In Part 3 we explored little-known details about the Carousel of Progress at Disneyland and its upper-level Progress City. Now we turn back the clock even further to a time when the Carousel of Progress was going to have an OMNIMOVER RIDE! This wonderful concept has been right under our noses for years yet we never hear anyone talking about it. Let's gather some concept art and make sense of this great idea. 

After the success of the Carousel of Progress at the World's Fair, Disney pitched a concept to General Electric that included a ride system similar to the system later built for EPCOT Center's Spaceship Earth. The vehicles were to be called "G.E.M.s" or "General Electric Mobiles" (above). How would an entire ride system have fit into the Carousel Theater?

Take a look at the first image in this post and next image below. We've seen these pieces of concept art in various books over the years. The image below has been on display on Main Street at Disneyland for the last few years. But have you ever noticed how the lower level of the Carousel of Progress building is without walls? It's an open-air architecture. The rotating Carousel Theater appears to be on the upper level. Yep, that was the plan.

Disney planned for a switchback ramp on the exterior of the building, much like the one at World's Fair. Guests would have walked from ground-level up to an upper-level queue before boarding the attraction. Audience members would have exited their theater seats after Act 4, then entered a boarding area in front of them.

The following concept art by John Hench has always intrigued and fascinated me. I have often heard and read that this piece represents the speedramp that was built for Tomorrowland '67. You know, the ramp that took the audience from the lower level to the upper level of the building. It's often assumed that the vehicles in the rendering were Peoplemovers. The vehicles are actually "G.E.M.s" and this all takes place on the upper level of the building.

From the upper level, the ride vehicles would have taken passengers on a slow downward spiral towards a Progress City model, as seen in the next piece of concept art. The model city would have been below the Carousel Theater. In fact, it would have been well below the upper level. The center of the model would have been at basement level.

FUN FACT: A basement of sorts was built under the Carousel of Progress building (now the Innoventions building) and is still there today. I would often enter this basement area from a staircase backstage on the far east side of the building not far from the men's locker room. The locker room was on the back side of the Grand Canyon Diorama. A long basement hallway would lead to the Alpine Gardens (now Pixie Hollow) near the Matterhorn. The basement area and hallway look a lot like Magic Kingdom's Utilidors.

The following artwork is a detail from a broader Hench rendering of the General Electric Pavilion at the 1964-65 New York World's Fair. The concept of the zig-zag roofs over various full-scale (or almost full-scale) show scenes was to be included in the omnimover attraction at Disneyland. Not only would guests have traveled closer and closer to the scale Progress City model, they would have experienced up-close views of G.E.-living at its best. 

Show elements would have been similar to G.E.'s "Medallion City" exhibit in their World's Fair Pavilion.

We learn something interesting about the proposed G.E.-sponsored building in the next image, courtesy of the great Tomorrowlounge 67 website. The building was to have an open center, like a donut. This would explain the palm trees in the images 1 and 5 of this post. Would the model city in the center of the donut have been exposed to rain and other weather? Perhaps the model city was protected. Perhaps it was gradually revealed to ride passengers and not visible from the boarding area. I can't be certain.

Another interesting thing we learn from this next piece is that a different People Mover track layout was planned. See how it doesn't stretch down the middle avenue from the rocket tower towards the entrance of the land? Sort of like Magic Kingdom's Peoplemover layout. Also, it appears to travel all the way over towards what is now the Storybook Land queue.

Here I've prepared a set of cross sections representing both the proposed attraction and the attraction that was actually built.

At some point the idea of an open-air lower level was changed to a walled-in lower level. You'll notice the Carousel of Progress show is still on the upper level. It looks like the Peoplemover track was to exit the north side of the building but look how it comes out of the building on the lower level, unlike the version that was actually built.

Why did this magnificent concept never come to pass? My guess would be... money. Isn't it always money?

There are still plenty of mysteries surrounding this Carousel of Progress/Progress City ride. What was it going to be called? What else was it going to include? If you have more information on the subject, please let us know. Email us at Imagineering.Disney@gmail.com.

Related posts:

Tomorrowland '67 [Part 1]
Tomorrowland '67 [Part 2]
Tomorrowland '67 [Part 3]
1967 "New Tomorrowland" Broadcast
America Sings
THEN AND NOW: 1964-65 New York World's Fair
Carousel of Progress Like You’ve Never Seen It

After having such a great time making a tiny Jungle Cruise model I decided to make a tiny model of a couple of other favorite attractions.

I recently decided to make a little Jungle Cruise model for my home office. I'd like to share the process in case others might want to do something similar.

I started by cutting a 2"x2"x1.5" block out of floral foam. You know, the stuff you put at the bottom of vases of fake flowers. 

I then carved a waterway.

Applied paint.

Sprinkled generous amounts of fine modeling turf onto the fresh green paint. Once dry, I blew it off.

Added additional paint and modeling shrubs.

These spiffy little trees are called Fine-Leaf Foliage and come in large clumps. They are a product of Woodland Scenics and can be found at your local hobby store.

I chose to construct the tiny Jungle Cruise boat (old-style) from styrene plastic strips.

Boat Construction Update: Since the initial post, several people have asked for more information about the boat construction. The following image might help. The boat is made up of only four pieces of styrene. Use the appropriate sizes of styrene strips to cut each piece. Gently score lines into the top and sides of the canopy with a blade. When joining styrene, hold any two unpainted pieces together and brush a small amount of solvent along the seams. No need to add solvent between pieces before joining. Note: Solvent isn't a glue. It actually melts the styrene pieces together then evaporates away.

Painting the red stripes on the canopy was a bit tricky. I painted the entire top and sides red, making sure the red paint fulled each tiny little groove. Before the paint was dry, I wiped off each surface. The paint inside the grooves remained in place.

After the waterway paint was dry, I added a liquid product called Realistic Water, also from Woodland Scenics.

Several thin layers later, the waterway is nice and dry and very clear. Notice how the boat measures up to a penny?

More foliage.

Tiny palm trees at this scale can be difficult to find. Had to make my own out of straight pins and watercolor paper colored with a Prismacolor marker.

Painted the pins.

For a sturdy frame, I purchased a strip of a nice wood at the hardware store and cut it to fit.

Glued the frame in place.

And finally....... the finished product.

Up on the shelf it goes. Right next to my Ward Kimball Mars and Beyond homemade robot. Read about him in this earlier blog post.

Related posts:

Mars and Beyond Robot
EPCOT City Model [Part 1]
Swiss Family Treehouse Model
Mechanizing a Miniature Main Street Electrical Parade
The Wonders of Nature's Wonderland [ PART 2 ]

Let's explore an amazing set of very rare construction photos of Magic Kingdom's Liberty Square. These photos were taken at different stages of construction. 

In the photo above we see Haunted Mansion construction in the distance. That building on the right is The Hall of Presidents before the bell tower steeple was added. Next we see a higher view of Liberty Square with some Cinderella Castle construction in the foreground.

The Hall of Presidents building is taking shape. The Liberty Tree Tavern exterior has been almost complete for some time now. Gift shop construction begins.

