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The Disneyland Report > Disney News > Disney-MGM Studios stunt show dazzles guests at Walt Disney World

Disney News

Disney-MGM Studios stunt show dazzles guests at Walt Disney World

'Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show' debuts as part of Disneyland's 50th anniversary

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- High-octane energy explodes on one of the largest stages at Walt Disney World Resort as the Disneyland Resort Paris-inspired "Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show" presented by Brawny paper towels roars into Disney-MGM Studios.

Featuring high-flying, gravity-defying automobile, motorcycle and watercraft stunts, the turbo-powered stage show immerses park guests in the thrill-a-minute world of big-budget movie stunts.

"Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show" is inspired by a similar edge-of-your-seat show at Disneyland Resort Paris. It's one of several high-profile attractions being imported to Walt Disney World Resort from Disney theme parks around the world in 2005 as the Florida Vacation Kingdom honors the "Happiest Celebration on Earth," a global salute to 50 years of Disney theme parks.

A cast of more than 30 stunt drivers, technicians, actors and stunt managers thrills audiences with pulse-pounding chases featuring automobiles, motorcycles and high-powered watercraft. Customized and modified, these vehicles utilize almost every corner of the outdoor theater during the 30-minute show.

The arena for "Lights, Motors, Action!" -- a 177,000-square-foot facility featuring a Mediterranean village set -- is one of the Florida Vacation Kingdom's largest "stages," allowing stunt drivers to pack more thrills into the show including high-speed spins, two-wheeled driving, jumps, pyrotechnic explosions, high falls and plenty of surprises created just as they are performed for the silver screen. The 5,000-seat stadium allows guests to see every inch of the action.

The premise of "Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show" centers around the filming of a spy thriller, with production crew members, stunt managers and a director and assistant director on the "live" set. Using a Tinseltown trick known as shooting "out-of-sequence," the director sets up the different stunts for the audience. After each scene is "filmed," the director then combines the shots to create the completed scene that is played on a mammoth LCD video display for the audience.

Other highlights of "Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show":

* Construction on the 177,000-square-foot stunt arena began in February 2003. It features a façade that is reminiscent of a seaside town in southern France. In addition, stunt ramps, pyrotechnic equipment and a man-made canal were built into the design.
* Guests enter the arena through the garage -- or atelier -- as mechanics and technicians finely tune the show vehicles. Large windows offer guests behind-the-scenes views.
* The show features more than 30 vehicles on stage and inside the garage area.
* Each vehicle is highly modified to perform the many extreme stunts. For example, each car is equipped with four forward gears and four reverse gears, enabling them to travel as fast in reverse gears as they do in forward gears.
* Vehicles featured include high-performance automobiles, motorcycles and watercraft. Also, surprise vehicles, including one designed to drive backwards and another designed to split in half. "Herbie," the loveable "car star" from several Disney films, also makes a special cameo appearance.
* Vehicles are designated by color so the audience will always know which is the hero vehicle and which is the chase vehicle.
* Meticulous planning, practice and timing are dedicated to each stunt. Because of the choreography involved, crew members liken it to a "ballet on wheels."

"Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show" is one part of the "Happiest Celebration on Earth," an 18-month gala that pays tribute to Disney theme parks around the globe and the 50th anniversary of the opening of Disney's original park, Disneyland.

The celebration, which begins May 5, 2005, will take place in all the Disney theme parks around the world with the premiere of new shows and attractions. Disney parks in every corner of the world -- Disneyland Resort in California; Walt Disney World Resort in Florida; Tokyo Disney Resort in Japan; Disneyland Resort Paris in France; and Hong Kong Disneyland -- are "sharing" the best of each park with the rest of the world.

"Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show" is being imported from Disneyland Resort Paris where it thrills guests under the name "Moteurs... Action! Stunt Show Spectacular."

Source: Press Release

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