At Walt Disney World, from May 1973 to early 1981, a scene from a planned attraction called the Western River Expedition was on display in the post-show exhibit area of the Walt Disney Story on Main Street USA.
The boat ride was slated to be part of a multi-attraction feature of the Magic Kingdom's Frontierland area called Thunder Mesa.
The WRE display on Main Street USA included a scale model of the proposed ride's Town Scene, with cowboys, can-can girls and horses joining together to continue a musical theme that began in a prior scene.
Adjacent to the model was an audio-animatronic owl who spoke to guests about his role in the upcoming ride and gave a brief history of the technology that brought him to life.
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| Retouched 1995 photo of WRE model as it appeared when shipped back to the Walt Disney Archives from where it was rediscovered in Florida several years prior Image source: Marc Davis In His Own Words, 2019 Christopher Merritt & Pete Docter |
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| Original scan of 1995 photo of WRE model as it appeared when shipped back to the Walt Disney Archives from where it was rediscovered in Florida several years prior Image source: Marc Davis In His Own Words, 2019 Christopher Merritt & Pete Docter |
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| Model mentioned in a May 1973 issue of WDW Eyes & Ears Newsletter |
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| Audio-Animatronic Owl near the WRE model c. 1975 Image source: Jerry Klatt |
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Link to owl audio on WYW's YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Alrrkt60KF0
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| Audio-Animatronic Owl near the WRE model c. 1975 Image source: Jerry Klatt |
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