Progress City, U.S.A. » Retroworld

He’s Back!

Michael — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:04:10 +0000

Good news, everyone!

Under the cover of night, a ray of sunshine landed in Adventureland at Walt Disney World and the Florida Orange Bird reappeared at the Sunshine Tree Terrace, from which he had been absent for many years.

First, please watch:

So with the Orange Bird back and spiffed up, and Citrus Swirls back on tap, the Sunshine Tree Terrace is once more a must-stop destination for citrus-friendly visitors. What a change from a few months ago, when you could only get plain vanilla soft-serve and Cokes there! Hopefully this will reap dividends for the Mouse and management will realize that a differentiated slate of unique offerings throughout the parks benefit everyone in the long run. I can’t help but think those lines of people queued at the Sunshine Tree Terrace back up our argument: It’s possible to do things the right way and make money at the same time!

As we’ve talked about in the past, these small victories are always the result of hard work on the inside by people going out of their way to bring back little touches of the “real” Walt Disney World. After so many years of things being removed and lost without replacement, some of this texture is returning. So kudos to everyone involved! I can’t wait to see what’s next.

That begs a question – what would you like to see make a return to the parks next? What lost detail, snack, character or bit of atmosphere would you like back? Dreamfinder? Teriyaki burgers? The Penny Arcade? Let us know – and most importantly, let Disney know!

Hardly A Hoop, Not Yet A Holler

Michael — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 04:56:17 +0000

"Your bathing suit might catch on something on the way down..."

In February of 1976, River Country was hardly a water jamboree. It was still under construction, as we see from this picture which was published on February 27th.

Well, “thar’s bin aplenty goin’ up” in River Country since our last status report. The photo below may look like the skeleton structure from the “Wild Mouse” at amusement parks or some kind of strange staircase … but it’s actually the initial construction on the “belly slides” at River Country.

River Country would go on to open June 20, 1976 (with a guest appearance by presidential daughter Susan Ford!) and, sadly, would close forever in November of 2001. It continues to sit there, disused and overgrown, today. And, weirdly, just a few months after River Country’s closure, Walt Disney World would get one of those “amusement park” Wild Mouse coasters in the form of Primeval Whirl at Animal Kingdom. Coincidence? Believe it… or not!

Sub For One…

Michael — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 05:49:08 +0000

Not pictured: Tom 1.0

I just happened upon this picture of a “solosub” undergoing animation testing at WED Enterprises in January 1983. Later that year it would be packed and shipped to Orlando for installation in Horizons, which opened that October.

All I’m saying is that it’s been almost thirty years since the ride opened, and more than a decade since it closed, and I still want one of these suckers really bad.

Mission: Orange

Michael — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 08:29:56 +0000

As Orange Bird mania sweeps the nation, we felt it necessary to point out this sterling bit of cultural anthropology by Hoot n’ Chief over at Fresh Roasted Corn. Back in the 90s, as the vestiges of old Florida began to fade in earnest, they took a fantastic voyage through the wilds of central Florida to uncover the last remnants of their citrusy friend. The results, unsurprisingly, were entertaining…

A Walt Disney World Fever Dream

Michael — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 19:14:34 +0000

Long ago, we old people had something called “film”. Film was how we made pictures move, and some of us had machines called “projectors” that we would use at home to make the pictures appear on a wall or bedsheet.

Before the era of smartphone video, and even up to the advent of the VHS video era, Disney actually sold souvenir filmstrips in the park. Films in the “Super 8″ 8mm format – some of them with sound! – were created that showed off the Florida resort by day and by night. What’s great about these films is seeing how Disney chose to depict itself in those days; it’s an experience far different from that of today. Films often tended to show off the resort itself, hardly even dwelling on the theme park. Others, like the one below, focused on the parks but took time to single out the distinctive shopping opportunities and other distractions. Who could imagine a video today taking time to show how kids would love all the special, unique shops on Main Street, or shopping for antiques in Liberty Square? There’s even a trip to the “old timey photo” location they once had on Main Street. Why isn’t this there anymore? I’d love a picture of myself on the back of the fake Walt Disney World Railroad.

