From the Tickle Trunk – WDW News – Autumn 1989

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Let’s pull another old newsletter out of the Tickle Trunk.

This is a colorful one; it was issued in the autumn of 1989 and the masthead calls it the “Wonders of Life Edition“.

1989 Front_Page

That new pavilion at EPCOT opened October 19, 1989 and this edition heralded all the brand-new attractions on the front page!

Most of the front page was devoted to a picture of Body Wars, with insets of other attractions. Read how they described the new exhibits in the text below the picture:

Take the ride of your life – “Body Wars” at this five-acre pavilion teeming with activities, hands-on exhibits, and entertainment.

EPCOT CENTER – An incredibly imaginative celebration of life is now underway at the new Wonders of Life, presented by Metropolitan Life at Epcot Center Future World.

Its centerpiece, “Body Wars” uses Disney’s newest simulator technology that miniaturizes and propels you on an intensely thrilling, high speed roller-coaster-like ride through the human body as it fights a bacterial invasion.

At “Cranium Command,” another major attraction, you can climb inside the head of a 12-year-old boy for a lighthearted look at how mind and body interact.

The gold-domed Wonders of Life is full of surprises! See “The Making of Me,” a sensitive film starring Martin Short which explores the mysterious, tender and sometimes humorous events surrounding pregnancy and birth.

Fitness Fairgrounds,” another hot spot, is a collection of hands-on exhibits. Here you can have your tennis, golf, or baseball swing analyzed by the pros. You can select a video tour while riding a “Wondercycle,” explore the “Sensory – Funhouse,” and pick up some health tips from Goofy. You’ll celebrate wellness and fitness with incredible live and Audio-Animatronics shows. There’s a whole world of amazing entertainment at Wonders of Life, just waiting for you!

The Wonders of Life Pavilion had a successful 18-year run before closing January 1, 2007. It now serves as a “Special Events” building for events like the annual EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival.

How many of those original attractions do you remember?

1989 Page 2

Page 2 is devoted entirely to Disney-MGM Studios, which was also brand-new! The third theme park at Walt Disney World had opened about six months prior. The second page is dominated by two large pictures of the “Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular” and descriptions of the many new attractions. Let’s take a closer look at what they had to say about the new park:

DISNEY-MGM STUDIOS THEME PARK – The breathtaking thrills are immense, and they get even bigger if you are chosen as an “extra” at the “Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular” now in full production at the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park.

Amid rapid-fire shots, exploding trucks, out-of-control airplanes and an immense rolling rock, you’ll be on the edge of your seat if not in the center of the action, as stunt professionals reenact famous Indiana Jones adventure scenes. Performances throughout the day are just one more way the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park puts you in the picture.

Make Your Day
Another way to be a star is to stop by SuperStar Television, presented by SONY®. Just prior to the show, audience members are chosen to star in live productions of popular TV shows. Ifs funny, exciting, and another way to make your day!

More excitement comes inside the Chinese Theatre where you’ll see movies as never before on “The Great Movie Ride” Theatre-size cars take you into the action of classic films, re-created through an incredible mixture of live action and the latest in Disney Audio-Animatronics wizardry!

Add sound to movies at the Monster Sound Show, presented by SONY®. At the heart of the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park is “The Magic of Disney Animation,” actual studios where Disney characters come to life right before your eyes!

On the Set
Next comes some of life’s most thrilling moments! On the Backstage Studio Tour you can visit sound stages and see movies actually being made! At Catastrophe Canyon, you’ll experience firsthand how earthquakes, floods, and fireballs are created. And before your tour is over, you’ll unravel more mysteries of special effects.

At mealtime, choose from eleven smashing restaurants including Hollywood & Vine, the 50’s Prime Time Cafe/Tune In Lounge and the Sound Stage Restaurant where you can eat on a real movie set. From start to finish, it’s a full day of Hollywood adventure!

