Another Look at Marc Davis' Imagineering Art for Pirates of the Caribbean

When The Walt Disney Company currently seems to be holding still or actually moving backwards when it comes to the theme parks- at least in the States- it's nice to have concept art from the old school Imagineering masters to look at. Marc Davis was such a master! Here's one of his pieces of concept art for an enduring fan favorite. 

Pirates of the Caribbean stands the test of time decade after decade as one of the finest pieces of theme park art ever brought to life! There's a reason: Incredible setting in New Orleans Square, full sized sets, thrills, dozens of Audio-Animatronic characters, atmosphere galore, mystery and the incredible theme song Yo Ho (A Pirates Life for Me) which ties it all together. There's no convoluted back story, no forced Intellectual Property integration. It's just pure adventure and fun upon the high seas. Once again, Disneyland was at the forefront of what defined a theme park.  

Once again, Walt Disney was right. Give guests more than they expect and treat them with respect, and you'll win fans that return again and again.

Splash Mountain: Tiana's Bayou Adventure

Sure, long time Disneyland and Walt Disney World fans of Splash Mountain had reason to be concerned when Disney Imagineering announced that the beloved attraction would become one focused on Princess and the Frog. And it had absolutely nothing to do with race.

It has everything to do with the quality of these more recent attraction makeovers: the transition of California Screamin' into the less than inspiring Incredicoaster, and the disaster that is Pixar Pier. The enjoyable but much less mysterious Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission BREAKOUT! in place of Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. (Or even a worthy stand alone new attraction the Marvel heroes should have had. See Spider Man's WEBSLINGERS). Truth is, you just can trust the modern Disney braintrust when it comes to plans such as these.

Could we as fans expect more when they take a classic Marc Davis character filled, Tony Baxter and team executed gem of Splash Mountain and turn it into something new? No- and yes, I was encouraged by the recent roundtable discussion regarding a Princess Tiana ride. See it for yourself.

I can see an easier tie into Disneyland's New Orleans Square but into the Magic Kingdom's Frontierland? Just as problematic as before- it's a stretch. 

Will Carmen Smith, Creative Executive, Vice President, Inclusive Strategies for Walt Disney Imagineering and Charita Carter, Senior Producer for Walt Disney Imagineering (what awful titles!) and their team be successful? They might just pull this off. Could there even be a new restaurant in the works? Wouldn't that be great!

(Art and video copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Disneyland's Splash Mountain Promotional Poster

Fan favorite Splash Mountain made a great big, well, splash when it debuted at Disneyland in 1989! Some would argue it is one of the best attractions spearheaded by Imagineer Tony Baxter. That'd be quite an argument as you could make up a whole theme park of his projects- and it's be filled with much loved attractions like Journey Into Imagination, the Indiana Jones Adventure, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and even all of Disneyland Paris!

As you'll see below, the final version is enhanced and a bit different.

Here are all the other Critter Country attraction posters.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

 

Selling Splash Mountain to McDonalds

From the Disney pitchbook, or as I call it,  "How to Sell A Corporate Sponsorship of Splash Mountain to McDonalds". The beautiful little piece of concept art for Disneyland's version of the wettest ride in the wilderness was used by the business side of the house to get the hamburger behemoth to open up their wallets and sponsor the sure to be popular log ride. 

The musical Audio-Animatronic Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah classic has it all! A long and at times relaxing thrill ride for most of the family, classic characters, a sweet storyline, and one very memorable piece of Americana- a beloved Disney song from the controversial movie Song of the South. 

Imagineer Tony Baxter and his team created one of the most loved attractions ever and one with the longest lines at any Disney park. Taking figures from the closed America Sings attraction designed by Marc Davis, the end result remains a fan favorite for almost 40 years!

What will the newer Imagineers do to this classic as they transform it into a tribute to Princess and the Frog? The heroine Tiana is a charming and determined young woman in midst of a compelling story. But troubles come to the surface quickly when talking about the changes in detail. The villain will certainly ramp up the freight factor. The animal characters are in an entirely different artistic style than their predecessors. The film's music is classic New Orleans but without one instantly iconic song on the wide scale appeal level of Zip. 

