Progress City, U.S.A.

Meet the World has a new post up of a photo essay of Tom Sawyers Island in 1974.  It’s pretty interesting to see how little has changed on the Island save the very significant growth of foliage.   I went back to some pictures I took last year on a visit to WDW, and decided to share them with you all.  You should really go back and catch the other article first to see how much the trees have grown!  Enjoy – you can click on the pictures to see a larger photo slideshow on Picasa.

PS – Thanks to George at Imaginerding for putting the Meet the World article up on his Geek End Update so I could catch wind of it…

If you’re as lame as I am, and have nothing to do tonight, why not get a fantastic dose of Disney history by checking out the latest amazing Walt Disney World footage by Lord Phoenix on YouTube? This time around, we have the Magic Kingdom during its Tencennial in 1981.

The most recent Fantasyland expansion art from Walt Disney World, October 2009

Original concept art for the Fantasyland expansion from the D23 Expo, September 2009

The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Adventure

Closeup of the Little Mermaid show building from the original rendering of the Fantasyland expansion

Closeup of the Little Mermaid show building from the revised rendering of the Fantasyland expansion

Rendering of the new Little Mermaid attraction, Ariel’s Adventure, in Walt Disney World’s Fantasyland expansion

Rendering of the “Part of Your World” scene from the Little Mermaid attraction

Rendering of “Kiss the Girl” scene from The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Adventure

Rendering of Ursula from The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Adventure

Belle’s Village

Closeup of Belle’s Village and the Beast’s Castle from the original rendering of the Fantasyland expansion

Closeup of Belle’s Village and the Beast’s Castle from the revised rendering of the Fantasyland expansion

Rendering of Belle’s Village

Gaston’s Tavern

Rendering of the interior of Gaston’s Tavern

Be Our Guest Restaurant

Rendering of the ballroom in the Be Our Guest restaurant

Belle’s Cottage

Rendering of Belle’s Cottage and the Beast’s Castle from the Fantasyland expansion

Rendering of the meet-and-greet in Beast’s Castle from the new Fantasyland expansion

Rendering of meet-and-greet in Beast’s Castle

Cinderella’s Chateau

Closeup of Cinderella’s Chateau from the original rendering of the Fantasyland expansion

Closeup of Cinderella’s Chateau from the revised rendering of the Fantasyland expansion

Rendering of the new Cinderella meet-and-greet

Rendering of Cinderella transforming for the ball at her new meet-and-greet

Rendering of the new Cinderella meet-and-greet in the Fantasyland expansion

Aurora’s Cottage

Closeup of Aurora’s Cottage from the rendering of Walt Disney World’s Fantasyland expansion

Rendering of Aurora meet-and-greet in the new Fantasyland expansion

Rendering of the new Aurora meet-and-greet

Rendering of the new Aurora birthday party meet-and-greet

Dumbo the Flying Elephant

Closeup on the new Dumbo area in the Fantasyland expansion rendering

Rendering of the new Dumbo the Flying Elephant attraction; note the Casey Jr. Circus Train to the right

Rendering of the new, expanded Dumbo the Flying Elephant attraction

Pixie Hollow

Closeup of Pixie Hollow from the Fantasyland expansion rendering

Rendering of Pixie Hollow

Other Attractions

Rendering of possible new canopy over the Mad Tea Party in Walt Disney World’s Fantasyland

Closeup of the new Winnie-the-Pooh forest from the Fantasyland expansion rendering

“Tin Soldiers Will Join Mickey Mouse and Pluto In Daily Magic Kingdom Holiday Parades”

These days, Walt Disney World pretty much has Christmas down to a science (although things seem to have gone off the wheels a bit this year, but I digress). These pictures, taken from the Walt Disney World News in December of 1971, show how the resort celebrated its very first holiday season.

“Old-Fashioned Holiday Wreaths”

“Gifts for Family and Friends Fill Walt Disney World’s Shops and Boutiques”

Auntie Pearl checks out some souvenir scented hand soaps in the window of the Emporium. Love it. I want fancy things from Walt Disney World! But wait, check this out:

“The Wonderland of Wax on Main Street is Full of Holiday Scents and Bright Colors”

The Wonderland of Wax! What a great picture. I love the giant medieval chandelier of hanging candles. You can almost smell the candles through the picture. This fantastic store (not to be confused with the House of Wax, which is very different) was tucked away at the end of east Center Street. The white wooden door you see in the picture would have connected the Wonderland of Wax with the Cup’n Saucer China Shop next door. The Cup’n Saucer is now Uptown Jewelers.

The Wonderland of Wax became the Main Street Candle Shop in 1981, and by 1984 it was again renamed Holiday Corner. Luckily for candlephiles, the Holiday Corner featured the smell of “warm max that the candlemakers use to produce snow men, decorative candles, and other creations-with-wicks.” By 1986 the location became the Main Street Christmas Shop, and it disappeared completely by 1988.

Here’s my favorite of the pictures:

A Most “Contemporary” Christmas Tree”

How cool is that? The Grand Canyon Concourse, decked out for Christmas in 1971. How great is that tree? I want that in my front yard. Or I’d settle for a color version of this photo. Also note the fantastic lighting fixtures on the concourse. Now that’s what I call Christmas… of the future!!

And you thought the Clinkers were bad?

I’ve been holding on to this one, out of fears of potential prosecution for human rights abuses. But it’s Christmas, after all, and it’s Christmastime at Walt Disney World…