Mr. Toad's Wild Ride is a Disneyland classic and a much beloved and missed attraction at Walt Disney World. But did you know there was once plans for a Mr. Toad's Wild Ride at Tokyo Disneysea? Yes, it was once on the drawing boards- but in a fresh way, different than what riders would expect. As I looked at Miceage's Yesterland article written by the always terrific Werner Weiss, I remembered that I had in my files a great piece of concept art for this attraction.
Before you get too excited about another unbuilt ride and get very disappointed, TDS' proposed Manhattan Motor Mania was actually more a tribute to sorts to the beloved Disneyland attraction in Fantasyland. (May the Magic Kingdom's double tracked, two separate adventure version Rest In Peace.) The artwork for Tokyo Disneysea's proposed tribute ride is the black and white piece of concept art at the top.
Toad in a new way... for a totally different park- The Magic Kingdom.
The plan was to have it sit in the American Waterfront in a subsection that looked like a bit of Little Italy. The basic plot line was the same but swapping out London and its countryside for New York City at the turn of the century.
Like some good things, ideas are passed on. But Eric Scales did a great job working up a brand new version of Toad's adventure just in case Disney opens their eyes and hearts for a new journey. Take a look at his plans for an attraction at the Magic Kingdom or look here.
Growing up in Orange County, California meant Disneyland was a part of my life for as long as I can remember. For better and for worse. I grew up a geek, anticipating every addition to Walt Disney's magic playground. Few construction projects were as highly anticipated as the brand New Tomorrowland of 1998.
Rocket Rods was the one most everyone looked forward to. The name now represents one of Disney's most high profile failures, right alongside Light Magic, California Adventure 1.0, and Superstar Limo. Bargain Basement Imagineered and poorly engineered because of a minuscule budget, Rocket Rods was long long for this earth..
Visiting the family at the right time, I was at Disneyland within the first few weeks of the opening. My first stop was to be expected. I happily jumped into the lengthy queue. The beautifully re purposed America the Beautiful building showcased blueprint type art and vintage Tomorrowland graphics. Getting to the old Peoplemover platform involved a bit of Disney engineering magic bringing guests upstairs in a very clever way. Soon enough, I was high above Tomorrowland waiting for my one and only ride on the attraction's futuristic sleds.
As everyone knows, the ride itself was a constant stop and go experience. At full speed, it was great fun! Cruising above the land was just so classic Disney with a twist. A roller coaster of sorts fully outdoors but also in theme. When we had to slow down for those pesky unbanked curves, it was a step backwards in what should have been another must-do in the park.
Imagineer Tony Baxter lead the Tomorrowland project and took a fair share of the blame for its failure. Of course, I debate that view. The suits and Michael Eisner's cold feet were the real culprits. I make my case for the excellence of Tony Baxter's work here in part one and part two of this very popular series of articles.
As things worked out, it was my one and only ride. I planned to get back into line but there was still the rest of Tomorrowland '98 waiting to see. My next trip out would be in 2001 for California Adventure, and the once promising Rocket Rods were now a piece of Disneyland history.
(Top photo from Yesterland. Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)
With changes to the Disney theme parks coming faster than you can say "Another Marvel / Star Wars movie?", there's one resource all park fans need to know about. Yesterland by Werner Weiss. He has documented most all the changes to each theme park. From Walt's original park on, with a keen eye and a great sense of humor to go along with official images from promotional items, Werner's site is a must read.
With the 60th Anniversary celebration in full swing at Disneyland and the landscape of the park soon to change for good starting next week, I did a little web investigation on one of my very favorite old school attractions: Mine Train Thru Nature's Wonderland. As almost every Disney park historian or fan knows, it was a popular precursor to the incredible and beloved Frontierland attraction Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
From the great site, Disney and More.
The wild life, the scenery, the music made the Wild West come alive once more when the attraction first opened. It was a living True Life Adventure through the American frontier; a new take on the Jungle Cruise but inspired by a land of rugged terrain, good old American folklore, and the history of the railroad.
