The Walt Disney World Explorer
| The Walt Disney World Explorer | |
|---|---|
 Box art of the 1998 released Second Edition | |
| Developer(s) |
Disney Interactive Mindsai Productions |
| Publisher(s) | Disney Interactive |
| Platform(s) |
Microsoft Windows Apple Macintosh |
| Release |
1996 (original version) 1998 (Second Edition) |
The Walt Disney World Explorer is a point and click Windows and Macintosh application released on CD-ROM by Disney Interactive in 1996. The application focuses on the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida, and consists of virtual tours, trivia and slideshows of the resort's parks, attractions and hotels. Various minigames are also built into the application, such as a quiz that allows users to test their knowledge of the resort, and a game which involves finding Hidden Mickeys. About two years after it was released, The Walt Disney World Explorer – Second Edition was made with then-new and updated information, such as Disney's Animal Kingdom and Disney's Coronado Springs Resort, while some attractions that were in the original release were replaced by new attractions (e.g. Take Flight being replaced by Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin). The application is narrated by Hettie Lynne Hurtes and Corey Burton, the latter of which is a veteran voice actor who has been featured in several Disney attractions.
Topics
These tables cover all the topics found in both versions of the game.
Columns:
- Topic — The topic names reflects those used by the application. Sponsors are also mentioned. If a topic appears in both versions but with different names, then both its first edition name and its Second Edition name will be listed, original name first, separated by a horizontal rule.
- Versions — Covers whether or not something appears in either version.
- Backstage & Trivia — Covers whether the topic has "Backstage" (covering "behind-the-scenes" information) and "Trivia" (covering trivia information for the Walt Disney World Quiz Challenge minigame) material. "S" or "V" appear in the column's cells to indicate whether the "Backstage" information is covered with a slideshow or a video; "Trivia" only uses slideshows.
- Third option — Indicates whether there is additional content to go with the above Backstage and Trivia options. If the cell for the Backstage & Trivia column says "No", then a N/A applies to this column's cell. This can be one of three options:
- More Stuff is an additional slideshow (marked with "MSS" in the tables) or video (marked with "MSV").
- 360° Panorama (marked with "360") lets the user view a 360° panoramic image taken in the parks.
- Interactivities (marked with "INT") takes the user to a minigame.
- Still exists? — Indicates whether or not something is still standing in Walt Disney World to this day. (These tables do not concern with other Disney Parks.) This only applies to topics about physical things like attractions and resorts, not more general, conceptual, or event-based topics such as "Horticulture" or "Land Acquisition".
- Notes — Additional information such as when an attraction closed, what replaced an attraction, changes to the topic between the two versions, and other important details.
Walt Disney World
| Topic | Versions | Backstage & Trivia |
Third option | Still exists? |
Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | 2.0 | |||||
| Walt's Dream | Yes | Yes | V | No | N/A | Covers about how Walt Disney liked to come up with new ideas, and how the attractions made for the 1964 New York World's Fair eventually led Disney to come up with the idea for Disney World. |
| Opening Day | Yes | Yes | V | No | N/A | Covers the opening of the resort on October 1, 1971, as well as some of the construction leading up to it. |
| Magic Kingdom | Yes | Yes | V | 360 | Yes | General information about the park. |
| Epcot | Yes | Yes | V | 360 | Yes | General information about the park. |
| Disney Studios Florida - General | Yes | Yes | V | 360 | Yes | General information about the park. Titled as such to differentiate it from the application's interactive map of the park. |
| Disney's Animal Kingdom | No* | Yes | S | MSS | Yes | Has a search entry in the original 1996 release, which redirects to the Coming Attractions topic that mentions it. The park was not open at the time of the Second Edition's release, and thus has no interactive maps like the other three parks. |
| River Country | Yes | Yes | S | No | No | Closed on November 2, 2001. The park still stands, but was left to deteriorate. |
| Typhoon Lagoon | Yes | Yes | S | No | Yes | |
