Jim Hill
Page 4 of 4
Anyway ... Was the "Armageddon" attraction ever seriously considered as a possible replacement for Superstar Limo? In spite of any rumors you may have heard about this proposed change-out, this honestly never happened, folks.
Why for? Do the math, people. WDI was dealing with its Superstar Limo crisis in the Fall of 1997. "Armageddon" wasn't even released to theaters 'til July of 1998. Since Dream Quest and Vsf didn't finish their special effects work on the Russian space station explosion 'til just weeks before this Touchstone Pictures' release, there's just no way that the Imagineers could have known how spectacular this sequence was going to turn out back in the Fall of 1997.
So chalk this particular story up to urban legend, folks. DCA's proposed "Armageddon" attraction was never seriously thought of as a possible replacement for Superstar Limo. And -- given that a West Coast version of Disney / MGM's "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire - Play It!" is currently being built on the proposed construction site of this special effects extravaganza -- it now seems doubtful that Disneyland Resort guests will ever get to experience the terrors of being trapped on board an antiquated space station as it implodes in deep space. Though I have been hearing reports that the "Armageddon" show may still be something that Disneyland Paris visitors will get to see when Disney Studios Paris throws open its gates next spring.
So there you have it. The two attractions that the Imagineers could have dropped into DCA instead of Superstar Limo were really out of the running right from the start. Which meant that WDI now had to find a way to make this proposed Hollywood Pictures Backlot ride work.
The Imagineers' first decision was to remove -- all but for two brief instances in the attraction -- any mention of the paparazzi from the ride. WDI then decided -- in order to make sure that DCA visitors could never make any connection between Princess Diana's tragic death and this Hollywood Pictures Backlot attractions-- that the Superstar Limo ride vehicles would now move through their show building as slowly as possible.
This last decision created a ripple effect that ultimately turned Superstar Limo into DCA's most reviled attraction ...
Speaking of reviled, I'm sure that a lot of LaughingPlace.com readers aren't going to be real happy with me right now. But -- due to the length of this story -- it looks like this Superstar Limo series is going to have to go into extra innings. (See, I told you I was incapable of telling a short story). Look for the third and final installment of this series to run on this website on Tuesday, July 24th, where I'll finally lay out the particulars about what went wrong with the original version of this California Adventure attraction as well as what Disney now plans to do to radically improve this DCA ride by Thanksgiving of this year.
Discuss It
Related Links
-- Jim Hill
Jim Hill can be reached using the Talkback form below or by emailing him at [email protected].
Jim Hill is this guy who lives 'way out in the woods of New Hampshire. (Hey, it's not like he wants to live there. But the Witness Protection Program has got rules, you know.) He has one beautiful daughter and three obnoxious cats. When he's not looking for real work, Jim writes about the Walt Disney Company and related matters for LaughingPlace.com, AmusementPark.com, "Orlando Weekly" and Digital Media FX.
The opinions expressed by Jim Hill, and all of our columnists, do not necessarily represent the feelings of LaughingPlace.com or any of its employees or advertisers. All speculation and rumors about the past decisions and future plans of the Walt Disney Company are just that - speculation and rumors - and should be treated as such.
-- Posted July 19, 2001