Synergy isn’t just a word for the Disney Company—it’s a state of mind. As noted in part one, several sitcom families have visited Walt Disney World over the past decade—the majority in late 1995/early 1996. On July 31, 1995 the Disney Company and Capital Cities/ABC announced a $19 billion merger, according to Dave Smith author of Disney A to Z.
Last time, you learned about the three pre-merger shows: Blossom and The Golden Girls were produced by Disney-owned Touchstone while Full House aired on ABC. Today, you’ll learn about what happened when ABC sent five more of its sitcom families to Walt Disney World—prior to and in the months after merging with Disney. (In addition, Full House, Step by Step and Family Matters were all Miller-Boyett Productions.) Hopefully you’ll be able to catch one of these episodes in a repeat. Meanwhile, enjoy this trip down sitcom lane.
The Winslow Family of Family Matters enjoyed the perks of staying on property at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. Photo by Sue Holland.
Family Matters
Episodes: “We’re Going to Disney World”
Date: Part 1 – April 28, 1995; Part 2 – May 5, 1995 (ABC)
What brought them to the park?
The Winslows’ nerdy neighbor Steve Urkel, who invented a machine that turns him from Steve to the suave Stephan, heads to Epcot to compete in an inventors competition and invites the Winslows. Everyone flies down but Eddie, who drives down with his friend, Waldo. Excellent shots of the interior of the Wilderness Lodge.
Disney moments/epiphanies
In the first episode, Laura—who loathes Steve but loves Stephan—busts the machine so Steve remains Stephan. It turns out it will take at least a day to get the new parts, so the couple spends a romantic day together accompanied by the Little Mermaid song, “Kiss the Girl.” (Note to those looking for a great place to steal a kiss: the two go on the Mark Twain and enjoy a milkshake with two straws at the Sci-fi Diner at Disney/MGM Studios.)
That night, Laura is told to meet Stephan at Cinderella Castle. Cinderella, herself, tells Laura that “tonight, your prince is coming.” Stephan pulls up in a coach and proposes—and Laura accepts. However the fly in the ointment is Steve’s girlfriend, Myra, who wakes up in the middle of the night feeling something is wrong with her “Stevekins” and heads to Florida.
Eddie and Waldo, who can’t read a map, end up driving to Canada and get their truck stolen by an attractive woman.
Meanwhile, the family feels patriarch Carl, a Chicago cop who can think of nothing but work, is bumming them out. But as soon as he sees the entrance to the Magic Kingdom, he does a complete 180. Just as the family is about to take the 13-story plunge on the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Carl tells them he is quitting his job on the force and they are all moving to Orlando.
In part two, Stephan talks to Carl and asks him for Laura’s hand in marriage. Carl likes the idea, but his wife, Harriet, points out that they are so young. Laura is in Epcot having second thoughts about marrying Stephan based on a lie. Her worries are compounded when Myra shows up and says that if Stephan’s love for Laura means more than Steve’s love for her, she doesn’t want him. Harriet, worried about her husband’s new attitude, tricks him into thinking there’s a problem on the force, and he realizes he’s needed in Chicago too much for them to move.
Happy ending
Stephan fixes the machine and becomes Steve again. He is given the prize for first place, but says he can’t accept it because genetic manipulation is too dangerous. Myra and Steve make up and Laura admits she actually kind of missed him. Waldo and Eddie do make it to the resort—just as the family is about to leave. The episode ends with some insight from Waldo: “Disney World was fun, but I thought there’d be more rides.”
Roseanne
Episodes: “We’re Going to Disney World” and “Disney World War II”
Date: Part 1 – Feb. 20, 1996; Part 2 – Feb. 27, 1996 (ABC)
What brought them to the park?
Family patriarch Dan gets his final paycheck at the Lanford Garage and decides to use the money and go to Walt Disney World. (Note: Many fans and TV critics thought this sort of vacation was entirely out of character for the cynical Conners—but it somehow works anyway.) All of the Disney World scenes take place in Part 2.
