Sunday Morning Surprise: Splash Mountain Pre-Opening Art

Here's a nice piece of concept art that was released prior to the opening of Disneyland's iconic Splash Mountain. Its style is almost logo like, nothing like the beautiful pieces you can find to depict the attraction. To be 100% honest, I'm not sure how it was used. Perhaps for early park guide maps like the ones that were printed for decades before Disney went to simple fold out maps. 

I haven't forgotten about my Disneyland Resort trip report! It's just that I ran across something as I was looking for a different piece by Tony Baxter. Again Tony, where's your book?

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Days of Disney Past: EPCOT Center

Make no mistake about it: The original EPCOT Center was absolutely groundbreaking! Sure, it was like a "permanent World's Fair", but it was done with that forward thinking class and style that only The Walt Disney Company could pull off in this era of themed entertainment. There may be a reason that there are so many articles on this blog about the place. Unrealized pavilions and their concept art? Check? Critique on new additions and subtractions? Absolutely! Trip reports galore? Naturally! However...

There's an old saying that "There's nothing like your first time." It happens to be true when I speak about our first visit to EPCOT Center. In an unexpected twist, it almost instantly became our favorite Disney park. This was the park as originally envisioned, not the one chock full of intellectual properties and animated characters. No Frozen, no Guardians of the Galaxy, no Nemo, no Ratatouille. We had taken the monorail to EPCOT Center before the park was even open to the public, and I was smitten when I saw the scope and scale of the project. Breathtaking, really!

Go forward one year, and we were there at the gates. There was no access to the park via the International Gateway back then. One way in, and one way out.

In the days when pleasing the guest was king, World Showcase opened the exact same time as Future World, so we entered the park and almost walked right past Spaceship Earth and directly to the Mexico Showcase. Almost. Of course, we were not immune to the charms of the future world as portrayed by Disney. In fact, I remember clearly just staring at the huge silver sphere. Couldn't take my eyes off it, but we had to stop and get to the World Key Information Stations inside Earth Station to book meal reservations. Super easy, super fun and reasonably priced. 

We only had to wait a few minutes, but we stayed busy by watching a terrific kaleidoscope of images previewing the wonders we'd soon encounter.  Just the presentation and the surrounding area felt fresh, optimistic, and inspiring. The future wasn't scary. It was approachable. We made our way to the front of the line and to the screen. 

This alone was a touch of something entirely new. In fact, in 1982 touch sensitive computer screens were something of a rarity. The Bell System (at divestiture the attraction would then be officially sponsored by AT&T, the company I worked for at the time) and its branch Bell Laboratories really were bringing us the future of communication. Moments after a young woman came to the screen to help us with our meals choices, we were on our way.  No, you didn't have to book 90 days in advance to get a meal reservation. You could do it the day off and get a great selection of choices. Simple, relaxed, friendly, efficient.

The future was interesting, but for me, nothing could compare to the chance to explore the countries of the world. So, deciding to bypass Future World for the time being, we strolled into Mexico.  It and China next door just seemed to beckon us compared to the more familiar Canada and the United Kingdom. The lone Mayan pyramid and the small cantina on the glistening lagoon gave us no hint to what we were about to experience.

Until the changeover from El Rio del Tiempo to the Gran Fiesta and perhaps one day Coco, the sights, sounds, and feel of Mexico made it our favorite place in all of World Showcase. I won't bore you with the details of El Rio del Tiempo, but I will tell you, we were enchanted by it and wished it had lasted even longer than it did. It was planned to be much, much longer - more akin to Pirates of the Caribbean- but yes, budgets were blown past, and time was running short. (If you want to see lots of art and images plus links to video etc, just search on the site for "Cinco de Mayo" or go here for one of many posts.) 

Having visited Baja California, Mazatlan, and Acapulco, I have aways had a soft spot for the country. The gentle boat ride by an active volcano gave the pavilion a touch of glamour and mystery. Something the Gran Fiesta Tour version of the ride replaces with silliness and cheap marketing. It's too bad, but it was foreshadowing of what was to come. We wandered around the pyramid under the moonlight, so glad we were returning for lunch later in the day.

