Who is the Imagineer? Is This Piece of Concept Art for El Rio Del Tiempo Real or AI?

Just arrived on my computer, a supposed piece of Disney concept art for EPCOT Center's magnificent El Rio Del Tiempo, an opening day attraction at World Showcase in Mexico. I can't make out the artists signature. Is it real? If so, who is the Imagineer? Inquiring minds need to know. Somebody help me out.

Imagineer Harper Goff's EPCOT Dream Realized

The EPCOT that never was- and the Epcot that could have been. Fully realized in the image posted toward the end of this article. Why am I holding off showing it up front and making you only glance at Harper Goff's rendering right now? Because you've got to understand it and why it was created to fully appreciate what you'll see. Let's start at the beginning, shall we?

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 somewhat of a water based Epcot, if you'd like. 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 intimate feel with its contrasts of open plazas and smaller courtyards and walkways to explore. 

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. (You'll get a better idea of what I mean when you see my piece showcasing the never built Netherlands area.)

In my mind, I'd add something really needed: an "underground" Metro system including stops at strategically placed locations around the back end of World Showcase. Think of Disneyland's and the Magic Kingdom's railroad system and how effective it is. How compelling would it be in suspending disbelief to enter a station in Paris at the back of a pavilion by walking down the stairs or a ramp, getting on the train and then coming back up at a similar station in London? Or German? Or a host of other locations? You could even have the train appear above ground at certain points for atmosphere and realism. Four stations should cover the around that circles the World Showcase Lagoon. (It would actually circle back around itself so the tracks could remain behind in backstage areas.) For guest convenience, the Metro would minimize walking great distances plus provide something fun to do.

Now, back to the park's water features. In the rendering, 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- and if you look closely, 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...)

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. 

OK, here it is! The fully realized AI created version based on the concept art and sketches of the man. It's beautiful!

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.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Epcot's Unbuilt Russia Pavilion Would Have Been Astounding

If imitation truly is the sincerest form of flattery, those incredible first and second generation Disney Imagineers must really love Moscow! Their faithful but fanciful version of Russia's Red Square was once planned for EPCOT Center's cultural heart, World Showcase. 

There's much culture to celebrate!

While travel to the Russian Federation is not uncommon today, it is still considered an exotic destination even if much more available to tourists than ever before. Imagine in the early 90s, a new Russia pavilion at Epcot would have been adored from its opening days. The Imagineers plan for representing the country would have been as ambitious- if not more so- than what they accomplished with The American Adventure! Imagine a pavilion with two rides, a theater presentation that would have rivaled its American host, a museum, a restaurant or two, and a slew of shops, and plenty of entertainment. 

Thanks to a newly released video, Russia Pavilion EPCOT World Showcase Presentation (1992), by a group known as CowMissing, I now have a new and large selection of image captures to go with a few previous pieces of Imagineering concept art. 

The fireworks would have been in front,

but artistic license always wins out in concept art.

Placed between Germany and the area once set aside for Equitorial Africa, the new pavilion and its iconic architecture of St. Basil's cathedral would make a stunning addition to the other landmarks around the lovely and large World Showcase lagoon. 

The only fully walled World Showcase

pavilion- mostly.

Wisely, the Disney suits and the Imagineers chose to focus on the art, history, and culture of the country rather than on its politics. And what a beautifully rich culture it is!

The pavilion's centerpiece attraction, a theater presentation entitled Russia- The Bells of Change, would combine Audio-Animatronics, beautiful sets, live actors, and film to create a stunning and memorable presentation.

Imaginers hard at work!

Love the model!

As in the age of strange advertising gimmicks, let me say, "But wait! There's more!" In addition to the theater show, there would also be a dark ride through the beloved old tale of Ivan and the Magic Pike. The story tells of a boy who finds a magic pike that grants wishes. I loved the old EPCOT Center that focused on the real culture of the nations in World Showcase. I wish they go back that direction. 

Even if guests did neither of the attractions, just walking the showcase would be a very rich experience in the largest international pavilion in the park. Take a look at these pieces of art.

Shopping and dining is a large part of World Showcase, and Russia would have been no exception! Although I find the country's cuisine rather bland, it would be a nice option to have and round out the offerings.

Although the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 put an end to their plans, given the current state of world affairs and the political climate, I say it' will never happen. But once upon a time a long time ago, the Disney Company's very serious about the project! After reading about and see what was planned, you will certainly agree that it would have been a great addition. And let's be honest, Epcot certainly needs a new international pavilion to add some new excitement to the park.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Epcot's Unbuilt and Unknown Switzerland Pavilion

Is this the work of Imagineer Herb Ryman? This piece of concept art for the unbuilt, unrealized Switzerland pavilion at Epcot looks the part, but something is missing. It feels too plain, too generic, too blah. So, who crafted this piece? Probably AI as I'm looking closer and seeing duplicate people with red shirts and blue pants or shorts.

