November 21 - The Timekeeper

Image copyright Disney

On this day, in 1994, the Circle-Vision 360 movie known in the United States first as From Time to Time, and later as The Timekeeper, opened in Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom. It had debuted two years earlier at Disneyland Paris, making it one of the few attractions in an American park that originated outside of America. Timekeeper was the first time that a Circle-Vision movie was given an actual plot. Previous films had just been flyovers of various landscapes. It was also the first movie to involve something other than just screens with the inclusion of an Audio-Animatronic figure in the theater.

Image copyright Disney

The US version of The Timekeeper starred Robin Williams as the title android, and the inventor of a time machine, and Rhea Perlman as Nine-Eye, another of the Timekeeper's inventions. The plot revolved around the Timekeeper showing off his time machine by sending Nine-Eye throughout time and having her send back images of whenever she landed. The science on how that worked in real time was understandably fuzzy. Along the way, Nine-Eye bumps into such luminaries as Leonardo Da Vinci, Mozart and Jules Verne, who is accidentally transported to the present day. Hilarity ensues as Verne tries to cope with modern gadgets and is finally returned to his proper place in history. The show ended with a trip to 2189 for a look at the future (spoiler: it includes flying cars).

Image copyright Disney

The film was only a moderate success at best. By early 2001 it was already only opening on a sporadic, seasonal schedule. The Disneyland Paris version closed in 2004 and a Tokyo Disneyland version closed in 2002. Interestingly, both of those versions would be replaced by Buzz Lightyear attractions. The Magic Kingdom's version would limp along until February 26, 2006 when it would finally stop showing for good. A year later the location would reopen as the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor. If you pay close attention when you're in the theater now days, you can still see some of the Circle-Vision screens hiding behind Laugh Floor set pieces.