Upper levels of the gift shops begin. Wait... No Liberty Square bridge yet? Very odd.

Beautiful curvy brick wall (still there today) is coming along nicely. There's that wonderful backside of Liberty Tree Tavern. It's meant to look like the frontside of "other" buildings. 

The large white building seen here is The Hall of Presidents show building. Connected to it to the north is the show building for Peter Pan's Flight. Also, we have a bridge now.

Riverboat dock, dry Rivers of America, and Haunted Mansion in the background. Notice there's no canopy over the outside Haunted Mansion queue?

Construction continues on the Admiral Joe Fowler Riverboat (but not in in Liberty Square yet). Remember the story of this first boat? It began carrying passengers through Rivers of America on October 2, 1971 (the day after Opening Day). It was damaged at dry dock in 1980 and never returned to the Rivers. A second riverboat called Richard F. Irvine (with only one smoke stack) was added in May of 1973. It continues to run today under the name Liberty Belle Riverboat. In this photo I noticed the back windows are a bit different than the windows in the final product. They must have changed them at some point.

Here we can compare aerial views of Magic Kingdom construction in December of 1969 to the year-old park in December of 1972. Look at the evolution of Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake! 

Related posts:

THEN AND NOW: Liberty Square [Part 1]
Magic Kingdom at Night
WDW Before Opening Day 1971
WDW Construction: Magic Kingdom
WDW Construction: Polynesian Village Resort
EPCOT Construction from the Air

I conclude my informal interviews with Magic Kingdom Cast Members. How well did they do? 

Pirates of the Caribbean

Older gentleman: “I can tell you anything you’d like to know...”
Young lady: “This attraction opened in... Disneyland’s opened in...”
Young man: “This attraction has a great history...” 
(Each offered accurate history and many accurate facts.)

Pirates of the Caribbean merchandise 

Me: “When did this ride open?”
Group of five Cast Members: “Ummm... Not sure... Probably a long time ago.... Like years ago...”
Me: “So do any of you know if it’s new or not?”
Group: “At least five or six years old... Maybe when the park opened... Maybe like 1980.”
Me (asking one of them who has worked at Walt Disney World for over ten years): So was it here when you started?”
Lady: “Ummm... yeaaah. Yeah.”
Me: “Was it based on the movie?”
Group: “No.”

Liberty Square River Boat 

Me: “Is this the same as Disneyland’s Mark Twain?”
Young man: “Similar with the following differences.... Meet me up at the door of the wheel house and I’ll tell you more.”
Me: “EXCELLENT.”
(Up at the Wheel House)
Young man: “Come on in. You can ride in here. This is the Captains Quarters and up those stairs we have the Wheel House. We steer the wheel for show but the boat is guided by an underwater track. Would you like to sound the whistle and ring the bell?”
Me: “Do I!”
Young man: “Here’s the procedure. We sound the whistle and ring the bell for different scenarios...”
Me: “I’m from California and love Disneyland but would like to learn more about Magic Kingdom.”
Young man: “Absolutely. What would you like to learn about?”
(Excellent and memorable experience full of accurate history.)

Jungle Cruise

Me: “Were there ever live animals on this ride?”
Young lady (at the entrance): “No, although Walt Disney intended on using live animals at Disneyland.”
Me: “Did Walt Disney design this park?”
Second young lady: “Yes. All of it.”
Me: “I’m sure plans for this park changed a bit after his death, right?”
Second young lady: “I don’t think so.”
Me: “Did Walt design Epcot?”
Second young lady: “Yes he did.”
Me: “Not Epcot the theme park though.”
Second young lady: “Yes. Have you been over there? That was Walt’s dream for his Florida property.”
Me: “I think he wanted E.P.C.O.T. the city, not Epcot the way we know it today.”
Both young ladies: “NO. The theme park. The whole park was based on his ideas.” (It really wasn't.)

Adventureland Egg Roll Cart (Near the old Plaza Swan Boat waterway.)

Me: “Where were the Swan Boats?”
Gentleman: “I don’t know.”
Young man: “Around here somewhere.”
Lady: “There were two Swan Boat rides. One was by 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. The other shared a dock with Jungle Cruise.”
Me: “Two, huh? I hear they circled the Treehouse. Is that true?”
Lady: “No. There’s nowhere for them to go around the Treehouse.”
Me: “Looks like there’s a waterway right there.”
Lady: “No. It wouldn’t have worked.” (It did work.)

Pop Corn Stand at Big Thunder Mountain

Me: “Have they begun the new additions to the Big Thunder queue?”
Young man: “The what?”
Me: “The queue.”
Young man (looking to young lady): “You know what that is?”
Young lady: “No.”
Me: “The line you wait in to get on the ride.”
Young man and young lady: “Oh. No, they haven't.” (They had.)

Frontierland Merchandise Stand

Me: “Where were the Swan Boats?”
Two young ladies: “The what? No clue.”
Older lady: “They went around the moat.”
Me: “Only the moat?”
Older lady: “Yes.” 
Me: “What can you tell me about Walt Disney World history?”
Older Lady: “Anything you’d like to know. I’m like a walking encyclopedia. There are names on Main Street windows.... Walt wanted to acquire all the land he could in this area...” (Provided mostly-accurate information about the Florida property.)

Parade Audience Control in Frontierland

Me: “Where’s Carousel of Progress?”
Lady: “Behind the Castle.”
Me: “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean the Carousel, I meant Carousel of Progress.”
Lady: “I’ve never heard of it.”

Hall of Presidents

(Those guys knew everything about everything, especially their attraction.)

Mickey’s PhilharMagic 

Me: “What was here before?”
Two young ladies and one young man: “Don’t know.”
Me: I remember something from when I was younger...”
Young man: “We probably weren’t even born then.”
Young lady (after hitting young man): “That’s so rude. You just called him old.” (I’m 32 years old.)
Second young lady: “Something to do with Lion King.”
Older gentleman: “Mickey Mouse show and maybe a Finding Nemo show but I’m not sure.” (He meant Mickey Mouse Review.)

Merchant of Venus gift shop:

Me: “Can you tell me about that model city visible from the Peoplemover?”
Young man (Operating Participant, non-Disney): “Yes, it represents Walt Disney’s idea for a city called E.P.C.O.T. I don’t know much about the model itself but I can tell you about the E.P.C.O.T. city concept...” (Provided accurate information.)
Young lady: “And Disney ended up building a city eventually. It’s called Celebration.”
Me: “That’s not even close.”

Casey’s Corner

Me: “When did this park open?”
Older lady: “I don’t know.”
Me: “What about Epcot?”
Older lady: “I don’t know.”
Me: “Do you know?”
Young lady (dancing behind the food counter): “Um, this park opened in 1971.” (Continued to dance around instead of getting me my corn dog nuggets.)

