Monthly Archives: November 2011
The World That Never Was: Equatorial Africa
Nov 30
Have you ever wandered the walkway at Epcot’s World Showcase and asked yourself where all the South American or African pavillions are? I know Morocco is an African country, but most people would associate Kenya or Egypt with Africa, not Morocco. Don’t get me wrong though, I love Morocco as they have some of my favorite food in all of Disney World, not to mention my favorite beer in the Casablanca beer, but I digress, World Showcase is missing out on a large part of the world. Epcot does have the African Outpost right? Correct, but its hardly a pavillion. In fact, it was only a place holder for a larger African area that was supposed to open in 1983 in World Showcase. (That was the worst segway ever, not the scooter, but I’m still going with it.) Equatorial Africa, which encompasses Kenya, Congo, and several other sub-tropical African countries, was to be a large area between Germany and China, and was even advertised in television ads and park maps, so lets delve into another case of “The World That Never Was.”
Epcot opened with 9 countries around World Showcase. (Mexico, Germany, Italy, China, American Adventure, Japan, Canada, United Kingdom, and France) If you were to look at a park map from the time, you would notice that World Showcase was made up of all three North American countries, two Asian countries, and four Western European countries. Disney Imagineers knew of the lack in other continents being represented on the World Showcase promenade, and one of the solutions was to build Equatorial Africa in 1983. This pavillion was to be large, and stand out from the others with a massive tree house overshadowing the rest of the pavillion. (Sound familiar? Tree of Life perhaps?) The large tree would tower over the pavillion and be surrounded by waterfalls, rockwork, and thatched huts.
A proposed idea for the tree house towering above the pavillion was that it would be functional as a wildlife observation deck. Through a projection, guests of Equatorial Africa would look down in the center of the tree house to see animals gathering at a waterfall. Smells and sounds would be “piped in” so that you could not only see the animals, but also smell and hear them. The visual realism would be fulfilled by creating a diorama with shrubs and grass, but the animals would be projected from in on a 20 foot tall screen. Combining the projections, diorama, smells, and sounds, guests would feel as if they were really observing African wildlife from the observation deck.
Beyond the tree centerpiece, two shows were also set to open with the pavillion. The first of which was titled “The Heartbeat of Africa” and would deal with the music and rhythms of that continent. The story of the African drums was not to be missed, as is most musical shows in World Showcase. As guests entered this thatched hut theater, they would discover the room being surrounded by drums everywhere, When the lights went down, the drums would “magically” come to life. As drums played they would be lit by different lights from the inside of the drum. As more drums joined in, more colors would be seen, eventually culminating in a colorful show in the round with guests watching all the walls around them.
Leaving the “Heartbeat of Africa” show, Epcot visitors would enter a heritage and culture gift show/museum. The room would display African art and the shop would sell authentic african artwork and crafts.
The other show in Equatorial Africa was called “Africa Rediscovered.” Led by Roots author Alex Haley, guests would watch a widescreen documentary of Africa, discussing and seeing ancient and modern sites. The film would also discuss current as well as past figures that were important to the African Continent including Hannibal, the black ruler of Carthage who led an army to attack Rome. The purpose of the film was to show that Africa wasn’t just a third world continent filled with savage people, but had a thriving culture and a history of its own.
Imagineers also came up with a Safari trail that guests could walk, but this safari wouldn’t have any animals. In fact, this walking trail would have sounds and rustling bushes as guests walked by using infra-red sensors. Guests would hear elephants and hyenas, as well as other animals, close by but would never see them, instead they would see overgrown foliage rustling around them. The climax of this trail was to travel over an old bridge and through a cave filled with sounds of lions eating all around you.
Of course, World Showcase is also known for its on-the-spot live shows, and Africa was definitely going to be a part of that. Within the rock work creating the edges of this pavillion was the formation of a small ampitheater. The theater would include shows from dancers and African musicians throughout the day, much like some of the other entertainment around World Showcase, seemingly spontaneous.
Like all of the other things never built for Walt Disney World, there is a good reason for the lack of an African country in World Showcase. Disney asked several African countries if they would help in donating money to build Equatorial Africa, but due to the climate of African politics in the 1980s when Epcot first opened, they were unable to fund the pavillion. Political upheavel was a constant problem in most African countries, so even if Disney had found a sponsor for the pavillion, that party may have ended up in war or have been overtaken by someone who didn’t want to fund the project. The only solid country that was going to help fund the pavillion was South Africa, but because of the apartheid policies, Disney didn’t want to be associated with the country, and who can really blame them.
