In 1987, Walt Disney World was in the midst of a huge expansion. Construction was underway at multiple locations, on projects that would change the face of the resort forever. Disney’s new CEO, Michael Eisner, was intent on making the resort a full-service destination that could keep a family occupied for an entire vacation without having to leave property.
Most of his first projects were designed to stave off competition from elsewhere. The Disney-MGM Studios was put in development to head off a possible new Universal park in Orlando, and to support Eisner’s big-time movie production ambitions. Typhoon Lagoon was intended to counter the elaborate water parks that had sprung up elsewhere since River Country’s opening, and Pleasure Island sought to keep adults on property at night and to draw business from Orlando’s Church Street Station.
Add to that legacy projects from Card Walker’s time like the Grand Floridian Beach Resort and EPCOT’s Norway pavilion, as well as the new IllumiNations show at EPCOT, and there was a lot to keep roving report Regis Philbin busy in this progress report from the 1987 Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade.
God this is depressing. Wish they would embark on endeavors like this nowadays. Pleasure Island is a shell of itself, no ambitious construction going on anymore. Boo.
It’s truly shocking to see when you can measure just how cowardly Disney has become.
Yeah, it is pretty amazing at that…
Also remember at this time, behind the scenes, that Disney was reving up Euro Disney, Port Disney, WESTcot Center, Tokyo’s second gate, and ten DVC locations around the world. At WDW alone three deluxe hotels, a convention center, a regional retail district, several moderate resorts, a property-wide expansion of the monorail system, new state-of-the-art utlity and water treatment plants and about five E-ticket level attractions were in the development stages.
To day, the main occupation of WDI is figuring out what to do with the abandoned ‘Stich Celebration’ stage in Tomorrowland.
With Wizarding World opening very soon, the Disney execs better start shaking their fannies big time. Or will they sit there with a stupid expression on their faces wondering where all the crowds have gone?
Did he use the word “romagic?” I think he did.