Celebrities in attractions

[MemphisDad]

Where have you seen well known celebrities as part of WDW attractions? Here are the ones I know:

Elizabeth Shue is the doctor you go into the body with on Body Wars

Paul Reubens (Pee Wee Herman) is the voice of the pilot on Star Tours

Gary Sinese is your mission control contact on Mission: Space

Aerosmith (obviously) appears on Rock N' Roller Coaster

The Muppets (again, obviously) appear in Muppet Vision 3-D

Ellen Degeneres and Bill Nye the Science Guy appear in Ellen's Energy Adventure.

Eric Idle of Monty Python appears as Nigel Channing in Journey into Imagination and Honey I Shrunk the Audience.

Robin Williams and Walter Cronkite appeared in the Animation Tour at MGM until recently - that portion is now gone.

Walter Cronkite also used to do the voiceover on the Spaceship Earth ride until it was remodelled.

Jeremy Irons now does the voiceover on Spaceship Earth

Jack Wagner did the voiceover for the monorail system that played until the late 80's.

Cranium Command features many celebrities: Bobcat Goldthwait, Dana Carvey and Kevin Nealon as Hanz n' Franz, Charles Grodin, Jon Lovitz, George Wendt.

Bette Midler appeared in a short film on the Backlot Tour prior to it's remodelling (she chases a lottery ticket that was blown away by the wind and is recovered by a pigeon)

Drew Carey (obviously!) appears in Sounds Dangerous with Drew Carey

Prior to Sounds Dangerous, this attraction was the Monster SoundShow, which starred Chevy Chase and Martin Short.

Voice actor Paul Frees is the Ghost Host in the Haunted Mansion, as well as a pirate in Pirates, and a tiki bird. He has voiced many cartoon characters you might know from film and TV.

What other famous personalities have you noticed on Disney rides? Here are some I wonder about - who is the woman that plays Aerosmith's producer in the preshow of RnR? Who is the man that describes what tests you'll go through in the preshow of Test Track? Who is the man that pilots the ship on Body Wars?

I know there must be others out there that I'm missing... post if you know some!

[zurgswife]

Don Rickles and Phil Hartman voices of Zazu and iago

Robin Williams is Time Keeper

Eddie Murphy is the voice of Dragon on the animationtor (at least he still was in Dec)

[iceskatejen]

I thought Gilbert Gotfried did the voice of Iago.

[zurgswife]

Well not according to Deb's site

Preshow -- Before you enter the Tiki Room, you're treated to a few minutes of quips and wisecracks by the agents of the new show, the colorfully feathered William and Morris, voiced by comedians Don Rickles and the late Phil Hartman. Unfortunately, you have to stand during their shtick, but eventually the theater doors will open. Inside the dark and cool theater, you're seated on long, backless benches, with all the animatronic birds perched above.

[Lizzydoll73]

So they do William and Morris. I am pretty sure Gilbert Gotfried does Iago also. Rowan Atkinson does the voice of Zazu at least he does in Mickey's Philharmagic (according to another website).

[Daxx]

Sid Cesar's face is on the pirate that sits atop a bridge w/the bottle of rum on the POTC ride!!!! Not the same as a voice-over, but cool!!!

[Ilovestitch]

What about Felicia Rashad (sp?), the mom on the Cosby show, she's in the Dinosaur! preshow. -Stephanie

[MemphisDad]

Good one, IloveStitch.

About Iago - I know Gottfried does his voice in the movie, but when I last saw this show, it sounded more like someone trying to sound like him, but not really him. Can anyone confirm this?

Here's another one - are the faces on the statues that sing in the graveyard in Haunted Mansion anyone famous? I always thought one of them looked like Ray Walston from My Favorite Martian, but that could be way off.

[wannabee princess]

Originally posted by MemphisDad
What other famous personalities have you noticed on Disney rides? Here are some I wonder about - who is the woman that plays Aerosmith's producer in the preshow of RnR?

This is Ileana Douglas - she has been in several movies and tv shows including Goodfellas and Ghost World, and shows like Drew Carey and Seinfeld. She is one of those people you know you have seen before, but can't quite place!

