Throwback Thursday – Cranium Command at EPCOT!

I only went to WDW for the first time in 2012 so my knowledge about most things there is very limited — especially when it comes to classic and now legacy attractions like EPCOT’s “Cranium Command.” Today I was randomly scouring blogs and Reddit and found out about this attraction which occupied the Wonders of Life pavilion in Future World.

EPCOT_Center_on_Instagram__“Oh__hey_Buzzy__Sure_is_dark_in_here_____wondersoflife__craniumcommand__epcotcenter__epcot__disneygram__instadisney__picoftheday”
Buzzy! source: Instagram user @officialepcotcenter

 

If you don’t know what “Cranium Command” was or want a simple refresher, according to Wikipedia, “It premiered on October 19, 1989; as of January 4, 2004 it began to operate seasonally, closing permanently on January 1, 2007.” You can take a look at WDW News Today‘s terrific video of one of the last showings of this attraction in 2005.

What a FUN attraction! It’s everything I loved about EPCOT when I saw it in 2012 and full of things many fans feel EPCOT is moving away from.

Sadly, here’s a recent look at what the pavilion is like during most of the year thanks to a brave YouTube-er that snuck in during the off-season:

When we went to Epcot, the pavilion was full of life as it was during Food & Wine. During the festival, it houses the Chase Card Lounge (closest I have come to being inside one of those fancy corporate lounges) as well as serving as the Festival Center for Food & Wine demonstrations, classes, shops, and more. It’s really a beautiful pavilion.

source: themeparkreview.com forums

 

The strange thing is that while “Body Wars” has been dismantled and “Making of Me” has been removed, the theatre which houses Buzzy and “Cranium Command” remains intact!

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How Buzzy looked in ’89 and how he looks today.           source: imagineeringdisney.com

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Buzzy Today source: subsonicradio.com

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Even the lights are still on! source: subsonicradio.com

 

And Buzzy still has a loyal fan base and is a sought-after commodity!  Just check out the recent merchandise that has come out with this cranium commander:

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Cranium Command pins! source: onceuponapinpodcast.blogspot.com

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Cranium Command TSUMTSUMs! source: @AmigurumiKngdm

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Cranium Command vinylmations! source: chasingvinylmation.com

 

With all this popularity, it makes one think about what the future of this attraction might be.  Why keep the attraction intact?  If it closed what’s now 8 years ago – why keep him around?

Here’s a theory I saw on a few blogs: does this look familiar to any Cranium Command fans?

source: disney-pixar
source: disney-pixar

 

How about now?

source: thetiaratalkshow.com

 

I bring this up because if you look at the trailer and premise, it’s pretty much the same idea as Cranium Command: your emotions are personified by characters driven by those very emotions.

It’s a timeless and relatable premise that Disney believes in. Is it possible that this attraction closed while this film was in development and refreshing this closed attraction was not outside the realm of possibility? If this film is successful (as most Pixar films are), there’s no reason not to keep this attraction around while the rest of Future World awaits a refresh.

What do you think? Is this an example of a film property layover you might enjoy? Maelstrom’s closure at EPCOT cause a bit of an uproar from the Disney Parks fans. However, the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage at Disneyland was initially met with praise from fans of the old attraction because it was being resurrected.

It’s all speculation for now, but if you know any better than we do, let us know in the comments below!

featured image source: yesterland.com

The Story of Disneyland Auction

This is a re-blog written by our friend Inthia over at This Little Disney Life about the recent (and, unfortunately, now closed) “Story of Disneyland” exhibition and sale at the Van Eaton gallery in Sherman Oaks, CA.  Here’s a slide show of the photos we took when we went to visit the gallery last week:

Can you believe this stuff all went for just under $2 Million!? Did you get over to see the exhibit?  Let us know in the comments below!


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Today is the last day to set your eyes on one of the most amazing Disneyland memorabilia collections that is completely up for auction at Van Eaton Gallery in Sherman Oaks, Ca. If you’re out of the area, they have a wonderful online catalog for your viewing pleasure.

We made the short drive over to check out the exhibit last week and it did not disappoint. Well, only in that I can’t afford a thing there. Well, I could but then I wouldn’t be able to pay rent or eat or anything trivial like that.

The galley is held in two room but it packed wall to wall with all sorts of artifacts. Costumes, signs, furniture,  concession containers, souvenirs, models and more! All of them amazingly displayed for my up-close and personal viewing.

I picked out a few awesome favorites to share here but there is soooo much. I know I’ll be hitting up some flea markets and eBay this summer.

Cheers!
*i