Honey I Shrunk the Audience Experience! (long)

[Spikekc1]

I returned this past Saturday from a fabulous week at WDW and am attempting to slowly wean myself away from my disboard addiction. I love you guys and you were so helpful, but I am just not getting any work done!

Anyway, I had two unexpected experiences with Honey I Shrunk the Audience. Our kids (both age 10) wanted to see this because they have recently watched and enjoyed all of the "old" movies.

1. The pre-show made my son and I cry. We are suckers for lost dogs!

2. Then we proceeded to the theater for the main event. At one point during the movie, they release these mice. My son - who loved ToT, RRC, BTMR, the Haunted Mansion, Pirates, and every other potentially frightening ride - begins screaming - loud, blood curdling screams. His face is literally contorted. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, GET ME OUT OF HERE." He is crying - not pre-show tears - but loud, breath sucking sobs.

Anyway, I was completely shocked that he was so frightened of mice. I had no idea. He finally recovered and vowed that he would never return to this attraction. I didn't think about it again until later that evening at the French restaurant. . .when Chef Remy visited our table. . . .

 

[Cinderellabride]

OH MY GOSH!!! I hate that attraction! Ever since it first opened when I was a kid I have been soooo scared of the mice! It's because Disney does such a good job with the illusion it actually convinces the mind that there are mice crawling all over you. I vowed never to "ride" that "ride" again either. My dad convinced me to go again when I got older and could better realize it was not real. If I put my feet up on the chair then I couldn't feel it, but it was still really scary, and I will NOT go on it. Yipes! That attraction should come with some sort of extra warning or something. ICK. I cringe just thinking about it.

 

[duffy]

Aww. Poor kid, but, how funny too!!

When my daughter was about his age, we saw this movie for the first time. She was sitting on her feet, so had no idea why everyone was shrieking. We explained it to her, but she was bummed that she missed it.

On our next trip, all that she wanted to do, was experience the "mice" running over her feet. Forget seeing Mickey, seeing any parade or show...she wanted to feel mice on her feet.

 

[TinkerbellinLouisian]

I've been told that the warning given at the beginning before the show...does include some information about the 'rodents'....maybe someone else can clarify....

 

[ProgressCity]

I hate that part of the show, but I'll still go to it with friends/family and usually just lift my legs up. (I also close my eyes for the snake.)

The best story though is the time I went with grandma. She had never been so she didn't know what to expect. For those of you that don't know (SPOILER)


...the mice affect is done by shooting compressed air from underneath the seats. Well, on this trip I had a bag with me for a camcorder and just stored that under my seat to block the air effect. Not a good idea. When the mice came out the air ricocheted off the bag and onto grandma's lap! She kept screaming hysterically, "Get them off! Get them off!" and was swatting at her lap trying to get them off!

I actually shouldn't laugh because now looking back I don't know how she didn't have a heart attack, thank goodness. I can easily see that part of the show horrifying a child; not the fun scared some of us like to experience at attractions. I remember the first time I ever saw it I about lost my mind, the only thing that kept me sane was knowing there was no way Disney would let mice loose in the theater.

 

[disneytunes]

Ugh, I hate that attraction...I warned DD about it before hand and she seemed ok. WHen they showed the mice, I actually looked down and didn't look back up again until the audience had stopped "screaming"...DD was bobbing and weaving...but didn't seem that much bothered by it at the end.

Guess I am the only wimp...I want no part of that show ever again.

 

[Spikekc1]

I can't remember specifically what it said because I wasn't concerned about it being too frightening. It did say something about "images may frighten small children." Even if I had known exactly what was going to happen, I still would not have predicted that my son would be frightened by it.

 

[Pjimmeyer]

I hate that part of the show, but I'll still go to it with friends/family and usually just lift my legs up. (I also close my eyes for the snake.)

The best story though is the time I went with grandma. She had never been so she didn't know what to expect. For those of you that don't know (SPOILER)


...the mice affect is done by shooting compressed air from underneath the seats. Well, on this trip I had a bag with me for a camcorder and just stored that under my seat to block the air effect. Not a good idea. When the mice came out the air ricocheted off the bag and onto grandma's lap! She kept screaming hysterically, "Get them off! Get them off!" and was swatting at her lap trying to get them off!

 

[ProgressCity]

Also, I haven't been on it in ages, what's this with a lost dog in the pre-show?

I miss the days of the Kodak pre-show with Phil Collins' "True Colors". Everytime I hear that song I think of that pre-show .

 

[Spikekc1]

I hate that part of the show, but I'll still go to it with friends/family and usually just lift my legs up. (I also close my eyes for the snake.)

