Progress City, U.S.A.

So, you’re watching C-SPAN, getting a taste of the NASA Information Technology Summit, and naturally there’s a presentation by Walt Disney Imagineering about the new Fantasyland project in Florida.

Naturally.

Jack Blitch, Vice President and General Manager of Walt Disney Imagineering – Florida, made an appearance at the NASA conference to discuss the use of technology in planning new attractions. Not to be snarky, but I think the old WED model shop in the 60s and 70s could have probably figured out when there was a stray girder poking out of the structure, but I digress.

Blitch’s demo is actually a pretty interesting look at how WDI operates in the modern age; since most of what we know of Imagineering comes from Walt’s days, via his televised walkthroughs of their workshops, it’s interesting to see how computers have changed the process. Around 1:10:00, Blitch shows some of the models of the new Little Mermaid attraction in Fantasyland (including that elusive fifth dimension of space/time – money!) and there’s even a brief VR walkthrough of the queue and part of the attraction. It’s an amazing little peek at what we have in store for the future.

Note that Blitch only mentions Mermaid, the “Be Our Guest” restaurant, and the dueling Dumbos as part of the expansion. This is indicative of a number of changes underway with the expansion plans, which we’ll discuss soon. Also note the irony that this Summit is taking place in National Harbor, Maryland – the site of Disney’s announced but currently MIA resort project.

Not to go too avant garde here, but isn’t this the sort of thing that maybe we could stand to see a little more of? Heaven knows that instead of soft-selling us the gauzy-lensed propaganda videos featuring heaps of magic, dreams, wishes, and princesses, Disney could regularly give us a look at the real magic like this. It might appeal to some fans, don’t you think?

Herb Ryman has some cake before setting off on safari

As we’ve mentioned, after the completion of EPCOT Center Imagineer Herb Ryman left for a trip to the wilds of Africa. His paintings from the trip evoke the majestic landscapes of the continent, with which Herb became infatuated while working on the Equatorial Africa pavilion for EPCOT.

Before he left, though, Herb was the guest of honor at an Imagineering “bon voyage” party. From the WED/MAPO Imaginews from February 25th, 1983:

Herb Ryman left last January 21, for an extensive trip to paint and observe peoples and cultures of different nations. All of Herb’s friends at WED & MAPO got together to wish him a “bon voyage”.

Recently, “Herbie’s” friends told the Imaginews that Herb will be traveling extensively throughout Africa, spending time in such places as Nairobi and Lake Naivasha, Kenya, East Africa. He is presently at Lamu Island. Later, Herb will continue his travels to such far-off and exotic locales as Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan.

We all wish Herb the best of luck in his journey!

As John Donaldson relates in his biography of Ryman, while on the aforementioned Lamu Island Herb paid visit to Frank Maurice “Bunny” Allen, a former big game hunter. Allen had served as a consultant on MGM’s Mogambo, and in earlier times had worked as a gunbearer for the husband and the lover of one Karen Blixen; Blixen would go on to adopt the pseudonym Isak Dinesen and write the memoir Out of Africa.

What the?

An interesting tidbit in the background of those photo – note the planned monorail line to the Lake Buena Vista Village leaving EPCOT between the Universe of Energy and the future site of Horizons

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. Most of his work seems concentrated on World Bazaar, the covered area that would replace Disneyland’s traditional Main Street, U.S.A.

The Hub, Tokyo Disneyland

Note the huge expanse depicted in Ryman’s rendering of Tokyo Disneyland’s hub – the park was designed to be far more spacious than the typical Disney park. Also of interest in this piece is that it’s a mirror image of the actual park; Tomorrowland as depicted here is where Adventureland and Westernland are in the real park.

A more futuristic – dare I say contemporary? – concept for World Bazaar from 1976

A World Bazaar that more resembles the final design

A very rough sketch for the World Bazaar entrance

A portion of one of Ryman’s conceptual paintings for Meet the World

Aside from World Bazaar, Herb also worked on Meet the World; this attraction was a Tokyo Disneyland exclusive, although it was originally intended for EPCOT’s Japan pavilion as well. The show, which took place in an adapted carousel theater, took guests through scenes from Japan’s history through the integrated use of animatronics, film, and animation.

Ryman in Tokyo

After wrapping up his work on EPCOT, Herb traveled east once more to recreate some of his adventures from the 1930s. There was a special side trip, though, as Herb stopped in Tokyo to visit the newly-opened Tokyo Disneyland park.

Concept for the S.S. Admiral, a project for Landmark Entertainment

In Ryman’s spare time, he would occasionally work on projects for Landmark Entertainment. Gary Goddard, a former Imagineer, founded Gary Goddard Productions in 1980; it would be renamed Landmark Entertainment in 1985. Landmark has worked on many, many well-known projects over the years, for Universal and others, and in its early days it employed the services of many legendary Imagineers. Alain Littaye has a wonderful collection of their artwork on his site, and we have two of Ryman’s pieces here.

