The Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show was performed daily at Disney’s Hollywood Studios from May 5, 2005 to April 2, 2016. The show featured live action stunts performed on cars, motorcycles, and jet skis and provided insight into how different stunts are filmed in some of our favorite movies.
The show was popular among fans, which was evident through its routinely packed shows in a stadium that held nearly 5,000 guests. On the show’s final day, It is not surprising that so many of those fans came to see the performance once last time, and to say their good-byes to a favorite attraction. As a seasoned Lights, Motors, Action cast member, I was especially sad to see this attraction go, even though my affection for it didn’t exactly start immediately…
Why Lights, Motors, Action!?
Image: Brittany DiCologero
In the fall of 2014, I was participating in the Disney College Program as a merchandise cast member in Animal Kingdom’s Dinoland USA. I was planning on extending my program into the next semester, and while I did enjoy merchandise I was hoping I would be assigned to a different role. In hopes that I would be placed in attractions, I listed my favorite rides in the location requests section of the application: Spaceship Earth, the Haunted Mansion, Tower of Terror, and Expedition Everest.
A couple of weeks later, one of my managers in Dinoland presented me with a preliminary training schedule for my new location, which the form stated would be in Hollywood Studios. Immediately upon reading the schedule, I could not help but assume that I was placed at Tower of Terror. Even though I would not find out my new location until a week before I was to transfer, my hopes had been up so high for Tower of Terror, that anything less would have felt like total devastation.
Image: Brittany DiCologero
When the time finally came to view my next week’s work schedule and discover my new location, I was met with disappointment and confusion. No part of my schedule appeared to be related to Tower of Terror—it simply read: “LMA 8:00 – 16:00.” “LMA?” I thought, “Little Merma—no… OH… Lights, Motors, Action!”
A day in the life at Lights Motors Action
Image: Brittany DiCologero
After coming to terms with the realization that I would be working at Lights Motors Action, my first thought was probably similar to many other cast members who end up being placed at show attractions, “but I wanted to work at a ride.” Before I set foot in the attraction itself for my training, I couldn’t help but think that working at a show would be boring compared to a ride. I wanted to work at one of my favorite attractions like Spaceship Earth, or somewhere with a really interesting storyline like Tower of Terror. I imagined that working at any show would be hours upon hours of telling guests to move all the way down to the end of the row, and not much else. Thankfully, I was wrong.
For attractions cast members, a day at Lights Motors Action starts with meeting in the break room for Track Talk—a short meeting in which the operations’ coordinators would discuss everything we’d need to know to successfully run the show on any given day. Everything from the weather, to how many showings of Fantasmic would be performed that night, to how many guests were expected to enter the park, would be discussed in Track Talk.
Image: Brittany DiCologero
Following Track Talk, each cast member would pick up his or her position for the first show of the day. Lights Motors Action typically only had two shows per day, with the exceptions of the busier times of year when a morning show was added. As a guest, you are probably familiar with a couple of the positions at Lights Motors Action, because they are replicated at most other attractions in any Disney park: greeter (greets guests entering the attraction), photocell (stands behind a counter where guests are automatically counted upon entering, also greeting and directing the crowd), strollers (parks the strollers), and Fastpass (works the Fastpass entrance).
The positions that are more specific to Lights Motors Action, at least in how they function, include merge assist (merges the Fastpass and the standby lines), merge (separates guests based on individual needs like lower level, wheelchair, or transfer seating, while directing the crowd based on the coordinator’s radio calls), covered queue (directs guests either through the tunnel or to the left side of the stadium based on the coordinator’s radio calls, and loads elevators with guests using wheelchairs and their parties, opens and closes gates to prepare for the show’s finale), covered queue assist (directs guests on the mezzanine, and keeps and accurate count of how many wheelchair transfer seats are remaining for other cast members), house assist and VIP (seat guests using wheelchairs and VIP parties), house right and house left (load all other guests into the stadium and direct the crowd based on the coordinator’s radio calls), and of course, packer (makes sure guests move all the way to the end of their rows).
Image: Brittany DiCologero
Like any other work location at Disney, cast members have their favorite and least favorite positions to work. My favorite positions were pretty much anything that didn’t require me to pack. I wasn’t crazy about covered queue because I found prepping the gates for the finale of the show to be a bit stressful, but in general anything that didn’t involve me trying (and probably failing) to get guests to move all the way down was a good position to me.
For the sake of this article however, let’s pretend our hypothetical cast member did indeed pick up covered queue. After learning their fates for the first show, Lighs Motors Action cast members would head out into the park to super-greet. Super-greeting is Disney speak for hanging out in the park and talking to guests- answering questions, and creating magical moments. For most attractions cast members, super-greeting only really happens when a ride is experiencing a downtime, which means that many of the guests’ questions are going to be about what is wrong and when it will reopen, and super-greeting in general is probably not as regular of an occurrence.
