TBT: Captain EO
Do you remember Captain EO?
Captain EO was a 3-D film that debuted on September 12, 1986 at the Epcot Center theme park in the Walt Disney World Resort and September 18, 1986 at Disneyland’s Tomorrowland. Captain EO was directed by Francis Ford Coppola, executive-produced by George Lucas and stars Michael Jackson.
The 3-D film boasted high-tech (for its time) special effects that extended into the audience. The effects were lasers, laser impacts, smoke effects and starfields that filled the theater. Captain EO included two songs (“We Are Here to Change the World” and “Another Part of Me”) performed by Michael Jackson.
Jackson starred as Captain EO. The film followed Captain EO and his ragtag crew as they delivered a special gift to a wicked alien queen known as the Supreme Leader. The Supreme Leader is played by Academy Award winning actress Anjelica Houston.
Captain EO closed at Epcot on July 6, 1994 and then on April 7, 1997 at Disneyland. The attraction re-opened at Disneyland on February 23, 2010 and returned to Epcot at Walt Disney World on July 2, 2010. The attraction was billed as “Captain EO Tribute” to distinguish it from its original 1986–1997 run.
Captain EO closed (for the second time) at Disneyland on July 4, 2014 and then on December 6, 2015 at Epcot.
Here is a peak back at yesterland:
TBT: Denver, the Last Dinosaur
Do you remember Denver, the Last Dinosaur?
“Denver, the Last Dinosaur, he’s your friend and a whole lot more…” I clearly remember watching this in the mornings before going to elementary school. I absolutely loved this show and the theme song was too too catchy! A little over 50 episodes were produced, but the show developed a cult fanbase.
Denver, the Last Dinosaur revolved around a group of multiracial California teens and the adventures they have with Denver after they release him from his dino egg. Each show taught a lesson that ranged from conservation to ecology to friendship. Because of that Denver, the Last Dinosaur was a big hit with parents and educators.
The show ran for two seasons. It was nationally syndicated throughout the United States in 1988 with reruns airing until 1990.
Fortunately for fans of the series, you can find the Complete Series on DVD.
TBT: Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer
Do you remember Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer?
Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer was released in theaters on November 15, 1985. It was distributed by Warner Bros., and produced by DIC Entertainment and Hallmark Cards. The character had also appeared in a few television specials prior to the film’s release.
In her debut feature film, Rainbow Brite tries to bring spring to an Earth that is facing a perpetual winter. She must stop a wicked princess who wants all of Spectra, a planet-sized diamond through which all the light in the universe has to go through.
Rainbow Brite was introduced in 1983. She made her television debut in 1984 with a 13 episode animated series. The franchise was rebooted in 1996, 2003, 2009, 2014 and then again in 2015 through Hallmark’s online on-demand streaming video service Feeln. 2015 also saw with it a line of new merchandise sold only by Hallmark online and in its shops.
Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer is currently available on DVD.
TBT: Delta Dreamflight
Do you remember the Delta Dreamflight attraction located in the Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland?
Delta Dreamflight opened on June 23, 1989. The attraction was located in the building currently occupied by Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin.
Dreamflight was a pop-up book version of the history of flight. The attraction included some Audio-Animatronics and projection effects.
Passengers “boarded” omnimovers to travel through barnstormers, an M-130, Tokyo and Paris in the 1930s, the jet age and the future of air travel.
Delta Air Lines ended its sponsorship of the attraction on December 31, 1995. From January 1, 1996 and June 4, 1996 the attraction was just known as Dreamflight.
Here is a peak back at yesterland:
TBT: Rebbie Jackson’s “Centipede”
Do you remember Rebbie Jackson’s “Centipede”?
Rebbie Jackson’s biggest hit was 1984’s “Centipede”. Her brother, Michael Jackson, wrote and produced the track. Michael and La Toya Jackson provide background vocals.
“Centipede” reached #24 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #4 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart in the fall of 1984. The lead single helped her debut album, Centipede, go gold in the US. Centipede is the only gold-certified album Rebbie’s released throughout her 14-year musical career.
The music video is a bit odd and definitely gives an ’80s vibe. Who knew a centipede could get hot?
Here is a peak back at yesterland…
TBT: Journey Into Imagination
Do you remember Journey Into Imagination?
Journey Into Imagination was an attraction at the Epcot theme park at Walt Disney World that opened on March 5, 1983. The 11-minute ride was a journey into the world of imagination led by the Dreamfinder and his Figment (a purple dragon created by the Dreamfinder’s imagination).
The ride introduced the Dreamfinder and Figment to theme park guests. The dynamic (and imaginative!) twosome had guests visit their Dreamport (where ideas and dreams are collected) and rooms that represent Art, Literature, the Performing Arts and Science. The ride became a fan favorite and featured the classic song “One Little Spark“.
Journey Into Imagination closed on October 10, 1998. The ride has since reopened in two different incarnations. A Figment-less version opened in October 1, 1999 and lasted until 2001. It then reopened on June 2, 2002 with Figment in a larger role.
Here is the original Journey Into Imagination:
TBT: Polly
Do you remember Polly?
On November 12, 1989, NBC aired a re-telling of Disney’s 1960 Hayley Mills classic Pollyanna. This version transposed Eleanor Porter’s classic novel Pollyanna and its white characters into a middle-class black community in the Alabama of the 1950s, and transformed the drama into a show-stopping musical.
The story is timeless. It’s about a “Glad Girl” that brings along a contagious spirit of happiness and optimism when she visits her wealthy aunt one summer.
Keshia Knight Pulliam starred as the “Glad Girl” Polly. Phylicia Rashād was cast as her Aunt Polly. Vanessa Bell Calloway was cast as Nancy, Celeste Holm as Miss Snow and Brandon Adams as Jimmy Bean.
The movie was a sort of family affair. Phylicia Rashād’s younger sister Debbie Allen both directed and choreographed Polly, and was the driving force behind the musical. Debbie also co-wrote with her husband, Norman Nixon, the words and lyrics of the film’s gospel-infused centerpiece, “Stand Up”.
Polly was a ratings hit! Its success prompted Disney to assemble a 1990 sequel, Polly: Comin’ Home!
Here are some of Polly‘s musical numbers: