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1995-05-09
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104 lines
Subject: Article: Disney & UFOs
Date: 6 May 95 03:30:08 GMT
Sender: ufgate@paranet.FIDONET.ORG (newsout1.26)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:2430/2112.3 - The Temples o, Springfield IL
Lines: 105
Article from The Orlando Sentinel, May 3, 1995.
------------------------------------------------
Bo Poertner
ACROSS VOLUSIA
Disney encounter lifts UFO believers
Within the next five years, we might be exploring the universe
in an alien spacecraft.
That's what believers in UFOs say - the aliens are coming.
Walt Disney World wants us prepared for the experience.
Disney is revamping its Tomorrowland attraction and the corner-
stone of the $100 million project is The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien En-
counter.
To help spread the word about its new attraction, Disney produced a
film about UFOs, alien abductions and a government cover-up. The
hourlong film was broadcast locally on WOFL-Channel 35 in Lake Mary on
March 18.
"Alien Encounters from Tommorow land" attracted little attention from
the public, perhaps because it ran at midnight. But it captivated
followers of the UFO phenomenon.
They are in a frenzy of delight over the film, which promotes the new
attraction but wraps it in a boldly written documentary that leaves no
doubt about the existence of alien intelligence - at least in the
minds of believers.
"No one believes "Alien Encounters" has anything to do with Alien
Encounters at Disney World," said DeLand resident Don Zanghi, who
counsels UFO abductees.
"We believe the purpose of it is that the government is doing a con-
trolled release of information and the best way to do it is through
Disney," he said.
Disney recruited free-lance film-maker Andy Thomas, a UFO believer,
to research, write and produce the film which is narrated by televi-
sion actor Robert Urich. Word of the film and its contents is
spreading quickly throughout the national UFO community, Zanghi said.
In the film's opening sequence, a "spacecraft" flits across the sky
while Urich intones:
"This is not swamp gas. It is not a flock of birds. This is an actual
spacecraft piloted by alien intelligence - one sighting from tens of
thousands made over the last 50 years on virtually every continent on
the globe.
"Intelligent life from distant galaxies is now attempting to make
open contact with the human race and tonight we'll show you the evi-
dence."
The next sequence is classic Disney - Mickey Mouse and dancing paint
brushes, Tinkerbell and fireworks exploding around Cinderella's
castle. Disney CEO Michael Eisner even appears on camera.
Then there's Urich again, explaining that America unintentionally in-
vited aliens to Earth by exploding the atomic bomb in 1945 and
creating a "cosmic calling card."
Retired Air Force intelligence officer Kevin Randle explains that
the federal government found it imperative to withhold UFO informa-
tion. Technologically superior civilizations invariably undermine
the social structure of technologically inferior civilizations and
cause their collapse, he said.
So, was the film created for the government to confess to past mis-
deeds, to let the public in on its secrets?
Nah.
"The government has nothing to do with the television show. It's
strictly a TV vehicle to promote the new attraction," said Tim Klein,
senior producer for broadcast marketing at Disney.
A huge financial incentive exists for Disney to get as much market-
ing mileage as possible. Steve Baker, a theme park consultant in Or-
lando, told The Orlando Sentinel in January that the new Tomorrow-
land could draw up to 1 million visitors - depending on the strength
of Disney's marketing.
Perhaps Zanghi and Disney both will get what they want. Disney wants
more visitors at the Magic Kingdom.
And Zanghi is glad to see the UFO story told in a strong, positive
forum. "What is there [in the film] is what we have been saying all
along, only in stronger terms."