So, Equatorial Africa sat on the back burner for quite a few years, with the only sign of the pavillion being the African Outpost. As time went on, plans for a new theme park called Disney’s Animal Kingdom came to fruition. the Animal Kingdom park called for a large African portion of the park, including a safari and other shows and attractions. From that point on, Disney decided Equatorial Africa was no longer needed at Epcot and currently rumors of Brazil taking the previous spot at World Showcase.
This is the World that never was.
Alcohol in World Showcase
Nov 26
Seeing as though its Thanksgiving weekend, I thought that I would share something a little different with everyone. Yes, this post is late, and for that I apologize, however, I’ve been indulging for a few days, so you’ll have to accept this food lover’s apology.
But, I’m also not just a foodie, because I love a good beverage as well, and if you are like me, then you love Epcot simply for the World Showcase. Up until Epcot’s opening in 1982, no Disney theme park was allowed to serve alcohol to the general public. However, when Epcot opened in 1982, they didn’t just serve alcohol, but alcohol from around the world, creating one of a kind opportunities to try beverages you couldn’t get most other places, and that goes for the Future World part of the park as well as World Showcase. For this post, lets focus on the World Showcase, as I could talk about the wine selections at the Coral Reef Restaurant for an entire blog if I wanted.
World Showcase is made up of 11 countries but 12 different spots to pick up a good drink. Would I recommend drinking at all 12 spots? Only if you have a strong stomach, take the entire day to just do World Showcase, and don’t have anything to do the next morning, because it’s gonna hurt. Trust me, I’m a professional, and I’ve had a drink at all 12 stops. If you do plan to do what many people call the Epcot Pub Crawl, (EpCrawl for short) let me lay down the rules for you to help you survive, pace yourself, and still enjoy your stroll around the lagoon. So follow these three rules:
1. Do not leave the country you are in with the drink from that country. This allows you to pace yourself.
2. If you have to stop drinking, then STOP! Nobody wants to see a drunken fool stumbling around.
3. Remember you are still at Disney World and children are everywhere. Nobody likes a foul mouth drunk.
So you have stepped up the the lagoon and you are looking at all of the countries across the lake. You can either go counter clockwise and start in Canada or clockwise and start in Mexico. Either is a great place to grab a familiar drink and a gateway into unknown beverage territory. On my last trip to Epcot I went counter clockwise so lets do that.
CANADA
Canada has two drinks I would recommend to people. You can pick up a Moosehead beer which is a lighter beer for the average budweiser and coors crowd, or grab a torontopolitan which is a great mixed cocktail. For my money, I would grab the Moosehead and wander into the shop to check out the Canadian merchandise. If you are a real lightweight, stop to see the O’ Canada circlevision film before moving on to give your stomach a break. If you feel fine, continue on because you still have plenty more countries to see.
UNITED KINGDOM
Now the pavillion is called United Kingdom, but it should be known that its mostly English here, but that won’t stop me from getting a snakebite at the Rose and Crown Pub. This is one of two stops where you can actually sit at a bar to have your drink. The Rose and Crown has a wide variety of things so get adventurous. Always wanted to try a 30 year old scotch? My money would go towards whatever the bartender wants to serve me. After all, your bartender will be from the United Kingdom and those people know how to drink. Last time I was in the Rose and Crown, I got a mix of Stella Artois and Bass, and you know what, it was darn tasty. If you do sit at the bar, you will get your beverage in a glass, but don’t be afraid to ask for it to go so you can wander out to see The British Revolution perform all your favorite Fab Four hits, or wander the shops and grab yourself a rugby ball.
FRANCE
For wine drinkers, this is one of two spots to look out for. Its got a great selections, even from the beverage cart, but fear not as they also have cocktails and beer. The Grey Goose and Grand Manier Orange Slush is fantastic, or if you like light beers then Kronenburg 1664 is your only option. I do recommend grabbing a crepe or any other pastry here because they are magnificent and I think its about time to let your stomach try something else beyond alcohol if you are doing the EpCrawl.
MOROCCO
Morocco is an unexpected beer stop. If you like microbrews or Killian’s Irish Red, I would recommend picking up a Casablanca because it is my favorite beer along the Showcase. If you are a girly drink lover, the Sangria or the Sultan are good choices, however not very authentic. The Tangerine Cafe also has some coffee liqours to add to any espresso drink, but again, not very authentic. I do love Morocco for its layout as it is very easy to get lost among the shops which makes this a good spot to slow down and enjoy your drink.
