Timekeeper
Tomorrowland
Magic Kingdom Archives

2/15/06: After being listed as "seasonal" since April 2001, Disney announced today that effective February 26, 2006, this Tomorrowland attraction is officially closed for good.
A new attraction for this location is being developed by Walt Disney Imagineering
and details will be announced in the future.

Character meet and greets with Buzz Lightyear and Stitch
formerly held in Timekeeper's lobby will be relocated elsewhere in Tomorrowland.
The Incredibles are slated to return to the Disney-MGM Studios.

Introduction | Attraction | Touring Tips | Kids and Characters | Dining | Shopping | Interesting Facts

INTRODUCTION

Hosted by a mad-scientist robot with the voice of the manic Robin Williams, Timekeeper is a wild journey into the past and the future, presented in a Circle-Vision 360º film in Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom. Note that the Timekeeper has been designated as a "seasonal" attraction, which means it's only operating during the busiest seasons.

ATTRACTION

Pre-show -- Enter the Metropolis Science Center lobby, where you can sit on the floor to wait for the next showing of the film. There is a four-minute pre-show on elevated TV monitors that features the highlights of the career of the Timekeeper, as seen through the eyes of 9-Eye, the Timekeeper's wise-cracking robotic assistant.

The Timekeeper -- As you enter the theater, you see a metallic, robotic man that bears a strong resemblance to comedian Robin Williams. The reason soon becomes apparent as the Timekeeper greets visitors with Williams' voice. There are nine screens encircling the room, and during the film images are projected all around you. Because these images are most fully appreciated if you can turn 360 degrees freely, there are only railings to lean on in this theater, no seats. Timekeeper explains that he'll be sending his droid 9-Eye through time via the time machine at his side. With her nine eyes (one for each screen surrounding you), 9-Eye will be able to send everything she sees back to the viewers.

After lots of sparks and a few mistarts in which 9-Eye is transported back to the time of the dinosaurs, the Ice Age, da Vinci, Mozart, and a few other time periods, the droid ends up in Paris circa 1900. She meets up with authors H.G. Wells (actor Jeremy Irons) and Jules Verne (French actor Michel Piccoli) and inadvertently ends up bringing the latter along for the rest of her adventure through the modern world and into the future. Eventually, 9-Eye returns Verne to his proper time period and the show concludes with many wisecracks from The Timekeeper. (Our favorite is as the robot sends the audience off with, "All feet are the same!" (Auf weidersehen!))

TOURING TIPS

Timekeeper has been designated as a "seasonal" attraction, which means it's only operating during the busiest seasons. Check the daily Times Guide for its operating hours.

There is NO seating available in Timekeeper, since it is a Circle-Vision 360 movie -- there are only lean rails, which are just there to be leaned, not sat, on!

This attraction is wheelchair accessible.

At Large Tip: If you get there early, there are a few bench seats in the preshow area. Very wheelcchair/scooter friendly. You do have to stand for the show which seemed to be about 20 min. You also have to take kids out of strollers- except on e-ticket nights!- and hold onto them which adds to the strain of standing if you have little ones. There are waist-high bars you can lean against in the main show area, but don't count on getting one if it is full and you are the last one in the door. I'd estimate that 1 out of 4 guests actually gets to lean against one of the bars, so try to get towards the front of the crowd for this show. Very little walking to get in/out of the theater, and only a very gradual slope down and back out- no stairs or steep ramps. I am a supersize woman.

Assistive Listening Devices from Guest Services can be used here.

Reflective captioning available.

KIDS AND CHARACTERS

Disney Characters are typically not found around the Timekeeper attraction, but next door at Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, you may find Buzz Lightyear! Check your daily Times Guide for times and locations.

Magic Kingdom Characters at a Glance 
Character Meet and Greet FAQ!

DINING

Tomorrowland has a number of fast food places from which to grab a quick bite -- closest is the Lunching Pad, but not too far from there is Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe.

Magic Kingdom Restaurants at a Glance
Menus from Around the World
Vegetarian and Other Special Diets

SHOPPING

There are no big shops in the vicinity of the Timekeeper, but there are a number of nearby vendor carts selling Buzz Lightyear merchandise. Across Tomorrowland, there are two bigger shops, The Merchant of Venus and the recently renovated Mickey's Star Traders.

INTERESTING FACTS

This space has housed a number of attractions: America the Beautiful (11/25/1971), Magic Carpet ’Round the World (3/16/1974), American Journeys (9/15/1984), and now The Timekeeper, which opened 11/21/1994, closed on April 29, 2001.

Timekeeper reopened during summer 2001, but closed again after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 -- possibly since the film includes a few seconds of the now-destroyed World Trade Center towers in New York City. Timekeeper opened again in October 2003 when the ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter closed to help handle crowds, but is now again officially listed as a "seasonal" attraction.

Famous voices in this attraction are that of Robin Williams as the Timekeeper and Rhea Perlman as 9-Eye. Actor Jeremy Irons portrays author H.G. Wells at the beginning and ending of the film.

There is a French version of this attraction at Disneyland Paris, called Le Visionarium, which opened on April 12, 1992.

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