Could the second Disney park in Florida use something like this? Yes- a thrill ride actually themed to the park it is in. World Showcase would be all the better! And then Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind could have appeared in Disney's Hollywood Studios where it really belonged. 
 

Epcot: Saturday in Mexico Two Ways

Saturday morning at the Mexico pavilion in Epcot. What a great way to spend it! A beautiful skyline looking across World Showcase Lagoon. Music in the air from the Mariachis. Fresh blooms of flowers all through the area, and the stunning nighttime sky inside the iconic pyramid. 

Without a moment's hesitation, I'd reply "EPCOT Center" if asked which Disney park had the most spellbinding Imagineering art. Much of it was created by the legendary Herb Ryman. Not all, but quite a bit. And the pieces created for Future World are just as stunning as the ones created for Mexico, France, and others. 

Oftentimes reality is not as good as Imagineering artwork. Sometimes, reality is better! (See Cars Land at Disney California Adventure for example.) Every once in awhile, concept art shares details we wish Disney had included. Above is one such piece. 

The original and enchanting El Rio del Tiempo took riders through sets both elaborate and simple as they explored the history and culture of Mexico. (I'd still take it over The Gran Fiesta Tour any day- but that's a whole different story.) If you look closely at some of El Rio's great concept art, you'll notice the boats were to be more like the classic flower adorned ones of Xochimilco than the plain and ordinary ones they are. A little change like that, however, would have necessitated a much more grand scale than what was built. Due to budget cuts because of overages throughout the park, the lovely boat ride that was supposed to be more on the scale of Pirates of the Caribbean became a lot less ambitious. 

Unfortunately, it also became the new standard when it came to ride length of future boat ride attractions. From Norway's Maelstrom to Animal Kingdom's Na'vi River Journey, traditional water attractions are now shorter in time, making it more difficult to fully immerse riders in the story and in the landscapes. They are still very popular, though! Maybe one day, elaborate and lengthy trips on the waterways will make their return. Disney Imagineering seems to be bringing back Audio-Animatronics after years of moving away from their use, so who knows what will happen.

(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.)

Indy's Temple Takes Shape

Thanks to Bioreconstruct, we can see that Countdown to Extinction aka DINOSAUR at Disney's Animal Kingdom is quickly becoming the temple entrance to the new Indiana Jones Adventure. This will be the next in a series of temples in Walt Disney World. First, there are those in the Jungle Cruise at the Magic Kingdom. Next we have the pyramid and interior temples at the Mexico pavilion at Epcot. Now, this. We can debate whether or not Encanto and Indy fit, but the look and feel of Tropical Americas aligns perfectly with the park. Is it just my vivid imagination or is Disney's Animal Kingdom becoming the new World Showcase one step at a time?
 

Italy Comes to California

Do you love Italy? The food, the landscapes, the people? I sure do! It was during a tour of Napa and Sonoma, California, wine country, where we found a bit of Italian charm right outside our door. No, it's not Epcot (or even Westcot). Even the cloudy skies can't hide the charm!

The gorgeous Castello di Amorosa is a family owned winery. This beautiful plaza and its fortress walls were built from scratch. No, they weren't there before. The look was lovingly recreated from the minds of the family working with similarly minded architects and designers. The end result? Something you would easily find in those Tuscan hillsides thousands of miles away!

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.)

Triple Threat! Great Footage of the Original Journey into Imagination, Horizons, and El Rio del Tiempo

Thanks to Disney Dave, we have this incredible footage from EPCOT Center from 1997. That may not sound like much, but if this was your favorite Walt Disney World park, you may appreciate knowing he has captured footage of the original Journey Into Imagination, Horizons, and El Rio Del Tiempo. Great, great stuff!

You won't believe what you'll see. It's a fairly teenaged park, only 15 years in. Things are still growing, but World Showcase and Future World never looked lovelier! There's even a quick glimpse at Food Rocks. What a find this is! Thanks, Disney Dave! 

Days of Disney Past: If You Had Wings

How well would Eastern Air Lines and the Walt Disney's Imagineers work together to create an attraction that is still talked about 50 years after its creation? Pretty darned well, I'd say! In fact, this sweet little free attraction (in the days of A thru E Tickets) in the Magic Kingdom  influenced many other beloved rides in Walt Disney World. 

Opening about 8 months after the initial Florida park, If You Had Wings took guests on an around the world tour... of places that were on Eastern Air Lines' routes, of course! Playing off that company's slogan, The Wings of Man, the ride was a highly enjoyable new era dark ride. Using props, clever lighting, rear projected film and an incredibly catchy theme song- sing it with me now, this was one you'd have to ride multiple times to discover everything that was going on.

