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Mickey's PhilharMagic is a 3-D film attraction at the Magic Kingdom theme park in the Walt Disney World Resort and at Hong Kong Disneyland. The film was directed by George Scribner, who is best known for directing Disney's 1988 animated film, Oliver and Company. Mickey's PhilharMagic is a 12-minute long show featuring 3D effects, interactive smells and water as well as a number of characters from Disney movies. It is shown on the largest purpose built 3D screen ever made, at one hundred and fifty feet wide.
[edit] Locations
At Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, Mickey's PhilharMagic is located adjacent to Peter Pan's Flight in Fantasyland. This is the fourth attraction to utilize this show building. The theatre originally hosted the Mickey Mouse Revue. Later, it was the home to the 3-D Magic Journeys film after it left Epcot's Journey into Imagination pavilion to make way for Captain EO. Most recently, it was home to the stage presentation Legend of The Lion King.
In Hong Kong Disneyland, Mickey's PhilharMagic is located adjacent to the Dumbo, The Flying Elephant attraction in Fantasyland.
[edit] Attraction development
The attraction is unique in being one of a very select amount of attractions in Disney theme parks in which Walt Disney Imagineering has collaborated with another division of The Walt Disney Company - in this instance it was Walt Disney Feature Animation. This same partnership developed the Fantasmic! shows at Disneyland and the Disney's Hollywood Studios. Legendary Disney animator Glen Keane re-rendered Ariel from The Little Mermaid in 3D, returning after rendering her in 2D in the original movie. Nik Ranieri, supervising animator of Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast, also returned to animate that character in 3D. Donald Duck's Voice is actully archival voice recordings by his original voice actor, Clarence Nash. Tony Anselmo only recorded four lines for the attraction.
[edit] Plot synopsis
Mickey Mouse is performing with his PhilharMagic Orchestra at the Fantasyland Opera House. Inside, there are posters advertising the Opera House's past performers, such as Hades from Hercules and Genie from Aladdin. Upon entering the theatre's lobby, guests pick up their "opera glasses" (3-D glasses). During their wait, guests will hear music from Fantasia 2000 and other Disney films.
Goofy, the Opera House's stage manager, admits guests into the concert hall, where final preparations for the performance are underway. Unfortunately, Donald Duck has gone missing just as Goofy raises the curtains to reveal an empty stage, except for a conductor's podium and a small steamer trunk, within which Donald is sleeping. Mickey asks Donald to unpack the instruments, then places his famous Sorcerer's Hat on the podium, telling Donald not to touch it. After Donald unpacks all the instruments, including a grand piano, from the small trunk, he is tempted to try on the Sorcerer's Hat himself. He does so, which causes the magical instruments to come to life. However, when Donald bullies a small flute, the other instruments rebel, creating a whirlwind of magic and music. He loses the hat into the maelstrom, and passes through scenes from The Little Mermaid, Fantasia, Aladdin, Peter Pan, The Lion King, and Beauty and the Beast while trying to retrieve the hat.
[edit] Talent
Most of the original voice cast reprised their original character roles in each of their own respective Disney films, excluding Peter Pan (who had a different voice), Donald Duck and Simba (with archive voice recordings). According to Disney staff members at Walt Disney World, an estimate of about 80 talented musicians and/or background singers performed the music for the film as well as the return of famed composer Alan Menken (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin) and lyricist Tim Rice (Aladdin, The Lion King), who arranged the music for each song they had worked on since some verses or lines of these songs were skipped for this attraction.
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