The Seventh Land of the Kingdom: A History of Caribbean Plaza

THE SEVENTH LAND OF THE KINGDOM: A HISTORY OF CARIBBEAN PLAZA

Let's talk about a corner of the Magic Kingdom that is rarely discussed outside of obsessive blogs, travel guides, and company publicity. Yes, we are talking about Caribbean Plaza.

When the master planning of Walt Disney World was underway in 1967, the designers of the then-unnamed Florida park had substituted Liberty Square for New Orleans Square, citing its show philosophy as well as the general proximity of the real Big Easy. After all, this wasn't going to be an East Coast duplicate of Disneyland. Similarly, they replaced the most popular ride at Disneyland, Pirates of the Caribbean, with something that was supposed to be the next step in the evolution of theme park design, for a multitude of reasons, including the proximity of Florida to the actual Caribbean, the projected costs to build another Pirates, the real life folklore of piracy in the Sunshine State, and the capacity it might take from other rides in the park.

Since the whole debacle of the Western River Expedition has been covered in depth elsewhere (and on here), the timeline brings us four-and-a-half years to when the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World actually opened and how such a huge demand for both the Pirates by guests (sometimes bordering on the absurd and hysterical) as well as capacity by managers and operators had forced Disney executives to propose and green-light a number of high-capacity attractions in rapid succession, including the "Pirate" ride in the December 1971 line-up. 

With such fervor, Disney executives, including Card Walker, decreed that the Pirates ride would be up-and-running as quickly as possible. In fact, the Pirates was originally set to open by the end of 1972.

Since Marc was reluctantly working on the Pirates for Florida due to its demand, it only made sense that the planners would play their part and pick a site for the Pirates of the Caribbean to call home.

The best location for such an adventure was the southwest corner of the Magic Kingdom, which was unused (save for a service road), and was bordered by Frontierland and Adventureland as well as the berm. It was also ideal because much like its predecessor's location at Disneyland as the crossroads of those two lands, the site of the future Pirates ride and its adjoining area created an area where the uncharted jungles of Adventureland could seamlessly transition into the somewhat-barren wilderness of Frontierland and alleviate the crowding between the two lands.

This site was finally earmarked for the attraction in April 1972, less than four months after the Pirates ride was added to the Florida Park's upcoming developments. This also started the abbreviated design phase of the attraction itself, which would last until August of 1972 when it was green-lit yet again for construction.

On 20 May 1972, Disney executives announced an ambitious expansion for the Walt Disney World resort during a routine conference at the Contemporary, including plans for the Western River Expedition, Big Thunder Railway, Space Mountain, Tom Sawyer Island, and the Pirates of the Caribbean. 

The description of what designers were planning to do with the Pirates was telling:

"Turning back to the Magic Kingdom, an invasion is rumored in tropical Adventureland. A crew of the zaniest pirates this side of New Orleans is about to call Walt Disney World home when construction begins on 'Pirates of the Caribbean,' behind the Jungle Cruise and the Tropical Serenade. Boarding boats and traveling through the Louisiana Bayou, guests will travel past treasure chests, slave auctions, and a city on fire. Construction on this attraction is scheduled to begin shortly, with an eye on summer 1973 for opening."

Construction on the area did shortly begin that September with the land being cleared and graded, the footings for the show building were installed when the foundation was poured, and then the railroad tracks were slightly adjusted to dissect the main show building from the entrance building. 

By late October 1972, the area was christened Caribbean Plaza at another conference and was expected to be opening alongside the Pirates. Even though this was almost two months into construction with the railroad tracks being slightly adjusted for to dissect the show building from the park and the erection of the main show building underway, the land for the Plaza was being cleared and the blueprints were being made as to not only the ride itself, but the surrounding environment.

Similar to New Orleans Square at Disneyland, this area was to have shops, refreshment areas, as well as the classic ride and it was all planned to be decorated in the style of its setting. Instead of a New Orleans Square because of issues regarding Liberty Square taking that slot back in 1967 or the excuse of the proximity to New Orleans, the setting was "the peaceful promenade of the sunny islands called Caribbean Plaza" at the time of the Golden Age of Piracy.

With construction beginning on the entrance building around the beginning of 1973, the Plaza was expected to be completed alongside the ride by the end of the year, which brings up the discussion of the thematic elements and possible inspiration for the area.

(Credit: Passport2Dream/Jerry Klatt)

This early 1973 photo of the Jungle Cruise entrance shows the Pirates under construction and it was likely December 1972 when construction began on the actual entrance building, a task that took almost an entire year to accomplish. 