From the sponsoring company's standpoint, the goal was to make guest book trips on the airline. There was even a travel desk at the end of the attraction's exit so guests could do just that. How's that for high end shopping synergy? Disney wanted an attraction that brought in the numbers. Conveying the sense of discovery and adventure was key. The ports of call were mostly the Caribbean, Mexico, and a very compelling but brief look at New Orleans. (Who didn't love that shadow projection of the musicians?) The ending was a precursor to the speed tunnel room, but this time used to imagine guests taking off to exotic locations.

Seriously, this was one attraction I was very excited to show my wife when we went to Florida for her first visit to the World. She didn't enjoy it quite as much as me, that would be impossible, but it did whet her appetite a bit for traveling the globe.

On our second visit to Walt Disney World, the opening of EPCOT Center was the centerpiece of our trip. I was thrilled to get the If You Had Wings vibe while riding the beautiful and mysterious El Rio Del Tiempo (R.I.P.) in the Mexico showcase. I was quite sad to read the Imagineers had planned a much longer boat ride but that budgets were slashed. When you added the fact that the showcase was mostly indoor and you could have queso fundido at the San Angel Inn Restaurante, this World Showcase pavilion was one of my instant favorites. (My Dine or Ditch review of the eatery can be found here. Great photos too.)

But back to If You Had Wings. Unfortunately, the attraction would only last a little less than two decades. Replacements were If You Could Fly, Delta Dreamflight, and Take Flight, each offering charming variations on the theme with or without a corporate sponsorship. Eventually, the entire space was gutted for the still very popular  Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. It wasn't a bad move, but it did bring Disney / Pixar  characters into the land of the future.

Riding the Camels at Epcot

Riding the desert sands of Morocco? Where is that at Walt Disney World? It's certainly not at Epcot's World Showcase pavilion, even if it is one of the most highly detailed of all the country representations at the park. No, this is the real Morocco. Some friends of ours took this camel expedition as part of their travels to Europe and North Africa. Pretty amazing!

Coco Boat Ride Area Expanded for Disney California Adventure

Disney CEO in the making Josh D'Amaro spoke about the Coco boat attraction for Disney California Adventure as one that would take its inspiration from Disneyland's classic Pirates of the Caribbean. That's a great piece of marketing fluff! What part of this could actually be real? We know there's severe space limitations in California, but Fantasyland is filled with them, and look how beautiful that area is!

So, what are those great Disney Imagineers actually up to? What will they build? 

Imagine if you will an entire land dedicated to the part of California that was influenced by the beautiful culture of Mexico. Its art, its architecture, its food, its music. Now imagine it all as an area of expansion for Disney California Adventure. It could be the equivalent of New Orleans Square in Disneyland.

What do I wish they would build? An indoor restaurant and an Epcot-ish mini Mexico pavilion with perpetual nighttime.  

Directly above is the official concept art for the Coco expansion. At the very top of this post is a piece I created with the help of several AI engines. One of the major differences between the two is my inclusion of a restaurant on the banks of the lagoon's boat ride. Think classic  Blue Bayou in California's New Orleans Square or even the San Angel Restaurante at Epcot's Mexico pavilion. The Gran Fiesta Tour may be the attraction there, but the true calling card draw is the waterside dining under a beautiful moonlit sky. Something like this will probably not happen as space is severely limited back in that corner of the park. But I wish it would. Don't you?

 

But let's imagine even more! How about making the Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta area into an extension of the Coco themed area? At the very top of this article is the new Los Amigos Plaza Restaurante. The elaborate courtyard is shown above.

Last but not least, let's re-Imagine Goofy's Sky Skool as The Three Caballeros Sky School, adding to attractions themed to this expanded land in the park. The new colors of the flight tower and the beautiful new arch lend a bit of flare to the surroundings. As far the ride itself, it's time to enclose a part of it and add in the three friends in Audio-Animatronic form. Donald Duck, and friends Panchito and Jose Carioca could sing and serenade us away from danger. Or so we think! It could be a total upgrade from what's there now and without too much work.

The little sister park next to Walt Disney's original castle park needs something this spectacular and this charming! The suits seem to have lost their way when it comes to making this park feel richly cohesive. Cars Land is a no contest smash, but the rest of the additions since have seriously been lacking, at least in my opinion. Not one single addition since 2012 has become a must-see for me, even though I love the film Big Hero 6. Will a Coco attraction do the trick to make me come back? Yes, maybe, but the ride and expansion had better be good! And an indoor restaurant will certainly affect my opinion on it, and a fully rethemed area would only make it better!

(Official concept art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Why a Tangled Ride in Expanded Form Deserves to Be in Epcot's Germany Pavilion

Frozen may be the latest juggernaut movie from the company, but I'd argue that Tangled is richer, more clever, and with equally beloved main characters. Plus there is no other scene in Disney animation as gorgeous as the film's lantern scene. The beloved movie deserves its own attraction on an epic scale. 

