AMERICA SINGS CLOSING NIGHT 30TH ANNIVERSARY SINGLE RIDER DISNEYLAND

30 years ago today America Sings took it's final spin through the history of American music. My dear friend Ron Henning made arrangements with a co-worker to ride in a private car and record the show on the last night of operation. I miss Ron dearly and will be forever grateful that he shared a copy of this very rare recording with me. After much hesitation, because of how special this gift is to me, I have decided to share it with you.
Although this footage isn't perfect I ask others to please not butcher it and take the best parts for their own. I will be working on a better version which will include a combination of footage from both recordings Ron took the last day.
Show notes: While recording my copy, Ron had to lower the volume...explaining the momentary loss of sound while the geese are performing in Act 1. This will be corrected in a combined footage video yet to come. Aside from a few tracking moments the rest of this video is exceptional and free of audience distraction.
Thank you to those who took the time to read this, I hope you enjoy this Marc Davis classic!

[@NumeroLetter]

WOW! This is an amazing video! I know it must've been a very hard decision to post this, but I really appreciate it! This really shows some of the details of the set pieces and the workings of some of the elements that I've never seen before! Thank you so, so much for sharing it with KZbin!!! :D

[@CarouselGuy]

Happy 50th anniversary to America sings. One of Disney’s best shows in history.

[@disparky]

I recall the first time I saw this show. For the longest time, we went to Disneyland but never bothered to go in the round theater called America Sings. The title sounded like it would be a boring show with people singing patriotic songs. One day we decided to see what it was and it was nothing like what we imagined. It instantly became my favorite attraction and Animatronics became my profession here in Florida.

[@charliebrown3842]

Happy! Beautiful! Wonderful! Awesome! 4TH! Of! July! Spectacular! (2024)! 🇵🇷✨🎇🎆🎉🎊

[@dennys9506]

I’m aging myself but I feel fortunate to remember this attraction all the way back to when it opened. My favorite was always the dog that sang “Home On The Range”.

[@Laserashton]

@Garbage GuyThe Dog that sang home on the range always feels so peaceful because in all the footage I've seen of this attraction, I haven't heard any talking in the background during home on the range, the Modern Times act was my FAVORITE part of the show however because of all the lighting they used.

[@Charlesisverycoolandswag]

My favorite songs were the ones the geese sang

[@ottersstupidsafariofficial]

@@Laserashton me too! I just like the city atmosphere and all the lights. modern times is my favorite part.

[@moonlitfirebugs]

He’s a show-stopper 😭 I wish I knew more about him… his name is Tex Ranger, right?

[@dennys9506]

@@moonlitfirebugs I’m not sure but it sounds like a good name to me. 👍

[@mkultra2393]

I remember this from my childhood. We went to Disney in 87 or 88, I was a toddler but I remember parts of this ride. I always thought maybe I was remembering Country Bears Jamboree or my mind made it up somehow. Thank you for posting! Brings back many fun memories with my family at Disney.

[@princejoshthemeparksmei-tr4046]

I Love that Idea without Any Cast Member or Audience being Involved.

[@Amyed83]

Yeah!

[@ottersstupidsafariofficial]

thanks so much because this is my favorite video of america sings ever!

[@namewithheldnamewithheld2725]

I miss this attraction. I wish disney would bring it back. Thanx for the video.

[@ice-cold-fire7815]

Thank you so much for sharing!!

[@SynthWaveTech007]

America Sings just seems so lively and genuine. It was truly a celebration of America, something Walt Disney would definitely be proud of! Burl Ives singing in the beginning and end was absolutely wonderful. The Western portion with the train was extremely creative. Love the video! 👍🍪

[@ToddBrown-zl5fk]

Thank you providing us with this video made up of a great group of talented characters! Created to celebrate America's 1976 Bicentennial Celebration, America Sings was one of many Disneyland's awesome attractions that was unfortunately eliminated like so many others. America Sings located in Tomorrowland celebrated America's music through the years and regions. The eagle's voice was that of one of America's famous folk singers, Burl Ives, I believe. America Sings was a very inspiring attraction and experience for guests of all ages.

