Author: disneyfoodblog.com

There are some pretty spectacular stage shows at the Disney parks! From Festival of the Lion King to Fantasmic, we’ve seen incredible entertainment of the highest caliber!

While many shows at Disney World and Disneyland have pulled out all the stops, other shows left us scratching our heads. We dug up shows that you won’t BELIEVE were at a Disney park!

The Astuter Computer Revue

The first show on our list opened with EPCOT on October 1, 1982. There was a ton of new and innovative technology on display when EPCOT first opened, including the earliest versions of the computer. The Astuter Computer Revue was the first “behind-the-scenes” show at Disney World and showed guests some of the computer technology that ran EPCOT.

Home computers were not prevalent yet, so the show dwindled in popularity over time. The Astuter Computer Revue was actually the first attraction at EPCOT to close after the park opened, and it played its final performance on January 2, 1984.

Check out some of our old family photos at Disney World!

Dick Tracey Starring In Diamond Double-Cross

Disney’s Dick Tracey film was supposed to be a massive blockbuster hit, and Disney added its very own stage show to MGM Studios shortly after the film premiered in 1990. A Disneyland version of this show also existed, although it did not last long on either coast.

It ran at MGM Studios from May 1990-February 1991, and at Disneyland from June 1990-December 1990. Looking back, we’re sort of glad this show didn’t last long as it was designed. Those characters looked FRIGHTENING.

Think you’re a Hollywood Studios expert? See how much you know here!

Dinosaurs Live

Remember that early 90’s ABC family sitcom Dinosaurs? They’re coming BACK, but did you know they had their own stage show and mini-parade at MGM Studios!? The puppet-like quality of the dinosaurs lent itself to be featured in a Disney park, and it was created as a means to promote the television show.

Reports indicate that it never caught on with guests, and the show ended its run less than a year after it began in August 1992.

Ever wanted to own a piece of Disney history? Find out how you could have done so in a BIG way here!

Doug Live

The hit cartoon series Doug found success on both the Disney Channel as well as Nickelodeon throughout the 1990s. This popularity carried over to the Disney parks, where in March of 1999 it got its very own stage show at MGM Studios.

Audience members were selected to go on stage to play with the fictional Doug band, The Beets, in their big show. Doug Funnie and Pattie Mayonnaise were also added as walk-around characters in the park. The show lasted for about two years and closed in May of 2001.

Why can’t we meet MORE rare characters these days? Find out why, plus other weird things that need explaining, here!

Epcot Center Daredevil Spectacular

Our next show ran from 1986-1987 as part of EPCOT’s 15th-anniversary celebration. This show was MASSIVE, as there was literally a center-ring circus in the middle of Future World!

The show featured circus animals, acrobats, and more! Looking back, those costumes were VERY 80s. It’s also hard to imagine circus elephants walking through EPCOT, but at least we have the photos to look back on.

Check out our historical timeline behind one of Disney World’s most iconic snacks!

Goosebumps Horrorland Fright Show and Funhouse

This cult-favorite stage show ran in MGM Studios from October 1997 through November of 1998, just in time to squeeze in two Halloween seasons for this popular children’s horror book and television series. (Y’all, MGM was a WEIRD, wild ride, wasn’t it??)

The stage show itself was a spinoff of the television series and was more of a magic show for guests. The show was then followed by a funhouse maze of mirrors, which brought guests into a gift shop. Now, R.L. Stine is bringing his creations to Disney+!  

Ever wonder what the backstory was behind some of Haunted Mansion’s residents? Find out here!

The Magical World of Barbie

In 1994, EPCOT got its very own Ambassador of Friendship, and it was none other than Barbie! Yes, THAT Barbie. Disney and Mattel were working on a partnership that involved several of Mattel’s property appearing in the parks, including the massively successful doll known as Barbie.

The show was a by-product of this attempted partnership. It ran from November of 1993 until May of 1995, and took place in the American Adventure Pavilion in World Showcase. Barbie drove around World Showcase in her pink GLITTER stretch limo and guests could meet Barbie and Ken after the shows!

