A Night at Epcot in 1999 for the Millennium Celebration

Can you go back that far? I can- I was there. Epcot was the focus of the Millennium Celebration, and what a wonderful season it was. Granted the "wand" overstayed its welcome, but the actual festivities and the music were some of the most inspired and creative decisions the Imagineers and suits at The Walt Disney Company devised and funded.

The centerpiece of an evening at Epcot was the amazing Tapestry of Nations parade. But concept art has been hard to come by. Here's a piece that shows the magnificent moving clocks that also functioned as drums. The style was somewhat Steampunk which I love. (Looking at you Disneyland Paris and your incredible Discoveryland!)

The musical pieces were recorded in London's famous Abbey Road Studios and included and "Celebrate the Future Hand in Hand", "Reflections of Earth",  and "We Go On".  This was the true forerunner of the park's current Harmonious, with its Earth Globe making its debut- but on a moving barge instead of permanent fixtures which ruin the World Showcase Lagoon. If you don't have this music, you have to get it!

We loved this Millennium Celebration so much, that our family's annual Christmas card photo was us standing in front of Spaceship Earth. All said, 1999 was a great year to visit what once was Walt Disney World's most innovative and inspiring theme park. 

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Bronzed Submarine Voyage Attraction Poster

This Disneyland's Submarine Voyage poster has a very unique look! With its burnished bronzes and olive toned greens, it certainly has the right look for Disneyland's Tomorrowland 1998 or even Disneyland Paris' Discoveryland. Think about the transformation of California's iconic Space Mountain. Gleaming white gave way to Jules Verne-is tones associated with steampunk...then back again. Where can you find this attraction poster? Chances are you have it in your bank of images. Just open it and invert the colors! I stumbled upon it by chance and loved the result!

New and Very Rare Discovery Bay Art for Disneyland

A brand new and exciting discovery! Here's a rarely seen piece of concept art for the long lost, never built, Discovery Bay at Disneyland. On the back of this piece is the stamp from Disney, proving its authenticity.

One of the premier attractions, Island at the Top of the World, would have certainly drawn guests. And what a large surprise they would have encountered. But the movie flopped, and all was put to rest.

Imagineer Tony Baxter never did get the permission to go ahead and lead the build out of the land originally set to be artistically wedged between Frontierland and Fantasyland, but that didn't stop him from getting bits and pieces of it into Disneyland Paris.

Island was the farthest thing from a movie box office hit.

Looks like many parts made it to Disneyland Paris!

More Disney and dinosaurs! Always a great pairing.

Where can we find them in the theme parks?

Read more here.

The late 19th Century Barbary Coast / San Francisco area provided inspiration for a variety of attractions- much more than just the two we'll find in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge when it premiers in a few months. Much, much more.

The unbuilt Spark Gap Coaster.

Proposed Coaster Attraction Poster. Say that fast three times!

Fireworks Factory shooting gallery with the Discovery Bay Lighthouse.

How about a new-fangled shooting gallery? The Fireworks Factory would have fit right in place in the Chinatown mini area. These kind of smaller attractions still have their place in the theme parks, bringing charm and variety, fully fleshing out the main story. They also disperse the crowds!

Did you know EPCOT Center's very famous beloved little purple dragon had a role at Disneyland long ago?

Does "Professor Marvel" and his dragon friend look a bit familiar?

They should!

Professor Marvel's incredible Gallery of Illusion.

Visitors to Discovery Bay would cruise along a classic Disney flume ride! This exciting encounter with dinosaurs would sit next to a mega dark ride on the Hyperion airship through the movie's icy environment. Nearby, Professor Marvel would host some hands on adventures and his little dragon friend. 

A very different version of the area's map.

Fully colorized map.

EPCOT Center's much adored original Journey into Imagination truly had its roots in Tony's plan for Disneyland. Nothing really ever does go to waste, does it?

The classic concept art.

One last version of the map.