The best story though is the time I went with grandma. She had never been so she didn't know what to expect. For those of you that don't know (SPOILER)


...the mice affect is done by shooting compressed air from underneath the seats. Well, on this trip I had a bag with me for a camcorder and just stored that under my seat to block the air effect. Not a good idea. When the mice came out the air ricocheted off the bag and onto grandma's lap! She kept screaming hysterically, "Get them off! Get them off!" and was swatting at her lap trying to get them off!

I actually shouldn't laugh because now looking back I don't know how she didn't have a heart attack, thank goodness. I can easily see that part of the show horrifying a child; not the fun scared some of us like to experience at attractions. I remember the first time I ever saw it I about lost my mind, the only thing that kept me sane was knowing there was no way Disney would let mice loose in the theater.

Oh my goodness! It's interesting to know that others have had similar frights! I have to admit that it wasn't funny at the time - but I hope this is one of those things that we will look back on and laugh about. I am not sure my son will ever think it's funny - but I am sure that the rest of us will!

 

[Spikekc1]

Also, I haven't been on it in ages, what's this with a lost dog in the pre-show?

I miss the days of the Kodak pre-show with Phil Collins' "True Colors". Everytime I hear that song I think of that pre-show .

It was a touching little movie about how "pictures" can generate memories. It was kind of like watching a Hallmark card commercial. . .

 

[TinkerbellinLouisian]

Wow - Back in the day...when I was at the attraction last...it was still Cyndi Lauper's True Colors...

What's up now with a lost dog?

 

[serene56]

i saw this show a few years ago- I didnt know about the "mice" and when they were released I jumped so high and kicked the little girl sitting in the seats in front of me---poor thing. I really didnt know

 

[TillyMarigold]

For those of you that don't know (SPOILER)


...the mice affect is done by shooting compressed air from underneath the seats. Well, on this trip I had a bag with me for a camcorder and just stored that under my seat to block the air effect. Not a good idea. When the mice came out the air ricocheted off the bag and onto grandma's lap! She kept screaming hysterically, "Get them off! Get them off!" and was swatting at her lap trying to get them off!

This is incorrect. If yours worked that way, it was broken.

There is a rubber tube that shoots out of the front of the seat (they are timed to shoot out in different parts of the theater in sequence). There is *also* compressed air, which makes the rubber tube lash back and forth, so it feels like there are mice running across you. Then it retracts when the scene is over.

The tubes are about 6-8" long and maybe ¼-½" in diameter, and hollow. Some are black and some are clear--I don't know which ones were used first, but the replacements are a different color from the originals (many, many people yank the tubes out in surprise--which is why you may have had a seat without one). It used to be common for the HISTA cast members to wear 1 or 2 tied through the buttonholes of their lab coats. If you asked a HISTA cast member what the mice were, they would gladly tell/show you.

~A former HISTA CM

 

[Planogirl]

Also, I haven't been on it in ages, what's this with a lost dog in the pre-show?

I miss the days of the Kodak pre-show with Phil Collins' "True Colors". Everytime I hear that song I think of that pre-show .

The True Colors film was wonderful! I always had teary eyes at the end of that.

I lift my feet into my chair when the mice come out. It definitely helps.

 

[Robo]

I miss the days of the Kodak pre-show with Phil Collins' "True Colors".

Wow - Back in the day...when I was at the attraction last...it was still Cyndi Lauper's True Colors...

It was neither Phil Collins' or Cyndi Lauper's version of "True Colors."

It WAS that song, but it was performed by many different (unknown) "studio" singers, including children
(as well as some imaginative instrumental sections.)

HERE is that wonderful original True Colors Pre-show.

That old pre-show was far superior to the saccharine-sweet artificial sentiment of the current show, IMO.

 

[2ndstartotheright]

HERE is that wonderful original True Colors Pre-show.

Thanks Robo.

 

[MOMtoZachEvanGrace]

I love that preshow. We would go just to watch it and alway left a little happy teary eyed

 

[BrettS]

We took my wife's cousin to see HISTA not too long ago and luckily it wasn't terribly crowded when we went. She kicked up her feet as soon as she felt the mice and her flip flop flew up into the air and landed two rows in front of us.

 

[PHXscuba]

We saw HISTA at Disneyland last month for the first time in a long time. DS4 had his feet under him, thankfully, but I was looking forward to seeing my daughters' (ages 7 and 10) reaction on the mice. Unfortunately, that theater has seen better days. I don't know if the effect at Disneyland is done the same way as WDW, but we felt nothing when the "mice" came through. Kinda disappointing ... Hopefully the will do some upgrades when they turn the movie back into Captain EO next year.

PHXscuba