It all started last week when a good friend of mine asked me the following question: “Jeff, did you ever hear of elephants performing at Epcot Center? A friend of mine told me about it, but I don’t remember anything like that in over 30 years of visiting Walt Disney World and couldn’t imagine it was true”. I instantly knew they were thinking of “Epcot Center’s Daredevil Circus Spectacular“. Keep reading after the photos for a full description of this amazing part of Epcot Center history!
(below) A rare photo of the Fountain Stage being readied for the upcoming show.
(Below) The entrance topiary featuring the parade of Pachyderms.
(Below left) A parade of Elephant-like “Martian Mastodons” approach the fountain stage. (below right) A live band plays along as the Elephants and acrobats perform “spine-tingling” acts.
(Below left) Communicore is transformed into a “Spacearena” as a double-trapeze act is performed. (Below right) The most amazing part of all this to me was the “Space Cycles” riding along wires connected from both Communicores to the center of Spaceship Earth!
(Below) It was the most incredible thing to see motorcycles driving high in the air on thin-looking wires. I remember thinking that they actually touched Spaceship Earth (although they probably did not).
(Below) My last photo showing both “Space Cycles” (with girls hanging below them) speeding high above Future World towards Spaceship Earth!
Walt Disney World’s 15th Anniversary Celebration:
Back in the fall of 1996, Walt Disney World was beginning it’s 15th Anniversary Celebration and held a big kickoff press event. The press kit (below left) touted all the special events planned for the upcoming year including: The Bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution featuring The Magic Kingdom’s “Star-Spangled Salute” and “All American Parade“, the 15th Anniversary Gift-Giver (where you could win a new Chevrolet on “Birthday Bonanza Weekends“) and more!
I found the most intriguing event the celebration promised to be “Epcot Center’s Daredevil Circus Spectacular“. To fully understand why it captured my imagination, please read the excerpt from the press release below. It sounded unbelievable to me that this was actually going to happen!
It is still incredible that this actually happened and I am glad to have found the photos and information to remember this amazing part of Epcot Center history!
Epcot Center Historical DVDs – Available Now:
In keeping with the vintage Epcot Center mood of today’s update, I present my Epcot Center 25th Anniversary Collection to relive these wonderful memories or experience them for the first time!
Site partner MouseSteps (which is still experiencing site update problems) took another video of the new Magic Kingdom parade “Celebrate A Dream Come True”, this time shot from a different location.
Celebrate A Dream Come True Video: Version 2 (Recorded 1/26/09)
(Note: The videos we present here are for fun and do not represent the quality you will find on my DVDs. They are recorded with a primarily photo camera for my site visitors enjoyment.)
Production Update:
With all the recent discussion about the new “Celebrate A Dream Come True” parade, I have decided that my next DVD release will feature vintage Magic Kingdom parades! It will include the following:
25th Anniversary: Remember The Magic Parade (1996)
100 Years of Magic Celebration: Share A Dream Come True Parade (2001)
I have enjoyed reliving these great parades again and can’t stop humming the “Mickey Mania” and “It’s Time to Remember the Magic” theme music! I hope to have this finished by the end of next week.
Available now:
In keeping with the parade theme of this update, I present the following titles featuring another favorite of mine“The Main Street Electrical Parade“!
Jeff Lange takes you on a trip back in time to experience the evolution of Disney’s beloved nighttime classic, “The Main Street Electrical Parade”.
Features: Disneyland: Main Street Electrical Parade (1993), Walt Disney World: Main Street Electrical Parade (1991), California Adventure: Disney’s Electrical Parade (2007) and Walt Disney World: Electrical Water Pageant (1992)
Please click HERE for more information or to purchase this item.
