Disney's America, The Disney Theme Park That Never Was

We had a look two days ago at the "Glacier Bay" land "that never was", and today i invite you to discover a Disney theme park that, unfortunately, was never built, the famous Disney's America project. Announced in 1993, it was supposed to occupy 1200 acres of a 3000 acre property in Prince William County, Virginia.



Bob Weis - who was at the head of the creative development for the park - defined it as "an ideal complement to visiting Washington's museums, monuments and national treasures" was supposed to be a park " that will be a venue for people of all ages, especially the young, to debate and discuss the future of our nation and to learn more about its past by living it". A place where guests "will be able to have rides, shows and interactive experiences that are both about the history of America, about America today and also give you a sense of America in the future. And he added: "In some ways the park is a timeline, we start in the mid-1860s and go backward or forward in time".


Yes, but what kind of rides and shows guests would have enjoy at Disney's America? Well, once they entered the park, guests would have found themselves in a detailed Civil War era village, the hub of "Disney's America.

From that point, guests could discover either "Native America" and explore the life of America's first inhabitants - including an accurate Native American village reflecting the tribes that were known in this part of the country. And also enjoy interactive experiences, exhibits and arts and crafts, as well as an exciting white water river raft ride that would have gone all around the area, based on the Lewis and Clark expedition.





Guests, then, would discover Presidents' Square, a celebration of the birth of democracy and those who fought to preserve it. The "Hall of presidents" of Walt Disney World would have moved to Disney's America.


A Civil War Fort would have plunge guests into a more turbulent time of American history, and adjacent to it, a big battlefield, where Civil War re-enactments and water battles between the Monitor and the Merrimac would have once again be fought.




Moving in the 20th century, a replica of Ellis Island building where many immigrants came through, guests would have live the "immigrant experience" through music, ethnic foods and a great live show presentation.






Enterprise, a factory town, would have highlights American ingenuity and guests could have ride a major roller coaster attraction called the "Industrial Revolution" , traveling through a 19th century landscape with heavy industry and blast furnaces. And, on either side of the coaster, exhibits of famous American technology that have defined the american industry in the past, as new developments that will define industries in the future.




On Victory Field guests would have experience what America's soldiers faced in the defense of freedom during the world wars. It would have look like an airport area with a series of hangars containing attractions based on America's military fight using virtual reality technology. The airport would have serve also as an exhibit area of planes from different periods, as well as a place for major flying exhibitions.




Another area, the State Fair, was going to show how - even during the big Depression of the '30s - Americans knew how to entertain themselves. With folk art exhibits and a live show on baseball, guests could have enjoy, too, classic wooden thrill rides in memory of Coney Island.


Finally, in Family Farm, WDI imagineers would have recreate an authentic farm where guests could have the opportunity to see different types of farm industries related to food production in addition to some hands-on experiences like milking cows and learning what homemade ice cream tastes like.


Mind you, all was not lost in this Disney's America project, as some of the concepts were finally used in Disney's California Adventure. Jim Hill wrote an article about it, and you can read it HERE.

After the big battle between Disney, and almost everybody who lived in Virginia - okay, i'm exagerating a bit - the project was cancelled. However, in 1995 Disney envisioned to build it - guess where? - at Knott's Berry farm that the Knotts family, tired to run their theme park, wanted to sale. Jim Hill, again, wrote another great article describing all what happened, and you can read it HERE




All photos: copyright Disney Enterprises Inc

All my thanks to Jim Hill for some of the infos included in this article.

Many many thanks to Michael of the excellent Progress City web site.

Those of you who want to find more infos on the Disney's America battle can find good links HERE

All pictures: copyright Disney

THR Announces that Disney is Developing a Live-Action Peter Pan Movie

The Hollywood Reporter reveal that Disney is developing a Live-Action Peter Pan Movie, and it's 'Pete's Dragon' helmer David Lowery who will direct the adaptation of Disney's classic animated movie. Jon Favreau's live-action The Jungle Book is hitting theaters this weekend, and ahead of its release Disney has announced it is developing another classic animation turned live-action project: Peter Pan. ( by the way, THR also revealed that a live action Jungle Book 2 is also in the works ).
 
From THR: "The boy who never grows up will be getting the feature treatment from director David Lowery, who just tackled Pete's Dragon for the studio. Lowery, who is best known for edgy drama Ain't Them Bodies Saints, will reteam with his Pete's Dragon co-writer Toby Halbrooks for Peter Pan.
 
Disney has multiple live-action properties planned and/or in production. Beauty and the Beast is set for a 2017 release, with Harry Potter alum Emma Watson starring as Belle. Emma Stone is set to play the 101 Dalmatians villain in Cruella De Ville. It was also recently reported by The Hollywood Reporter that Snow White's sister will be getting the feature treatment in Red Rose.
 
Tim Burton's Alice Through the Looking Glass, the sequel to 2010's Alice in Wonderland, is set to hit theaters May 27.
 
