Captain EO... Fine Aged 80's Cheese!

Super major serious I-ain't-freakin'-playin'-around bigtime DISNEY NERD warning.  If you are "cool" or even just "socially acceptable", simply reading this topic could possibly tarnish your reputation or irreparably burn your retinas.

While wandering around on fan pages and groups on Facebook today, I made a wonderful discovery.  I found a full length video of the Captain EO film, formerly a 3D film attraction at various Disney Magic Kingdoms around the globe and EPCOT Center in WDW.  I watched a bit of the beginning and all of the musical portions today.  Wow, it is just beautiful and awful all at the same time. 

This attraction was a must see for me as a child and I probably tortured my family by making them see it over and over again.  I even had the "making-of" TV special on video and watched it over and over too.  It's not quite the same experience without the 3D, "in-theater special effects", and the cool mystical crystal pre-show music noises but my memory filled in the blanks well enough.  I still remember clearly waiting in line for about 3 days to see it and being entertained by the world's funniest Operations Host after the show ended.  He said, "You wanna see that again?  Well go get back in line!  Please grab your children firmly by the hair and move towards the nearest exit."  Hey, that's hysterical when you are 10 years old and deleriously exhausted.

So apparently, I'm not the only fan out there.  They aren't exactly packed with members but there are quite a few Captain EO fan pages on Facebook.  Maybe by the time you've read this, I'll have become brave enough to join one. 

I'm sendin' out a major love and this is my message to you...

Lost & Found - MGM Grand Adventures Theme Park

Kaleidoscope Theater
Originally uploaded by Mike Brister

Last week, a random stranger spotted this picture on my Flickr account and recognized that it was from the now closed and demolished MGM Grand Adventures Theme Park (of Las Vegas). I worked at the park as a performer when it opened in 1993. Anyway the stranger asked if I had any more photos from the park because apparently these photos are very rare. A quick Google search confirmed for me that there really aren't many pictures around. This leads me to 3 possible conclusions:

1. They don't exist.
2. Nobody has put them online.
3. Nobody cares.

In the event that it is either option 1 or 2, I decided to do this stranger a favor and put all of my MGM pictures on photobucket. These pictures are kind of unique not only because they are rare shots of a dead park but they are from the first 6 months of operation and include backstage shots. If you are a theme park geek like me, I think you might enjoy them.

And if anyone happens to have any pictures from this park I would love to get copies. Thanks! Here are my links:

MGM Grand Adventures Theme Park Photos
Kaleidoscope / 3 Stooges Show & Backstage Photos