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By Michael - October 1st, 2009 Thirty-eight years ago today, on 1st October 1971, Walt Disney World officially opened its gates in Orlando. This was how the new resort’s arrival was heralded to the public:
Ridiculous. Although many divisions of the company, especially WED, were still putting out good work at this time, the television specials of this era more than anything show how the company was really starting to miss Walt’s sense of taste and showmanship. Those 1970s specials are truly dire, which is unfortunate as it denied Walt Disney World the opportunity to leave as rich a television legacy as Disneyland’s.
It’s always good to see Julie Andrews, though! Did you know that today is her birthday, too? Oh, it’s true. Julie and the Magic Kingdom share a birthday. Hopefully she’s having a jolly holiday.
All that and a Mark IV monorail, too! And Buddy Hackett!
Happy Birthday, Disney World. Hopefully the upcoming years will be kinder.
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By Michael - September 29th, 2009 When last we met around the metaphorical campfire, we learned the history of Dixie Landings’ Ol’ Man Island. But if residents of Dixie Landings were going to be able to access the hidden swimmin’ hole, they needed a safe way to reach the isolated island. Thus we’re reintroduced to Colonel J.C. (Hidden religious allegory? You decide!*) who, along with businessman Buford Honeyworth (more on him later), organized the construction of a series of bridges for the community. Yes, I get excited about infrastructure legislation even if it’s fictional.
So the next time you’re stumbling groggily to the Colonel’s Cotton Mill for your breakfast pizza, you’ll know that the bridge you’re crossing is more than a century old!
* The answer is no. This was only a joke.
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By Michael - September 28th, 2009 This should be interesting…
Welcome to the blogosphere, Disney. The internet is a wild and unscripted place, so it’ll be interesting to see how it and official Disney communications get along. Maybe we’ll take over and have Horizons 2.0 up and running by 2012.
Now how about a link??
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By Michael - September 26th, 2009  Walt Disney stops to chat with employees, 1966 (L.A. Times Photo Archive) I don’t really have a lot to say on this one; I just really liked this photo.
It’s also especially timely because, now that I’ve been to Disneyland, I finally understand the mystique and prestige that Pirates of the Caribbean holds in the Disney theme park pantheon. I’ve known since I was a child that Disneyland’s version was “better” because it was longer, but not until I rode it this month did I realize that it’s also better because it’s better. The ride is a masterpiece and a true apex of Disney design; I had always known that but it’s another thing entirely to experience it and really internalize its greatness. I’ve always loved Florida’s version, of course, but I never really got why the attraction was such a big deal to so many people. After riding the true platonic ideal of the ride at Disneyland, it clicked.
The only problem is, Florida’s Pirates will never satisfy again.
And I am really, really craving a Monte Cristo sandwich.
Really, really badly.
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By Michael - September 26th, 2009  Artist’s concept for possible Arab nations pavilion, World Showcase This rendering is for yet another unbuilt World Showcase pavilion, this time with the rather nebulous theme of “Arab nations.” This is not one of the well-known abandoned concepts for present day World Showcase, but rather an attraction intended for the original separately-gated iteration of the Showcase that would have been built near the Transportation & Ticket Center. The rendering dates to early 1976; later that year, the World Showcase concept would be combined with that for the Future World Theme Center and start to resemble the park that would eventually open in 1982.
The original design for World Showcase consisted of two large, multi-level semicircular buildings. Between ten and thirty nations would be represented in these structures, occupying wedge-shaped pavilions of various sizes. The buildings would be linked by WEDway PeopleMovers, which as you can see in the rendering would also pass through the show buildings.
This original World Showcase was supposed to begin construction near the Seven Seas Lagoon in 1977, with an anticipated opening date of 1979.
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The Progress City Primer
 From the Progress City archives comes this collection of 33 tall tales and true from Disney history. Available in paperback, hardback, and ebook formats. |
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