Disney moments/epiphanies
(I couldn’t resist noting all the great comments at Disney’s expense in this episode.) Upon arrival at the hotel, the 11 members of the Connor clan and extended family act in a typical Connor way. For example: Dan notes how nice the room is and Roseanne remarks, “Yeah, and we aren’t even on jury duty”; Darlene’s boyfriend, David, discovers a phone in the bathroom; Dan asks Roseanne to take a picture of him with the moveable lamp; and Becky’s husband, Mark, is completely enthralled that the TV set is in the dresser. But Roseanne’s sister, Jackie, gets the best line. “I was reading about this place. This use to be orange groves. But that’s not what one Mr. Walt Disney saw. He saw that lake; he saw that castle; he saw that ample parking with convenient shuttle service and he set out to make that dream.”
The next morning, Roseanne tells her infant son, Jerry, that they are going to see a “big, happy, smiley mouse. Not like the ones we have in the traps at home.” The family heads to the Magic Kingdom and Darlene asks David, “I hear music. Am I dead?” As soon as the rope drops, the family sprints (in slow motion) to “When You Wish Upon a Star,” with David dragging Darlene.
Dan notes he doesn’t care where they all go as long as he can have his beer. Jackie informs him there is no alcohol in the Magic Kingdom, but there is some at Epcot. He looks pleadingly at Roseanne who tells him to go, and the next shot shows Dan running back out entrance to the strains of “When You Wish Upon a Star.” He eventually makes his way to the Rose and Crown Pub in England at World Showcase for a yard-sized beer.
Meanwhile, Darlene, David and D.J. are sitting on a bench in Frontierland doing absolutely nothing except observing the amount of happy couples skipping. Darlene remarks, “Maybe we’ve wandered into some outdoor church.” D.J. begs to go on a ride and David offers to take him. Darlene agrees, noting that, “all this joy and happiness is breaking my spirit.”
When the two return more than an hour later, they are wearing eye patches. Darlene takes away David’s patch and when D.J. asks her if she wants to see the Swiss Family Treehouse, she remarks, “Not unless they have cable and a wet bar.” Finally Darlene grudgingly comes with them to Fantasyland where Winnie the Pooh tries to give her a hug. She shrugs him off at first, but then admits his is the first book she remembers reading and that he’s always been her favorite ever since he got stuck in the hollow tree. She slowly becomes more excited, and gives him a giant hug jumping and shouting, “I love you. I love you. I’m hugging you. I’m hugging Winnie the Pooh.”
David and D.J. return from their trip to Dumbo the Flying Elephant and Darlene, grabbing Pooh by the hand, exclaims, “Space Mountain, here we come!” David remarks, “This is a Magic Kingdom.” “And a creepy kingdom,” D.J. adds.
Of course it’s Disney déjà vu as Becky and Mark get the Tony-Rhonda plot from Blossom of the jealous boyfriend whose girl keeps getting hit on by Disney characters
Roseanne’s mom is taking care of the youngest family members in Mickey’s Toontown, and draws a crowd with her singing of “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” and “Second-Hand Rose.”
As Roseanne and Jackie walk around the park, Roseanne keeps pointing out all the “robots”—including some birds and and man on a bench. Jackie reminds her they haven’t called them robots since the 1950s, so Roseanne corrects herself: “Oh, I’m sorry. Animatronic American.” The two enjoy testing the park’s custodial staff by throwing pieces of popcorn on the ground. However, Roseanne—who doesn’t want Jackie to have all the fun—calls over a cast cember (park employee) in a plaid vest (yes, a member of the Guest Service staff) to “tattle” that Jackie is “littering and totally destroying my fantasy experience.”
And, of course, the cast member responds with, “Good afternoon, ma’am. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help noticing you had difficulty holding on to your refuse. I’d just like to point out that here at the Magic Kingdom we provide numerous trash containers for your convenience. (Obviously it wasn’t a real cast member or he would have said “waste” and not “trash,” as there is no trash in a Disney park.) His answer puzzles Roseanne, who says she will look it up in her Roseanne-to-Disney-World dictionary (she opens up the Birnbaum guide) and responds, “Let me look up, ÔQuit bugging us and go away?’ Here it is, ‘Thank you so much for your help. Have a pleasant afternoon.’” After he leaves she tells Jackie, “Hey, this polite stuff really works, but I feel so dirty.”