Check out 25 fun facts you probably didn’t know about Disney World!

The Mickey Mouse Club Circus

We’re traveling WAY back in time for our next show! The Mickey Mouse Club Circus debuted in Disneyland during its inaugural year of operation, in November of 1955. The show was held in a big top tent behind Fantasyland, where admission at the time was 50 cents for children and adults. If you wanted reserved seating, it would run you a whopping $1.00 per person.

The show was 75 minutes long and featured twelve major acts, including animal performers, clowns, acrobats, and more. The run of this show, however, was not very long, and it closed in January of 1956, just a couple of months after it began.

Check out these real-life places that were the inspiration behind some of your favorite Disney animated films!

Splashtacular

This next show, Splashtacular, was loosely based on the show “It’s Magical!” from Tokyo Disneyland. When it moved to EPCOT, it lost its fairytale, fantasy-based theming, and instead took on a more sci-fi look and feel to fit the mold of Future World.

The show took place near the Fountain of Nations and ran from November 1993 until June 1994. Once the show closed, however, the additions to the Fountain that produced elaborate water displays throughout the day remained in Future World until 2019, when the fountain was demolished to make way for changes due to the Epcot Transformation.

Check out the major transformation coming to EPCOT here!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

The last show on our list is actually the longest-running out of all the shows we’ve talked about! The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles had their own show and mini-parade in MGM Studios from 1990-1995 and was immensely popular with guests!

This was one of the more successful non-Disney franchises to find its way into the parks, which we have learned was NOT uncommon in the early years of MGM Studios.

Some of these shows were straight-up bizarre (and most of them came, not surprisingly, from the craziness that was early MGM Studios!). While we may look at the stage shows of today in the Disney Parks and think how great they are or what they COULD be, just remember — there was a day when Slappy the Dummy and Ace Ventura were trolling the streets of now-Hollywood Studios. Just think of how our grandkids will look back and talk about how we were crazy for Festival of the Lion King or Mickey and Minnie’s Royal Friendship Faire! Actually…none of that can touch Dick Tracy and aliens fighting around the Fountain of Nations. Those were straight-up ODD.

We’re learning more and more about Disney World every day! See some neat things we JUST learned here!

Did you see any of these shows back in the day? Share your stories in the comments!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Disney Entertainment, disney parks, disney’s hollywood studios, Disneyland, Epcot, History, News, Special Stuff, disney history, Disney World, Hollywood Studios, mgm studios

Happy Fourth of July WEEK!

Disney World is set to reopen VERY SOON and if you’re making plans to visit this summer — or anytime this year — it’s time to make your plans!

We’re going to make sure you choose the best restaurants Disney has to offer — and save some money while you’re at it — with our HUGE Fourth of July Sale at the DFB Store!

Get 40% Off EVERYTHING at the DFB Store with our Fourth of July SALE and promo code 40SALE!

​Our complete line of DFB Guide e-Books is on sale through SATURDAY!! — you can save 40% off EVERY ITEM at the DFB Store, making planning for your next Disney vacation that much easier!

If you’ve been thinking about getting one (or more) of our guides, now’s the time to do it! HUGE savings plus a holiday weekend to drool over Disney food pictures, tips, deals, and discounts sounds like the perfect way to spend July 4th.

Just use promo code 40SALE at checkout, and save 40% off of every product in the store.

From our 2020 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining to our DFB Guide to the Epcot Food and Wine Festival and the DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World Holidays — not to mention our detailed snack-focused guides — these books are MUST reads.

Want Even Bigger Savings? Here’s How…

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Character Dining, Counter-Service, disney dining tips, Disney News, Featured, News, Snacks, Special Stuff, Table-Service, 2020 DFB Guides, Best Selling DFB Guides, DFB Everything Bundle, DFB Guide and Snacks Bundle, DFB Guide to the 2020 Epcot Food and Wine Festival, DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining, DFB Store, DFB Store Fourth of July Sale, disney vacation planning 2020, Disney vacation planning tips

We all know that Disney+ is a fantastic way to access all of your favorite Disney films, old and new, in one place! But Disney+ is also treasure trove when it comes to the off-the-beaten-path content as well.