City Hall

Me: “I’d like to know more about the Progress City model I saw from the Peoplemover.”
Guest Relations lady: “No one here will know about that. Sorry. The morning people know more than the night people.”
Me: “Was that model moved here from Disneyland?” 
Guest Relations lady: “No.” (It was.)
Me: “Wasn’t that city supposed to be built instead of EPCOT Center?”
Guest Relations lady: “Well Walt did design EPCOT Center.”
Me: “Not really.”
Guest Relations lady: “Yes because international CPs work in the different villas.” (Did she mean World Showcase pavilions?) “Ask a tour guide at Chamber of Commerce. They’ll know.”

Chamber of Commerce

Me: “Who can tell me about that model city?”
Older lady: “My manager.”
Manager: “I don’t know much about it. Come back in the morning. The tour guides know more.”

I can't say I was too surprised. Having worked in a variety of Magic Kingdom frontline roles, I saw countless coworkers incorrectly answer even the most basic questions. As many people on Twitter have mentioned, it's policy for Cast Members to say, "I don't know the answer to that, but I can help you find the answer". Sadly, this almost never happened on my little tour. Even worse, I was often told false information. It appeared that many quizzees felt it was better (and perhaps faster) to give an answer, albeit false, than to say "I don't know" then be required to help find an answer.  

I must mention I was pleasantly surprised a number of times when Cast Members went above and beyond. They answered questions accurately then took it a step further. The River Boat experience, for example, is something I had not previously experienced. I rode the entire trip around Rivers of America in the Wheel House.  It will be something I'll remember throughout my life. Kudos to everyone who cares enough to accommodate the nerdy inquiries of people like me.

NEXT TIME: Pop Quizzes: Disneyland

Pop Quizzes: Magic Kingdom [Part 1]
Pirates of the Caribbean Like You've Never Seen It
A Look at the Progress City Model- Then and Now
Magic Kingdom Map Found in a Main Street Wall
Swiss Family Treehouse Model

I worked at Disneyland after graduating high school in 1998. I have fond memories of training and orientation that taught us newbies all sorts of stuff about the park. We learned the importance of knowing the history, policies, and procedures of every part of Disneyland. In recent years I’ve often wondered just how much park Cast Members are expected to know. I went around Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World and asked basic questions and wrote down the answers.

Journey of the Little Mermaid (Former site of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea)

Me: “What used to be here?”
Young man and young woman: “No idea.”
Me: “I think it was a submarine ride.”
Young woman: “No, not to my knowledge.”
Young man: “It was a bare field of land.”
Me: “I remember a submarine ride.”
Young man: “Oh, ‘Leagues Under the Sea’?”

Storybook Treats (Across from former site of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea)

Me: “Where’s the submarine ride?”
Young man: “I have no idea what you are talking about.”
Older man: “Umm... Don’t know what that is.”
Middle-aged man: “Never heard of one.”
Me: “I loved it when I was a kid. I know it was here.”
Manager: “Maybe it was in a different park. Are you sure you rode one here at Magic Kingdom?”
Me: “Positive.”
Different manager arrives: “It was called 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and it was my FAVORITE as a kid. I loved it. It was right over there. It was a large ride and was just beautiful. I miss it a lot. What would you like to know about it?”

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (Across from former site of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea)

Me: “I remember a submarine ride. Where was that?”
Young lady: “Umm I don’t think there was one.”
Me: “I think it was over there.”
Another young lady: “I think that was always just nothing.”
Me: “What was this place before it was Winnie the Pooh?
Both ladies: “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.”
Young man arrives: “I can help you. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea... Mr. Toad... 1971... The following books and videos might interest you... Let me write them down.” (Several minutes of intelligent conversation after which I learned he had already clocked out for the night.)

Stroller Parking near “it’s a small world” (Former site of Skyway to Tomorrowland tower)

Me: “What was here before?”
Man: “Empty space.”
Lady: “Skyline ride.”

Yankee Trader gift shop (Next to former site of Skyway to Tomorrowland tower)

Me: “What was out there before all that construction?”
Lady: “Nothing.”
Other lady: “Glider ride.”
Me: “What are they building?”
Lady: “They didn’t tell us.”

(Later that day)

Me: “What are they building out there?”
Man: “A new ‘Tangled’ area that will offer great places to rest.”
Me: “Like restrooms?”
Man: “Not only that, but places to sit and charge your phone and other devices.”

Haunted Mansion

Me: “What can you tell me about the history of this ride?”
Two young ladies and one young man: (Each knew all sorts of history about the attraction and the surrounding area).

Columbia Harbour House Restaurant

Me: “Question. Did Walt Disney ever eat here?”
Young lady: “I... don’t know... Well he never lived to see the park open...”
Me: “But I’ve seen photos of him on rides and stuff.”
Young lady: “Well maybe he did live to see the park built.” 

Frontierland Mercantile

Me: “Where’s Carousel of Progress?”
Lady: “Ummmm. Peoplemover?"
Me: “No. Carousel of Progress.”
Lady: “I don't know what that is.”
Older lady: “It shows different areas. I mean eras. Walt saw live people acting it out in the 1940s and said he wanted to make that but with animatronics.”
Me: “Where did Walt see it?”
Older lady (asking a young man): "Where was that place Walt went to get ideas?"
Young man: "Queens. It was a World's Fair" (Rolled his eyes.)

Country Bear Jamboree 

Me: “I’d like to know about the history of this attraction.”
Older gentleman: “Well, this location opened in 1971 and was...” (Continued with many fascinating and accurate facts.)
Young lady inside: “Disneyland’s version opened after this one...” (Proceeded with the history of the attraction in both locations including Disneyland's dual theaters.)

Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe (Near Splash Mountain)

Me: “Is that open?” (Pointing to Splash Mountain)
Lady: “No. They are fixing it.”
Me: “What's it called?”
Lady: “I don’t know.”
Me: “What happens in the ride?”
Lady: “They have boats and the boats crash down.”

Now does everyone working in the parks need to know the history of everything? I don't think so. Should they know a few basic things about their location? Yes. If they don't know the answer to a question, should they try to find an accurate answer? My group in 1998 was taught to do this.

Now many Walt Disney World College Program interns had arrived less than seven or eight weeks prior to my quizzes. I tried to avoid quizzing too many CPs for this reason. But had they been properly trained, wouldn't they have had some fresh history in their minds? Many of the people who didn't know a single answer had been working at the park for years. A few actually mentioned that Walt Disney World is no more than a job to them. What happened to putting on a good show, "Cast Members"?

COMING SOON! Part 2. Plus Pop Quizzes: Disneyland.

Related posts:

Story Time
Disney Management Apathy / Hockey Analogy
Little Box of Treasures
THEN AND NOW: MK Fantasyland [Part 1]
Matterhorn for Magic Kingdom Fantasyland

In October, 2010 we introduced our THEN AND NOW Photo Series. Today I'm happy to introduce the THEN AND NOW Photo Collection.

On the main navigation bar of this blog you will see a new tab called THEN AND NOW. We start with over 130 comparisons. We will be adding more all the time. Every time we put together a new set, we'll post the set as a regular blog post, add a few thoughts and some history, then add the new photo comparisons to the THEN AND NOW tab.

