Disneyland's Atlantis Expedition: The Submarine Voyage Tomorrowland Deserved

Imagine a version of Tokyo Disneysea's Mount Prometheus coming to Disneyland. If you do some research and dig deep into Imagineering history with all those never built attractions, you'll discover an epic Tomorrowland mega- "E Ticket" that almost came to be: The Atlantis Expedition. With a large chunk of land from the Autopia as well as the  old Motor Boat Cruise area, what would be built in its place was worth the change. 

Tomorrowland was certainly overdue for a great and groundbreaking new attraction. It was also due for a major update in both theme and execution. Becoming stale, it no longer represented the idea of what could lie ahead. Discoveryland in Disneyland Paris took the futuristic theme and turned it on its side, choosing to create a land that looked at different aspects of what the future could be. Concepts from Jules Verne and H.G. Wells and others formed its core. With ideas from both the parks in Tokyo and in Paris, a plan began.

Concept art by the Imagineers boldly announced a coming attraction of significance, and rumors went wild.  It was almost announced to the public until an innocent little fish got in the way. Finding Nemo gave the suits a reason to insist on cross-promotion and more character invasion in lands that were never meant to be their home. 

Thanks to an unknown photographer.

 

Since there had to be a tie in to an Intellectual Property, I'm sure Tony and other Imagineers asked the suits to consider the film was Atlantis: The Lost Empire. This 2001 animated movie wasn't a hit, but it was a pretty good film, and it would have made for an epic adventure. The Disney of old didn't stop at how big a success a film was if it made the right addition to the park. I don't blame Tony Baxter for this change in plans. The man always did the best he could to ensure the flavor and legacy of Walt's Disneyland while adjusting to the requirements of the management du jour flavor of the month. In a move all too similar to what happened with Tarzan's Tree House, he had to roll with the suits demands because he just wanted to save Disneyland's iconic, much loved Submarine Voyage.  

 

When this tarp was plastered on the Submarine Voyage tent, the Imagineers used it as a leveraging strategy to get the project a green light. As we now know, it wasn't to be.

Close up shot.

The potential plan for this enhanced attraction meant guests would ride in the subs to a secret dark and dangerous destination. They'd be forced to disembark because something went horribly wrong, boarding an escape vehicle for the rest of an adventure. Proving no good ideas go to waste, this sounds more than a bit like the story arc for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Guests would walk across two separate bridges into the heart of the caldera- and into a secret side building just hidden from view from the "mainland", making the Atlantis Expedition a one of a kind adventure. Indoors and outdoors and two ride systems with some part of the attraction being a walk through, all contained in a remote feeling piece of land. It could be easily marketed, proving irresistible to guests of all ages.

And a cool poster on top of it all!

Years ago, this insightful bit of information from the WDWMagic Boards came in to me. Much more information on this incredible plan and a copy of the proposed attraction poster:

"The poster was drawn by Josh Shipley and was suppose to be on the construction walls. Park management didn't like the idea and never put it up.

At the time, park management wanted to close the subs in order to send funding to Innoventions. They had no plans to put a new ride in. They just wanted to mothball the thing to save money. Unknown to park management, WDI came in and setup camp with the Atlantis Expedition sign. Park management saw the sign later that day and forced them to remove it. Later that day a flag with a trident on a blue background showed up. WDI left a few weeks later.

There is also the story about how Marty Sklar threaten to lay across Harbor Blvd if the subs were to be shut down without a replacement. He should have done it."

 Later more news appeared. (It pays to read those Boards!) More insights by "phruby": http://www.parkscope.net/2017/02/the-atlantis-expedition-atlantean.html.  

In his first decade, former CEO Michael Eisner would have had the guts to do this. I can't imagine Robert Iger would, and we know Bob Chapek certainly would not.  For that matter, I do not trust the current management to do a great job with any envisioned Tomorrowland for Walt's park. Leave it until someone with some heart and guts takes the reigns- if that ever happens.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Rare Art for Disneyland's Unbuilt Atlantis Expedition

The Atlantis Expedition in Tomorrowland at Disneyland. The art is real and not a figment of your imagination. Click on it to see it in the highest resolution. Goodbye Autopia. Hello stunning E Ticket.

The attraction was long rumored and even announced - sort of. See the image below for the proof: A single photograph of the sign temporarily hoisted during the closing of the beloved Submarine Voyage. 

Was it Imagineers at play or a very clever promotional tool to get guests excited and the project approved? Both.

Photographer unknown.

As you can see from the concept art, a West Coast answer to Tokyo Disney Sea's incredible Mysterious Island would have played a key part in the design. Imagineer Tony Baxter tried to rescue the submarine excursion as a real underwater journey was rare among all the castle parks in Disney's kingdom.

