From: Rich_Koster@agwbbs.new-orleans.LA.US (Rich Koster)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.disney
Subject: Splash Mountain TV Report
Date: 4 Oct 92 22:47:38 GMT
Organization: The Amiga GateWay BBS * New Orleans, La.

The Disney Press & Publicity department edited together a report
(called a "package" in the TV biz) for TV stations that wanted to
use it but hadn't sent their own staff to cover the opening of
Splash Mountain on Friday.  It included a suggested intro for the
anchor(s) to read and came in two flavors -- one version complete
with a Disney reporter off-camera providing the reporter commentary
and another with the natural sound and sound bites but without the
commentary (so a TV station could have one of their reporters read
the script provided as if they had been there to cover it).
 
SUGGESTED INTRO:
 
"If you've been thinking about a vacation getaway to the mountains,
how about Walt Disney World in Florida?  Bobby Holcombe gives us a
peek at an exciting new mountain peak that, in a word, is
"splashtacular"!
 
 
SCRIPT (with descriptions in brackets provided by me):
 
"The name of the newest attraction in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney
World is Splash Mountain.  So...what's in a name?"  (Nat Sound)
 
[Natural sound and video of a view from inside the log boat as you
come out of the darkness of a cave into the sunshine 5 stories above
WDW, with a breath-taking view of Cinderella's Castle and Space
Mountain on the horizon.  Everyone on board screams loudly as the
log boat crests the hill and falls down the waterfall into the briar
patch far below.  The camera cuts to a side shot that shows everyone
riding with their hands held high in the air as they plummet down at
a 45-degree angle.  You are then seeing the view from the log boat
again as you go under the water.  Then the people get drenched as
you watch from above the briar patch as their log boat falls into it,
and then you see them as they come out drenched from below the briar
patch.]
 
"The skyline of the Magic Kingdom has been dramatically transformed
to include one of the world's great mountains -- in Florida!  And
inside that mountain, the beloved characters from the Disney classic
film "Song of the South" all come to live again through the magic of
Disney's amazing audio animatronics.
 
[You see beautiful shots of the Splash Mountain exterior with its
vivid green plants and its red Georgia clay soil.  Then you see inside
with the rocking riverboat and the hand-painted "Welcome Home Brer
Rabbit" banner and all the critters singing "...wonderful feeling,
wonderful day!  Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, Zip-a-dee-day, my..." -- This is
the scene you see from the WDW Railroad just before you enter the
Frontierland train station.  There is a close-up of three singing
alligators dressed in denim jackets, cowboy hats, and bandannas
around their necks. They are playing a banjo, a squeeze-box accordian
and an acoustic guitar.]
 
"The rollicking antics of Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox and Brer Bear include
the sheer thrills of a 5 story plunge into the briar patch, the
world's longest water flume drop.  Splash Mountain is truly the peak
of excitement!"  (Nat Sound)
 
[There's another look at people coming down the big drop and
screaming.  The scene shifts to closer to the start of the ride where
Brer Fox and Brer Bear spy on Brer Rabbit from behind a tree, as the
song goes: "He's headin' for, a little more adventure." And Brer
Rabbit joins in: "I'm headin' for, a little bit of fun now!"]
 
[Brer Rabbit has boarded up his house and nailed a "Gone For Good"
sign on it as he stands outside the door with his travel belongings
wrapped in a polka-dot handerchief tied to a pole resting on his
shoulder.  Brer Fox holds a rope as he peers through the branches
while he is atop Brer Bear's shoulders.  Brer Bear is itchin' to
use his big club on Brer Rabbit.]
 
[Eric Jacobson - Executive Designer, Walt Disney Imagineering:]
"We have Space Mountain, we have Cinderella's Castle -- now we have
Splash Mountain which is a whole new (obviously) mountain.  I mean,
the name says it all!  It adds a whole new language to the Magic
Kingdom that wasn't there before.  Pirates of the Caribbean is a
water-themed ride, but this is really about thrill."
 
[Reactions of riders, first from 3 teenagers:]
"Yeah, it's really scary!"
"Yeah!!"
"Especially the drop!  That's what made me scream!!"
 
[Little girl:]
"I certainly got splashed a lot!"
 
[Little boy:]
"It's really wet and scary."
 
[Teenage boy:]
"It was kinda scary. [Rubbing his chest] I had my stomach way up here!"
 
[Mother with husband and young daughter and young son:]
"Th- the ending with the -- the big hill, was the ultimate!"
 
[More screams are heard as we see another log boat plummet into the
water.]
 
"This is Bobby Holcombe reporting."
 
End of report

-- Via DLG Pro v0.992

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