Previous THEN AND NOW posts will still remain in the main blog roll with their original commentary:

THEN AND NOW: Disneyland [Part 1]
THEN AND NOW: Disneyland [Part 2]
THEN AND NOW: Walt at Disneyland
THEN AND NOW: MK Main Street, U.S.A.
THEN AND NOW: MK Tomorrowland [Part 1]
THEN AND NOW: MK Fantasyland [Part 1]
THEN AND NOW: Liberty Square [Part 1]
THEN AND NOW: MK Adventureland [Part 1]
THEN AND NOW: MK Adventureland [Part 2]
THEN AND NOW: Epcot Future World [Part 1]
THEN AND NOW: Epcot World Showcase [Part 1]
THEN AND NOW: Epcot World Showcase [Part 2]
ABANDONED DISNEY: River Country [Part 1]
THEN AND NOW: 1964-65 New York World's Fair

If you follow us on Twitter and if you happened to be on Twitter last night at the right moment, you may have gotten a preview of this new tab. We offered a "Twitter Follower Exclusive" ten minute look at the THEN AND NOW Photo Collection. It was amazing to read all the great feedback. Blog data showed that the tab was viewed by Twitter friends over 400 times in what ended up being about a 25 minute window.

In my last post I shared some Then and Now photos from my visit to the site of the 1964-65 New York World's Fair. In this post I share a few things from the World's Fair that still remain on the site today.

The site is now a New York City public park called Flushing Meadows Corona Park. 

The park located in Queens was once the site of the Corona Ash Dumps which were characterized as "a valley of ashes" in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. In the 1930s the dumps were cleaned up to make way for the 1939 New York World's Fair. Two World's Fairs on one site!

I was in Manhattan for the first time in a long time and decided to take the 7 train out to Flushing Meadows. The experience of arriving at the nearby train stop and seeing the iconic Unisphere is incredible. It's like arriving at Epcot and seeing Spaceship Earth. Once inside the park it's easy to spot the large sphere from almost anywhere.

The water pools from the fair still stand today. I imagine when it's not Winter they are actually full of water. Here we see the "Fountains of the Fairs".

I couldn't help but wonder if all the joggers, tennis players, and soccer players at the park knew the historical significance of the land they were enjoying.

These beautiful tile mosaics were exciting to discover. They have clearly seen better days. Turns out they aren't all that old. I believe they were added in the late 90s.

Take a close look at what I've circled here in front of General Electric's Progressland pavilion (home to Carousel of Progress). Drinking fountains and benches.

Some of them still stand today!

Several street markers still grace the curbing of the streets. Many of the World's Fair streets and their names remain unchanged.

"Court of the Universe" and the "Pool of Industry".

The most prominent structure from the fair that still remains is the New York State pavilion. It may look familiar if you've seen Men In Black or Iron Man 2. 

We see here how grand the pavilion looked during the fair.

Today it's closed to the public, rusted, full of weeds, and of course all of the colorful plexiglass tent panels are long-gone.

Apparently a bunch of cats have taken over. Distant cousins of the wild cats that live in Disneyland?

Just inside one of this gates I spotted this little sign. There's been much debate about what to do with the structure. 

The towers once offered World's Fair guests some amazing views of the fair grounds. Guest accessed the platforms via two "Skystreak" exterior elevators.

We learn the following from Queens Crap blog:

"After the fair ended in 1965, the steel-and-glass capsules were left at the mercy of decay and vandals - as one rusted away in a pit beneath the pavilion, and the other was stuck mid-rise at 150 feet. The city Parks Department stripped the pods off their cables in July 2008, fearing parts might blow off in strong winds. At the time, both were largely intact."

Sadly they are not "largely intact" anymore. I got a small glimpse between gaps in the fence at what remains of at least one of the elevators.

Across the path the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company buried a time capsule as part of their in exhibit it 1965. And get this. They buried a similar time capsule just ten feet away in 1938. Both were placed 50 feet into the ground.

A short walk away another piece of both fairs still stands. The building that is now the Queens Museum of Art was built to house the New York City Pavilion at the 1939 World's Fair. The building was home to the New York City Pavilion once again at the 1964-64 World's Fair.

I must thank @EPCOTExlorer for insisting I tour the Queens Museum of Art. I came upon a sign saying the museum was closed to the public that day and only open to school groups. I entered a side door to ask if I could use the restroom. The security guard said the main-level restrooms were closed due to some museum renovations. He was nice enough to point to an old-looking elevator and sent me to the upper-level restrooms. Inside this large elevator I was thrilled to find this model of the 1964-65 New York World's Fair.

I took only a couple photos. I figured I'd quickly use the restroom and make my way out of the closed museum without overstaying my welcome.

But of course I couldn't help myself. After returning to the elevator I decided to photograph the entire model the best I could.

Cute little Sky Ride.

General Electric's Carousel of Progress there in the center and Pepsi-Cola's It's a Small World on the lower right.

Ford Pavilion and its Magic Skyway.

State of Illinois and Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln.

I then decided to photograph something else that had caught my eye off in the corner. A small collection of World's Fair memorabilia. I think I'll recreate that metal directional sign for my office. 

This wonderful concept art (framed on the right) shows part of General Motor's "Futurama" model of a futuristic city. Though none of this was built by Disney, it's often confused with what would later debut at Disneyland as the "Progress City" model. What's the dishwasher thing on the left? I don't know.

More info about the small museum exhibit.

On my way out I snuck into a large room to see something breathtaking. I had seen photos of this large panorama many times but didn't realize it belonged to the museum in which I was wandering. When I finally made it back to that side door I thanked the security guard and said, "I must pay admission because I enjoyed far too much of your museum." He said, "Not necessary but I can't let you leave without seeing the best part." He took me to a door that led to a much closer view of the New York City panorama. Could the model in the elevator be connected to this panorama?

Needless to say, the entire experience was somewhat sacred for this student of distant Disney history. I'm sure many little remnants of the World's Fair and Walt Disney's contribution to the fair remain at Flushing Meadows. Go find them!

Related posts:

THEN AND NOW: 1964-65 New York World's Fair
Tomorrowland '67 [Part 3]
Carousel of Progress Like You’ve Never Seen It

A recent visit to New York City inspired a little detour trip to the former grounds of the 1964-65 New York World's Fair. Let's look at some of the pavilions Walt Disney helped design and see the exact locations they once stood.

The Unisphere, the fair's central icon. 

General Electric Pavilion, home to Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress

Pepsi-Cola Pavilion, home to Walt Disney's "it's a small world"

Ford Pavilion, home to the Disney-designed Ford's Magic Skyway

State of Illinois Pavilion, home to Walt Disney's Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln 

New York State Pavilion

Main Gate

Overhead View

Where were the Walt Disney attractions located and how did people get to them?

Here we see the fair's location as it sits today with an overlay of the four Disney-designed offerings plus each of the eight entrance gates. Yes, eight gates!

Up next: Photos of World's Fair remains. Not only did Flushing Meadows host a World's Fair in 1964-65 but the location hosted a World's Fair before that in 1939. Which pieces still exist? What did I find on my little adventure? Plus lots of fun-facts. Stay tuned.

