Reports: Captain EO to close at Disneyland Paris on 2nd April 2012
http://www.dlrptoday.com/2012/03/13...tively-at-disneyland-paris-on-2nd-april-2012/
This officially stands as unconfirmed information, but several sources, including one speaking directly to
DLRP Today, have reported this evening that
Captain EO will close once and for all at Disneyland Paris on
2nd April 2012. The final day of operation for the reborn
Discoveryland 3-D cinema attraction will reportedly be Sunday, 1st April 2012 — ironically also the first day of the
20th Anniversary celebrations. News of the closure was apparently revealed to Cast Members at the attraction today, with no announcement of an imminent replacement.
Captain EO, a
1986 3-D film with special effects starring Michael Jackson, re-opened in its original locations at
Epcot,
Disneyland,
Disneyland Park in Paris and
Tokyo Disneyland throughout 2010 as a “tribute” to the musical star himself. It also provided a welcome stop-gap to replace the ageing
Honey, I Shrunk the Audience, but its reopening was greeted more enthusiastically in some parts of the globe than others. Returning
to Disneyland Paris on 12th June 2010, it enjoyed a welcome reception from a minority of fans but perhaps failed to ignite the interest of regular guests here as strongly as the American parks, where it had become much more a thing of pop culture legend.
A somewhat out-of-the-way location and a similarly dated neighbour in the original
Star Tours, which remains in operation at Disneyland Paris, can’t have helped its success.
We
noted last September that the attraction, already operating limited daily opening hours, was even beginning to remain closed completely on some quieter off-season days, as attendance clearly failed to meet requirements. Another potential factor in a closure could be the problems faced by its sponsor, Kodak, with Eastman Kodak Company having
filed for bankruptcy in January, though the company remains an
official partner and is ever-present at various other locations.
If the attraction’s Cast Members were hoping for a boost in attendance, they’ll now surely get it on the
weekend of 1st April, when fans and Annual Passholders will descend on the resort for the premiere of
Disney Dreams! and a grand, final farewell to Captain EO…
I hope this doesn't become a trend amongst the theme parks.. I'm going to L.A. this summer and will of course attend the Global MJ Disney Day, I'm looking forward to seeing Captain EO again :heart:
