Discoveryland
Captain EO
Join Micheal Jackson's wonderful world of song and dance in the classic Captain EO 3D attraction and dream of a life in space...
Captain EO has returned to Disneyland Paris! On June 12, 2010 Captain EO started its return trip into space to battle the evil Supreme Leader on a world full of twisted metal. Captain EO opened on April 12, 1992 when Disneyland Paris opened it's doors to the general public. It was one of many existing attractions brought over from the USA to the new Paris Kingdom. On August 17, 1998, just 6 years after it opened in Paris, it would close its door to make place for “Honey, I shrunk the Audience”. Now, Michael Jackson is back to entertain the next generation of Captain EO fans.
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Pre-Show: Before guests can see the magic unfold on the screen in 3D they need to have a little more patience while waiting in the pre-show area. Guest entered the room on the right hand side of the theater walking underneath the Disney Train track. Once collected the 3D glasses needed to see the main feature guest can walk into a big holding area. The room is filled with televisions hanging from the sealing and with a small stage in the front area. A Cast Member welcomes the guests and makes sure people move all the way into the room so there is enough room for all waiting guests. Before the main show can start in the adjusting room guests are invited to look at a short movie on the televisions in the room. On the screens short outtakes of how the movie was created are shared with the guests. Once the movie ends the doors on the left hand side swing open and guests are asked to move all the way along and fill out every seat so everybody can enter, have a seat and see the movie.
The theater: Welcome to the Imagination Institute! No wait, welcome to Captain EO. When entering the main room it can't go unnoticed that the room was housing the Imagination Institute. It doesn't take long though to forget about it as after a short introduction of a Cast Member the lights go out and the movie will start. You can feel the anticipation build in the room all the way up to the moment the movie starts to roll.
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The Story: A small spaceship, with on board an odd crew of mythical space creatures and robots, is on its way to a metal twisted unnamed world. Captain EO, commanding the ship, is leading the crew to the planet to bring “The Supreme Leader” a special gift. On board we find an odd crew supporting their captain on his quest. The double headed navigator and pilot Idee and Geex whom are trying to get the spacecraft safely through all obstacles on their way, a security officer robot known as Major Domo, a smaller robot named Minor Domo who also fits like a module into its bigger counterpart Major Domo, a clumsy shipmate called Hooter who looks like an elephant and a little flying creature named Fuzzball that keeps on hovering on the captains side. Not on board, but in contact with the Captain via “newest technology” is Commander bog.
Their trip has a shaky start when the ship is being attacked and a quick getaway is needed almost crash landing on the metal looking planet. The good captain and his crew are taken as prisoners and are brought to the Supreme Leader where they hear their verdict. A future as trash cans for the crew and 100 year of torture for Captain EO is the Supreme Leader's order.
Captain EO convinces the Supreme Leader to listen to him when he tells her how beautiful she is,... on the inside. He wants to bring the beauty out by presenting his gift to her. The gift comes in form of a song called “We Are Here To Change the World”. The robots from the crew transform into instruments and start to make music, but the clumsy Hooters walks into the instruments, stopping the music and breaking the magic. The Supreme Leader is not amused and orders her minions to capture the captain and his strange crew.
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Luckily Hooter manages to repair the instruments and the music starts again, giving Captain EO super powers that can transform the evil helpers into dancers. One by one the bad boys and girls turn into good once, joining the captain in his battle against evil. Getting closer to defeat the Supreme Leader sends out her next line of defense. Two cybernetic warrior men, with whips and shields, whom are able to withstand the powers of Captain EO. Times are turning and everybody is running away, leaving Captain EO behind who doesn't want to give up trying to make his last chance work.
It's the help of the little Fuzzball that will make the difference. Flying over to the two evil warriors, he takes the ends of the whips and ties them together. With this Captain EO see his chance and can transform the two minions too, taking away the last line of defense from the Supreme Leader. Captain EO uses his power for the final blow, transforming the Supreme Leader into a beautiful woman. Together with this transformation the whole planets transforms too. It turns into a wonderful paradise where everybody start to celebrate the victory with the song “Another Part of Me” before the captain and his crew make their way into space, ready for their next adventure.
The Music: 2 Michael Jackson songs are used in the Captain EO attraction. The first song is “We are Here to Change the World”. This is the song performed as the gift for the Supreme Leader. The second song, at the end of the movie, is “Another Part of Me”. This song is only performed partially in the movie. It is a shorter version as the one found on the album “Bad”. “Bad” was released in 1987. “We are Here to Change the World” was not released on any album or record when it first came out. The song was only used inside the Captain EO attractions. Only years later would it be released on a Michael Jackson album. It was part of the 2004 release of the “Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection” box set. The song is the last one on the second disc of this set.