[@ceccappa4686]

I you can see all of the animatronics here in Splash mountain apart from: - The Sombrero Dog - Most Sam, Ollie and Weasel figures - The geese riding the motorbike - The Hippie Crane - The Hippie Frog - That bird that sings Hound Dog - The Police Dog - Blossomnose Murphy the Goose - The Old Grey Mare

[@themr_meisterr9884]

only a few of the Sam and Ollie figures I believe were retrofitted into Brer Fox(Sam) and Brer Rabbit(Ollie). I could be wrong about this though. The Weasel figures though were placed in the Laughing Place scene in Splash Mountain.

[@themr_meisterr9884]

@@SlushysSecret the Weasel figures at Magic Kingdom I believe were built from scratch like the other animatronics. The original Weasel figures from America Sings can be seen in the Laughing Place scene in Splash Mountain bouncing around the Birmingham Jail fox from Act 1.

[@ottersstupidsafariofficial]

i actually am pretty sure blossomnose murphy is in splash mountain but as the captain on the zip-a-dee lady.

[@RideAdventures-t4l]

And The Hippie frog was at Disney World,it got repurposed as the Bre’r Frog

[@SlushysSecret]

⁠​⁠@@themr_meisterr9884Brer rabbit figures were actually original built figures but I definitely think the brer fox at the beginning was a retrofitted Sam

[@Amyed83]

Wow! This is amazing! I wish time travel existed so I can come here or be born in the 19 century

[@KingCrimsonRequiem336]

bro the 19th century is the 1800s

[@battlefornumbers]

@@KingCrimsonRequiem336Yeah He’s Talking About The 20th Century

[@Unite_Productions]

I love that you can hear lay down my burdon in the other theater during Home on the range

[@Charlesisverycoolandswag]

lol

[@JohnBow]

How cool is this? Thanks for sharing.

[@philoween_trends]

I vaguely remember this from when I was a kid. Specifically the Pop Goes The Weasel running gag!

[@MrAwesomedude808]

Thank you much for this! Thank you a million times! It’s interesting to see that the musical interlude that plays after “yankee doodle” in each scene is different than what is heard on the official soundtrack released on vinyl (unless they are implying that at that point you’re in the next scene) For example the interlude heard in the last act on the official soundtrack is actually heard in unload, and the interlude heard after the first “yankee doodle” on the official soundtrack is actually heard in act 1 and load. It’s something minor that actually awakens the Disney Geek inside me! For that, I thank you GREATLY for this video. Heck, this sounds better on video than on vinyl, that way it sounded on the speakers can’t be recreated!

[@DavidEdelsohn]

Thank you very much for publishing this amazing vantage point of the ride without cast members or audience. It's great to be able to focus on the production and an interesting complement to the other videos -- the audience cheering and singing along was part of the experience. Extending on Mark's comments here and in his channel, not only was the show itself amazing and entertaining, but the entire ballet of the building was part of the spectacle. I don't know if Marc Davis planned it intentionally, but the manner in which the whole experience unfolded as a series of surprises was amazing as a child. Consider the opening from the point of view of an audience member -- especially a child -- who never had been on the ride. The curtain opens with the fanfare. Sam and Ollie standing on the stage. Yankee Doodle music starts; Sam and Ollie's eyes start to move, if one notices. Sam and Ollie suddenly start to move and sing and hold a conversation. At the end of the prologue, Ollie says: "Sing it Sam", the brakes release and the whole building starts to rotate. 44 seconds of the whir of the motors, slow down, 1-1/2 second brake, park, lock, lights. "I wish I were in the land of cotton...". And onward with the rest of the kaleidoscopic experience. I can still FEEL that 45 years later. As Mark said, I can FEEL that in my memory. It was a marvelous, family-friendly, fun, happy ride. It also was a ride that created visual and auditory and visceral memories from the entire experience. I don't know about others, but that is what I miss. Being jolted around on the Matterhorn or Space Mountain was great fun and physical, but something about the joyful, awe-inspiring experience created by Marc Davis and the other Imagineers produced a more lasting impression for me, and apparently for the other people who have found these videos. Thanks, again, for bring back such happy memories.

