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You are watching the magical world of Disney. On the Disney Channel
Welcome to Walt Disney World's 25th Anniversary Special, witching you were here!
Starring Caroline Rhea
with Mickey Mouse
Minnie Mouse
Mary Poppins
the stilt birds
bubble nicholas
Hercules
Quasimodo
with Allison Jones and John Raser
Two kids from 1971 who time travel through the 25 year history of Walt Disney World.
♪ It's time to remember the magic ♪
Oh hi! I'm Caroline Rhea.
I play Aunt Hilda on the tv show, Sabrina: The Teenage Witch.
I'm here in Orlando, Florida for the Walt Disney World Resort's 25th Anniversary Special
But I'm not here as Hilda. I'm here as Caroline
Your happy, go lucky, effervescent tour guide
So uh, .... put on your mouse ears and let's get this 25th anniversary special on the road
when they called me and asked me if I wanted to host this TV special
I was so thrilled, I immediately screamed YES!
which prompted my sister to ask "What? Have you got a date?"
"What are you gonna wear?"
Well, what else would I wear on a date with Mickey Mouse but...Mouse ears?
thanks cutie. that looks better on you.
Hey Mickey!
Oh, thanks for bringing the book Mickey. I forgot all about it.
Say hi to Minnie for me.
oh, why are all the good ones taken?
Do you know what this is?
This is the witches book of ultimate evil spells and hexes.
No it's not. just joking.
This is a history of Walt Disney World and on this special, we're gonna celebrate that history
Hey, aren't you that witch?
Oh no. I'm not a witch. I just play one on TV.
Go on! Do some magic for me!
no no. I don't do magic. I'm just a regular person.
I can't just snap my fingers and make my wishes come true. (snap)
See? It didn't work. You're still here.
But you didn't say the magic words!
Oh yeah. right. Like saying 'hocus pocus' is gonna help. Yeah!
All right. Hocus Pocus. (snap)
Oh No! I just made Walt Disney World disappear!
I'm sorry Walt! Sorry Mickey! Sorry Everyone!
I swear, I'm not a witch!
OK, I have my mood swings, but I'm just an actress on TV
I play a witch and I was just joking about this being a book of evil spells and hexes. see?
Oh. It is a magic book!
And look! There's Walt talking about his plans for Walt Disney World.
That's it! This is the exact spot where Walt Disney World was built!
I guess I do have powers. I must have somehow time traveled back to 1965.
Boy, I am good.
Let's see. It says here that to turn this land into Walt Disney World,
Walt turned to his animation techniques.
Did you know that he preplanned everything in his animated films
with storyboards to character sketches and models?
He worked out every detail. And he did the same thing to turn this swamp land
into the #1 vacation destination in the world
Everything, and I mean everything was designed to a master plan.
The army of artists who would design, engineer, and art direct it all
were called imagineers. They created fantastical things
like castles, monorails, and my personal favorite, flying elephants.
along with practical things like the worlds first telephone system
to use underground cable. And the world's largest laundry system
Even the rooms for the contemporary resort were preplanned
each prebuilt at a separate location before being slide into place
like a giant chest of drawers. This is better then a pop up book!
Finally, in October 1971, Walt Disney World opened
To tens of thousands of very enthusiastic guests
That is of course if you weren't one of the unlucky ones stuck in that
big traffic jam headed toward the park.
Everyone wanted to be on hand to say hi to Mickey on his big day.
And who could blame them?
Hey, you know something? I have a cooky idea.
Why don't I use my new found magic to show you the incredible 25 year history
of Walt Disney World? We'll start at the beginning
The opening day of the Magic Kingdom in 1971
Let's see if a new magic word can give me a smoother landing in a better spot.
Abracadabra!
Hey, this doesn't look like the grand opening of Walt Disney World.
So much for abracadabra.
Honey, who is that strange lady on the stage?
Aah! I'm next to Lincoln in the theater!
