''Magic Journeys'' was a

3D film 3D films are motion pictures made to give an illusion of three-dimensional solidity, usually with the help of special glasses worn by viewers. 3D films were prominently featured in the 1950s in American cinema and later experienced a worldwide r ...

created by WED Enterprises for presentation at

Disney theme parks Disney Experiences, commonly known as Disney Parks, is one of the three major divisions of the Walt Disney Company. It was founded on April 1, 1971, exactly six months before the opening of the Walt Disney World Resort. Led by Josh D'Amaro, t ...

. It was featured at four different parks over the course of its 11-year run.

History

On October 1, 1982, ''Magic Journeys'' premiered as one of the opening-day attractions at the Journey Into Imagination pavilion in

Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort is an destination resort, entertainment resort complex located about southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States. Opened on October 1, 1971, the resort is operated by Disney Experiences, a division of the Wa ...

's EPCOT Center. It was written and directed by Murray Lerner and featured a song composed by Robert and Richard Sherman. A preshow presentation, anchored by another Sherman Brothers song, "Makin' Memories", played before the film during its EPCOT Center run. Starting on June 16, 1984, it began a two-year run at Disneyland, first on the outdoor Space Stage and then inside the newly constructed Magic Eye Theater in Tomorrowland. In early 1986, the film was removed from Disneyland and EPCOT Center in order to make way for a new 3-D film, ''

Captain EO ''Captain EO'' is a 1986 American 3D science fiction short film shown at several Disney theme parks from 1986 until 1998. The film, starring Michael Jackson, was directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The film was shown as part of an attraction with ...

''. In December 1987, ''Magic Journeys'' returned to Walt Disney World at the Fantasyland Theater inside the

Magic Kingdom Magic Kingdom Park is a Amusement park, theme park at the Walt Disney World, Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. It opened on October 1, 1971, and is owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company through its Disney Experiences, Expe ...

, where it was paired with the 1953 3-D short '' Working for Peanuts''. The film played in this venue for six years until it closed in December 1993 in order to make room for Legend of the Lion King.

Plot

''Magic Journeys'' looked at the world through the eyes of a child. The film started with children running through a meadow and looking at clouds. Someone blew on a dandelion and the seeds then flew away, turning into stars and then turned into the sun. Next the kids were seen flying a kite at the beach. The kite then turned into a bird, a fish, a school of fish, a flock of birds, bird wings, a Pegasus, a horse and then finally into a merry-go-round. While the children rode the carousel, they began reaching for a brass ring spinning next to the carousel; the carousel spins around the moon and bats fly out past the riders. The moon becomes a witch, a mask, an Olmec head, and more until turning into a cat. A boy reaches out to the cat and it turns into the Sphinx, which turns into a lion jumping through a hoop in the circus. Trapeze artists and acrobats fly through the air and several clowns amuse the children. The circus then gives way to reveal it as only a miniature with small flying machines coming up through the roof of the room into the stars. The kids move through a room of balloons and encounter a magician. At the end of this act, the room gives way as the kids descend through a starscape and return to the meadow with the dandelion unblowing itself.

Cast

* Phil Baron as Magician * Michelle Baron as Female Funambulist

Soundtrack

The film's preshow song, "Makin' Memories" and the film's theme song, "Magic Journeys", can be found on the 1991 CD ''The Official Album of Disneyland and Walt Disney World''. Both songs also appear on the album '' The Sherman Brothers Songbook''.

Notes

References

External links

* *
''Magic Journeys'' at the Epcot Discovery Center
{{Murray Lerner Amusement rides introduced in 1982 Amusement rides introduced in 1984 Amusement rides introduced in 1985 Amusement rides introduced in 1987 Amusement rides that closed in 1986 Amusement rides that closed in 1987 Amusement rides that closed in 1993 Former Walt Disney Parks and Resorts attractions 1982 films 1982 short films Films directed by Murray Lerner 1982 3D films Walt Disney Parks and Resorts films Kodak sponsorships Fantasyland Sherman Brothers Tomorrowland (Disney Parks) Imagination! (Epcot pavilion) 3D short films 1987 establishments in Florida