way. Just try! I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too!" And with another burst of red smoke and a menacing cackle, the Witch is gone.

Apprehensively, the Munchkins start to rise back up. Glinda tells Dorothy "I'm afraid you've made rather a bad enemy of the Wicked Witch of the West. The sooner you get out of Oz altogether, the safer you'll sleep, my dear." "I'd give anything to get out of Oz altogether", Dorothy replies. "But which is the way back to Kansas? I can't go the way I came." "No, that's true. The only person who might know would be the great and wonderful Wizard of Oz himself!" Upon hearing that name, the Munchkins bow reverently. "The Wizard of Oz? Is he good or is he wicked?" Dorothy asks."Very good, but very mysterious", Glinda asks. "He lives in the Emerald City, and to get there, all you do is follow the Yellow Brick Road." The Munchkins start to repeat Glinda's advice, and soon break out into song. "Follow the Yellow Brick Road, follow the Yellow Brick Road. Follow, follow, follow, follow, follow the Yellow Brick Road." "Sing along, everyone - you know the words!" Leonard calls out as the Munchkins start to sing: "You're off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz..."

From there, Dorothy (and the guests) leave Munchkinland and enter a forest. To our right, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion (all actors) wave to us. An AA figure of Toto stands on a rock, barking gleefully. "Dorothy, look!" cries the Scarecrow. "We've made it!" Dorothy runs up a rocky stair to the platform where her friends stand. Both Dorothy and the guests get a glimpse of the Emerald City for the first time, standing proudly at the edge of the forest, surrounded by a field of poppies. Dorothy lets out an astonished gasp. "The Emerald City! Oh, we're almost there, at last, at last! It's beautiful, isn't it? Just like I knew it would be. He really must be a wonderful wizard to live in a city like that!" "I've as good as got my brain!" says the Scarecrow. "I can faintly hear my heart beating!" says the Tin Man. "I'll be home in time for supper!" Dorothy says. "In another hour, I'll be king of the forest", proclaims the Cowardly Lion. "Long live the king! Well, come on, then, what are we waiting for?" "Nothing!" replies the Scarecrow. "Let's hurry!" And with that, the foursome link arms and make their way towards the Emerald City.

As the trams leave Dorothy and her friends to walk along the yellow-brick road, our vehicles head inside a film vault. Once inside the vault, we're surrounded by several giant filmstrips, some in strips, some in giant reels. The whole place is dimly lit, and looking long-abandoned. As we enter, we hear Leonard’s voice... "Well, it appears we've come to the end of our tour, yet we've barely even begun to see all that Hollywood has to offer, so we aren't finished just yet. In fact, when it comes to the magic of the movies, we'll never be finished!" During the above, a low orchestral note is played. As it grows and grows in dynamic, the filmstrips gradually start to light up. "There are millions of films out there, just waiting to be discovered, and here are just a few of my favorites..."

With that, the room comes to new life and the filmstrips present a brand-new take on the iconic ending montage, set to a brand-new fully orchestrated piece, weaving together some of the most famous movie scores of all time. Each film-strip in the vault is synchronized to play a montage like you've never seen it before. The reels spin around, providing all sorts of unique views. Of course, this montage is punctuated with many of the iconic lines that punctuated the previous versions of the montage. I really want this new montage to be a true love letter to the world of film, highlighting its many stars, its many scores, and its many amazing pictures.





As the montage reaches its conclusion, the film-strips turn off, we hear a triumphant instrumental rendition of “Hooray for Hollywood”, and the doors open. We pass through the doors and find ourselves in the unloading area. As we pull in, we hear Leonard Maltin's voice one last time. "On behalf of Disney’s Hollywoodland, thank you for joining us on The Great Movie Ride. Now before we wrap this production, we still have one more scene to do. It's called 'The Exit'. The action begins with you remaining seated until we come to a complete stop, then you gather all your personal belongings and take small children by the hand. Now once these doors open, you will rise dramatically to your feet, and make a grand exit directly to the rear of the vehicle. Ready, everyone? And...action! Well, good-bye, everybody, and enjoy the rest of your day here at Disney's Hollywoodland. I'm Leonard Maltin and I'll see you at the movies...the stuff dreams are made of!" As soon as the instrumental ends and Leonard's spiel ends, we hear DeMille’s voice providing a nice book-end to our tour: "CUT! That's a wrap!"

And with that, our tour of the movies is complete.

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And there we have it: my vision for a new take on The Great Movie Ride!

Just for posterity's sake, The Ten Commandments and Titanic would both take up the space formerly held by the Mummy Chamber/Tarzan scene. And I'm sure some of you are asking: why is there no Fantasia in this version? Simple: I don't want this version of the ride to prominently feature films represented elsewhere in the park (expect, of course, for the clips featured in the finale). And Fantasia will play a huge part in this park's future. Wait and see...

 

[ScorpionX]

@DisneyManOne Those ideas you have for the Australia, Jamaican, and Irish pavilions sound oddly familiar....

 

[DisneyManOne]

@DisneyManOne Those ideas you have for the Australia, Jamaican, and Irish pavilions sound oddly familiar....

First of all, it sure is good to see you around the boards again. Welcome back! And yes, I did take quite a bit of inspiration from your Gemini Series post.
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Disney's Hollywoodland
Hollywood Boulevard
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The Rest of It

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There's one more component of Hollywood Boulevard: the complex that currently comprises For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration, the former Sounds Dangerous show and the two meet & greet areas (Olaf and Mickey/Minnie). In this post, I'll detail what I'd like to do with them.

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CineMagic

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In the space formerly held by the Frozen show, you'll find that the bland, nondescript Hyperion Theatre has been turned into a replica of the famous Hollywood Pantages Theatre.

Inside the Hollywood Pantages, you'll find yourselves immersed in the glory of the movies like never before with CineMagic. This show, which played its final performance at Walt Disney Studios Paris last year, chronicles the evolution of film from black-and-white silent features of Georges Méliès to today’s most well-loved. This innovative presentation literally surrounds guests in the sights and sounds of film. Digitally restored and updated with an English voice track, this show would make a welcome addition here. Also here is the American Film Institute Showcase, which closed alongside the Backlot Tour. Well, now it's re-opened to serve as a perfect post-show for CineMagic.

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A few feet away from the Hollywood Pantages Theatre, you'll find the neon-lit sign marking the entrance to the Lakeside Club, the swankiest club of all, located along the edge of Echo Lake. The club has taken over the space currently occupied by the former Sound Studio...

...and it serves two purposes throughout the day at Disney's Hollywoodland. First of all, during the day, the Lakeside Club plays host to...

The D Show
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Inspired by the 1998 computer game, The D Show is "the big Disney game show that everyone can play"! Or in other words, The D Show is a trivia game show that spans the Disney lexicon. Now, the original D Show game came out in 1998 (Mulan being the most current film represented in the game), but this show would have an updated lexicon to include the most recent Disney films. And for an example of how the game is play, just watch the video above. Three "episodes" of the show are played out in that, so you'll definitely get a good idea of how things work.

My vision of the stage would more than likely look like the backgrounds in the game. The sides of the stage would be flanked with that thing that's located to the left during the category parts. Anyways, the show would begin with the theme song, followed by the introduction of our "host(ess) with the most(ess)", who in turn, introduces the three lucky contestants. There are 2 rounds to the game, each one going through three of six categories. Each category has three questions to it. The three contestants, designated by the colored-ring around their name tags, as well as the color of their buzzer--will attempt to be the first to answer the question. Whomever answers it will be the first who presses their buzzer after the question has been asked. Standing to the left of the stage is the "D-Buck" spinner (which denotes how many D-Bucks the question is worth--1000 to 6000) as well as a screen for video clues. The videos would also be played on a big screen behind the stage.

Anyways, after the first or second categories in each round, a bonus round will be played. There are six different bonus rounds.

• Casting Call: Ten squares are shown. One by one, they'll flip around to reveal a character from a Disney movie or TV show. When the contestants think they know which show the characters are from, they'll buzz in and make the call before the 10-second clock runs out. The sooner you answer, the more D-Bucks you earn. If you can't, the game continues until someone else answers correctly, or until the complete cast is revealed. There are three casting calls per bonus round.
• Character Mix-Ups: This is a dizzying game for sure! Contestants are faced with three character wheels, each one with a different part on it--one featuring heads, one torsos and the last legs. The character wheels will spin, and the contestants will have to figure out which character can be pieced together. If the contestant thinks they knows, they'll buzz in and attempt to piece the character together. If the contestant can do it before the clock runs out, the D-Bucks are theirs, but if not, it's anyone's chance to steal. There are three mix-ups in each round.
• Fast Focus: Contestants are presented with a blurry, twisted, out-of-focus picture of someone or something very Disney. If the contestant can figure out who or what the picture is of, they'll buzz in and quickly choose the correct answer. The faster you buzz in and answer correctly, the more D-Bucks you'll get. If you can't focus fast enough, anyone can steal. There are three images per round.
• Before & After: In this round, contestants are presented with early concept drawings of Disney characters or attractions next to pictures of the way they turned out. The pictures will keep changing automatically, so if they can spot a perfect match, they'll buzz in as quickly as they can. A match wins 1000 D-Bucks, but a mismatch costs them 1000 D-Bucks.
• Cel-O-Vision: This'll put animation buffs to the test. In this game, contestants will have to match the character cel on the left to the background painting on the right. The cels keep changing automatically, so you have to be quick. Winning matches earn contestants 1000 D-Bucks, but mismatches cost them 1000 D-Bucks.
• Picture Perfect: This game puts contestants up against one of the scariest brain-benders of all: an 8-square slider puzzle! There are three pictures per round, and all of them are themed to one Disney movie. The puzzle will solve itself automatically, but if the contestants think they can solve it before the puzzle can--and in 30 seconds--they'll hit the buzzer and slide the pieces together. If they can complete the puzzle before time runs out, they'll win the D-Bucks. And the faster they solve it, the more D-bucks they'll earn. Important Note: If the contestants buzz in as the last piece slides into place, they must move the piece right, then left (or up or down or whatever) in order to win the D-Bucks. No freebies in this round.