| Blizzard Beach | Yes | Yes | S | No | Yes | |
| Palm Golf Course | Yes | Yes | No | N/A | Yes | |
| Magnolia Golf Course | Yes | Yes | No | N/A | Yes | |
| Osprey Ridge Golf Course | Yes | Yes | No | N/A | Yes* | The golf course closed as a Disney golf course on August 11, 2013; it reopened the following year as the non-Disney owned Tranquilo Golf Club.[1][2] |
| Eagle Pines Golf Course | Yes | Yes | No | N/A | No | The golf course has since been closed and bulldozed. |
| Lake Buena Vista Golf Course | Yes | Yes | No | N/A | Yes | |
| Disney's Grand Floridian Beach Resort Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa |
Yes | Yes | No | N/A | Yes | The Second Edition changes the narration to incorporate the Grand Floridian's current name and mentions a then-new restaurant, Cítricos, with a new photo added to the slideshow. Narcoossee's, which still exists today, was mentioned in the original version. |
| Disney's Wedding Pavilion | Yes | Yes | No | N/A | Yes | |
| Disney's Contemporary Resort | Yes | Yes | No | N/A | Yes | |
| Disney's Polynesian Resort | Yes | Yes | No | N/A | Yes | Resort was renamed Disney's Polynesian Village Resort (its initial name prior to 1985) in 2014. |
| Disney's Wilderness Lodge | Yes | Yes | No | N/A | Yes | |
| Disney's Ft. Wilderness Resort and Campground | Yes | Yes | No | N/A | Yes | |
| The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin | Yes | Yes | No | N/A | Yes | |
| Disney's Yacht and Beach Club Resort | Yes | Yes | No | N/A | Yes | The original version listed the two resorts separately (but still sharing the same topic and slideshow) as "Disney's Yacht and Beach Club Resorts". The original version mentioned the restaurant Ariel's (which is now closed, but still existed in 1998), while the Second Edition mentioned Beaches & Cream Soda Shop. Both versions mention Stormalong Bay and Yachtsman Steakhouse. |
| Disney's BoardWalk Disney's Boardwalk Inn and Villas |
Yes | Yes | No | N/A | Yes | Since the resort wasn't open yet when the application was first released, the first version used concept art and early promotional concept photos, with the narration mentioning its proximity to Epcot and Disney Studios Florida. The Second Edition updated the narration to talk more about its amenities, and the slideshow featured all new photos from since its opening. |
| Disney's Port Orleans and Dixie Landings Resorts | Yes | Yes | No | N/A | Yes | The slideshow title field used the singular "Resort" instead of "Resorts". Coincidentally, both resorts would be merged in 2001 as a unified Disney's Port Orleans Resort, with the original Port Orleans Resort becoming the French Quarter resort and Dixie Landings becoming the Riverside resort. |
| Disney's Coronado Springs Resort | No* | Yes | No | N/A | Yes | Has a search entry in the original 1996 release, which redirects to the Coming Attractions topic that mentions it. |
| Disney's All-Star Resorts | Yes | Yes | No | N/A | Yes | The original version features the only two such resorts that were open in 1996, All-Star Sports and All-Star Music. All-Star Movies was mentioned in the Second Edition to be opening in 1999, but the slideshow remained unchanged. |
| Disney Vacation Club Resorts | Yes | Yes | No | N/A | Yes | The slideshow mentions Disney's Old Key West Resort in Walt Disney World, Disney's Vero Beach Resort in Vero Beach, Florida, and Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. The Second Edition also mentions Disney's BoardWalk Villas and features mostly new photos, including new photos of the Old Key West and Hilton Head Island Resorts. The slideshow also rearranged the photos so that the photo of the Vero Beach Resort would appear when it was mentioned, not at the end of the slideshow like in the original version. |
| The Disney Institute | Yes | Yes | S | No | No | The Second Edition added mentions of its spa and fitness center, as well as its golf and tennis clinics, replacing one photo at the end with two new photos. Closed in 2003 (after a switch from a family-oriented program to a multi-day business seminar in 2000) to make way for Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa. The Villas were torn down (except for the Treehouse Villas, which were renovated) and the former studios and spa building were renovated as the Saratoga Springs Resort clubhouse. |
