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EPCOT: Origins – The Tripartite Plan, 1975

By 1975, Walt Disney Productions had given up any pretense that it was ever going to build Walt’s city of the future in Florida. The stirring images of Progress City had disappeared from their promotional materials, and by July of that year a Disney spokesman publicly stated that “the concept that was originally envisioned is [...]

The New Oil Crisis Part II – Planning in times of crisis

When Walt Disney was involved in planning the Florida property, transportation was one of his highest priorities.   A jet airport of the future, a revolutionary city (EPCOT) that would provide public transportation to all, and a welcome center where folks could leave their cars behind and board a high speed monorail that [...]

We’re Havin’ A Party

The year was 1986.

Walt Disney World was celebrating its 15th anniversary, and Regis Philbin was there to document the history of the Vacation Kingdom. Regis was only the “man on the street” reporter for the 1986 Very Merry Christmas Parade; Joan Lunden and Ben Vereen provided the live and awkward commentary from the booth. [...]

“The People Moving People”

The first few decades of Walt Disney Imagineering were marked by a series of escalating technical innovations that built on previous achievements while preparing Walt Disney Productions for subsequent phases of development. Under Walt’s guidance the profits and knowledge gained from each new project were funneled into the next, with every step pushing the [...]