The first, above, is for the S.S. Admiral project in St. Louis. Below is one of Ryman’s pieces for “Phineas T. Flagg’s Power Plant,” an indoor entertainment project designed by Landmark for Six Flags. Lasting only a few years, this remarkable concept was located in a disused power plant on the harbor in Baltimore. Part of a failed attempt at urban renewal, the site was ironically used more than a decade later for the first ESPN Zone – which was shuttered this year.

I’ve gotta say… I wouldn’t mind a Phineas T. Flagg’s Power Plant 2.0.

Rendering for Phineas T. Flagg’s Power Plant

Concept for Euro Disneyland. Note the elevated train on the right, and that’s our pal Dick Nunis with the child on his shoulders.

Much of Herb’s last work for Disney was on the Euro Disneyland project, where he focused on Main Street, U.S.A. The original designs for this land, overseen by Progress Citizen Eddie Sotto, traded in Disneyland’s more rural midwestern Main Street for an urban, Prohibition-era design from the 1920s. The designs were fresh and very promising, but sadly they were pulled by Disney CEO Michael Eisner at the last moment. More artwork from this wonderfully atmospheric concept can be found at Disney and More.

As you can see, Sotto’s Main Street featured an elevated train that would give guests a view of the area from above. It would also feature a genuine 1920s speakeasy, hiding a swinging Jazz Age club in the secret room behind an innocuous florists’ shop. Another concept the Imagineers wanted to feature was a diner based on Edward Hopper’s famous painting Nighthawks. Sadly, this was all lost when the street’s theming was reverted to the turn of the century.

Ryman’s sketch of the Nighthawks diner; the speakeasy’s entrance was via the orange awning to the left

Ryman’s work on Euro Disneyland and other projects like the Indiana Jones Adventure would wrap up his career; sadly, he would never see their debut.

Herb Ryman at work on EPCOT Center’s Mexico pavilion

Herb Ryman’s work on EPCOT City for Walt Disney ended well before Walt Disney World’s debut in 1971. Ryman departed WED Enterprises that year, and set off on another round of world travels. He returned to the halls of Imagineering in 1976, though, in order to assist in the massive task of making EPCOT Center come to life.

Ryman’s paintings were an essential tool in selling the park’s concept to potential corporate sponsors, as well as in helping Walt Disney Productions figure out exactly what this unprecedented new project was going to be. He worked on ideas for EPCOT’s entrance, on the layout and atmosphere of World Showcase, and on individual pavilions for both Future World and World Showcase. His globetrotting experiences helped in this regard; his fascination with both Africa and the Orient led to his involvement with the China and Equatorial Africa pavilions.

Ryman’s depiction of Spaceship Earth and EPCOT’s entrance plaza from 1978. Note the original, modern design for the American Adventure to the left.

Ryman’s well-known rendering of Horizons

A rendering of EPCOT’s Transportation pavilion from 1979; before it became “World of Motion” the building had a more complicated design as shown here.

An earlier rendering for a “Science & Invention” pavilion; this was a catch-all concept intended to snare corporate sponsors and some of its themes later emerged in Communicore and Horizons

A Ryman sketch for an unknown EPCOT attraction; most likely this is an idea for an exhibit at Communicore

This intriguing rendering shows a concept for an unknown attraction for EPCOT

Famous rendering of Spaceship Earth by Ryman; incidentally, this has served as my desktop background for many years

The artist at work on a concept for World Showcase, 1976

The same rendering from 1976 shows EPCOT in transition; World Showcase pavilions would be located in a semi-circular show building and would be the entrance to the park. The spires depicted were the visual “wienie” that beckoned guests into Future World.

A sketch of World Showcase from circa 1977

This intriguing and rare sketch by Ryman, which I estimate to be from early 1977, shows a little-seen configuration for the park. World Showcase retains its original design concept that dated back to at least 1973 but which would be replaced some time in 1977 by a layout similar to the one we know today. Spaceship Earth has sprouted in Future World, replacing the spires. I’ve never seen any “official” Disney renderings featuring this particular configuration.

Other things of note include the WEDway train passing overhead – it was meant to encircle the lagoon. The “cruise ship” sketched on the lagoon resembles a similar craft that would appear in Harper Goff’s renderings of World Showcase a year later.

This rare sketch shows several concepts for the China pavilion

Ryman’s time spent in China and other Asian nations during the 1930s helped inspire his design work on the China pavilion. Herb would return to the Orient a few years after EPCOT’s debut; he made a special trip to see Tokyo Disneyland, for which he also did design work.

A wonderfully atmospheric concept piece for EPCOT’s unbuilt Israel pavilion, 1982

Concept for unbuilt Equatorial Africa pavilion

Ryman was also enthusiastic about the Equatorial Africa pavilion slated for inclusion in World Showcase. Asking to join Ken Anderson on the design team for the attraction, Ryman painted a number of inspirational paintings for the project. Along the way he befriended Roots author Alex Haley – a consultant on the pavilion. They would remain friends for the rest of Ryman’s life.