Eventually, Roseanne catches up with Dan in Germany as he continues his “beer around the world” tour of Epcot, and the two end up back at the Magic Kingdom as the family gets to together for a trip on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
Happy ending
The Connors end their night at Epcot where Roseanne remarks how happy everyone looks. Darlene gives her address to her new “best friend” Pooh, while D.J. and David look on in their pirates garb; Mark makes sure Goofy’s paws stay off Becky; Grandma advises Mickey to consider dramatic roles since he’s already shown he can do comedy; and Roseanne and Dan kiss as the fireworks go off. (Note: as a nod to their new owners, Roseanne’s last line over the credits is: “You know, that whole Disney operation is tops with me.”)
Step by Step’s Karen Foster faces stage fright at the Neon Armadillo at Pleasure Island, which closed its doors two years later—coincidence? Photo by Sue Holland.
Step by Step
Episode: “We’re Going to Disney World” (Original title, huh?)
Date: Part 1 – May 3, 1996; Part 2 – May 10, 1996 (ABC)
What brought them to the park?
It’s Frank and Carol’s anniversary and Frank’s mother, Helen (played by retro mom June Lockhart), says the two of them can go away by themselves, or the whole family can go to Disney World as an advance on their inheritance. So of course the parents give up their romantic time alone so their children can be happy. The episode includes excellent scenes of the Old Key West Resort (formerly known as the Disney Vacation Club Resort).
Disney moments/epiphanies
In part one, the family arrives at the hotel and they are soon joined by Rich, the best friend of Frank’s son J.T., as well as the Lambert’s neighbor, “Flash” Gordon, who was heading to the Blues Festival in New Orleans when he realized he had to return Frank’s hammer. The next shot shows the family heading to the Magic Kingdom where Frank’s daughter, Al (short for Alexandra), eagerly tells Carol’s daughter Karen—who for some reason brought her giant makeup bag to the park—about all the rides they should go on.
Karen stops powdering her nose long enough to ask Al, “Do you know who the perfect hunk is? Prince Charming. I’d like to party at his castle.” She responds, Karen, he’s a cartoon character. Personally I would rather go with a real man—one of those guys who runs the jungle ride.”
Frank tells Carol he’s worried they’re never going to have time alone. She tells him that the kids can be on their own and his mom can watch the baby so the two of them can go on Peter Pan’s Flight. He responds, “Oh, a kiddie ride.” To which she informs him, “Oh no, it’s a slow moving fantasy ride in the dark.” So he quickly says, “I like the way you think, Tinkerbell.” Except the plan has a small hitch: Helen met a handsome Frenchman on the ferry and will be spending the day with him, and Frank turns into a human coat rack for his kids’ belongings as they head into the park.
Later that night, he and Carol try and get some time alone, but because of Rich’s snoring all of the guys end up in their room—including Rich who wondered where everyone went.
Flash, Carol’s son, Mark, and Frank’s son, Brendan discover that a Russian man holds the record for visiting every attraction in the park, eating at every restaurant and shopping at every stand and store in just under four days. Flash becomes determined to break the record and bring the title back to America.
Brendan is in charge of the advance team and holding Flash’s place in line while Mark controls things at “Disney Ride Central.” A montage shows Flash going from one ride to the next and from cart to cart. He even manages to talk on a cell phone on the Rocket Jets as Mark informs him he has to skip Alien Encounter for the moment and head straight to the Jungle Cruise, where we see Al has met her dream “Jungle Boy.” Flash ends his day in front of the Epcot fountains shouting, “I love this!”
Meanwhile, Karen and Al and Carol’s other daughter, Dana, head to Pleasure Island, where—after seeing all the cute guys—Dana remarks she can see why they named it that. Karen is handed a flier for a country music talent search with a $500 scholarship prize and decides it’s her big chance to be discovered. Plus, Dana and Al could be her backup singers. Dana declines at first saying country music isn’t her thing. However, once a cute guy wearing a cowboy hat passes by and tips his hat to her, she agrees to participate.