As with most filmstrips that have emerged, it’s not in fantastic condition. The inks had faded so that it was originally bright red throughout, but I’ve color corrected as much as possible for a thirty year old faded print that was shot on 8mm film at night. Watch, then we’ll discuss:

I love this film because it’s just so strange – like a weird, unsettling dream. The conceit of “falling asleep and having an out of body adventure” is well-worn, but who can say that this wasn’t one of their fantasies as a kid? To hide out until the park closed, and have the entire Magic Kingdom to yourself? To run around and do everything you wanted, whenever you wanted?

Of course the “in the park alone” conceit fades in and out, as other hordes of guests appear at random only to disappear again. Are they ghosts? The souls of the accursed? They do like shopping, and carousels, at the very least.

I also love the use of the klieg lights and fog for effect. Seeing the castle gateway light up like that would be pretty rad, and one of my favorite shots ever is Tigger fleeing the Haunted Mansion as the little girl emerges from the giant cloud of fog. Talk about atmosphere!

Then there are the characters. Mickey doesn’t come off too weird, but Pinocchio sure does. What’s with the arm movement he does… twice? I love that Brer Bear gets an appearance long before Splash Mountain come onto the scene, and Tigger is streaking through Frontierland. “Goofy is driving??”

Between the weird characters, the eliding of time and space, and the very atypical, strangely jaunty music that plays throughout, it’s kind of a strange experience. But it certainly is effective – I can imagine watching this over and over as a kid, and pining for an adventure like that.

A First Look At EPCOT’s Culinary Renaissance

Michael — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 10:07:26 +0000

EPCOT Center was well-received upon its debut in 1982, but in the endless amount of press coverage at the time a number of issues frequently bubbled to the surface. Amid all the grumbling about long lines and technical breakdowns, or of a lack of attractions in World Showcase, a glaring and oft-repeated complaint was the lack of food offerings and the difficulty of obtaining dining reservations. At the time, some of the fast food locations and food carts we now take for granted had yet to debut, some existing locations had yet to expand, and China’s Nine Dragons Restaurant and France’s Bistro de Paris did not exist – not to mention the then-unbuilt Morocco and Norway pavilions.

This wasn’t the result of a lack of foresight on Disney’s part; in fact, many food expansion plans already existed when the park opened. But as with the park’s rides and attractions, there simply hadn’t been time to complete the park before its opening day. A number of facilities and attractions were still under construction when the park opened, but that did little to assuage the concerns of parched guests who needed somewhere to sit down and have a snack after the long trip around the World Showcase promenade. Disney didn’t have the luxury of waiting for permanent facilities to be completed – they needed new food facilities immediately.

To solve this problem, the Renaissance Food Festival opened in the early summer of 1983. For about a year this blue-and-white striped tent, which sat between the United Kingdom and France pavilions, offered a selection of international quick-service food during peak tourist seasons. Reports from the time describe offerings which included bratwurst, corned beef, and lasagna.

Because this was a temporary facility – operating roughly a year between the summers of 1983 and 1984 – and because it was one of the first EPCOT offerings to vanish, very little documentation of this historical oddity has emerged. In fact I hadn’t ever seen a picture of the Renaissance Food Festival until…

We’ve talked in the past of the frisson of nerdy exhilaration that comes from the discovery of something you have never previously found documented. And so it was when this picture, taken in June 1983, turned up:

Computer! Zoom and enhance!

Hello, gorgeous!

Ok, so it isn’t a high-def three-dimensional rendering, but it’s the first picture I’ve ever seen of the fabled Renaissance Food Festival. The blue and white tent was tucked away to the side of the United Kingdom pavilion, in what is now a hilly area that conceals the backstage facilities behind the International Gateway. It’s striking how much the landscape has changed in that area over the years – notably, how completely different it looks from thirty years of tree growth. Look at this comparison, which, although the images were taken from different angles, at least gives you an idea of where the tent’s site would be today.

The United Kingdom pavilion in 1983 (top) and in 2011 (bottom)

The only major structural changes to the United Kingdom pavilion in the thirty years between the two photos is the addition of covered seating outside the Pub and the small building you can see that now houses the fish and chips stand. The other changes to the area, which really changed the topography, came with the addition of the International Gateway. It’s hard to judge from this angle, but it appears that the Renaissance Food Festival sat behind a small berm and occupied what is now a small parking area and loading dock behind the International Gateway.

