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[Melonballer]

Once again it has come to my attention that people are bored of all the talk about Tom Sawyer Island. So just like when all the threads were about Pirates of the Caribbean back in June, I have decided to spin the wheel of thread ideas and the arrow landed on...

America Sings!

So lets talk about this great old attraction. I loved this ride when I rode it in the late seventies and mid-eighties. The thing I like best about it is that even though it has been closed for decades you can still visit many of the characters in Splash Mountain and Star Tours. I love it when they can reuse an animatronic.

What are your memories of the attraction?
Who are your favorite characters?

Discuss!

[Quacky4Donald]

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I never was able to ride this attraction. Can someone tell me how it went?

...Joe...

[Melonballer]

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJTrCDlX0QU

Here's an edited video from youtube. there is also one on visions fantastic. You ahve to register to view it though.

[Quacky4Donald]

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJTrCDlX0QU

Here's an edited video from youtube. there is also one on visions fantastic. You ahve to register to view it though.

Thank you so much! You helped a lot!

...Joe...

[Yendorb]

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This was one of my favorite attractions. Loved the Marc Davis designed characters, and it was a great place to sit down and relax in the AC on a hot day.

[sorceress1986]

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My mother says I covet both America Sings and the CoP since I never got to go on them, and really wish I could.

[Momzilla59]

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I love the end when the hippies all sing 50's songs!
I second the "great AC" place to go and rest your feet. I really missed that the last few trips. (Can you tell we don't get to the land often?)

[Doofy]

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I only remember that my parents used to make us go there. I was still pretty small when it closed so I can't remember the show clearly. Just being forced on it.

[Quacky4Donald]

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Since I never saw it I can't knock it, but I've been curious about one thing pretaining to this attraction. How exactly did it fit the theme of Tomorrowland? From what I've seen it doesn't really have a "Tomorrowland" feel, unless they were trying to show off the use of animatronic creatures.

...Joe...

[Ghostbuster626]

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ah...America Sings...the last GOOD Disney ride.

in fact, you could call it the "Audio Animatronics Swansong".

[MickeyMania]

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Since I never saw it I can't knock it, but I've been curious about one thing pretaining to this attraction. How exactly did it fit the theme of Tomorrowland? From what I've seen it doesn't really have a "Tomorrowland" feel, unless they were trying to show off the use of animatronic creatures.

...Joe...

See, that's the example I always use in situations such as this and the Nemo submarines. Back then, nobody gave a flying patoot because there wasn't Disney Internet Boards for Disneyana fans to get together and become way, WAAAAY too angry about how things fit into themes and if some change is destroying the park.

Back in the 70s, something was built, and we went to it, and we had a good time unless it was a really lousy attraction. There wasn't all this dang Cult of Walt stuff about how it's blasphemy to build an AA show there.

ah...America Sings...the last GOOD Disney ride.

in fact, you could call it the "Audio Animatronics Swansong".

Spaceship Earth is on the line, and would like to speak with you. Also, the original Journey into Imagination and Horizons and Indy Jones Adventure said you can call them back. Well, except I think Horizons went off on vacation or something, might not be back for a while.

[Quacky4Donald]

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See, that's the example I always use in situations such as this and the Nemo submarines. Back then, nobody gave a flying patoot because there wasn't Disney Internet Boards for Disneyana fans to get together and become way, WAAAAY too angry about how things fit into themes and if some change is destroying the park.

Back in the 70s, something was built, and we went to it, and we had a good time unless it was a really lousy attraction. There wasn't all this dang Cult of Walt stuff about how it's blasphemy to build an AA show there.

I was just asking how it fit into Tomorrowland. After all, that's what Walt wanted, different LANDS so people could feel immersed in them. Otherwise, if he didn't he wouldn't have called each section a land, he would have just referered to them as "that section over there," like as with Six Flags.

Also, I don't see how what I said came across as "WAAAAY too angry."

And another, the "Nemo" ride fits perfectly into the picture. The Lagoon, yes, at the time was part of TL, however, it can easily now be part of Fantasyland. It could also be considered Tomorrowland depending upon how the ride is and if they do any changes to the subs to make them more futuristic inside (or outside).

...Joe...

[Ghostbuster626]

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See, that's the example I always use in situations such as this and the Nemo submarines. Back then, nobody gave a flying patoot because there wasn't Disney Internet Boards for Disneyana fans to get together and become way, WAAAAY too angry about how things fit into themes and if some change is destroying the park.

