Food Rocks was an attraction at Epcot's The Land pavilion presented by Nestlé in the Walt Disney World Resort. The attraction, a musical stage show, with audio-animatronic figures, opened on March 26, 1994.[1] The attraction closed on January 3, 2004.[2]
| Food Rocks | |
|---|---|
 Official attraction poster | |
| Epcot | |
| Area | Future World (The Land Pavilion) |
| Coordinates | 28°22′25″N 81°33′08″W / 28.37361°N 81.55222°W |
| Status | Removed |
| Opening date | March 26, 1994 |
| Replaced | Kitchen Kabaret |
| Replaced by | Soarin' (World Nature) |
| Ride statistics | |
| Attraction type | Audio-Animatronic Theater show |
| Designer | Walt Disney Imagineering |
| Theme | Nutrition |
| Duration | 12:39 |
| Host | Fūd Wrapper |
| Sponsor | Nestlé |
Synopsis
editThe show was themed as a benefit concert for good nutrition hosted by Fūd Wrapper, who was voiced by real-life rapper Tone Loc.[3] However, the show was continually interrupted by the Excess, a junk food heavy metal band that detests nutrition.[4] In the end, The Excess lost their power as Wrapper exclaimed, "No power? You guys have been unplugged! There's plenty of foods out there that are good to eat, but remember, always eat in moderation."
The Audio-Animatronic characters were food items with human features.[5] The music was based on popular songs by well-known performers, with lyrics adapted to the topic of nutrition. For example, "The Peach Boys", singing "Good Nutrition", was based on The Beach Boys' song "Good Vibrations". Five of these acts used the voices of the parodied musicians themselves: Tone Loc, Neil Sedaka, Little Richard, The Pointer Sisters, and Chubby Checker. The only character who wasn't an animatronic was "Chubby Cheddar" who appeared as a silhouetted projection on the center stage wall. The lead singer for "The Refrigerator Police" (parody of The Police) was a repurposed version of the Mr. Dairy Goods animatronic from Kitchen Kabaret. Many of the characters returned for the finale.
Tina Turner was offered a role as "Tina Tuna" who would sing a song called "What's Meat Got to Go With It?", but she declined the offer.[6]
History
editFood Rocks debuted inside The Land pavilion at Epcot Center on March 26, 1994. It replaced the former audio-animatronic show, "Kitchen Kabaret".
Music acts
edit| Act | Song | Fictional group/artist | Parody of |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | We'll Make It Count in the Kitchen | The U-tensils (Possibly a spoof of U2) | Queen - "Bohemian Rhapsody" |
| 2 | Good Nutrition | The Peach Boys | The Beach Boys - "Good Vibrations" |
| 3 | Every Bite You Take | Refrigerator Police | The Police - "Every Breath You Take" |
| 4 | High Fiber | Pita Gabriel | Peter Gabriel - "Sledgehammer" (voiced by Jess Harnell) |
| 5 | Always Read the Wrapper | Fūd Wrapper | Tone Loc - "Funky Cold Medina" |
| 6 | Just Keep It Lean | The Sole of Rock 'n' Roll | Cher - "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)" |
| 7 | Tutti Frutti | Richard | Cover song (with lyrical changes), Little Richard (name parodied) |
| 8 | Vegetables are Good for You | Neil Moussaka | Neil Sedaka - "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" |
| 9 | Let's Exercise | Chubby Cheddar | Chubby Checker - "The Twist" |
| 10 | We Love Junk | The Excess | Original song written for the show |
| 11 | Just a Little Bit | The Get-the-Point Sisters | Aretha Franklin - "Respect" (song parodied), The Pointer Sisters (name parodied)[7] |
| 12 | Choose Before You Chew | Entire Cast (minus Neil Moussaka, and Chubby Cheddar) | Queen - "Bohemian Rhapsody" (Reprise) |
See also
editReferences
edit- "Food Rocks". WDWHistory.com. Retrieved April 12, 2006.
- Notes
- ^ Sloan, Gene (April 17, 1994). "Update on EPCOT". The San Bernardino County Sun. p. G10. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
- ^ Smith, Dave. "Food Rocks".
- ^ The History of Kitchen Kabaret and Food Rocks - Expedition Epcot (YouTube). April 28, 2018. Event occurs at 9:06-9:28. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
- ^ The History of Kitchen Kabaret and Food Rocks - Expedition Epcot (YouTube). April 28, 2018. Event occurs at 10:17-10:23. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
- ^ Geryak, Cole (August 11, 2016). "Disney Extinct Attractions: Epcot's Tastiest Shows". The Laughing Place. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
- ^ TTTS: Interview with Creative Team for the 25th Anniversary of "FOOD ROCKS" (YouTube). July 24, 2020. Event occurs at 13:21-14:25. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
- ^ "Food Rocks - Epcot Archives". Archived from the original on January 29, 2016.