Mickey's PhilharMagic

***Mickey's PhilharMagic*** is a 4-D film attraction found at the Magic Kingdom theme park in the Walt Disney World Resort. The film was directed by George Scribner, who is best known for directing Disney's 1988 animated film, *Oliver & Company*. *Mickey's PhilharMagic* is a 12-minute-long show featuring 3D effects, scents, and water, as well as a number of characters from Disney movies. Despite Mickey Mouse being the title-bearing character, it is Donald Duck who stars in the show. It is shown on the largest purpose-built 3D screen ever made, at 150 feet wide.

## Location

At Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, *Mickey's PhilharMagic* is located adjacent to Peter Pan's Flight and the Fantasy Faire shop in Fantasyland. This is the fourth attraction to utilize this show building. The theatre originally hosted the *Mickey Mouse Revue*. Later, it was the home to the 3-D film *Magic Journeys*, after it left Epcot's Journey into Imagination pavilion to make way for *Captain EO*. Most recently, it was home to the stage presentation *Legend of the Lion King*. — SIGGRAPH 2003

## Plot

The theater doors open. Mickey Mouse is performing with his PhilharMagic Orchestra at the Fantasyland Concert Hall. Inside, there are posters advertising the Concert Hall's past productions and performers, such as Hades from *Hercules*, Ariel from *The Little Mermaid*, Genie from *Aladdin*, Wheezy from *Toy Story 2*, Willie the Whale from *Make Mine Music*, The Three Caballeros, The Big Bad Wolf and The Three Little Pigs. Upon entering the theater's lobby, guests pick up their "opera glasses" (3D glasses). During their wait, guests hear orchestral music from *Fantasia*, *Fantasia 2000*, and other Disney animated films.

Goofy, the Concert Hall's stage manager, admits the guests into the main theater, where final preparations for the performance are underway. Minnie Mouse then tells the guests to put on their "opera glasses." Minnie then realizes that Donald Duck has gone missing and goes to tell Mickey. Goofy then raises the curtains to reveal that the stage is empty, except for a conductor's podium and Donald, who is sleeping in a box. Mickey races onto the stage in a hurry, quickly telling Donald to unpack the instruments. Mickey places his famous Sorcerer's hat on the podium, then leaves, telling Donald, "Don't forget the orchestra. And don't touch my hat!"

After Donald unpacks all the instruments, including a grand piano, from the small box, he is tempted to try on the Sorcerer's Hat himself. He does so, which causes the magical instruments to come to life and play an extremely unpleasant melody. However, when Donald picks on and taunts a small flute, the other instruments rise up against him, creating a chaotic whirlwind of magic and music. Donald loses the hat in the storm and passes through different scenes from different movies while trying to retrieve the hat. After the whirlwind passes, Donald finds himself in the dark with Lumière, the candelabra, who begins to sing "Be Our Guest" from *Beauty and the Beast*. Guests can smell the food, triggering hidden smell cannons in the theater, and when the bottles pop, they feel a quick blast of wind in their faces surrounded by cakes, which triggers hidden air cannons in the back of the seats. The dark comes back for a second. When the light focuses, the guests find themselves in *The Sorcerer's Apprentice*, where Donald has shrunk. The walking brooms come in, spilling water on Donald. Guests feel the water on their laps, which triggers hidden water sprayers in the back of the seats. A broom Donald's size comes in, carrying a big bucket. Donald snatches the bucket away, but only gives it back when a giant broom comes in. The giant broom spills water on Donald, taking guests to *The Little Mermaid*, where Ariel is singing "Part of Your World" from the said movie. At the end of the song, an electric eel shocks Donald while trying to kiss Ariel. Guests are now in *The Lion King*, where Simba is singing "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" from the said movie. After that, guests go to *Peter Pan*, where the chorus is singing "You Can Fly" from the said movie. Peter uses Tink to sprinkle pixie dust on Donald, which gives him the ability to fly. Finally, guests go to *Aladdin*, where Aladdin and Jasmine are singing "A Whole New World" from the said movie. This time, Donald retrieves the hat, by Jasmine placing it on his head. After that, Donald thanks them and waves goodbye. Unfortunately, the hat gets knocked away by Iago, and Donald jumps after it.

He encounters the magical whirlwind from earlier. Donald gets sucked inside, finding himself back onstage, still in the whirlwind. Mickey returns, puts on the hat, and uses its powers to restore order. As Mickey conducts the orchestra, Donald gets stuck in a tuba, which launches him across the theater so that he lodges headfirst in its back wall. Mickey then thanks the viewers and says goodbye. Donald, in the audio animatronic form, is stuck in a big hole in the back of the theater. Only his rear end and two legs are visible. After struggling from falling in, he eventually falls into the hole and is no longer seen. In the end, Goofy tells the audience to return their "opera glasses" in the bins outside of the theater and says goodbye to the viewers as well.

## Characters

* **Minnie Mouse** (Announcer; voiced by Russi Taylor)
* **Goofy** (Stage Manager; voiced by Bill Farmer)
* **Mickey Mouse** (voiced by Wayne Allwine)
* **Donald Duck** (voiced by Tony Anselmo)
* **Lumière** (voiced by Jeff Bennett)
* **Flounder** (voiced by Parker Goris)
* **Ariel** (vocals by Jodi Benson)
* **Simba** (vocals by Jason Weaver)
* **Zazu** (voiced by Rowan Atkinson)
* **Peter Pan** (voiced by Blayne Weaver)
* **Aladdin** (vocals by Brad Kane)
* **Jasmine** (vocals by Lea Salonga)
* **Iago** (voiced by Gilbert Gottfried)

## Videos

Mickey's philarmagicThe behind the scenes footage of the 4-D film