Punched in the Face by Nostalgia...

February 23, 2010, a dream became reality.  My high school Disneyland obsession came back to life.  Yes, that's right.  Captain EO reopened in Disneyland.

As you may have read in my previous posting regarding the death of Michael Jackson, I had a love for Captain EO.  I've had a Disneyland Annual Pass for most of my life.  When I was in high school, I was dating a guy who was in a band (Exit Smiling, ha ha the memories) with a handful of my other friends.  Well, there were a few of us in which band practice did not appeal to, so without hesitation, we headed to Disneyland!  Captain EO was always the thing to do when we got there.

And so this past Tuesday as I worked, I kept a close eye on the local news, Twitter and Facebook to check the status of the reopening.  There were people that drove from San Francisco the night before, people that slept in front of the entrance, and people that skipped their work/school day all together!  (I would have loved to have been one of them but I knew I could make it there later that day, continuing my dedication with my annual pass.)

Because the day at work was so slow, I volunteered to leave early due to my date with Captain EO (which is exactly what I told my supervisor).  I drove to Disneyland figuring the wait would still be at least an hour long.  I would go ahead and get in line so when my friends caught up with me, they could just hop in.  So I entered the park representing with my 1986 holographic, original Captain EO button.  The park was definitely less crowded than I'd imagined!  That's when I figured everyone would be in Tomorrowland waiting to experience Michael Jackson star in George Lucas's scifi flick.  I turned the corner and discovered a small line with a wait time stating 20 minutes!

That's when I forgot all about my friends.  I was too excited to wait so I went in alone.

I flashed back to high school and recalled always sitting in one of the back rows.  I chose the 2nd to last row and was on the very end.

And then it began.

I cheered along with some others in the audience and to my surprise, my memory dug deep and pulled out many of the lines from the film!  I impressed myself as I recalled these and tried to only mouth the words so as not to disturb the strangers around me.

The movie was in its original 70mm film with the same 3D effects.  The only bummer was that they removed my favorite effects of Captain EO -- the green laser beams and the fog.  Bummer.  What they added I could definitely do without.  a bounce house effect.  They decided to make the whole floor bounce to the beat of the music.  This is includes both songs, "We Are Here To Change The World" and "You're Just Another Part Of Me."  To say the least, it got annoying.  But soon it was over and I cheered and cheered!

VERY exciting.

While I waited for my friends, I checked out the merchandise and bought a new button to go along with the original as well as a beanie.  They had shirts too but they weren't the original white ones with the rainbow, like the one Michael Jackson wears in the movie.

(Captain EO original 1986 button vs. 2010 button)

My friend Frank finally arrived and since the line was still short, we went ahead and saw it.  This time we sat in the front (2nd or 3rd row this time) and I was pleased there was no bouncing.  But I decided Frankie needed to experience the bouncing along with Danielle.

So we met up with Danielle and got in the 9 minute line again.  And we sat in the back where I originally sat the 1st time that day.  They got to experience the bouncing this time as I just danced and sang with the movie.  Danielle asked if she could complain about the bouncing.  I told her to be sure to tell them to bring back the lasers and fog while she's at it!

It. Was. Epic.

They don't know how long it will be showing but it is for a limited time.  I highly suggest seeing it before it disappears forever!

On June 25th, 2009, part of my childhood died...

"If you enter this world knowing you are loved and you leave this world knowing the same, then everything that happens in between can be dealt with.” – Michael Jackson

Say what you will, but I am a huge Michael Jackson fan. When I heard he had died, I immediately had flashbacks of my childhood. Growing up with 3 older siblings, I knew who Michael Jackson was and loved his music. I remember looking through my sister Traci's Michael Jackson sticker album. I recalled her sparkly glove. I remember watching Thriller and being a tiny bit scared. I also remember watching Dangerous with my brother in the family room.

I was sad. It seemed as though when the King of Pop died, so did a piece of my childhood.

This must be how it felt when Elvis died.

So many great Facebook comments were left on the newsfeed. My brother sported my favorite: "Tonight, I will only wear one glove, and it will sparkle in his memory."

When I was in high school, our favorite thing to do was go to Disneyland JUST to watch Captain EO. I think it would only be appropriate to reopen Captain EO as a memorial for Michael Jackson.

(and yes, that IS Angelica Huston)

Sure, people think he is crazy. After all, he is an alleged pedophile (mark the 'alleged' part). There is no doubt that he IS the King of Pop. There is no doubt that he had a HUGE influence on the music industry. There is no doubt that he is a part of my childhood. I will listen to his music forever.

"I can’t find the words right now to express how deeply saddened I am by Michael’s passing. We have lost a genius and a true ambassador of not only Pop music but of all music. He has been an inspiration to multiple generations and I will always cherish the moments I shared with him on stage and all of the things I learned about music from him and the time we spent together. My heart goes out to his family and loved ones."

- Justin Timberlake

This was his last rehearsal before his death. I TOTALLY would have bought tickets for this tour...