The Wonders of Life pavilion was a large dome with tons of indoor attractions all about health and fitness. These attractions included a few rides, shows, shops, and even a healthy restaurant, each having its own theme. Body Wars was a thrill-ride motion simulator that took guests through the human body; The Making of Me was a lighthearted show that taught the basics of where babies come from; Wonder Cycles were stationary bikes with television screens you could exercise on and feel like you were riding through Disneyland Park or the Rose Bowl. These are only a few examples of what the Wonders of Life pavilion was all about, and Cranium Command fits right in with the rest of them.
Before the show, guests sat in a waiting room themed only with posters encouraging them to enlist in the “Cranium Command,” as well as some brain teasers and puns. Then guests walked through a hallway with bright-colored carpet on the walls and into another showroom. Soon General Knowledge–an animated, very loud and intimidating military general–appears on the screen. He begins debriefing his new troops, the audience, about their upcoming mission. The mission is to pilot a human brain, and we have one of the most difficult of them all: the brain of a twelve-year-old boy!
We are then introduced to Buzzy, our main pilot. Buzzy is a tiny, humble, unassuming, bumbling little soldier. He is automatically liked by the audience, not surprisingly.
Guests are taken to the main showroom where they are seated in a dark room resembling the inside of a human head. The audio-animatronic Buzzy is sitting in the pilot seat, which can move around the room during the show. They are then introduced to some of the most important organs involved here: the left brain, right brain, the heart’s left and right ventricles, the stomach, bladder, adrenal gland, and the animatronic hypothalamus. All of these organs belong to the host, a twelve-year-old boy named Bobby.
As guests go through an ordinary day with Bobby, each organ communicates with the brain about what they need. Of course, this turns into an argument between the organs, as each feels they should be taken care of first. By the end of the show, Buzzy learns how to best handle stressful situations while remaining calm.
After the Wonders of Life pavilion lost its sponsorship with MetLife, The Walt Disney Company no longer had the funds to maintain it. Many say it was like the pavilion was suddenly frozen in time until the decaying and lack of upkeep became obvious. Cranium Command closed along with the rest of the pavilion in 2007. Before that, it had only been a seasonal attraction anyway. Fans were very disappointed about the closure of the pavilion, but especially about the loss of Cranium Command and Body Wars. The front of the attraction became a location for wine tastings and festivals. Otherwise, the show itself was left completely abandoned and untouched for years by Disney Imagineers.
Abandoned and collecting dust for several years, Buzzy sat alone in the dark immobile. That was, at least, until December 2018. It was leaked to the public by a few (now deleted) tweets that Buzzy had been stolen.
Since then there have been rumors of a police report being filed by The Walt Disney Company. According to these rumours, the Buzzy animatronic was unceremoniously removed about a month before the leaked information, in November 2018. The hydraulics were cut which meant that hydraulic juices were spilled everywhere. It was not done well, which implies that it was not some rogue Imagineer who knew how to properly remove it without damage. It had to be either a cast member or a trespassing guest. The overall cost of damages was around $120,000.
As investigations went on, the police officially confirmed that not only had Buzzy been stolen but his clothing was stolen prior to the theft of the animatronic itself. Additionally, there were things stolen from the Magic Kingdom, such as a dress that belonged to one of the dancing ghosts in the Haunted Mansion.
A man by the name of Patrick Spikes was arrested and pleaded guilty to the crimes. He was given 10 years of probation and community service, and banned from all Disney property for life. Outside of his plea, Spikes retains his innocence and refuses to reveal the location of the Buzzy animatronic. Although, Buzzy’s clothing has been found. They were sold to NBA player Robin Lopez who claims he did not know they were stolen upon the purchase. We may never know where Buzzy is, and that drives most Disney fans a little bit crazy.
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