Naturally, we strolled along the promenade and continued on to find China. For younger readers, it's important to remember that at the time, only a select few people were given the ability to travel to this country, thereby making a visit to a fairly accurate representation of the landmarks of the country all the more alluring. The highlight? Meeting the nationals who were privileged to work there. Asia had always fascinated me, and China was out of reach. I was thrilled to step into a place that was forbidden in the real world.

There were no Disney themed items to be found in the shops of World Showcase, only authentic goods right from the countries represented. It was as close as an authentic experience a traveler could get without hopping on an airplane. Needless to say, we were again stunned by the beauty of the landscaping and architecture, thrilled by the 360 movie, Wonders of China. Dreams of traveling there were lit inside.

Making our way around the lagoon, we stopped at Germany and Italy, winding up at the American Adventure. We were very impressed by the show, (Disney always had a way of making you feel proud to be an American) but disappointed there was nothing else to represent our country. Fast food? That's it? Disappointing to say the least, but there was still much to explore. That view backwards to Future World and Spaceship Earth made it crystal clear- wow, this park was huge.

We chose to head back toward Mexico for lunch as we had waterside dining reservations at the San Angel Inn Restaurante.  It was dark, cozy, romantic- and we so enjoyed the margarita, queso fundido, and our main course. It was my first taste of Mole Poblano and not my last, becoming a new Mexican favorite. We ended our lunch with another cruise on the river, heading back into Future World from there.  

The afternoon crowds were heavy back in the other end of the park, so it was fairly easy to get into the big ticket attractions of Future World. First stop, Journey Into Imagination. My father-in-law worked for Kodak for his entire career, so we had heard great things about what Disney came up with. In a word, Imagineer Tony Baxter and his team pulled off something truly magical! Figment and Dreamfinder were delightful and will always be the true "hosts" of the park.  (I cannot tell you what a bastardization of the original attraction this third version is. The second was the worst, but this one is awful too. You'd have to experience the original to understand exactly what I'm saying.) Before I became a collector of sorts of Disney park memorabilia, I purchased a Figment of my own. I had him until two years ago, when his neck broke. RIP, Figment.

Magic Journeys in 3D (a new thing!) was a great second attraction to the pavilion, and the Image Works was just plain fun. We stayed almost two hours- something you could not pay me to do now.

Sing along now: "Just make believe you're a tiny little seed..." The Land is our favorite of the original Future World attractions that are still present in the park. Up until the point Horizons debuted a few years later, this was where the future was in Future World. The Listen to the Land boat tour was the perfect way to share the latest in farming technologies to the public. This was a case of "Edutainment" at its best. 

The film Symbiosis was preachy at times, but the cruise through the greenhouses made learning fun. Kitchen Cabaret brought it home for the kids. The silly presentation about nutrition, while enjoyable, was not on par with the much better Audio-Animatronic musicals found in the Magic Kingdom. However, this wasn't meant to be an E Ticket  headline attraction either. (The show's eventual replacement, Food Rocks, was even less effective.)

Starting with the following morning when we would return for a second full day at EPCOT Center, breakfast at The Good Turn would become a tradition until it became too expensive or too difficult to book. We always enjoyed the warm Florida sun streaming through the greenhouse dome, and intentionally stretched our meal time long enough to rotate into the darker showroom of the boat cruise. It's in the hidden places such as this that Disney's Future World has its own unique, optimistic charms. The future should be warm and hopeful, and it always was in the way Disney chose to present it back then. Now, it's just cartoon filled and silly. New landscapes for selling plush toys and Disney+ subscriptions. 

The Living Seas wouldn't come until later, so we wandered through Communicore (now Innoventions). We passed through both East and West, and we decided to make that area part of the next day. Back then, EPCOT Center was a two full day park. Now we still go for two days because its our favorite park, but it doesn't hold nearly as much substance. Anyway, we were among the first to vote for The Person of the Century poll. Kind of a fun thing to throw in there. My bet was Disney didn't like the results, and the show- and announcement of the winner- soon disappeared.