JAPAN
If you love anime, or sushi, or ninjas, or Japanese culture in general, this is a place you are gonna want to take your time. The beverage cart carries hot and cold sake, plum wine, and Kirin Ichiban beer. If you are a sweet drinker, grab the plum wine and trust my judgement. If you are a budweiser type of guy, go for the Kirin, but my bet is on the cold sake. Now, the beverage cart only carries one type of sake, but if you have reservations for Teppan Edo, which I recommend, then there is a wider selection. However, if you don’t want to sit down to eat just yet, the cart will give you a good size portion of sake. There is also lots of entertainment in this area so be sure to see the candy sculpting or the Taiko drummers. Even in the gift shop, they make a show out of finding pearls.
AMERICAN ADVENTURE
This is one of two stops where you could say no thanks to the drinks and you would not be missing out. At the American Adventure, there is Sam Adams seasonal or Budweiser. If you haven’t tried either one of these, then I don’t understand how you’ve even made it this far into the EpCrawl, but if you feel that you need to grab a drink, then go ahead and grab a beer. I will note that beyond the American Adventure show inside the building, there is not much else to look at so grabbing a drink here could mean wandering aimlessly with nothing of note to take in.
ITALY
This is the other great spot for wine. I great selection will please any style of wine drinker, but I do have to say, the Italians also know good beer. It you like a smooth pale ale, grab a Moretti and some gelato while cruising through the pavillion. There is plenty of artwork to see and shops to wander through.
GERMANY
The selection of beer in Germany beats all of the other countries so grab something you’ve never tried. Even if you don’t like it you can at least drink it all without gagging, plus they give you a pretty decent amount of beverage for the price at this stop. The Lowenbrau would be my pick at this stop but thats just my taste.
AFRICAN OUTPOST
Long before the Animal Kingdom opened at Walt Disney World, Africa was to be awarded a slot among the countries as the only continent represented along the lagoon. Unfortunately, that never came to be and what was left was the African Outpost. This small area still has some gifts to look at as well as a small kiosk for drinks. They carry Landshark and Safari Amber. Neither beer is very authentic but if you were to choose one, I would go with the Safari Amber. This is the second of two stops that you can skip if need be, unless you can play some drums and drink at the same time, you’ll mostly just stand in one spot and down your beer which I don’t ever advice anyone to do on the EpCrawl.
CHINA
Tsing Tao is the beer here but its very light and not my choice. There are several great cocktails with my pick being the Green Tea Plum Slush. Its girly, but after having so many wines and beers, you’ve already proven your manhood. This is a great place to stop and sit as the landscape here is beautiful and a walk through the garden area will make anyone feel tranquil.
Norway
Unfortunately, nothing to drink here is authentic, but the Norwegians do know what good beer is, so Carlsberg is the beer to grab here. I would recommend grabbing a pastry here as well as the sweets are wonderful. Hang out on the viking ship and after finishing your drink, do take a ride on the Maelstrom as its the choice attraction in World Showcase for me.
MEXICO
If you’ve been drinking at every stop, this is the final country, but this can also be the most potent stop on the tour. If you haven’t been drinking at every country, this may be a great place to have a drink and enjoy watching all of the drunks try and sit at the bar. Mentioning the bar, this is the other country, besides UK, that has an actual bar. La Cava Del Tequila is a really cool hangout and my pick for best selection. If you are a beer fan, you can grab Tecate or Dos Equis, but neither is very adventurous. If you’ve been drinking this whole time, maybe one of those beers is a good idea. If you still have taste buds and haven’t been drinking since 10am, I would tell you to try one of the tequila flights if you are into non-sweet things, or one of the crazy margaritas, like the avacado margarita. Never again will you have a chance to try something so off the wall, so take the chance and try it.
Well, that concludes this weeks blog. Sorry it was so late. I hope you enjoyed this stroll along Epcot’s World Showcase with me. If you get the chance to drink at Epcot, I do recommend drinking reasonably and responsibly. Remember, you are still in Mickey Mouse’s home and you need not embarrass yourself.