And when you do some deep digging, you’ll find that there are some CREEPY films on Disney+ that you can watch right now! But don’t worry, we checked them out so you can have a full understanding of what you’re getting into! Use this as a watch list if you feel like watching some pretty bizarre stuff this weekend!

Return to Oz

Our first “creepy” film on our list is Return to Oz, a 1985 sequel to The Wizard of Oz. In this film, The Emerald City is under attack and Dorothy learns that her friends from her first trip to Oz are in danger. She teams up with a new set of pals to rescue not only Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion, but the Emerald City as well.

While no one would dispute a good old sequel to The Wizard of Oz, we can’t help but wonder exactly what went wrong in the costume and makeup department. Dorothy’s friends seem to have this bizarre human/puppet hybrid quality to them. We all know that Oz can have some creepy qualities to it, so we’re willing to buy into the absurdity.

It’s summer! Time to pop some popcorn and binge-watch tons of Disney+ content! Click here for a summer watch list.

Don’t Look Under the Bed

Our next film started out as a Disney Channel Original Movie in 1999. Don’t Look Under the Bed came out around Halloween and centers around a high schooler named Frances McCausland, who uses the help of her brother’s imaginary friends to take on the infamous Boogeyman.

Clearly, some spooky stuff is afoot! But when you realize how CREEPY the imaginary friends are, in addition to how frightening the Boogeyman is, you may start to wonder how this film was approved to air on the Disney Channel in the first place.

Disney+ is huge and analysts predict it will only keep growing! Learn more here!

The Black Hole

When you hear that a film is categorized as a “space opera,” you know you’re in for a treat. The Black Hole came out in 1979 to generally mixed reviews. And while sci-fi movies by definition can seem a little “out there,” the mere premise that this film takes place in outer space doesn’t qualify it as creepy.

However, what’s a bit bizarre about this film is that it strikes a lot of similarities to Star Wars, which had been released just two years prior. The Black Hole even features two fun-loving robot sidekicks, and critics were keen to point out that Disney seemed to want to get on board the Star Wars bandwagon.

Want more ideas for what to watch on Disney+ this weekend? Click here!

Mr. Boogedy

This next film is CREEPY, full stop! While Return to Oz has a whimsical quality to it because, well, it takes place in Oz, and The Black Hole is bound to have its moments of bizarre space peril, we can’t offer much explanation for Mr. Boogedy other than it is just plain CREEPY.

The film takes place in the fictional town of Lucifer Falls (natch), where an innocent family moves into a haunted house. Don’t worry, if you end up watching Mr. Boogedy and want even MORE, it has a sequel called The Bride of Boogedy.

Check out our Disney+ watch list when you’re bored at home here!

Can of Worms

This next film almost needs no explanation. J/K. While we were doing our research for this article, the first screenshot we found from this film is already going to give us nightmares for weeks.

Can of Worms is about a teen who believes he doesn’t belong on planet Earth and calls on aliens to help him escape. Plot aside, we have a few questions we need answers to: is that alien wearing socks and shoes? WHY does the alien have human teeth? Who approved this design?

Disney released a watchlist for Earth Day this past April! Check out the full list here.

Fuzzbucket

This next film is creepy, but in a kind of adorable way. Fuzzbucket is about a young boy in junior high who seeks the help of his invisible friend Fuzzbucket to deal with troubles at home and at school. In return, he promises to make Fuzzbucket visible.

Once we see Fuzzbucket, well…he may have been better off invisible. You definitely need to warm up to Fuzzbucket, but once you do, it’s a rather charming film!

See what the newest additions to the Disney+ lineup are here!

