It's late at night at Epcot. The nighttime show has ended, and the crowds are thinning out, making it the perfect time for a leisurely stroll. Ever wander into the small hidden gardens and find Katsura Grill? It's a gem! A lovely place for a snack or quiet meal or even just a perfect spot to stop and reflect on life.
These two photos of Katsura Grill
are official Disney shots.
Although Japan's showcase seems close to perfect with its great dining options and extensive shopping and entertainment, there's so much more that could be done- even going beyond what will be the inevitable Big Hero 6 attraction. Here's a few things- several attractions- that never saw the light of day:
We all know about the cancelled projects like the Mount Fuji bobsled run, Meet the World carousel theater project, and perhaps even the bullet train attraction seen above.
Imagineering's Joe Warren produced
this piece for Disneyland's 50th anniversary celebration
and how it would be celebrated at Epcot.
But have you heard about Collin Campbell's omnimover attraction? In this piece of concept art below, we can see the Imagineers created a visually stunning conclusion to the ride- ready with sponsorship symbols for Japan Airlines (JAL). Eventually, grand ideas gave way to more shopping and dining, but with a different focus than what is already there.
How about something classic and feudal in look? Here's the plan to add an old world shopping district to the existing pavilion:
This was one of many proposed ideas to spruce up and refresh the World Showcase pavilions for the park's Millennium Celebration. Doesn't this look like something you'd find in the ancient city of Kyoto. The very top photograph of this post shows the real Kyoto, a place I had the opportunity to visit as a very young man. The country is stunning, but this ancient city is the place everyone has to go if they visit Japan!
(Concept art copyright The Walt Disney Company. Top photo of Kyoto by Oscar Boyd.)
No comments:
Post a Comment