Until next time,
Josh Taylor
The World That Never Was: Pop Century Resort
Nov 24
First of all, I must thank all of you who not only checked out my post on Thunder Mesa at WDW Radio but also took a glimpse at my personal blog at www.disneyparkhistory.wordpress.com. (Cheap plug) I can’t stress enough how thankful I am for Lou, Christy, and the rest of the crew at WDW Radio for inviting me to be a part of the team and I hope I can create some conversation on the site as well as put smiles on a few faces. Also, if you have something you know about and would like me to delve into further, please leave a comment and I will try my hardest to get every single suggestion into an article.
Now, in case you hadn’t heard, which is unlikely if you are reading this, but Walt Disney World has been hard at work on a new value resort called Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. This particular value resort will cater to larger families. Out of its nearly 2000 rooms, 1,120 of them will be family suites all themed to Disney and Pixar animated films. Certainly there are people excited for this as most of the value resorts have not been as accomodating for larger families until now, but I’m not here to talk about the Art of Animation resort, I’m hear to talk about the Pop Century Resort. Yes, Pop Century sits right across the lake from Art of Animation, but just a few years ago, there were plans for a Pop Century Resort that encompassed not only the current location, but also the location that is now taken up by soon to open Art of Animation Resort.
With the huge success of Disney’s All Star Resorts from the mid-1990s, Disney announced at the end of the “Disney Decade” that they had plans for a huge value resort that would encompass a space by the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The resort would have 20 buildings and 5, 750+ rooms. It would open in two phases starting in 2001. Just like the All Star Resorts, this huge complex would have larger than life figures which would be themed to different decades throughout the 20th Century.
Concept art for the resort could be seen in early 2001, but Disney postponed the project in June and had a slated opening date in March 2002. The reasons behind pushing the opening back was that they felt a partially compeleted resort wouldn’t look appealing and they wanted the “Wow factor” when guests arrived at the huge resort.
At the time of the announcement to push back opening, it was also made clear that the new Pop Century Resort, wouldn’t just come in two phases, but would be two seperate hotels, each with their own registration desk, shops, and food courts. The first phase was called the Classic Years, which would encompass the 1950s through the 1990s. The second phase, encompassing the 1900s through the 1940s, would be titled the Legendary Years and would have opened in 2003. Each of the buildings at both hotels would include large catchphrases from the decades as well as large items popular during that era. The two hotels would sit across from each other on Hourglass lake and would be connected by the Generation Gap bridge, so guests of one hotel could visit the other.
Of course, that was in June of 2001, and we all know what would become of American society just a few months later in September of 2001. What would change our daily lives also changed the travel industry. Disney lost millions of travelers after the 9/11 attacks on America. Because of the loss, Disney announced the March 2002 opening plans were cancelled and a new date had yet to be announced. Guests who already had reservations at the Classic Years were moved to different resorts.
Nearly two years after the planned 2001 date, the Pop Century Classic Years opened as the Pop Century Resort on December 14th, 2003. Work on the Legendary Years portion of the resort had been put on hold. With travel still down because of fear as well as a declining economy, it seemed like phase two of Pop Century was in some serious trouble.
When I say the resort was put on hold, I really do mean put on hold. The Legendary Years was just a model waiting to be built. I was fortunate enough to have stayed at the Pop Century resort in May of 2004, just after it had opened. The maps of the resort, as well as anything else that would acknowledge the seperation in Classic and Legendary years had been done away with. In fact, I had no clue this resort had been downsized until I took a stroll around Hourglass Lake my first morning at the resort. I was expecting a beautiful stroll around a scenic lake, but what I got was an eye full of a half constructed resort that looked like a ghost town. You could clearly tell that this was just abandoned by Walt Disney World to either be demolished or continued at a later date. The buildings looked great from the outside and you could see where plans had been put forth to create an identical hotel to the now finished phase one hotel I was staying at. If I could have gotten a closer look, I would have, but the whole place had chain link fence all around it with warning signs, and if you tried to cross the bridge from the open resort to the fenced off area, all you hit was a dead end.
Fortunately, business at Walt Disney World picked up and the second phase was green lit, but in a different manner. Instead of creating a hotel that would pay homage to the early half of the 20th century, the resort was turned into a tribute to animation with the addition of family suites instead of regular rooms. You can speculate all you want on why the resorts theme was changed as Disney never gave a clear answer. You could say the nostalgia factor of the 1920s is waning as people of that generation are dying, or you could say that nobody wants to remember the poverty of the 1930s and the two World Wars that took up a major part of the early 20th Cenutury. Maybe its the appeal of bright animated characters to children, instead of seeing the majesty of a swing band playing in the 1940s.