Once all the categories are breezed through and all the bonus rounds played, don't think the game ends here. Oh, no. There's still one more challenge the contestants have to face: the D-Fibulator! Here, the contestants will be faced with 15 Disney facts, and they'll have 60 seconds to decide which ones are true and which ones are false. They'll have to press two buzzers: a blue one for true and a red one for false. Correct answers earn the contestant 2000 D-Bucks, but incorrect answers will cost them 2000 D-Bucks. And whoever has the most D-Bucks at the end of this nerve-wracking final challenge is declared the winner!

So, The D Show runs the Lakeside Club by day. But by night, the exciting sounds of game show madness are replaced by those of uproarious laughter. Why? Because when the sun sets, the Lakeside Club becomes the new home of...

Comedy Warehouse

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This uproarious group of comedians used to entertain at Pleasure Island at Downtown Disney before packing up in 2008. Well, I've decided to bring them back to make guests LOL. After all, since the park hosts their yearly Christmas Special, why not bring them back full-time? And when Disney's Hollywoodland closes down for the night, the Comedy Warehouse remains open for a few more hours. In fact, the schedule of shows there are: 8:00 p.m., 9:05 p.m., 10:15 p.m., 11:45 p.m. & 12:45 a.m. It's clear that this part of the park is aimed more towards adults than it is children.

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Casting Call

And finally, we have Casting Call. Using parts of the former American Idol audition rooms, the defunct Radio Studio and the old corporate lounge, Casting Call is a special meet & greet area. Much like Pete's Silly Sideshow and Princess Fairytale Hall at the Magic Kingdom, Casting Call has two different meet & greet areas under one roof--one area features a rotating cast of characters, oftentimes used to promote the latest animated Disney film (the area's current tenant is Olaf, the beloved snowman from Frozen) and the other features Sorcerer Mickey and Minnie. Basically, I'm combining Celebrity Spotlight and Mickey & Minnie Starring in Red Carpet Dreams as one big meet & greet entity. New entrance pathways will be built for each, starting at the new entrance, then splitting towards the different meet & greets.

 

[DisneyManOne]

Disney's Hollywoodland
Echo Lake

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If Hollywood Boulevard represents Hollywood in the 30s, and Sunset Boulevard represents Hollywood in the 40s, then Echo Lake represents Hollywood in the 50s. The sounds of jazz and early rock-and-roll fill the air. Echo Lake represents a small town in Hollywood in the mid-50s; the post-war years, when television was just starting out: a whole new frontier in the world of entertainment. Entering across the way from Keystone Clothiers, Echo Lake begins with the 50s Prime Time Cafe (Hollywood & Vine becomes part of Hollywood Boulevard). But from the Prime Time Cafe, everything else changes. And I must give a shout-out to @MANEATINGWREATH, whose Eliasburg concept served as my major inspiration for this new take on a lesser-known part of the park.

Just off of the Prime Time Cafe is a boulevard full of 50s-esque shops, not unlike a thriving Main Street of many a 50s town. Stepping into Echo Lake, you might feel the same way Marty McFly felt when he went back in time to 1955 Hill Valley. Gable’s, an elegant clothing store, features in-house “artists” designing sweatshirts and logos on the scene. That Old Black Magic Shop, named for the Louis Prima and Keely Smith duet of the same name, acts as Hollywoodland’s leading purveyor of fine magic, tricks, gags and novelties. Here, master magicians often perform sleight-of-hand tricks for passers by, while eerie blacklight and mechanical creatures create a setting reminiscent of Mario’s Magic Shop, as seen in Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, right down to the mechanical chimpanzee out front clutching a bouquet. Plan 9 from Outer Space continues the fantasy theme of the adjacent magic shop, named for the truly horrid sci-fi classic, Plan 9 from Outer Space. In this peculiar shop, vintage memorabilia from nearly all mediums of pop culture - classic horror, Marvel Comics, Star Wars, Pixar, Disney Animation, Godzilla, old sci-fi flicks, etc. - line the glass-encased shelves, while miniature statues of King Kong, Godzilla and the Beast from 20,000 Fathoms keep watch from above.

The All-American Waffle Co. acts in lieu of your typical breakfast joint in the American Southwest, dishing up jumbo-sized, Mickey Mouse-shaped waffles, complete with your choice of toppings. Presley’s Classic Americana completes the western block, a collectible store to rival even the finest of antiquity dealers. Antiques of high value - and history - are for sale; Coca Cola machines, period toys, jukeboxes, old-fashioned arcade machines, autographed photos, cinematic props, etc. Of course, the real highlight here is a life-sized statue of Elvis Presley found right outside the shop in lieu of your typical Cigar Store Indian.

The haunting a capella sounds of the Doo-Wop Dans can be heard throughout Echo Lake, as this leather-clad quintet travels throughout this small town throughout the day, singing doo-wop songs both old ("In the Still of the Night"), new ("For the Longest Time") and in-between ("Lollipop"...in the style of that Dell commercial from 2009).

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Heading towards the back of the town, you'll come across the Hollywood Courthouse and Second Public Library. As we meander through these public facilities, we learn of Hollywoodland’s “super” past, including the destruction of the First Public Library by notorious supervillain, Bomb Voyage, circa 1951… What lies before us is a journey unlike any other…

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Alongside Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl and Frozone, we zip through the stylized, digitally-rendered streets of Hollywood in the comic-book world of 1955. Martians from the Planet Lasseter have invaded Earth, and it’s up to us to assist the “Supers” and save the day from these evil intergalactic forces. The Incredibles: Escape the Martians! simulates an incredible journey, allowing us to experience “stretching” with Elastigirl, “gliding” with Frozone and, to an incredible extent, “super strength” with Mr. Incredible, all utilizing the latest in KUKA Arm technology. The attraction is presented in a seamless mix of digital projections, three-dimensional sets and audio-animatronic figures, bringing the world of the Disney*Pixar classic to life like never before. The Incredibles themselves, alongside their trusted acquaintance, Frozone, often meet fans right outside the ride.

You think that's great? Well, take a look at what's going on next door. As we draw away from the entrance of the Second Public Library, we come upon a small part of town that seems to be not of this world at least. Time-honored “oldies” set a musical backdrop to the docked and landed Milano, Star-Lord’s beloved ship.

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That's right: the Guardians of the Galaxy have landed in Echo Lake! Since the back half of the new Echo Lake plays tribute to classic superheroes (after all, superhero comics were quite a common commodity in the 50s), it only makes sense that these guys land here at Disney's Hollywoodland. Besides, GotG is one of the few franchises Disney can use without having to worry about Universal taking notice. Stepping inside Lee's Comic Shop, a secret passageway leads towards a sight you wouldn't exactly find in a 50s comic shop: a Xandarian gallery. After passing through this gallery, we come across a "transformation room", where, I assume, a transformation will occur involving a strange red cannon-like device. But, once all that is out of the way, we are launched aboard our own rocket for a wild ride through the galaxy for a roller-coaster ride unlike any other! Basically, this is the roller-coaster that will be coming to EPCOT in a few years. After a few years at EPCOT, the ride will be moved here, perfectly complementing the nearby Incredibles ride.

But if you still want to have fun with the Guardians, then catch the Guardians of the Galaxy Awesome Dance Off! Star-Lord and Gamora host a rousing dance-off right outside Lee's Comic Shop, backed by classic rock from Peter Quill’s beloved boom box. Audience participation and groovin’ are a must. At the end of the party, keep an eye out for Groot, who likes to arrive fashionably late…

Leaving this "super" part of Echo Lake behind, we come across another block of shops. By 1958, The Mickey Mouse Club had warmed the hearts of America’s children. Given it is 1955, The Mickey Mouse Club resides nearby. Here, children are invited to become “Honorary Mouseketeers.” As such, classic Disney cartoons are shown in a small theatre, while Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy make special appearances in their traditional attire. Next door is Roy’s Place, a shop devoted exclusively to hats and head gear resides, complete with the world-famous “MousekeEars”, designed by the shop’s namesake, Roy Williams. Roy’s Place is a neighbor to Candyland, named for a 1955 original: the classic board game...well, Candyland. In this candy shop of yore, peculiar treats and sweets of the period are sold from shelves stacked from floor-to-ceiling. In the storefront window, trained chefs create colorful caramel apples and taffies, while an antique circus organ provides a kooky underscore for the decor reminiscent of the 1955 board game. Odd inventory, such as marshmallow bouquets, chocolate Easter bunnies, bacon-flavored sodas, chocolate-dipped crickets, and peculiar popcorn varieties are in full supply. Madame Bookseller, a supposed "used" book shop rivals even that of the Second Public Library, actually selling inventory from its near-endless array of bookshelves.

Going past Casting Call, on the back-street towards The Great Movie Ride, the Sci-Fi Dine-In serves the ultimate in thematic dining. Though the restaurant’s aged facade - the Hollywoodland Water District - suggests otherwise, we are instead immersed into a faux, outdoor realm of endless night, where vintage roadsters sit before a flickering, black-and-white movie screen. In a car-shaped booth of our own, we chow down on scrumptious morsels (popcorn served with every meal!) while watching scary clips on the big screen: attacking aliens, marauding mummies, rampaging robots and more, all to the orchestral themes of Bernard Herrmann and Bernhard Kaun. Naturally, animated shorts and skits intersperse the rather monstrous imagery, including an old favorite...