Due to it being an expensive project, there had to be a tie in to an Intellectual Property to bring it to fruition. In this case, the film was Atlantis: The Lost Empire, an animated movie that was actually pretty good even though it was largely overlooked by the paying public in 2001. It's too bad really, as it would have made much better sense than to bring in something from Finding Nemo.

Close up shot.

Looking closer, it seems guests would be able to walk across two separate bridges into the heart of the caldera- and into a secret side building just hidden from view from the "mainland". Just now, I was reminded of a potential plan for the new attraction where guests would ride in the subs to a secret destination, disembarking for the rest of an adventure, creating a Phase One and Phase Two of the whole experience. Sounds similar to what I've heard regarding the Battle Escape attraction for Star Wars Land. Two separate ride experiences where the visitors leave one vehicle and queue for a second one to complete the entire experience.

And a cool poster on top of it all!

Newest Information: Seems folks have a passionate response to this concept art and my article:

This just in from "phruby" on the WDWMagic Boards. More information on the project and a copy (above) of the proposed attraction poster.:

"The poster was drawn by Josh Shipley and was suppose to be on the construction walls. Park management didn't like the idea and never put it up.

At the time, park management wanted to close the subs in order to send funding to Innoventions. They had no plans to put a new ride in. They just wanted to mothball the thing to save money. Unknown to park management, WDI came in and setup camp with the Atlantis Expedition sign. Park management saw the sign later that day and forced them to remove it. Later that day a flag with a trident on a blue background showed up. WDI left a few weeks later.

There is also the story about how Marty Sklar threaten to lay across Harbor Blvd if the subs were to be shut down without a replacement. He should have done it."

Even more: And now, I add to this post with this amazing insight, shared again by "phruby":

http://www.parkscope.net/2017/02/the-atlantis-expedition-atlantean.html.  

Tomorrowland is no longer about the future or even a future fantasy look as is found in the way beautiful Jules Verne inspired Discoveryland in Disneyland Paris. It's now about shoving in the latest movie tie-in. Sometimes it works- such as the case of Tron Lightcycles in Shanghai Disneyland and other times, it's a relative disaster as in the case of Nemo. Still, I'd rather have the subs than not, but I do wish we'd had Atlantis instead. Don't you?

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Expedition to Atlantis at Disneyland

The Definitive Ranking of Pixar Movies

Warmly, but with absolutely no apologies to Kelly Lawler at USA Today who posted a totally different list with the same title, here's my ranking of the greatest (and least) of Pixar films. With an agreement that we can all lovingly disagree, your list will probably vary:

You're cute but your story is too heavy handed.

15. Wall-E
A preachy, mostly charmingless tale of two robots with only eyes for each other. The human race be damned. I'll take my Starbucks and my computer when I choose, thank you very much.

Oh no, there's some, ugh bugs, to work out of the story.

14. A Bug's Life
Even for an attraction that has to use film as its main medium to tell a story, I find this Animal Kingdom attraction based on this movie pretty terrific. But then, it's only 6 minutes at best. This film is boring, boring, boring. Had it not followed up Toy Story, it would have flopped.

I am woman. Hear me roar.

13. Brave
Beautiful scenery. Good main character but undeveloped secondary ones. Convoluted tale of feminism. Merida does win points for being a strong female in spite of some bad choices to accomplish her independence and make her point.

In my beautiful balloon.

12. Up

The powerful but depressing opening scenes give way to a tale of two odd friends. There is so much potential but it's wasted as the story becomes a fantasy filled with speaking dogs and an entirely unnecessary villain. Kudos for using an old man as a lead character.

 I see dead batteries.

11. Cars 2

Loses some points for a less than original script, but the cars are lovable, making it a great daddy and son Saturday matinee movie. Not sure if chapter three is even necessary. Out of gas?

That was it?!?

10. Inside Out

There was much potential for this to be a truly great film. But as I said a few posts earlier, the film just isn't much fun. So much for the second wave of Pixar greatness... at least for now.

Who needs a dog when you have Bullseye?

9.  Toy Story 2

Terrific storyline and characters we all know and love. Jessie's sour attitude is quite annoying, but Bullseye saves the day. Ride on cowboys!

Frat brothers.

8.  Monsters University

What's not to love here? Collage age Mike and Sully are just as much fun as their older selves. If there ever was a buddy movie with plots twists and turns we didn't expect, this is it. Not quite as good as the original but every bit as creative.

Buddy movie of a different kind.

7.  Cars

Is is Doc Hollywood in car form? Sure, but that storyline has been told for decades. Owen Wilson is terrific as the lead ego propelled racer who learns the lessons of true friendship. A winning film for those who don't care about being politcally correct. Bonus points for being the film that produced one of the best "lands" from Disney Imagineering since New Orleans Square at Disneyland. 

You've got a franchise in me.

