Jim Hill
Page 1 of 4
Is Superstar Limo due for a toon up?
Many Disneyland Resort guests consider this Hollywood Pictures Backlot ride to be
DCA's worst attraction. But few know the real reason that Superstar Limo ended up being
such a limp piece of ... entertainment.
Part Two: Possible replacements for a troubled attraction ...
If you missed it, click here for Part One
A quick note here, before I get started on Part Two:
I have noticed -- with some amusement -- various comments that have appeared recently on the LaughingPlace.com discussion boards concerning this particular series. Folks who say that they don't really care for these sorts of stories because A) they're too long and B) I just drone on and on about how various Disney theme park attractions would have been so much better if the Imagineers had just done this or that ...
As for A) My apologies, folks. But -- as any of my friends will tell you -- I know no short stories. Everything eventually turns into an epic whenever I tell the tale. As for B) ... Well, I'm sorry if this Superstar Limo series (Or the Alien Encounter series, or the Mission: Space series, or the Western River series ... ) came across as so much sour grapes to certain LaughingPlace.com readers. That really wasn't my intent.
You see, I've always been a fan of process. The way things come together. That's all I'm trying to do here, folks. Not pass judgment on the final product, per se. But -- rather -- make LaughingPlace.com readers aware of all the behind-the-scenes factors that ultimately contributed to how a particular ride, film or theme park eventually turned out.
So, in spite of what some people may be reading into my writings, there really isn't a hidden agenda here. I just like a good story. Which is what I think all the behind-the-scenes maneuvering that lead up to the original botched version of Superstar Limo adds up to. If you don't agree ... Then fine. You're entitled to your own opinion.
Okay. I'm putting away the soapbox. Now let's climb aboard that purple limo and see where it takes us ...
In the wake of Princess Di's tragic death, the creative team at WDI that was in charge of DCA's Superstar Limo attraction found itself in a real quandary.
Obviously, it would now be in incredibly poor taste for Disney to move forward with the original storyline of this Hollywood Pictures Backlot ride. But -- without the motivation of the paparazzi pursuing the guest/celebrity & their limousine through a gag filled version of Hollywood -- the Imagineers wondered: was there even a point to this proposed DCA attraction now?
That's why -- at least for a short time during the Fall of 1997 -- plans for Superstar Limo were temporarily shelved while WDI & Disney management weighed their other options. As a result, there was reportedly some very serious discussion at the upper levels of Imagineering about whether it made sense to just postpone construction of this particular DCA attraction for a couple of years (IE: at least until people forgot about the circumstances surrounding Diana's death) and build something else instead.
It was at this point that WDI supposedly began seriously looking into alternatives to Superstar Limo. Particularly the idea of rushing into construction several other proposed movie-themed rides, shows and attractions that were allegedly under consideration for Phase II of the Disney's California Adventure project.
Among the attractions that were supposedly considered as replacements for Superstar Limo were:
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror : Ever since this attraction opened at Disney/MGM back in July 1994, there had been active talk within WDI about bringing this state-of-the-art thrill ride to California. The initial problem was -- where to put the thing?
Since the attraction's storyline was tied to both the "Twilight Zone" TV series as well as Hollywood of the 1930s, that made Tower of Terror a difficult fit -- theming-wise -- for Disneyland. (Indeed, when the Imagineers decided that they wanted to include TZTOT as part of Tokyo Disney Seas' initial assortment of attractions, they actually had to create a whole new land for that park -- the 1930s themed American Waterfront area -- to provide an appropriate setting for the ride. Unfortunately, the construction site that WDI had originally selected for TOT within TDS ended up not being able to support the weight of the proposed show building. So the Japanese version of this Disney/MGM favorite is on the back burner .. At least for the foreseeable future. Anywho ... )
But ever since California Adventure was announced back in July 1996, it had always been assumed that the Tower of Terror would eventually become part of the park's Hollywood district. Which was why many Disneyana fans were surprised when -- as more definitive plans for the movie-themed section of DCA began emerging from Imagineering -- TOT was nowhere to be seen.