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By Michael - January 14th, 2012
A rare ray of sunshine appeared this week for Disneyland Paris, which has spent most of the last twenty years unable to finance expansion because of a domino effect of economic badness. The resort’s second gate, the Walt Disney Studios park, bears the unhappy distinction of being officially The Worst Disney Park In The [...]
By Michael - November 27th, 2011
This is a strange one.
In 1987 The Walt Disney Company released a brochure to promote “Euro Disneyland”, their newly-planned resort complex near Paris. Since the design of the project itself was still in its early phases, a simple conceptual layout was the only piece of original artwork contained in the publication. The rest of the concept art, which purported to show the delights soon to arrive on the Gallic shore, was culled from the Imagineering vaults and consisted of pieces originally created for Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and Tokyo Disneyland.
Many of them are familiar; there’s the mandatory Ryman painting of Cinderella castle, as well as his concept for the hub in Tokyo. There are pirates by Davis, Tomorrowland by Hench, and even Walt Disney World’s planned but never built Persian hotel. It might be a surprise to find them in this particular place, but to the savvy fan they’re nothing new. All of them, that is, except for this one.
Continue reading Neverworlds – The Lost Mediterranean Campground Of Euro Disney In Orlando
By Michael - August 5th, 2010
Ryman works on a concept painting for Euro Disneyland in 1988; his concept for the Indiana Jones Adventure is in the background
When Herb Ryman returned to WED Enterprises to work on EPCOT Center in 1976, he also helped with conceptual designs for “Oriental Disneyland” – the park that Disney was developing for Tokyo. [...]
By Michael - June 21st, 2010
‘Cause it’s Mormon Night at Disneyland!
It’s a sultry Friday evening in 1981 and you’re spoiling for fun – what better to do than head on over to Mormon Night at Disneyland!
Yes folks, for the low, low price of $7 you can spend 7 PM until Midnight enjoying all the delights of [...]
By Michael - April 4th, 2010
Way back when, it was the tradition for every new Disney theme park – or even major attraction! – to get a big opening special. Euro Disneyland was no exception; it got its ballyhooed stateside debut when The Grand Opening of Euro Disney aired on CBS on April 11th, 1992.
This particular special is [...]
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Four Decades of Magic

Essays about the first forty years of Walt Disney World, including two pieces by yours truly. Available in print and for Kindle.
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