The cartoon / character infestation of Epcot's World Showcase started long ago when Gran Fiesta Tour replaced El Rio del Tiempo at the Mexico pavilion. We know without any doubt this is the direction the Walt Disney Company is taking with all its theme parks and not just the one that was supposed to celebrate cultures of the world. So, let's not waste time debating whether it's a good move or not. 

Apparently the executives at Oriental Land Company agree Tangled is worthy of its own attraction. In its beautiful new Fantasy Springs at Tokyo Disney Sea, it's Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival that provides the biggest tug on the heartstrings. The lattern scene highlighting the music of I See the Light gets me a little choked up. And I don't even speak Japanese. 

What would I change to make this an even better attraction?

1- Add in the villain back in. Removing the dark characters from attractions is a very bad move in the Disney worlds. That evil exists in the world is a fact, and we are not doing anybody good by pretending it does not. For all its amazing strengths, there's too little of Gaston in Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast, and the attraction loses something in translation because of it. The payoff is just not as strong. In Tangled, Mother Gothel is the most complex and evil of all Disney villains, using her motherly charms to deceptively manipulate her kidnapped "daughter".  When our heroine Rapunzel eventually awakes from her Stockholm Syndrome, it's a powerful moment. 

2- Toss in the Stabbington brothers. Go into the Snuggly Duckling pub. Round out the adventure a bit. There's some swashbuckling bravado in the film. Make the most of it.

3- Bring back Corona and the people of the village, including the king and queen. Queue up the music, create a celebration, Let this scene be the set up before the quiet, intimate beauty of the lantern festival finale.

With these changes added, Imagineering would create a real must see attraction in the park. This could be the Pirates of the Caribbean of sorts in Epcot, a ride that could appeal to boys and play counterpoint to the sister focused storyline a few countries away... and for once an American park would get the better version of something from Japan!

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?

 

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?

 

EPCOT Center's World Showcase 1.0 From The Sky

Any serious fan of the work of Walt Disney will instantly acknowledge that EPCOT Center is a theme park and not really E.P.C.O.T. as he envisioned it to be. That doesn't mean that Walt Disney World's second theme park is without its charms or purpose. Going through multiple incarnations of what a World's Fair would look like done Disney style, the first go around resulted in a very standard looking set of circular structures to house pavilions that represent different countries of the world. 

This model viewed from the sky shows the plan. The only positives I could see in this plan were two: Everything was inside and therefore could be "nighttime"; and secondly, ease of getting from one nation to the other. Wisely, cooler more imaginative heads prevailed, and we park goers ended up with a beautiful view on fanciful landmarks around a shimmering World Showcase Lagoon. Can you imagine an Epcot with an Illuminations- Reflections of Earth or the more recent Luminous- The Symphony of Us? Not me! These shows are among the highlights of my day!

Decades later, the bones of EPCOT Center are still intact, but the forward looking, culture focused take on our God given world has been traded out for wine, food, and tons of characters. No matter. Those of us who love this park will always have fond memories of the past along with hopes for the future. 

Why did the park change? It's our fault! Take a look at my article here and tell me what you think.

Epcot's Mexico Pyramid is a Real Place

Ever wonder where the Disney Imagineers got their inspiration for EPCOT Center's Mexico Showcase? It's right here: El Castillo (The Kukulkan Temple) of Chichen Itza, a Mayan pyramid in Yucatan, Mexico. It is almost a full on replica just scaled down to a theme park size. In Florida, the interior includes a beautiful village and a boat ride. Long ago before Donald and the Three Caballeros invaded for their Gran Fiesta Tour, the elegant and mysterious El Rio del Tiempo called to guests willing to explore Mexico's ancient past and vibrant future. I'd look forward to the day the suits decided to return to the park's roots focusing on culture and history in World Showcase. But that will never happen. 

Disneyland Australia Again?

Here we go again! Plans for Disneyland Australia resurfaced a few years ago in a documentary that made a strong argument for Disney really looking to build Disneyland Australia or instead something like Disney Springs called Disney Wharf. Where? In Sydney's beautiful harbor. Which would it have been? A full castle park or a shopping and entertainment district or both? 

The top rendering shows just the wharf project. But directly above is piece of concept art shows a Magic Kingdom smack dab on the crystal blue bay next to a Pleasure Island type entertainment district. We've seen it before here.   

Although the video showing Disney is no long gone, I once found something on the WDWMagic discussion boards.  I think I posted it here somewhere, sometime awhile ago.

This is not the first time the Company planned a project focusing on Australia. Read this article revealing the plans for EPCOT Center's World Showcase version of the country right here. 

(Concept Art and model copyright The Walt Disney Company.)