Will this be another Frozen Ever After or a forced entry changeout a la Twilight Zone Tower of Terror to Guardians of the Galaxy Mission Breakout? Let's hope not. 

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Song of the South: From Troubled Movie to Iconic Attraction

From somewhere deep in my files: a piece of concept art for Song of the South, the Disney animated / live action movie that was the source of inspiration for the deeply enjoyable Splash Mountain. 

Back when Tomorrowland's America Sings at Disneyland was sadly set to be demolished, Imagineer Tony Baxter thought about what to do with the great characters by Marc Davis that were turned into Audio-Animatronics. The combination story and flume ride approved by Michael Eisner and Frank Wells was so popular another version was created for Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. All goes to show even a troubled movie can turn into a great the park attraction!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

America Sings Once More

Disneyland was once the home of charming, old school musicals- except with the Audio-Animatronic cast of characters. Imagineer Marc Davis brought his America Sings to the carousel theater in California. A look at this rare piece of concept art shows a gentle and humorous approach to America's rich musical history. 

From Gospel to Country Western classics to good old Rock and Roll, this theater show thrilled audiences until guests became too sophisticated and needed more. Long before, the Carousel of Progress then this show filled the space. Unfortunately, nothing of interest has inhabited the place since. The figures from the musical show now inhabit another music filled space- a mountain known for its splash. But America Sings lives on in the memories of those who loved the park and the glory days of Tomorrowland past.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Colorful Alien Encounter Art

Let's start off the New Year with this very colorful version of the proposed Alien Encounter attraction for Disneyland. Lord knows, this dismal land needs some help! Tomorrowland is a shadow of its former glory, hitting its peak in the 1967 incarnation.

Imagine this version of Tomorrowland coming to Disneyland.

The Imagineers had plans to scrap at all in the late 80's and bring guests a version that immersed them into another world, an interplanetary version of the future that wasn't at all reliant on keeping up with trends in science and technology. This move toward science fiction fantasy would have been a good one in place of the cartoon version we now have.

I took this photo of the proposed

Plectu's Intergalactic Revue- 

and it's been all over the world.

The Carousel of Progress would have been transformed once again. This time America Sings, the Marc Davis musical classic, would have given way to Plectu's Intergalactic Revue. In reality, it was probably wise to scrap this idea as Audio-Animatronic musical attractions were losing popularity among the crowds. (More about that in this article. Will they ever make a resurgence? Possibly.)

The original black and white version.

Nonetheless, each area of Tomorrowland would have been rethought, reimagined to provide a better guest experience- and less need for constant updating. It was not a good plan. The next version of the Land of the Future would fall flat.

Copper Space Mountain and all.

The suits held off. Opting for the version of Tomorrowland 1998, a much cheaper and far less successful Discoveryland take on the future, it was a major misstep. Even the great Imagineer Tony Baxter couldn't pull it off with a reduced budget and incredibly short sighted engineering cuts on projects such as the Rocket Rods. 

What will they do next? It better be good with Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge coming soon, Tomorrowland will look even more out of touch than it does now. What would you suggest if you were in charge?

(Concept art copyright The Walt Disney Company. Color Alien Encounter art from the Dan Alexander collection.)

From the Jungle Cruise to Western River Expedition

One of the first generation of Imagineers, Marc Davis has placed his stamp on many classic beloved attractions at Disneyland and consequently, Walt Disney World. This sweet little piece of concept art for the Jungle Cruise reveals how skilled the artist was at conveying emotion and adventure in a fairly simple pen and watercolor piece. 

This investment in the park was one of many that would come to fruition, including the now extinct America Sings. One beloved project did not make it off the drawing boards.

Marc's masterpiece, Western River Expedition, much to his dismay, was never built in Florida's Magic Kingdom. History suggests public outcry over no Pirates of the Caribbean and an extremely overextended budget contributed to its cancellation. Of course part of the overall Thunder Mesa complex did make it to the park much later, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and it became a beloved instant classic. So did a piece of it at EPCOT Center's World of Motion and even a slice showed up decades later in the design of Disneyland Paris. 

