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Many of the most iconic attractions at Disney World are ones that were operating on October 1, 1971, when the Central Florida Disney Park first began welcoming guests, though a few didn’t arrive until the mid to late 1970s, like Space Mountain and Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom.
Over the years, however, Disney World has continued to expand, adding new lands, new theme parks, and new attractions and experiences for guests of all ages to enjoy. As technology has advanced, so have Disney’s offerings in entertainment at its Florida parks.
Often, though, Disney’s Imagineers don’t stop at incorporating the latest technology and advancements in new rides and attractions. Sometimes they give the entertainment value of an experience at Disney World a boost by also incorporating cameos of Hollywood stars–and not just at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Credit: Disney
Over the years, the Spaceship Earth attraction at EPCOT has been narrated by several different celebrities. The current version of the attraction features the voice talents of Dame Judi Dench. From 1982 to 1994, the attraction was voiced by Walter Cronkite.
Then, from 1994 to 2007, Jeremy Irons lent his voice as the narrator at the iconic attraction. Dame Judi Dench has been secure in her role as narrator since 2008.
Actor Patrick Warburton makes a cameo as the Chief Flight Attendant at the Soarin’ attraction at EPCOT, lending his voice and his image to the fan-favorite experience at Disney World.
Credit: Screenshot/YouTube
At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Paul Reubens, known for his silly antics as Pee-Wee Herman, lent his voice to Captain REX in the very first version of the Star Tours attraction. Today, guests can find Captain REX at Oga’s Cantina at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
One celebrity featured in a Disney World attraction that has long since closed also played one of the most memorable characters in Walt Disney Animation’s history, but he had already made quite a name for himself in Hollywood long before his Disney years. And now, vintage video of the once-beloved attraction at Magic Kingdom has resurfaced.
In addition to playing the fast-talking, quick-witted, wish-granting Genie in Disney’s Aladdin (1992), actor and comedian Robin Williams had risen to fame for his talents as a funny man and in making people smile. Two years after the release of Aladdin, Robin Williams played another Disney role–that of the Timekeeper in an attraction at Tomorrowland that took guests on a journey through time.
Credit: Extinct Disney
Williams lent his voice to a very eccentric audio-animatronic robot called the Timekeeper. The Magic Kingdom attraction was a Circle-Vision-360 presentation that opened in the park in 1994 and closed permanently in 2006. Many Disney fans of today don’t realize that Williams played such a role, making it all the more magical to see lost footage of the actor–in his animatronic form, of course.
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The attraction also showcased the voice talents of Rhea Perlman and actor Jeremy Irons, who is known for his maniacal role as the villain Scar in Disney’s The Lion King (1994), portrayed author Jules Verne in the attraction.