When Rich and J.T. exit Pirates of the Carribean—where Rich swears the dog in the jail scene was real—they see two cute girls attempting to read what they call a “confusing map.” (On their way to meet the girls, they pass Captain Hook and Mr. Smee, which prompts Rich to shout, “Hey, loved the movie!”)
In order to impress the girls, J.T. introduces himself as J.T. Disney—with Rich as his bodyguard. One of the girls asks, “Disney? As in Walt Disney?” To which J.T. responds, “I don’t like to talk about it much. I still miss him.” J.T. offers to take the girls to lunch at Pinetta’s—a restaurant the girls say they’ll do anything to eat at, even though it is “really expensive.” Rich points out they are on a budget while they save for their apartment and can’t afford a place like Pinetta’s. J.T. reminds him that you have to spend money to make it and “if we want to make it with these girls we have to spend it.”
After lunch the foursome heads to Epcot via limo—much to the shock of Rich, who tells J.T. he is blowing their money. The next day the guys have given the girls two large plush animals and J.T. heads to the ATM for more money. Once the guys leave the girls, Rich’s girl says to J.T.’s girl, “Do you really believe that guy is J.T. Disney?” The other says, “Who cares, this trip isn’t costing us a dime and we haven’t even had to dip into out apartment fund.”
It turns out J.T. has been keeping track of the money in his head—so they only have $11 left in their account. Rich tells him they’re broke and its all J.T.’s fault. “You didn’t mind spending the money when Ashley was sucking on your neck in the Haunted Mansion,” J.T. tells him. To which Rich replies, “Well I didn’t realize that hickey cost me $1,000 bucks.” The two get in a huge fight and Rich says as soon as he gets enough money he’s heading home to find himself a new best friend.
At the beginning of part two, Mark and Flash are in line at the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular when they are told it will be delayed because the leading man is stuck in traffic. A little boy in line asks his dad if they can come back because Indiana Jones is his favorite, but the dad says they have to go to the airport (for those of you who have seen “Disneyland Showtime,” this is a recycled plot device). So, of course, Flash offers to play the role, even though Mark informs him that it’s going to put them behind schedule. “Some things are more important than the record,” Flash tells him. Once Mark sees the smile on the kid’s face, he realizes Flash was right.
That night, Flash tells the guys he’s disappointed he couldn’t break the record. Mark tells him that the Russian guy was there when the park was open one hour later each night—so Flash still has three hours left the next day if he can do 11 rides, eight souvenir stands and 23 food stands.
Back a the hotel, the girls are practicing “Girls With Guitars” for the umpteenth time, and Al and Dana are getting ticked off at Karen for making them spend their whole vacation in the room. They tell her they want to see the park. “You’ll see it on the Disney Channel; when we get home,” she tells them. She informs them they only have a few hours and that she doesn’t need them—because they are just backup singers. That night, with most of the family in the audience at the Neon Armadillo (although if you have to be 18 at night to get in, I have no idea how most of them would have been allowed to be there), Karen steps on stage alone and freezes up. She runs off the stage with Dana and Al chasing after her. While another singer goes on stage, Karen tells the girls she shouldn’t be a singer.
Rich runs into J.T. at Disney-MGM Studios and the two take potshots at the other’s expense. Rich goes off and J.T. runs into Flash, who wants to help as long as J.T. comes with him on his next ride—the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (coincidentally it’s the same bellhop cast member as on Family Matters). As they go up in the elevator, Flash makes J.T. realize how big a jerk he was to J.T., and agrees to ask forgiveness from Rich. Then the doors open and J.T.—completely oblivious to everything—asks, “What happens next?”
“We drop 13 stories,” Flash tells him.
Happy ending
J.T. catches up with Rich at Epcot, apologizes and offers to cash in his plane ticket and take the bus with Rich so they can restart their apartment fund. The girls convince their sister that she won’t be as nervous if they get on stage with her. So the trio heads to the stage, Karen gets over her stage fright and the whole joint starts jumping. While the family watches Illuminations, Helen says she noticed that Frank and Carol haven’t had any time to themselves, offers to take care of the baby and gives them the keys to her condo for the night. The happy couple kisses as the fireworks go off.
