When Is Your Book Coming Out, Tony Baxter?

Journey into Imagination, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Star Tours, Indiana Jones Adventure, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, and yes, Splash Mountain. The list of these incredible attractions make super fans lists of Disney Imagineerings's greatest park hits. Recognize the face? Of course, you do! It's Imagineering's legend Tony Baxter. He remains one of the best old school or new school Imagineers ever. Period. 

Look- Bob Gurr and Rolly Crump have done it.  Marty Sklar and Bob Weis jumped in. Randy Bright wrote one of the best long ago. Even the legendary John Hench dove in with an amazing one. Of course, others have written about the greats in Imagineering. All said, it's time for Tony to spill.  Don't you think?

Ten Best Unexpected Walt Disney World Experiences

Here are the Ten Best Unexpected Walt Disney World Experiences, 2025 Edition. Some would say it is not possible to rank them when there are literally hundreds of attractions, shows, dining and shopping options. But I'm here to tell you that as a veteran guest of the Florida complex, it is perhaps easier than you may think. How did I come to this list? By thinking about my many trips with family and friends and what we actually talk about when reminiscing. Of course, your choices will not and should not match mine! Just a warning: Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind did not make this list. They're absolutely great- I love them!-  but they certainly are the expected choices. Stay with me!

Here goes in no particular order...

Bad photo- great experience!

Eating at the Top of the World aka California Grill- During a very special trip in 2009, my wife and I enjoyed a delicious and peaceful late night dinner at the top of the Contemporary Resort. We expected the high price but not the emotional rush. The view was gorgeous! We didn't even take a photo. Until the fireworks began, that is! 

 

Late Meal in World Showcase- Fast forward to a decade later. We're visiting Epcot with our daughter and her family. Finishing up a wonderful meal in Japan, and we are about the last ones there as we booked the latest reservation possible. This resulted in leaving an almost empty park. Enjoying the countries lit up late at night without the crush of the crowds and the noise that a busy park brings. An almost entirely silent walk through my favorite Disney park. Priceless. 

Getting happily lost in the Tree of Life trails, looking for carvings- In contrast to the previous two experiences which are centered on a restaurant meal as its origin, getting "lost" in Animal Kingdom among its many trails (and the hidden path- which is still there if you know where to look) is something we do every visit since the park opening in 1998. The lush surroundings, the sounds of the water, and the general vibes of the fourth park are quickly making it one of my favorites in all of Walt Disney World. Never did I expect that from this half day park! The addition of the Indiana Jones Adventure and Encanto will only making it stronger. And I can't wait.

Old school, big on charm.

A Trip on the Disney Skyliner- Call me crazy, but I'm a sucker for attractions that provide transportation. Boats, trains, people movers, etc. Who would have thought that simple transportation to keep the masses moving could be so much fun? (Notice I did not mention the bus system?)

PeopleMover- Since I mentioned it, yes, the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover remains a Magic Kingdom must do and one of the primary reasons why this park's Tomorrowland is better than the one at Disneyland. The views are great, the trip is relaxing, and it screams classic old school Imagineering. What more does a castle park lover need?

Meal Out at Disney Springs- Disney World's 5th theme park may not cost a dime to enter, but of course to experience it best means dropping some bucks. No, this isn't the Disney Food Blog, but some of the most enjoyable meals to be had in the complex are found here. From Raglan Road Irish Pub to The Edison to Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar and Morimoto Asia, the selection is top notch- even better than at Epcot, which I never expected possible. My Dine or Ditch series gives you a taste of what's best in the World and beyond into Universal and Disneyland as well. Check out the Raglan Road review here.

Riding the Waterways- Yet another transportation choice. Perhaps it's living in landlocked Colorado, but one of the great joys of a visit to Disney and now Universal Orlando Resort, is riding the water between theme parks, shopping districts and resorts. It's refreshing during the day, calming at sunset, and stunning under a dark sky. Part of being on vacation is doing things out of the ordinary. I'm always surprised how this puts a smile on my face.