Related posts:

THEN AND NOW: MK Tomorrowland [Part 1]
THEN AND NOW: Epcot World Showcase [Part 1]
THEN AND NOW: Walt at Disneyland
Carousel of Progress Like You’ve Never Seen It
Tomorrowland '67 [Part 3]
New Lincoln Animatronic Lookin' Good

We look back on another great year here at ImagineeringDisney.com! Let's look back on some of our favorite posts.

Mitch has been working on a model of EPCOT City and shares lots of photos and a little making-of video. It's a must-see. 

Our friend Nomeus shares a WONDERFUL collection of color photos of Magic Kingdom from 1971.

More behind-the-scenes photos of The Haunted Mansion.

Maps. Maps. Custom maps! Here we see what EPCOT Center's Journey Into Imagination used to be compared to how it is now.

A detailed map of Disneyland's 1967 "New Tomorrowland". In this series we uncover a few mysteries.

An exclusive look at EPCOT Center's never-built Rhine River Cruise boat ride. We clear up a few misconceptions about the ride about which very little is known. 

The first "New Fantasyland" opened in 1983 at Disneyland. Enjoy a look at where some of today's Fantasyland attractions used to be.

Talented friend of the blog, Alex George, creates his very own miniature animated Main Street Electrical Parade and shows us how he did it. Truly amazing.

In 2012 we launched the ImagineeringDisney.com Photo Hunt and have been extremely pleased with the photos you have sent. The Photo Hunt will continue for years to come so start scanning.

We were thrilled to receive a few Orange Bird photos (SUPER rare) as part of the Photo Hunt. We were happy to put together one of the largest (if not THE largest) collections of never-posted Orange Bird photos.

Of all the posts in 2012, this one has generated more emails and tweets than any other. We call it "That's What Walt Said". It's a silly little way to prove a point about fluffy (and sometimes fake) quotes.

The warmest of responses last year from our readers came in response to this post. Here we compare some Disneyland locations where Walt was photographed to those same locations today.

Related posts:

YEAR IN REVIEW– 2011
YEAR IN REVIEW– 2010

Two weeks ago on our Twitter feed I shared several tweet-sized stories, all beginning with "One time..". I was happy with the positive response so here I bring you many more memories from my creative and non-creative rolls at Disneyland and Walt Disney World.

 
• One time I took a nap in the Jungle Cruise hut where the natives are dancing while waiting for some fellow artists.

• One time I played basketball inside the top level of the Matterhorn with some girls and a flat basketball.

• One time I found an old Adventureland Veranda menu board on an Adventureland rooftop and accidentally broke it in half while transporting it.

• One time some ladies in the office found the old wooden Mike Fink Keel boats entrance sign and didn't know what Mike Fink Keel Boats were so they gave the sign to me. I was beyond thrilled.

• One time I wrote my name up inside the tallest spire of Cinderella Castle with a Sharpie.

• One time in 1999 I snuck into Club 33 when Disneyland was doing a park-wide Y2K electricity test and got stuck in Club 33 alone in the dark.

• One time a General Manager at Walt Disney World told me Magic Kingdom's Pirates of the Caribbean was designed and built based on the movie.

• One time I spent the night in Magic Kingdom's underground command center during a hurricane and played with the remote control camera mounted on top of Cinderella Castle for hours. It has a very very powerful zoom.

• One time I ran into Michael Eisner by Magic Kingdom's Plaza Restaurant and the guy next to me pulled out a baseball for Eisner to sign which he did.

• One time I tied animatronic animals to poles for six hours as a hurricane approached.

• One time I free-hand embroidered names on Mickey ears for Erik Estrada and his wife after which she made Erik wear them.

• One time I free-hand embroidered names on Mickey ears for Paris Hilton and her friends. She told everyone to gather around to watch and said, "That's cool."

• One time I asked an art department at Epcot for a Dreamfinder head. They located the long-lost mold and made what was probably the last Dreamfinder head in 15 years.

• One time my pal Hoot Gibson and I drove Jungle Cruise boats around all morning before the park opened as part of our artist jobs.

• One time my boss dented my truck door with her car door while parking behind The Land and Imagination buildings at Epcot. She never paid to fix it.

• One time I spent the night on a couch in the big break room under Magic Kingdom's Main Street.

• One time I spent several winter nights in Disneyland's Katella Lot in a van I borrowed form my grandparents.

• One time I was kicked out of Indiana Jones at Disneyland for taking a photo while in line. For my troubles City Hall gave me two passes to any ride. Then the people at Indiana Jones rejected them.

• One time I was told to bring home and sort in my living room six large boxes of Horizons, Spaceship Earth, and World of Motion animatronic costumes and props.

• One time I was preparing to begin work in the Character Head Department fabricating and doing finish work on character heads but another job came up at the last minute.

• One time I interviewed a Walt Disney World marketing director for an article. I commented on a photo on his office wall that I had taken three years prior. He told me he had taken it.

• One time I carved and painted George Washington’s rubber hands for Hall of Presidents and patterned every detail after my own hands.

• One time I walked out on a "naming meeting" because all of the Art of Animation Resort-related names everyone was suggesting were so terrible.

• One time I watched a few industry-leading TV commercials at my desk to get ideas for Disney marketing materials and was yelled at by a marketing VP for "wasting time". 

• One time while waiting to watch fireworks with coworkers on a Main Street rooftop I was rudely told by Val Bunting, former VP- Animal Kingdom, to leave because her group wanted the rooftop to themselves.

• One time I got in trouble for holding a small brain-storming session while riding the Walt Disney World Railroad because "riding a train is not work-related". Great ideas that came from the session but that didn't matter.

• One time a coworker and I were walking through Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland and my coworker tumbled down the entire first drop and cut himself in a dozen places and bled everywhere.

• One time I got paid to stay at The Polynesian for three days during a hurricane to prepare the resort and help guests throughout the storm. For our meals we got to take all the food we wanted from the Ohana kitchen.

• One time the Italy pavilion sent several trays of Italian food from Alfredo’s to our office at Epcot. No one ate any of it after the fist day so I ended up eating it for all three meals for days. 

• One time, right out of high school, I was on my way to my merchandise shift in Disneyland's Critter Country when I decided to walk into a backstage Imagineering trailer. After leaving an Imagineer ran after me and asked for me to meet him at Imagineering in Glendale the next Monday where I was offered my first internship.

• One time, after college, I was sketching in an underground break room at Magic Kingdom and someone from a WDI art department stopped and asked if I'd interview right then over in a backstage trailer. I was offered a position that hour.

• One time I walked through the Jungle Cruise when its rivers where completely empty of water and about died of happiness.

• One time I walked up the backside of the Jungle Cruise African Veldt to photograph the backside of the rhino. Unexpectedly the boats had already started cruising by at which point I jumped in the bushes giving everyone in the nearest boat something else to laugh at.

• One time I foud a wonderful souvenir map of Magic Kingdom from the 1970s inside a Main Street wall.

• One time we were notified to stay clear of a certain Magic Kingdom Adventureland restroom early one morning because an alligator had climbed out of the Treehouse moat and entered the restroom. 