| The Walt Disney World Speedway | Yes | Yes | No | N/A | No | The original version mentioned that the 1997 Indy 200 would be held on January 25, 1997. The Second Edition updated it to mention the track's distance from Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex and the Richard Petty Driving Experience that debuted at the track in 1997, with a new photo added at the end. The track stopped hosting professional racing events after 2000, then closed on August 9, 2015. It has since been demolished to expand and reconfigure the Magic Kingdom parking lot and parking entrance. |
| Discovery Island | Yes | Yes | V | No | No | The island closed to the public on April 8, 1999, its 25th anniversary as an attraction. It continued to operate until July 9 that year, which by then all the animals treated there were moved to Disney's Animal Kingdom. The island currently sits abandoned today, with its buildings left to deteriorate. Safari Village at Animal Kingdom would be renamed "Discovery Island" after the Bay Lake island's closure. |
| Downtown Disney West Side | No | Yes | No | N/A | Yes | DisneyQuest was mentioned at the end of the slideshow then to be opening later in 1998, with the slideshow showing concept art of the building at the end (although the building could be seen in black in the opening photograph). The area was officially rethemed and renamed to the West Side at Disney Springs on September 29, 2015. DisneyQuest later closed on July 2, 2017 to make way for the NBA Experience. |
| Pleasure Island Downtown Disney Pleasure Island |
Yes | Yes | S | MSS | No* | The Second Edition redid the opening narration to mention less of what was there and rearranged the opening slideshow as a result. Pleasure Island closed on September 27, 2008, and the area was redeveloped into The Landing at Disney Springs, which opened in April 2015. |
| Disney Village Marketplace Downtown Disney Marketplace |
Yes | Yes | No | N/A | Yes | The Marketplace was known as Disney Village Marketplace in the original version (its name at the time); it changed its name to Downtown Disney Marketplace in 1997 when the West Side opened. The Second Edition updated the slideshow with all-new photos and mentions of World of Disney and the Lego Imagination Center (now the Lego Store at Disney Springs). Rainforest Cafe is mentioned at the end in both versions, but the original showed only concept art (since it wasn't open yet at the time of the application's release), while the Second Edition used a photo. It was officially rethemed and renamed to The Marketplace at Disney Springs on September 29, 2015. |
| Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex | No* | Yes | No | No | Yes | Has a search entry in the original 1996 release (under "Sports Complex"), which redirects to the Coming Attractions topic that mentions it. It was renamed the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in 2009. |
| Transportation | Yes | Yes | No | N/A | N/A | |
| Cast Members | Yes | Yes | V | No | N/A | Information about the employees who work at Walt Disney World. The Backstage video also covers the Disney utilidor system. |
| The Perfect Spot | Yes | Yes | V | MSS | N/A | Details how Walt Disney found Central Florida to be the best place to build Disney World. |
| Land Acquisition | Yes | Yes | V | No | N/A | Details how Disney acquired all the land for Disney World. |
| Environmentality | Yes | Yes | S | No | N/A | Details Disney's environmental conservation efforts at the resort. The hot spot is Jiminy Cricket sitting on a rock; Jiminy is the face of Disney's environmental initiatives. |
| Walt Disney Imagineering | Yes | Yes | V | No | N/A | |
| Horticulture | Yes | Yes | S | No | N/A | Details the landscaping at the resort. |
| Reedy Creek Improvement District | Yes | Yes | S | No | N/A | |
| Coming Attractions | Yes | No | No | N/A | N/A | Details what would then be added to the Walt Disney World Resort (and elsewhere) in the following two years after the 1996 application's release. This slideshow shows concept art and scale models of Disney's Coronado Springs Resort, Disney Cruise Line, Disney's Animal Kingdom, and what was then called the Walt Disney World International Sports Complex. Search entries for these topics in the original version redirected to this particular topic. The hot spot was a construction site surrounding a purple structure. The Second Edition removed this topic as all that was covered had since opened and (with the exception of the Disney Cruise Line) been given their own topics in that version. |
| Walt Disney World Quiz Challenge | Yes | Yes | N/A | INT | N/A | Not a topic, but a trivia quiz minigame for one or two players. Questions are based on the trivia slideshows featured throughout the application. Its hot spot is a small kiosk located near the Walt Disney World Speedway and the monorail. Actor Charles Fleischer, the voice of Roger Rabbit, voices the host of the Quiz Challenge. |