The poster only hints at the great attraction.
A Disneyland postcard.
From the Meet the World blog.
The love and care of Walt Disney and his Imagineers for America and its history was particularly evident here. Marc Davis created some of the most playful scenes ever to find there way into a theme park. It was a labor of love designed to last generations.
After traveling through beautiful pine filled landscapes, our trains took us into the Painted Desert, all leading to an unsuspected conclusion: a visit through the absolutely stunning Rainbow Caverns. Etherial music (you can hear it here) played up the beauty of the caves as colorful waterfalls of different shades moved underground right within view. Engineers said it couldn't be achieved without the colors blending into a shade of gray. Walt Disney said it could be done, and like most things, he did it.
Nice little vintage clip of the caverns.
The ride was a favorite for many years, giving guests a chance to explore the American wilderness while in Anaheim. Tastes change, and soon enough, guests to Disneyland were clamoring for thrills of a different kind. The Imagineers watched what was on the horizon, and prepared something new under the leadership of Tony Baxter. Gentle rides gave way to more Disney mountains, and Nature's Wonderland disappeared in favor of the Wildest Ride in the Wilderness. (For the ultimate article on the attraction go to Werner Weiss' excellent Yesterlandarticle.)
Here's a great blog that features the writer's work at recreating this attraction in model form. The video below offers a chance to once again experience an iconic attraction from Disneyland's past. Enjoy!
Perhaps as the Imagineers create Star Wars Land, they will include a not so subtle tribute to Nature's Wonderland by routing the train track through a recreated mini Rainbow Caverns. It'd be a nice touch that honors the past that made way for the future.
Don't be fooled by this absolutely stunning piece of concept art for Disney California Adventure's Paradise Pier! It is a beauty- but like many wonderful pieces of art, it disguises what the end result becomes, and it has currently become a mixed bag of artistry and left over pieces from California Adventure 1.0- the one Disney suits tried to put over on us as the cutting edge of Disney Imagineering as of 2001. (Look at my multi-part Bargain Basement Imagineering posts for all the concept art for the park version 1.0)
On this blog, this is one of the largest pieces of Imagineering art you'll find. If you enlarge it, it really is beautiful, but when you compare it to the real thing, the brick and mortar world of Paradise Pier falls apart in comparison. The following photos were not taken by me, but they were taken by others and show some of the "wonders" of Paradise Pier- especially in its first incarnation.
Photo from Duchess of Disneyland.
California Screamin' remains a very fun, very thrilling centerpiece to the land. In person, the truth is, the queue is cheap, the awnings just as lackluster, and the track itself could use a good paint job.
Everything looks better at night!
Photo by WDWMagic.
Toy Story Midway Mania contains the most detailed, Disney worthy building in the area. Unfortunately, it is surrounded by a light retheming of what was there at opening. Yes, it's still a step above the Orange County Fair but really not by too much. Just check out the trim on the buildings from one part of the area to the next. It's a place to start in telling where corners have been cut. Paradise Pier is no Main Street U.S.A.
Photo by Werner Weiss at Yesterland.
Iron rides abound, and that's ok. It's just unfortunate that they are not done with a bit more charm and creativity. Still, it's not 2001 when a giant orange and road signs passed for great theming on a spinner and a cheap roller coaster.
Photo by StartedByAMouse.com.
Here's the bottom line: Paradise Pier could be so much more than it is! And for that matter, so could Ariel's Undersea Adventure, the new Audio-Animatronic attraction that should have been the Pirates of the Caribbean or Haunted Mansion of the park. It was not to be. Perhaps 2016's refurbishment will yield some of the additional needed improvements hinted at by blogmastgers over the last couple of years.
If only they'd bring in a new version of Hong Kong Disneyland's Mystic Manor. That attraction themed to California's Winchester Mystery House would be an excellent beginning of moving this area from a half baked creation to a first class representation of what Disney can do when it wants. Just take a look next door at Cars Land for inspiration!