Regardless, the Pop Century Resort was never fully realized in the way it was originally announced. Yes, you can still have fun at the bowling pin pool and you can climb inside the giant rubix cube in the 1980s section, but what was once to be the largest value resort at WDW would never see the light of day. This is the World that never was.
Feel free to leave your comments below. Would you have liked to have seen the Legendary and Classic Years come together as one mega-resort, or do you prefer the more family friendly Art of Animation resort. Also, please leave any ideas for future “World That Never Was” posts. I’d love to see what everyone comes up with. Until then, be sure to check out my personal blog, take care, and see ya next week.
Josh Taylor
Sitting on Top of the World
Nov 17
I’m more excited about this article than any others that I’ve done in the past. It’s possible that I’m still a little high on the fact that everyone can now see my work at www.wdwradio.com, (shameless plug) however this weeks post is about a point I’ve been trying to prove for a long time. Disney isn’t just for kids!
Picture this scenario. An evening out with a loved one. A lounge at the top of a hotel with a panoramic view of a brightly lit world all around. Top notch comedians, singers, and vaudeville acts performing on stage. A full bar staff, buffet style fine dining, evening gowns and sport jackets everywhere you look, and to top it all off, fireworks at a straight away view. Sounds like the Las Vegas nightlife right? What if I said that you could have found this at the Walt Disney World resort for more than 20 years.
The Top of the World Supper Club opened at the Contemporary Resort when Walt Disney World first opened and it was a prime spot for adults to see world class acts on a nightly basis. As an adults only spot, this was as unique as anything you could have found at Walt Disney World. By day, the Top was a breakfast and lunch fine dining spot with most meals ranging between $9.50 and $13.50. These days, thats a burger at Applebees, but this was the 1970s and that is a pretty penny to spend on a meal at a family resort. At night, you could see an act like Phyllis Diller or Sammy Davis Jr. performing comedy while sipping martinis with the nicest dressed ensemble of people you could see at Walt Disney World. As a bonus to the nightly show, you could see fireworks from the panoramic windows at the top of the Contemporary.
As great as the Top was, it unfortunately changed by 1981 due to Disney not being interested in some of the foul mouths of the performers taking the stage. Despite the club being adults only, Disney still felt that they needed to uphold the standards of the Disney name, for which I don’t blame them. Instead of a variety of performers on a weekly basis, they started a show called Broadway at the Top. The Broadway style show cost $7.50 for adults, and for the first time in 10 years, children could enter the supper club to see the show at $3.75 a pop. Unlike the variety of performers that were featured at the Top, the Broadway show was squeaky clean and was able to put on performances times a night.
The Sunday brunch buffet was also a big hit during the 1980s as it was a great dining oppurtunity for families to eat a big breakfast before heading over to the Magic Kingdom. The brunch featured everything from the usual pancakes and scrambled eggs, to more elegant dishes like eggs benedict. A staple of the brunch buffet, and a favorite amongst guests, was the dessert bar featuring a “make your own” strawberry shortcake.
Unforuntately for the Top of the World and for the Contemporary Resort, times changed and renovations took over the hotel. The Top of the World Supper Club closed in September of 1993. It reopened in 1995 as the California Grill, but lacked the stage, dancing floor, and the adults only atmosphere that made the Top so unique. When Disney decided to open a Disney Vacation Club side to the Contemporary Resort called Bay Lake Tower, they decided to implement the name and pay tribute to the club by opening the Top of the World lounge. What lasts only in name now, was a great place for adults to have fun at Walt Disney World.
Of course, Pleasure Island did open as an adults only area as well, making up for the loss of the previous adults only Contemporary club, and despite how great Pleasure Island also was, we area ll patiently waiting to see what the new rehab will do to the Pleasure Island area at Downtown Disney.
See you all soon for The World That Never Was post this weekend.
Until then!
Josh Taylor
http://www.GPlus.com/ModernMouseJosh
https://ModernMouseRadio.com
The World That Never Was: Thunder Mesa
Nov 10
Starting any new column is a tough job, because where to begin is always a debacle, but I’ve decided to start where many would probably want this good old blog to start, Thunder Mesa. In starting a blog about things on the drawing boards which were never built at Walt Disney World, you have to begin with a topic thats big and bold.
