EPCOT's Forgotten Windmill

Epcot's World Showcase will never be completed as long as there is imagination left in the world. Or something like that! Here, Imagineer Harper Goff's concept for a Thames River Ride in the United Kingdom pavilion reveals something more for this part of EPCOT Center. Look at the horizon (Horizons?) and you'll discover a lovely windmill was once proposed as an addition. Can you imagine a cruise along the canals of Amsterdam? Could be a very charming internationally flavored version of Storybookland Canal Boats. Oh, the incredible amount of unused concepts for this once unique Disney park!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Beautiful Black and White Disneyland

The year:1956 The place: Fantasyland at Disneyland in Anaheim California. The map: A piece of artwork designed by someone- most likely in Imagineering- to give a feel of what Walt Disney's magical little kingdom would look like. These pieces were created to spark the imagination of kids and forever kids all over the United States. Flying elephants, spinning tea cups, a pirate ship, and a chance to ride into Monstro the Whale from Pinocchio. Who wouldn't love that? It worked like a charm! 

Millions visited this "Happiest Place on Earth", opening the door to Walt Disney World and then outside the country: Tokyo Disneyland, EuroDisney (now Disneyland Paris), Hong Kong Disneyland, and now Shanghai Disneyland. Where will the next Magic Kingdom unveil itself? My bet is India. We shall see.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Looking at the Past and the Future of Disneyland's Fantasyland

The very heart of Disneyland rests right behind the castle at the endow Main Street U.S.A. One of the original areas at opening, Fantasyland draws in the young and young at heart since the beginning. Certainly, we think this area of the park is timeless. There's a warmth and charm that feels quaint, authentic, and there through the ages. That said, this section of the park has seen many changes. This 1957 park map shows what it looked like in its earliest incarnation. Definitely from another era, another budget, and another design process.

Peter Pan and his flight to Neverland was the instant breakout attraction in Fantasyland from the beginning. Snow White and Mr. Toad's Wild Ride were also enduring hits, but 60 years later, Pan continues to be the one must-see attraction in the castle courtyard.

When Imagineer Tony Baxter was given the green light to create the Fantasyland Walt Disney always wanted but couldn't afford, he and very talented team did an amazing job of redesigning the area to feel fresh but also timeless. The colorful tournament tent-like facades gave way to stylized versions of European villages. The Imagineers also debuted a new attraction for the California park, bringing a sparkling new Pinocchio dark ride to the line up of rides. 

Attractions were moved, enhanced, added or even deleted. The Fantasyland Theater was gone, the Mad Tea Party was moved to a much better location, and Skull Rock was gone forever- except at Disneyland Paris. The beautiful kid-friendly Storybookland Canal Boats survived the changes as did Casey Jr.'s Circus Train, but eventually the skyway was closed. 


So successful was the revitalization of the land under Baxter, that his Fantasyland became the model for those Magic Kingdom styled parks that followed. Florida's New Fantasyland may make the rethinking of the concept however, as the suits seem intent on cramming in Harry Potter styled lands into the parks, making Fantasyland a prime place to hold several different mini-lands vs. a mix of stories sitting side by side.

Changes are the way of the park. Prior to the transition of the 80's, the Matterhorn Bobsleds and It's a Small World earned their place on the list of beloved attractions. Coming soon in the next decade, a Frozen themed land and rumors (wishful thinking?) of something Beauty and the Beast related coming to a slice of Fantasyland and a bigger slice taken from Mickey's Toontown. 

Imagineers and suits come and go. Though I doubt we will ever see the free reign given to the creatives as was given to the first and second generation of Imagineers, there are signs the suits can give them room to stretch to stunning results. Time will tell.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Casey Jr. in the USA and France

In the early years of Imagineering Disneyland, gifted artist Bruce Bushman was one of Walt Disney's "go to" guys. Bruce could be counted on for getting just the right look for an attraction. Much of his concept art centered on Fantasyland. This great little piece shows the wonderful Casey Jr. Circus Train station, looking much like it still does today 60+ years later. 

The little train is still a guest favorite! Unknown to many American park fans, little Casey Jr. is actually a family friendly rollercoaster at Disneyland Paris. Instead of an unthemed Goofy's Barnstormer or an elaborate but brief Seven Dwarf's Mine Train, Casey is a fun little ride through the French version of Storybookland. 