Over at Yesterland, the great site led by Werner Weiss, I've really enjoyed his posts which compare photos of the park over the decades. This one post discussing Fantasyland was of particular interest. Werner had several shots showing the favorite attraction designed primarily by Imagineer Mary Blair, the classic It's a Small World.
Upon more thought, I realized I had taken a photo of a "missing link" in the progression. It was in 1994 when the suits decided it was time to refresh the exterior by adding some color- making it more like the exteriors at Tokyo Disneyland and later Disneyland Paris. I was struck by the transition from what I knew and snapped a shot. So glad I did!
Truth be known, I love both the original white and gold and the rose colored scheme. In fact, I just love the attraction period! I love it in California. I love it in Florida, and I love it in Paris as well.
Walt Disney himself tended to see the world in through rose colored lenses- and I always loved that about him. He was unabashedly sentimental and patriotic. Although a successful business man who had seen the harder and seedier side of life, there was a child like innocence that was part of him as well. Maybe that's the piece of Disney and Disney parks that brings a warmth to my heart. It goes right along with Jesus' words reminding us that we must be like little children to enter the kingdom of God.
With all the refurbishments going on at Disneyland for the 60th Anniversary celebration and the recent small fire at It's a Small World, it only seemed right to present this photo. It is a Disney treasure regardless of how you present it.
It was during a quick peruse of my more than 1,000 posts on this blog that I realized I write quite often about the Epcot that was. It was then I decided to make it official: I would begin a series of posts that would periodically look at Epcot Past, when the park was truly at its peak of creativity and wonder. Ah, speaking of wonder, let's begin with the Wonders of Life in Future World. In 1989 and continuing on (untouched no less) for almost 20 years, the Wonders of Life joined the park in an effort to educate guests about the wonders of the human body. The beautiful golden dome and the genetic spiral metalwork beckoned to guests, drawing them into a pavilion just slightly out of synch positionally from the others around it. yet, it was worth the journey. While Imagineering's concept art (above) is pretty nice, for once the rendering paled in comparison to the reality. Stepping away from the crush of the crowds and into the airy, white ceiling but color filled building was delightful. It felt like a World's Fair destination with its festive and playful approach. The attractions themselves were each presented in a humorous way, even if tongue in cheek at times.
The centerpiece draw was to be Body Wars, a trip through the human body using the latest flight simulator technology of the day also found in Star Tours at both Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios (then Disney-MGM Studios). It was also the most vomit inducing attraction since the Mad Tea Party, long before the crown was claimed by the overrated Mission:Space. Personally, one ride was enough for me. I'd have preferred the same theme presented a la Disneyland's classic Adventure Thru Inner Space. The other part of the attraction I was not fond of had nothing to do with the ride itself as much as the Studios inspired trend of adding contemporary actors to the story, in this case, Elizabeth Shue. As I mentioned in an earlier post this year, using Hollywood celebrities instantly time stamps an attraction.
Buzzy!
Since Body Wars wasn't my favorite, why did I enjoy the pavilion so much? Cranium Command, a journey into the head of an adolescent boy was great fun, but The Making of Me, a short film on procreation was an absolute side-splitting riot. With actor Martin Short playing the lead in a tightly crafted little film, the writing was so sharp, so witty, so dead on, I found myself laughing with little control. Something pretty rare in a Disney theme park. (That is aside from the Comedy Warehouse and its spoof of Disney park culture.)
Other attractions included a series of hands on activities (Fitness Fairgrounds), lessons on staying healthy with a bit of character influence (Goofy About Health), and other odds end ends which made the Wonders of Life pavilion an easy two hour diversion. That was then, and this is now. Wonders eventually transitioned to a cheaper to run corporate event facility as a destination location for the park's seasonal festivals. It's a shame, really, as the mix of attractions and the differing presentation style was a complement to Universe of Energy and Horizons, its nearby neighbors. To see a greatly detailed look at the transformation, go to Werner Weiss' excellent Yesterland article here.
(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company. Photographer unknown. The last photo might be mine!)
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