So does Flash break the record? You bet your sweet bippy. Everyone in the last scene is holding American flags as Flash carries a large one up to the steps of the Cinderella Castle where Mickey and all the Lamberts are standing. Flash raises the flag above his head, hugs Mickey and shouts, “Yes! We brought the title back to America!”
It’s the perfect Disney ending!
Boy Meets World
Episode: “The Happiest Show on Earth”
Date: May 10, 1996 (ABC)
What brought them to the park?
Cory’s on-again, off-again girlfriend, Topanga, wins a science competition where the prize is a trip to Walt Disney World. The other two class winners are Ronnie, a guy hoping to woo Topanga, and Kristen, a girl with a huge crush on Cory. Cory and his best friend, Shawn, follow Topanga to the resort as Cory hopes to win back her affections.
Disney moments/epiphanies
A great deal of this episode is spent at Epcot, specifically at the Living Seas attraction in Future World as the kids learn about dolphins. Cory keeps trying to show Topanga how much he cares for her, but unfortunately, Kristen and Ronnie keep getting in the way. Topanga even begins to believe that Cory came to Florida for Kristen and not for her. Since the guys have no money for accommodations, they get a bed and a shower courtesy of Splash Mountain. Over the course of the show, the dolphin trainer explains that one of the dolphins refuses to eat because she lost her mate (analogy anyone?). Just as Cory is on the verge of running out of options, he gets some advice from Step By Step‘s Dana Foster, whose show taped at the same time as this one. The crossover move allows us to see Dana’s sweet side (usually absent during her show), although in the credits she’s just called “Dana,” implying she could just be a lookalike.
Happy ending
Cory talks to the dolphin and explains his dilemma with Topanga. He notes that he would give anything for another chance—which of course Topanga overhears. The two make up in front of Spaceship Earth as the fountains shoot up in the background.
Where to see the show today
Can be seen on the Disney Channel.
The gang on Sabrina helped Disney introduce Animal Kingdom to the world. Photo by Sheila Hagen
Sabrina
Episode: “Disney World”
Date: April 24, 1998 (ABC)
(Note: the episode was shot a week before the park opened and aired two days after Animal Kingdom opened its doors to the public.)
What brought them to the park?
Sabrina’s science class takes a field trip to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. (Why is it no other classes ever get to go to Walt Disney World?)
Disney moments/epiphanies
Sabrina needs to pass a test for her witch’s license and ends up ignoring her best friend, Valerie, who decides to hang out with class snob Libby.
Sabrina’s boyfriend, Harvey, gets a chance to play tour guide on Kilimanjaro Safaris—although he has no idea how he got there—as Sabrina tries to keep Libby away from him.
Sabrina and Valerie end up fighting and before they have a chance to make up, Sabrina, who needs to turn something into an animal and back without using her finger, ends up transforming Valerie and Libby into zebras. Of course Sabrina loses track of the zebras while searching for plants that will help her reverse the spell.
Meanwhile, chaperone Mr. Kraft becomes more suspicious of her strange behaviors and thinks he has finally discovered her secret.
Sabrina’s aunts, who are there for some reason, head to DinoLand U.S.A. to explore the Boneyard. Hilda would rather go on a ride. “I love Splash Mountain more than life itself.” When Zelda exclaims, “I love bones!” Hilda quickly points out, “They’re fake. Disney. Remember?” They come across a frozen caveman—yup, at Disney World—whom Hilda brings to life.
Happy ending
Sabrina does reverse the spell and manages to convince Mr. Kraft that the plants were for an extra credit project. Valerie can’t figure out why she has a craving for grass. Harvey eventually ends his tour, knowing way more about animals than he ever though possible. But the best ending of all is that the aunts manage to get their caveman a job as a cast member (which might explain a thing or two about some of the cast members today).
It’s been several years since a Disney theme park opened its doors to a sitcom. Now that ABC will be bringing TGIF back to the fall line-up (where several of these shows were scheduled at one time or another) perhaps we’ll be seeing more families proclaim the oh-so original line, “We’re Going to Disney World!”
