Cars Land and Time Travel Mater on ABC
Last night, a special presentation of The Wonderful World of Disney aired on ABC for the first time in four years. To celebrate the opening of Cars Land and Buena Vista Street at Disney California Adventure, ABC aired the fabulous Disney/Pixar film Cars, along with with a special guided tour of Cars Land and a new Cars short, Time Travel Mater.
This special episode was hosted by grand Pixar poobah himself, John Lasseter as well as the voice of Mater, Larry the Cable Guy. John Lasseter followed in Walt Disney and Michael Eisner’s footsteps by introducing the film in the beginning of the show, as well as providing behind-the-scenes information on the creation of the world of Cars. Larry the Cable Guy walked us through Cars Land and showed us all the new attractions and locations in this new themed area. For the first time, everyone around the world got an overall glimpse at what Cars Land had to offer us.
The short Time Travel Mater was also shown after the feature film. In it, Mater has to go back in time after an accidental mishap. It parodies Back to the Future in that Mater has to set things right in the past in order for Radiator Springs to become Radiator Springs. Along the way, he meets its founder, the legendary Stanley and convince him to build a town around Ornament Valley and meet the girl of his dreams, the incomparable Lizzie.
The Wonderful World of Disney is something very close to my heart because I’m a fella who grew up nowhere near any of the Disney parks. I had to rely on the show to get the latest news on attractions and themed lands at the parks. Every Sunday, I experienced a new Disney film and was magically transported to a world of laughter and hope, all thanks to Uncle Walt and co.
Of course, this Disney anthology series started with the original Disneyland TV show, hosted by Walt Disney himself. Each week, he would either show us a movie or the latest happenings at Disneyland and the Walt Disney Studio. He personally brought people all around the world to his brand new theme park right in the comfort of their own living rooms. Kids all around the world grew up with Uncle Walt speaking words of wisdom in their living rooms and truly did grow up with Disney by their sides.
Throughout the years, Disneyland has gone through many different names including The Wonderful World of Color, The Disney Sunday Movie, The Magical World of Disney, and so on before settling on The Wonderful World of Disney. Though it had many names, the premise still remained the same. Each week, a new movie and a new experience.
Though TWWOD had not aired on ABC since 2008, a new version of it lives on over at Disney Junior under the label, The Magical World of Disney Junior. Animated features from all of Disney’s almost nine decade long existence are shown on that channel each week.
Be Fantasmic!
-Wizard Victor
