Tales of Disney Theme Park Ships, Those Lost, and Those Never Built

Having just spent a week away on the water, I started thinking about the love affair between the Disney Imagineers and attractions that best take advantage of man made rivers, lakes, and streams. The numerous waterways at Disney theme parks have always provided a nice respite from the heat and whether they are the routes of simple transportation or used to showcase numerous attractions, they remain some of my favorite attractions.

 

Our family loves being on the water any way we can. If it's traveling across the Seven Seas Lagoon from the Magic Kingdom to one of the resorts or leaving a resort to dock at Disney Springs, you can be sure there will be smiles on our faces as we travel. Honestly, waterways are something in rather short supply at Disneyland and especially the newer California Adventure, but they are in joyful abundance at the numerous bodies of H2O and how to travel on them in Walt Disney World. 

 

These attractions make for some stunning pieces of concept art by the Imagineers! Here are just a few pieces with a nautical focus. All are watercraft of various styles, but each piece is in a size you'll certainly want to click on, enlarge, and save. 

Up at the top: Above is a look at a long abandoned theme park idea, Disney's America. The patriotic but controversial theme park in Virginia was derailed by the locals only to have the land later replaced by strip malls and very commonplace buildings found everywhere in suburbia. Short-sightedness at best. (Imagine the uproar now!) The sole redeeming factor of the project's cancellation seems to be the elegant pieces of concept art. As you can see, this never built park looks to represent a more gritty and honest look at our history, one with troubles examined and solutions considered, but it's still a country very worthy of celebration. Wouldn't it have been great to watch a fireworks show with a replica Statue of Liberty in the background? What lost opportunities. 

 

Next- This is an absolutely beautiful piece of concept art celebrating the riverboat at the Magic Kingdom's beautiful but often overlooked Liberty Square. Just look at this detail! The Hall of Presidents sits in the distance as does Cinderella Castle. Did you notice the trio of folks on the riverbank just watching the vessel go by? It's these kind of details that make the Disney concept art of old so appealing, subtle and beautiful. Isn't this much better than many newer pieces where people are photoshopped in? So much better.

Not all of Disney's seaworthy vessels are outdoors. Yes, it's Splash Mountain (soon  to be Tiana's Bayou Adventure) shown here. In one of the largest set pieces ever built, the amazing adventure down the longest and steepest flume ride ever built culminates with a stunning view of the party going on aboard the Zip A Dee Doo Dah Lady.  It will be interesting to see what changes when Tiana and company from The Princess and The Frog move in. Will the vast number of Audio-Animatronics remain? That is something we're all wondering about.

 

Not far away at either Stateside castle park, is the much beloved Pirates of the Caribbean and its life size vessel, the Wicked Wench, home to all those lovable, lawless, and now politically correct revelers. The ship's been recently comandeered by Barbossa as he searches for Jack Sparrow, but it is still very impressive!

This is just the beginning of your seaworthy adventure. Back on the Rivers of America, there's the canoes, the Tom Sawyer Island Rafts and more.  More than just an Honorable mention goes to the opening day attraction, the Jungle Cruise boats.  

 

On the West Coast, you can add the Columbia Sailing Ship, and of course all of the submarines still thankfully found there. Those lovely vessels found only at "Walt's park" are also found on the canals of Storybookland. But we say R.I.P. to the park's Motor Boat Cruise in Fantasyland which used to take guests up close and personal as they could view guests on the Nautilus fleet. 

In Florida, sadly, we've lost the Plaza Swan Boats, the Mike Fink Keelboats, and those fantastic, oh so elegantly beautiful Nautilus submarines that used to travel the sparkling waters of the 20K Leagues Under the Sea Lagoon. 

 

In the secondary theme parks at Walt Disney World, there's no water based attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Such a missed opportunity! There's only the Na'vi River Journey or Kali River Rapids at Animal Kingdom. The long lost Discovery River Boats were short lived and ill-designed. In Epcot, your choices to cruise are only slightly better with only Frozen Ever After, the Gran Fiesta Tour, and Living With the Land. At least there are still the Friendship Launches to get from the communities of Future World to World Showcase.