Wow, some of those attractions, like the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, are pretty much unchanged after more than 25 years while others, like SuperStar Television, have disappeared entirely. A few others have opened and closed since this newsletter was published . . . remember “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” and “The American Idol Experience?”

What’s that piece in the bottom right corner of page 2? A star every day? Here’s a closer look:

See a Star

I expect that there are now several generations of readers wondering, “Who are those people? Pat Boone? Rose Marie? Mariette Hartley? Isabel Sanford?” Suddenly I’m feeling very old!

There were only two articles on page 3 and I’ll show them individually.

Pleasure Island

How many of those Pleasure Island haunts do you remember – Mannequins Dance Palace, XZFR Rockin’ Rollerdome (with a daily Zappy Hour), the Adventurers Club, Videopolis East, the Neon Armadillo Music Saloon, the Comedy Warehouse?

In those early days the food venues included Merriweather’s Market, the Portobello Yacht Club, the Fireworks Factory and three dining areas aboard the Empress Lilly riverboat.

Typhoon Lagoon

Typhoon Lagoon had only been open for three months and was already a very popular destination. Do you remember your excitement when you first saw that huge wave? When you first slid down Humunga Kowabunga? When you took that first lazy drift around Castaway Creek? I sure remember!

1989 Page 4

The back page, page 4, spoke of two items I was not familiar with, along with one I know well, the long-standing pyrotechnic and laser spectacular staged nightly at EPCOT. “Illuminations” originally debuted at EPCOT January 30, 1988, as a replacement for “Laserphonic Fantasy.” Over the past 27 years there have been several versions of the ever-popular Illuminations show. The second generation show, “IllumiNations 25” debuted for the 25th anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort and ran 1996 – 1999. Generation three, “IllumiNations 2000: Reflections of Earth” launched in 1999 to ring-in the upcoming millennium celebration. The show has remained much the same since 1999, but the reference to the year 2000 has been dropped from the name. Today it’s known as “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth”

Sing Along Parade

Here’s a closer look at the “Disney Character Hit Parade“. The Dapper Dans and some Disney characters are pictured singing from the bow of a steamboat, the S. S. Mickey Mouse! I didn’t see this version of the afternoon parade, but if I had I would have called it a hum-along. I’m nowhere near the singer those Dapper Dans are, believe me you would prefer my humming!

Dreamflight

Dreamflight was an attraction I had never even heard of before reading this newsletter. It was sponsored by Delta Airlines from 1989 until 1995 and replaced “If You had Wings” which had been sponsored by Eastern Airlines. Now that’s a name I remember! The building which housed If You had Wings and Dreamflight is now the home of Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, one of my favorites!

Looking back at the contents of this simple little newsletter, you can almost feel the excitement that was in the air in late 1989. You can really sense what an exhilarating time it was, plenty of change and so many thrilling new activities and attractions!

Let’s just pause and reflect for a minute – when Walt Disney World opened in 1971 there was one park, the Magic Kingdom. When this newsletter was published, just 18 years later, there were three theme parks, two water parks, a wildlife sanctuary, a campground, more than a dozen hotels and resorts, a shopping and entertainment district and so much more.

In a mere 18 years Walt Disney World had risen from swampland to become the most popular vacation destination in the world.

WOW!

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Gary hails from Canada and he’s a lifelong Disney fan. In the 1950s he watched the original Mickey Mouse Club and The Wonderful World of Disney on a snowy old black-and-white television. Gary was mesmerized by the Disneyland that Walt introduced to the world during those Sunday night shows! In 1977 he took his young family to Walt Disney World for the first time and suddenly that Disney magic he experienced as a child was rekindled. Since then Gary and his wife Carol have enjoyed about 70 trips to Walt Disney World, 11 trips to Disneyland and 11 Disney Cruises.