Back in the 70s, something was built, and we went to it, and we had a good time unless it was a really lousy attraction. There wasn't all this dang Cult of Walt stuff about how it's blasphemy to build an AA show there.



Spaceship Earth is on the line, and would like to speak with you. Also, the original Journey into Imagination and Horizons and Indy Jones Adventure said you can call them back. Well, except I think Horizons went off on vacation or something, might not be back for a while.

none of those attractions really evolved audio animatronics to the next step though. America Sings AA's were the first to climb stairs and move and talk 100% fluidly. Of course there's Lucky, but hes still an experiment and im still waiting for an AA heavy attraction that will raise the bar on technology. But disney is of course to cheap now adays and would rather use cheap video projection as can be seen in the various Finding Nemo rides being built all over the world, the "new" pirates of the caribbean, and soon in Monsters Inc.: The Laugh Floor at magic kingdom.

Speaking of Nemo, the difference between "Finding Nemo:Submarine Voyage" and "America Sings" is that Finding Nemo is a blatant cash-in on an already overmilked franchise...America Sings was an original attraction that could only be seen at Disneyland further adding to the uniqueness and charm of the park.

[MickeyMania]

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Joe, I'm not talking specifically about you nor your posts in this thread when I said people who get really angry.

I'm talking more about the general pulse of these forums and others, were Disneyana hardcores come to grouse about change. America Sings didn't fit into Tomorrowland at all, but it sure didn't destroy it, and when just before it closed Tomorrowland hit it's peak that it's been struggling to get back to ever since. If only more Disney fans took notice instead of rambling off What Walt Would Do based on what they know.

[Quacky4Donald]

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America Sings AA's were the first to climb stairs and move and talk 100% fluidly.

That's an answer to my question! Thank you! :thumbup:

...Joe...

[MickeyMania]

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none of those attractions really evolved audio animatronics to the next step though.

Most people would say that IASW was a classic AA experience, even though the Abe AA that came at the same time was much more elaborate.

My point is you said AS is the "last GOOD Disney ride", and there's been some classic rides, including ones with a lot of AAs, although Anaheim has only seen a scant few of them through the years. Even if you said Indy wasn't big on AAs and Horizons AAs were very simple and secondary to the movie, SSE and the original Imagination are both classic rides considered GOOD by most people who ride them.

Although if you want to talk about AA development alone, you forgot about The Great Movie Ride, as the Wicked Witch is the first of the latest type of AA with reflexes and motions that are so human-like that it's creepy. Although a couple more of these AAs are used at MK, I don't think there's a single one of them in DL.

[sleepyjeff]

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America Sings didn't fit into Tomorrowland at all, but it sure didn't destroy it, and when just before it closed Tomorrowland hit it's peak that it's been struggling to get back to ever since.

This is so true. I have always believed that 1987 was when Tomorrowland was at its Zenith......

[Tom Chaney]

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"America Sings" didn't really fit into the Tomorrowland theme at all. The Carousel Theatre was originally used for the "Carousel Of Progress" presentation. That did fit the theme. CoP was replaced with "America Sings" to compliment the celebration of the USA bicentennial in 1976. I'm guessing that it might have originally been viewed as a temporary show. "America Sings" turned out to be a wildly popular show, despite the fact that it was not technically suited to the Tomorrowland theme. (Kind of like the Subs and Autopia are today.)

The Carousel of Progress was entertaining and educational. America Sings was entertaining. I liked them both and miss them both. Innoventions is such a lame replacement.

Perhaps someday Disney will realize that they have a wonderful rotating theatre in Disneyland and do something magical with it.

[Brain Toad]

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My only experience of America Sings is of listening to the music on the Musical History of Disneyland set and now the video Mellonballer posted. I've got to say it looked like quite an entertaining little show that I would've liked to seen.

Though after listening to the soundtrack for the Carousel of Progress, that seems a lot more interesting to me personally.

[Tom Chaney]

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My only experience of America Sings is of listening to the music on the Musical History of Disneyland set and now the video Mellonballer posted. I've got to say it looked like quite an entertaining little show that I would've liked to seen.

Though after listening to the soundtrack for the Carousel of Progress, that seems a lot more interesting to me personally.

Book a ticket to Florida. Disneyland's attraction is there.