Image: Brittany DiCologero
At Lights Motors Action, cast members super-greet for about an hour or so before showtime. While a couple of cast members should be stationed near the entrance of the attraction, other cast members were free to walk around the Streets of America area to interact with guests. When I worked at Lights Motors Action, this not only meant creating magic for guests on our own, but also with Mulch, Sweat, and Shears, the band that performed on Streets of America until last year.
Once the line opens to allow guests to enter the show, all the cast members would behind to make their way back to the attraction. Certain cast members, like greeter and Fastpass for instance, would need to be in position when the line opened, while other cast members had no real duties to complete until guests were to be let into the stadium.
Car and crowd control
Image: Brittany DiCologero
As covered queue, our cast member would be responsible for keeping guests behind a gate near the tunnel that goes into the seating area, until the coordinator gives the okay to start letting guests into the stadium. Once covered queue begins letting guests in, he or she must direct them through the tunnel onto Camera Alley (where the camera truck tends to drive back and forth during the show) so that they can find their seats. The covered queue cast member needs to be able to multitask and communicate clearly with other cast members over the radio, as this position involves monitoring the flow of guests into the stadium, while loading guests into the elevator and communicating with cast members on the mezzanine to keep an accurate count of how many seats remain.
When the coordinator calls it, covered queue needs to stop guests from entering the tunnel, and keep them behind the gate so he or she can change the direction of the gates. It can sometimes be difficult to stop a crowd from entering the stadium as just one person, but with some practice it can be done with ease. Once the gates in the tunnel are closed, covered queue redirects the guests to the left side of the stadium, while still assisting guests using the elevator and keeping radio contact with the mezzanine.
Image: Brittany DiCologero
Once the line is backed up enough, covered queue would call the coordinator and alert him or her of the backup, so that he or she could direct the cast member working at merge to change the direction of the crowd. At is time, covered queue would only need to work with guests using the elevator, or guests who would be seated in the house left lower level and/or wheelchair and transfer seating.
During the show, the covered queue cast member has it easy, as he or she is simply a resource for guests who exit the show early, and as basic security making sure guests do not go anywhere that they shouldn’t. Right before the show’s finale, when the red hero car goes up the ramp and through a wall of flames, covered queue is responsible for ensuring no guests are in the tunnel area, and opening the tunnel gates so that the car can get through. Accurate and efficient radio communication following cues from the show is key here so that guests in the stands know to exit on house right, as the covered queue area will be blocked off during the finale.
Image: Brittany DiCologero
Once the finale is over, covered queue must act quickly putting all of the gates back to their original positions so that guests exiting the show can do so as soon as they are ready. As the stadium empties out, Lights Motors Action cast members will grab pickers, buckets, pans, and brooms to clean the stadium. The first members who arrive to the stadium would be responsible for sweeping anything small but primarily popcorn, and the cast members using the pickers and buckets would pick up large pieces of trash. Once their buckets fill up, they’d separate the trash and recycling into larger barrels and go back for some more until the stadium was clean and ready for the next show.
“Ka-chow!”
Image: Brittany DiCologero
Before I began my college program at Lights Motors Action, I honestly did not understand how truly great the show was. I saw the show once, back in 2006, just one year after it opened. I knew the stunts were impressive, but as a thirteen year old girl being dragged around by the grownups of the family in the heat of July, it was not one of the more memorable moments of the trip. The second time I watched the show, was during my first day of on the job training last year. Of course, I was able to watch Lights Motors Action countless times before it closed, and I am so appreciative of the memories this experience had afforded me.
Image: Brittany DiCologero
After only a couple of weeks of working at Lights Motors Action, my initial disappointment that I was not placed at a ride seemed to disappear. There were logistical differences that I felt made working at a show better, such as our numerous chances to interact with guests before the show, and our daily schedule where we basically knew how the entire day was going to work. (In other areas in Disney, you might be working a rotation, which means you probably won’t know what other positions you’ll be working each day or when your breaks will be until they actually happen). Working at a show over a ride also means that you get to experience the attraction firsthand with the guests. When you work at a ride, you might load and unload guests from the attraction, but you are never going to be on the attraction with them. By working at Lights Motors Action, I was able to see the excitement on the guests’ faces while watching the show each shift.
Drivin’ in the rain
Image: LMA Family
The last day of Lights, Motors, Action! on April 2, 2016 came with three shows and an unpredictable weather forecast. I attended the 11:00 and the 4:00 shows on the last day, and thankfully the weather turned around just in time for the last performance.