The score used in the movie is written by well known soundtrack and movie composer James Horner. James Horner has written hundreds of soundtrack scores for some of the most famous and successful movies. He has also written music for TV and many of the logo music for the movie production houses like Universal Studios, Lionsgate and CBS Films are created by him too.
Tips
The auditorium is big enough to house all guests that are in the queue. However, on very busy days, it is advised to come to the theater a couple of minutes before the doors open to avoid wating for the next showing incase the 604 seat do fill up.
While adult can see well from most seats in the main room it's advised to look for a place for your child behind another child or smaller person as some of the screen might otherwise not be visible to them.
Compact
* Duration: 17 minute movie
* Seats: 604
* Language: English
* Experience shown in the Imagination Institute
Specials
The movie was directed by Francis Ford Coppola and executive producer was George Lucas.
The choreography was done by Michael Jackson and Jeffrey Hornaday. Jeffrey is a well known choreographer who showed his work in movies like “Flashdance”, “A Chorus Line”. He also worked with Madonna and staged her “Who's That Girl” and The “Girlie Show” tours.
The story idea was created by the Disney Imagineers but was written by the producer Rusty Lemorande, executive producer George Lucas and director Francis Ford Coppola.
Cast:
* Michael Jackson - Captain EO
* Anjelica Huston - The Supreme Leader
* Dick Shawn - Commander Bog
* Tony Cox - Hooter
* Debbie Lee Carrington - Idee
* Cindy Sorenson - Geex
* Gary DePew - Major Domo
The title Captain EO comes from the Greek Eos. Francis Ford Coppola cam up with the name EO who picked the name from the Greek mythology. Eos is the Greek Goddess of Dawn, the daughter of Hyperion and Theia. She was the sister of Helios (Sun) and Selene (Moon).
The first Captain EO attraction premiering was in Epcot at Walt Disney World. Doors opened to the general public on September 12th for the very first time. The movie would end it's first run on July 6, 1994. On September 18, 1986 it opened for the first time in Disneyland Anaheim. The Disneyland attraction would remain open for almost 3 years longer until April 17, 1997. Tokyo Disneyland got its version on March 20, 1987. Captain EO would stay on Tokyo until its closure in September 1996.
Estimate $30 million to make or approximately $1,76 million per minute, the Captain EO movie was the most expensive production of its time. This includes the 3D effects and the development for the effects like lasers, smoke effects end the star effects in the theater used during the performance.
In the 2010 revised edition of the attraction the laser effects are not used inside the theater. However the hydraulic stage used in Honey I shrunk the Audience is being incorporated in the experience during the beginning of the movie where Captain EO's spaceship maneuvers around in space. ***
Michael Jackson died in June 25, 2009. After his death he regained a lot of popularity. Fans have tried to convince Disney to bring Captain EO back, but after his death this group had grown even bigger. On December 18, 2009 Disney announced it would re-open the classic attraction in Tomorrowland in Disneyland.
A “Making of Captain EO” was broadcast on ABC's The Disney Sunday Movie in 1986. Whoopi Goldberg was the host of the show. The show was filled with interviews and secrets of the Captain EO production. The documentary showed interviews and scenes from and with George Lucas, Francis For Coppola, Micheal Jackson, Dick Shawn, Tony Cox, Cindy Sorenson, Debbie Lee Carrington, Gary DePew, Lance Anderson, Rick Baker, Lance Anderson, Anjelica Huston, Jeffrey Hornaday, Helene Phillips, John Napier, Michael Eisner, and Vittorio Storaro.
Star Trek fans will see the big impact Captain EO had on their beloved series. The Borg Queen is known to be influenced by the Supreme Leader. The Borg Queen was once selected 2nd place of TV Zone's top twenty science fiction television villains in 2002. The Borg Queen was played by Alice Krige and in a second incarnation by Susanna Thompson.
Micheal Jackson visited Disneyland Paris during its opening year in 1992 when it opened its doors as EuroDisney.
Anjelica Huston, who plays the Supreme Leader in Captain EO is currently a voice actress in the Tinker Bell series and movies; She lends her voice to the character Queen Clarion.
Limits
There are no age or hight restrictions.
the dark pre-show area and theater might frighten some smaller children.
Discoveryland
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