| Walt Disney World Timeline | Yes | Yes | N/A | INT | N/A | Not a topic, but an interactivity where users can see the growth of the Walt Disney World Resort from 1971 to 1996 or 1998 depending on the version. Its hot spot is a flashing Mickey Mouse-head-shaped satellite that moves around the Walt Disney World map. |
| Tours of the World | Yes | Yes | N/A | INT | N/A | Not a topic, but an interactivity where users can view guided tours of the various topics in the application. Its hot spot is a yellow blimp that flies right to left on the main map. Actress Leslie Ryan hosts the tours, appearing in full motion video at the Tours of the World hub. |
Magic Kingdom
Main Street USA
| Topic | Versions | Backstage & Trivia | Still exists? | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | 2.0 | ||||
| Walt Disney World Railroad | Yes | Yes | S | Yes | |
| Main Street Shop Windows | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Details the names on the shop windows found around Main Street. |
| Main Street Cinema | Yes | Yes | S | Yes* | The cinema still exists today, but only as a gift shop. (Linked Wikipedia article does not mention the Magic Kingdom version that existed before.) |
| Main Street Vehicles | Yes | Yes | S | Yes | |
| The Walt Disney Story Theater | Yes | No | Yes | No | The Second Edition removed the theater as a topic, with the building rendered unclickable. Despite its name, the theater was not showing The Walt Disney Story at the time of the 1996 application's release. The building itself still stands today as the Town Square Theater. |
| Entertainment | Yes | Yes | No | N/A | Details the entertainment on Main Street, U.S.A. at the time. Shown and mentioned in order were:
|
| Restaurants and Shops | Yes | Yes | No | N/A | Details the food and merchandise services on Main Street, U.S.A., mentioning how its goods and services are presented in a turn of the 20th century ambiance. The storefront businesses are stated to include a bakery, an ice cream parlor, a working barber shop, and a general store. The restaurants are stated to also be appropriately themed and serve traditional American food. A photo of the Crystal Palace is shown at the end of the slideshow. |
Adventureland
| Topic | Versions | Backstage & Trivia | Third option | Still exists? | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | 2.0 | |||||
| Jungle Cruise | Yes | Yes | S | MSV | Yes | |
| Swiss Family Treehouse | Yes | Yes | S | No | Yes | |
| Pirates of the Caribbean | Yes | Yes | S | MSV | Yes | |
| Tropical Serenade The Enchanted Tiki Room |
Yes | Yes | S (1.0 only) |
No | Yes* | The first version covered Tropical Serenade, the name for Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room in Florida. Tropical Serenade closed on September 1, 1997 and was replaced by The Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management), which the Second Edition covered. Under New Management ran from May 1, 1998 until January 12, 2011, when a fire damaged the attraction. The attraction was restored back to Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room, re-opening on August 15, 2011. |
| Entertainment | Yes | Yes | No | N/A | N/A | Details the entertainment at Adventureland at the time, J.P. and the Silver Stars,[3] who performed on the Caribbean Plaza stage. The slideshow featured only one photo of the band. The band stopped performing in late 2002.[3] |
| Restaurants and Shops | Yes | Yes | No | N/A | N/A | Details the food and merchandise services at Adventureland, mentioning pirate toys, African imports, and tropical island clothing sold at the themed shops, and the land's counter-service restaurants serving hot dogs, Mexican food, citrus specialty drinks, and snacks. |
Frontierland / Liberty Square
| Topic | Backstage & Trivia | Third option | Still exists? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Thunder Mountain Railroad | S | MSV | Yes | |
| Splash Mountain | S | MSV | Yes | |
| Country Bear Jamboree | V | MSS | Yes | |
| Tom Sawyer Island | S | No | Yes | |
| Frontierland Shootin' Arcade | S | No | Yes | |
| The Diamond Horseshoe Saloon Revue | No | N/A | Yes | |
| Liberty Square Riverboat | S | No | Yes | Despite its rename in 1996, The Liberty Belle was still called the Richard F. Irvine in the Second Edition. |
| Liberty Tree | S | No | Yes | Details the Liberty Tree standing at Liberty Square. The original Liberty Tree in Boston was a symbol of America's defiance before the American Revolution. It was used a rallying point for American colonists' growing resistance against British rule over the American colonies. |
| The Hall of Presidents | S | MSV | Yes | The sitting president at the time of both releases was Bill Clinton, who was at the time the only president to record his own voice for the attraction. |
| The Haunted Mansion | V | MSS | Yes | |
| Restaurants and Shops | No | N/A | N/A | Details the food and merchandise services at Frontierland and Liberty Square. Food are of colonial cookery and traditional American fare, while presidential and American Civil War memorabilia, leather goods, gourmet foods, and unique country crafts were said to be among the items available. |
Fantasyland / Mickey's Toontown Fair
| Topic | Versions | Backstage & Trivia | Third option | Still exists? | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | 2.0 | |||||
| Cinderella Castle | Yes | Yes | S | MSS | Yes | |
| Cinderella's Golden Carrousel | Yes | Yes | S | MSS | Yes | The name was changed to Prince Charming Regal Carrousel on June 1, 2010. |
| Peter Pan's Flight | Yes | Yes | S | No | Yes | |
| It's a Small World presented by Mattel |
Yes | Yes | S | MSS | Yes | Mattel ended their sponsorship of the attraction in 1998, transferring over to Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin that year. The toy company ended all Walt Disney World attraction sponsorships in 1999. |
| Skyway to New Tomorrowland Skyway to Tomorrowland |
Yes | Yes | No | N/A | No | The Skyway closed on November 10, 1999, and the former Fantasyland station was torn down in 2011. |
| Dumbo the Flying Elephant | Yes | Yes | S | No | Yes | The ride closed on January 8, 2012 and was moved to the current Storybook Circus where Mickey's Toontown Fair once stood, with a duplicate Dumbo ride going in the opposite direction and a whole new interactive queue area built. It had two soft openings on March 12 and June 22 before officially reopening on December 6. |
| 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea | Yes | Yes | S | No | No | This was the only topic in the application that covered an attraction that was already closed before 1996. The attraction last operated on September 5, 1994 and never reopened. As a result, the narration for this attraction referred to it in the past tense, with Corey Burton starting the opening slideshow with, "Although currently not in operation...". |
| Mad Tea Party | Yes | Yes | S | No | Yes | |
| Legend of the Lion King presented by Kodak |
Yes | Yes | V | No | No | Closed on February 23, 2002 and was replaced by Mickey's PhilharMagic. |
| Snow White's Adventures | Yes | Yes | S | No | No | Closed on May 31, 2012 and was replaced by Princess Fairytale Hall. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train now serves as the park's Snow White attraction. |
| Mr. Toad's Wild Ride | Yes | Yes | S | No | No | Closed on September 7, 1998 and was replaced by The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. |
| Mickey's Toontown Fair | Yes | Yes | S (2.0 only) |
No | No | Covered the entire land. The original version only had concept art and just the initial slideshow as the land wasn't open yet. The Second Edition changed the dialogue and used new photos for the slideshows. The land closed in 2011 and was replaced by Fantasyland's Storybook Circus. |
| Mickey & Minnie's Country Houses | Yes | No* | No | N/A | No | Showed a two-image slideshow of concept art of Mickey and Minnie's houses. They were removed as a standalone topic in the Second Edition with their houses rendered unclickable, but the narration re-recorded and used as the Backstage slideshow for Mickey's Toontown Fair, with new photos of the houses. |
| Entertainment | Yes | Yes | No | N/A | N/A | Details the entertainment at Fantasyland at the time, the Disney Mania stage show in front of Cinderella Castle and The Sword in the Stone show in front of the Carrousel. The Second Edition only mentions the latter, since the former ended in 1996. |
| Restaurants and Shops | Yes | Yes | No | N/A | N/A | Details the food and merchandise services at Fantasyland, including fantasy-themed gifts at the shops like stuffed animals and suits of armor, and restaurants themed after Disney animated films such as Pinocchio, Cinderella, and Alice in Wonderland. |
New Tomorrowland/Tomorrowland
Tomorrowland was called "New Tomorrowland" in the first version; dialogue mentioning "New Tomorrowland" still exists in much of the Second Edition.