This won't be the first live-action Peter Pan to fly onto screens. Steven Spielberg's beloved psuedo-sequel Hook, which starred the late Robin Williams as a Pan that did grow up, came out in 1991. And recently, Warner Bros. released Pan, a Peter Pan origin story that starred Hugh Jackman and Garrett Hedlund, which grossed a paltry $35 million at the domestic box office."
 
Well, then, i suppose we're all going back to Neverland again anytime soon!
 

Pictures: copyright DIsney

The Disney's America Theme Park Project - Article updated with new high-res scans

We had a look recently at the WestCOT "that never was" project, and today i invite you to another Disney theme park that, unfortunately, was never built, the famous Disney's America project. Announced in 1993,it was supposed to occupy 1200 acres of a 3000 acre property in Prince William County, Virginia.



Bob Weis - who was at the head of the creative development for the park - defined it as "an ideal complement to visiting Washington's museums, monuments and national treasures" was supposed to be a park " that will be a venue for people of all ages, especially the young, to debate and discuss the future of our nation and to learn more about its past by living it". A place where guests "will be able to have rides, shows and interactive experiences that are both about the history of America, about America today and also give you a sense of America in the future. And he added: "In some ways the park is a timeline, we start in the mid-1860s and go backward or forward in time".


Yes, but what kind of rides and shows guests would have enjoy at Disney's America? Well, once they entered the park, guests would have found themselves in a detailed Civil War era village, the hub of "Disney's America.





From that point, guests could discover either "Native America" and explore the life of America's first inhabitants - including an accurate Native American village reflecting the tribes that were known in this part of the country. And also enjoy interactive experiences, exhibits and arts and crafts, as well as an exciting white water river raft ride that would have gone all around the area, based on the Lewis and Clark expedition.




Guests, then, would discover Presidents' Square, a celebration of the birth of democracy and those who fought to preserve it. The "Hall of presidents" of Walt Disney World would have moved to Disney's America.


A Civil War Fort would have plunge guests into a more turbulent time of American history, and adjacent to it, a big battlefield, where Civil War re-enactments and water battles between the Monitor and the Merrimac would have once again be fought.



Moving in the 20th century, a replica of Ellis Island building where many immigrants came through, guests would have live the "immigrant experience" through music, ethnic foods and a great live show presentation.




Enterprise, a factory town, would have highlights American ingenuity and guests could have ride a major roller coaster attraction called the "Industrial Revolution" , traveling through a 19th century landscape with heavy industry and blast furnaces. And, on either side of the coaster, exhibits of famous American technology that have defined the american industry in the past, as new developments that will define industries in the future.



On Victory Field guests would have experience what America's soldiers faced in the defense of freedom during the world wars. It would have look like an airport area with a series of hangars containing attractions based on America's military fight using virtual reality technology. The airport would have serve also as an exhibit area of planes from different periods, as well as a place for major flying exhibitions.



Another area, the State Fair, was going to show how - even during the big Depression of the '30s - Americans knew how to entertain themselves. With folk art exhibits and a live show on baseball, guests could have enjoy, too, classic wooden thrill rides in memory of Coney Island.


Finally, in Family Farm, WDI imagineers would have recreate an authentic farm where guests could have the opportunity to see different types of farm industries related to food production in addition to some hands-on experiences like milking cows and learning what homemade ice cream tastes like.


Mind you, all was not lost in this Disney's America project, as some of the concepts were finally used in Disney's California Adventure. Jim Hill wrote an article about it, and you can read it HERE.

After the big battle between Disney, and almost everybody who lived in Virginia - okay, i'm exagerating a bit - the project was cancelled. However, in 1995 Disney envisioned to build it - guess where? - at Knott's Berry farm that the Knotts family, tired to run their theme park, wanted to sale. Jim Hill, again, wrote another great article describing all what happened, and you can read it HERE




All photos: copyright Disney Enterprises Inc

All my thanks to Jim Hill for some of the infos included in this article.

Many many thanks to Michael of the excellent Progress City web site.

Those of you who want to find more infos on the Disney's America battle can find good links HERE

All pictures: copyright Disney

Disney Planning New Year's Eve Announcement

Apparently, if i can judge by all these clocks ticking in this video, Disney is planning an announcement for today Dec 31. Something big? Probably not, but just like me you'll be curious to know what mean this "one more Disney day". Of course i will let you know, so come back later today!




Video: copyright Disney



Pre-Order now a copy of the Disneyland Paris book collector's edition! All infos to order a copy are HERE, or click on the link at the top of the right column.

Disney's Aulani Grand Opening Celebration

The Grand Opening of Disney's Aulani Resort happened yesterday morning and Bob Iger and Tom Staggs were there to celebrate the opening of the Resort. As Tom Staggs says on the Disney Parks blog "The Grand Opening Ceremony took place on the beach of Aulani’s lagoon with the resort itself serving as the backdrop. It opened with an “oli pale,” a Hawaiian blessing, which was followed by a powerful performance by drummers, dancers and singers, including Keali’i Reichel, one of Hawai`i’s most popular artists who wrote a beautiful chant specifically for Aulani.



Then came time for the official dedication of the resort so Mickey and Minnie joined Bob and me onstage to do the honors. To symbolize the joining of the Hawaiian culture and the magic of Disney, we placed some sand from our beach into an ‘umeke, a ceremonial wooden bowl, and mixed it with – what else – some pixie dust.