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

The Why Behind Nine Years of Insights and Sounds

Unintentionally, I breezed past a significant milestone for the blog. March 7 marked nine years that the Insights and Sounds blog has been around. How time flies!

The concept art above has its origins in a 1990 visit, but the blog itself became a constant thought in my mind in 2005. It was the year of Disneyland's 50th anniversary, and we found ourselves in California during the time. We hadn't planned to be there, but life happens.

I noticed people were purchasing birthday / anniversary souvenirs like crazy. Flying off the shelves as it were. The thought hit- "I have tons of vintage Disneyland stuff. I bet there's folks out there that would love to see it." And so the blog began- and it got more personal and well rounded as time progressed.

So, back to this piece of concept art for an unbuilt Tomorrowland attraction-

The year was 1990, and I was strolling Disneyland one afternoon with my young family. We had walked into Tomorrowland to take in the Autopia and let the kiddos try their hands behind the wheel.

Next to the Carousel Theater, once home of the Carousel of Progress and America Sings, was a billboard for a new attraction called Plectu's Intergalactic Revue. For some strange reason, I snapped this photo of the concept art... and held on to it for many years.

When I began the Insights blog, I knew Disney fans would find this piece of unbuilt history of interest. Boy, was I right! Within days of first posting it in March of 2008, my humble photograph showed on on blogs and websites all over the world. And it's still being  reposted to this day. Glad I took the photo!

The model for the new Carousel building.

Photographer unknown.

I cannot tell you who did the artwork. I will say, I have enlarged it and attempted to fix some of the elements to be as close to the imagined piece of art I saw it in my mind to be. Click on it to enlarge it.

Much like the two shows before it- expertly designed by Imagineer Marc Davis- Plectu's was to be an Audio-Animatronic comedy musical show and a core but small part of a new alien infested Tomorrowland dubbed Tomorrowland 2055. 

The less friendly Alien Encounter.

In fact, the Magic Kingdom in Florida's beloved (or reviled) Alien Encounter was also planned for the redesign. (Is it just me, or does the top of the building look much like the centerpiece that replaced the Rockets Jets high in the sky in the 1998 version of the Land of the Future?)

Florida's Tomorrowland changed from this...

...to this.

Disneyland was not so fortunate with their redo in 1998,
when plans for the much more expensive 2055 version were tossed out in favor of this.

One of few pieces of artwork seen for the Plectu characters.

Around this time, Michael Eisner and company took at long, hard look at the attractions that were crowd pleasers, and sad to say, but musical talking bears, tikis, and even Disney characters in robotic form were no longer a big draw. (Expanded history here.) 

Thanks to Mike Cozart from the Tomorrowland67 Lounge for this 2055 piece.

The plans were scrapped. Plectu's became a piece of Disney lore and history, and Tomorrowland stayed as was for almost another full decade as the plans for the 2055 version were shelved.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company. Top photo copyright Mark Taft.)

The Disney Concept Art That Started It All

The year was 1990, and I was strolling Disneyland one afternoon with my young family. We had walked into Tomorrowland to take in the Autopia and let the kiddos try their hands behind the wheel.

Next to the Carousel Theater, once home of the Carousel of Progress and America Sings, was a billboard for a new attraction called Plectu's Intergalactic Revue. For some strange reason, I snapped this photo of the concept art... and held on to it for many years.

When I began the Insights blog, I knew Disney fans would find this piece of unbuilt history of interest. Boy, was I right! Within days of first posting it in March of 2008, my humble photograph showed on on blogs and websites all over the world. And it's still being  reposted to this day. Glad I took the photo!

The model for the new Carousel building.

Photographer unknown.

I cannot tell you who did the artwork. I will say, I have enlarged it and attempted to fix some of the elements to be as close to the imagined piece of art I saw it in my mind to be. Click on it to enlarge it.

Much like the two shows before it- expertly designed by Imagineer Marc Davis- Plectu's was to be an Audio-Animatronic comedy musical show and a core but small part of a new alien infested Tomorrowland dubbed Tomorrowland 2055. 