Experiencing a Tropical Rain Storm and Watching the Night Sky Over the Seven Seas Lagoon- There's something so Florida about the whole thing! I remember years ago on our second visit to the world as a married couple experiencing this exact thing. We had just taken the monorail loop to an unopened EPCOT Center. Departing our train, a storm came in with lots of lightning and rain, reminding us we are in a tropical paradise of sorts. No one can create atmosphere as beautiful as the Lord God who created it all!

Following a Ride on the Original (and best!) version of Twilight Zone Tower of Terror with a ride on Rock N Rollercoaster-  By this point, you may have wondered when I got to an attraction as one of the best experiences in Walt Disney World. So, here it is. The one-two punch of these two thrill rides back to back make me a giddy teenager again. My wife can easily pass up both, but I cannot and will not resist. 

Spaceship Earth- Disney may have made major mistakes with the recent additions to my favorite (for now) Florida park, but they hit a home run with Spaceship Earth. Ever an old school style E Ticket, I expect newer attractions to surpass it in impact, but they never do. Now, if they'd only go a great job fixing the inside of this park's icon. Not even Cinderella Castle says Walt Disney World to me like this structure does, proving once again, that when the Imagineers want to and the suits give the budget, they can create some of the best attractions in the theme park industry- and in the United States and just not the Asian parks. 

Will my next trip in 2026 or more likely 2027 bring a different list of Best Walt Disney World Experiences? I hope so! Universal Orlando Resort and Epic Universe is riding high and part of our next Florida trip, so Disney better play its A Game!

(Photographs copyright Mark Taft.)

California Adventure's Return to Excellence and It's "Bargain Basement Imagineering" at Opening

While some Disney fans like me think California Adventure has become a misguided mess (Pixar Pier and the like), others who were around at opening of the park in 2001- me included- know its not nearly the disaster now as it was then. When the announcement of a full re-envisioning was announced, anxiously awaited Imagineering to bring a bit of class to the park with Cars Land and Buena Vista Street. Yet, after a great rebirth, it seemed the park had mostly lost its way. In fact, I haven't even seen Avengers Campus or San Fransokyo because I just don't care. And count me in as one who loves Big Hero 6!

Those of us that still appreciate old school high quality projects are awaiting a sparkling new Coco boat ride, perhaps a greatly themed Pandora, and maybe even new additions to Avengers Campus. Will these balance out the cheap makeovers the park has been given since its amazing rebirth in 2012? Here's hoping! 

Let's look back on what was actually built come opening day. Why? First, it will help us appreciate the transformation and put it all in perspective- even if more recent decisions have made some of us question what the suits were thinking.  

As you'll see by looking at the concepts for the park version 1.0, the painters brush can be unintentionally (or intentionally) deceiving! Secondly, due to the cost-cutting measures of the leadership of the time, it reminds us what poor foundations the Imagineers are stuck working with while they continue trying to expand this greatly improved park. So, join me now as we go back in time to the opening of California Adventure through the artist's lens...



As we look at concept art from the first incarnation of California Adventure, let's compare what we saw in the preview center versus what the park really looked like to an opening day guest. Many visitors, myself included, expressed displeasure at what was found at this new park. So did the media and for a good reason.


Let's begin with the park entrance. The tile murals flanking the sides are really well done. The CALIFORNIA letters are a unique touch and both together clearly communicate this is not Disneyland. It's not a bad design, there's just no follow through. When the Disney advertising experts have to create a fictionalized version of the entrance for promotional purposes, this should be the first clue that the park has some serious problems and design flaws.

It is what we encounter once walking past the turnstiles that shouts "bargain basement" design. Looking right through the gates brings a very ordinary looking area, nothing to entice a visitor who is considering a day at this park.

The Sunshine Plaza reigns as the ugliest and least original park entrance area in Disney's history. Yes, this includes the even less imaginative Walt Disney Studios in Paris! Framed by an out of place replica of the Golden Gate Bridge, the environment matches a low budget outlet mall, appropriately setting the stage for what is found in most of the park.

The Sun fountain is an interesting structure, but it really belongs in an open garden at a hotel, in the midst of a walkway from the parking area or just someplace else. Not large enough in scale to impress, not a fitting centerpiece for the park. In some ways, it is appropriate. This is big and flashy with a contemporary edge- but it lacks substance.