• One time I met a girl who played Belle at the Beauty and the Beast show. I later took her to Magic Kingdom for our first date. We got married a year and a half later and are happily married with a little boy.

• One time I snuck into Disneyland's Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln after work late one night and found a naked Lincoln moving around with no audio playing. 

 • One time I walked through Disneyland's "it's a small world" after the park closed and suddenly all the children began to move with no audio playing.

• One time I walked through Magic Kingdom's Haunted Mansion and found an old Country Bear Jamboree dear head under the tracks. 

• One time a cop pulled me over in the Team Disney parking lot across from Downtown Disney when suddenly a guy pulled up behind the cop yelling that something had happened across the street. Without saying anything the cop left and I didn't get the ticket he was writing.

• One time Alice Davis, famed Imagineer and wife of Marc Davis, came to my office. No one cared to visit with her for more than a few minutes so I giddily chatted with her for a couple of hours.

• One time I was told to escort Marty Sklar around Epcot "so he doesn't get lost". I informed my leader that Marty was a major player in designing the park's layout. My leader said, "Well he might not know where all the countries are."

• One time my Area Manager at Magic Kingdom called Adventureland and Frontierland "that jungle area over there" and "the western part over there." 

• One time my Area Manager at Magic Kingdom placed two boxes of fresh popcorn in front of me while I was working on a special project for her. When I thanked her she said, "Oh these are both for me."

• One time my Area Manager at Magic Kingdom had "Happy 20th Anniversary" removed from a cake being presented to a lady about to retire because "It wouldn't be fair to the interns who don't get cakes when they leave the company."

• One time I had an idea to make something more efficient. My leader took me to a lady in an office who said, "Don't ever mention this again or you'll be terminated for insubordination." I said, "Making a suggestion is not insubordinate". My manager said to the lady, "He just gets a little too excited some times."

Related posts:

Pirates of the Caribbean Like You've Never Seen It
The Haunted Mansion Like You've Never Seen It
ABANDONED DISNEY: Country Bear- Max
Magic Kingdom Map Found in a Main Street Wall
Little Box of Treasures
Disney Management Apathy / Hockey Analogy 

More incredible additions to Sam Towler's stunning scale model of Disneyland's extinct Mine Train Thru Nature's Wonderland.

Bear Country before water is added.

New, fake water.

A little beaver for Beaver Valley.

The icing on the cake. A Mike Fink Keel Boat (in-the-making)

Fog! Produced by a fog machine for the purposes of taking this photo. Oh how fun it must have been to ride Mine Train in the fog.

Tastefully-placed LED lighting makes for a gorgeous night shot. 

A great new technique for making waterfalls:

Two years ago we posted a wonderful collection of Sam's behind-the-scenes photos of the model-making process. Sam recently mentioned on his blog that this labor of love has hit the seven year mark. As we've said before, this model with its moving parts is "one of the coolest examples of 'Backyard Imagineering' we've ever seen."

For even more fabrication photos, "like" the Mine Train Thru Nature's Wonderland Model Facebook page and follow Sam's progress.

Related posts:

The Wonders of Nature's Wonderland [ PART 1 ]
The Wonders of Nature's Wonderland [ PART 2 ]
Big Thunder Mountain Model
Mechanizing a Miniature Main Street Electrical Parade
Swiss Family Treehouse Model
EPCOT City Model [Part 1]
 

Let's take a behind-the-scenes look at the kind of work that goes on in backstage maintenance shops at Walt Disney World. Friend of the blog, Nomeus, share these wonderful photos from 2005 from one of his family members.

There are many buildings, trailers, and underground areas at Walt Disney World dedicated to the creation and maintenance of props, figures, signs, ride vehicles, and other pieces for the parks. If you ever have a chance to tour any of them with permission, I highly suggest you do. Some of my most fond memories are from working in some of these places and visiting others. You never know what you'll run into. Half-dressed animatronics, Captain Hook with missing limbs, an old "Rover" dog from Carousel of Progress who's been renamed "Steve". A big thanks to Nomeus and one of his family members for providing these amazing glimpses into various creative processes.

Fox News recently interviewed Nomeus, Leonard Kinsey, and Adam The Woo about their explorations around Walt Disney World through areas that are normally off-limits to the public. Kinsey states, "To me it’s like you live in a house for 30 years and you’ve never gone in the basement. That’s just weird." 

We do not suggest anyone go anywhere at Disney without the proper permission. There are tours and other ways to see some of these things. In the mean time, watch this:

Nomeus is a prominent Urban Explorer, mostly around Florida. You may remember some of his fantastic photos we posted of the abandonded Bin Laden mansion just minutes north of Magic Kingdom. Photos from his other explorations are found on his website, Nomeus Photography - Abandoned Florida and Beyond.

Related posts:

ABANDONED DISNEY: River Country [Part 1]
ABANDONED DISNEY: Country Bear- Max
ABANDONED DISNEY: Haunted Mansion Hitchhiking Ghosts
Bin Laden Mansion Minutes From Walt Disney World
Pirate Animatronic Behind-the-Scenes
Little Box of Treasures

I put together a few of these images recently to post to Twitter and decided to do a whole collection.

I think some of my relatives and neighbors think my wife and I talk like this at home. We did meet each other at Walt Disney World but we also have brains. And so did Walt Disney. Walt didn’t go around speaking in fluffy buzz words. He was a respectable, realistic, intelligent, and rather blunt man. To “future Imagineers” I often suggest keeping the fluffy stuff to a minimum. Keep your resumes and behaviors professional, perhaps a little fun, but always mature enough that the company wouldn’t be embarrassed to hire you.

If you seek a career at Walt Disney Imagineering, read the words of legendary Bob Gurr. And good luck!

Related posts:

THEN AND NOW: Walt at Disneyland
Vintage Disneyland Home Movies- Meeting Walt Disney Himself
Walt Disney and the Santa Maria Railroad
Walt's Wife Talks About EPCOT Center
Carolwood Pacific and Other Backyard Railroads
Walt Disney and Steve Jobs

I have a plan. I have organized my plan into ten points. Ten rules. Ten basic guidelines. If implemented, I believe the Disney parks will offer better experiences and better environments. The plan focuses on better placement of character-based attractions yet all types of attractions and their surrounding lands will benefit from this plan. All types of guests will also benefit. 

Let's intelligently approach what might be considered a silly topic. It's a topic I believe to be crucial in maintaining the high standards and integrity of the Disney theme parks. It's a topic that is endlessly debated. I believe there are excellent solutions that require very little compromise from either side of the debate.

The Debate of Character Placement

One of the biggest arguments amongst serious fans is the argument of character placement. I’m not referring to walk-around meet-and-greet costumed characters making temporary autograph-signing appearances (although I will address that later on). I’m talking about permanent character-based attractions.

One side of the argument says, “Characters are fun no matter where you put them” and “People come to the parks because they want to see Disney characters” and “It’s all just for fun anyway”.