6.  Toy Story

The first and perhaps the best loved. Buzz Lightyear is a revelation.   Optimistic and lighthearted with a good dose of nostalgia tossed in. The heartstrings don't get fully pulled until two sequels later, but boy, what a tug!

Ah, Paris!

5.  Ratatouille

One of my personal favorites. The story is unexpected, the main characters strong, and the atmosphere and musical score totally mesmerizing. If you've been to Paris, you understand. 

Could strong fathers be a key to Pixar's success?

4.  Finding Nemo

A strong loving father and a special needs son that both find their way home. You have to have a heart of stone to not like this film. Populated with an oceanful of great characters.

Who says you have to be young to be cool?

3.  The Incredibles

A Pixar film for adults that have survived (and thrived through) a midlife crisis. Discovering yourself and your partner amidst marriage drama, changing bodies, and the sometimes joyless responsibilities of being a parent. Sophisticated stuff for an animated film made enjoyable by a great plot line and dazzling environments. The perfect Pixar film for a series. Can't wait for the second one!

Is it just me or should this be a Disney roller coaster attraction?

2.  Monsters Inc.

Billy Crystal in the part he was designed for! Turning an old story on its head, Monsters Inc. creates a charming world all its own. One we are sad to leave when the time comes. 

It's ok- we've all grown up, Andy.

1.  Toy Story 3

By the time this film came out, the characters were beloved world over. The climax of the film is as gripping as anything Disney has ever done. It's at that moment we viewers realized these characters had a well earned place in our lives. The art of storytelling at its Pixar best.

(Art copyright Disney/Pixar.)

Original Disneyland Submarine Voyage Concept Art

Just a quick Friday post as we head into the weekend...

This piece of concept art for Disneyland's Submarine Voyage is found as part of a preview of coming attractions page at the back of a late 1950's souvenir guide. Although it's a bit faded, a little photoshop work brings the colors closer to its original shades.

I do enjoy what was done to save the subs from extinction- meaning that Finding Nemo overlay spearheaded by Imagineer Tony Baxter- but I'll be quick to confess that the original voyage through liquid space aboard the Nautilus was much more mysterious and engaging. Do any of you out there remember it? Hopefully, there will be more art on display at the Innoventions building soon...

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

From the ImagiNerding Files

Not that I have too much time on my hands- because I don't- but when I saw this screen shot first posted on the ImagiNerding site, I was instantly driven to clean it up a bit.

You see, Disneyland's "World on the Move", Tomorrowland, used to be one of my favorite areas in the park. Back then, Imagineering used to be forward thinking, instead of thinking how they can cram more animated characters into Walt Disney's original Magic Kingdom. Back then, Nemo was proceeded by the word "Captain".

No matter. This is still a pretty stunning piece of Imagineering art for Disneyland. But I do know it makes me long for earlier days when an optimistic future was just a dream away.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Disney's Animal Kingdom at 15 Years: Much Ado About Nothing

On this day, I had planned to write Part Seven of my popular series on the creation and evolution of Disney's Animal Kingdom - A True Life Adventure, but it seemed to me that even on this 15th year anniversary of the park, perhaps Part Seven of this series should be entitled, "The De-Evolution of Disney's Animal Kingdom".

In 2006, the park triumphantly opened Expedition: Everest and Finding Nemo the Musical. Since that point in time, absolutely nothing new other than a premium upgrade experience of the standard tour and a lot of talk about Avatar. Oh wait, nets under the falling limbs on the Tree of Life. A broken Yeti. The closing of a very poor animal show with Pocahantas. Minor tinkering with the park's premier attraction Kilimanjaro Safaris.

The once majestic park with so much potential just sits there. Still. Doesn't matter how much the suits at Disney trumpet its success. It's remains an eroding park, falling apart one limb at a time.

It's a Pixar Disney World

It's a scary thought for most die-hard Disney theme park fans, but the truth is the truth. With the raging success of Carsland and Radiator Springs Racers at the revamped Disney California Adventure, more Pixar attractions- and their clones- are on their way. Whether or not this is the end of totally original, non-movie based attractions is yet to be seen. However, get prepared for an invasion.

So, where would Pixar characters and attractions best fit in the parks? Here's this writer's suggestion for where (in Florida) they most make sense.

Disney Animal Kingdom: Given that It's Tough to Be a Bug premiered at this park prior to the opening of the movie its from, it seems very natural that Flik's Fun Fair from California would fit here. 

Since the Imagineers have to come up with a great solution to keep the falling limbs from the Tree of Life from creating death to the guests, there's a natural solution to the problem. Excavate below the tree, creating an underground Fun Fair that is reachable through the various paths around the tree. It's like a bit of King Triton's/Ariel's undersea world at Tokyo Disney Sea. Creative lighting and excellent prop usage could reveal a totally enticing environment with sacrificing the credibility of the theme above ground or use up extra real estate. Of course, the characters from Up could find a natural home here once Animal Kingdom debuts a South American themed land.