The Ghosts of Buxley Hall

The next couple of films move away from the sci-fi genre and are creepy for entirely different reasons! The first is The Ghosts of Buxley Hall, which tells the story of a 100-year-old academy that finds itself in financial trouble. The school is haunted and the ghosts call upon a young boy, who is the heir to a large sum of money, to help save the school.

Sounds innocent enough, right? Once you start watching the film, however, you come to realize that the ghosts are up in arms over the fact that the academy, which at one time was an all-boys school, wants to invite girls to attend for the first time. This “battle of the sexes” turns out a lot of one-liners that may make you cringe more than laugh.

Some films may NEVER arrive on Disney+. See the list of those films here!

The Black Cauldron

The final two films on our list are the only two animated movies we included. In general, Disney’s animated films seem to be straightforward in their ‘family-friendly’ factor, but every once in a while we’ve seen movies that break that mold and are rather creepy and perhaps frightening for younger viewers.

This next film has a huge cult following, so we know there are probably lots of people out there who would NEVER say The Black Cauldron is creepy. However, given its dark nature, we would say that its content is rather bizarre for a Disney film. The Black Cauldron was considered a financial flop, and many deemed it to be too dark and scary for children. It was one of the first films Tim Burton worked on out of school so, if you need some more perspective, there ya go!

What other things has Disney gone too far on and have had to ‘dial back’ over the years? Find out here!

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad: “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”

Our final film on this list is part of The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad! Specifically, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” This film is partnered with “Wind in the Willows,” which is a stark contrast in tone.

Disney’s older animated films by default have a twinge of creepiness built-in, just from the mere fact that they are older animation styles, and the sound has that “vintage” feel. For 1949, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” was a big achievement in animation, even adding to the creep factor! It’s one scary tale, but one of Disney’s most impressive! Wonder where we get that UBER creepy Headless Horseman at Disney’s Halloween bashes?

Yep…this movie.

Check out a HUGE Disney+ watch list inspired by Disney Parks!

Despite these films being creepy, scary, and downright bizarre, we still recommend you check these out for yourselves! Spending time on Disney+ makes you realize just HOW MUCH content Disney has produced over the years, and there is really something for everybody!

What has been your favorite new discovery on Disney+? Let us know in the comments!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Cult Favorites, Disney Entertainment, Disney+, Featured, News, Special Stuff, Can of Worms, Disney, disney plus, Don’t Look Under the BEd, Fuzzbucket, Mr. Boogedy, Return to Oz, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, the black cauldron, The Black Hole, The Ghosts of Buxley Hall, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Treasure of Matecumbe

Whether you’ve been to Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa (located on the Hawaiian island of Oahu!) or are dreaming of your chance for a tropical vacation, shopDisney has some awesome new merchandise for you.

Check out this beautiful, Disney-character adorned Aulani gear!

First we have these $34 double-walled tumblers. Decorated with either Mickey or Minnie’s face, they are a great way to keep your drinks cool!

If you’re a coffee drinker, these $20 mugs are super-cute! Just looking at it makes us feel like we’re on vacation, AND it’s dishwasher safe!

We love buying Christmas ornaments that remind us of our favorite vacations!

For $20, these Mickey and Minnie ornaments would also look great on a Disney-theme tree!

And who doesn’t love a cuddly plush to hold? Mickey holds a guitar to play soft island music.

Minnie Mouse is holding her sweet, shaved ice treat! Both plushes cost $35.

Finally, what vacation is complete without a great set of ears? This adorable $30 headband has sequins and plumeria flowers!

Whether or not you’ve been to Aulani, you can enjoy a little bit of Hawaii at home. Sitting around the house with our ears on and sipping from our Minnie Mouse tumblers will definitely make us feel like we’re on vacation! Buy these great items now on shopDisney.com!

Learn How to Hula Dance from an Aulani Disney Cast Member!

Which new Aulani item is your favorite? Let us know in the comments! 

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: disney merchandise, Disney News, Featured, News, Aulani, ears, headband, merchandise, mickey, Minnie, mug, ornament, plush, shopdisney, tumbler