A journey deep into Spaceship Earth was a perfect way to continue our trip. It was very impressive, and I was pleased to see my employer was represented by such a fine attraction. The ride was long enough to truly "get lost" in the story. The changes over the years have not always taken away from the grandeur- until there was a new ending filled with monitors on the ride vehicle.  Such a pity.

Across the way, we wandered into the Universe of Energy. It's inherent surprises did the trick they were designed to do, and who doesn't love dinosaurs? Yet, it was next door's World of Motion that we really loved from our first ride. Everything about it was Disney Imagineering at its best.

Let me be clear- I love old school Audio-Animatronic adventures like Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion. They rely on story to bring the thrills and surprises. World of Motion easily held its own with these classics. From the train being held up (in a nod to the never built Western River Expedition) to the policeman on motorcycle behind the billboard, the attraction built to a grand finale- a ride through the city of the future. Humorous, informative and very repeatable. (Gary Owen's narration was incredible in his signature style.) Motion became a three ride a day attraction for us, and we did it again several hours later after nightfall.  

Upon exiting and by then knowing the song "It's Fun to Be Free" by heart, we stepped into the Transcenter for the Bird and Robot / The Water Engine show followed by the automotive displays, a nice nod to the sponsor. 

I'm all for thrill rides-  and I truly love Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Expedition Everest, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad- but there is something about these older lengthy and leisurely attractions like those mentioned above that really take you out of present day reality and into another realm. This is something Disney did better than just about anyone, but this fact about immersion is almost lost on the current batch of Imagineers... and park guests are now trained to run from E Ticket ride to E Ticket ride due to their brief attention spans and fear of missing out! Without the balance of all kinds of attractions, the audience is limited. This is why parks like California Adventure 1.0 and Disney's Animal Kingdom are not as popular as they could have been. I'd have to say that having smaller but engaging attractions and displays were something I enjoyed here and at Walt's park and at Disneyland Paris. It's a lost art to fill in spots with attractions like these where the business will never create extra revenue by selling upgraded experiences.

Evening meant a return to World Showcase starting with the beautiful gardens of Canada. The land's signature attraction, "Oh, Canada!" had nothing on its Chinese counterpart. This was not the case when we viewed "Impressions of France".  Superlatives are not enough, so Josh D'Amaro, Imagineers, and Budgeteers, after all these years, isn't it time to update the film and give it a technology upgrade as well? It's a masterpiece. So is the pavilion it is built around. A late night stroll through "France" and then around the promenade basking in the glory of a beautiful Florida evening was the perfect way to end our first visit to EPCOT Center. (By the way- Thank God Ratatouille is an add and not an "instead of"!)

The original plan was for tons of additional international pavilions and attractions. You can go here for images about Japan's Omnimover ride, plans for Brazil, Spain, the UAE, Costa Rica, Russia, the abandoned Science and Technology pavilion, and more (like Germany's Rhine River Cruise, the U.K.'s own canal trip). You can even go here to see some of the original ideas for the park before it looked it it does now. But back to our first time visit...

We'd come back and do it again the next day, this time starting in Future World and then working our way through World Showcase, beginning with Canada. 

The changes over the years would not always please us. It actually may be our fault that Epcot changed so radically. Take a look at this article and tell me I'm not wrong. Still, this one single theme park is a big reason I return to Walt Disney World. There's nothing like it.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company. Photographs copyright Mark Taft.)

Pimping Out Dreamfinder and Figment

OF COURSE THEY WOULD! But we park fans knew that already. The suits of the Walt Disney Company merchandizing are once again dragging out Figment and Dreamfinder to bring in some quick cash. EPCOT Center's great Journey Into Imagination was an "E Ticket" classic from opening day. Imagineering Legend (yes, someone who is really deserving of the title!) Tony Baxter created the classic characters and led the team in crafting a modern day must-see attraction. Now, new CEO Josh D'Amaro, it's time to show your true fan colors and get a great new version of the attraction green lit. Make this a D23 to remember!