[@Laserashton]

If Mark Davis were still alive, he would be proud of our kind words and especially your kind words. many people can't forget their last time riding America Sings, rather if it was their first time or their only time, America Sings will always be remembered as a Mark Davis classic.

[@tsitracommunications2884]

I still miss the carousrl of progress ; i only rode it once

[@ice-cold-fire7815]

One worth mentioning about this footage that I found pretty neat is that at one point in the first scene when the sound dies down you can faintly hear the music from the loading stage through the wall. 4:53

[@themr_meisterr9884]

In the second scene, you can hear music from the first scene. Go to 10:32

[@MrAwesomedude808]

It’s the same deal at WDW’s Carousel of Progress, if you sit close enough to either wall, you’ll hear the next or previous scene respectively. Also during rotation from load to act 1 when you sit close enough to the left hand wall, you’ll hear unload a little bit as the carousel moves once the walls exit the alcoves. Same thing with unload to load, you’ll hear act 4 almost clearly, especially the backing track for the song.

[@SlushysSecret]

Same goes for the travel music, it’s overlapping the other side

[@sfyc]

What a treasure!!

[@Amyed83]

Yes, a legendary treasure!

[@tomperkins4965]

Disneyland in the pre Pixar era of the disney studio & disney parks.

[@markvandivort7587]

The good times ...

[@luanloud9454]

So true sadly that Pixar tooked its place

[@SlushysSecret]

@@luanloud9454especially the unnecessary change of paradise pier

[@luanloud9454]

​@@SlushysSecret yep

[@RafflesProductions]

That’s impressive the camera man was there himself in this attraction

[@weirdguy5471]

4:54 if you listen you can hear the loading music in the theater next to it

[@battlefornumbers]

I Herd It!

[@bryanjay683]

Thank you so much for posting this! I was wondering if you ever had or have considered posting the other footage from the final day of operation? I understand if you wouldn’t want to due to the story behind it.

[@Chuckecheesethe2nd]

This is never forgetting

[@Catchingthetrains]

😢😢😢 I miss this ride

[@luanloud9454]

Me too 😢😢😢

[@Carousel-theater]

So do i and a major screw up on disneylands behalf

[@davedruid7427]

Saw it back in the time when I visited back then and have just now noticed that they did not do any of the Tunes of WW1 or WW2. They could have done 'Over There' or 'In The Fuhrer's Face' or even 'Pack Up Your Troubles'.

[@ceccappa4686]

Marc Davis said that he wanted to avoid war songs in case it caused controversy.

[@jessquinn6106]

Never saw the ride personally. But I had the LP of the ride with drawn images of the characters. Its sad its was taken down.

[@SuperEagle1993]

They should in Main Street USA

[@tristanwilliams4180]

i wish, i would love to see them again just one more time

[@ice-choco-Icecream]

Mario Jimenez maybe like characters such like Mickey and Donald, would be nice

[@JavaCake]

Or Liberty Square in Magic Kingdom

[@yellowrobloxsunshinelover837]

Omg look at Sam's hair at 13:00

[@Amyed83]

LOL

[@Iinemiida]

well he’s definitely not a BALD eagle

[@Laserashton]

@@Iinemiida Sam looks so weird without a hat on, Come On Sam, Wear A Hat Because You Look Like A Freak Without One On.

[@TreadwellJay]

@@Laserashton a gentleman removes his hat when seated. ;)

[@luanloud9454]

​@@TreadwellJaylol

[@donaldcrabtree6259]

Great video. Wish they could use that theater in the same way again. The SW Launch Bay is a downer compared to America Sings and even Carousel of Progress.

[@patrickisebola6390]

And you also posted this with no employees 😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱also you recorded this when America sings date close April tenth

[@luanloud9454]

R.I.P. America Sings

[@joydisney]

I was there the last performance before the park closed! Was this after?

[@Maxcool6]

10:6 i think i like it