DID YOU
KNOW ?
Remembering Honey , I Shrunk the Audience
BY HEATHER ADAMS
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When it first opened , Honey , I Shrunk the Audience was such an instant hit that Disney rolled it out at other theme parks — both in the
US and internationally . The first park to get its own version after EPCOT was Tokyo Disneyland , where the show was retitled MicroAdventure ! ( but remained the same , simply with Japanese dubbing ). This second iteration opened in April 1997 .
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As guest interest in Honey , I Shrunk the Audience grew , two more parks opened their spins on the attraction : Disneyland Park in Anaheim and Disneyland Paris . Both versions , which opened in 1998 , stayed true to the original film at EPCOT , with no park-specific changes other than some language dubbing in Paris .
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How did the Magic Eye Theater move so much during each show ? The theater itself didn ’ t exactly move , but the audience did . Underneath guests ’ seats and feet sat a moving platform , which rose and dropped during the film , simulating motion across the entire space . Guests could feel the floor shake as giant ( or true-to-size , really ) people entered the story , left the “ stage ,” and otherwise moved on-screen .
Honey , I Shrunk the Audience may have been
1 incredibly popular with guests at EPCOT when it opened on Nov . 21 , 1994 , but it certainly wasn ’ t the first 3D film to entertain guests inside this Disney World theme park . In fact , the Magic Eye Theater that housed this ’ 90s attraction was designed specifically for 3D films and was home to two prior ones : Magic Journeys and Captain EO .
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Of course , Honey , I Shrunk the Audience wasn ’ t your average 3D film . It was technically 4D , meaning it featured a 3D film and physical intheater effects that enhanced the illusions on the screen . Honey was one of Disney ’ s first forays into 4D ( preceded by Muppet * Vision 3D at Disney ’ s Hollywood Studios ), and Disney ’ s cool feat of making the entire theater move roughly 4 inches higher during each showing was impressive at the time .
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While Honey , I Shrunk the Kids may have started fading in popularity in the new millennium , it wasn ’ t time that ultimately ended
Honey , I Shrunk the Audience ’ s run at Disney Parks . Rather , it was the King of Pop himself : Michael Jackson . After he died in 2009 , guest interest in Captain EO — the film Honey , I Shrunk the Audience replaced — spiked significantly , and an intended temporary swap of the two turned into a permanent closure .
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When Honey , I Shrunk the Audience ’ s time at EPCOT ended , it wasn ’ t the only version of the attraction that shuttered . Disney pulled the plug on the film and its 4D experience everywhere , closing all four versions in 2010 and swapping them for Captain EO . Disneyland ’ s version closed first , shutting its doors on Jan . 4 , 2010 ; Disneyland Paris closed its version on May 3 ; and Tokyo Disneyland and EPCOT closed theirs on May 9 and 10 , respectively .
If you ’ re hoping to relive the 4D fun of Honey , I Shrunk the Audience , you can still step inside the attraction ’ s original theater at EPCOT . Today , it ’ s home to the Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival , where guests can catch three short films — and some of those classic Honey-inspired 4D effects .
The Magic Eye Theater once showed Honey , I Shrunk the Audience . PHOTO BY RICH RAMOS