The Waterhole – This piece depicts one of the two attractions intended for the Equatorial Africa pavilion, where guests would observe a jungle watering hole as night fell

Herb’s work on the Equatorial Africa pavilion, much like his work on The Good Earth almost fifty years prior, inspired his desire to check out “the real thing” and so, in his early seventies, he set out on safari. This was an artistic safari, however, and Ryman would have a series of high adventures in Africa.

Concept for The American Adventure

Ryman worked for several years on The American Adventure; various designers were asked to do treatments for different aspects of the attraction, and Herb was assigned the task of depicting “the multitudes”. So it was that many of his paintings showed the masses of people that have streamed into America over the years, and evoked the sense of “the melting pot.”

Rendering of The American Adventure; not depicted is the American Gardens Theater, but there is a very nifty sailing ship from the 16th or 17th century

In this rendering of the “mighty Mississippi”, the floating raft isn’t occupied by Frederick Douglass, but rather Huckleberry Finn and Jim

Ben Franklin by Ryman, 1976

Mark Twain, 1976

Humorist Will Rogers was originally intended as a third host of The American Adventure, as seen in this painting from 1976

Ryman seemed to be proud of his work on EPCOT; he speaks fondly of it in A Brush With Disney. But I found this quote fascinating and, looking at the park today, somewhat sad:

These pavilions are all confined as little pieces of pie along the lagoon. I think it’s very interesting to envision that we’ve got room for many other nations to squeeze in between these pieces of the pie. If the imagination is still working, there can be lots of nations along there.

If only, Herb… if only!

In 1965, when Walt Disney moved into active planning for his “city of the future,” he needed artwork to get his vision across. To help sell the project to the Florida legislature and state officials whose permission he needed to create a new type of governmental district to govern his property in central Florida, Walt once again turned to Herb Ryman. Ryman, whose sketch had sold the Disneyland concept to financiers a decade earlier, joined the team that was toiling in secrecy to convert Walt’s dreams into some concrete and relatable vision.

As you can tell by glancing at our masthead, these were events for which we hold some interest here at Progress City.

Rendering of EPCOT/”Progress City”, 1965

Rendering of the approach to EPCOT’s city center, 1965

This concept for one of EPCOT’s outlying neighborhoods shows the satellite communities which would lie outside the city’s greenbelt. Residents would reach the city center via Peoplemover and other means.

A while ago I asked Imagineer George McGinnis if he’d ever worked closely with Ryman, and while they never worked directly together their artistic paths did cross thanks to EPCOT. Says McGinnis:

My first day on the job, 6-6-66, the project given me by Marvin Davis (Sr. Epcot Designer) was to design the modal split access between the Monorail and Walt’s “Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow” WedWay Peoplemovers. (Interesting to note in his film Walt didn’t mention “Monorail” — he use the term “Rapid Transit”. Probably he had in mind GE’s sponsorship.)

Original concept for Walt Disney World Peoplemover by George McGinnis

Walt wanted [McGinnis's original Peoplemover design] enlarged for additional capacity. My immediate boss, Roger Broggie, walked into my office and found me working on the larger WedWay and asked, “Why I are you working on this?” I answered Walt asked me to do it. He quietly walked out. This helped me to understand Walt’s way of working — everyone worked for Walt and people respected this.

In this photo of concept art for EPCOT’s transportation lobby, note the smaller, original Peoplemover design on the turntable to the left. Says McGinnis, “Ryman’s original painting with the small cars I had designed. I don’t remember if I added these — probably did, looks like my work.”

This is the same rendering as above, except that the Peoplemover cars have been altered to resemble McGinnis’s later, larger design that was created at Walt’s request. Also note the monorail’s change from something resembling the later Walt Disney World Mark IV trains to the more traditional Mark III design.

I worked over one of Herb’s concept paintings for Walt’s EPCOT presentation, adding the larger WedWay (PeopleMover) Walt had asked me to design. I also used the larger WedWay in my painting for the same presentation in October 1966 to Florida’s governor.

We never heard from Walt after this on account of his illness that took his life in December.

“Another Ryman painting with the enlarged WedWay cars Walt asked me to design. I selected this painting because it let me show off the cars in a better way.”

While EPCOT city never came to be, some of its ethos rubbed off of the Florida property and on the theme park that bears its name. A few design concepts remained, too; EPCOT’s international shopping district was a revival of the old “International Street” expansion once planned for Disneyland – it would survive, in altered form, as EPCOT Center’s World Showcase.

Concept for the “Spanish district” of EPCOT’s International Shopping Center

Says McGinnis of those days:

I don’t think I ever worked directly with Herb, but our offices were close together and we had many conversations. I was always surprised how freely he spoke his opinions of WED operations.

Last thing he was working on was the Japan [Disneyland] concept and the day he left working at WED — he was in and out for projects — he stopped by my office to bid farewell, not knowing if and when he would be back. He passed away and John Hench remarked, “It is hard to imagine WED without working with Herb.”

Hard to imagine, indeed – and somewhat interesting to hear that from Hench, towards whom many of Ryman’s freely-spoken opinions were directed!

Special thanks to George McGinnis for sharing his memories for this article.