Oh! This is the hall of presidents.
oops. Sorry folks.
Boy, that was embarrassing.
But, at least I made it. I'm at the Magic Kingdom
On opening day in 1971. Check it out!
♫♪♫
What a blast!
Oops! I'm not exactly dressed appropriately for 1971.
Excuse me while I slip into something a little more groovy.
Shazam!
Oops. I was going for something far out and instead I got peachy keen.
I haven't quite got a handle on this magic stuff yet.
But I'll make this work. But I'm losing the glasses.
Who are you talking to?
My TV audience. Well, they're not exactly mine.
Oh my gosh! Your a big TV star, aren't you? Is it that obvious?
You're that lady on "Laugh In!" She is not Goldie Hawn.
She's Elizabeth Montgomery on "Bewitched"
Oh right! Look everybody, it's the Bewitched lady!
No. I'm not the bewitched lady. I play Aunt Hilda
On "Sabrina: The Teenage Witch." It's on friday nights.
Or, it will be, in 1996
Are you saying you're from the future? That's impossible.
Fitting into my jeans after Thanksgiving dinner, that's impossible.
But time travel apparently isn't.
Believe what you want but I, we, my TV audience and I
are off to see the Magic Kingdom.
Hey, if we stick with here, we'll be on TV. Come on!
So how did you guys like the Haunted Mansion?
That was even better the the Jungle Cruise.
How come you didn't go in the Hall of Presidents?
oh, been there, done that.
Hey, we have to get to a certain grand opening in 1982
You really think you can travel time, don't you?
Yes, I do. And I can prove it.
Sign this. What is it?
It's a standard release form, just in case something should go wrong.
When you're traveling through time at the speed of light, one teeny tiny miscalculation
And you could wind up a chard clump of gelatinous goo.
Neat!
Great! Let's go! Hang on to your bell bottoms! Alakazam!
I don't believe it! We made it!
Well, not exactly. what happened to your dress?
oh no. I look like Buddy Hackett from "The Love Bug" hold this.
Well, it's better then turning into a chard clump of goo.
I guess alakazam doesn't quite cut it.
Where are we? We're in Epcot.
Epcot? What's an Epcot?
Well, Epcot means, um. OK. Let's look in the book.
In 1965, Walt Disney announced a new project called EPCOT
And experimental model of a future city
This place would be, among other things, a showcase for technological discoveries
New technology? Oh, you mean like in The Computer Who Wore Tennis Shoes?
Yes, but not nearly as cute as Kurt Russell.
EPCOT was jokingly dubbed, Waltopia
Because it reflected Walt's optimistic belief that technology could create a better city, a better society,
a better world
But after Walt Disney passed away, it seemed that his last, and maybe even
his greatest dream, might never come true.
oh no. Don't worry
The imagineers took one of disney's greatest strengths, the theme park,
and combined it with his EPCOT ideas.
It wouldn't be a city. It would be a world's fair.
divided into equal two parts. Future World;
a section exploring intriguing ideas in science and technology
and the World Showcase, a place where you can travel to the nations of the world
without getting jet lag or losing your luggage.
EPCOT would have Walt Disney's optimism for the technology of the future
and would be a place celebrating world culture.
where we can see, it really is a small world after all.
Isn't that a song? Yes.
And don't you dare sing it.
Just as the Magic Kingdom had been built around Cinderella Castle,
The imagineers knew that EPCOT would also need a signature structure.
An icon large enough, that it could be seen from miles away
and that would embody the two themes of the park
The solution to their design dilemma, Spaceship Earth
The world's largest geosphere.
oh, I get it. It's like the world and the future.
Thank you Albert Einstein.
Spaceship Earth would be 180 feet tall
as tall as Cinderella Castle, and weigh about 16 million pounds
with 2.2 million cubic feet of space inside.
That's enough room for 101 million dalmatians.