[MemphisDad]

Thanks wannabe princess!! Doing a search on her I found out that she has been in a TON of movies, but none that I've ever seen. Mostly her rolls have been "Mother in Park" "roommate" or "voice in crowd." Not very large parts... good job catching that one.

[Lizzydoll73]

This is from Allearsnet.com.



After a few seconds of this familiar refrain, the birds' chorus is interrupted loudly by the loud-mouthed and boastful parrot Iago, voiced distinctively by comedian Gilbert Gottfried. He proclaims that as the new co-owner of the Tiki Room he's introducing a brand-new production. His co-owner, the stiff upper-lipped Zazu warns Iago that he might irk the tiki gods, but Iago forges ahead.

[zurgswife]

Originally posted by Lizzydoll73
This is from Allearsnet.com.

After a few seconds of this familiar refrain, the birds' chorus is interrupted loudly by the loud-mouthed and boastful parrot Iago, voiced distinctively by comedian Gilbert Gottfried. He proclaims that as the new co-owner of the Tiki Room he's introducing a brand-new production. His co-owner, the stiff upper-lipped Zazu warns Iago that he might irk the tiki gods, but Iago forges ahead.


Guess I should have read further...:sunny:

[snorris]

Tim Matheson is also in Body Wars w/ Elizabeth Shue. He's navigating your ship.

Jean Shepherd of A Christmas Story fame (the narrator and writer of the book) is the father on Carousel of Progress.

Those are a couple others i remember off hand.

[lc1965]

appears w/ Ellen DeGeneres & Bill Nye at Energy

[MemphisDad]

I can't believe I forgot Tim Matheson (Otter, from Animal House.) Body Wars also features Dakin Matthews as the mission commander.

[ebo]

Can anyone verify if the little sister appearing in cranium command is Drew Barrymore. It sure looks like her. :confused:

[MemphisDad]

How old does the girl look? I don't remember because this attraction was closed last time I went. However, this attraction first opened in 1989. Drew Barrymore would have been 14 at that time, so I doubt that could be her.

[Disneyfanatic01]

Don't forget that Alex Trebec appears in Universe of Energy, too!

Korey

[SueM in MN]

Originally posted by ebo
Can anyone verify if the little sister appearing in cranium command is Drew Barrymore. It sure looks like her. :confused:
It's not Drew Barrymore, she would have been too old. I couldn't find any info about the little sister, but Annie (the new girl in school) was played by Natalie Gregory. (http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0339910/) She is the same age as Drew Barrymore (born in 1975) and would have been 13-14, depending on exactly when Cranium Command was made.
Natalie Gregory was in quite a few movies and TV shows/movies in the 1980. One of her roles was the voice of Jenny in the Disney animated movie, Oliver & Company in 1988.
The only picture I could find of her was from a TV movie of
Alice in Wonderland (http://us.imdb.com/gallery/mptv/1363/Mptv/1363/12181_0021.jpg?path=pgallery&path_key=Gregory,%20Natalie) from 1985. She's Alice with the blonde wig on the right, but you can recognize her face.

[Exp626]

Tim Curry did the voice of SIR in Alien Encounter, plus Kevin Pollock was Spinlok, Kathy Najimy was Dr. Femus and Jeffrey Jones was Chairman Clench.

[MemphisDad]

More info from Cranium Command - General Knowledge was voiced by Corey Burton, who did the voices to many, many other disney characters in both rides and films. (Also he is the voice of several characters in WDW Quest Magical Racing Tour for Playstation, awesome game)

[ctrabada]

Michael Jackson used to be in a 3-D movie in Journey into Imagination at EPCOT; I think the name was "Captain Io" or something like that.

I believe John Cleese is in the ride with Figment at Journey into Imagination.

[MemphisDad]

I know Eric Idle appears in both the Imagination ride and Honey I Shrunk the audience, but I don't think John Cleese (both are from Monty Python) appears in either. Can anyone confirm this?

[petula]

Originally posted by snorris
Jean Shepherd of A Christmas Story fame (the narrator and writer of the book) is the father on Carousel of Progress.

No kidding! I haven't been so excited about a piece of trivia since someone told me that Dave Goelz is the voice of Figment in the current Imagination! (A celebrity only to the muppet fans here, but very much loved. :))