 

We can only dream of the unbuilt Rhine River Cruise in Epcot's Germany and a planned but never finished boat ride along the Thames in the U.K. We'll never see the Western River Expedition in the Magic Kingdom... and probably a host of other unbuilt waterborne attractions.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

All Aboard the Mark Twain Steamboat! Got your Ticket?

Yes, the ticket says "Steamboat Mark Twain", not the more familiar Mark Twain Riverboat we are all accustomed to. When this beautiful ship premiered on the Rivers of America, special tickets were sold. They are beautiful!

Frontierland and Disneyland as a whole was a celebration of the ideals of America. In this land, it was a look at life in the Wild West. Sure, it was a fairly sanitized version. But it had to be. No one wants to go to a theme park that celebrates difficulties. Perhaps that's one reason why Disney's America had limited appeal. But I digress.

For many years an evening cruise about the Mark Twain was the perfect was to end a day at the park. It became even more magical when New Orleans Square opened up. (I'd always hoped New Orleans Square would be built at another park where the docks for the steamboat would be on the river in that land- with a mint julep bar next door!) 

Most nights you could hear the Dixieland music from the ship as you sailed by. The cruise was long enough to be immersed in a different world as she sailed into the darkness. Imagine being blessed by being selected to be aboard when the late great Louis Armstrong and his band played on her decks! That's the kind of magic that can't be duplicated by an Imagineer!

(Image from Vintage Disneyland Tickets.)

What's Next for Disneyland Paris

Thoughts about the future of Disneyland Paris and a little retro Disneyland today. Let's start in California. 

This is a sweet piece of great Imagineering concept art for Walt Disney's original Magic Kingdom area, the very popular Frontierland. Not entirely politically correct. Perhaps having the Native American Indian encampment outside the fort's gates dates the timing of it, but from the perspective of just being artwork, it stands up quite well.

From what I can uncover from all my reading, this never made it past the design stage. Once the park made its debut in 1955, the tepees were positioned on the far side of the park. 

In what eventually became Bear Country then Critter Country, the village was found on the outskirts, but it was so worth discovering! There were Native American dancers and arts and crafts to be found. It created a slice of history in the middle of a theme park. A bit of Disney's America long before a park like that was even considered. 

Walt was not only showcasing Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone, and other heroes of the Wild West in Frontierland. He was also giving due respect to the people who lived there long before them. The sense of place brought new depth to the theme park experience. As Robert Iger and company continue to force film characters into places and parks they don't belong, I'm very thankful for Walt's original vision... and it continues on in Disneyland Paris' Frontierland.

Perfection reborn in Paris.

At opening, Disneyland Paris parc was not a place where shoving in characters or being politically correct took hold. The piece of concept art above is very similar to what was actually built. It's just the beginning of a land that is my favorite of all when I visit there. 

From the hub to the fort, walking up inside the stockades is thrill!  The views are incredible, including Big Thunder Mountain on the island and Phantom Manor off to the side. Frontierland is one of the places where Disneyland Paris' version fully outshines similar areas in Florida and California, even with its recent changes that make room for Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. The sense of being totally immersed in one land at a time is in itself a testament to the detail in the park and the vision of Tony Baxter and his whole crew, including Frontierland project lead Jeff Burke. (Read my detailed article here.)

The town of Thunder Mesa holds its own stories, some obvious and some hidden. The legends tell of a search for gold (Big Thunder Mountain Railroad) and a wealthy family torn apart by a forbidden love (Phantom Manor). There's clues all around. In fact, you can spend a whole day in just this area of the park and at all not feel shortchanged. It's a brilliant piece of theme park eye candy!

With Walt Disney Studios Paris getting a two billion plus (much needed) overhaul, it's time to look once more at what is needed in the first French Kingdom. The suits need to bring more bodies to that side of the park. Indiana Jones' cheapened roller coaster romp is just not doing it. If it's not Adventureland, then Frontierland is the place for expansion. If it's done well and in the spirit of the original park design.

There's room for many more stories to be told and much more land here to be used to tell them. Bring on a new version of Marc Davis' unbuilt Western River Expedition instead of Splash Mountain. Think it through. Expand the story from mining to logging, but let the land's integrity remain. I say no more characters on this side of the park unless they strengthen the already amazing story.