Construction began in late 1979
with the target opening date of October 1st, 1982
That's only three years!
It takes me longer to get ready for a date.
To finish on time, construction workers had to start earlier and earlier in the morning
Finally, as a practical joke, one construction crew showed up to work in their pajamas.
Then, they had a big pillow fight which got totally out of hand.
parents had to be called in and everyone was grounded.
Really? No. Not really
Instead, they raised the workforce to 10,000 and the park opened on time.
Thanks to all the new technology available in 1982,
Disney imagineers gave EPCOT five times the special effects
as the Magic Kingdom.
Much of this new Disney magic can be found in Spaceship Earth.
and the surrounding pavilions in future world.
Including the universe of energy, also, there's the land.
And finally, the journey into imagination.
Welcome to EPCOT's World Showcase!
A place where people come from every corner of the earth
to acknowledge their diversity and celebrate the beautiful richness of life!
Hey! I'm Serious!
World Showcase is a place where people can salute the brotherhood of people
and get a taco! Isn't it beautiful kids?
Kids? Kids?
This isn't funny! Kids!
Woah! What?
What is it? Do you know where the kids are?
Oh you do? I feel like June Lockhart on Lassie.
Where did they go boy?
Oh. They ran past Germany and they're somewhere in France.
Ask Bubble Nicholas for help. Bubble Nicholas!
What's a Bubble Nicholas?
Stick around for a special appearance by Mary Poppins when witching you were here continues!
Where is Bubble Nicholas?
Oh! I think that's Bubble NIcholas!
♪♫♪
I don't know where she went. I thought she was right behind us.
Well, she is kind of a scary brain. You know, so many things she said were crazy.
Yeah, like the stuff she said about the future presidents.
A peanut farmer, and actor, a shrub.
She didn't say it was a shrub, she said it was a bush.
oh. How are we gonna find Caroline anyway?
Mary Poppins: Hello? Hello? Down here in the book.
Oh there you are. Mary Poppins here.
You're obviously without supervision
And since I'm also a member of the magic guild,
it's practically perfect that I stand in for Caroline.
Let's take a quick tour around the World Showcase and maybe we'll run into her
The World Showcase is a lovely collection of pavilions around the lagoon just ahead of you.
Each pavilion exquisitely recreates the flavor of a different nation
through carefully detailed architecture and landscaping.
Even restaurants and shops are staffed by real citizens of their host nations.
Share a bratwurst with good friends at Octoberfest in Germany.
Explore the exotic wonders of China including it's dances, artisans and acrobats
In Paris, eat snails at a sidewalk café.
The café is on the sidewalk, not the snails.
Take in the natural beauty of Canada.
and they've recreated some of my favorite spots in merry old England.
You're sure to have a jolly holiday
o'torii gate is the entry to EPCOT's Japan where you can take in an 83 foot high pagoda
It's five stories symbolize sky, water, earth, wind, and fire.
I think my mom has one of their albums. Mine too.
Across the lagoon lies Italy
Ah, the art, the pasta, the chimney sweeps.
oh wait, that's england again.
or in Mexico, listen to the mariachis, take a swing at a piñata,
or have a fajita and discuss the ramifications of nafta.
And if you're homesick, there's always the American Adventure
Bubble Nicholas, I need your help
There they are!
Peter! Susie! Caroline! Where have you been?
Thank you Bubble Nicholas!
Nice guy. Not a big talker
Oh, I'm so glad I found you guys. Us too.
Oh, I was so worried that Disney would never hire me again.
Oh, you can't hire Caroline Rhea, she's that Disney gal who lost those kids in time.
Hey! We gotta go. We gotta be in 1989.
OK. I used hocus pocus, abracadabra...
Eye of newt and toe of frog! Is that fat free?
Aaahhh!!!
Next time, let me try the finger snapping bit.
You're not too good at it. Thanks for being so supportive.
Oh! It's the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular at Disney MGM Studios!