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6 Replies to “From the Tickle Trunk – WDW News – Autumn 1989”

  1. Yes MGM started out great. and then fizzled out. Never met or saw a famous movie star though 🙁 but it was cool to know they were there and that they may be making a movie near by. Loved Superstar TV my son was a part of the Bonanza skit!. And the Sound Stage show. loved those cool booths at the end where you could hear The big Cheese lol. And you could really feel that blow dryer on the back of your neck. The front of The Golden Girls home. If it weren’t for the Tower of Terror and Rockn Roller Coaster it would be a ghost town.
    Too Bad.

  2. Hi Gary! I love reading your guest blogs and enjoy the looks back into the past.

    My husband and I visited WDW on our honeymoon in October of 1991 and I remember the excitement of being able to visit the new MGM Studios. To our surprise we saw not one, but two stars the day we were there! I have a photo of Zsa Zsa Gabor riding in a car in the afternoon parade and not so good photo of Jim Varney placing his handprints in cement in front of The Great Movie Ride. He was there promoting his new film Earnest Scared Stupid, and there was a small parade and ceremony that took place.

    We were also fortunate to have been able to visit Discovery Island during our trip. I remember it being a nice break from the busy parks and wish our two girls could have experienced the island at least once during their travels to WDW.

    Thank you to you and Carol, for sharing your love of everything Disney with us! We are always looking forward to your next post! 🙂

  3. My first visit with my late sister was in the fall of 1989.

    This brought tears because it was the best trip I have ever had to Disney.

    I stayed on property for the very first time, and is there anything better than being with someone who is seeing it for the very first time?!?

    Disney MGM was brand new. We saw the sweet Mariette Hartley speak at Superstar Television. She told us a funny story about her experience on The Great Movie Ride.

    EVERYTHING about this trip was absolutely magical!!!

    [Gary writes: Thanks for sharing such a sweet story Sharon. I’m glad I could help stir up some good memories. Merry Christmas!]

  4. Hello
    Was just wondering if the Newsletter was still something Disney was doing and if so, how do I get one?

    Thanks

    [Gary writes: Unfortunately, the newsletters are a thing of the past.

    There are plenty of other ways to keep up-to-date though! Annual Passholders receive a small magazine, The Mickey Monitor, 4 times a year. D23 members get a full sized magazine 4 times a year. There is always plenty of good information online; look for The Disney Parks Blog site!

    Perhaps the easiest way to stay current is to subscribe to the free AllEars newsletter. It is distributed by e-mail every Tuesday. Go to http://www.allears.net/ and look for the Newsletter menu near the top of the page.]

  5. Hello, Gary. This was another wonderful remembrance from your tickle trunk.

    I, too, very much enjoyed the Wonders of Life pavilion in its prime and am still sad when I see its lack of use now. I also miss at the Studios the fun that was SuperStar Television and how it was always different, depending on the people selected to participate. The tour through the Animation Studios, including the video of Robin Williams and Walter Cronkite, and seeing the animators at work was another high point. And, yes, I DO remember “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire!” I was lucky enough to get into the hot seat, go all the way, and win a free Disney cruise for four, which started my family’s love affair with Disney cruising!

    When I look back fondly on what the Studios used to be, it is heartbreaking to see what it has become – a half day park at best, and if Fantasmic ever leaves, a park I will not care to visit. Happy holidays to you and Carol.

  6. Gary- I always enjoy your walks down memory lane, and this one really resonated with me. I visited WDW a few years later (I believe 1993), and enjoyed several of these new attractions and venues for the first time during that visit.

    As this was my first trip as an adult (on paper at least- still a kid at heart!), this marked the time when I started appreciating the innovation and attention to detail that makes Walt Disney World such a special place.

    I really miss the “Wonders of Life” Pavilion- Cranium Command is a personal favorite. It was great to see an entire area of a theme park devoted to personal wellness and healthy lifestyles.

    On the flip side of that, I also have fond memories of Pleasure Island- hardly a beacon of wellness, but a fun place to spend a few hours as a young adult.

    Perhaps the most startling point I read was the presence of a FREE buffet and discounted drinks! So hard to imagine.

    Thank you for taking the time to share this information, and best wishes to you and your family for a happy 2015!