Not many theaters hold more memories than this one... not counting drive-ins (I unhooked my first brassiere during RoboCop at HiWay 39) or waiting in the lobby for my brother who thought it'd be a good idea to bring his five-year-old brother to see Jaws.
Going to Disneyland twice-a-year until getting annual passes in 1984, it was almost obligatory to see "Magic Journeys" at the Magic Eye theater, just for the 3D effects, and certainly not for the plot: kids watching kites turning into birds and moons turning into witches, with magicians, clowns, and dandelions unblowing themselves. With a haunting Sherman Brothers soundtrack, it was G-rated fluff with a tinge of acid fever nightmare.
"Captain EO" in 1986 (1986-98, 2010-14) was exciting at the time and the movie never got boring, the 18+ times* I saw it, probably because I loved the two songs "Another Part of Me" and "We Are Here to Change the World" (where I eagerly waited for Jackson to shake "Spot" like a salt shaker--sss-sss, sss-ss).
*I saw it 12-21-86 (first time), 5-3-87, 5-6-87, 5-10-87, 7-3-87, 9-15-87, 4-22-88, 6-2-89, 8-22-89, 10-18-91, 7-10-92, 2-25-96, 2-26-2010 (2x), 3-16-2010, 8-27-2010, 12-7-2010, and 4-25-11. It was another part of me.
Part of the fun of Magic Eye Theater was walking by and gauging the timer, making the decision to enter early and wait by an entrance to run to the middle (even though they tried to make us go all the way to the end) or enter late to avoid waiting. But what better location for a theater? You leave the darkness and re-enter Disneyland.
In contrast, I saw "Honey I Shrunk the Audience" (1998-2010) just twice (12-17-00 and 2-17-03). No offense to Rick Moranis, but it's probably why Marquis Ventura hit him. read more