Mel and I were really looking forward to this Disney park as we both have such an affinity with movies, we couldn't wait to see how and where they were made, experience the rides and see some great action shows. Once again we laid out our plan overnight and we were set to take on Mickey and his film crew at the home of movies.
We thought we would try something different on this day as Mel wanted to head straight to the Rock 'n' Rollercoaster that was inspired by Aerosmith. She loved this ride, as the high-speed rollercoaster stormed around to the beats of a pretty powerful Aerosmith soundtrack. Unfortunately she was not feeling up to tackling the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror' which is a huge apartment like building in which you are inside an elevator which drops 13 stories and stops at different intervals opening up to outside views or scary inside twilight haunts. You could hear the screams from this ride from a mile away.
We were heading towards the backlot tour when we passed the American Idol Experience stage and offices. Such is the impact this show has had on worldwide audiences, Disney decided to buy the set that was built in Los Angeles, ship it to Florida, and set it up as an experience for the park goers to attend as either an audience member or a participant in an exact replica of an American Idol filming. check out the next Blog to see how I went in my quest for idol glory.
We found our way to a building that looked very similar to the famous Grauman's Chinese Theatre in LA, and inside this building was the Great Movie Ride. As the carriage took off we found ourselves smack bang the middle of some of the greatest movie scenes in history. From gangster flicks to Westerns, sci-fi to children's classics. The driver of our vehicle started off as your normal tour guide and then all of a sudden, was killed off in gunslinging sequence as we were hijacked by a cowboy who continued the journey with us. It was very clever and some of the scenes that were set up where exactly like they were out of the movies.
(does this scene look familiar?)
I think of one or the the most clever attractions we saw at this park was the Voyage of the Little Mermaid. It is Mel's favourite Disney animated film and this 15 minute live show recreated the story, music and magical underwater world that is Ariel's. The use of puppetry and animatronics made it a very surreal experience, as the steady stream of bubbles and mist made you feel like you were underwater.
Time to get our car fix! The next show on the agenda was the 'Lights, Motors, Action' stunt show. I don't really need to describe this as we were able to capture it on film. So enjoy this jampacked little video of stunt car madness.
Time to take all that testosterone and put it into action in the Toy Story Mania ride. This was a 4D ride that took us through a gallery of Midway style games where we would use a special airgun to shoot at objects on the 3-D screens. It was amazing how well they had adapted this ride for a wheelchair person to ride it. The car I was strapped into would spin 360° as we would fly around these corners to the next sideshow alley of games. We laughed our heads off as Roxy lay patiently on the floor below us probably wondering what the raucous sounds and ground jerking movements were.
I felt a strange force in the area and low and behold, just around the corner, my fellow Jedi were dealing with one Darth Vader.
As long as we didn't have to deal with this Tim Burton monster. Thank goodness she was behind glass. We wanted to keep our HHHEEEEAAAADDDDDSSSSS!!
Around each park there were designated areas and times where you could have your photo taken with specific characters. A fun opportunity arose to have ours with these strange creatures. Roxy was so intrigued with Mike Wazowski's feet. We were intrigued as to how old the person inside must have been!
The Studio Backlot Tour was next and this was a behind-the-scenes guided walk and tram ride that showed us how some of the most spectacular special effects in movies are made. In this video there are props and sets used on many films that you will recognise. The big plane at the start of the tour was one of 10 that was used in the filming of Pearl Harbor. It's amazing how fake it looks up close, but so real in the movie. Good old photoshop I suppose. Enjoy our journey around the backlot.
The more I write about these parks, the more I am amazed at how much is actually in them. There were five of six other different attractions and rides that we didn't even do in this park. By the time we got through all the things above it was getting close to dusk and we couldn't wait to see the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights.
As the story goes, Arkansas resident Jennings Osborne and his family were very big on the Holidays. In 1986, Jennings asked his youngest daughter Breezy what her Christmas wish was. She replied that she would like to see their whole house covered in lights. They had quite a large house but Jennings was determined to make his daughter's Christmas dream come true. That first year the Osborne family covered their home with a modest 1000 red lights. With each passing year, the family wanted to do more. The Osbornes eventually purchased property adjacent to their own in order to expand on their newfound hobby.
The display grew to millions of lights. There were flashing lights, multi-colored lights, custom-made light sculptures and a 75-foot Christmas tree adorned by lights. This drew onlookers from all over Arkansas. Displeased by the resulting traffic jams, the local residents asked that the Osborne family stop the annual display. Legal intervention was sought, and it appeared that the Osborne's beloved tradition was about to come to an end. When Mickey Mouse got word of this, he offered a venue where the Osborne lights could be shared with visitors from around the globe. The Streets of America (formerly New York Street) is now hosting the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights. Approximately 80% of the lights that are on display come from the original Osborne collection.
Once evening descends, this amazing display springs to life. Formerly drab buildings become twinkling light sculptures, while a host of angels fly overhead. With over 4 Million Christmas lights, Florida "snow" flutters down from the rooftops while Christmas tunes fill the air. Check this out.
To cap off an awesome day, we then headed to Fantasmic! Its a nightime spectacular with fireworks and water show starring Mickey Mouse and a bevy of characters which features classic Disney music and songs, laser lights and amazing hydrotechnic effects. What a great way to finish an amazing Disney park. Here is the full show.
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