EPCOT, like all Disney parks, is constantly changing. Walt Disney had a vision of theme parks that were never fully complete and always striving for the next best thing, and Disney World in Florida has remained true to his wish throughout the years. EPCOT in particular has seen major transformations throughout the decades. EPCOT’s theater near Journey Into Your Imagination with Figment has hosted several attractions throughout the years, one of which was Captain EO. This big budget film featured 4D effects and dazzled audiences for years, and starred the one and only Michael Jackson.
Concept and Production
In the mid-1980s, former Disney CEO Michael Eisner had an idea to bring together all of Disney’s departments to create a signature attraction. After bouncing several different ideas around they determined that they wanted to create a sci-fi film that was three-dimensional. Longtime Disney fan and mega-superstar Michael Jackson signed on the for film which grew to have a massive budget. The film was to be written and produced by George Lucas, and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The film was choregraphed by Jeffrey Hornaday and Michael Jackson, and featured two original songs that were both written and performed by Jackson. Together with the special 4D effects that were being used, the film ended up costing a whopping $30 million dollars to produce. Because the film was only 17 minutes long, this made it so that it cost $1.76 million per minute to create.
The Show
The short film was an exciting and inspiring sci-fi adventure that followed Captain EO (played by Michael Jackson) and his ragtag crew consisting of silly alien puppets. The film drops you in, slice of life style, and follows as the crew is on their way to deliver a gift to an evil alien queen. Once they arrive on the dark and ugly planet they are quickly captured by the evil and hideous alien queen. But Captain EO delivers his gift of impassioned song and introduces beauty to the queen and the planet. The film ended on a happy and inspiring note as Jackson finishes his song and dance having freed the queen from her ugly spell.
Closing
Captain EO debuted in 1986 and ran until 1998. The film impressed audiences and left a great impression and created a pathway for additional films with 4D effects to be played. The film eventually closed and a new film “Honey I Shrunk the Audience” took its place. After Jackson’s death in 2009 there was renewed interest in Captain EO, and Disney reopened the film in 2010. Many of the same 4D effects were used, aside from a few that had been removed from the theater after the show’s closing in 1998. The film continued to delight a new generation of audiences until it closed yet again in 2015, and was replaced by Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival. Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival remains playing to this day. Captain EO has never been released on home video or any digital format, but curious guests can find a copy of the production on YouTube.
Featured Image: Steven Miller Flickr
Written by
Megan Woodard
Contributing Writer
Megan was born into a Disney family. Her first trip to Disney World was when she was only 18 months old. Now as an adult, Megan loves to share the magic of Disney with her two toddlers. Keeping up with Disney news and Disney World knowledge is a fun hobby for Megan. Disney World is her favorite place to be and continuously brings back her childhood joy.
