When “Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!” re-opened last month after a three month long rehab, Disneyana fans were hoping that some significant changes would have been made to this DCA dark ride. But with the exception of some new safety gates that had been added to this attraction’s load area …
Photo by Dave of Davelandweb.com
… Everything was pretty much the same.
Which started yet another round of grousing on the Web. Why For? Because theme park enthusiasts have never really embraced this California Adventure attraction. Mostly because they believe that “Mike and Sulley to the Rescue!” has far too much in common with the dark ride that it replaced, “Superstar Limo.”
Photo by Jeff Lange
Of course, given that the Imagineers reportedly spent $30 million on the retheming of this Hollywood Pictures Backlot attraction … One sometimes wonders where all of that money went. Given that “Superstar Limo” ‘s exterior (Which was made up mostly of painted flats) …
Photo by Jeff Lange
… was replaced by “Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!” ‘s exterior (Which was also made up mostly of painted flats).
Photo by Dave of Davelandweb.com
And inside the attraction itself … The ride vehicles are the same. The track layout is the same. And — if you’re paying really close attention — you’ll notice that those minimatronic celebrities who used to appear in “Superstar Limo” are also still inside this attraction. Only in different locations and in somewhat mutated form.
Don’t believe me? Okay. Do you remember that Jackie Chan figure who used to appear in this dark ride?
Photo by Jeff Lange
Well, Jackie’s still in this show building. Only his minimatronic figure has been redressed as a member of the Child Detection Agency.
Photo by Dave of Davelandweb.com
Likewise Drew Carey — who used to hawk maps to the stars’ homes in “Superstar Limo” …
Photo by Jeff Lange
… now offers you brochures with information about that missing human child, Boo.
Photo by Dave of Davelandweb.com
And do you remember how super model Cindy Crawford used to spritz you with her new signature perfume as you rolled along Rodeo Drive?
Photo by Jeff Lange
Well, Cindy too has joined the CDA. And that misting function that was built into her old minimatronic figure is now used to decontaminate guests as they roll through “Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!”
Photo by Dave of Davelandweb.com
Mind you, some of these recycled “Superstar Limo” figures are harder to spot than other. Take — for example — Tim Allen.
Photo by Jeff Lange
Only by comparing the shape of the Allen minimatronic’s shoulders & the positioning of this figure’s legs do you then release that this CDA agent used to be Tim the Tool man.
Photo by Dave of Davelandweb.com
Likewise the Whoopi Goldberg figure that used to appear in “Superstar Limo” ‘s big Hollywood premiere finale sequence.
Photo by Jeff Lange
The only thing that gives away that this particular Child Detection Agency member used to be Whoopi is the unique bend of the knees that you find in both figures.
Photo by Dave of Davelandweb.com
In other cases, you almost have to be a member of “CSI” in order to to be able to determine that these miniatronic versions of Melanie Griffith & Antonio Banderas …
Photo by Jeff Lange
… have been turned into the CDA agents …
Photo by Dave of Davelandweb.com
… who spray you with CO2 just before you reach the final scene of “Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!”
Photo by Dave of Davelandweb.com
And I doubt that Joyce Philbin herself would have been able to recognize her husband, Regis …
Photo by Jeff Lange
… Now that the host of “Live with Regis & Kelly” has been transformed into that villainous chameleon, Randall Boggs.
Photo by Dave of Davelandweb.com
And even though Cher has had more than her share of cosmetic surgery …
Photo by Jeff Lange
… I don’t think that she’d have been able to recognize her old “Superstar Limo” figure. Particularly since the Imagineers had cut the minimatronic version of this Oscar winner in half, so that she could then be seen sticking her head out of an open manhole cover.
Photo by Dave of Davelandweb.com
But, look. I don’t mean to make it sound like that the Imagineers didn’t put anything new into “Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!” Take — for example — this bulletin board. Which appears in a couple of different spots as your ride vehicle rolls through the factory portion of the attraction.
Photo by Dave of Davelandweb.com
If you look closely at these boards, you’ll notice that there’s a memo pinned up there that talks about the “Top Ten Ways to Get Fired” at Monsters, Inc.
Photo by Dave of Davelandweb.com
Check out Number 8 on that list.
Photo by Dave of Davelandweb.com
That’s right. WDI actually made an Internet-based joke as part of their retooling of “Superstar Limo.” And — just so you know — that Aint It Cool News gag has been in place since “Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!” first re-opened back in December of 2005.
So congratulations, Harry Knowles. You’ve finally made the big time. Never mind about those cameos in “Monkeybone” and “The Faculty.” You — or, rather, your website — has now been immortalized inside of a Disney theme park attraction.
Which — you have to admit now — is pretty cool.
Your thoughts?