There you have it – another weird historical relic from EPCOT’s past. Now go and check your old vacation slides – does anyone have any more pictures of a mysterious blue and white tent?

The Dream Called EPCOT

Michael — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 11:45:06 +0000

In 1981, The Walt Disney Story – the attraction which once occupied the area in the Magic Kingdom where the Town Square Theater currently resides – took a brief absence as its queue, theater area, and postshow area were appropriated to become The EPCOT Center Preview Center. In the year leading up to EPCOT’s October, 1982 opening, the Preview Center invited the public to view concept art and models of the new park, and presented a short film detailing the park’s offerings.

This is that film – The Dream Called EPCOT. In it you can hear a number of early versions of familiar EPCOT songs, as well as one – the Sherman Brothers’ Reach for New Horizons – that was never used in the park. There’s also some fabulous animation which brings some of the very familiar concept art to life; it makes me wish we could see an animated film which takes place in Horizons!

Did you work at WED and see yourself anywhere in this footage? Let us know!

Broadway… At The Top!

Michael — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 12:13:24 +0000

Long, long ago…

Before the California Grill occupied the top floor of the Contemporary Resort Hotel at Walt Disney World, the site was home to the swanky, adults-only domain of the Top of the World Restaurant. It was an era of carpet with garishly-colored polygons, large glass lighting fixtures, and lots and lots of mirrors.

When the restaurant originally opened as the “Top of the World Supper Club” in 1971, it played home to a stream of real-world nightclub entertainers and musical acts brought to the wilds of Florida to entertain guests. Ads appeared weekly in local newspapers and magazines for that weekend’s hot acts; Disney intended to provide an upscale nightclub experience previously unseen in the area. And after the day ended at the Magic Kingdom, and kids were tucked into bed in their hotel rooms, parents could dress up (coat and tie for gents, please!) and head to the Top of the World to see Phyllis Diller, or Rosemary Clooney, or Mel Torme.

In 1981 the club’s act changed to a more Disney-controlled (and thus predictable and consistent) show called Broadway at the Top. This revue-style cabaret show ran until 1993, when it closed to make way for the California Grill.

For kids my age, the Top of the World had been an off-limits mystery back in the day. But now – thanks to the modern miracle of the internet, and the truly astonishing things one can find on YouTube – we can get an idea of what was happening up there.

And it’s… well… pretty amazing.

Here, from around 1982, is part of a performance of Broadway at the Top. Pouf up your hair, pad your shoulders, and put sequins on… everything, really. It’s about to get fancy.

A Dream Called Walt Disney World

Michael — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 22:51:19 +0000

Back in the day… wait for it… the Disney Channel showed content aimed at us theme park fans. Crazy, I know, but true! One special I remember well is 1986′s A Dream Called Walt Disney World, which aired in conjunction with the resort’s yearlong 15th anniversary celebration.

The hour-long special gives a history of the resort (which, in 1986, was probably operating at its historic peak) as well as a look at its future (which, in 1986, was incredibly exciting and promising). And for my fellow Team Nunis members, there’s plenty of good #CultOfNunis material.

Enjoy!

Behind The Masterpiece, 1967

Michael — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 00:14:00 +0000

Fans of Imagineering will no doubt recognize this artwork by the great Herb Ryman; said to be the first painting of Walt Disney World’s Cinderella Castle, it became an iconic image during the creation and promotion of Disney’s Florida resort. Much as he had done with Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle years earlier, Ryman provided the first inspirational concept pieces that would define the look and feel of the new theme park.

Now, from Ryman friend and biographer John Donaldson, come these slides which were part of Ryman’s own personal trove. The images, dated November 1967, show what was possibly the first Imagineering model for Cinderella Castle. Taken from a number of different angles, it seems clear that these images provided the reference for Ryman’s iconic painting.

How about that great Mickey logo on the wall, there?

Now, let’s have an anonymous someone come hold a bright light up to simulate the effects of the harsh Florida sunlight…

The Magic Kingdom at sunset…

This is the key image, though:

Featuring the notation “1″ on its white sleeve, this clearly seems to be the reference image that provided the basis for Ryman’s painting. This simple, early model would be transformed through Ryman’s skill into an image still famous today.