Oh! And Indy is so cute.
Hey! This hand has only three fingers and a thumb.
That's because it's Minnie Mouse.
Hey, the Indiana Jones would make a great movie.
Yeah. They should cast Donny Osmond.
I'll mention it to George Lucas and Steven Spielberg.
So how did they come up with the idea to build this place anyway?
Here. I'll show you.
The concept for Disney MGM Studios started back in 1985
The Disney imagineers were planning a new movie attraction for EPCOT
Using the latest audio animatronics, it was to be a journey through the movies
At the same time, they also decided to do an attraction that would
show how animated movies were made
Then, the number 1 guy at the Disney company, Mr. Michael Eisner
decided to use these two ideas as the foundation for an entirely new theme park,
The Disney MGM Studios
Like EPCOT and the Magic Kingdom, The Disney MGM Studios has some iconic structures
Isn't it 'ironic?' No, that's a song
Iconic means, like an icon. You know, an icon is an image, a figure, a representation
For exampe, The Eiffel Tower is an icon because it represents France
Can you two smarty pants think of an icon that represents the U.S.A.?
The Statue of Liberty? The White House?
No, I'm sorry. The correct answer is, The Golden Arches
But thanks so much for playing.
And speaking of icons, the Disney MGM studios features a spectacular, earful tower
Would you believe each mouse ear weighs 5,000 pounds?
And if you were standing on top of the earful tower, you'd see that
the park was laid out in a very familiar shape. Hi Mickey!
The other icon at Disney MGM Studios is Grumman's Chinese Theater
A life size replace built from the 1927 blue prints
From the beginning, it was decided Disney MGM Studios would be a working studio
Even before the theme park opened, several movies and television shows had been shot there
Like EPCOT, The Disney MGM Studios puts you in the heart of the action
You get a glimpse at just how the magic of movies is accomplished
From special effects to stunt work
But there's to the Disney MGM studios then a backstage peek at movie making,
You get to be in the movies.
Like clowning around with streetmoshpere actors
And running around the 'Honey I Shrunk The Kids' set
Or walking through recreations of Hollywood that never was and always will be
All this talk of movies is making me want popcorn.
Yeah, I'm starving. Of course you are.
It's 1989. You haven't eaten anything in 18 years.
Where do you wanna go to eat?
Would you like to watch TV at the kitchen table at the nostalgic, primetime café?
Or would you rather watch mutant monsters gobble up B-Movie actors from the comfort of your own car at the Si-Fi dine in theater?
You know, call me crazy, but I just love any movie where
a giant anything destroys a major american city.
Or, I know. Let's eat at a swanky hang in. The Hollywood Brown Derby.
What do you say we do lunch? I'll call you.
Peter, hurry up and finish your dessert.
We need to hit the final, and greatest leg of our journey
The Walt Disney World, 1996, AND the 25th Anniversary celebration
Starring Me! But don't we have to wait 30 minutes?
Nah. That's just swimming, not time travel.
Just make sure transport us somewhere safe.
OK. I'll do my best. Presto Chango! (snap)
Where are we? Welcome to Blizzard Beach.
The largest of Walt Disney World's three water parks.
It's like a ski resort in the middle of sunny Florida.
Legend has it that one year, a freak blizzard hit this part of Walt Disney World
freezing everything in it's path. So, the Disney Imagineers
decided to build a ski resort. When the weather turned warm, ski slopes turned into water slides
and instead of hitting the powder, you're hitting the surf!
Now you can take a sky lift, to the top of Mt. Gushmore
and then slide down from summit plummet at 65 miles an hour.
Any faster, and you'll get a ticket.
And see, this time when we made the time jump, nothing went wrong.
Uh Oh. What?
Where's Peter?
I made him invisible? All right, I lost him.
Peter! Peter! Pumpkin Eater!
So, uh, come here often?
How old are you?
Well, let's see. It's 1996 that would make me
36 years old.
