The Extinct Attractions Discussion Series: America Sings

[Escapay]

The Extinct Attractions Discussion Series: America Sings
Part One - Alien Encounter
Part Two - Horizons
Part Three - America Sings

(Picture coming soon)

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Replacing Carousel of Progress in the 1970s, America Sings was a history of music in America, told by singing ducks and geese.

When the show was closed down, the audio animatronics were moved to either Splash Mountain or Star Tours, where in Star Tours, they were stripped to the bare essentials and called droids.

[Son Of Flubber]

The Carousel Of Progress premiered in 1964 at the New York World's Fair.
Three years later it came to Disneyland & ran from July 2, 1967 through September 9, 1973.
The following year, it was replaced with a new show called " America Sings ".

America Sings was a type of sequel to The Carousel Of Progress. Rather than show how America's technology has changed over the years, America Sings showcased America's music & how it's changed over the years. This show (along with America On Parade) was part of an early celebration at Disneyland in honor of America's Bicentennial.


Opening on June 29, 1974, the show featured over 100 audio animatronic characters & the host of the show 'Sam The Eagle' was voiced by actor Burl Ives.


The look of the show was based on concept art for an unfinished Disney animated film called "Chanticleer And The Fox". Originally Walt rejected the idea but after Marc Davis & other animators kept pushing for it, Walt greenlighted the film the second time around. By the early 1960's, while the film was in animation, Walt felt his staff was being stretched thin & decided they needed to cut back on animated films. Chanticleer & The Sword In The Stone were both in animation at the same time. Walt decided to shut down production on Chanticleer & complete Sword In The Stone instead. Walt put Marc to work on developing characters for upcoming Disneyland attractions Pirates Of The Caribbean & The Haunted Mansion. Marc always regretted not making that movie so it's no surprise that years later he put his drawings to good use when he finally got an opportunity in Disneyland.


The theater in Tomorrowland would turn clockwise when it featured The Carousel Of Progress, but with America Sings the theater turned counter-clockwise. Shortly after the show opened at least one Cast Member died inside the attraction when they got caught between a moving wall & a non-moving wall. After this happened, the show closed for a brief period of time to replace some of walls with breakaway walls to prevent an another tragedy like this from reoccuring.


Before America Sings closed a few of the long necked geese were changed into "Captain Rex" for Star Tours, which opened on January 9, 1987.

America Sings closed on April 10, 1988.

Most of the audio animatronic characters were transported into Critter Country & today can be seen as the additional supporting cast of characters inside Splash Mountain, which opened in Disneyland on July 18, 1989.

Within the last year or so, the soundtrack to America Sings was released for sale in Disneyland thanks to a new 'burn on demand' CD system. It sales for about $16.

[Escapay]

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

I should probably pick more popular extinct attractions, lol.

I don't think I ever saw America Sings, it was probably closed by the time I ever went to Disneyland. But Kram has a strange fascination for it, and there's a bit of footage of it at Extinct Attractions Club.

Escapay

[Mr. Toad]

I remember this as a kid. It absolutely stunk. Only Captain EO beat it for lameness.

[Disney Guru]

Excuse my ignorance, but what are you talking about???

[pinkrenata]

Excuse my ignorance, but what are you talking about???

[See above posts, in particular Escapay's intro, as well as Son of Flubber's detailed overview ]

[jebsdad]

I much enjoyed the America Sings attraction at Disneyland. I saw it several times in the 1970s and 1980s. I own two home movies of the attraction which I enjoy watching occasionally. I was sad when it closed down and I miss that attraction.

[stlewis75]

I used to love America Sings, and not just because it was an escape from the crowds and the heat on busy days at the park. One day we went to it four or five times because it was the only attraction without a line... even the People Mover had a line. What are the odds of that every happening?

It's still nice to see the characters on Splash Mountain, but I kind of miss the old show. I probably wouldn't go to it a lot now, but it would be nice to be able to see it again. It wasn't as good as the Country Bears, but it was likeable. Can't go wrong with Burl Ives.