Moving on, let's head to the Hollywood Pictures Backlot. At first glance, it is a pretty Disneyesque area, a more playful version of the main drag at Disney's Hollywood Studios. The centerpiece, and clearly the highlight at opening, is Disney Animation.

Frankly, this is one impressive showcase! Beyond the park's signature flight simulator attraction, this gem is filled with the kind of care in execution that should have been found all over the park. The Animation Courtyard has an impressive layout that dazzles, and The Sorcerer's Workshop, including Beast's Library, feels like a walk-thru dark ride, drawing guests in further and further inside. It's easy to spend an hour here just watching the transformation in the library. Well done, Imagineers! In a nod to the Studios old working animation area, The Animation Academy truly provides a fun and informative demonstration of the art of the wonderful and ageless 2-D process. (Below is altogether different concept for Disney Animation.)

Beyond this great little attraction is where the troubles begin. Wandering around the rest of this land, guests discover raw steel and bland walls lie behind the great looking storefronts. Even the seemingly impressive Hyperion Theater is really just one great optical illusion. Just a big box but one with state-of-the-art facilities inside. However, it is a facility with no lobby and no restrooms!

Nearby, the past its prime MuppetVision 3D show is found. Not too thrilling an idea or presentation. It's a quick retread from Florida to save some cash- and an attempt by Disney to relaunch a very tired but admittedly once charming franchise.

The worst of the (Back) lot, however, is the only dark ride found here in 2001. In one of the oddest moves ever for a Disney park, the Imagineers designed and built the strange Superstar Limo attraction. The building housing the ride is at once quirky and likable to some degree, but the experience inside is just plain bizarre. Hosted by an on-screen agent who seems like someone you'd never let your children be alone with, the limo ride takes you through a tongue in cheek and trendy Hollywood filled with animatronics of "B" list celebrities from the Disney Studio. It quickly became the laughing stock of the theme park industry and a symbol of everything wrong with California Adventure. Less than a year from its premier, this ride quickly disappeared forever.

In a bit of poor planning, the Backlot's main street becomes a dead end, so let's cross back over to Condor Flats, a recreation of a California desert airfield.

Condor Flats effectively marks the entrance to The Golden State district, the portion of the park that truly strengthens the California theme. The airstrip is a small area to be sure, but it houses the park's signature attraction, Soarin' Over California. All the quibbles of the queue and its minimal theming aside, this film experience is the emotional heart of the park. Californians are rightfully proud of their state and its stunning diversity of landscapes. The photography is exhilarating, the musical score heightens the mood, and the ride mechanism impresses to thrilling results. It is the single standout attraction in the park. This crowd pleaser should not have been duplicated at any other resort. Period.

The true icon of this park, and one that for the first time is positioned to please hotel guests instead of park visitors, is Grizzly Peak. No expense was spared in creating an authentic and beautiful mountain environment. The rockwork created by the Imagineers ranks with the best of their efforts, including Big Thunder Mountain and the younger Expedition Everest. The landscaping is superb. The network of waterfalls, winding paths and viewing areas makes this part of the Grizzly Peak Recreation Area the most beautiful location of the entire Disneyland Resort. 
(Below is an amazing piece of artwork. Like the others, makes sure you click for a larger image.)

The setting for the Grizzly River Run is spectacular and "E" ticket worthy. However obvious short cuts have been taken with this attraction, starting with the design of the watercraft. The promotional poster below shows a whitewater excursion with an authentically styled raft. Somewhere between concept and execution, the attraction ended up with standard theme park fare circular rafts. Certainly the same company that could imagine and engineer leading edge ride systems for other attractions could find a way to build an authentic raft that was safe while providing the desired thrills!

Further cost-cutting took place by the exclusion of animatronic animals. Every other nature-based attraction designed by Disney uses them to good effect. From slow moving rides like The Jungle River Cruise to the high speed adventures of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, there is simply no excuse for their absence except budgetary restraints. It's still a very fun attraction with terrific views of the park (and the less than beautiful city of Anaheim), but it could be so much more than it is.

Guests quickly noticed a trend in this new era Disney park: there may have been discounting on the attraction detail, but no expenses were lost when it came to the shops! California Adventure has some Disneyland quality shopping areas, and the Rushin' River Outfitters (below) is no exception.