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Serving as a neighbor to the Sci-Fi Dine-In is the BaseLine Tap House. The industrial buzz of 50s-era Hollywood is bottled here. Among the bustling office and warehouse exteriors is a charming little brick building fizzing with character. The interior aesthetics pay homage to the Figueroa Printing Company—a mom-and-pop print house that once enjoyed a flourishing partnership with Disney Studios. If you’d prefer the terrace, step outside and shade yourself under a picturesque tree canopy. What's on the menu here? Well, the crowning glory of BaseLine Tap House’s offerings are—without a doubt—its broad selection of California craft ales, lagers and cider. Don’t let that deter you from trying the variety of California wines on tap or specialty cocktails! There’s plenty of gourmet non-alcoholic lemonade and soda to go around, too. Soak up these sensational suds with a Bavarian pretzel slathered in mustard and beer-cheese fondue, spiced almonds or a charcuterie board highlighting delicious California cheeses.

​

Further down the street, a large gray gate, rather futuristic-looking in appearance, leads the way to a world only seen on the screens of our TV. But, we'll get there some other time. I, myself, am rather interested in what lies across the street from this "Grand Avenue". It sounds rather wacky and funny. Don't you wanna take a look?

 

[DisneyManOne]

Disney's Hollywoodland
Muppet Studios
~~~~~
Part 1: The Current Courtyard

​

It's time to play the music, it's time to light the lights! Anything can happen at Muppet Studios, where Jim Henson's iconic cavalcade of creatures run the show! Separated from the Grand Avenue portion of Echo Lake by a stylish brick wall, this is the place where the Muppets live and work, welcoming visitors from all over the world to experience their wacky, almost explosive antics.

New York-style buildings, peculiar gardens and a massive hot-air balloon marked with the grinning face of Kermit the Frog welcome us to this unique district of Hollywood, where the strains of jazz fade in favor of classic Muppet favorites - “The Muppet Show Theme", “Movin’ Right Along", "The Rainbow Connection", etc. Perhaps the smallest area of Disney's Hollywoodland, Muppet Studios allows us to get a first-hand look at how the Muppets make that movie magic.

The ground of Muppet Studios is layered in brick, as are many of the surrounding buildings, creating a New York-inspired courtyard. The brick courtyard leads to a Muppet fountain right in the middle. The fountain features several Muppets, including Kermit, Fozzie, Gonzo, Animal, Rizzo and Miss Piggy, dressed as the Statue of Liberty. Nearby, a hot-air balloon with Kermit’s face on it stands ready for photo-ops. Directly behind the fountain, guests will find the outstanding Jim Henson's Muppet*Vision 3D in a brick soundstage building.

The exterior of the attraction features the silhouette of Gonzo hanging from a clock, as well as a romantic painting of Kermit and Miss Piggy in a classic, romantic pose. Muppet-Vision has become a staple to Disney's Hollywood Studios and has become a favorite to many. The 3D experience takes guests along with Kermit through a tour of a few of the Muppet workshops, including a trip to Dr. Bunsen Honeydew's Laboratory, a performance by Miss Piggy and an explosive finale. The attraction utilizes real Muppets, special 4D effects, fiber optics and smoke effects.

Owned and operated by Brooklyn’s own Rizzo the Rat, PizzeRizzo is where guests can grab a New York (ish)-style pizza pie and a cold drink. Enjoy a casual Italian-American dining experience in a whole new way, through the eyes of the lovable, wisecracking Muppet. A variety of pizzas, pastas, salads and subs grace the menu. Heading further into the courtyard, guests will come across the Stage One Company Store, a complete gift store themed to the Muppets. The store features three themed sections, one themed to Muppet Babies, the other themed to a generic Muppets set, featuring lighting rigs, camera equipment and real props used in the Muppet movies and the last is themed to the Happiness Hotel from The Great Muppet Caper.

The biggest change to the existing Muppets Courtyard involves the space currently held by It's a Wonderful Shop and Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano. The space these two buildings share will be completely renovated and turned into two new experiences. Taking up the space formerly held by It's a Wonderful Shop and half of Mama Melrose's is a new restaurant:

Chez Muppet

Looks beautiful, right? Well, not so much. Chez Muppet is essentially a New York-style dinner club, but with a Muppet twist. Inspired by the dive pizza joints of Manhattan, the rustic, red-brick exterior gives way to a misshapen, mismanaged amalgam of Muppet antics. The restaurant is designed as a two-level atrium arrangement, with seating on both levels. The familiar warbles of he Swedish Chef ring out from the main kitchen, where the legendary chef is seen preparing meals, although things are not necessarily going as planned. This effect is achieved by having an animatronic Swedish Chef inside a replica of his kitchen, as seen in his recurring segment on The Muppet Show, in front of a fake window prominently displayed in one corner of the restaurant, right nearby the actual kitchen door.

On top of that, chaos breaks loose throughout the dining experience. Fire erupts from the kitchen, a pair of rats scurry across the shelves in the restaurant, reportedly heard “tampering” with the ingredients. A "living character" Camilla, Gonzo's chicken lover, is brought out as dinner, as Gonzo attempts to save her by climbing through the rafters above the restaurant. And speaking of the Great Gonzo, his crashed biplane narrowly teeters through a hole in the rooftop, right above one of the tables on the second level, visible from nearly every vantage point of Muppet Studios. Platters of "food" come to life and start to talk with the audience. Pictures of the Muppets on the wall come to life and strike up conversations with nearby diners. Quite an experience.

My biggest inspiration for Chez Muppet comes from Henson's Revue, a concept created by @jyn erso, @AceAstro, @MonorailRed and @spacemt354 for The Great Movie Ride competition held a while back. Essentially, I'm pretty much using that concept's menu for the menu here at Chez Muppet. Open for lunch and dinner, Chez Muppet features what I call an "ABA" menu: a salad bar for appetizers, an a la carte entree option (although a la carte appetizer options are also available), and for dessert: a trip to the sundae bar!

Menu
Buffet Salad Bar
$8.99, buffet style. Free refills.

FEATURING
· Romaine Crisp Mix
· Baby Spinach
· Spring Lettuce Blend
· Purple Onion
· Red Bell Peppers
· Sweet Grape Tomatoes
· Cucumber Slices
· Carrot Shreds
· Green Peas
· Sliced Cremini Mushrooms
· Diced Hard-Boiled Eggs
· Shredded Cheese Mix
· Broccoli Florets
· Preserved Beets
· Garbanzo Beans
· Cauliflower Florets
· Banana Peppers
· Artichoke Hearts
· Olive Mix
· Diced Ham
· Scratch-Made Hummus
· Homemade Potato Salad
· Homemade Spring Pasta Salad
· Fresh Basil & Tomato Penne Salad
· Homemade Broccoli Crunch Salad
· Homemade Corn Salsa
· Homemade Cole Slaw
· Homemade Three Bean Salad
· Cottage Cheese
· Fresh Seasonal Fruit
· Pineapple
· Fresh Apple Waldorf
· Feta Cheese

A La Carte Appetizers
Mixed Vegetable Fondue ~ $9.99
Cheese Soufflé ~ $7.99
Spinach Puffs ~ $6.99

A La Carte Entrees
Swedish Chef's Swedish Meatballs, topped on a bed of house made egg noodle and covered in a rich Swedish sauce. ~ $22.99
Piggy Pasta Primavera, penne pasta mixed with fresh vegetables in a creamy Alfredo sauce, dusted with Mozzarella and Parmesan ~ $19.99
Gonzo's Pasta, pasta served with tomato and basil sauce, with sausage or meatballs ~ $17.99
Dr. Bunsen Honeydew's Stuffed Turkey Dinner, vegetable stuffing stuffed inside a large roasted turkey breast, served on a bed of mashed potatoes and topped with a reduced cranberry sauce ~ $29.99
Kokomo Tropical Kabobs, pork, pineapple, mushrooms, and onions, rosted with a Polynesian coffee run and glazed with a sweet and sour tropical juice sauce ~ $25.99
Sam Eagle's American Spaghetti-Stuffed Meatballs ~ $20.99
Pepe's Seafood-Stuffed Peppers ~ $21.99

Sundae Bar
Customized by the Swedish Chef! $7.99. Free refills.

Pick Your Base
Apple Cobbler
Black Forest Cake
Seasonal Pie: Grape (winter), Berry (spring/summer), Pumpkin (fall), Peppermint Eggnog (Christmas)
Warm Fudge Brownie
2 Fresh Buttermilk Waffles
3 Vanilla Cupcakes
Cheesecake

Pick Your Flavors (3 Scoops of Ice Cream Per Sundae)
Vanilla
Chocolate
Strawberry
Mint Chocolate Chip
Coffee
Cookies & Cream
Rocky Road
Cake Batter
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Butter Pecan

Pick Your Sauce
Hot Fudge
Caramel
Butterscotch
Strawberry
Marshmallow

Pick Your Unlimited Toppings
Sprinkles
Chocolate Chips
Cherries
Shredded Coconut
Chocolate-Covered Peanuts
Marshmallows
Seasonal Fruits
Crushed Chocolate Chip Cookies
Crushed Oreos
M&M's
Sliced Almonds
Assorted Crushed Candy Bars
Whipped Cream

Drinks
Fountain Drinks ~ $8.00
Water ~ $5.00
Milk ~ $5.00
Coffee ~ $12.00

Beaker's Experiments (Mixed Drinks)
The Animal, red cherry liquor mixed with a shot of gin ~ $10.99
Fozzie Wozzie, 1 part tequila, 2 parts rum, 1 part lime. You'll be feeling fozzie wozzie alright. ~ $9.99
The Star Wars Holiday Special, vodka, rum, tequila, gin, triple sec, and a shot of lemon juice mixed with cola. It's a mess. ~ $11.99
Camila Tequila, It's a tequila shot. What more do you want from us? ~ $7.99
Bobo's Boo Boo, rum, gin, and triple sec mixed with lime juice ~ $9.99

For the Kids
Kermit's Chicken Fingers ~ $8.99
Cheeseburger and Fries ~ $9.99
Macaroni and Cheese ~ $7.99
​

So, that's what's on the menu here at Chez Muppet. But you know, some guests just pop by to take advantage of the salad bar or the sundae bar. If that's the case, a quick-service window is open at the entrance to Chez Muppet, taking full advantage of Disney's new mobile order system.

Plus, since the entrance to Chez Muppet is found where It's a Wonderful Shop used to be, some of the shop's former space will be used for outdoor seating. Sit underneath a beautiful red umbrella and take in the full beauty of Muppet Studios. It's a perfect place to enjoy a calm bite, away from the busy streets of Hollywood. Besides, all the chaos takes place inside the building, so what have you got to lose?

But what has become of the other half of Mama Melrose? Well, heading away from Chez Muppet, down a hilariously graffitied New York alley is the not-so-well-guarded entrance to Dr. Bunson Honeydew’s secret laboratory. That's right, it's the

Muppet Labs

Kermit invited some of the world’s most well-reknowned scientists to do their research here. Unfortunately, none of them showed up, so Kermit has opened up the labs to anyone who drops by Muppet Studios. Muppet Labs is an interactive exhibit that’s best described as half ImageWorks and half Innoventions with a hint of madness and music thrown in. Here, you can take part in some of Dr. Honeydew's wacky experiments. And don't worry: Kermit personally oversaw each experiment, so you don't have to worry about getting hurt here. Heck, even Beaker couldn't get hurt here! Fans will appreciate the Rainbow Connection Corridor, a recreation of a famous EPCOT Center landmark.

Now, this is where Part 1 of our tour of Muppet Studios will end. This post only applied to changes being made to the current Muppet*Vision area. But in my plans, Muppet Studios is getting an expansion, featuring an abandoned concept brought to glorious new life.

 

[DisneyManOne]

Disney's Hollywoodland
Muppet Studios
~~~~~
The Great Muppet Movie Ride