The other side says, “Characters are great, but like everything, they should be put in the appropriate locations” and “Character additions to non-character locations change the way those locations feel” and “A certain level of integrity and cohesion need to be maintained”. 

When discussing this issue a while back I was told, “Thank you but I like my attractions Disney-themed”. My immediate thought was, “Aren’t they all sort of ‘Disney-themed’?” Then I said, “So you don’t like almost anything outside of Fantasyland?” This person for whatever reason associated all of Disneyland with the Disney characters and failed to recognize the many non-character offerings with which, ironically, she was also obsessed.

A gift shop coworker of mine once explained that no rhyme or reason need be applied to anything in the Magic Kingdom because “it’s Mickey’s park and he can make anything happen with Pixie Dust.” I’m sorry but that’s a poor way to manage a classy theme park. And that’s not how Pixie Dust works.

A Brief History of Characters in the Parks

Starting in 1955, characters from animated feature films were not permanently placed in any land outside of Fantasyland. Original characters like Tiki Birds and Country Bears were introduced outside of Fantasyland but these were created for these types of environments specifically. Live-action franchises like Davy Crockett, Swiss Family Robinson, and 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea were permitted outside of Fantasyland. Characters from corporate sponsors like the Frito Kid, Aunt Jemima, and the Kaiser Aluminum Pig were also permitted. Pecos Bill, from the 1948 short film, was a part of the Golden Horseshoe and Wally Boag’s brilliant show. Gift shops sold character-based items. Character parades regularly wove through the park. But at the end of the day, Fantasyland was the only home for permanent characters. And it worked.

It wasn’t until 33 years after Disneyland opened that the temporary Mickey’s Birthday Land opened at Magic Kingdom in 1988. In 1989 the very permanent Splash Mountain opened in Disneyland’s Critter Country and in Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland in 1992. In 1993 Mickey’s Toon Town opened at Disneyland. And so began the placement of permanent character attractions outside of Fantasyland.

By the end of the decade both Aladdin and Tarzan films inspired permanent changes to significant parts of Disneyland’s Adventureland. Toy Story’s Buzz Lightyear had his own ride in Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland. In the new millennium in all sorts of similar changes occurred. Monsters Inc. monsters and Finding Nemo fish moved into lands celebrating the future. A colorful Aladdin spinner ride was plopped in the middle of the jungle. A smart-talking bird from Aladdin teamed up with a bird fromThe Lion King and together they “managed” to repeatedly verbally abuse the former classic attraction they occupied. (They have since been evicted). And the list goes on.

Interestingly only about 50% of these “reimagined” locations remained popular for any real amount of time.

I worked at Disneyland in the late 90s. Disneyland President Paul Pressler (and many others) at the time talked about how everything should be tied to the Disney films. Everything? I would consider any classic attractions to be just as iconic as any film threatening to tie itself to it. Wouldn’t you say? 

Today, CEO Bob Iger speaks of major film franchises being the best way to expand the Disney theme parks. This idea is the foundation on which the Avatarland plans stand. This is no doubt largely inspired by the huge success of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal's Island of Adventure. Harry Potter fits nicely into the pretty open theme of “Adventure”. Does Avatar fit the more specific Animal Kingdom theme of “Animals”? Hold on... Now I’m speaking of a third-party live-action film. This will also be included in the plan.

A Terrible Approach

It is often asked, “Hmm, which land would be best for this film?” Then the land with the least-clashing theme wins. “Monsters don’t really fit in the Old West or in exotic jungles or in Colonial America or in a medieval castle courtyard... Ok, Tomorrowland it is.”

Maybe we should be asking, “What would benefit this land most?” “What sort of attraction, dining, or merchandise would best enhance the experiences this land should offer?” “Would this greatly disrupt the aesthetics and overall design of its surroundings?” “Will this compromise the long-term integrity of this land?”

You may be asking, “but what about the latest successful animated film? It doesn’t fit perfectly but it deserves a place in the parks.” My plan addresses this as well.

Some Things We Can All Agree On:

•  There is potential for big money and lots of fun when it comes to movie tie-ins.

•  Move tie-ins are not immune to failure. 

•  Character rides are an important part of the parks and always have been. 

•  Something does not have to be linked to a movie or a known character to be hugely successful.

Most of Disney’s keystone attractions need no tie-in to be successful: Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Matterhorn, Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, Tiki Room, Pirates of the Caribbean, “it’s a small world”, Soarin’, Kilimanjaro Safari, Expedition: Everest, and so on.

The Solution

The solution comes down to one thing: ORGANIZATION. 

How do we best organize everything so that everything fits nicely, integrity is preserved, and everyone still gets to have loads of fun?

A Few Questions to Ponder: 

•  Should every land and every park strive to fill the needs of every type of fan? Is that even possible?

•  Can there be rules that say that something is never permitted in one place but is absolutely permitted in another? 

•  Can certain lands or even entire parks have significantly more relaxed rules than other lands or parks?

Think about these for a minute.

My Thoughts on Animation and Animated Characters

Before I go any further, allow me be clear on one thing. I absolutely love animated feature films, animated short films, and television animation. I studied animation in school. I treasure the memories of my visits to Disney, Pixar, Dreamworks, and to other animation studios. I regularly watch animation of all kinds. I worked as a Disney Character Artist for a time and absolutely loved it. My wife was a Face Character Performer at Walt Disney World and at Hong Kong Disneyland. I love Disney animation. It is my love for these things that strongly enhances my desire for better organization within the theme parks.

What About Meet-and-greets, the Non-permanent Characters?

It would be irresponsible to not address this topic as well. 

Costumed characters have always appeared in the parks (EPCOT Center being a slight exception for a time) and I think they always should appear in the parks. Their appearances should be fitting though. Timon doesn’t need to be in turn-of-century American Main Street, U.S.A. I don’t think Tinkerbell needs to hang out in Future World. 

The semi-permanent meet-and-greet backdrops, like everything else, should not visually disrupt their surroundings. Their designs and craftsmanship, like everything else, should be on par with the world class environments that surround them. Meet-and-greet sets should blend in so well that when no character is present, the set doesn’t look like a set. If no designated set is available, characters can stand in front of appropriate existing structures or landscaping. Very simple yet very effective.

Addressing “Needs”

At some point while reading this blog post you may have thought of certain guest needs. Perhaps you thought of the need for plenty of character-based attractions for kids. Maybe you thought of the need to not take the parks so seriously. 

The topic of “needs” can quickly ruffle feathers on both sides of any theme park argument. On one side someone will use a need as justification for something that the other side considers to be sub-par. It seems that the ultimate excuse for poor design is that “it fills a need”. The clash between the design-focussed fans and the operations-focussed fans seems to be never-ending.

Might I suggest That Good Design and Efficient Operations Can Nicely Co-exist?

Example 1: Space Mountain. After Matterhorn’s huge success as Disneyland’s first thrill attraction, there was a need for another thrill ride. Space Mountain was built at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland. Its design, layout, locations, and theme were beautifully and seamlessly brought together to not only fill an operational need but to also fill the design needs of both Tomorrowlands. 