Epcot: It's a bit trickier to pull this off in a park that appeals mostly to adults. That said, Imagineering, or should I say those suits involved in cross promotion, have already made substantial moves this direction. Starting with The Lion King characters moving into the Land and most recently with Crush from Finding Nemo debuting at the (Living) Seas, the invasion has already begun- and to much acclaim from guests.

In Future World, Wall-E and The Incredibles could be added without much trouble. Anyone remember SMRT-1? The tiny blue robot with the little boy voice could easily have grown up into a wiser WALL-E. Then I'd add a little pizzaz to the boring Ellen's Energy Adventure, giving Ellen DeGeneres, Bill Nye, and Jamie Lee Curtis the boot. The superhero Parr family could have quite the adventure of their own as they try to save the world and its natural resources... and educate the public along the way.

Naturally, World Showcase and its France representation could be home to Remy's Kitchen Calamity, the all new attraction based on Ratatouille. Its coming to the dreadful Walt Disney Studios Paris, but we all know how the suits love to recover R&D costs by bringing a new attraction to as many parks as possible. The United Kingdom could also host Merida and friends from Brave. This could be a great opportunity for some meet and greet magic a la Belle's Enchanted Tales from the New Fantasyland in Florida's Magic Kingdom. 

As Pixar movies continue to develop more into the princess territory, Disney could even add entire new countries in order to bring in new stories as they are told. If that is what it takes to get a country added to World Showcase, so be it!

Disney's Hollywood Studios: Here's the "one place for everything else" park. If it is true that Cars' Radiator Springs Racers is coming, it could easily be incorporated into Pixar Place. Just bring in the long designed but previously un-greenlit Monsters Inc Coaster, move the average comedy club from the Magic Kingdom, and a couple of Toy Story based carnival rides from Paris or Hong Kong Disneyland. It won't take much genius to pull this off. The end result will be a kid-friendly park known for thrill rides with height requirements. (And please move the annoying Stitch here while you are at it!)

Magic Kingdom: This is the one park where Pixar characters and stories do not belong. Let Fantasyland exist peacefully as the land of Walt Disney tales. Return Tomorrowland to a vision of the future, and move Aladdin's Carpets to the Studios along the way.All this will help in returning the integrity of the original concept to the park. 

So, there's my suggestions for a Pixar Disney World! What are yours?

(Art copyright Disney/Pixar.)

Disney's Animal Kingdom Collection

Editors Note: This year's D23 convention was full of exciting exhibits and displays, but it unfortunately and thoroughly ignored one of Walt Disney Imagineering's most important projects of the last two decades. Disney's Animal Kingdom is a game changer for the Walt Disney Company in how it viewed and designed and managed its theme parks and in how it educated its guests. Although Part One of this six part series was first published in 2008, taking a look back at the park's history and the thought processes of the Company may give us a hint to its future. At the end of this posting of Part One, there are links to the other six articles in the series. Additionally, on this blog, there are 60+ other articles about Animal Kingdom, making it one of the both talked about subjects found here. These posts include more rare concept art, trip reports, etc. But for now, let's begin with Part One...

Earlier this year, Disney’s fourth and largest Florida theme park celebrated ten years of delighting, thrilling, or frustrating Walt Disney World guests. Plans for the future have yet to be made public, but let’s look back at the past, discuss the present, and speculate on the future of this wonderfully imagineered playground.

Why is there such a deep appreciation and an equal disdain for Disney’s Animal Kingdom? It stands distinctly different from the Mouse’s other playgrounds in the Sunshine State. For its fans, the combination of a brilliant and daring design, consistent theme, and faithful execution brings new and unique adventures and environments. Its detractors would counter there are too few attractions to hold their interest for an entire day. Both sides agree the park is a beauty to view. However dazzling this combination zoo, botanical garden, and theme park is to behold, there are also the intangible factors that draw us to it when we can look past the limited number of adventures: there is a deep emotional connection that comes from our love for nature and animals. It meets our desire to run away from the concrete jungles of modern day life and reality- if only for the day! The park is a unique entity among Disney’s theme park roster, one that will probably never be duplicated.

Beginning with Mickey himself, animals of all types and depictions continue to be a great and profitable fit with Disney. According to company lore, Walt’s well-known love for animals and exotic locales, evidenced by the inclusion of Adventureland at Disneyland, California, and his True-Life Adventure films formed the emotional heart of Animal Kingdom long before ground was ever broken. In reality, when discussion began about the creation of this park in 1989, it may have truly been a strictly business decision that brought it to fruition.

The Magic Kingdom was a concept unique to Disney, successfully capitalizing and expanding upon the reputation of its older sibling in California. The next park, EPCOT Center, conceptually different in Walt’s mind but with its execution clearly inspired by world’s fairs and corporate America trade shows, transformed Walt Disney World from a single day destination to one that could consume a traveler’s entire week. Disney-MGM Studios debuted and was the least original of the three parks, taking ideas from Universal Studios in California and Disneyland, including a new Main Street of a different era for its entrance plaza.