My Wish List: What I Want From Josh D’Amaro, Disney's New CEO

The man with the mega-watt smile and the infamous wardrobe is now CEO of the company we love and some of us love to hate. Fan of the parks and of Imagineering, "nice guy" Josh D'Amaro takes the helm of The Walt Disney Company today. An expanded Villains land aside, I'm not sure what he'll bring, but I know what I want. After giving the announcement some time to ruminate, here's my wish list as a theme park enthusiast.

Request: Return the Theme Parks and Resorts to Their Best Days

Reality Check: Josh will have much more on his plate than just theme parks and cruise lines. Still, this should be a priority as they are currently the biggest money makers for the company. This has nothing to do with the cast members and everything to do with providing real value for guests' hard earned dollars. Stop nickel and diming those who come to the properties for a relaxing, fun-filled vacation. Josh, you can pick and choose what changes, so think it through and take immediate action.

Recent Action Working Against Him: Do I really need to mention all the price increases??? If I do, this means the executives are even worse off than I thought when it comes to treating your paying customers as guests. 

Recipe for a Quick Win: Bring back some of the perks that have been taken away, and bring them back for free. In case the Company leaders have forgotten, that means at no additional charge to your customers already paying so much for a room at the resorts or for a park ticket. 

Bonus idea: Lower the cost of a character breakfast. Nothing says greed like this. Seeing Disney characters should be a perk of your park ticket and not an excuse to fleece the faithful flock. AND giving guests another choice or two for a quick service meal would help alleviate the frustration with the generally awful list of meals available at a fairly reasonable price.

Request: Let the Hard Core Disney Fans Know You're Listening

Reality Check: Josh has to listen to the Board and the investors as well. However, keeping the fans happy and keeping them coming back for more is something that just makes sense. It breeds long term success and not just short term gain.

Recent Action Working Against Him: Removing Rivers of America and taking the Muppets out and putting them back in where they do not belong.

Recipe for a Quick Win:  Two important steps here and one bonus idea. 1- Green light a new and exciting, thoroughly charming adventure with Figment and Dreamfinder. By doing this, Josh, you will instantly put lovers of the charming purple dragon and his mentor in a good mood and earn instant credibility with hard core Disney park fans (like me) that think the best Imagineering days are behind them. 2- Bite the bullet and give us a brand new Tomorrowland in Walt's park! It is a huge disgrace that original land of the future is a hollow shell of the great, big, beautiful 1967 version.  3- Follow it up by placing a version of Muppet*Vision 3D into the same courtyard as Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. It's all as easy as 1-2-3. I know, I know it's not, but you're the boss now, so make it happen.

Bonus idea: Bring back some of the entertainment that's been closed since pandemic times. You know, that big empty theater in Disney California Adventure? That'd be a good start.

Request: Encourage Imagineering to Tell Original Stories

Reality Check: Intellectual Property use will always be on the burner when it comes to theme park expansion and enhancements. Instead of bad films making poor choices for attractions, work the other direction and save a great concept for the park, then turn it into a film. Would this work? Hard to say. It's a gamble, but maybe it is one worth taking.

Recent Action Working Against Him: About every Pixar film in recent release. And some lackluster recent attractions. Want some help? Take a long, hard look at how the Company screwed up Tiana's Bayou Adventure and never let something like that happen again. Inviting in one of your greatest Imagineers, Tony Baxter, to coach the project team and then blow off his suggestions is a misfire if not an outright disgrace. The Princess and the Frog is a terrific film with incredible characters and great music! It should never have been wasted on such a poorly scripted plot for the attraction. Aside from the last scene, the entire execution feels off. Need more to consider as further evidence? How about dumping the original memorable trilogy film of Star Wars for something else for Galaxy's Edge? What was everyone thinking? Certainly, someone in the building had to say it to the team planning it all. Well, at least Disneyland is going to try to fix some of the mistakes. Do I need to talk about Avengers Campus?

Recipe for a Quick Win: None. Brainstorm, innovate, work at it until you get something very, very good. Can it be done? Walt did it. You probably can as well! By chance if the movie comes first, don't wait decades to come up with a park attraction built on it.