Example 2: Disneyland’s Casey Jr. Circus Train. It meets the needs of small children yet looks great, is well-designed, well-built, fits beautifully, and can be enjoyed by all ages. The all-too-common (and unacceptable) excuse of “it looks terrible but that’s ok because the kids like it” isn’t needed here.

A young and ambitious self-proclaimed “future Disney executive” once told me, “Disney HAD to build the Value Resorts”. Their tacky designs were of no concern to this young man because the Value Resorts fill a need. They do fill a need. But could they have filled a need and showcased better design?

In Other Words...

Everything should be well-designed. Everything should be put in the right place. After all, good and appealing design just might be the most important factor in Disney’s 85+ year success. Too expensive to design and build somthing well? Then don't built it. Build it when it can be done well.

And Finally...

MY 10-POINT PLAN:

1- EXPAND FANTASYLANDS. Expand Disneyland’s Fantasyland to the northwest as needed. This will accommodate new attractions based on animated feature films and animated short films (The short films need some love too!). Continue current expansion of Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland, as planned, with the future option of expanding to the northeast if needed.

2- EXPAND CRITTER COUNTRY AT DISNEYLAND. There is little room for expansion but one more family-friendly offering here would lighten the load over in Fantasyland a bit. My suggestion: An attraction I designed called Country Critter Jamboree. Imagine Country Bear Jamboree but with all sorts of critters putting on a show (maybe in a carousel theater??).

3- CREATE A CRITTER COUNTRY AT MAGIC KINGDOM. Include Splash Mountain and the real estate to the west and northwest. This fun-for-all-ages expansion would allow youngins who can’t yet see the critters inside Splash Mountain to see some critters elsewhere. My suggestion: Two attractions I designed called Critter Canyon Railroad and Critter River Expedition. One is a Casey Jr. Circus Train-style train that repeatedly intersects with a slow Storybook Land-style boat ride. Both are set in a land full of critters and critter habitats. Picture little houses, caves, other critter dwellings. The train would look like it was built by animals with natural forest materials in addition to some old abandoned railroad parts they’ve come across. The boats would look like wide canoes carved by beavers. The boat ride would pay subtle homage to the never-built Western River Expedition that was once intended for that side of the park.

4- “ANYTHING GOES” AT HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS AND CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE. Relax the rules of both parks. These parks have many similarities. Both can accommodate a wide variety of themes. California Adventure has a pretty open theme of “California” and Hollywood Studios has a pretty open theme of  “Hollywood”. Both seem to welcome the current trend of PIXAR PIXAR PIXAR! and the Pixar films seem fit better in these parks than in any of the other parks. I’ve been known to call DHS and DCA “perfect dumping grounds” for anything new-fangled or trendy. “Dumping grounds” is not the right term for two parks that have potential to be pretty great places, but you get my point. So DHS and DCA, go nuts! Let the movie-based offerings fill your borders. Let’s just make sure everything is designed and crafted well. And organized pretty well. Avatarland at DHS? Sure! 

5- HIGHER STANDARDS AT DISNEYLAND AND MAGIC KINGDOM. Designate Fantasylands, Critter Countries (Rules 3 and 4), and Mickey’s Toontown (Disneyland) as the ONLY places in these two parks to house any permanent character-based offerings. This would require the removal of character rides in the Tomorrowlands, Adventurelands, Frontierlands, etc. Remember, this does not include characters like Country Bears, Tiki Birds, Haunted Mansion ghosts, etc. who were designed specifically for these types of environments.  

6- MAKE EPCOT SOPHISTICATED AGAIN. Return the Figment and Dreamfinder duo to Journey Into Imagination and improve the attraction to its original level of entertainment and quality. Figment needs to not only host a great ride again, he needs to represent Future World in a more important way. Remember his role back in the day? As for a “fixed” Journey Into Imagination, I’ve heard some promising rumors very recently from some very legitimate sources. Sorry, I don’t have more to give you than that.

7- NEW LAND AT ANIMAL KINGDOM. Build an animal-focussed Fantasyland-type “kiddie” land. Quality dark rides, spinners, and other family-friendly attractions can be based on the many untapped animal-focussed animated films in Disney’s library. Jungle Book, Tarzan, Robin Hood, Lion King, even The Sword in the Stone, etc. could all exist in a similar way that Peter Pan, Snow White, and Pinocchio exist in Fantasyland. This land would be nicely tucked away and not visible from other lands. Additionally, build only animal/nature-related attractions in the rest of the park.

8- PIXAR-BASED ATTRACTIONS PLACED ONLY IN DHS AND DCA. So far Pixar has a stellar 12-film lineup that should not be ignored. As stated in #4, Pixar films fit quite nicely inside DHS and DCA. For some reason they don’t fit as nicely in say, Tomorrowland or in Epcot. Now, there is definitely some wiggle room in this rule. I write this rule without knowledge of future Pixar films. The day may come when Pixar makes a film a about critters, for example, that would fit nicely into a Critter Country. Perhaps a Finding Nemo attraction would fit in the Fantasyland-style land I proposed for Animal Kingdom in #7. (Maybe the attraction pieces can be moved over from Epcot! Win-win).

9- FUTURE ATTRACTIONS BASED ON THIRD PARTY FILMS TO BE BUILT ONLY AT DHS AND DCA. We shouldn't be foolish enough to think that more third-party films won't make their way into the parks. We've seen much success with attractions based on Star Wars, Indiana Jones, The Muppets, etc. Inevitably some of the Marvel lineup will be introduced to the parks. This rule and rule #4 go hand-in-hand. Want an Iron Man ride? Sure. That can be exciting. Let's put it in the park that celebrates all-things-movies. Or in the park that embraces pretty much anything. The Tomorrowlands and Future World don't need to be hodgepodge lands when we have two hodgepodge parks. Just design and build these things well or don't build them at all.

10- E-TICKET TREATMENT TO A, B, C, AND D-TICKET ATTRACTIONS. Lastly, a rule about overall quality. Attractions large and small are important. The enormous scale of Splash Mountain does not need not be applied to a small ride like Dumbo but the level of quality should be the same. The title of this rule is inspired by FoxxFur's Passport to Dreams article entitled "Lighting in a Bottle? Storybook Circus". FoxxFur discusses the charm of "C-ticket rides with E-ticket trimmings". I also refer you to Adam Roth's photo report of the recent New Fantasyland soft opening. This level of craftsmanship has been seen very few times in the past deacade and a half.

There You Have It.

A plan that can be fully-implemented by say... Walt Disney World's 50th Anniversary in 2021? I believe this offers solutions for all types of fans and requires very little compromise from either side of the debate. Want more characters? You get them. Want no more mindless cartoony overlays on top of classic, sophisticated themed environments? You've got it. Want only movie-specific offerings? Great. And less walking is required.

Why Ludwig in the header image? He's both intelligent and fun. 

Related posts:

The Era of Big and Tacky
Disney Management Apathy / Hockey Analogy
Buena Vista Street Model
THEN AND NOW: MK Tomorrowland [Part 1]
THEN AND NOW: MK Adventureland [Part 1]