Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Nov 21: Travels in Time at the Magic Kingdom

On this day in 1994, The Timekeeper attraction opened at Florida's Magic Kingdom. A Circle-Vision 360 film, it had already opened in Disneyland Paris (in 1992) and Tokyo Disneyland (in 1993) before debuting in Disney World's Tomorrowland. Unlike previous Circle-Vision films, it was the first show that featured an actual plot and not just scenes of landscapes, and the first to utilize Audio-Animatronics.
The Timekeeper featured a pre-show where guests were introduced to the inventor of the show "9-Eye" (voiced by actress Rhea Perlman). She was the latest development from The Timekeeper, the zany keeper of the time machine (voiced by comic-actor Robin Williams). Guests then entered the theater, originally known as "Transportarium," to meet up with Jules Verne (author and considered by many to be the father of sci-fi) and begin their 20-minute travel through time.
Unfortunately after being placed on a seasonal schedule in April 2001, The Timekeeper ultimately closed in 2006. By that time its sister attractions in Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disneyland had also closed.

Click Here for more November 21 Disney history.

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