The star attraction of the Muppet Studios is none other than the long-lost, never-built Great Muppet Movie Ride, finally built and realized for Disney's Hollywoodland. Taking up the land where Star Tours once stood (It'll pretty much be rendered pointless once Galaxy's Edge opens, anyway), we embark on a misguided tour of movie history. In other words, it's basically just the Muppets re-enacting famous movie scenes, all under the direction of The Great Gonzo. Frankenstein, starring a 10-foot Beaker as the Monster, recreates the famous “IT’S ALIVE” sequence, with Bunsen Honeydew as the doctor, Kermit and Piggy as the angry villagers, and a whole film crew of mischievous Muppets. Peter Pan, starring Kermit, Piggy, Scooter, Fozzie and Janice takes us above moonlit London, where Tinkerbell (Miss Piggy) loses control of her harness and destroys the phoney backdrop. Of course, Statler and Waldorf patrol the set in a golf cart, tearing the attraction apart following each scene. As Jim Henson himself described it, it's "a backstage ride explaining how movies were shot... and all the information is wrong."

Oh, and by the way, a few of the scenes here were created by @MANEATINGWREATH back when the 80-plus Disneyland Australia brainstorming thread was the toast of the Visions Fantastic Imagineering forum. Luckily, I was able to copy this onto a Word document before the site got shuttered, so this bit of genius will not be lost to the sands of time. Let's go!

==========================================================================================

The Great Muppet Movie Ride takes place in the historic Muppet Theater, otherwise known as the home of The Muppet Show. As with the Chinese Theatre a few feet away, the queue takes us past certain artifacts from film history. Only, in this case, they're from Muppet film history; props such as the banana sharpener, boomerang fish, Chuckie (Fozzie's dummy that has a mind of his own), crates full of singing vegetables that are heard chatting with each other, Miss Piggy's giant purple suitcases, Animal's broken drum set (two eyes peering from inside), Crazy Harry's TNT, some bags of chicken feed, Kermit's banjo resting against his bike, the baseball diamond from The Great Muppet Caper, and last but not least Fozzie's dressing room door, in which guests can knock on and hear horrible jokes from the lovable bear. Posters parodying well-known films (i;e "The Sow of Music" (with Miss Piggy in the place of Julie Andrews), "The Dogfather" (with Rowlf in the place of Marlon Brando), etc.) line the walls. After passing by the corridors, we enter the loading area, done in a style similar to the Great Movie Ride's Hollywood city-scape mural. Remember the ending of The Muppet Movie, where the Muppets finally get to make a movie? Well, the "set" for that scene (representing their journey to Hollywood) will serve as this ride's mural.

Grand orchestral versions of some of the Muppets' most well-known songs fill the air. At the far edge, much like the Great Movie Ride's loading area, is the theatre marquee, promoting THE MOST "ACCURATE" TOUR OF THE MOVIES EVER!, which the vehicles pass under. The whole feel of the area is very, shall we say, "uppity", not giving a single clue as to what's in store.

Our vehicles then pull into the loading area ready for adventure as a cast member helps us get into our seats. Our vehicles will be the same as the Great Movie Ride, but much smaller. They will seat 5 per row with 4 rows. And these will be painted yellow with “Muppet Studios” printed on the back. Kermit is then heard giving us a quick safety spiel: “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, before we begin our trip through the movies, just a few simple reminders: there is no flash pictures or smoking allowed during the tour, remain seated at all times, with your hands, arms, feet and legs inside the tram, please watch your children and might I say, good luck!” Our trams begin moving forward as we pass underneath the marquee which appears to have teeth as well as eyes. Inside, we pass through a tunnel of flashing yellow and green lights as a grand musical orchestration of the Muppet Show theme plays, a la Muppet*Vision 3D.

Coming out of the flashy tunnel, the lightning crashes as the cheery Muppet Show theme song changes into a dark and sinister violin track. We have entered a dark and dreary castle full of eerie eyes, spider-infested cobwebs, and possessed portraits with moving eyes, a.k.a. a portrait of Pepe the King Prawn in a powdered wig and black robe. Our trams continue on as we enter the filming of our first film, Beakerstein, where we find the first of many gags to come. To our left we see a normal soundstage where Gonzo sits in a director's chair yelling stage directions into a megaphone, Scooter holding a boom mic, Rizzo behind the camera, Animal eating a table full of snacks, and Fozzie holding two cords and looking at them strangely. Across the way we return to the haunted castle where we see Kermit and Miss Piggy standing in an open doorway with looks of horror, watching the presumably evil Dr. Bunsen Honeydew bring his ten foot tall monster (Beaker with bolts in his neck) to life. Electrodes buzz and test tubes full of multicolored potions bubble as Gonzo yells stage directions.

GONZO: OK, this is the big dramatic finale, when Honeydew finally brings his creation to life! But Kermit and Piggy are too late, mankind has no hope now that Beakerstein has been brought into existence. And action!

HONEYDEW: Bwa ha ha! There is nothing you can do to stop me now!

KERMIT: (Horrible acting) Oh dear, it seems that we are too late!

PIGGY: Oh Kermie, whatever shall we do?

GONZO: And cut! Great job everyone, turn on the electrodes!

Fozzie curiously plugs the two cords he was holding together only for his tie to get caught in between them, surging a powerful electric current through him and Beaker. Fozzie's fur rises into the air, smoke streams out of his ears, and his eyes light up as he yells “Wacka wacka wacka!” Beaker suffers a similar fate, as his scruff of hair rises into the air while his eyes light up. He screams in pain until there is a huge explosion, flashing lights and walls with the word “BOOM” painted all over them.

Our trams manage to survive the explosion, but the ride is not over yet. As we exit, we pass by Statler and Waldorf in a golf cart. They give a little bit of their signature heckling (it’ll be different each time you ride) before they go off into the distance. Then, we enter another soundstage except this time the movie is Peter Frog and we are now in a set made to resemble London. Gonzo again yells directions with his trusty script girl Camilla by his side, while rat technicians work high above us. Peter Pan (Kermit), Wendy (Janice), John (Scooter), and Michael (Fozzie) fly out of an open window, held in the air by gigantic ropes and rings.

GONZO: And action! (The Muppets fly out)

JANICE: Like wow Peter, I have like never been this high, fer sure.

KERMIT: Don't worry Wendy, all you need is pixie dust! (beat) Ahem, I said all you need is pixie dust!

PIGGY (Offstage): Alright, hold your horses, bub!

Suddenly all the rats scream in pain as Miss Piggy wearing a pair of plastic fairy wings, a tiny green dress, a magic wand at hand, and a blonde wig, breaks through a painted wall screaming as the rats swing her through the air on her rope.

PIGGY: Get me down from here! Ahhhhhhhhh! Help, help moi!

GONZO: Cut, cut!

Our trams pull out of London and passes through a tunnel that takes us upwards. Given how small the proposed space is, the ride will take place on two levels. When our ascent finishes, we're in a Western town, where the time is high noon and a showdown is a-brewin’. This is The Good, the Bad and the Cowardly. Fozzie stars as the Bear with No Name, facing off against Dragon Eyes, played by Uncle Deadly, with his partner Taco, played by Rizzo, cowering behind him. Their horses, tethered to a nearby pole, converse with each other (in high-class British accents) about what’s going on. Various Muppets peek out of the windows, one of them director Gonzo, who shouts directions from his megaphone down to the actors. The doors to a nearby saloon open, and we head inside.

Those saloon doors actually served as a transition to the next scene, where we through a dark room, eerie Muppet eyes peering from the darkness. We’re in the filming of Men in Plaid. Vaudeville music is heard playing as tomatoes appear flying through the air. Suddenly we enter a damaged street of the city, wrecked by a battle between hundreds of tiny Fozzie bears and the infamous Men in Plaid, Statler and Waldorf, armed with “tomato guns.” All the mini-Fozzies appear to be linked to a giant derby hat spaceship sitting in the heart of the scene. The annoying pests all scream “Wacka wacka wacka” and “Hey folks, you have been a great audience” and “Why did the chicken cross the road?” Statler and Waldorf fight with each other as we pass slowly through the scene without stopping.

STATLER: Hey Waldorf?

WALDORF: Yeah?

STATLEr: Doesn't this remind you of that Shakespeare play Hamlet?

WALDORF: Ya you know it does.

STATLER: Well you should know, you dated his sister!