Thunder Mesa was to be a major part of the new Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in the late 1960s. It was believed by Imagineers that Walt Disney World, being so close to the Caribbean, didn’t need Pirates of the Caribbean placed at the Magic Kingdom. They felt they could do something else instead, and what they came up with wasn’t just one attraction, but several placed into one complex just outside of Frontierland.
The job was placed onto Disney legend Marc Davis, who was largely responsible for “Pirates” (and so many other great attractions) was put into the role of coming up with the Pirate replacement. His idea for a ride, similar to Pirates of the Caribbean, was a boat ride through the wild west. As a guest on the attraction, you would see roaming animals, bandits having shootouts with the law, indians, and girls trying to get the attention of cowboys. Davis would have added in more animatronics into this ride than in Pirates of the Caribbean (which already boasted the highest number at 128 audio-animatronics) and would have had it be much more of a musical and comical. This attraction would become known as the Western River Expedition.
As big of a project as the Western River Expedition was, the bigger project was how to house such a dark ride. The plan was to build a big facade that would be useful in multiple ways. The Expedition would be housed inside of a giant structure that looked like Utah’s Monument Valley. The building would sit where Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain currently sit. It would be a great backdrop to Frontierland and would also serve as a tunnel for the Magic Kingdom railroad to go through. The whole structure would be called Thunder Mesa and would not just house the Western River Expedition, but several other attractions.
One of the other attractions to be part of Thunder Mesa was a runaway mine train that would zig zag in and out of the facade. To top it all off, there would be plenty of hiking trails past waterfalls, abandoned cowboy camps, and indian villages. It was even discussed that there would be a pack mule ride along the trails.
So why was Thunder Mesa never built? Because of its large scope, Disney Imagineers decided to hold off on building it until after the Magic Kingdom had opened instead of it being ready for opening day. This was done to not only hold off on costs, but to see what guests really wanted at the Magic Kingdom as well as planning for return guests to have a new experience when Thunder Mesa would open five years after opening day. What happened after opening shocked most Imagineers. Guests wanted Pirates and were wondering when it would be built. Of course, Marc Davis always knew when the Western River Expedition was built, people would stop talking about pirates and start talking about cowboys, but Disney Productions President, Card Walker, called for Pirates of the Caribbean to be built. Instead of taking the risk on something new, Walker and many at Disney management knew the Pirates ride was a guaranteed success and would bring WDW visitors back when it opened in 1973.
Despite the opening of an east coast Pirates ride, this was not the end for Thunder Mesa. A new Imagineer named Tony Baxter (who is now the Senior Vice President at Disney Imagineering) came up with a plan of building Thunder Mesa’s runaway mine train roller coaster through a Monument Valley area. He called it Big Thunder Mountain. Marc Davis was furious with the design as his intent was to always incorporate the River Expedition, not just the roller coaster. Baxter decided to rework the model with a show building placed behind Big Thunder Mountain which would hold the Expedition ride.
With management looking to spend less money on attractions, Baxter’s Big Thunder Mountain was greenlit without Western River Expedition building. Davis was approached with an idea to cut costs on the Expedition ride by using old Pirate animatronics and putting new skins on them. Davis, not keen on the idea, still said yes, but the ride was never green lit and Thunder Mesa simply became Big Thunder Mountain.
The final deathnail came when it was announced in 1974 that phase one of Walt Disney World was ending and the primary focus from that point forward would be building Epcot. Anything on the shelf for Magic Kingdom was abandoned, or put on hold until in never saw the light of day, which is exactly what happened to the rest of Thunder Mesa. Marc Davis left Disney Imagineering in 1978 and the struggle to build what was to be a giant part of WDW’s Magic Kingdom was laid to rest.
I have to say, despite loving Pirates of the Caribbean and Big Thunder Mountain, I would have really loved to have seen this vision come to life. Could you imagine coming around that bend from Liberty Square into Frontierland and seeing this massive mountainous structure sitting behind Tom Sawyer Island. What a beautiful backdrop, adding such a realism to that area of the park. Seeing Big Thunder Mountain going up and around this large mountain while seeing the train run through it would have been quite the site. Maybe Marc Davis was right. Walt Disney World didn’t need Pirates. After all, WDW’s version of Pirates doesn’t compare at all to the Disneyland version, and to have a similar ride based solely on Wild West folklore would have been charming, funny, and very very Disney.
This is the “World” that never was.
Josh Taylor
Gone Fishing, Be Back Soon
Nov 4
Sorry everyone, Ive got some other projects on the table this week. Be back next week with a new blog post.