Michael Eisner, brilliant or be damned, was the driving force behind the creation of a nature focused park. Bringing a competitive, and some would say greedy, nature to the business, he guided the company into direct battle with his once friendly neighbors, desiring to capture all the time and money any visitor may have in Central Florida. Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park had just successfully launched to square off with the soon-to-come Universal Studios. Pleasure Island was Disney’s answer to Orlando’s popular Church Street Station, Typhoon Lagoon their response to Wet N Wild, and myriads of resort properties were added to the entire Disney complex to grab a large share of the hospitality industry’s bread and butter. Earlier in the decade, Epcot’s Living Seas pavilion took a swipe at Sea World, and now Disney’s Animal Kingdom was looking to take a large bite out of Busch Gardens popularity in nearby Tampa.

The Studios park was jammed with guests from opening day on, and the atmosphere was rich but the attractions were few. Plans were quickly put into place for expansion, and discussions began on what to do next. Outside the new park, visitors filled the water parks and daytime entertainment and shopping areas. Flush with success and lots of money to invest, Disney executives believed a large audience remained untapped. With the astounding success of all the new offerings on the property, it was only a matter of time before the strategy gelled to add another park to lure and keep vacationers on Disney soil. Watching its competition for further clues, all it took was a glance at what was going on in Tampa to realize people’s love for animals and for the Disney characters would be a hit when combined. Polls taken at the other parks confirmed the company’s hunch. The “blue sky” imagineering quietly but quickly began.

Joe Rohde, who was intimately involved in the now defunct Adventurer’s Club at Pleasure Island, got the go-ahead from Eisner early in the new decade to proceed. He would head up the small but talented team to design the new park. With only a few months, a relatively short amount of time, and a high level of secrecy, this crew began to dream, plan and envision a park that would capture an audience and their money.

The designers instinctively knew Disney’s Wild Animal Kingdom, (as it was first named), had to be different from the other Florida parks, yet it had to appeal to the masses as well. Could Disney pull off a zoological park that didn’t look or feel like one? It had to be one that could excite and not bore. These became the core challenges. The Imagineers and the money men were well aware that travelers would avoid the new park in droves if a run-of-the-mill zoo was the first impression the park left its early guests.

As with any Disney park, this one had to have its themed “lands”. Initial concepts blended traditional Magic Kingdom elements (Beastly Kingdom- home to imaginary animals and the expected Disney dark rides); an Epcot style pavilion (Conservation Station- highlighting advanced animal care techniques); and traditional zoo with safari essentials (Kilimanjaro Safaris and Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail- among others, providing real life animal encounters). Additionally, a few old school Disneyland elements reappeared with slightly different twists: an exploration into the era of prehistoric creatures from Anaheim’s Primeval World met the cutting edge technology of California’s Indiana Jones Adventure (Countdown to Extinction), repurposed Jungle Cruise boats became transportation (Discovery River Boats), and lastly another railroad line linked the more guest friendly areas with the research facility (the Wildlife Express). Of course, any and all great plans are subject to the accountants red pen!


(Thank you to Tales from the Laughing Place for the image above!)

The main themed areas were now in place, but the Imagineers had another challenge to solve as well. What should be the park’s identifying icon and how would they set the stage for an arriving visitor? The Magic Kingdom and Studios parks both used a long walkway leading from the park entrance toward its respective icon. Epcot utilized a welcome garden type area then allowed guests to walk under Spaceship Earth. After many different ideas were discussed, including entering the park through a recreation of Noah’s ark, Joe Rohde and team took a unique approach to solve the problem.

To quickly establish the idea this park was built for exploration, wonder, and maybe most importantly, was not your mother’s zoo, guests would pass the turnstiles and enter the enticing Oasis Gardens. This area establishes the feel of the park: there would be multiple paths to explore and animals and birds all around. With the vegetation lush and strewn with tropical flowers, streams, and small waterfalls, this place would be a place to relax as well as have fun. Nooks and crannies discovered along the way would contain animal exhibits quietly hidden for the folks who would choose to take the time to find them. Multiple paths into and out of the gardens encourage visitors to explore. All this to bring a sense of mystery. Once the chattering of birds and small creatures intermingled with the sounds of human laughter, anticipation would be built. What would it lead to?