Site Partner Mousesteps website is having some issues right now (it’s up and running, but no updates are currently able to be added). Denise went to take photos of the DVC Contemporary Resort Bay Lake Tower and 4th floor construction in the main building after taking new video of the parade at the Magic Kingdom. Below are her photos and words:
This photo was taken from the monorail:
And from the walkway between the Magic Kingdom and the Contemporary:
Mousesteps Denise shares photos and video from the first “Celebrate a Dream Come True” parade at the Magic Kingdom! She enjoyed the catchy new music and thought it was one of the better recent parades – the best since the“25th Anniversary Remember The Magic“Parade!
(Below left), Mickey waves to the crowd. (Below right), Pinocchio tops the float with Gepetto and Jiminy Cricket.
(Below left), Aladdin and the Genie. (Below right), Mary Poppins tries to get Berts attention.
(Below left), Peter Pan and Wendy. (Below right), the Villains float, which includes Ursula on the back.
(Below left), Cinderella with her Prince and the Fairy Godmother. (Below right), Ariel and Eric ride off into the sunset – or at least offstage!
(Below left), Chip celebrates with other characters – including Donald and Goofy. (Below right), the back of the float.
There are parade stops, but she didn’t see any during the video she took – and the parade went by very quickly (in about 11 minutes). She dashed down to Main Street to take photos near City Hall, and was able to videotape one parade stop with Mickey and Minnie. She will be putting photos on her site soon (once it’s fixed, she’s not been able to add new blog posts for a couple of days now).
Please check back tomorrow for a complete video of this great new Magic Kingdom Parade!
UPDATE: Part 1 of the parade is below.
“Celebrate A Dream Come True” Parade – Opening Day Video:
Jeff Lange takes you to Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom to experience the best of all the “Wishes” nighttime fireworks spectaculars!
Features: Wishes – A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams, Happy HalloWishes Fireworks, Holiday Wishes – Celebrate The Spirit of the Seasonplus Bonus: Magic, Music & Mayhem Fireworks!
Running Time: 61 Min
For more information or to purchase this item, please click HERE.
Epcot’s “Horizons” closed forever on January 9th, 1999. This updated 3-Disc Set pays tribute to the beloved Future World attraction and it’s replacement “Mission Space”!
Total Running Time (3-Discs): 190 Min
For more information or to purchase this item, please click HERE.
Epcot’s Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure Preview:
The new Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure has recently soft opened at Epcot and site partner MouseSteps was there! I also participated in the original testing of the Kim Possible Adventure in the fall of 2006 and present the following comparison set of photos. In the test version the sign-in station was in a revamped shop upstairs in Canada. There you watched a video that explained the adventure to follow.
The new recruitment is now done at Innoventions (East or West), or along the path from Future World to World Showcase.
The actual adventure in the testing version included two countries, France (below) and the United Kingdom. After completing these missions you were directed to the former Image works in the Imagination pavilion for a final battle with Drakken.
The new version features seven possible missions taking place around World Showcase, using seven of the pavilions (Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Japan, France and United Kingdom).
The test version’s big payoff was the rare chance to see the inside of the long closed Image Works at the Imagination Pavilion (old friend Dreamfinder below). There are many twists to the new adventures, like the monkey rising from the water (below right, in China).
For full coverage of this great new Epcot addition featuring many more photos from the all-new adventure plus the original test version from 2006, please visit MouseSteps.com later this weekend!
Epcot’s Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure – China Mission Video 1 – SPOILERS:
This is the beginning of one of the two “Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure” China Missions.
To continue your mission please click the following links: Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4! We also have some cool clips from the Germany mission here: Clip 1, Clip 2, and Clip 3.
Jeff Lange takes you to Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom to experience the best of all the “Wishes” nighttime fireworks spectaculars!
Features: Wishes – A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams, Happy HalloWishes Fireworks, Holiday Wishes – Celebrate The Spirit of the Seasonplus Bonus: Magic, Music & Mayhem Fireworks!
Running Time: 61 Min
For more information or to purchase this item, please click HERE.
As always, if you want to request a future DVD idea, Photo Memory topic or comment on anything, just drop me a line at suggestions@JeffLangeDVD.com.