From the very beginning we have committed ourselves to ensuring that Aulani embraces and celebrates the unique Hawaiian culture and traditions. We are grateful for the warm welcome we have received from the local community and I’d like to thank the Imagineers, cast members, construction teams, local artists and everyone who had a hand in bringing Aulani to life. Their passion, commitment and talent can be seen in every detail of this spectacular resort and I can’t wait for our guests from around the world to experience it themselves."

Let's have a look at this grand opening with videos and this first video is the Disney's official video showing highlights of Aulani's grand opening celebration.



These two next videos were filmed by our good friends of Mice chat and shows Aulani's dedication by Bob Iger and Tom Staggs as well as the celebration with Hawaiian dancers and singers.

The Disney's America theme park project

Today, i invite you to have a closer look to a Disney theme park project that never was: the legendary Disney's America project. Announced in 1993,it was supposed to occupy 1200 acres of a 3000 acre property in Prince William County, Virginia.



Bob Weis - who was at the head of Disney's America's creative development - defined it as "an ideal complement to visiting Washington's museums, monuments and national treasures" was supposed to be a park " that will be a venue for people of all ages, especially the young, to debate and discuss the future of our nation and to learn more about its past by living it". A place where guests "will be able to have rides, shows and interactive experiences that are both about the history of America, about America today and also give you a sense of America in the future. And he added: "In some ways the park is a timeline, we start in the mid-1860s and go backward or forward in time".



Great, but what kind of rides and shows guests would have enjoyed at Disney's America? Well, once they would have entered the park, guests would have found themselves in a detailed Civil War era village, the hub of "Disney's America.





From that point, guests would have discovered either "Native America" and explored the life of America's first inhabitants - including an accurate Native American village reflecting the tribes that were known in this part of the country. And also enjoyed interactive experiences, exhibits and arts and crafts, as well as an exciting white water river raft ride that would have gone all around the area, based on the legendary Lewis and Clark expedition.





Guests, then, would have discovered Presidents' Square, a celebration of the birth of democracy and those who fought to preserve it. The "Hall of presidents" of Walt Disney World would have moved to Disney's America.



A Civil War Fort would have plunged guests into a more turbulent time of American history, and adjacent to it, a big battlefield, where Civil War re-enactments and water battles between the Monitor and the Merrimac would have once again been fought.





Moving into the 20th century, guests would have entered a replica of the Ellis Island building, which acted as the gateway to America for many immigrants in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Guests would have lived the "immigrant experience" through music, ethnic foods, and a great live show presentation.







Enterprise, A factory town, would have highlighted American ingenuity where guests could have ridden a major attraction called Industrial Revolution, traveling on a roller coaster-type ride through a 19th-century landscape with heavy industry and blast furnaces. And, on either side of the coaster, would have been exhibits of famous American technology that have defined the american industry in the past, as well as new developments that would have defined future industries.





On Victory Field guests would have experienced what America's soldiers faced in the defense of freedom during the world wars. It would have been themed to resemble an air field with a series of hangars containing attractions based on America's military fight using virtual reality technology. The air field would have also served as an exhibit of airplanes from different periods, as well as for major flying exhibitions. Soarin' from Epcot and Disney's California Adventure is supposed to have been originally proposed for this area.





Another area, the State Fair, would have shown how - even during the big Depression of the '30s - Americans knew how to entertain themselves. With folk art exhibits and and exhibition baseball games, guests could also have enjoyed classic wooden thrill rides reminiscent of Coney Island.



Finally, in Family Farm, WDI imagineers would have recreated an authentic farm where guests could have had the opportunity to see different types of industries related to food production, in addition to hands-on experiences including milking cows and learning what homemade ice cream tastes like.



Mind you, all was not lost in this Disney's America project, as some of the concepts as you may have noticed were finally used in Disney's California Adventure. Jim Hill wrote an article about it, and you can read it HERE.

After the big battle between Disney and almost everybody living in Virginia, the project was cancelled. Disney's America would have been built near Civil War battlefields, shattering the solemnity of the area, perhaps causing damage to the historical properties and the location seems to have been the big mistake. However, in 1995 Disney envisioned to build it - guess where? - at Knott's Berry farm that the Knott's family tired to run their theme park wanted to sale. Jim Hill, again, wrote previously another good article describing what happened, and you can read it HERE



I know, this Disney's America project looks great and we all will miss it forever but years later Bob Weis, the WDI Imagineer who was in charge of the project's creative development, was back at WDI to supervise the new placemaking of Disney's California Adventure. As the original DCA took many of its inspirations from the Disney's America project, Bob Weis was indeed the best person to take care of DCA's future.


If you enjoyed this Disney and more article, thanks for your support!

All photos: copyright Disney Enterprises Inc

All my thanks to Jim Hill for some of the infos included in this article and to the Wikipedia page from part of the text.

Many many thanks to Michael of the excellent Progress City web site.

Those of you who want to find more infos on the Disney's America battle can find good links HERE