To ensure the park had an extremely authentic and exotic atmosphere, the Animal Kingdom team wisely involved Paul Comstock, the modern day genius landscape architect behind so many of Disney's wonderful theme parks and resorts. Mentored by the legendary Bill Evans, his reputation is crowned by his breathtaking work on Disney's Animal Kingdom. This unique combination gives the park its bold flavor. (Below is one of Paul’s original landscape plans. To view more of his two decades of work at Disney, see his portfolio at his new employer, Valley Crest Design Group.)
The landscaping plan for the park is spectacular, but it is the man made masterpiece, the Tree of Life, the park’s chosen icon, that was intended to steal the show. This astounding structure is a piece of art unparalleled in Disney’s history. Designed to quickly brand the Animal Kingdom, there are more than three hundred animals are carved into its trunk and branches. Surrounding it are even more gardens, streams, and waterfalls. The Tree of Life was a bold and breathtaking choice. Situated on Safari Island, there were various concepts initially proposed for the area before the designers settled on the final one.

As expenses grew making accountants nervous, plans continued to evolve to balance the centuries old tension of art and commerce. The victims of cost cutting meant a haven for meeting the Disney characters replaced the beautiful landscapes and attractions of Beastly Kingdom, old parade floats from Disneyland were turned into the Festival of the Lion King show, and the exciting Excavator coaster for Dinoland U.S.A. became extinct. In what was ultimately another concession to the business side of the Mouse House, a 3D film based on an upcoming Disney/Pixar movie “A Bug’s Life” would be placed inside the majestic Tree of Life. Although fewer attractions would premier on opening day than what was originally designed, the park promised and would deliver enticing adventures for those guests who chose to look beyond the traditional Disney park experience.


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Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

Part Six

(All artwork copyright The Walt Disney Company. Photos by Mark Taft. All rights reserved.)

The Rise and Fall of Disney's Animal Kingdom

How can a Disney theme park with so much promise fall into such a miserable state less than 15 years after opening? Such is the case of Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World.

Although it opened on Opening on Earth Day 1988, the park began capturing the interest and curiosity of the public years ago when the project was first announced. "Why would Disney want to create a zoo?" was a common question- one that Disney's own accountants had to be asking themselves as well. It was one the Company itself had to be asking after guest numbers fell year after year. And it is one die hard Disney theme park fans- and perhaps even Imagineer Joe Rohde- are now asking themselves while the Walt Disney Company lets this beautiful, rich kingdom die a slow death, watching it devolve into just another zoo.

With broken effects in most of the major attractions, shortened hours, overpriced restaurants, and rehashed parades, although Disney's Animal Kingdom once had the ability to match Tokyo Disney Sea in elan and beauty, the company tossed its potential aside due to neglect in both upkeep and lack of further enhancements. The pricey Wild Africa Trek does not make up for a lack of expansion, but it does explain away the reason for a broken yeti at Expedition Everest, closing shows without replacements, and offering nothing new in years. Clearly, corporate greed trumps customer satisfaction and high value for the dollars spent. Please prove me wrong, Mr. Iger, please do.

My intent here is not to rehash a detailed history of the park. (For those that are interested, I do so in a six part series that begins here.) Today, I just want to ask the question, "What happened?"


(Photo copyright Mark Taft.)

Disneyland's Dirty Little Secret

Hope you enjoyed the trip report on California Adventure! Here now, is my take on the status of Disneyland... and please, don't forget to answer the poll to the left!

As you might remember, I had one full day to cover both parks in California. Normally, it might be somewhat of a lost cause, but with a cooler and overcast day and a bit of preparation, I was able to have a very casually paced day and see 23 attractions including World of Color.

Walked into the park just minutes before the rope drop. Main Street U.S.A. looked terrific in its Halloween garb. Ever since Matt Ouimet spruced up the place for the 50th anniversary, the old gal looks pretty good overall. (The same attention to detail in preparation for the 40th anniversary of Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom seems to be happening as I write.) I had several minutes to look up at the buildings and view them in close detail. No peeling paint or rotting wood here. So different than what I saw at Disneyland Paris three years ago.

Normally this time of year, I would be in a rush to head towards the Indiana Jones Adventure, continue on to Haunted Mansion Holiday and then finally Splash Mountain before slowing down the pace. Since I had been to the parks almost exactly one year ago, I took a different approach. What would happen to the flow of my day- and the number of attractions I would experience- if I went "old school" and started with Fantasyland's dark rides?

Heading straight towards the castle, I was struck by how charming the courtyard was as I passed over the moat. Very charming without the crowds. Peter Pan's Flight was an early morning favorite for many visitors, but I was able to be the 5th person in line. It had been years since I had been over Neverland in the States, and since this attraction is the first one I will cover in my soon to come Disney Dark Ride Series, it seemed like a fitting beginning to the day. Ready for this? It was a let down.

Peter's invitation at Wendy's window didn't play, the music over London was off, and there were noticeable areas where Neverland needed some tender loving care by the Imagineers. Never even saw Tink! The whole flight was much less magical than I wanted, and I was so glad I did this first thing in the morning instead of queuing up hours later and experiencing a lengthy wait. This just hinted at a bit at Disneyland's dirty little secret, but more on that later.