The less friendly Alien Encounter.

In fact, the Magic Kingdom in Florida's beloved (or reviled) Alien Encounter was also planned for the redesign. (And is it just me, or does the top of the building look much like the centerpiece that replaced the Rockets Jets high in the sky in the 1998 version of the Land of the Future?)

Florida's Tomorrowland changed from this...

...to this.

Disneyland was not so fortunate with their redo in 1998,
when plans for the much more expensive 2055 version were tossed out in favor of this.

One of few pieces of artwork seen for the Plectu characters.

Around this time, Michael Eisner and company took at long, hard look at the attractions that were crowd pleasers, and sad to say, but musical talking bears, tikis, and even Disney characters in robotic form were no longer a big draw. (Expanded history here.) 

Thanks to Mike Cozart from the Tomorrowland67 Lounge for this 2055 piece.

The plans were scrapped. Plectu's became a piece of Disney lore and history, and Tomorrowland stayed as was for almost another full decade as the plans for the 2055 version were shelved.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company. Top photo copyright Mark Taft.)

Ladies and Rogues: Pieces of Art for Pirates of the Caribbean

There's much to love about the work of Imagineer Marc Davis. The man contributed to so many classic Disneyland and Walt Disney World attractions! The Jungle Cruise, Mine Train Thru Nature's Wonderland, America Sings, Country Bear Jamboree, and of course everyone's favorite, the Pirates of the Caribbean. 

No one like Marc could do magic when it came to pulling off clever gags with humans and animals- and the first two pieces of art show exactly what I'm talking about. The top piece contains two lovely ladies that did not make the cut when it was time to build the attraction. The art below shows a monkey and his human friend enjoying a pint- another that never found a home in New Orleans Square.

Just last month I rode the attraction and realized there was still an enormous amount of open space where previously unused concepts could come to life. My hope is that one day, Anaheim visitors will find sword fighting as guests can do while riding the excellent reworking of the attraction at Disneyland Paris. It's something a guest doesn't even realize is missing until its seen for the first time. Quite the feat the Imagineers pulled off.

Just when I think I've run out of Marc's pieces for Pirates, I find something else in my files. Perhaps one day, I'll unearth more...

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Western River Expedition: Thrills Before Splash Mountain

Long before Splash Mountain made its debut, there were plans in the works for a flume ride for Walt Disney World on the books long before the park's opening in 1971. If the above images look familiar, the reader certainly recognizes this as some concept art for the infamous and unbuilt Frontierland attraction  Western River Expedition.

Imagineer Marc Davis, the brains behind such Disney classics as Pirates of the Caribbean, America Sings, and the Country Bear Jamboree, conceived this massive mountain, Thunder Mesa, to actually host a series of attractions within its confines. The only adventure to make it past the drawing boards would be totally reimagined by Tony Baxter: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. (A central scene the Expedition could be found in EPCOT Center's World of Motion attraction.)

When the project for the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World  was scrapped due to its also massive budget and public demand for a Florida version of Pirates, the project was cancelled. Later, it was shaved down to just the runaway mine train adventure. Left behind was the Old West sing a long cruise Western River Expedition, the planned hiking trails, the Indian Village at the top of it all, and some report, even a resurrected pack mules journey. 

It was within the Expedition that the final surprise would take place, a rush down the mountain waterfall as an escape from a raging forest fire. (Look closely at the image on the right.)  Pirates had a couple of nice but mild drops. This would be big and steep with more than twice the thrill; a thematic boat ride, broadway style country musical, and thrill ride all rolled into one. Certainly epic and certainly enough of a landmark attraction to persuade a Disneyland fan travel to Florida from the West. 

With all the attractions built at parks outside the States, it may never come to pass as Frontierlands seem out of style and cowboy and Indians may be politically incorrect. There's one small chance, however. Disneyland Paris has a large enough plot of land set aside by the Cowboy Cookout, and the French park has never worried about bowing to political correctness. Here's hoping!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

America Sings Once Again

Disneyland's carousel theater has hosted an interesting mix of shows. First, it was home to the West Coast debut of the Carousel of Progress, and more lately, it's been home to Innoventions and the even more recent influx of Marvel characters.

