Audio-Animatronics can often have more than one life in Disney parks. These geese, originally a quartet in America Sings, are no exception. As their original show was winding down, a new attraction was being created. Splash Mountain.

The goose animatronics (along with the other animatronics of America Sings) were repurposed for the newly developed attraction. Their patriotic clothes were traded for a more country look.

But two of the geese found themselves in a different type of attraction. These geese would be removed of their synthetic skins and turned into droids named G2-9T and G2-4T in the Star Tours queue.

While Splash Mountain has closed, and we wait to see if some of these animatronics return, you can still see the Star Tours geese, greeting guests in their second life, 50 years after their America Sings debut.

Since an empty building was out of the question, the Imagineers had to come up with a replacement show. With the upcoming Bicentennial as an inspiration, Marc Davis whipped up a spectacular musical revue, complete with 114 singing animals that represented the forefront of audio-animatronic technology.

Davis used characters from an unfinished movie that was to be called “Chanticleer.” The use of costumed animals instead of people helped hide any limitations in movement that might have occurred. Del Monte stepped in as the new sponsor. The show moved guests on a history of America by using more than 40 musical numbers, including songs from the Old South sung by the Swamp Boys, the Old West, the Gay Nineties, and even “today” (which seemed more like yesterday!).

Songs for this show included “Yankee Doodle,” “Joy to the World,” “Old Chisholm Trail,” “Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-De-Ay,” and a pig singing “Bill Bailey” (voiced by Golden Horseshoe legend Betty Taylor).

Hosts Sam the eagle (voiced by Burl Ives) & Ollie the owl (Sam Edwards) sang “Yankee Doodle” each time the carousel rotated to introduce a new musical act. It had a fairly long run and didn’t close until April 10, 1988. It has been said that Marc Davis was extremely disappointed when it closed, especially after all the work and creativity he pumped into this show to get it ready in time for a very short deadline. Although it was a rowsing show, this salute to the Great American Songbook really was somewhat out of place in Tomorrowland.

Most of the “animals” in this attraction found a new home at “Splash Mountain” in Critter Country once this show closed.

Beginning at the New York World’s Fair and then relocated to Anaheim in 1967, this Tomorrowland attraction was sponsored by General Electric. The last Anaheim show was in 1988.