Yeah right. And I can time travel.
That's it! I'm a time traveler. I can even prove it!
Don't miss a special sneak preview of 'Hercules' when 'witching you were here' returns after this.
Peter! Peter!
Hey! What's that? Let me see.
oh! That's the brand new Boardwalk Resort.
It recreates the charm and flavor of of a classic Atlantic City boardwalk of yesteryear.
What's next to it? That's the Disney Institute
An interactive discovery resort where you can learn to make a soufflé,
rock climb, or direct a television show.
Oh. There's Pleasure Island.
A nighttime party spot where you can laugh at the comedy warehouse,
two-step a the neon armadillo, enjoy some jazz
dance the night away, and celebrate the new year
because every night is new year's eve on Pleasure Island
Hey you guys!
Peter! Where have you been? I've been with DeeDee.
hey! Can she come with us? Of course she can.
She just has to put something on, like clothes.....and 50 pounds.
Welcome to EPCOT in 1996!
They're celebrating the 25th anniversary with tons of new stuff.
OK. You can't miss Innoventions. It's and interactive showcase
where you can discover tomorrow's technology today, virtual reality
and cyber space! What's cyber space?
You know the video game, pong? Of course.
OK. Well, it's like that, only even better. Check it out!
All right!
While the kids are off getting a cyber life
why don't we have some coffee and get to know each other?
ok, why don't we just take a look at all the other cool stuff in Epcot?
For a thrilling, white water ride, climb aboard a viking ship
in Norway, that takes you through troll country.
oh look, there's my first agent. Hi Bernie.
In future world, ride the hydralator down to sea base alpha
An underwater research facility
Or take a trip through a Caribbean coral reef
in the world's largest, salt water tank at the living seas.
wow. at the universe of energy, there's a great new show.
Ellen's energy adventure, which gives you a crash course on the resources that power our world
In body wars, you can get right down to the hear of the matter
with a fantastic voyage into inner space.
Or, let it all go to you head in the wacky Cranium Command.
And there's also the amazing 3D adventure, 'Honey, I Shrunk The Audience'
woah! I see my ex boyfriend finally got a job.
but if you wanna see something really scary, go to 'The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror'
at the Disney MGM Studios. It's really scary.
Inside this 1930s Hollywood hotel, you'll encounter the creepiest ride
in all of the Disney parks. An elevator ride through
through time and space, that ends up with a sudden, unexpected
plummet that will have even the bravest passenger screaming. Ahhh!
oh. You know, I think the Tower of Terror
might have been a little too scary for someone as old as Caroline.
I'm seeing spots.
What kind of spots?
Black ones, on white
Like in the 101 dalmatians backstage pass.
This new attraction showcases the elaborate set, the animatronic dalmatians and creatures
that turn this animated classic into a live action blockbuster.
Is Disney still making animated films?
Of course, and better then ever.
On the animation tour at Disney MGM studios,
You can see just how an animated film is made
And maybe even get a glimpse at the upcoming Disney feature, 'Hercules'!
What you folks need is... a hero
Yeah? And who are you?
I happen to be..... a hero!
Announcer: Fromm the creators of 'Aladdin' and 'The Little Mermaid'
comes the legendary story of Hercules.
♪ Bless my soul, Herc was on a roll ♪
He was born to the gods.
Look how cute he is.
Here is a sucker for the little sucker.
And destined to become a hero on earth.
A hero is only as good as his weapon!
by defeating the forces of evil.
♪ Zero to Hero, in no time flat ♪
♪ Zero to Hero, just like that ♪
Is this kid gonna mess up my hostile take over bit or what?
Featuring a cast of wildly, imaginative new characters.
Use your head!
The spirited and independent Meg
Do they give a name along with all those rippling pectorals?
Philoctetes. 'Call me Phil' Hercs' personal trainer.
Don't let your guard down because of a pair of big blue eyes!
Hades, lord of the underworld.