Discovery Bay only exists now in our minds. As with other unbuilt masterpieces such as Western River Expedition for the Magic Kingdom and the also unrealized Atlantis Expedition for Walt's park, Tony Baxter's Discovery Bay has been relegated to the Disney fandom history.

One day, Disney may one again take another look at the concept. Once they can turn it into a successful film and Intellectual Property. Until then, we can just about forget it.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

More Discovery Bay Art- and the Connection to Figment

Steampunk is not dead. Not even at Disney. although this may just be an educated guess. (See the end of the post.) Which leads me to the iconic but never realized Discovery Bay. Maybe I'm a bit obsessed with all the never built attractions designed by those incredible Imagineers. Maybe you are as well! There's a reason. Even though these ideas may be extraordinary, and the Imagineers do what they do extremely well, sometimes, it just doesn't work out. 

It would be easy to decry the current leadership at only building attractions that come from movie box office hits, and you'd be fairly accurate in making that assumption. For theme park fans, unfortunately, that's been going on for quite awhile.

Back in 1974, the highly ambitious film Island at the Top of the World debuted to a collective thud. How did this impact the Imagineers plan for Discovery Bay at Disneyland? Well, this pet project had a major attraction based on the film. 

Disney and dinosaurs have always made a perfect match.

Where are they in the parks?

Read more here.

When the film bombed, it created less of an interest in what would have been a stunningly incredible addition to Disneyland, successfully bridging Frontierland to Fantasyland by adding a late 19th Century Barbary Coast / San Francisco area chock full of attractions. 

The Spark Gap Coaster.

Proposed Coaster Poster.

What kind of attractions, you ask? Besides the chance to dine inside the Nautilus submarine and shop in unique stores, there would be an electric "Spark Gap" coaster.

Fireworks Factory and Discovery Bay's Lighthouse.

A new high tech shooting gallery would have been a fine diversion for guests of all ages. Befitting the Chinatown section of the new steampunk looking area, the Fireworks Factory was sure to be a hit!

Does Professor Marvel and his dragon friend look familiar?

Professor Marvel's Gallery of Illusion.

Guests would also enjoy a classic Disney flume ride to an exciting encounter with dinosaurs, an iconic traditional but mega dark ride via the Hyperion airship through the movie's icy environment, and a fun-house / exhibit type attraction with Professor Marvel and his little dragon friend. Sound familiar?

A different version of the area's map.

Colorized map.

Yes, EPCOT Center's beloved Journey into Imagination- not the newer bastardized versions of the original- had its roots in a never built Disneyland attraction. Figment changed his pigment, but other than that, his look is intact. 

The classic concept art.

As park fans know all too well, this extremely ambitious and stylized Disneyland expansion never materialized, and Discovery Bay never made it past the drawing boards. Along with Western River Expedition for the Florida Magic Kingdom and the unrealized Atlantis Expedition for the first California park, Tony Baxter's Discovery Bay has been relegated to the history books with pieces found particularly in Paris. For now.

With the revived interest in Steampunk as evidenced by The Edison restaurant / bar/ entertainment palace, Disney may one again consider something as elegant and timeless as Discovery Bay.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Steampunk Parade at Magic Kingdom

Disney hasn't impressed me much since Cars Land and Radiator Spring Racers, and I certainly have been underwhelmed by the recent goings on at Walt Disney World. That said, this steampunk version of villain Maleficent for the new Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade is great looking. Not enough to make me book a visit however... parades, stage presentations, and fireworks shows alone will not do it.

(Photograph copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Cool New Ex-Imagineer Blog

Beyond the work on films like Transformers, ex-Imagineer Thom Schillinger has done some pretty incredible work that was never built for Disneyland Paris.

The legendary Tarzan Coaster? Check. Other coasters themed for the Paris park's Adventureland? Check. I won't post the concept art for you- since finding it is part of the great discovery on his blog. It's filled with art for video games, comics, films, theme parks etc. Go here for a great couple of hours of searching his blog for hidden and not so hidden gems!
(Art copyright Thom Schillinger.)