Redeeming the first ride of the day, I journeyed off with Mr. Toad for a wild ride to nowhere in particular. The building looked beautifully elegant. The interior had oodles of detail, and my car seemed blessed with a brand new paint job. Yes, the attraction is an original, so it is old. And yes, it is simple. But it is still a pretty fun little jaunt. How did I manage to exit the ride with a smile on my face right after entering Hell? It is Fantasyland, after all!

Checking out the new effects in Snow White's Scary Adventures, I thought about how a combination mine train roller coaster and dark ride themed to this film could actually work in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. The story's a great one. If the attraction entrance looks like a combination of Disneyland's Snow White Castle sitting on top of a mountain that's to the right scale, it could fit into the atmosphere well. I cannot wait to see the new concept art for Fantasyland Forest 2.0. Taking the simple figures and lighting effects with a kid friendly coaster could be a big family hit. And definitely "boy friendly"!

From that point, I walked through a very quiet and lovely Fantasyland, passing the Mad Tea Party and Dumbo as well as Storybookland Canal Boats, Alice in Wonderland and the Matterhorn Bobsleds. Where was I headed? Right to Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage.

Two years ago, I experienced my first undersea travels in decades. I was not too impressed after a lengthy wait, so I wanted to give the attraction another chance. Again, it was a walk-on, something that would not be true later in the day when I queued for the Matterhorn. This time, with lowered expectations and riding in a submarine full of families with small children, I tried to experience the attraction through their eyes. Overall, a solid attraction. The thrill of being in a sub is not something I can experience every day. Does Nemo belong in Tomorrowland? Absolutely not. Was it the right choice to save the subs? Probably.

From one toon to another, Buzz was next on my to do list. Granted, I'm the low score king, but this is also the reason I didn't go on Toy Story Midway Mania at California Adventure later in the day. I will say this: the outside of the attraction looks very dated and the building needs some refurbishment. Disneyland's Tomorrowland is the worst of all the Magic Kingdom styled parks. A mish mash of designs and themes. It is so sad that this one time "World on the Move" has become the weakest land in the park.

After a quick jaunt back to California Adventure, I reentered Disneyland and began again with what would be my normal touring plan. This meant an awesome ride on Indy, (great new Harrison Ford Animatronic, by the way) followed by my favorite Disneyland attraction ever: Pirates of the Caribbean.

Although I was a young child at the time, I was among those who rode Pirates upon its opening in the Spring of 1967, and I have been held captive by their escapades ever since. No other Disney attraction save Epcot's original Journey Into Imagination has ever been as instantly loved.

Forty plus years later, this classic still has it all. In fact, I have never seen this attraction look or sound better, with one exception. The bayou night was as mysteriously dark as could be, the talking skull perfectly presented, and the caves and caverns spectacularly lit. Sure, the ride down the waterfalls will never equal those of Splash Mountain, but what follows the drops makes up for that in thrill and anticipation.

Three disclaimers here: 1- Disneyland Paris' version is still my favorite of all; 2- The attraction didn't need Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow and crew- but I like both pre- and post- Sparrow versions equally.; 3- Thank God the politically incorrect pirate activities are back! Pirates chasing women for their trays of food? Really!

As I mentioned, the attraction looked and sounded great. Yet, entering the main ship and coastline battle scene, the music was missing. It adds so much to the great visuals. Geoffrey Rush as Barbossa does a wonderful job blending old dialogue and new, and the first appearance of the beloved Captain Sparrow is inspired. All said, the new characters add to the attraction instead of detracting from it. Still a magnificent accomplishment in theme park presentations that is the industry standard to this day.

This trip through, I realized just how much available space there is in the show building to add new scenarios and characters. Maybe we'll see something new, perhaps Paris' sword fighting pirates will beach on American soil one day. Or even Will Turner (the true hero of the films) and Elizabeth Swann. The possibilities are endless or at least only limited by Disney's budget.

Returning back to the Lafitte's Landing, I should have opted for a second cruise, but instead I moved on to Haunted Mansion Holiday. The short walk through the streets of New Orleans Square are always enjoyable. It's easily my favorite land at Disneyland, and the whole of atmosphere enthralls me. The music, the props, the architecture, the food options, the attractions, the greenery. When you add the elegant Mark Twain rounding the bend, it's a complete package of perfection. Then, there is that beautiful abandoned mansion on the far end of town...

There's much to like about this Tim Burton inspired character makeover- great detail that's true to the Nightmare Before Christmas film- but I truly prefer the Haunted Mansion's original tour. It is one less cartoon inspired in a park that is adding characters all too often. The one big downside with being at the Disneyland Resort during October or Christmas- the two times I am most likely to visit due to my vacation schedule- is that I only get to see the original Marc Davis version when I go to Florida. Guess that makes the original concepts a treat for me.