In between, the theater hosted Imagineer Marc Davis' tribute to the bicentennial of the U.S.A., America Sings. Why a musical tribute to America was found in Tomorrowland still puzzles, but what a sweet little show it was!

This piece of concept art depicts the Roaring 20's. 

From 1974 to 1988, the Audio-Animatronics show delighted audiences of all ages. Then, the characters made their way over to the other side of the park when they were found in Tony Baxter's classic Splash Mountain. 


Plans for a new Tomorrowland included a new show called Plectu's Intergalactic Revue.  Although the concept art looked intriguing (and I captured it, above, on a whim in 1990), wiser heads prevailed, and the alien based showed never made it.

The soundtrack for America Sings can be found on the 50th Anniversary boxed set, celebrating Disneyland's history. For this piece alone, the expensive and now out of print set is worth the expense... along with some pieces of rarely seen concept art in the souvenir booklet.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

1976 Disneyland Dial Guide

Here's something from the Disneyland past we haven't seen again- a vintage 1976 Disneyland Dial Guide. All you had to do was turn the dial to the attraction you wanted to find. Map on the front, descriptions on the back. Notice "America Sings" and "Adventure Thru Inner Space", not "Star Tours".

This image, by the way speaking of "vintage", is from the great site Vintage Disneyland Tickets. Seems the last post was in May. I hope the blogmaster Tim is ok. He's a great guy! Maybe this post will coax him out of hibernation! I miss the great finds he always has on his pages.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Iron Man Invades Innoventions

Quick news breaking: an Iron Man exhibit finally comes to Disneyland, taking over the Innoventions building. Of course, its in support of the film Iron Man 3, but at least its finally something interesting for the space once filled by America Sings and Carousel of Progress. And, unfortunately, its probably the cheap and dirty replacement for a full blown attraction from Imagineering.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Tomorrowland 2055 Artwork Rocks- Great New Blog Found

As does happen at times, I found a blog that had posted my very popular photograph of Tomorrowland's aborted Plectu's Intergalatic Revue. Little did I know when I was visiting the park so long ago that a simple snapshot would be viewed all over the world. And I'm happy to contribute that piece of concept art to the Disney blog universe, seen below. This Audio-Animatronic show was set to replace Disneyland's fun but dated America Sings. It never made it past the drawing boards.

What I didn't expect to find was a great blog stuffed with Tomorrowland 2055 concept art! You can see from the top piece, it looked terrific. You can go here to see one of many great posts and lots more art.  Thanks to Mike Cozart for the incredible TomorrowLounge67 blog.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

From Carousel of Progress to America Sings and Beyond

With Fourth of July just around the corner, it seemed so appropriate to honor a beloved attraction from Disneyland's past. Although misplaced in Tomorrowland, the musical journey brought guests to the park a lighthearted look at our country's musical heritage.

Some long time fans may have been dismayed when the classic Audio-Animatronics filled attraction Carousel of Progress was replaced. I know I was one of them! Yet, Marc Davis, Imagineer extraordinaire probably won them over with a show filled with memorable characters in this charming musical revue. The new show became one of my must sees on every visit.

Much to my disappointment, the show itself did not last, and the characters inside were recycled for Tony Baxter's new classic Splash Mountain. Thrilled to see the frogs I loved find a new home!

As for the old carousel building, well, Walt Disney Imagineering wanted to use it for another musical show, Plectu's Intergalactic Revue. This even newer show for the planned new Tomorrowland would have showcased aliens from other planets entertaining patrons from Earth. Wisely, cooler heads prevailed, and the plans were put aside. Unfortunately, this meant the west coast version of Alien Encounter never made it off the drawing boards either!

(Art copyright the Walt Disney Company.)

Disneyland Attraction Posters: The Critter Country Collection

With the smallest of Disney lands, comes one of the fewest number of attraction posters. The story of Critter Country aka Bear Country aka the Indian Village truly speaks to one of the constants of Disneyland's evolution: the park will always be changing, influenced by both the history of the Walt Disney Company and the future of it.