(Artwork copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Tale of Three Ships

The waterways at Disney theme parks have always provided a nice respite from the heat. But they also provide some terrific renderings! Here's a nice albeit miniature collection of Disney Imagineering concept art with a nautical focus. Each piece is in a size you'll certainly want to enlarge and save. 

Up at the top: This is an absolutely beautiful piece of concept art celebrating the riverboat at the Magic Kingdom's unique Liberty Square. Look at this detail! The Hall of Presidents sits in the distance as does Cinderella Castle. I love the trio of folks on the riverbank just watching the vessel go by. It's these kind of details that make Disney art so appealing. Much better than some of there newer pieces where people are photoshopped in!

Next up is a look at a long abandoned Disney theme park idea, Disney's America. The patriotic themed park in Virginia was derailed by the locals only to have the land later replaced by strip malls and very commonplace buildings found anywhere in suburbia. The only redeeming factor of the cancellation seems to be the remaining pieces of art. As you can see, this park looks to represent a perhaps more gritty look at our history, but it's not one without celebration. Wouldn't it have been great to watch a fireworks show with a replica Statue of Liberty in the background? What lost opportunities. 

Not all Disney seaworthy vessels are outdoors. Yes, it's Splash Mountain shown here. In one of the largest set pieces ever built, the amazing adventure down the longest and steepest flume ride ever built culminates with a stunning view of the party going on aboard the Zip A Dee Doo Dah Lady. (If I can remember the name correctly.) 

This is just the beginning of your seaworthy adventure. Back on the Rivers of America, there's the canoes, the Tom Sawyer Island Rafts and more. You can add the Columbia Sailing Ship, the Wicked Wench, and of course all of the submarines found in the Stateside Disney parks. (Not to mention the Jungle Cruise boats or those found on the canals of Storybookland.) Of course, once outside North America, there's even more vessels to be found. Am I missing any?

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Find An Imagineer

Whether it's the unbuilt Disney's America project (above) or a shining new Shanghai Disneyland, theme park fans seems to love Imagineering art. And why shouldn't we? We'll pour over great renderings of Star Wars Land / Experience or Pandora / World of Avatar looking for insights into the next great Disney park addition. By and large with very few exceptions, the art these Imagineers create art truly beautiful pieces. 

Below, you'll find a list of some Imagineers' websites, those both past and present.  What surprises await you as you explore!  Someday, we'll find a site dedicated to Joe Rohde or Tony Baxter. I'm sure the list will grow, but in the meantime, take a look around the web at the best Imagineering has to offer.

Bob Baranick

Don Carson
Tim Delaney
Hani D. El-Masri
Mark Hickson
John Horny
Maggie Parr
Eddie Sotto
Julie Svendsen

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Liberty Square Keeps Florida's Kingdom Unique

As a Disney theme park fan, one of the delights of visiting the different parks is seeing the unique attractions and lands each has to offer. It is one of the main reasons I am so against the quick cookie-cutter additions of attractions placed in several parks at once. It may be economically a smart move (or is it?), but in the long run, doing so only detracts from the overall experience. Even the same themed attraction can take on a new and fresh perspective and presentation, making it a must-see adventure for the fan to explore several different parks. The perfect example would be in the quintessential park attraction, Pirates of the Caribbean, uniquely different in the original vs. the excellent Parisian version and also in the new crowd pleaser in Shanghai Disneyland.  The same could be said for the Haunted Mansion / Phantom Manor / Mystic Manor trio of attractions.

Abandoned Disney's America.

For this reason alone, I remain thrilled that the Magic Kingdom's Liberty Square has yet to be duplicated anywhere else. Certainly if built as planned, the Disney's America project would have made Florida's land look like the standard cliff notes version, but for now, this elegant area remains an exclusive to Florida.  

The outstanding Hall of Presidents and the spirit filled Haunted Mansion are the headliners here, but a cruise on the riverboat is another must do. Looking around the land, two smaller items are worth notice. One, a copy of the Philadelphia Liberty Bell itself, and also, the Liberty Tree- a massive specimen that holds 13 lanterns representing the original states in the Union. These bits of history and historic reference strengthen the theme, making the area more compelling. (In an odd move earlier this year, Disney made a mistake adding the 20th century Muppets show to the land, but a guest can visit the area off times and not experience the break in theme.) 

