Turtle Talk with Crush

Turtle Talk with Crush

Turtle Talk with Crush at Epcot
Epcot
Area Future World
Status Operating
Opening date November 16, 2004
Disney California Adventure
Area Hollywood Land
Status Closed
Opening date July 15, 2005
Closing date July 15, 2009
Hong Kong Disneyland
Name 哈囉阿古
Area Main Street, U.S.A.
Status Closed
Opening date May 24, 2008
Closing date August 10, 2008
Tokyo DisneySea
Name Turtle Talk
Area American Waterfront
Status Operating
Opening date October 1, 2009
Children's Hospital of Orange County
Area Second Floor
Status Operating
Soft opening date April 2013 (No Specific Date)
General statistics
Attraction type Meet n greet
Designer Walt Disney Imagineering
Theme Finding Nemo
Duration 10-16 minutes
Fastpass+ available
Wheelchair accessible
Must transfer from wheelchair
Assistive listening available
Entrance of the Turtle Talk With Crush at the Tokyo Disney Sea (In Japan, it is just called "Turtle Talk".)

Turtle Talk with Crush is a talk show type attraction that has appeared at several of the Disney theme parks. It first opened on November 16, 2004 at "The Living Seas" pavilion (later renamed as "The Seas with Nemo & Friends") at Epcot, and was duplicated at Disney California Adventure in July 2005. The attraction was open in Hong Kong Disneyland from May 24 to August 10, 2008 as part of the "Nonstop Summer Fun" celebration. The attraction opened in Tokyo DisneySea on October 1, 2009.

Designed by Walt Disney Imagineering in collaboration with Pixar, the attraction consists of an improvisational, real-time conversation with Crush, the animated sea turtle character from the Disney·Pixar film Finding Nemo.

A similar version is also featured in the "Animator's Palate" restaurant on the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy cruise ships operated by Disney Cruise Line. In addition, another Turtle Talk with Crush unit was donated to the new CHOC Bill Holmes Hospital by Walt Disney Imagineering during early 2013 to entertain the child patients and their siblings. This was the first attraction created by Imagineering to be placed in a non-Disney environment, but is operating twice a day by volunteering Cast Members. It was featured in the advertisement for the new "Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage" submarine-shaped tour in 2007 before the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage opened to the public in 2007.

Attraction description

Turtle Talk with Crush at Disney California Adventure

Guests are admitted to a movie theater-like room featuring what appears to be a large aquarium-style window opening onto an undersea vista. Children are encouraged to sit on a carpeted area up front so that they may have a better view, while parents and other adults sit on benches behind them. The host and moderator gives a brief introduction to the show, and then Crush swims down to appear in the window. Crush looks and sounds much as he does in Finding Nemo, complete with animated facial expressions and subtle gestures. With the help of the moderator, Crush selects children and adults from the audience and engages them individually in dialogue, asking them questions and responding with quick wit and humor to questions about his life as a sea turtle or any other questions guests choose to ask. Crush individually chooses the children by saying what they are wearing (e.g.: "Oh hey, dudette in the pink shell (shirt) down on the sub floor, what is your name?").

Other events may occur during this improvised conversation, including cameo appearances by other characters from the original film and its sequel. Though the format, structure and rough duration of the show are consistent, the show itself varies considerably depending on the guests' questions and comments. For example, if an audience member asks where Dory is, a special ending involving Dory and Destiny will be triggered, complete with another attempt by Dory and her friend Destiny to speak whale. Crush will also refer to the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage when asked where Nemo is, saying he is at the Tomorrowland Lagoon (where that attraction is).

Technology

The show is a blend of computer graphic techniques, image projection, and interactive improvisation.

The "Window to the Pacific" is a large rear-projection screen portraying an animated undersea environment. The animated image of Crush is a computer graphic avatar controlled by a puppet, operated by a backstage actor/puppeteer whose performance is digitized in real time. Crush's movements and voice-activated lip synch are rendered on the fly and are projected at 60 frames per second, so that the turtle's mouth moves in synchronization with the actor's words. Digital puppetry techniques allow the puppeteer's movements to control the body motions of the projected turtle image. The technology enables each show to be different as Crush responds uniquely to each individual audience.

Using cameras mounted in the theater, the hidden actor can see the audience with whom he is interacting, and thus can refer to the specific appearance and behavior of particular questioners, as well as their location in the theatre. The actor's performance is a combination of semi-scripted banter and improvised responses to guests' questions and comments, delivered in a mimicry of the character voice from the film (originally performed by Andrew Stanton).

See also

References

    This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/28/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.