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Credit: The Hollywood ReporterThe Walt Disney Company is doing a lot in celebration of its 100th anniversary. The studio has been pulling out all the stops from exclusive merchandise to special events at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, especially outside the Parks. Lighthouse Immersive’s Disney Animation experience is an incredible event, but is it the realm of magic and wonder fans expect?
Disney has done a lot to celebrate, given its century-long existence. Yet while Disneyland gets a massive stellar event and Walt’s hometown of Marceline gets a rare celebration, does a room full of projected Disney scenes truly represent Disney Animation’s contribution to art and film?
100 Years of Disney Animation and151,800,000 Projected Pixels
Described by Lighthouse Immersive as,
“an innovative celebration that takes you inside the greatest films of Walt Disney Animation Studios, from their very earliest, groundbreaking features to the beloved hit movies of today.”
The Immersive Disney Animation experience sounds exactly what fans of the studio’s animated contributions could ask for. Speaking as a major fan himself, this writer had the opportunity to attend a showing and can say that while it is indeed what it says on the promos, it might not be as interactive and immersive as advertised.
The experience itself was definitely impressive, no arguments there. However, those of you expecting a highly interactive look at the animation process or a walkthrough exhibit showing some of Disney Animation’s best and brightest might be somewhat disappointed.
The best way to describe the event would be a hybrid of Mickey’s Philharmagic, showing some of the best animated moments from our favorite Disney movies, and EPCOT’s Canadian “CircleVision 360” film projection. That’s not a bad thing, but for something as monumental as Disney’s 100th anniversary, most are probably expecting something bigger.
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Granted, different venues are likely going to have different layouts, but it stands to reason that the projected sequences shouldn’t vary. With that in mind, it’s still a visually impressive and unique way to experience classic Disney movies. So much so that it’s a wonder they haven’t tried a full-length feature with this technology.
When you’re in the screening room, you are transported to the African veldts beneath Pride Rock, the bustling streets of Zootopia, and the waters of Motunui. Who wouldn’t want to see a singular Disney movie presented like that? Unfortunately, it’s mostly a clip show of the best moments from the studio’s animated history.
Ranging from $35-$50, that’s a lot of money for an hour long of projected clips. It’s visually striking and unique, but how many Disney fans aside from parents and children are going to invest that much. Additionally, some scenes projected in the exhibit are incredibly intense, undoubtedly giving some tots nightmares for weeks.
In the end, this type of experience might be better suited for a limited engagement attraction at the Disney Parks, not a traveling show. If Disney animation fans are still wanting to check out the immersive experience, they can search for their nearest city and buy tickets on the event’s website.
Have you seen Immersive Disney Animation? Tell Inside the Magic about it in the comments below!