| Topic | Versions | Backstage & Trivia | Still exists? | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | 2.0 | ||||
| The Timekeeper | Yes | Yes | S | No | Closed on February 26, 2006 and was replaced by Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor. |
| The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter | Yes | Yes | V | No | Closed on October 12, 2003 and was replaced by Stitch's Great Escape!, which has been in seasonal operation since 2016. |
| Take Flight | Yes | No | S | No | Closed on January 5, 1998 and was replaced by Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin (see below). |
| Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin | No | Yes | No | Yes | The attraction was not open yet when the Second Edition was released, opening later in 1998. The slideshow only showed concept art. |
| Astro Orbiter | Yes | Yes | S | Yes | Its predecessor Star Jets is mentioned in the trivia slideshow with a single photo. |
| New Tomorrowland Transit Authority Tomorrowland Transit Authority |
Yes | Yes | S | Yes | This attraction was renamed the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover on August 5, 2010. |
| Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress | Yes | Yes | S | Yes | |
| Skyway to Fantasyland | Yes | Yes | No | No | The Skyway closed on November 10, 1999, and the former Tomorrowland station was partially demolished in 2009, with the lower level still intact for restrooms. |
| Space Mountain presented by FedEx |
Yes | Yes | S | Yes | FedEx ended their sponsorship of the attraction in 2004. |
| Grand Prix Raceway presented by Goodyear |
Yes | Yes | S | Yes | The attraction was actually renamed Tomorrowland Indy Speedway in 1994, but it was referred to by its first name in this application. Goodyear no longer sponsors this attraction. The attraction was renamed Tomorrowland Speedway in 2008. |
| Entertainment | Yes | Yes | No | N/A | Details the entertainment at Tomorrowland at the time, including the Galaxy Search stage show at the Galaxy Palace Theater and the video arcade formerly located next to Space Mountain. |
| Restaurants and Shops | Yes | Yes | No | N/A | Details the food and merchandise services at Tomorrowland, which include counter-service restaurants and shops filled with clothes, character gifts, and sun care products. Alien Encounter merchandise, including T-shirts, bags, and stuffed toys of the alien Skippy, were featured in the slideshow. |
Epcot
Future World
| Topic | Backstage & Trivia | Third option | Still exists? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spaceship Earth presented by AT&T |
V | MSS | Yes | AT&T ended their sponsorship of the attraction in 2004. The final photo of the opening slideshow features a scene that has since been removed. The post-show Global Neighborhood is also mentioned in the opening narration; it has also since been removed. |
| Innoventions | S | MSS | Yes | The name of the attraction was rendered in all caps in the original version. The Second Edition changes a couple images in the opening slideshow. |
| Universe of Energy presented by Exxon |
S | No | No | This topic discussed the show that was operating in the pavilion at the time, Ellen's Energy Adventure. The show was referred to by its initial name Ellen's Energy Crisis in the original version. Exxon became ExxonMobil in 1999, had the attraction's sponsorship updated in 2003, and the company ended sponsorship in 2004. The attraction and the pavilion closed on August 13, 2017 to make way for a new Guardians of the Galaxy-themed roller coaster. |
| Wonders of Life presented by MetLife |
S | No | No | Covers the pavilion in general. The film, The Making of Me, is mentioned here. MetLife ended their sponsorship of the pavilion (and the immediate two attractions mentioned below) in 2001. The attraction entered seasonal operation in January 2004, then closed all attractions on January 1, 2007. The building still stands today as a festival center for special events. |
| Body Wars presented by MetLife |
S | No | No | The hot spot is the DNA statue that was outside the Wonders of Life pavilion. The attraction closed along with the rest of the pavilion on January 1, 2007. |
| Cranium Command presented by MetLife |
S | No | No | Corey Burton refers to himself as the voice of General Knowledge in the Trivia narration. The attraction closed along with the rest of the pavilion on January 1, 2007. |
| Horizons | S | No | No | Closed on January 9, 1999. The building was torn down and a new attraction, Mission: Space, was built in its place. |
| Test Track presented by GM |
V | No | Yes* | Test Track was not open when either version of the application was released. Thus, the slideshows only feature concept art and a computer simulation video. In the original version, it was said to be scheduled to open in 1997. When that didn't happen, the Second Edition updated the narration to say that it was scheduled to open in 1998. The ride actually opened on March 17, 1999 (although it did soft open on December 19, 1998). The original GM-sponsored version of the attraction ended operation on April 15, 2012, and the attraction was refurbished as "Test Track presented by Chevrolet" (reducing GM's sponsorship to just the Chevrolet brand), which opened on December 6, 2012 (soft opening just three days earlier). |