While the first show was a bit rainy, the crowd did not let the weather get to them, and the cast and crew were all geared up to put on the last couple of shows for the guests. In some respects, the first show of the day felt like the last because so many fans had made it a point to attend the morning show in case the final show did end up being cancelled for weather. Each show of the day was marked with touching moments between the cast and crew, and multiple standing ovations from the audience. The weather miraculously turned around, and the sun actually came out in full force for the last performance.
Image: LMA FamilyPrior to the final show of the day, all of the drivers took to the stage where the audience cheered them on and showed their appreciation for all that they do. With the audience still cheering, the drivers who were not performing in the final show joined guests in the stands, where they were able to watch the show from the deck of the tech booth.
Much of the show went on as it usually does, with a few emotional introductions and extra standing ovations from the crowd. The director and assistant director’s heartfelt yet excited attitudes kept the audience actively engaged with the rest of the cast, and helped to make for a very touching final show.
Image: Brittany DiCologero
While the show rightfully remained true to its original style, other unique moments took place throughout the final performance: As some of the drivers were introduced to the audience, they were recognized for their hard work and dedication to their careers—many of the drivers also work on stunts for movies, and had been driving at Lights Motors Action since the beginning, and their achievements were recognized throughout. The kids who were selected to drive the Hero 3 car for the last day of shows were able to shake the hands of all of the drivers in the stands. The burning man showed a less serious side than usual, dancing, waving, and blowing the audience kisses all while being engulfed in flames. For the show’s final sequence, the Hero car drove through the doors before going up the ramp for the last jump through a wall of flames.
When the finale was over, and everyone was gearing up to say their final goodbyes, the drivers exited their cars and joined the rest of the cast and crew on stage for a few final words from the director: “Walt Disney said, ‘it’s kind of fun to do the impossible,’ and we’ve done the impossible for eleven years… They say don’t be sad when something fantastic, or something great goes away, just be happy and grateful that it existed, and we are happy and so grateful that this existed…”
The end of an era
Image: Brittany DiCologero
With one last standing ovation, Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show had officially come to an end, and the stands slowly began to empty out. The guests who did stay after the show eventually made their way onto Camera Alley, and gathered around the canal at the front of the stage. From there, the standing ovation continued, as onlookers watched the drivers share a few final moments onstage with the friends who had turned into family over the eleven years of the show’s run. One of the best parts of being at the last performance of LMA was being able to see firsthand how the drivers had truly become a family, and how the show was a huge part of their lives. Similar to myself, and the other operations cast members, the drivers, along with the rest of the cast and crew were clearly extremely grateful for the opportunity they had to bring magic to guests watching the show day after day.
Image: LMA FamilyAs the stands were then clear of all guests, and anyone remaining essentially surrounded the drivers on Camera Alley, it appeared that the only guests left were friends and family of the drivers or other cast members. Since it was the last show, the drivers then engaged in the well-known tradition of jumping into the canal. Jumping into the canal was a tradition among the drivers for when one of their own left the show to move on to another career endeavor, however since this was the last show for all of the drivers, they all ended up in the canal together. Even in the fairly limited amount of time that I spent working at LMA, it was easy for me to understand how much those final moments meant to the drivers. This tradition was something that had brought them all together over the years, and it was something they would remember forever as a tradition that lasted until the final performance.
Image: Brittany DiCologero
One of my favorite moments for everyone who stayed after the last show was when the remaining guests were able to walk onstage, and get up close to the cars, motorcycles, and other props. While I have had numerous opportunities to see the cars up close, it was definitely a nice moment for other guests who had never experienced the feeling of being on the stage of one of their favorite Disney shows. It was also yet another moment where the cast of the show and guests were really able to relate to each other in the mutual love that everyone had felt towards LMA.
Image: Brittany DiCologero
The operations cast members, including myself, attended an after party at a nearby restaurant, where we were able to reminisce with current and former cast about our time working at the show. While everyone was obviously sad about one of our work locations closing, it was great to have everyone together and give the show a nice send off, complete with food, good company, and a signature drink called “the LMA Blue” (after the color of our shirts). The after party was especially nice for myself and other college program participants, who had not seen many of the other cast members since we worked there during our programs.
Image: LMA Family
Even though Lights Motors Action had long been rumored to close soon, I never would have guessed that this one show would have had such an impact on me before I started working there. It will definitely be a strange feeling in years to come when we can no longer walk down the Streets of America, and hear the cars revving up for the next show. I could not be more grateful for the opportunity I had to work at Lights Motors Action, even if only for such a brief time, and I wish all of the cast and crew the best of luck in whatever the future holds for them. The director’s final words in the last show put it best: “On behalf of the entire cast and crew, thank you for being here, thank you for supporting us over the years. I can now officially say ‘cut!’ that officially is a wrap. Enjoy the future of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and remember, drive safely!”
