Captain EO - Disney what are you going to do with this?

[sharadoc]

I think it's unfairly bashed because it feels tired and dated. But, realize that MJ invented a lot of the style in that movie. The flying V dance is so cliché, but before MJ, you didn't see it in videos. He loved Sci-Fi and horror, so he did this as the Sci-Fi piece, after Thriller his horror piece.

It has Muppets, It has George Lucas/Industrial Light and Magic effects/, It's Francis Ford Coppolla (who did the Godfather). It was HUGE deal. They refitted that theater to mimic movement in the film, which had never been done before.

If you don't like his music, it's not great. I remember at the time it opened that was the only place to hear those songs, so it was exciting. It was always a highlight of our visit to the Imagination Pavilion. I was thrilled when they brought it back, I actually teared up watching it. When it was first out, my husband and I were newly married, had our lives ahead of us, no kids. Now we're married 28 years, have two kids 20 and 14, and are sharing our love of WDW with them.

Amazing how fast your life goes by.

 

[JimmyV]

It was new and exciting when I first saw it many years ago.

It's dated but not terrible.

I think it's unfairly bashed because it feels tired and dated.

In the "Future World" portion of the park, dedicated to emerging technology, there is no place for a "first generation" 3D movie that can only be seen in blurry double vision. The technology employed is ridiculously dated and as a result, headache inducing. It might have been something to behold in the 1980's. (Personally, I never "got it". But I'll give folks the benefit of the doubt.) But 3D technology has come so far in the last 35 years that it is a joke that they still insist on trotting this out every now and then. It might be possible to make an argument that this attraction could work in the MK or DHS. But in Disney's technology park? It sticks out like a sore thumb.

 

[3DisneyFanz]

Have to say that as someone in their mid 40's, Captain EO is a huge nostalgia kick for me (and my wife as well), as we were in the sweet spot age-wise for when Thriller came out. Yes it's cheesy and dated, but so is It's a Small World, and I don't see any huge outcry to replace that ride.

EO was also my daughter's first introduction to the music of Michael Jackson (she's now almost 12), and she now loves the attraction and his music as well.

I was 11 when this came out and at that point I thought it was very cool. 28 years of nostalgia did not help it when I saw it again. I get why they brought it back the first time but there is no reason that the entire imagination pavilion has to be filled with bad attractions at this point.

 

[LadyDiznee123]

I think it's unfairly bashed because it feels tired and dated. But, realize that MJ invented a lot of the style in that movie. The flying V dance is so cliché, but before MJ, you didn't see it in videos. He loved Sci-Fi and horror, so he did this as the Sci-Fi piece, after Thriller his horror piece.

It has Muppets, It has George Lucas/Industrial Light and Magic effects/, It's Francis Ford Coppolla (who did the Godfather). It was HUGE deal. They refitted that theater to mimic movement in the film, which had never been done before.

If you don't like his music, it's not great. I remember at the time it opened that was the only place to hear those songs, so it was exciting. It was always a highlight of our visit to the Imagination Pavilion. I was thrilled when they brought it back, I actually teared up watching it. When it was first out, my husband and I were newly married, had our lives ahead of us, no kids. Now we're married 28 years, have two kids 20 and 14, and are sharing our love of WDW with them.

Amazing how fast your life goes by.

Absolutely. It's all about nostalgia for me.

 

[LizzyS]

I LOVE Captain EO! While I do agree it is time for it to retire, I wouldn't call it an embarrassment at all. I still enjoy it and will go see it every visit.

No kidding. Is it that hard to believe that there are people who LIKE Captain EO? *raises hand*

A lot of people still love Michael Jackson's music and enjoy a cheesy piece of the 80s. I'd love it if they left it at Epcot until our WDW visit and I got to see it again there. I doubt it's coming back to Disneyland.

 

[Planogirl]

In the "Future World" portion of the park, dedicated to emerging technology, there is no place for a "first generation" 3D movie that can only be seen in blurry double vision. The technology employed is ridiculously dated and as a result, headache inducing. It might have been something to behold in the 1980's. (Personally, I never "got it". But I'll give folks the benefit of the doubt.) But 3D technology has come so far in the last 35 years that it is a joke that they still insist on trotting this out every now and then. It might be possible to make an argument that this attraction could work in the MK or DHS. But in Disney's technology park? It sticks out like a sore thumb.

There's an awful lot in Future World that feels tired and dated though. That doesn't excuse this attraction but staying up to date doesn't seem like a priority.

 

[JimmyV]

There's an awful lot in Future World that feels tired and dated though. That doesn't excuse this attraction but staying up to date doesn't seem like a priority.

I agree 100%. But I find it more insulting to bring back a dated attraction from the dead than to keep an existing attraction on life support. Maybe I shouldn't.