The grand opening of Walt Disney World and the Magic Kingdom in 1971 had a significant impact on Disneyland in California. Following several years of very impressive attractions and explosive growth in guest numbers, the focus shifted to Florida. With New Orleans Square, the Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion and the New Tomorrowland, the risk-taking Imagineers amassed an incredible string of stunning successes. The public was quick to respond with increased attendance and increased spending in shops and eateries. It was now time to focus on Florida where the company was opening an entire resort and not just an individual theme park.

Certainly, Florida's Magic Kingdom used Disneyland's primary attraction roster and general layout as its blueprint with several attractions being slightly tweaked due to placement in a new land compared to the west coast park (The Haunted Mansion) or adjusted for Central Florida's less hospitable weather (It's A Small World). There were a few new attractions for the Magic Kingdom, and one of these quickly made its way to California: the Country Bear Jamboree.

The show itself began life as an entertainment concept for Disney's proposed Mineral King development, but when those plans fell apart, the very corny but clever Audio-Animatronic theater show was placed into the Magic Kingdom's Frontierland. It's blend of country music and hillbilly bears made it an instant hit.

Back in the day when a few years between new attractions was unheard of, the Disney suits decided to clone this Florida gem back to the California park, adding one additional theater to handle the expected crowds. The Indian Village closed, and the bears moved in, bringing a north woods feel to this quiet corner of the park. Along with Teddi Berra's Swinging Arcade, the seemingly Mile Long Bar, and the Golden Bear (now Hungry Bear) Restaurant, the new show created a brand new land that drew in guests- for a season. Interestingly, it was the first time that guests could be in the park and walk beyond the boundaries created by the tracks of the Disneyland Railroad.

When Michael Eisner took over the reins at the Walt Disney Company, he was wise enough to see the parks needed an injection of attractions that would compete with the thrills found at other amusement parks in the area. The fading popularity of the old Tomorrowland show, America Sings, provided the perfect opportunity to further expand Bear Country.

Imagineer Tony Baxter and his team executed an idea for a log flume based attraction themed to Song of the South, an old Disney film filled with charm and controversy. With its deep storytelling, catchy music, repurposed animated characters, and a thrilling flume drop, Splash Mountain was destined to be another hit. The poster above celebrated its grand opening on July 17, 1989. The attraction continues to draw some of the longest lines at Disneyland regardless of the season.

Country Bear Jamboree was quickly losing an audience as guests from the west coast grew bored with the show's hillbilly flavor. The Imagineers tried to reuse the bears by creating a new thriiling attraction of a different flavor (go here), but the budget minded management- the same leadership involved with the creation of the disaster of California Adventure 1.0- vetoed the plan in favor of bringing another Florida attraction to California.

It was a silly old bear that created more change for this little corner of Disneyland. Winnie the Pooh remains a popular, beloved character in children's literature and in film. The Walt Disney Company opened a dark ride attraction in Florida which replaced Mr. Toad's Wild Ride in the Magic Kingdom.

Four years later in 2003, another version of Pooh's attraction appeared in Disneyland, replacing the Country Bear Jamboree, which had run its course of popularity. Had the suits and the Imagineers planned better, Country Bear Jamboree could have stayed open if reduced to one theater, and Winnie the Pooh could have still been designed using the available space more creatively. This would have resulted in two attractions for children and families who chose not to ride or couldn't meet Splash Mountain's height restrictions. Bear Country became Critter Country to better reflect the home of its newest inhabitants. The new attraction's poster, however, did not appear until many years later, when Disneyland management continued to build a fan base for this less than wonderful dark ride.

Editor's note, July 2014: Above the 25th anniversary poster of Splash Mountain!

As you can see, changing tastes affect the popularity of the park's attractions, and this in turn changes what ends up in the parks. What will come next to this area of Disneyland? Who knows, but my bet is the Imagineers still have some new tricks up their sleeves.

Next stop on our grand circle attraction poster tour- the Old and Wild West!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)