Cursed Pirate Hector Barbossa Finds His Way to Disneyland Paris' Pirates of the Caribbean

In 2003, the debut of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl brought the famous and beloved Disney attraction to the silver screen. And fans couldn't get enough- which of course led to Disney releasing many sequels, all of various quality and box office success. Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow made Disney edgy and cool once more. Nemesis Hector Barbossa played but Geoffrey Rush was the perfect villain of villains- witty, charming in an odd way, and therefore, quite likable. Naturally, the theme parks would be affected.

Just three years later- quite the quick turnaround for the slow to move Disney- Disneyland's original attraction added the film's main two characters to the New Orleans Square attraction. Then, the rest of the parks followed suit.

Stateside, Barbossa had a star turn of sorts appearing on the huge ship while it was attacking the town's fortress, but he appears in a very different spot at Disneyland Paris' version. There, Barbossa comes into play after the explosion scene. And as a bonus, he appears both in his  natural state and in his cursed form once the lightning strikes. This rather rare piece of concept art sets him in place. It's one of many differences that makes the French Pirates attraction different and worth a trip to the most beautiful Magic Kingdom of them all.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

The Beauty of Disney's Westcot at Night

The long lost Disney Imagineering project that should have been built in place of Disney California Adventure. They call it Westcot. A new version of EPCOT Center improved upon by learning from mistakes from the past. It has always seemed that the Imagineers were at their most creative point when they were forced to deal with Disneyland's space limitations. Obvious case in point: Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion. Both attractions benefit from the restrictions they had to work around. Such would have been the case with Westcot. By design, the nations of World Showcase would have the be grouped into continents and the Future World pavilions reorganized into more effective layouts. This AI created image shows what could have been.

Want a deeper look with many more real pieces of concept art? Go here and here.  Both are different, and Imagineer Tony Baxter detailed all the plans for Westcot on the second article. Still another missed opportunity by Disney. By hey, we got Pixar Pier and SanFransokyo, right?

 

Disneyland Paris A One and Done?

Have you ever heard someone say that the beautiful French parc is a "One and Done"? Not me! Disneyland Paris is perhaps the most visually stunning of all castle parks. It's got the depth and charm of Disneyland built on a scale that rivals Florida's Magic Kingdom.  

I was excited for some of our Disney World loving friends to go to London and Paris and of course for their day trip to Disneyland. That said, I was surprised by their assessment of the French park: Although it is extremely beautiful, for them it is a one and done. What? I asked for further explanation.

The castle was a hit and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad a standout, Pirates of the Caribbean solid, but in their mind, there were not enough of the classic attractions that they found in the California and Florida parks. They could see the Studios park had potential, but it didn't impress them in its current state. (Not that many would disagree at this stage.)

As a huge fan of Disney Imagineering, the art of theme park design detail, and Tony Baxter in particular, even objectively, I find the park to be a work of art. I go into great detail why I do here. Read it and tell me if you agree.

As for the French resort, I can't wait to go back! The only question is when!

(Photograph from DLP Welcome.)

The Beauty of Disney's Westcot at Night

The long lost Disney Imagineering project that should have been built in place of Disney California Adventure. They call it Westcot. A new version of EPCOT Center improved upon by learning from mistakes from the past. It has always seemed that the Imagineers were at their most creative point when they were forced to deal with Disneyland's space limitations. Obvious case in point: Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion. Both attractions benefit from the restrictions they had to work around. Such would have been the case with Westcot. By design, the nations of World Showcase would have the be grouped into continents and the Future World pavilions reorganized into more effective layouts. This AI created image shows what could have been.

Want a deeper look with many more real pieces of concept art? Go here and here.  Both are different, and Imagineer Tony Baxter detailed all the plans for Westcot on the second article. Still another missed opportunity by Disney. By hey, we got Pixar Pier and SanFransokyo, right?

 

My Favorite Disney Park Roller Coaster- And Some Rare Concept Art!