Hey, mention my name, you get a doom with a view!
And his henchmen, Pain and Panic.
I thought I smelled a rat.
We are worms!
Next summer, "Get ready to rumble!"
Disney's 35th all new animated feature.
All right! All right!
The man. 'Hercules! Hercules! Jerkules!'
The myth. 'I'm an action figure!'
the movie.
Hercules. 'Why does that name ring a bell?'
Maybe we owe him money?
♪ Now he's a hero ♪
♪ Yes indeed! ♪
We dance, we kiss, we smooch, we carry on, we go home happy, what do ya say?
ooh, I love that Hercules.
A strong, silent type, even though he's been animated.
Hey, let's check out some other animated characters in Mickey's Toontown Fair
in the Magic Kingdom.
Aah, that was great! I would love to live there.
Do you think Mickey needs a mousekeeper?
Yeah, Mickey's house is toontastic. Makes me feel like we're in a real cartoon. See?
(cartoon knock) (cartoon horn)
Let me try.
(slide whistle)
Quite goofin' around. (Bonk)
We need to check out the New Tomorrowland.
It's a neon energized sci fi wonderland
You can blast off to thrills on the astro orbiter.
Or discover the timekeeper.
And if you dare, step into the ultra scary
The Extraterrorestrial Alien Encounter
Where you can feel the hot breath, smell the slimy stench.
Of a carnivores alien on the loose.
Sounds like my last blind date.
And if we had time to go further into the future,
we could visit Disney's Animal Kingdom
a theme park where you get up close and personal with your animal friends
real and imaginary.
It too will have, you've guessed it, an iconic structure.
The wondrous tree of life
That tower 140 feet above the park.
Look! They've already started on it.
Or we could have fun in the sun on the Disney Magic.
The first ship of the Disney Cruise Line.
And, coming to Epcot in early 1997 is Test Track
presented by GM
It's Disney's fastest and longest ride ever.
This 65 mph adventure takes you into the super secret world of automobile testing
uh oh! I don't have much time before the big 25th anniversary 'remember the magic' parade
I gotta be there for the grand finale!
Well then we better hurry if we wanna catch everything!
Last one to Space Mountain is a rotten alien.
Oh. watch this. I'll catch ya later. Wait up!
♪♫♪
Caroline Rhea gets to meet Quasimodo when witching you were here continues after this.
Wow! That was great. We don't have to leave, do we?
No. Not until you've had desert.
But we've already had dessert.
Not like this!
Wow! Can we eat it?
You'll need a giant fork.
For the 25th anniversary, the Walt Disney Imagineers outdid themselves.
They turned Cinderella Castle into a gigantic birthday cake!
Complete with candles and everything!
It's a feast for the eyes!
Well, it's been great having you along for Walt Disney World's 25th Anniversary Special
Thanks for joining me.
Oh. Wait a second. Oops.
I've gotta get you kids back to 1971.
Now are you sure you know what you doing?
Your magic hasn't been to precise so far.
Excuse me, I think I've got it this time.
Bibbidi bobbidi boo!
It worked!
I finally finally figured it out!
I had to use Disney magic. Oh!
Now don't forget what I told you guys.
We won't. Let me hear it.
Buy VHS, not Betamax.
Seal our comic books. They'll be worth a lot of money someday!
And don't give away our polyester clothes. They're gonna make a comeback.
You remembered!
I'm gonna miss you guys.
I'm really gonna miss you! Don't even think about forgetting me.
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo!
You think we'll ever see Caroline again?
I sure hope so. She forgot the book
Hey, I've got a hunch, that we can go back right now!
How? Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo!
You're kidding! I don't believe it.
So your place has river views and cathedral ceilings?
Hey Caroline!
Peter! Susie! What are you doing here?
You left this behind. Besides, we never got to be in the parade.
Well, Let's go! OK!
Hey, let's do this again in another 25 years.
♪♫♪