Unfortunately, in Walt Disney World, where it would fit perfectly in the Magic Kingdom's newish Storybook Circus, Casey sits as kind of a watering hole / play and splash area. What wasted potential for the sweet little family favorite!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

A Rare Look at Never Built Pinocchio in Disneyland

A simple but rare piece of concept art for Disneyland's brand new Fantasyland. New for 1955, anyway! Pinocchio was a critically acclaimed film, a dark but endearing movie masterpiece. How would Walt's Imagineers bring it into the park? As we know, Monstro eventually made the cut as part of the Storybookland Canal Boats, but the rafts morphed into charming watercraft similar to what we envision in the canals of Amsterdam from years gone by.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Vintage Disneyland Paris Photos from 1998

The year was 1998, and it was our first (and I thought only ever) visit to Disneyland Paris. My wife and I had saved quite a bit of money to take our growing family to go see our relatives in California. Then, in a surprise move by British Airways, they opened up the Denver to London market by announcing $99 one way to London. Of course, we quickly called them, explained the opportunity, and waved "Farewell" to California but "Hello" to London and Paris. 

A newly opened and freshly planted Parisian Storybookland.

It was the adventure of a lifetime for our 8, 12, 13, and 14 year old kids. It was for us as well as we love to travel but had always seen a trip to Europe as something that financially would never happen. Of course, God had different plans. It was going to be very tight financially to do this, but due to a windfall business situation, my Mom and Dad sent us a few thousand dollars as a gift! We were on our way to Europe on Delta, who had matched the fares of the competition.

The classic Discoveryland attraction.

Amazing tales were the order of the trip! I won't go into any details here that matter to folks outside our family, but suffice it to say, for Americans in London and Paris, our ten days flew by with one discovery after another. 

Given we had our kids with us, we kept things very family friendly with a few rules as we planned: One museum a day and/or one church a day when we visited either, as many famous kid-friendly sights (Tower of London, etc.) as possible, and for dear old Dad in particular, a trip to Disneyland. Not that the family minded!

It all went off without too much of a hitch- that is until a huge storm made it very difficult to get across the English Channel to France. Eventually, we did about 3 am in the morning but at the cost of losing our lunch reservation at the cheapest restaurant at the Eiffel Tower by an hour. (Still a splurge, though! We did get to the top of the Tower later in the week, standing in line next to a family from Cuba. What a treat to meet so many people from different parts of the world.)

The three oldest kids got to ride Space Mountain with Dad. 

The youngest was two inches too short, 

so he settled for Autopia with Mom.

As a Disney park freak, I loved absolutely everything about Disneyland Paris! The incredible and unique Le Visionarium was a favorite as well as the dragon in the castle's dungeon, the stunning new Space Mountain, the Nautilus, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and my favorite version of Pirates of the Caribbean. It's an old family joke now that the castle was "boxed up" for repairs, but at the time I was a bit disappointed.

We all returned home happily exhausted. Mom and Dad determined to return to Europe without the kids one day, and we would do so in 2007 to celebrate our 25th anniversary. (Trip report here.) Nor did we realize we would do it again in 2013 and 2014 due to a business trip I needed to take. (Oops- I just realized I never did finish that series on our 2014 trip to Switzerland and the South of France. No Disneyland Paris at all then.) Together, that's meant three trips to Disneyland Paris in three different seasons and in three different decades. God never ceases to amaze me... 

The kids are much older now with families of their own, but they still talk about this trip! As do we with very fond memories and a few laughs.

(Photographs copyright Mark Taft.)

Here's Monstro

Friday's post on the Fantasyland that never was wasn't an April Fool's joke. In it, I looked at abandoned projects from the Imagineers: from the first concepts for Disneyland's Fantasyland all the way out to ones we hear more about today. (You can see it here.) Yet it seemed the joke was on me as I could only find the overview of the land concept art and not the Monstro the whale specific piece I just knew I had placed somewhere! Guess that's what I should come to expect when I have hundreds upon hundreds of scans and photos!
(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

The Timeless Realm: Disneyland's Fantasyland

It's very easy and understandable to think that Disneyland's Fantasyland is timeless. Certainly, the theme seems iconic, and yet this section of the park has seen its own fair share of change. Just glance at this 1957 park map. Definitely from another era and sensibility.

Attractions have been enhanced, added or replaced. Eventually, colorful but simple tournament tent-like show building facades painstakingly transformed into elegant and stylized versions of European locales. In the latest incarnation, Pinocchio joins the dark ride line up of adventures with Snow White, Peter Pan, Mr. Toad and Alice in Wonderland.

One of the earliest additions is the largest: a Matterhorn mountain is built from scratch, while years later a slice of a beloved Neverland disappears, only to resurface in Paris a decade later. In between, a World's Fair favorite joins the line-up, inducing cheers and jeers, yet becoming a staple of the parks. It is a Small World after all.

Storybookland and its canals remain, a skyway ride vanishes, and an abominable snowman makes tracks. Company leaders and Imagineers come and go, each leaving imprints of their own on this timeless realm.
(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)