BOTH: Do-ho-ho-ho-ho!

WALDORF: Boy was she ugly.

As we exit the fight scene we enter a Caribbean town, very similar to the one in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, but with the Muppet touch. This is the set of Pirates of the Amphibian: The Curse of the Black Prawn. A giant pirate ship (aka a replica of the Hispaniola from Muppet Treasure Island) stands near the dock, as a whole slew of pirates from Muppet Treasure Island—Polly Lobster, Clueless Morgan, Sweetums, Mad Monty, Angel Marie, Old Tom, Really Old Tom and Dead Tom—raid the town. Some of them are on the shores, stealing pies from a pie vendor, played by Dr. Honeydew, others dunk the town’s mayor, played by Sam the Eagle, in the well. All of the pirates sing “When You’re a Professional Pirate” from the movie. However, none of them notice Captain Jack Tadpole, aka Kermit, poke his head out of a barrel, watching the fiasco. Rowlf stands behind the camera in a small boat floating in the water, filming the scene as Gonzo continues to yell directions, like “Can I get a little bit more pillaging, please?” and “Okay, Kermit, poke your head up now!” and “Good job, everyone! I'm starting to get a craving for pie.” Statler and Waldorf’s golf cart appears atop a bridge we pass under, and they heckle again.

We exit under the bridge and enter a dark jungle, the sounds of tropical birds and roaring tigers in the distance. The first gag appears to our right, a steamy swamp full of croaking frogs, and Pepe who sunbathes on a lily pad, a crocodile lurking nearby. To our left we see the filming of King Animal in progress, our trams stopping for a closer look. Once again, we find Gonzo sitting in the director's chair with his trusty megaphone, Rizzo behind the camera, and Scooter holding the boom mic. Across the way we see several pigs dressed as cannibalistic natives, holding jungle explorers Kermit the Frog and Scooter hostage over a boiling stew pot, while Ms. Piggy appears tied to two wooden spears at the very top of a sacrificial altar.

GONZO: And action!

PIGGY: Oh help, help, somebody help!

PIGS: Ani-mal! Ani-mal! Ani-mal! (The pigs continue to chant)

KERMIT: Don't worry Piggy we will save you!

SCOOTER: Kermit, did you not realize that we are tied up here?

KERMIT: Oh sorry, Scooter.

SCOOTER: Sure thing. Say did you catch the Mighty Ducks' game last night?

PIGGY: Ahem.

KERMIT: No I didn't but I heard it was great!

PIGGY: Ahem.

GONZO: Oh you should have seen it, it was amazing!

PIGGY: AHEM!!!!!!!

KERMIT: Oh sorry.

PIGS: Animal! Animal! Animal!

The bushes behind Piggy pull apart, revealing a giant Animal panting and breathing heavily. Suddenly his eyes enlarge as he sees Piggy.

ANIMAL: WOMAN! WOMAN! WOMAN!

Animal grabs Piggy, who fights back.

PIGGY: Get your hands off me, you filthy swine!

ANIMAL: Woman hurt Animal, Animal go back to cage.

Animal disappears back into the jungle as Gonzo screams.

GONZO: Cut, cut, cut! What was that? Honestly, Animal you were supposed to take the woman, not leave! Let's do this again.

RIZZO: Take 963!

We leave the scene as the cast gets back in their original positions. The dense jungle quickly turns into the vastness of space. Our vehicle descends through the stars and enters the U.S.S. Swinetrek. We are caught in the middle of the epic battle scene from Pigs in Space: The Movie! The Swinetrek crew—Link Hogthrob, Dr. Julius Strangepork and Miss Piggy—attempt to use their ship’s weapons to take down their foe—the dreaded Space Pi-rats (a bunch of rats with laser pistols, bandannas and cutlasses), led by the nefarious Captain Rizzo. The rats swing above our heads on ropes. As we exit the Swinetrek through an escape pod, we see Statler and Waldorf in their golf cart again. A laser beam slices the cart in half.

Finally, we enter a room very similar to the final room in The Great Movie Ride, as Kermit tells us, “And now, we’d like to end your ride on The Great Muppet Movie Ride with a little tribute to the greatest movies of all time—our movies.” And with that, clips from the Muppet movies play as “Hey, a Movie!” from The Great Muppet Caper plays. But as the montage ends, all chaos breaks loose. Muppets dance in dressed as famous movie characters, fireworks go off, props fall from the ceiling, and finally the screen falls off the wall and lands with a CRASH! in front of us. Kermit appears in the hole that the screen left behind, and says “Well, everyone, I…I guess that concludes The Great Muppet Movie Ride. Now, we don’t want to hurt yourselves, like some people I know, so when your car comes to a full and complete stop and the doors open, gather up all your belongings and take your little ones by the hand and exit out to your right. Thanks for joining us, everyone, and enjoy the rest of your day here at Disney's Hollywoodland, and uh…I hope I don’t see you in court.” He leaves, and, after a few seconds, that giant Animal from the King Animal section pokes his head out of the hole and roars before walking away. We pass by Statler and Waldorf in their golf cart again, they give us some parting words, and we pull into the unload area and depart our car.

STATLER: Well, did you think that was any better than Muppet*Vision 3D?

WALDORF: I think it was worse. At least in Muppet*Vision, you could get out of your seat and LEAVE!

BOTH: Doh-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho!

Built nearby the Muppet Theater, taking the space formerly held by Tatooine Traders, is Jim Henson's Muppet Workshop, which the ride exits out into. The workshop is unique to Disney's Hollywoodland in the sense that it provides live puppet shows and an exhibit all about Jim Henson's Muppets from their early days in Sam and Friends to their heyday in The Muppet Show. For a good sum of money, we can design our own Muppet and receive one-on-one tips from a trained-Muppeteer. If we do not wish to pay, all we have to do is pick-up a spare Muppet Whatnot from the Muppet Chest and enjoy. The giant Muppet-Screen 3000 overlooks the workshop, often playing classic clips and skits from The Muppet Show.

 

[MANEATINGWREATH]