Continuing a trend that began with Disneyland itself, the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail is a new take on the original park's Tom Sawyer's Island. Both provide plenty of fun as well as an area where younger visitors can run free. It is a nicely themed playground but not much more.

The limited number of attractions and cutbacks aside, this region of California Adventure provides the immersive environment that Disney guests are accustomed to finding at the parks. If only the rest of the small park had this much charm and care taken with it! The glaring shortcomings are only heightened when we enter into the San Francisco area, one far removed from the Golden Gate Bridge we found at the park entrance.

This tiny little sliver of San Francisco houses only restrooms, leaving guests who expected an elegant area such as New Orleans Square in a state of shock. In place of a fully realized cityscape, we find Golden Dreams, the film tribute to the history of the state. Originally envisioned as Circle of Hands, it was intended to be a heartwarming multimedia presentation of the brave men and women who settled and worked the land. Budget cuts again derailed the project. We are now left with a small scale but warm and politically correct vision of history. Unintentionally, this show is also one of the best arguments for Disney to stop using its a film stars as part of their attractions.


As we move around the bend, the beautiful Golden Vine Winery comes into view. Of course, so does the Pacific Wharf food court, Bountiful Valley Farm, and the surprising Paradise Pier.

The winery area charms guests with a sophistication not found elsewhere. Of course, like Napa Valley itself, we find a couple of pricy restaurants among the park's vineyard. Attractions? Oh yes, Seasons of the Vine is here- yet another film, this one highlighting the process of the art of winemaking from field to table. It is a slice of Epcot Center, an undiscovered gem. The music and photography perfectly capturing the area.

Across the way on this side of the bay is the Pacific Wharf. What could have been a wonderful setting for some California themed Disney attractions is reduced to mostly a food court with a couple of bakery tours using short films to tell the manufacturing story. The educational aspects of the park are important, however, they needed to be balanced out with traditional Disney attractions to justify the full ticket price.

Butting up to the Wharf is Bountiful Valley Farm, showcasing the agricultural impact of the state. Aside from yet another film, this one a clone of an additional 3D attraction from Florida, guests to the area are left without much to do except viewing tractors and watching a quite unimaginative fountain. In the age of "bargain basement" Imagineering, it's Disney storytelling at it's sorry best.

Controversial. Cheap and tacky. Off the shelf. Not what Walt would have wanted. Paradise Pier is all these things and more. And less. Much, much less.

Once guests had experienced the limited number of attractions in the other areas and the truly good live entertainment to be found, many headed toward Paradise Pier hoping to round out their day at Disney's recreation of a seaside amusement area.

The California Screamin' coaster stands tall over the area, and it is a roller coaster ride very worthy of a Disney park. Unfortunately, it is just a coaster- no great theming to be found here. No journey to outer space, no wildest ride in the wilderness, just an exposed track reaching for the sky. It is fun, day or night, but there are no Disney touches to be found except the giant glaring Mickey head. In this new fangled park, big, loud and obvious has mostly replaced the charming nuances of designers from earlier generations.

The rest of Paradise Pier is fleshed out with carnival games, kiddie attractions, swing rides, and an impressive Ferris Wheel. There's truly nothing magical or Disney here, yet the advertising department thought this was one of the best areas to show to promote the new park. What were they thinking? The public was not fooled, and the executives at Disney were left with an embarrassment on their hands.

Which brings us back full circle to the Blue Sky Cellar, housed in the old Seasons of the Vine building. Yes, it seems Disney is seriously trying to redeem itself by re-Imagineering the park. Starting with the areas that guests complained about the most, the makeover has started. The entrance to the park will be reworked. The Hollywood Backlot will get more improvements. The Pier will be a challenge but will still be a carnival. Plans even exist for a wonderful new land and a couple of great attractions worthy of the Disney of old. Will we see them? Will the proposed changes turn California Adventure from dud to star?

What can we learn from the "Bargain Basement Imagineering"? Concept art can be deceiving, and budgets can be reduced.  Disney has learned some important lessons from trying to fool us as they did in 2001. Now, after some serious recent disasters, they are going back to the basics of good design and Imagineering quality we saw in 2012... and I, for one, can't wait to see what lies ahead in the future! It may even make me return to the park once again. 

(All art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)