Extinct Attractions - Ghost Radio Live!
This week, I stayed in the Japanese Halloween spirit with a look back at a frightfully fun attraction.
Via Disneyland
This weekend, it is finally Halloween, which means the celebrations that have been happening for the past two and a half months at the Disney Parks will finally be coming to an end. Do you know what that means? Christmas is coming soon! It’s kind of crazy to think that Halloween at the parks lasts almost a full month longer than Christmas.
Tokyo Disneyland has been in the Halloween mood for decades and is the only location (outside of Disneyland) to do full overlays of some of its attractions for Halloween (namely Haunted Mansion Holiday).
In 2005, Disney made the interesting choice to add a holiday show in the Tomorrowland Terrace, a move that one almost never sees. Ghost Radio Live! was added for the season, with a full Radio Disney vibe from pretty much every party involved.
To start, this show was framed as a radio show for a station called WDED, which broadcast out of Tomorrowland Terrace. It began with a couple of dancers joining the DJ for a fun little dance to a song that I didn’t recognize. To be fair, I struggled throughout to know what was going on because the entire show was in Japanese with no English at all.
Following the first bit, a producer-type came on stage with Chip and Dale, all dressed in some skeleton outfits. At first, I was a bit confused about what they were doing, but then the audience was treated to some magic tricks from the duo. They were a bit rudimentary but they added to the fun of the show.
Via YouTube
The next section of the show saw a couple plucked from the crowd to help become part of the show. The woman got to wear a fun little cape and follow along with the dance to “Dragonesta Din Tei” also known as the “Numa Numa Song” in a fun throwback to the days of yesteryear. While everyone was doing a synchronized dance on stage, the man in the couple reappeared dressed in a tutu with a magic wand. It was a fun little bit (that you probably would not see today).
The final part of the show was a full-on medley beginning with some “Night on Bald Mountain” (Chernabog’s song from Fantasia) that then transitioned into a disco rap interestingly enough. After that, there was finally some more of a Disney connection with a medley of songs ranging from “Supercalifragilisticexpialidociuos” to “Grim Grinning Ghosts” and even “Circle of Life.” “Monster Mash” also worked its way in there even though it wasn’t a Disney song. The entire end of the show was really high energy, though, and exactly what one would expect from a Tokyo Disneyland show. They always bring the party.
Overall, Ghost Radio Live was pure, simple fun. It only lasted through 2005, but it certainly had its fans. It probably suffered a bit from being tucked away in the Tomorrowland Terrace, but it still helped bring that spirit to the area. It was a silly and fun piece of history, so I, for one, am glad it existed.
Via Thunder Dungeon
As always, don’t forget to check out my interactive maps of the Disney Parks throughout the years where you can watch or learn more about all the attractions from every Disney park around the world.
Thanks for reading and have a magical day!