| Journey Into Imagination presented by Kodak |
S | No | No | The ride closed on October 10, 1998 and was then replaced by Journey into YOUR Imagination in 1999. Today, the attraction is currently Journey into Imagination with Figment. Kodak ended its sponsorship of the entire Imagination! pavilion in 2010. |
| The Image Works presented by Kodak |
S | No | Yes* | The original version of the ImageWorks closed in 1998. A new version known as The "What If?" Labs opened downstairs from the original in 1999. |
| Honey, I Shrunk the Audience presented by Kodak |
V | No | No | Closed on January 4, 2010 and was replaced by the film Captain EO (as Captain EO Tribute), which this film formerly replaced. Currently, the Magic Eye Theater where the film was shown now shows the "Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival". |
| Living with the Land presented by Nestlé USA |
S | No | Yes | On February 13, 2009, Nestlé discontinued their sponsorship of the pavilion; today, the attraction is sponsored by Chiquita. |
| Circle of Life presented by Nestlé USA |
No | N/A | No | The slideshow mentions Symbiosis, the original film the played in the Harvest Theater (Circle of Life reused some of its footage). This attraction's closure is (as of July 6, 2018) the most recent to have happened among all of the attractions featured in the application, having closed on February 3, 2018. |
| Food Rocks presented by Nestlé USA |
S | No | Yes | The Backstage slideshow and narration talks about the show it replaced, Kitchen Kabaret. The show closed on January 3, 2004 and was replaced by Soarin'. |
| The Living Seas presented by United Technologies |
V | INT | Yes* | United Technologies ended their sponsorship of the pavilion in 1998. The original version of the pavilion closed on August 21, 2005. The pavilion reopened as The Seas with Nemo & Friends on January 24, 2007. |
| Entertainment | No | N/A | N/A | Details the entertainment at Future World, although the only live entertainment that is shown (with one photo) and mentioned are the JAMMitors, who still perform at Future World East to this day. |
| Restaurants and Shops | No | N/A | N/A | Details the food and merchandise services at Future World. The shops are mentioned to include character merchandise, sports, fitness, science, Disney animation art, and other collectables. The restaurants are mentioned to offer healthy meal choices that feature fruits and vegetables grown in The Land pavilion. The last photo in the slideshow features The Land's food court at the time, The Sunshine Season Food Fair. Today, the food court is known as Sunshine Seasons. |
World Showcase
| Topic | Backstage & Trivia | Third option | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | S | MSS | The boat ride El Rio del Tiempo was mentioned here. That ride closed on January 2, 2007 and has since been converted to Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros. |
| Norway | S | MSS | Out of all the World Showcase pavilions, Norway's has changed the most since the application's release, primarily thanks to the popularity of the 2013 Walt Disney Animation Studios film Frozen. Maelstrom closed on October 5, 2014 and was replaced by Frozen Ever After on June 21, 2016. The old full-scale Viking ship that was used as a children's play area was removed in December 2008. The area where it used to be located was fully redeveloped to add gift shops and a meet and greet area for Frozen characters. |
| China | S | 360 | The film Wonders of China was mentioned here; it closed on March 25, 2003 and was replaced by a new film, Reflections of China, on May 22 the same year. |
| Germany | S | MSS | |
| Italy | S | MSS | |
| The American Adventure presented by American Express and Coca-Cola |
V | No | |
| Japan | S | MSS | |
| Morocco | S | MSS | |
| France | S | MSS | The film Impressions de France is mentioned. The International Gateway entrance is also briefly mentioned in the More Stuff slideshow's narration. |
| United Kingdom | S | MSS | The Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room is mentioned in the Trivia and More Stuff narrations. |
| Canada | S | MSS | The film O Canada! is mentioned here in the Backstage slideshow's narration. It was updated in 2007 with a new film hosted by Canadian actor Martin Short. Coincidentally, the new version of the film features Corey Burton as the original narrator. (Burton is the narrator for the Canada Pavilion's slideshows.) |
| IllumiNations presented by GE |
No | N/A | This show has since been replaced by IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth in 1999. GE ended their sponsorship of Epcot's fireworks show in 2003. |
| Entertainment | No | N/A | Details the entertainment at World Showcase at the time, featuring performers native to their host countries such as:
|
| Restaurants and Shops | No | N/A | Details the food and merchandise services at World Showcase, featuring its international variety of authentic native cuisine and merchandise from the eleven representative nations. |
Disney Studios Florida
The park was originally called Disney-MGM Studios at the time, but due to contractual restrictions, Disney referred to the park as "Disney Studios Florida" in the application. All topics appear in both versions, so the "Versions" columns will not be used here.