Disney is not known for putting the most thrilling roller coasters in their theme parks. But they are known for creating some of the best when it comes to family thrills and outstanding theming. Park fans may clamor for Space Mountain, Guardians of the Galaxy" Cosmic Rewind, Expedition:Everest or even Slinky Dog Dash, the Matterhorn Bobsleds, or Rock n Rollercoaster, but when it comes down to it, if I could only ride one, it would be Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. It's an Imagineering masterpiece! Yep, the best one is in Disneyland Paris, but from California to Florida and beyond, nothing comes close when you want the art of theme park design and good old fashioned fun. They may try to erase his name or alter his iconic work, but Tony Baxter knows how to build great attractions. In fact, I'd pay to go to a park filled with everything from Big Thunder to the original Journey into Imagination!

Back to our story... night or day, Big Thunder has the perfect story, is full of design detail, and provides non-stop laughs and screams. Year after year after year, visit after visit, this mountain (and Pirates of the Caribbean) define a day at the castle parks. It is the Wildest Ride in the Wilderness!

Disney Ruined the Figment Ride- So He Rebuilt It

 A rebuilt Journey into Imagination at Epcot? It's the dream of many fans of Figment and Dreamfinder. One man made it a reality. I can only imagine - can you imagine, too?- the hours it took to bring this all together. Out of the ultimate respect for its creator, I'm only posting a link to his creation instead of showing it on the blog. Go here. Now.

Disneyland's Unbuilt Discovery Bay Comes to Life!

Did you know you don't have to go all the way to Disneyland Paris to see portions of Tony Baxter's unbuilt Discovery Bay? Of course, this master Imagineer slid some of the land into the French park, but as you can see, it also exists somewhere else. Above is a photograph and below is the concept art.

Ok, ok. It's AI generated. But look at what could be! Below, is an even better image to let you grieve even more about what the Walt Disney Company passed on decades ago. Imagineering can build wonders - even from original ideas- when given the chance. 

AI "reality"above, and the original Disneyland concept art below.

Doesn't it make you with the Island at the Top of the World film was a huge hit instead of a bomb? This incredible land would have nestled itself so well between Fantasyland and Frontierland with its San Francisco Barbary Coast theme! If you want to read about why this concept never made it off the boards and the jealousy that runs within the halls of Imagineering, take a look at this post.

When Is Your Imagineering Book Coming Out, Tony Baxter?

Journey into Imagination, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Star Tours, Indiana Jones Adventure, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, and yes, Splash Mountain. The list of these incredible attractions make super fans lists of Disney Imagineerings's greatest park hits. Recognize the face? Of course, you do! It's Imagineering's legend Tony Baxter. He remains one of the best old school or new school Imagineers ever. Period. 

Look- Bob Gurr and Rolly Crump have done it.  Marty Sklar and Bob Weis jumped in. Randy Bright wrote one of the best long ago. Even the legendary John Hench dove in with an amazing one. Of course, others have written about the greats in Imagineering. All said, it's time for Tony to spill.  Don't you think?

My Favorite Disney Park Photos: Disneyland Paris

In the series of "My Favorite Disney Park Photos", this particular one could seem to be a very odd selection. Yet, it tells quite the story of the excellence of Disney Imagineering and attention to detail. (I could have even saved this one for a "Design Detail" post.) When the Disney Imagineers created Disneyland Paris under the clear direction and leadership of Tony Baxter, nothing was left to chance. This meant digging deep into the French culture and giving the park an air of elegance that has never been matched since.

Eddie Sotto may not have gotten his 1920's America that he desired, but that doesn't mean he didn't knock Main Street U.S.A. out of the park. Take a look at this beautiful stained glass ceiling art! Stunning, right? It's a tribute to the Parisian stores like Galeries Lafayette that stun locals and tourists alike with its beautiful displays and absolutely gorgeous windows and ceilings. Was this necessary at Disneyland Paris? Of course not, but the park is made all the richer because of these decisions. 

The main park itself has not been given a major upgrade since its opening. But it is every bit as eye popping as it has ever been because of the original excellence of its design.

(Photo copyright Mark Taft.)