Disney's Hollywoodland
Muppet Studios
~~~~~
The Great Muppet Movie Ride

The star attraction of the Muppet Studios is none other than the long-lost, never-built Great Muppet Movie Ride, finally built and realized for Disney's Hollywoodland. Taking up the land where Star Tours once stood (It'll pretty much be rendered pointless once Galaxy's Edge opens, anyway), we embark on a misguided tour of movie history. In other words, it's basically just the Muppets re-enacting famous movie scenes, all under the direction of The Great Gonzo. Frankenstein, starring a 10-foot Beaker as the Monster, recreates the famous “IT’S ALIVE” sequence, with Bunsen Honeydew as the doctor, Kermit and Piggy as the angry villagers, and a whole film crew of mischievous Muppets. Peter Pan, starring Kermit, Piggy, Scooter, Fozzie and Janice takes us above moonlit London, where Tinkerbell (Miss Piggy) loses control of her harness and destroys the phoney backdrop. Of course, Statler and Waldorf patrol the set in a golf cart, tearing the attraction apart following each scene. As Jim Henson himself described it, it's "a backstage ride explaining how movies were shot... and all the information is wrong."

Oh, and by the way, a few of the scenes here were created by @MANEATINGWREATH back when the 80-plus Disneyland Australia brainstorming thread was the toast of the Visions Fantastic Imagineering forum. Luckily, I was able to copy this onto a Word document before the site got shuttered, so this bit of genius will not be lost to the sands of time. Let's go!

==========================================================================================

The Great Muppet Movie Ride takes place in the historic Muppet Theater, otherwise known as the home of The Muppet Show. As with the Chinese Theatre a few feet away, the queue takes us past certain artifacts from film history. Only, in this case, they're from Muppet film history; props such as the banana sharpener, boomerang fish, Chuckie (Fozzie's dummy that has a mind of his own), crates full of singing vegetables that are heard chatting with each other, Miss Piggy's giant purple suitcases, Animal's broken drum set (two eyes peering from inside), Crazy Harry's TNT, some bags of chicken feed, Kermit's banjo resting against his bike, the baseball diamond from The Great Muppet Caper, and last but not least Fozzie's dressing room door, in which guests can knock on and hear horrible jokes from the lovable bear. Posters parodying well-known films (i;e "The Sow of Music" (with Miss Piggy in the place of Julie Andrews), "The Dogfather" (with Rowlf in the place of Marlon Brando), etc.) line the walls. After passing by the corridors, we enter the loading area, done in a style similar to the Great Movie Ride's Hollywood city-scape mural. Remember the ending of The Muppet Movie, where the Muppets finally get to make a movie? Well, the "set" for that scene (representing their journey to Hollywood) will serve as this ride's mural.

Grand orchestral versions of some of the Muppets' most well-known songs fill the air. At the far edge, much like the Great Movie Ride's loading area, is the theatre marquee, promoting THE MOST "ACCURATE" TOUR OF THE MOVIES EVER!, which the vehicles pass under. The whole feel of the area is very, shall we say, "uppity", not giving a single clue as to what's in store.

Our vehicles then pull into the loading area ready for adventure as a cast member helps us get into our seats. Our vehicles will be the same as the Great Movie Ride, but much smaller. They will seat 5 per row with 4 rows. And these will be painted yellow with “Muppet Studios” printed on the back. Kermit is then heard giving us a quick safety spiel: “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, before we begin our trip through the movies, just a few simple reminders: there is no flash pictures or smoking allowed during the tour, remain seated at all times, with your hands, arms, feet and legs inside the tram, please watch your children and might I say, good luck!” Our trams begin moving forward as we pass underneath the marquee which appears to have teeth as well as eyes. Inside, we pass through a tunnel of flashing yellow and green lights as a grand musical orchestration of the Muppet Show theme plays, a la Muppet*Vision 3D.

Coming out of the flashy tunnel, the lightning crashes as the cheery Muppet Show theme song changes into a dark and sinister violin track. We have entered a dark and dreary castle full of eerie eyes, spider-infested cobwebs, and possessed portraits with moving eyes, a.k.a. a portrait of Pepe the King Prawn in a powdered wig and black robe. Our trams continue on as we enter the filming of our first film, Beakerstein, where we find the first of many gags to come. To our left we see a normal soundstage where Gonzo sits in a director's chair yelling stage directions into a megaphone, Scooter holding a boom mic, Rizzo behind the camera, Animal eating a table full of snacks, and Fozzie holding two cords and looking at them strangely. Across the way we return to the haunted castle where we see Kermit and Miss Piggy standing in an open doorway with looks of horror, watching the presumably evil Dr. Bunsen Honeydew bring his ten foot tall monster (Beaker with bolts in his neck) to life. Electrodes buzz and test tubes full of multicolored potions bubble as Gonzo yells stage directions.

GONZO: OK, this is the big dramatic finale, when Honeydew finally brings his creation to life! But Kermit and Piggy are too late, mankind has no hope now that Beakerstein has been brought into existence. And action!

HONEYDEW: Bwa ha ha! There is nothing you can do to stop me now!

KERMIT: (Horrible acting) Oh dear, it seems that we are too late!

PIGGY: Oh Kermie, whatever shall we do?

GONZO: And cut! Great job everyone, turn on the electrodes!

Fozzie curiously plugs the two cords he was holding together only for his tie to get caught in between them, surging a powerful electric current through him and Beaker. Fozzie's fur rises into the air, smoke streams out of his ears, and his eyes light up as he yells “Wacka wacka wacka!” Beaker suffers a similar fate, as his scruff of hair rises into the air while his eyes light up. He screams in pain until there is a huge explosion, flashing lights and walls with the word “BOOM” painted all over them.

Our trams manage to survive the explosion, but the ride is not over yet. As we exit, we pass by Statler and Waldorf in a golf cart. They give a little bit of their signature heckling (it’ll be different each time you ride) before they go off into the distance. Then, we enter another soundstage except this time the movie is Peter Frog and we are now in a set made to resemble London. Gonzo again yells directions with his trusty script girl Camilla by his side, while rat technicians work high above us. Peter Pan (Kermit), Wendy (Janice), John (Scooter), and Michael (Fozzie) fly out of an open window, held in the air by gigantic ropes and rings.

GONZO: And action! (The Muppets fly out)

JANICE: Like wow Peter, I have like never been this high, fer sure.

KERMIT: Don't worry Wendy, all you need is pixie dust! (beat) Ahem, I said all you need is pixie dust!

PIGGY (Offstage): Alright, hold your horses, bub!

Suddenly all the rats scream in pain as Miss Piggy wearing a pair of plastic fairy wings, a tiny green dress, a magic wand at hand, and a blonde wig, breaks through a painted wall screaming as the rats swing her through the air on her rope.

PIGGY: Get me down from here! Ahhhhhhhhh! Help, help moi!

GONZO: Cut, cut!

Our trams pull out of London and passes through a tunnel that takes us upwards. Given how small the proposed space is, the ride will take place on two levels. When our ascent finishes, we're in a Western town, where the time is high noon and a showdown is a-brewin’. This is The Good, the Bad and the Cowardly. Fozzie stars as the Bear with No Name, facing off against Dragon Eyes, played by Uncle Deadly, with his partner Taco, played by Rizzo, cowering behind him. Their horses, tethered to a nearby pole, converse with each other (in high-class British accents) about what’s going on. Various Muppets peek out of the windows, one of them director Gonzo, who shouts directions from his megaphone down to the actors. The doors to a nearby saloon open, and we head inside.

Those saloon doors actually served as a transition to the next scene, where we through a dark room, eerie Muppet eyes peering from the darkness. We’re in the filming of Men in Plaid. Vaudeville music is heard playing as tomatoes appear flying through the air. Suddenly we enter a damaged street of the city, wrecked by a battle between hundreds of tiny Fozzie bears and the infamous Men in Plaid, Statler and Waldorf, armed with “tomato guns.” All the mini-Fozzies appear to be linked to a giant derby hat spaceship sitting in the heart of the scene. The annoying pests all scream “Wacka wacka wacka” and “Hey folks, you have been a great audience” and “Why did the chicken cross the road?” Statler and Waldorf fight with each other as we pass slowly through the scene without stopping.

STATLER: Hey Waldorf?

WALDORF: Yeah?

STATLEr: Doesn't this remind you of that Shakespeare play Hamlet?

WALDORF: Ya you know it does.

STATLER: Well you should know, you dated his sister!

BOTH: Do-ho-ho-ho-ho!

WALDORF: Boy was she ugly.

As we exit the fight scene we enter a Caribbean town, very similar to the one in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, but with the Muppet touch. This is the set of Pirates of the Amphibian: The Curse of the Black Prawn. A giant pirate ship (aka a replica of the Hispaniola from Muppet Treasure Island) stands near the dock, as a whole slew of pirates from Muppet Treasure Island—Polly Lobster, Clueless Morgan, Sweetums, Mad Monty, Angel Marie, Old Tom, Really Old Tom and Dead Tom—raid the town. Some of them are on the shores, stealing pies from a pie vendor, played by Dr. Honeydew, others dunk the town’s mayor, played by Sam the Eagle, in the well. All of the pirates sing “When You’re a Professional Pirate” from the movie. However, none of them notice Captain Jack Tadpole, aka Kermit, poke his head out of a barrel, watching the fiasco. Rowlf stands behind the camera in a small boat floating in the water, filming the scene as Gonzo continues to yell directions, like “Can I get a little bit more pillaging, please?” and “Okay, Kermit, poke your head up now!” and “Good job, everyone! I'm starting to get a craving for pie.” Statler and Waldorf’s golf cart appears atop a bridge we pass under, and they heckle again.

We exit under the bridge and enter a dark jungle, the sounds of tropical birds and roaring tigers in the distance. The first gag appears to our right, a steamy swamp full of croaking frogs, and Pepe who sunbathes on a lily pad, a crocodile lurking nearby. To our left we see the filming of King Animal in progress, our trams stopping for a closer look. Once again, we find Gonzo sitting in the director's chair with his trusty megaphone, Rizzo behind the camera, and Scooter holding the boom mic. Across the way we see several pigs dressed as cannibalistic natives, holding jungle explorers Kermit the Frog and Scooter hostage over a boiling stew pot, while Ms. Piggy appears tied to two wooden spears at the very top of a sacrificial altar.

GONZO: And action!

PIGGY: Oh help, help, somebody help!

PIGS: Ani-mal! Ani-mal! Ani-mal! (The pigs continue to chant)

KERMIT: Don't worry Piggy we will save you!

SCOOTER: Kermit, did you not realize that we are tied up here?

KERMIT: Oh sorry, Scooter.

SCOOTER: Sure thing. Say did you catch the Mighty Ducks' game last night?

PIGGY: Ahem.

KERMIT: No I didn't but I heard it was great!

PIGGY: Ahem.

GONZO: Oh you should have seen it, it was amazing!

PIGGY: AHEM!!!!!!!

KERMIT: Oh sorry.

PIGS: Animal! Animal! Animal!

The bushes behind Piggy pull apart, revealing a giant Animal panting and breathing heavily. Suddenly his eyes enlarge as he sees Piggy.

ANIMAL: WOMAN! WOMAN! WOMAN!

Animal grabs Piggy, who fights back.

PIGGY: Get your hands off me, you filthy swine!

ANIMAL: Woman hurt Animal, Animal go back to cage.

Animal disappears back into the jungle as Gonzo screams.

GONZO: Cut, cut, cut! What was that? Honestly, Animal you were supposed to take the woman, not leave! Let's do this again.

RIZZO: Take 963!

We leave the scene as the cast gets back in their original positions. The dense jungle quickly turns into the vastness of space. Our vehicle descends through the stars and enters the U.S.S. Swinetrek. We are caught in the middle of the epic battle scene from Pigs in Space: The Movie! The Swinetrek crew—Link Hogthrob, Dr. Julius Strangepork and Miss Piggy—attempt to use their ship’s weapons to take down their foe—the dreaded Space Pi-rats (a bunch of rats with laser pistols, bandannas and cutlasses), led by the nefarious Captain Rizzo. The rats swing above our heads on ropes. As we exit the Swinetrek through an escape pod, we see Statler and Waldorf in their golf cart again. A laser beam slices the cart in half.

Finally, we enter a room very similar to the final room in The Great Movie Ride, as Kermit tells us, “And now, we’d like to end your ride on The Great Muppet Movie Ride with a little tribute to the greatest movies of all time—our movies.” And with that, clips from the Muppet movies play as “Hey, a Movie!” from The Great Muppet Caper plays. But as the montage ends, all chaos breaks loose. Muppets dance in dressed as famous movie characters, fireworks go off, props fall from the ceiling, and finally the screen falls off the wall and lands with a CRASH! in front of us. Kermit appears in the hole that the screen left behind, and says “Well, everyone, I…I guess that concludes The Great Muppet Movie Ride. Now, we don’t want to hurt yourselves, like some people I know, so when your car comes to a full and complete stop and the doors open, gather up all your belongings and take your little ones by the hand and exit out to your right. Thanks for joining us, everyone, and enjoy the rest of your day here at Disney's Hollywoodland, and uh…I hope I don’t see you in court.” He leaves, and, after a few seconds, that giant Animal from the King Animal section pokes his head out of the hole and roars before walking away. We pass by Statler and Waldorf in their golf cart again, they give us some parting words, and we pull into the unload area and depart our car.

STATLER: Well, did you think that was any better than Muppet*Vision 3D?

WALDORF: I think it was worse. At least in Muppet*Vision, you could get out of your seat and LEAVE!

BOTH: Doh-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho!

Built nearby the Muppet Theater, taking the space formerly held by Tatooine Traders, is Jim Henson's Muppet Workshop, which the ride exits out into. The workshop is unique to Disney's Hollywoodland in the sense that it provides live puppet shows and an exhibit all about Jim Henson's Muppets from their early days in Sam and Friends to their heyday in The Muppet Show. For a good sum of money, we can design our own Muppet and receive one-on-one tips from a trained-Muppeteer. If we do not wish to pay, all we have to do is pick-up a spare Muppet Whatnot from the Muppet Chest and enjoy. The giant Muppet-Screen 3000 overlooks the workshop, often playing classic clips and skits from The Muppet Show.

Do you have any more of DLA saved? That's another time capsule I'd love to look into.

 

[DisneyManOne]

Disney's Hollywoodland
Animation Courtyard
~~~~~
Walt Disney Theatre & Animator's Palate

Animation Courtyard is a land devoted to the business that has made Disney what it is today - animation. Walt Disney was an innovator, a dreamer, a conceptualist, a designer, but had started his influential career as an animator. Ever since he was a child, he was a drawer and loved the process of putting together images to simulate moving pictures. He had studied all sorts of information regarding this new kind of art. He had created some of the most beloved characters, such as Mickey Mouse, whom he had drawn and provided the voice for in the earliest years of the character. And with this major renovation of the park, Animation Courtyard will see a true re-development of the entire area, something to focus on both the process of animation and Walt Disney's inspiration that had led to a sweeping career. The heart of animation has always been at the heart of The Walt Disney Company, so this area is as important as ever to be represented in the Studios. Animation is a source of inspiration, it creates stories and lovable characters that society finds endearing.

