The Magic Kingdom Gives the Disneyland Historical Preservation Society a Run for It's Money

We fans may bemoan the lack of attention to the parks under the reign of Robert Iger, but the upside is parks like Disneyland Paris, and to a large degree the Magic Kingdom, have retained a sense of their original vision. Nowadays, the island along with Country Bear Jamboree, Peoplemover, Swiss Family Treehouse, and Carousel of Progress stand as beloved remnants of a simpler, more innocent time in Imagineering. The Disneyland Historical Preservation Society has some competition!

From my huge files of concept art comes this incredible piece of work: Fort Sam Clemens on Tom Sawyer Island at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. As Disneyland's fort and the island as a whole becomes less and less true to the original, the opposite holds true in Florida. You can still "fire" the rifles and engage in some authentic role playing. There's no Pirates of the Caribbean overlay, and no thinking Jack Sparrow is just around the bend. The only noticeable change has been in 1996 when the name of the fort changed to Fort Langhorne. 

Who would have thought the park that is celebrating 50 years would still have such prominent nods to the past? And I'm so glad it does! 

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)