Imagineer Eddie Sotto Reveals Disneyland Paris' Splash Mountain

Splash Mountain at Disneyland Paris? It's been rumored for years. Of course, now that Disney leadership has flipped the attraction into the seemingly less reliable Tiana's Bayou Adventure, it is probably never going to happen. But former Imagineer Eddie Sotto reveals the truth.
 

Look at these images that show the proposed plan for the French park. There it is, plain as day: Zip A Dee River Run aka Splash Mountain. Rights next to the Cowboy Cookout restaurant in the real frontier of Frontierland, just below the thematic crossover into Adventureland.

Want to see Imagineering's concept art for it? I happen to have it here.

You'd think this would be my favorite reveal of Mr. Sotto's. But check out this amazing story (with concept art) by the man as he reveals a plan for New Orleans Square at Disneyland. an unbuilt project that still has a remnant of what was planned in Walt's park today.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

A New Autopia Poster for Disneyland Paris

Those great Imagineering attraction posters are some of my favorite pieces of Disney theme park memorabilia, and here's a brand new one from Disneyland Paris! (Will they create them for Disney Adventure World when the revised studio park opens in 2026? Let's hope so!) 

I'd say this new poster for Discoveryland's Autopia is not one of my favorites, but it does have some cool elements, particularly the shiny centerpiece red car. 

Now, I'll admit Autopia is one of few attractions I haven't ridden there. During our first trip in the 90's, my youngest son was this much too short for Space Mountain. My wife came to the rescue and took him for a spin in the cars. (Surprisingly, Star Tours is the other attraction I haven't ridden!)

Imagineer Tony Baxter's pet project for Europe is a park that must be seen to be believed! It's sets a very high standard for what a Disney castle park should be. So, go see it- even if you don't see all of it.  ;)

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Promotional Poster

It's not every day that the Florida Magic Kingdom adds a brand new attraction. When Big Thunder Mountain Railroad made its debut at the Walt Disney World resort, well, it was truly the beginning of visitors falling in love with the "Wildest Ride in the Wilderness!" 

Imagineer Tony Baxter and team made the best of a bad situation. When the suits dismantled the plans for Imagineer Marc Davis' Thunder Mesa- including his plans for the great musical boat ride, the Western River Expedition in favor of a revised version of Disneyland's beloved Pirates of the Caribbean- Tony tried to save as much as he could. Convincing management that the thrill attraction was worth pursuing as a sort of "Phase One", the roller coaster ride was given the approval. What a wise decision! Fans loved it from opening day. It became a staple of every castle park built. Aside from China's Shanghai Disneyland, of course, which wouldn't dare place anything so American in its Disney park. 

This promotional attraction poster for Florida's original was just the ticket to announce this now iconic experience. 

Fueling My Disneyland Paris Dreams

Really, I wasn't going to share this, but I just couldn't resist! This stunning poster of Disneyland Paris caught my eye. Definitely without a doubt, France's Magic Kingdom is the most beautiful Disney castle park of all! Imagineer Tony Baxter and team designed a masterpiece. Even without a few classic attractions, this one would be the castle park I would choose if I could only go to one. Why? It's almost because of what it doesn't have in addition to its strengths: There's no dated Tomorrowland (sorry, Disneyland in California); there's no misplaced attractions (sorry, Tokyo Disneyland, but the Haunted Mansion from Florida's Liberty Square shouldn't sit next to Dumbo nor does not belong in Fantasyland); and there's definitely no spinner in Adventureland (looking at you Magic Kingdom). To borrow a phrase from a famous umbrella wielding nanny- Disneyland Paris the Parc is practically perfect in every way. 

Goodbye, Figment, Goodbye

My beloved mascot of EPCOT Center and Journey into Imagination. What is there to say about Figment that hasn't been said? Imagineer Tony Baxter created him with a dash of childish delight, and I just couldn't get enough of the attraction and theme song! Of course, it became obvious I just had to buy a stuffed version of this little dragon. Be it a Kodak project made it all the better! It's been over 40 years he's been at my home. My kids played with him, but over time, he was delegated to a dark corner of the closet. 