It was still pretty cool, so I skipped Splash Mountain altogether. In hindsight, I probably should have gone on it as I did venture onto Grizzly River Run several hours later. How often do you get a 5 minute posted wait time? The weather did not stop me from walking through Critter Country however. Pausing to purchase a very pricey but delicious caramel pecan roll ($4.95 for a small piece!), I then walked through the land exploring the nooks and crannies of the Hungry Bear Restaurant.

This area of the park is gorgeous and feels so remote from the rest of it all. In this aspect perhaps among few others, Disneyland's 55 years of growth yields benefits California Adventure has yet to see. The "natural" landscaping and years of growth give Disneyland a lushness that has only been duplicated in Florida's Animal Kingdom. Hopefully, the current Imagineering team brought in to fix the second park should be thinking about this aspect, the one that was ignored in favor of endless streams of concrete. Nothing man made can compete with the natural beauty God builds into shrubs, trees, and flowers.

Moving into Frontierland, Big Thunder was next, then a cruise about the Mark Twain. At the top of the mountain for the climax to the "Wildest Ride in the Wilderness", the avalanche effects at the end were not working. Here it was again. Disneyland's dirty little secret: Many of the effects in some beloved attractions were missing in action, and upkeep on others was lacking compared to normal standards. I saw this later in other areas as well. Too many not to notice.

Perhaps the expense of updating its younger sister park was putting financial pressure on the care of Walt's Kingdom. Maybe Disneyland is being viewed as the cash cow, resting on its laurels, happy to be pleasing the large and loyal local crowd with retro merchandise, guest Imagineers and great holiday celebrations. Maybe a few other reasons as well, but there it was right before my eyes. Too many broken effects.

Back to the trip report. My cruise aboard the Mark Twain gave me a front and center view of everything new on the river. Love him or loathe him, Tony Baxter and his team did a fantastic job adding to the story. Even the old school minimal movement figures were a great touch. It's part of Disneyland's charm to leave some things this way, untouched by high tech/high touch enhancements. Unfortunately, from the ship, I could see how badly the second story building in New Orleans Square needed paint and care. More bad show.

I had one last Fantasyland attraction on my list- It's a Small World. Again, things looked and sounded great, but parts of the attraction's canal needed resculpting and repainting. The tribute to the U.S.A. is missing something, but I cannot put my finger on it exactly. Lastly, why or why not in Disney's thrust for retro merchandise, has there not been a series of limited addition Small World dolls for sale? They would sell like hotcakes. Think American Girl dolls, and you get a clear picture. Duffy is a go, but they are missing the mark on this one.

Returning to Tomorrowland and on to the next toon: Captain Eo Tribute. How dated this thing is! The visuals scream 1980's and the man cannot act, but boy, can Michael Jackson sing and dance! Regardless of what anyone thinks of him and how he lived his private life, Michael was gifted. The show is not timeless, but the music is. There's a rumor that Wall-E may one day make an appearance in 3D. (Look here for details on the Adventures with Disney blog. Given the blog master's fairly good accuracy rate, I have no reason to think it won't.) Makes sense- a futuristic character in a land that keeps adding characters- while losing its substance.

With lines still short, I took time for two back to back journeys I usually have to skip: one on the Disneyland Railroad and the other on the Monorail. On both, the backstage areas were in clear view- and were a mess. The view from the Monorail in particular was awful. Much like the tram from the parking garage, a visitor could see far more than they should. It detracts from the magic. And truthfully, the view of California Adventure from the monorail would not entice anyone to pony up the cash and walk through the gates. Maybe Buena Vista Street will hold true to its name.

One last attraction, then it was time for the Disney Gallery and Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln before returning to California Adventure. A ride on the icy slopes of the mighty Matterhorn on its bobsleds. One of the best additions to the attraction was not the Abominable Snowman, it was the snow storm effects while you went up the lift hill. With the wind effects, it made for a terrific environment. Guess these were lost due to budget cuts as well? Who knew snow was too expensive?

President Lincoln. Wow! Sitting three rows from the front, I couldn't believe this was not an actor on the stage. His facial movements were as complex as could be. And his speech especially significant now as the idea of what constitutes America is being reevaluated. I loved the fact that old school, God mentioning history remained part of the show. Walt Disney was not afraid of acknowledging things of faith- and I applaud the managers of Disneyland for not going the politically correct route by removing the mention of His Holy Name. It was a terrific way to end my time at Disneyland.

Perhaps it is this presence of Walt and his influence that adds the intangible flavor which makes Disneyland my perennial favorite Disney theme park. In spite of its flaws, its lack of new cutting edge attractions, its limited space, or its ups and downs in management, this park showcases an America that makes me proud to be among its citizens. A visit here should be mandatory for any Disney fan.

(Photos copyright Mark Taft.)