Quick question: What do you do when you want to contribute something to the web site, even though you may not have a deadline to meet, but you are short on time? Follow these simple steps:

1. Gather several pictures, preferably along some sort of theme.
2. Write extra-long captions, pointing out why you chose these particular pictures.
3. Submit to the webmaster.

Anyway, I thought we would look at a few things around Walt Disney World that aren't quite the same as they used to be. Maybe some of these will spark some memories for you.

Bird and Robot Show

Let's start in Epcot, or EPCOT Center, as I still affectionately call it. Pictured above is the Bird and Robot Show, which was located in the Transcenter at the World of Motion. The Transcenter was the display area guests walked through after they exited the ride. It contained two shows, the Bird and Robot Show and the Water Engine Show. There were also some exhibits, such as one on magnetic levitation, as well as one on the Lean Machine, a sort of egg-shaped vehicle with one front wheel and two rear wheels. Because of its design, the Lean Machine would actually lean as it went around a curve, while both of the rear wheels remained on the ground. Also, guests could inspect the latest General Motors vehicles.

But getting back to the Bird and Robot Show. This show, which lasted around five minutes, was always one of my favorite things in the park, although I don't have a specific explanation as to why it was. I have always enjoyed Audio Animatronics, and the Bird was one of my favorites. I read somewhere a while back that he was originally designed for the Tokyo Disneyland version of the Enchanted Tiki Room, and was copied for this show. The Robot, referred to as Tiger by the Bird, resembled an industrial robot used in automobile assembly plants. The Robot was the first Audio Animatronic figure to actually pick up objects, which were located in his bag. He could also ring bells, as seen in the picture. On the screen behind them were projected films of other robots similar to Tiger in assembly lines. The main point of the show was that robots can build cars quickly and accurately, and they don't even need a coffee break.

Expo Robotics

Continuing with our robot theme for a moment, we next look at Expo Robotics. For a while, Communicore at EPCOT Center had an area devoted to robots. Off to the side were robots that could draw your picture using a pen on a piece of paper, as well as robots that would airbrush designs on t-shirts. But the Top Spinning Robots were the centerpiece of the exhibit. You probably can't tell too much about the show from the picture above, but these robots, which also resembled automobile assembly robots, would actually spin tops, as their name implies, balancing them on assorted objects, including the blade of a sword and a string held up by two of the robots. The robots would use their laser "eyes" to determine the exact position of the object on which the top would be placed, then get the top spinning quickly, and gently place it on that object. It may not sound all that exciting now, but for me it was quite fun to see.

Marimba Mayalandia

One of my favorite entertainment groups could be found at Mexico in EPCOT Center's World Showcase. Named Marimba Mayalandia, these three guys would play one big marimba, occasionally singing along with the song they were playing. I was always amazed when they would use two mallets with each hand, as some songs called for. Often, they could be found at the Cantina de San Angel, across the World Showcase Promenade from the main Mexico building. They would also play inside the Mexico Pavilion. Perhaps it was because Mexico has always been my favorite among the World Showcase pavilions, but I always enjoyed their unique Mexican sound.

New York Street

During the first year of operation of the Disney-MGM Studios, the Backstage Tour was much different than it is now. The tour began with the Backlot Tram tour, which began in the Animation Courtyard. The tram tour hasn't changed that much since then, as it went through the wardrobe building, Residential Street, the Boneyard, and Catastrophe Canyon. However, during this first year, the tour also went down New York Street, which was off-limits to guests. After the tram tour ended, guests could grab a snack at the Studio Catering Company and visit the restroom, before beginning the walking part of the tour. The walking tour started with the water tank, then went through the special effects buildings and on through the sound stages and production facilities, and then to see the short film "The Lottery", starring Bette Midler. The tour then ended with the short film "Michael and Mickey", where Michael Eisner and Mickey Mouse introduced the previews of current and upcoming films. I should point out that short films were shown at each stop on the walking tour, featuring different celebrities explaining that particular part of movie making. The celebrities included Gene Siskel, Roger Ebert, Warren Beatty, Mel Gibson, Pee Wee Herman, Daryl Hannah, the cast of The Cosby Show, George Lucas, C-3P0, and R2-D2. The tram tour waiting area films featured Tom Selleck and Carol Burnett, and the walking tour waiting area films had Rick Moranis and Goldie Hawn.

As for the picture above, it was taken of the deserted New York Street as the tram turned to drive down the street. After a few years, the tram tour didn't include driving down New York Street, so that guests were able to walk up and down the street. Also, after the first year, the Backstage Tour was split into two parts, the Backlot tram tour and the walking tour. Guests could walk down New York Street or the newly opened Mickey Avenue to get to the starting point of the walking tour. However, the tram tour still includes Residential Street; the only time guests can walk down this street is during the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights during the holiday season.

Dick Tracy

In 1990, the premiere of the movie Dick Tracy was held at Pleasure Island, perhaps to take some press away from the opening of Universal Studios Florida. Several things were done at WDW to help promote the movie.

At the Disney-MGM Studios, the tram tour still included New York Street. One of the side streets was painted to look like the streets in the movie. At one point a bad-guy type came out of one of the buildings, only to be chased off by the police.

Also at the Studios, the Dick Tracy Diamond Doublecross show was held at the amphitheater, which had previously been home to a show featuring the Disney characters. This theater was later the home of the Beauty and the Beast stage show, before the theater was torn down to make way for Sunset Boulevard.

The Dick Tracy show had a different storyline than the movie, although most of the characters were the same. As one would expect, Dick Tracy solved the crime and caught the bad guys.

Over at Pleasure Island, where the movie premiere was held at the AMC Theater, were displayed some of the cars used in the movie, as seen above. Note the bullet holes in the green car, as well as in the wall of the building, which was a store that sold Dick Tracy merchandise.

We were there the week after the premiere, and the huge sign was up, I suppose to help promote the movie. In fact, it often seemed like the Dick Tracy logo was everywhere, as it had been for many months before the movie was released, as Warner Brothers had done the year before with Batman.

So there you have it. I hope this has brought back some memories for you. But that is just the tip of the iceberg, and I still have several more pictures. So maybe this will become a series. And if there is anything at Walt Disney World you would like to know more about, just drop me a line and I'll see what I can dig up.

- Story and Photos by Steve Burns
Posted

Steve is a three-time Disney Store National Trivia finalist and webmaster of BurnsLand, home of Steve's Disney Railroad Adventures.

E-mail Steve at steve@startedbyamouse.com, discuss this article in the StartedByAMouse.com Disney Discussion Forums or use the Talkback feature below.

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