Quite an appropriate picture of how Disney CEOs Michael Eisner, Robert Iger, Bob Chapek, and Robert Iger again have treated him. They have largely ignored him, just pimping him out when they need a merchandise sale boost and want to convince unsuspecting park goers that they really do have the beloved Old Epcot in mind. 

As for me, as we pack up our life and move to a new home, it's time to admit that little purple dragon needs to move in to the afterlife. Tired eyes, broken horns, a sacking neck that doesn't sit straight, dirtied body, and a tear or two means it's time to say goodbye. So, goodbye, Figment, goodbye. One day, maybe a new generation of Disney CEOs- ones who can really dream with childlike wonder- will bring you an attraction worthy of your name...

A Look Backwards at a Different Epcot Design from Harper Goff

The EPCOT that never was- and the Epcot that could have been. All we've got is the Epcot we have, but it wasn't always like this. There was once a great vision for Disney's second park in Florida. Leave it to those original Imagineers to come up with the best ideas... and here is one of the ones that's still great even if it din't make the cut.

So much detail to be seen here in this concept art.  Imagineer Harper Goff created this beautiful rendering of an EPCOT we will never see. If you click on this huge piece of concept art and look at it closely, you'll find the Netherlands and other unbuilt and interesting design choices. 

The B&W version.

This is a water based Epcot, if you'd like. And I do! It's even more of an urban style showcase than what was eventually built, focusing on classic, romantic architecture as the centerpiece of each pavilion. There's lots of side streets and nooks and crannies to explore. Certainly, the park would have a bustling but very intimate feel with its contrasts of open plazas and smaller courtyards and walkways to explore. 

The downside of it all? It is very Eurocentric- I can only see China and perhaps Japan in the upper right hand side of the park, perhaps that is Morocco slightly south of those. What I don't see is a U.S.A. pavilion. Do you? Aside from the Mexican temple, I do not see anything for South America or Africa- nor can I find Canada. Maybe you can. Front and center in the middle of the large lake, the classic architecture you'd come to expect looks seamlessly blended into more modern structures. 

The once planned Costa Rica pavilion would have been a nice fit!

Venezuela too!

Back to the water features. The great designers of the past always incorporated water features to give guests the impression of cooling off on the intense Florida sun. Instead of just World Showcase Lagoon, you find a main lake plus a smaller one that hosts a Romanesque amphitheater for an evening show. There's canals as well. No, not for Venice gondolas like Tokyo Disneysea but for a different kind of attraction. If you look closely, it's an early version of what looks like a World Cruise attraction where there looks to be show scenes built under the bridges. (If it sounds like what was planned for California's Westcot, it does to me as well! Look at that article including Tony Baxter's ideas here.)

The man was clearly inspired and quite successful at what he did, but I do not see much room for expansion aside from what could be easily removed structures on the West and East sides of the park. Perhaps this is why the design that was finally built was chosen. (I really do have to finish that "If I Built Epcot" article. I have one great idea that no one seems to have used yet... But I'm pretty sure another Epcot/Westcot will never come to be.)

A simple monorail station seems to sit at the entrance of his park with a large square plaza beyond the entrance gates. Inspired by or vaguely reminiscent of what is now found at the end of the Future World path to the lagoon. 

Would Harper's EPCOT work? Most likely it would. I'm sure there's a fascinating story to be told as to why this version of the park was bypassed in favor of what was built. Could it be the suits had plans for massive expansions and many more countries to be represented? History- and Disney's own documents and concept art seem to give us an affirmative answer. I just wish today's Imagineers had the guts to look backward before building something new in this park.
 
(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

The Best Journey into Imagination Video I've Ever Seen

That most beloved attraction of all time at Epcot: The Original and Greatest Journey into Imagination. Imagineer Tony Baxter created the charming Figment and his pal Dreamfinder as guides for the most fantastic, magical attraction since the park's opening. Have you ever seen a video as great as the one below?

The first five minutes of the ride video are muted due to copyright issues, but after that, you get the full attraction experience. And it's just wonderful! If the above ever disappears, go here.

Thanks to Disney Dave for taking this way back when. Enjoy!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)