User Reviews

This is a classic Disney Circle Vision 360 film. It was shot with a nine-screen, 360 degree camera, so that park guests could be completely surrounded with the scenes of America. It replaced America, the Beautiful at Disneyland and Walt Disney World in 1984. It played at Disneyland until 1996, and at Walt Disney World until 1994. Although the attraction was closed at Disneyland, it was replaced by a new film, the Timekeeper, at Walt Disney World. Timekeeper still operates today, although it is closed 95% of the year due to budget cuts. There are recent rumors that the film may reopen at Disneyland for the 50th anniversary. Only time will tell. Otherwise, it is a fine film that I miss very much.

For Disneyland, when it was new, Imagineers created a film projected on nine screens completely surrounding the audience. I saw this original version in 1970 and can still remember a firetruck ride through the nighttime streets of Los Angeles, the cameras riding atop the vehicle.

In 1973, the original Circle-Vision presentation was replaced by "Magic Carpet Round the World", a slightly less interesting travelogue of foreign lands. The camera crew hid behind the protective burladero in Madrid's Las Ventas bullring during a corrida. Outraged members of the audience threw coins at them.

Just in time for the 1984 Olympics, which I attended, Disneyland premiered a third generation of Circle Vision, "American Journeys". Fellow standees included Thai boxers, if memory serves. (The film also was shown at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in Florida). This cross-country travel film included an outrigger ride off Waikiki, a buggy ride through a covered bridge during fall foliage, a tailhook landing on a carrier deck, an on-the-field look at baseball in Dodger Stadium and many other clever slices of American life. Someone came up with a memorable score, blended with (I think) Peter Coyote's spare narration.

Circle Vision has the limitation that one must stand throughout. If sore feet allow, it works beautifully.