 Filmmakers attend to the massive Sea Castle set for the Horizons "Choose Your Future" finale The final story in the General Electric promotional booklet for Horizons concerns the wizards of WED that brought the attraction to life. Without further ado… Continue reading The Horizons Story, Part III: Disney’s House Of Magic
The 1983 General Electric promotional booklet for Horizons contains a brief feature about artist Robert McCall. McCall, a renowned illustrator of science fiction and science fact, was a constant presence in space-related publications during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. His highly-detailed work helped define the look of futurism in that period, so it was only natural that he be involved in the EPCOT Center project. For Horizons, he painted what has become one of the most iconic pieces of artwork in the park’s history, The Prologue and the Promise – a massive, 19-by-60 foot mural that occupied the pavilion’s exit area for a few short years. Perhaps it’s a tribute to McCall’s piece that it’s so well remembered today, when it only existed for a brief time before being removed to make room for a new display that more directly referenced sponsor General Electric. Continue reading The Horizons Story, Part II: Robert McCall
Corporate sponsorships had gone a great way towards paying for EPCOT Center when it opened in 1982, and with so many tens of millions of dollars apiece sunk into the new park the sponsor companies were keen to recoup their investment. It’s remarkable how extensively these corporations tied their identities into EPCOT; “their” attractions showed up in annual reports to investors, advertisements, and other publicity campaigns. Sponsorships were often a prestige line-item for corporate management teams, and perhaps after shelling out so much of their investors’ money to underwrite theme park attractions they felt it necessary to illustrate just what those dollars had purchased. Continue reading The Horizons Story, Part I I want to go to there. For those who wonder why so many of us who were there at the time are completely obsessed with the EPCOT Center of the 1980s, how about this – a simple souvenir button, which probably cost 50 cents or less at the time, with absolutely spectacular art. [...] When Epcot Center opened in 1982, Disney characters were famously kept out of the new park. There were the big-headed World Showcase dolls and, of course, Dreamfinder, but no Mickey and Minnie. But with its vast, open areas, Epcot Center needed something happening to enliven the sprawling plazas between the pavilions. Someone, apparently, also through that it needed robots. Lots and lots of robots. Continue reading To GYRO And GERO In The Wabe |
 
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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