Circle-Vision 360° is a film format developed by The Walt Disney Company that uses projection screens which encircle the audience.[1]
Circle-Vision 360° developed from the Circarama format, which uses eleven 16 mm projectors.[2] [3] The first Circarama film was A Tour of the West (1955).[4] For the film Italia '61, the number of cameras was reduced to nine, and the 16 mm film was shown using 35 mm projectors.[2] In 1965, Circle-Vision 360° made its official debut, in a nine-camera, 35 mm format. At least one reason for the renaming from Circarama was objections by the owners of Cinerama to the similarity between the two names.[5]
In both the Circarama and Circle-Vision 360° formats, the screens are arranged in a circle around the audience, with small gaps between the screens. The number of screens (eleven or nine) being odd results in a gap being opposite of each screen in the circle. The projectors are placed in these gaps, above the heads of the viewers. Railings are sometimes provided to steady the audience members while viewing the film. The cameras and projection systems for both Circarama and Circle-Vision 360° were designed by longtime Disney animator and visual effects pioneer Ub Iwerks.[6] Circle-Vision 360° cameras have been mounted on top of automobiles for travelog scenes. For The Timekeeper (1992), static cameras and CGI effects were used.[3]
At one time, every one of the Disney Resorts then open had at least one Circle-Vision 360° theater. The Epcot theme park has the only two still operating as of 2022.[5] Circarama and Circle-Vision 360° films have also been featured at various world's fairs.
A Tour of the West and the original 1958 version of America the Beautiful were shot in Circarama. Italia '61 was filmed in 16 mm and billed as a Circarama film, but was shown using nine 35 mm projectors. All other films in the table were shot in Circle-Vision 360°.
| Title | Year | Premiere location | Length (minutes) | class=unsortable | Contributors ! | Sponsor | class=unsortable | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Tour of the West | 1955 | 12 | Aka Circarama U.S.A. | |||||
| America the Beautiful | 1958 | 16 or 18[7] | Producer: James Algar Writer: James Algar | |||||
| Italia '61 | 1961 | Executive producer: Roberto de Leonardis Director: Elio Piccon | Don Iwerks, son of Ub Iwerks, trained the crew, and stayed on to assist throughout the filming. | |||||
| Magic of the Rails | 1964 | Designer: Ernst A. Heiniger | Aka Magie du rail and Zauber de Schiene. | |||||
| America the Beautiful | 1967 | Disneyland | 18 | Reshot and expanded version of the 1958 film. | ||||
| Canada '67 | 1967 | 18 | Director: Robert Barclay[8] | Telephone Association of Canada | ||||
| Magic Carpet 'Round the World | 1974 | 21 | ||||||
| America the Beautiful | 1975 | Magic Kingdom | Monsanto | Version of the 1958 film revised for the United States Bicentennial. | ||||
| O Canada! | 1982 | 18 | ||||||
| Wonders of China | 1982 | Epcot Center | Director: Jeff Blyth Narrator: Keye Luke[9] | |||||
| Magic Carpet 'Round the World | 1983 | Revised version of the 1974 film. | ||||||
| American Journeys | 1984 | Disneyland | ||||||
| Portraits of Canada | 1986 | Aka Images du Canada. | ||||||
| Le Visionarium | 1992 | 18 | Aka Un voyage à travers le temps and From Time to Time. | |||||
| The Timekeeper | 1994 | Magic Kingdom | 18 | Renault | English version of Le Visionarium. Incorporates parts of Magic Carpet 'Round the World. | |||
| Reflections of China | 2003 | Epcot | 12[10] | Director: Jeff Blyth | ||||
| O Canada! | 2007 | Epcot | Narrator: Martin Short Musical score: Bruce Broughton, featuring Eva Avila[11] | Revised and updated version of the 1982 film. | ||||
| Canada Far and Wide | 2020 | Epcot | 12[12] | |||||
| Wondrous China | TBA | Epcot |
The theaters at Expo 58 and Disneyland were built as Circarama theaters. The latter would be upgraded to the Circle-Vision 360° system. Although the theater at Expo 61 predated the use of the Circle-Vision 360° name, it used nine 35 mm projectors. All other theaters in the tables were built as Circle-Vision 360° theaters.
Years in parentheses after a film title indicate the versions of the movie shown at the theater.
| Park | class=unsortable | Location in park ! | class=unsortable | Formal names ! | Opened | data-sort-type=date | Closed ! | class=unsortable | Films shown ! | class=unsortable | Sponsors ! | class=unsortable | Replaced by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Circarama Circle-Vision 360° World Premiere Circle-Vision | July 17, 1955 | September 25, 2000 | A Tour of the West America the Beautiful (1958, 1967, 1975) American Journeys Wonders of China | Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters | |||||||||
| Tomorrowland | Circle-Vision 360° Metropolis Science Center | November 25, 1971 | February 26, 2006 | America the Beautiful (1967, 1975) Magic Carpet 'Round the World (1974) American Journeys The Timekeeper | Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor | ||||||||
| World Showcase (Canada Pavilion) | October 1, 1982 | n/a | O Canada! (1982, 2007) Canada Far and Wide | n/a | |||||||||
| World Showcase (China Pavilion) | October 1, 1982 | n/a | Wonders of China Reflections of China Wondrous China | n/a | |||||||||
| Tomorrowland | Circle-Vision 360° Visionarium | April 15, 1983 | September 1, 2002 | Magic Carpet 'Round the World (1983) American Journeys From Time to Time | Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters | ||||||||
| Le Visionarium | April 12, 1992 | September 6, 2004 | Le Visionarium | Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast |
| Expo | City | Location at Expo | Opened | Closed | Film | Sponsor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States Pavilion | April 17, 1958 | October 19, 1958 | America the Beautiful | Ford | |||
| Fiat Circarama Pavilion | May 1, 1961 | October 31, 1961 | Italia '61 | Fiat | |||
| Transportation Pavilion | April 30, 1964 | October 25, 1964 | Magic of the Rails | Swiss Federal Railways | |||
| April 28, 1967 | October 29, 1967 | Canada '67 | Telephone Association of Canada | ||||
| Vancouver, Canada | Telecom Canada Pavilion | May 2, 1986 | October 13, 1986 | Portraits of Canada | Telecom Canada |