We enter Animation Courtyard from the central hub of Hollywood Boulevard, just off of the Hollywoodland Hills. The archway that used to serve as the entrance into the courtyard has been removed. The entire area has been refurbished to share the same feeling as the rest of the “Tribute to Hollywood” section of the park. But as for the design, it'd be more along the likes of the buildings seen along the streets of Hollywood Land at Disney's California Adventure.

Walt Disney Theatre

Along the left-hand side of the courtyard, nestled in the shadow of the Hollywoodland Hills, is the Walt Disney Theatre. The impressive, brick-faced Broadway-style theatre takes up the space formerly held by Voyage of the Little Mermaid and the In Character and Studio Store shops. The building would be completely gutted and re-built, turning a small theater into something that wouldn't be out-of-place on the streets of Broadway.

The theater's extravagant lobby is decked out in shades of gold. Two passages lead to the theater's upper level and to the balcony seats. Of course, the interior would look like the theater on the Disney Dream and Fantasy cruise ships--recalling a bygone elegance of movie houses, yet behind the curtain you’ll find a technological marvel. Adorned with Art Deco and Art Nouveau flourishes from the 1930s and 1940s, the Walt Disney Theatre is a luxurious venue designed to handle today’s most complex productions. It's also one of Disney's most technologically advanced theaters, boasting an approximately 40-foot-wide proscenium stage, full-flying capabilities for moveable backdrops and scenery, a projection system for animated scrims and stage lifts, pyrotechnic capabilities, state-of-the-art lighting and Dolby sound systems and even orchestra and balcony seating. Speaking of which, a live orchestra accompanies each production! The park has had success with a live orchestra in the past with The Music of Pixar Live!, so I think it would be a nice touch to have a live orchestra accompany the shows here at the Walt Disney Theatre. The theater has a 1,340-seat capacity, so it's highly recommended to come early if you want a good seat.

​

The Walt Disney Theatre is equipped to present hour-long re-tellings of some of Disney's iconic animated films. Every two weeks, a different show is put on, proving that each visit to the theater is different. In fact, what you are about to see are the shows the Walt Disney Theatre puts on for guests. Most of these come from the Disney Cruise Line itself, so hey, it'll give those who don't do cruises a taste of what the Cruise Line version of the Walt Disney Theatre has in store.

Hercules: The MUSE-ical!
Half-musical, half-stand-up comedy, this "Vaudevillian salute" to Disney's 1997 animated classic is sure to bring a smile to the faces of our guests. Having previously played stints on both the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder, this show is brought to glorious new life here at Disney's Hollywoodland!

​

Toy Story: The Musical
The show that replaced Hercules: The MUSE-ical! on the Disney Wonder, Toy Story: The Musical is, what else, a musical based on Pixar's first foray into film. Bringing to life the secret world of toys through puppetry, animatronics and innovative costumes, this show features a score by Valerie Vigoda and Brendan Millburn, whose other contributions to Disney theme park music include "On This Day" from Mickey's Royal Friendship Faire and the theme song to The Muppets Present "Great Moments in American History". And of course, Randy Newman's iconic "You've Got a Friend in Me" is also part of the show.

​

Disney's Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular
A show that used to delight audiences at Disney's California Adventure, and still continues to delight guests aboard the Disney Fantasy, this stage adaptation of the 1992 classic is often considered one of the greatest achievements in Disney theme park show history. The production features the cast from the classic animated Disney film, Aladdin, in a fast-paced musical comedy. Aladdin, the street rat of Agrabah, meets a wise-cracking Genie, battles the evil Jafar, and falls in love with the beautiful and spirited Princess Jasmine. Magic lamps, wise-cracking genies, princesses, evil wizards, a flying carpet scene and soaring music are all a part of this stage spectacular.

​

Tangled: The Musical
Follow Rapunzel’s journey as she escapes the confines of her tower and the clutches of her evil sham of a mother who conceals the truth about Rapunzel’s royal roots. Rapunzel and Flynn strike up an unlikely friendship...and an unexpected romance. Featuring all the beloved songs and characters from the 2010 animated smash hit, including three new songs written by songwriters Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, Tangled: The Musical is sure to reach new heights of enchantment.

​

Beauty and the Beast: Live on Stage
In my opinion, this is a show that still has a lot going for it. Its only setbacks are lame production values and a rushed storyline. But, a big refurbishment could be just what this show needs. As such, I'm saving it from extinction and adding it to the rotation here at the Walt Disney Theatre. But don't expect it to be the same-old, same-old. No! Utilizing a new fleshed-out script, elaborate set and costume designs, special effects unlike those never seen, and innovative puppetry, this take on Disney's animated masterpiece would definitely be one for the history books. Basically, I want to do something like the new Beauty and the Beast show on the Disney Dream...but based around a movie that was actually, y'know, good.

Pinocchio: A Fanciful Musical
This is a concept that I helped create as part of Season Fourteen of SYWTBAI. I was on Team Younger, alongside fellow Armchair Imagineers @Basketbuddy101, @JokersWild, @mharrington, @ThatGuyFromFlorida and @Pionmycake. A new re-telling of Disney's second animated feature, this would be a lavish hour-long stage production featuring all sorts of nifty effects. For more information, just clickhere!

​

Snow White: An Enchanting Musical
This musical production, which played at Disneyland's Fantasyland Theatre for the park's 50th anniversary, brings the story of Snow White to the stage as it follows her from the Evil Queen's castle to the cottage of the seven dwarfs in the Enchanted Forest. Incorporating many of the favorite songs from the movie, like "Whistle While You Work" and "Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho", this show brings to life the classic scenes. Wonderfully detailed sets like the castle and the cottage help to recreate the look of the movie. There are a variety of special effects, including the animation of the Magic Mirror. Again, the only change I'd make is to re-work the script and stretch it towards an almost hour-long run-time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As1y-5fdysE​

Moana: Legend of the South Seas
Featuring lush set design and a sweeping score composed by Mark Mancina, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Opetaia Foa'i, this show recalls the musical adventure of Moana and Maui in their quest to restore the heart of Te Fiti. Spectacular effects and puppetry assist live performers as the ocean appears to dance and swirl on the stage before us.

~~~~~~
Animator's Palate

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEejT3XieOc​

Right across the courtyard from the Walt Disney Theatre, you'll find that the former home of Disney Junior: Live on Stage! has been returned to its original roots as a restaurant. Back in the day, this site was home to the Soundstage Restaurant, a full-service restaurant that was designed to look like a "live set" from Disney films. Well, I'd turn that space into one of Disney's most revered restaurants, the Animator's Palate. Here, guests enter into a dining room that is completely black and white. Throughout the course of the meal, the paintings of various Disney characters along the walls are magically transformed into color. The meal ends with a film highlighting great moments from Disney animated classics and then the entire room bursts into an array of colors, with even the servers’ costumes changing from black and white to color. Unlike its Cruise Line brothers, this version of the restaurant will be the original styling, not the new styling that debuted with the Dream/Fantasy, and was subsequently implemented on the Magic/Wonder. As a nod to the original Soundstage Restaurant, Animator's Palate offers buffet meals with characters from Disney’s iconic animated films, and the exclusive bar that overlooked the place will be restored. A restaurant of this theme would be a perfect fit in the Animation Courtyard.

 

[DisneyManOne]

Do you have any more of DLA saved? That's another time capsule I'd love to look into.

I don't think so. I'll have to look. If I do find anything, you'll be the first to know.

Oh, and BTW, I'm deliberately skipping Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge and Toy Story Land because this thread is all about changes I'd make to existing areas of the park, as well as new areas I'd like to add. I'm sure the two new lands will be immersive and up to the Disney standard, so I won't mess around with them.
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Disney's Hollywoodland
Animation Courtyard
~~~~~
Disney Animation

Held inside a post-modern Art Deco studio, Disney Animation gives us a first-hand account at the magic of the pen. As we all know, the original Magic of Disney Animation closed in July of 2015 to make way for the Star Wars Launch Bay. But since the Launch Bay is pretty much a temporary thing and will likely close once Galaxy's Edge opens, I've decided to demolish the old building and replace it with a brand-new building, a carbon-copy of the amazing Disney Animation building at Disney's California Adventure, pictured above. Although much of the building is a copy of the DCA original, there will be a few changes and surprises in store.