 

[epcotty]

We always skip EO. We liked Honey I Shrunk The Audience though. It's high time for a new show

 

[3DisneyFanz]

No kidding. Is it that hard to believe that there are people who LIKE Captain EO? *raises hand*

A lot of people still love Michael Jackson's music and enjoy a cheesy piece of the 80s. I'd love it if they left it at Epcot until our WDW visit and I got to see it again there. I doubt it's coming back to Disneyland.

I don't think you have any concerns over it being gone from EPCOT. At this point they know putting Frozen in is going to spike attendance so no point in worrying about anything else.

 

[Celtics33]

It seriously needs to be trashed and in such a way it can never appear again!!!!! Honey I Shrunk the Audience was so much better even if it had become stale.

 

[wn01aa]

Maybe they should bring back Honey I Shrunk the Audience. I remember when it first started it had big lines all the way down the ramp. I still laugh, but when I was a teen, before they opened Test Track and Soarin there would always be a run to get to that ramp to see the show. It was almost like the parks headliner for awhile before it too became old. Still loved the mice running on the ground and the dog sneeze.

 

[Hunterr]

Some of y'all are trippin'.
Captain EO was awesome in its day. Yes, its dated, but it was awfully nice of Disney to bring it back after he died.
Anything to replace that god awful Honey I Shrunk The Audience.

I may be biased because I'm an MJ fanboy, but it's still fun. I do hope they actually utilize that space for a new attraction soon, though.
Even if it's just to house upcoming Disney movie previews.
But that whole area needs a touch up anyway.

 

[DisneyPrince1982]

What they should have done was leave Maelstrom alone and completely scrapped EO for Frozen.

 

[walker0829]

Spaceship Earth and THE LAND are musts for me. I would probably spontaneously combust without The Land. Don't know why I love it so much - but it's a must do for me. I guess I like that fact that it's relaxing and informative I couldn't imagine EPCOT without it.

Same here! My wife would disagree though. She did The Land with DS3 while we did the whole child swap thing for Soarin. She said it was the most boring ride and didn't understand why I kept saying it was so great.

On another note, any reason Disney seems to be struggling with sponsorship in areas? Other, cheaper ways for companies to reach their target audience?

 

[JimmyV]

I may be biased because I'm an MJ fanboy,

Ya think??

 

[Magpie]

I'm not an MJ fangirl in the slightest, but I LOVE Captain EO. I was sad when I couldn't see it last trip, even though I did enjoy the Tomorrowland preview we got instead. I'll be very sad when it goes away. For me and my husband (he just turned 50!), it's like the Carousel of Progress - a nostalgic trip back to the Eighties. For my kids (17 and 19), it's a fun glimpse into another era. My son, whose primary passion in life is hip-hop (well... I think. He's got all kinds of weird names for the music he listens to, but it all sounds like hip-hop to me.), he went and bought one of the rainbow souvenir shirts. It's a bit large and has faded, so he generally only wears it on laundry days, but he's never purged it from his collection in all these years. Newer, nicer tees have gone, while this one stays.

Basically, we love the show. We don't consider it an "embarrassment" at all. Personally, I thought "Honey I Shrunk the Audience" was far more cringeworthy, and I would be very disappointed to see that one back.

Every time we go to WDW, we make sure to try and see Captain EO, just in case this is the last time.

 

[wdwfanva]

Needs to go like the Bill Cosby bust did . For similar reason !!

 

[flicx]

On another note, any reason Disney seems to be struggling with sponsorship in areas? Other, cheaper ways for companies to reach their target audience?

I am sure that companies have figured out they can get a far bigger bang for their buck elsewhere. Besides Disney should be able to afford to update the dated/empty attractions with the cash they roll in. Unless of course they had a couple billion dollar expenditure on some other technology that isn't working out well!

 

[DisneyPrince1982]

On another note, any reason Disney seems to be struggling with sponsorship in areas?

Probably because companies just started to wake up and ask themselves why they're giving money to a company worth $170 Billion.

 

[NorthshoreTigerFan]

In the "Future World" portion of the park, dedicated to emerging technology, there is no place for a "first generation" 3D movie that can only be seen in blurry double vision. The technology employed is ridiculously dated and as a result, headache inducing. It might have been something to behold in the 1980's. (Personally, I never "got it". But I'll give folks the benefit of the doubt.) But 3D technology has come so far in the last 35 years that it is a joke that they still insist on trotting this out every now and then. It might be possible to make an argument that this attraction could work in the MK or DHS. But in Disney's technology park? It sticks out like a sore thumb.

Needs to go like the Bill Cosby bust did . For similar reason !!

Y'all nailed it for me. Honestly, I'm surprised that Disney hasn't quietly separated itself from MJ for obvious reasons.