Liberty Square is so much more than the sum of its attractions, however. The land is filled with shops once offering unique items completely in theme. Sadly, that is no longer. Even though the buildings are now filled with generic Disney merchandise, they remain wonderful pieces of architecture. There's still a couple of great places to eat, however, the Columbia Harbour House (one of the few places in the Magic Kingdom offering seafood) and the Liberty Tree Tavern.

The concept art (top) is not an often seen piece of Imagineering art. We usually find the more common finished product depicted instead. If you look closely, you'll find the Liberty Tree is there. What you'll also see but was never built is directly to the left of the Hall of Presidents: the beginning of a series of streets and even courtyards a la Disneyland's incredible New Orleans Square. Would it not have been great fun to explore colonial America by getting lost in a network of shops and cafes? New Orleans Square is certainly one of the greatest pieces of design at Disneyland, effectively mimicking real world New Orleans as well as places like Montmartre in Paris and numerous bazaars found in the Middle East and Asia. 

One day, the Imagineers may choose to expand the area around the Rivers of America, opening up a pathway beyond the Haunted Mansion to ease guest traffic flow or to provide access to new lands and attractions. If so, I hope they include a bit more Liberty Square into the mix. It's a land that keeps the Magic Kingdom unique and celebrates a country like no other.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Before There Was California Adventure...Westcot!

Don't get me wrong. I love all the wonderful changes that have been completed and those that are still coming to Disney California Adventure. All $1B worth for Phase One, and whatever else they decide to actually build for Phase Two- if its well done. I'm all for almost anything to make this park a respectable and worthy companion to Walt's Disneyland. But I will say unabashedly, I am a Westcot fan. (Just take a look at this stunning concept art for the abandoned second park, and you'll see why. Click on it to see it full sized.)

At the grand opening of California Adventure, the Walt Disney Company and its leaders Michael Eisner and Roy Disney promised us wonderful and charming attractions honoring the spirit, locales, and people of the Golden State. It was only half-heartedly delivered. It looked much more like outtakes from the abandonded Disney's America project. (Even then, some of the most true to concept pieces of the California themed park were discarded- the beautiful Eureka parade- with its awful "hip" soundtrack; the all too politically correct and cheapened from the original Circle of Hands Audio-Animatronics show, Golden Dreams; lastly the simply delicate and wonderfully delightful Seasons of the Vine show. And oh yeah, Superstar Limo... awful but in theme.) Gotta give Robert Iger credit for trying to right the wrongs now- even though he was part of the group that approved the original plans. The Paradise Pier makeover is a good start to a reboot of the park. Buena Vista Street looks great and Carsland terrific. However...

Imagine being delivered the world instead of just a Pixared California. Not just the world of the future, but the four corners of the globe. Imagine having the elegant World Showcase from Epcot reimagined for the West Coast. Beautiful nighttime vistas of global landmarks, wonderful and varied dining options, gorgeously lush landscapes, thrilling and educational attractions. Nice, huh- and very near the quality of Tokyo Disney Sea.

Instead of the world, we get Mickey's Fun Wheel, and we have to live with it. Let's just say the Imagineers and the suits have their work cut out for them to transform California Adventure into something worthy of the magnitude of Westcot. Can they do it? We'll see in 2012, but I still pine for what could have been. Some may say "Get over it!" but there's still that third slice of land holding court as a parking lot just in case the Westcot concept would rise from the ashes.

For the record, SamLand's Disney Adventures has the absolutely best series on the creation and history of this never completed Disney park. You'll find part one right here. For a transcript of the entire Westcot presentation as told by Imagineer Extraordinaire Tony Baxter, go here. The transcript is full of juicy details of the attractions proposed for the park- and how it was to be an improvement over World Showcase in particular. Go to these posts and drool. You will. Trust me.

For now, let us rejoice in the little theme park that is getting a second chance. The suits could have left it half-baked. Instead, it will become something worthy of a full and fun-filled day. But never forget what is found in Tokyo or what could have been. Hold the company we love to their previous high standards. Universal's done it with Harry Potter. We deserve it- and they can deliver more.
(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)