There's so much to see and do at Disney Animation, but first, let's talk about something that happens outside the building:

Drawn to the Magic

​

This is a show that used to play at DCA from 2004 to 2010. In the show, we join three animators as they invite guests to see how they get inspiration for their drawings; each one focusing on a certain kind of character--heroes, princesses and magical friends. Three volunteers are even brought up to help them out by posing a certain way. Then, after a medley of songs from the Disney films, the sketches they've been working on are revealed, and in a true bit of magic, the character they've sketched appears before our very eyes! After the show, guests are even invited to meet the characters inside the Disney Animation building's lobby or right outside nearby the animators' easels (perfect photo-op if you ask me).

And by the way, the three characters in the show, as seen in the videos are as follows: Representing the heroes, Woody. Representing the princesses, Cinderella. And representing the magical friends, who else but Sorcerer Mickey. In addition, other heroes and princesses have been known to drop in one occasion, if Woody and Cinderella can't make it to a particular performance. So, for the heroes, Hercules and Peter Pan are on stand-by; and for the princesses, Snow White and Belle are on stand-by.

Entering the building, we pass by a curved wall in which "Once upon a time..." is inscribed in gold lettering. Once inside the well-sized building, we are greeted by the breathtaking

Animation Lobby

​

This is a beautiful space, and a perfect way to introduce guests to the wonders they're about to see. Interchanging segments cast upon giant screens showcase stills and artwork from countless Disney and Pixar classics, appropriately played against the most memorable music from the featured film. The films date back from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Peter Pan, all the way up to current films like Tangled and Zootopia. The loop here at Disney's Hollywoodland will combine elements from both the old (pre-2011) and new (post-2011) loops, with two addition specifically for this new version--one being an extension of the Snow White section, and the other being a new segment based upon Winnie the Pooh. Here’s a brief overview of my vision for the loop, listing the films that will appear, and the music that will play underneath each film…

• The Little Mermaid (“Part of Your World”)
• Beauty and the Beast (“Belle”)
• Fantasia/Fantasia 2000 (“The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”)
• Bambi (“Little April Shower”)
• Finding Nemo (“Fronds Like These”)
• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (“The Silly Song”/The Evil Queen’s transformation)
• Atlantis: The Lost Empire (“The Crystal Chamber”)
• WALL-E ("Define Dancing")
• The Incredibles (“The Incredits”)
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (“Winnie the Pooh”/“The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers”--the latter segment largely inspired by this video.)
• The Jungle Book (“The Bare Necessities”)
• Toy Story trilogy (“You’ve Got a Friend in Me”)
• Cinderella (“A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes”)
• Hercules (“Go the Distance (Reprise)”--instrumental)
• Monsters, Inc. (“The Scare Floor”)
• Ratatouille (“La Festin”)
• Zootopia (“Try Everything”)
• Lilo & Stitch (“Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride”)
• Tarzan (“Two Worlds (Reprise)”--instrumental)
• A Bug’s Life (“Suite”)
• Inside Out ("Dream Productions/Bundle of Joy")
• Coco ("Un Poco Loco")
• The Hunchback of Notre Dame (“The Bells of Notre Dame (Reprise)”--instrumental)
• Pinocchio (“Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee”)
• Alice in Wonderland (“The Unbirthday Song”)
• The Emperor’s New Groove (“Perfect World”)
• Up (“Married Life”)
• Lady and the Tramp (“Sunday/The Rat/Morning Paper”/“He’s a Tramp”)
• Tangled (“I See the Light”)
• Dumbo (“Casey Junior”/“Baby Mine”)
• The Lion King (“King of Pride Rock”)
• Frozen (“Let it Go”)
• Moana ("We Know the Way (Finale)")
• Cars (“Dirt is Different”)
• Pocahontas (“Colors of the Wind”)
• Wreck-It Ralph ("Arcade Finale")
• Sleeping Beauty (“Once Upon a Dream”)
• Aladdin (“A Whole New World”)
• Peter Pan (“The Second Star to the Right”)
• Pinocchio/Finale Montage (“When You Wish Upon a Star”)

The Animation Lobby acts as a “hub” for access to the studio’s other experiences. The first experience found here is

Animation Academy

Visiting the Animation Academy treats us to a demonstration from a trained Disney sketch artist. We are allowed a first-hand experience in drawing the same character, even being allowed to take our sketch home with us.

Disney Through the Decades​

Okay, stay with me on this because this is gonna be a doozy. Located in the place where Character Close-Up would be at DCA's Animation building, Disney Through the Decades is a meet & greet area unlike any other. Going down a ramp to a lower level located directly below the rest of the building, you'll find yourself in the meet & greet's hub. Disney Through the Decades features different rooms, each themed to a different decade or two. As you go through the rooms, there are a bunch of different set pieces, each one themed to a different animated movie from that era (and the characters you'll find inside). It's something similar to Pete's Silly Sideshow or the meet & greets held for the Disney Dreamers Everywhere event, wherein each film represented has its own distinct background. There will be four rooms: 30's/40's/50’s, 60’s/70’s, 80's/90's and 2000's/2010's. The five rooms surround a central courtyard displaying a small light show. I'd prefer to purely stick to the roster below, so we don't have to update things every time a new film comes out. That's why I added in Casting Call on Hollywood Boulevard, so that the most current film characters can meet guests. Anyways, here are the films that will be represented.

• 30’s/40’s/50’s: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Dumbo, The Three Caballeros, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty
• 60’s/70’s: The Sword in the Stone, The Jungle Book, The Aristocats, Robin Hood, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, The Rescuers
• 80's/90’s: The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, Mulan, Tarzan
• 2000’s/2010’s: The Emperor's New Groove, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Lilo & Stitch, The Princess and the Frog, Tangled, Wreck-it Ralph, Frozen, Big Hero 6, Zootopia, Moana

Sorcerer's Workshop

The Sorcerer's Workshop is where we can get a more hands-on approach to the animation process. There are three distinct realms here, each one filled with unique activities. The Magic Mirror's Realm takes us deep into the cavernous dungeon of a medieval castle where we are able to draw basic animation and try them out in "reels," create our own virtual portraits and mosaics, piece together our own Silly Symphony short or create an adventurous and romantic plot to their own animated film. And don't be surprised if a famous visitor appears in the magic mirror on the wall. Also found in the Magic Mirror's Realm are interactive exhibits teach how the principles of persistence of vision trick the eye into believing that still images are in motion, the most notable exhibit being the mesmerizing Toy Story Zoetrope, a constantly-spinning optical illusion that brings to life several sculptures of characters from the film(s).

Sorcerer's Workshop paves the way into Ursula's Grotto, the eerie but humble abode of Ursula the Sea Witch. Rather than stealing our voice for her own benefit, Ursula allows us to do a bit of voiceover work, re-recording our own voices over classic songs and scenes from Disney animation.

Following Ursula's Grotto is one of the most beautiful areas in the entire park: the Beast's Library. A portrait of Prince Adam overlooks the whole of the monstrous library directly above the ever-wilting enchanted rose. Every so often, the last petal of the rose falls, causing the lights to dim and the unseen Beast to cast a gash clear across his own portrait's face. In the library, Lumiere and Cogsworth allow us to test our personalities and discover which Disney character "we are," often resulting in humorous results.

The Art of Animation​

Rounding out the building is the Animation Screening Room, home of The Art of Animation. Found where Turtle Talk would be at DCA, The Art of Animation is a fifteen-minute film which focuses on the creation of an animated feature from start to finish, from everything including research, design, conceptual planning, characters, paint cells, voice-acting and wrapping production. The film also informs us of the evolution of animation, including archival footage of Walt Disney and other previous and modern day artists talking about the evolution of art. It all culminates in a moving montage featuring a highlight of clips from every film in the Disney Animated Canon, all set to a dramatic score of some of the best music from these movies.

When it comes time to leave, you head out past a wall similar to the one we passed when we entered, this time reading "...and they lived happily ever after." Much like DCA, Disney Animation exits out into the Off the Page store, which showcases merchandise from several classic animated Disney films. The exterior will (surprise, surprise) look just like the Off the Page store at DCA.

For a more visual look at DCA's Animation building, just take a look at this video:

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[DisneyManOne]

Disney's Hollywoodland
Sunset Boulevard
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Lots of Re-Theming

Sunset Boulevard is gonna get a whole lot of new stuff. So, I figured it'd be best to start with the re-theming, as well as two minor new additions. First of all, I'd turn Reel Vogue back into Villains in Vogue.

The next change I'd make involves Sunset Ranch Market. I'd completely remove this area and replace it with two different things. First of all, I'd turn the area formerly held by Anaheim Produce and its seating area into the Sunset Ranch Diner. Despite the closing of Sunset Ranch Market, the restaurant is a food-court style area featuring six stands boasting the menus of the five original components of Sunset Ranch Market--Anaheim Produce, Catalina Eddie's, Fairfax Fare, Hollywood Scoops and Rosie's All-American Cafe. So, if you're a fan of one area, don't fret. You'll still be able to find the food from that area here at the Sunset Ranch Diner.

On the piece of land that once held the rest of the Sunset Ranch Market is a small park with a gazebo is added, with large trees providing shade and fountains spurting. It's the perfect place for guests to take a load off in the middle of their fun-filled day at Disney's Hollywoodland.

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The other major re-theme on Sunset Boulevard concerns Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. The building that once played host to this popular coaster has been turned into the Mercury Radio Studio, circa October 31st, 1938. This was one of the most infamous days in radio history. This was the day that The Mercury Theatre on the Air would produce an adaptation of H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds...but little did they know about the reaction people would have regarding it. Step inside the studio to tour the recording booths. You just may happen upon Orson Welles, who’s reading a news bulletin being beamed to American households everywhere about an alien invasion currently underway. Is it real? Could there truly be lights in the sky over Los Angeles? Proceed through the studio and witness for yourself aboard INVASION!, a launched roller coaster into the dizzying recesses of radio and wonder. To a riveting musical score interspersed by Welles’s narration of an intergalactic attack, you’ll blast into the light and through the stars aboard the ride formerly known as Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. This sensational attraction will leave you wondering if we’re alone in the universe.

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