Yes, Virginia, you are looking at a model of the proposed Greek Resort for Walt Disney World. Looking closely, it is easy to see the influence the islands played on the design. There is much speculation on why this was never built. The suits, of course, never tell the real story. My hunch is that the Vacation Club took on a life of its own and the economy took a fall- and with it, all the best laid plans fell by the wayside. Very similar to what is going on down in Florida as we speak.
December 22, 2008
It's Greek to Me
Yes, Virginia, you are looking at a model of the proposed Greek Resort for Walt Disney World. Looking closely, it is easy to see the influence the islands played on the design. There is much speculation on why this was never built. The suits, of course, never tell the real story. My hunch is that the Vacation Club took on a life of its own and the economy took a fall- and with it, all the best laid plans fell by the wayside. Very similar to what is going on down in Florida as we speak.
Great post, and enjoying the blog.
ReplyDeleteDisney's Mediterranean Resort, which would have been a 5-star resort along the lines of something like the Grand Floridian, was to have begun operation in the late '90s and would have been located between TTC and the Contemporary.
The location was originally going to be for a Venetian themed resort. When Michael Eisner wanted to build a new hotel in early 90s, he abandoned the Venetian idea in favor of the Mediterranean Resort using same location. However, there were server problems with swampy soil - pilings were driven in and just sank. Because no one knows just how deep the swamps run, the chances of something being built on that location are slim.
I did a full look at this and some of the other lost resorts if you're interested on Show 91 - Nov. 2, 2008.
Thanks again. Keep up the great work!