| Topic | Backstage & Trivia | Third option | Still exists? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Great Movie Ride presented by Coca-Cola |
V | 360 | No | The 360° panorama focused on the surrounding area in front of the Chinese Theatre at the time. Coca-Cola ended their sponsorship of the attraction in 1998. The attraction closed as the last operating attraction from opening day on August 13, 2017. It will be replaced by Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway in 2019. |
| SuperStar Television presented by Sony |
S | No | No | The show closed on September 26, 1998 and was replaced by Doug Live!, which ran from March 15, 1999 to May 12, 2001. Get Happy...With ABC! briefly ran there from July 1 to October 5, 2002. The theater was then mostly vacant until 2009 when The American Idol Experience opened in the space, running until 2014. Today, the theater is known as the Hyperion Theater, which currently shows For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration. |
| The Monster Sound Show presented by Sony ABC Sound Studio |
S | INT | Yes* | The Second Edition actually referred to the Disney's One Saturday Morning Sound Show that was running at the time of that version's release, which mentions 101 Dalmatians: The Series (referred to as 101 Dalmatians: The Animated Series in narration). The OSM show ran from July 1, 1997 to February 20, 1999. It was replaced by the Drew Carey audio show Sounds Dangerous!, which ran from 1999 to 2012. The theater resumed its former name afterwards and is now primarily used for previews of upcoming Walt Disney Pictures films. |
| Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular | V | No | Yes | A trademark symbol was placed after "Indiana Jones" in-game as Disney did not own the Indiana Jones franchise at the time of the application's release; Disney purchased Lucasfilm and the franchise in 2012. |
| Star Tours presented by Energizer |
S | No | No | Energizer ended their sponsorship of Star Tours in 2006. The attraction closed on September 7, 2010 and was replaced by its successor, Star Tours – The Adventures Continue, which opened on May 20, 2011. Disney purchased Lucasfilm and the Star Wars franchise in 2012. |
| Jim Henson's Muppet*Vision presented by Kodak |
S | MSV | Yes | Disney did not own the Muppets franchise and characters at the time of the application's release. On the title popup display in the application's in-game map of the park, a red slanted strikethrough appears over the word "3D". |
| Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure | No | N/A | No | The playground closed on April 2, 2016 to make way for Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. |
| Inside the Magic - Special Effects & Production Tour Backstage Pass |
S | No | No | The Second Edition updated the narration of the opening slideshow, and new photos were used for both the opening and Backstage slideshows. |
| Voyage of the Little Mermaid | S | No | Yes | |
| Earffel Tower | No | N/A | No | The two photos in the slideshow were edited to remove the MGM branding that existed on the faux water tower at the time. The tower was removed on April 29, 2016 and was replaced by Toy Story Land. |
| Backstage Studio Tour Disney Studios Backlot Tour |
S | 360 | No | The Second Edition added new photos relating to portions added since and new narration, which Hettie Lynne Hurtes had to speak quicker to fit in since nearly all of the original script for the previous Backstage Studio Tour was kept. The 360° panorama focused on the Streets of America as it appeared at the time, which has since been demolished. The attraction closed on September 27, 2014. |
| The Magic of Disney Animation | V | No | No | The tour closed on July 12, 2015 and was replaced by Star Wars Launch Bay. |
| The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror | S | No | Yes | |
| Entertainment | No | N/A | N/A | Details the entertainment in "Disney Studios Florida" at the time, including two stage shows (with a photo of Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage—which is still in existence today—shown), a parade (a photo of Toy Story – The Parade was shown), and Sorcery in the Sky. The Second Edition replaced a photo of Sorcery in the Sky and added a photo and mention of Fantasmic!, which opened at the park on October 15, 1998. |
| Restaurants and Shops | No | N/A | N/A | Details the food and merchandise services at "Disney Studios Florida". The shops are stated to include movie memorabilia, character merchandise, and collectable Disneyana. The restaurants are stated to serve hearty and light fare in Hollywood-inspired settings (with photos of the Hollywood Brown Derby and the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant shown). |
Reception
In a brief November 1996 review of the application, Steve Daly of Entertainment Weekly gave the application a grade of C, saying at the time that the overworld map was slow to redraw and it was too easy to click on the wrong option when using the Mickey Mouse head-shaped compass.[4]
References
- ↑ "Tranquilo Golf Club at Four Seasons Resort Orlando". OrlandoGolf.com. Golf Advisor. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
- ↑ "Osprey Ridge Golf Course - Walt Disney World Resort Golf Courses". WDWInfo.com. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
Osprey Ridge closed as a Disney golf course 8/11/2013. It reopened in July 2014 as part of the Four Seasons resort.
- 1 2 Mongello, Lou (November 25, 2007). "J.P. and the Silver Stars (Extinct 2002)". WDW Radio. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
- ↑ Daly, Steve (November 8, 1996). "CD-ROM Review: 'The Walt Disney World Explorer'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates material derived from the "The Walt Disney World Explorer" article on the Disney wiki at Wikia and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License (6 July 2018).
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