When the Disney Channel debuted in 1983, it bore many differences to the Disney Channel we know today. For one thing, they featured films and programs that were, well, Disney-related. So that was a change.
As part of their original programming, the Channel aired a weeknight news magazine show called EPCOT Magazine. This kind of show was common in syndication at the time; hosts would introduce a variety of segments dealing with various lifestyle topics. Disney tied this in with EPCOT by using the various pavilions as jumping off point for segments about food, fashion, or whatever they managed to line up. Host Michael Young was always joined by a celebrity co-host, usually of the “lovely lady” variety. His hair was always immaculate; his pants were always tight. It was the 80s.
A kind reader pointed out this video to me; it shows the program’s intro, but also includes a pan across World Showcase containing – if you look to the right of the frame – those famous Danish bathrooms of yore. Check out how pristine World Showcase is. Not only is the landscaping immaculate, but the promenade is free from the clutter of food carts, merchandise carts, outdoor vending fixtures… Nary a DVC kiosk to be seen.
But EPCOT Magazine was more than a show – it was a lifestyle! Try this helpful hint, taken from the pages of Disney Channel Magazine…
I was pointed towards this video by Foxx at Passport to Dreams Old & New; it shows a still-pristine Walt Disney World in the flower of its first decade, and also features an unexpected surprise. According to whoever posted the video, it’s from 1977; I have no idea what this could have been for, as it’s obviously a part of a larger presentation, but doesn’t appear to be from a Disney production. That being said, it shows a lot of “behind the scenes” things that must have come direct from Disney.
Take a look and we’ll discuss; please try and ignore the incredibly irritating watermark and timecodes that the poster has embedded. The real craziness kicks in around the three minute mark:
Crazy, eh?
What’s funny is that while the narration talks about “World Showcase”, that model we see as the camera pans down is actually EPCOT Center. The sign even says so! This is the first version of EPCOT Center to bear that name, after the Future World Theme Center and World Showcase concepts were merged into a single location at some point in 1976. What you can’t tell from the film is that the park’s layout was flipped from its final orientation; the north-facing entrance would have led guests through World Showcase before they crossed a bridge into Future World. This World Showcase, as you can see in the film, retained the idea from an earlier concept of keeping all the international pavilions in a large, “modern”, semi-circular building.
Surrounding the EPCOT Center model in 1976 are Marty Sklar, John Hench, and John DeCuir Jr. Note World Showcase towards the bottom of the model, where guests were originally intended to enter the park; by this point, it’s possible that Future World has been changed to serve as the entrance. Also notice how enormous the Lake Buena Vista development is on the map between Hench and DeCuir; also notice Marty’s pants.
At around 3:20 in the film, you can even make out the load area for the Japanese omnimover attraction, which files off over a hill into the distance.
How much do I want this to be an actual thing? More than you can know.
One wonders why the entire EPCOT concept isn’t mentioned; it’s amusing to think that the concept for the attraction changed so much between the time the narration was written and recorded and the film was shot, that the narration was totally outdated. But such was the nature of EPCOT development in the 1970s.
Other things of note in the film: First, how incredibly nice and pristine the entire resort looks. White sand beaches on every beach, and around every island. Discovery Island and River Country in perfect condition, neither of them overgrown, moldy and desolate. At the 25 second mark we even get a great shot of the lovely Fort Wilderness Railroad in action. Osceola-class steamers ply the lagoon, and down at the Village everything is immaculate, unified in design, and inviting. Even the Contemporary is sleek and iconic, unburdened by the circus tent convention center or the unfortunate DVC tower.
In the parks we see a number of lost treasures, from the Skyway to the spotless and streamlined Tomorrowland to the always-impressive 20,000 Leagues lagoon. We even get a shot of Center Street, before it was assimilated by the Main Street Mall. Behind the scenes we get a rare shot of the character zoo, some great “making of” footage (no one could paint a fish like WED Enterprises!) and some really cool shots of a Nautilus being assembled. Too bad there couldn’t have been more insight into the fantastic laser beam holographs.
The concrete bunker used for “CASTING” really cracked me up; I guess with Walt Disney World’s ties to the Nixon administration they had to be prepared for first-strike capability. There’s also a rare shot of the building where all the trash sent rocketing through the AVAC wound up.
EPCOT Center’s Equatorial Africa Pavilion, as seen from World Showcase Lagoon in this Imagineering model
One of the seldom-heralded benefits to the theme park history nerd that the internet provides are the many, many artist portfolios that have appeared online over the years. Disney is notoriously stingy about releasing Imagineering art, especially that of a historical nature, so a nice back-window into the Imagineering process comes when ex-Imagineers are out looking for jobs and post samples of their previous work. Lots of treasures can be found that way.
Recently someone was kind enough to point out the online portfolio of artist Jon Seisa, which includes quite a bit of art, illustration and model work. Of interest to us is the work Seisa showcases from the old WED Enterprises model shop, featuring some fantastic model work for EPCOT Center. You can find a lot more on Seisa’s site, but here are a few highlights.
Another shot of the Equatorial Africa model, this picture shows the treehouse from which guests would look out over a moonlit African watering hole. Via rear projection and dimensional sets, animals would appear to emerge from the jungle to sip at a pool.
This photo of the Equatorial Africa model shows part of the interior courtyard. The structure on the right was meant to be a shop. Through the giant tusks to the left, guests would enter a “sound safari” which would re-create a jungle trek using audio tricks and directional sound.
Here’s a model we’ve seen before; World Showcase circa 1978.
At last – something that did actually get built. This model shows one of many humorous scenes from General Motors’ World of Motion
Finally, here’s another “Lost Epcot” classic. Tony Baxter’s original vision for a “Land” pavilion. This fascinating concept of a series of glass-enclosed biomes containing several attractions was eventually abandoned when Kraft signed on as sponsor and a more food-oriented pavilion was designed.
The biggest thing to emerge on the Disney historical front during my recent blogging absence was the release, on Passport to Dreams Old and New, of A Musical Souvenir of Walt Disney World. This remarkable two and a half hour audio collection provides an aural tour of the Magic Kingdom circa some time in the late 1970s.
There are occasions when you see people put out things that amaze you – things that depend on some remarkable “find” while digging through old documents, or some never before seen picture or piece of artwork. Then there are those that come from people simply working really hard to put together a ton of research into some huge project, whether it’s a book, or an art project, or a video. Then you see something that not only took meticulous, obsessive execution but also the uncovering of facts that you didn’t even thing could be uncovered – info that, surely, was lost to the ages. And that’s what this collection is.
So go to Foxx’s site and download; don’t miss out on the wonderful “retro” booklet and also the copious additional notes available for those of us who wonder just how, exactly, this thing got made. Then listen over and over and over; I certainly have. If You Had Wings! The Electrical Water Pageant! It’s all there.
And one more thing. If you feel like your everyday surroundings are a little drab and humdrum, why not spice them up with these MAPO stickers that Foxx also recently released? It will turn that boring card table into an IMAGINEER-MADE card table in a matter of minutes!
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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