Jeff Lange takes you to Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom to experience the best of all the “Wishes” nighttime fireworks spectaculars!
Wishes – A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams (2009)
Experience the beloved nighttime spectacular narrated by Jiminy Cricket and the Blue Fairy. Bursting with vivid color, sound and emotion, this “story in the sky” features hundreds of brilliant pyrotechnic effects exploding above and around Cinderella Castle!
Happy HalloWishes Fireworks (2007)
Take a dash of “Grim Grinning Ghosts”, along with a fun mix of “Scary-Oke” and you’ve got an incredible musical backdrop to a spooky fireworks concoction. This special Halloween Wishes surrounds you in a haunted 360 degree visual sensation!
Holiday Wishes – Celebrate The Spirit of the Season (2007)
This Christmas version of the Wishes fireworks lights up the sky over the Magic Kingdom. The show is a combination of six acts: The Spirit of the Season, The Spirit of Holiday Wonder, The Spirit of Sharing Hearth and Family, The Spirit of Holiday Childhood Fantasies, The Holiday Spirit in Each of Us, and Christmas All Around Us!
Bonus: Magic, Music & Mayhem Fireworks (2007)
This exclusive pyrotechnic extravaganza has become the new Disney standard in nighttime entertainment! Watch as Sleeping Beauty’s fairies Fauna and Merryweather fight to decide whether Cinderella castle should be pink or blue. Soon, the pirates attempt to take over the castle, ending in an explosive battle with fireworks on the castle itself! Tinkerbell takes to the night sky and saves the castle with a wave of her magic wand.
Relive these special Disney nighttime memories year after year or experience the magic for the first time by purchasing a copy of “Jeff Lange’s Magic Kingdom Wishes”.
Running Time: 61 Min
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Epcot’s Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure Preview:
The new Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure has recently soft opened at Epcot and as usual, site partner MouseSteps was there – with photos and video soon to come! One of the recruitment centers (below left) is where you get a fastpass and instructions on where to begin your adventure. The Kimmunicator you are given to play the game (below right).
I had the chance to play this when Kim Possible was testing in September of 2006 and really enjoyed it. From what I have been told, it is now broken into 7 shorter adventures around World Showcase. Below are some of the props used in the game that are similar to the props that were used during that original test.
Please check back later this week for more photos and video of this great new addition to Epcot!
Construction Update at the Magic Kingdom:
The Magic Kingdom is the scene for much construction activity this week. Below a crane is seen as the removal of the castle Dreamlights has begun.
The new fast service location Golden Oak Outpost looks almost ready to open. Because Pecos Bill’s Cafe is down for rehab, the rarely used El Pirata Y el Perico Restaurante has opened – but is not selling the usual taco’s and Mexican food, but burgers, chicken sandwiches and wraps.
Moving on to Tomorrowland, we see that Sonny Eclipse is vacationing on Jupiter (and also enjoying a brief rehab). Finally more progress is being made on the new “Stitch’s Supersonic Celebration” stage.
Bonus Video:
Below is video of construction at the Magic Kingdom for Stitch’s Supersonic Celebration at Walt Disney World.
This was shot today from the Tomorrowland Transit Authority attraction.
Epcot’s “Horizons” closed forever on January 9th, 1999. This updated 3-Disc Set pays tribute to the beloved Future World attraction and it’s replacement “Mission Space”!
Total Running Time (3-Discs): 190 Min
For more information or to purchase this item, please click HERE.
This all-new JeffLangeDVD title features the following magical experiences from the holidays at Disneyland: “A Christmas Fantasy Parade”, Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle Lighting, “Haunted Mansion Holiday”, “it’s a small world holiday”, Believe… In Holiday Magic” fireworks and much more!
For more information or to purchase this item, please click HERE.
As always, if you want to request a future DVD idea, Photo Memory topic or comment on anything, just drop me a line at suggestions@JeffLangeDVD.com.