The main "wienie" of the Plaza was (and still is) the Torre del Sol (Tower of the Sun), a Caribbean clock-tower, which "beckons the adventurous to the Pirates of the Caribbean" as well as establishes the setting as a colonial village or seaport (74 Pirates Guide, 35). On the north end of the Plaza, the shops and refreshment areas were planned out, each with a distinct "theme" or purpose. For example, the Princesa de Cristal glass shop was tucked behind the Pirate and Parrot refreshment center, which was placed directly in front of the "patio" of the Pirates ride. The Golden Galleon was west of the plaza that connected the glass shop to the refreshment area. Meanwhile, the designers included an archway to not only bridge the southbound walkway from Frontierland to the Plaza as well as give guests arriving at the Frontierland Station the visual option of visiting that corner of the Park, but it provided cover from the elements, which was something many California-based designers didn't exactly think about when plotting out the attractions back in the 1960's. This meant that a visitor could travel between both sides of the Plaza without having to deal with the rainstorms that Florida naturally have.

This mid 1973 photo shows not only how Caribbean Plaza was built in phases, but how they added an arch to the western end of the land for a couple of reasons...rain showers and advertising power, my friends.

However, the proof is in the details. One of the rarely-discussed "fun facts" is that Caribbean Plaza's design is not merely "Caribbean", but Spanish. Disney publications at the time were clever to market the design motif as Spanish-influenced because a generic "Caribbean" style would include vernacular architecture from English-dominated colonies (Jamaica) and French holdings (Haiti). After all, it's supposed to be of the Spanish Main and the use of Spanish revival-missionary styles highlight its influence. It's very much a statement on Spanish control in the Caribbean.

Need more proof?

Since the original Pecos Bill facade was based on the "thatched hut-and-adobe" architecture of the Casa de Fritos at Disneyland, it can be explained that the Spanish influence in what's generally described as Caribbean architecture is the main connection between the two areas. After all, if you travel from Frontierland's western end where the old Railroad Depot stood to the entrance of Pirates, there is a common design element with the look and feel of the environment. It's Spanish. It has stucco walls, red tile roofs, and minor details that recall places, such as Mexico, California, and yes, the Caribbean. Even before the facades were eventually updated in early 1998, this motif existed.

Furthermore, there are a number of influences to consider. New Orleans Square being one (you know exactly how by now), Bear Country being another (one attraction and yet so many themed shops), Liberty Square being another possibility (after all, it's colonial architecture that subtly hints at its theme with such immersion), but I bet most haven't considered Knott's Fiesta Village to be another possible influence in the design of the Plaza, not only because it is decorated as a Mexican/Spanish Californian village, but because there is a special relationship between what Disney does and what Knott's does. One of the other suggestions regarding the extent of the relationship between the two includes the fact that the exterior of Thunder Mesa was roughly based on the Calico Mountain. Fitting, Marc Davis was notable for reusing things he liked (tell me he didn't put in a few hints to an old concept here and there) and it's possible that the designers of the Plaza had also seen the atmosphere of Fiesta Village and were inspired to use something of that motif. However, this is mere conjecture based on observations and research into their design methodology. For all we know, Bill Martin, Collin Campbell, and Marc Davis all spent a weekend in Mexico and saw something they really liked. I mean Tijuana gives off a Caribbean Plaza meets New Orleans Square vibe.

Other possible influences could be found elsewhere in California with the various missions as well as two major tourist attractions---San Diego's Old Town and Los Angeles' Olvera Street.

Knott's Berry Farm's Fiesta Village was a Mexican-themed environment added to that theme park in 1969 during one of the park's most ambitious expansions. The architectural motif is also Spanish as seen by the use of stucco, tiled fountains, and red tile roofs. Another touch would be the flora added to make these environments indicative of their real life counterparts.

The inclusion of quaint souvenir carts and bazaar-like shopping enclaves as well as other details imply a livability of these environments. Similarly, Caribbean Plaza took balconies, period-correct light fixtures, and other details (most of which were arguably established by New Orleans Square) and transplanted them into a space that would recall a specific time and place. The commonality between Fiesta Village and its Floridian cousin, Caribbean Plaza, would be apparent in the details, the festive yet sedate atmosphere, and vivid recalling of a historical setting; all with the contextual use of a derivative form of Spanish architecture that originated with Spanish colonialism in the New World.

Below are the works of Californian architect George Washington Smith, notably some of the homes he designed in Southern California during the first half of the twentieth century.

Now that certainly recalls a time and place...either Southern California in the 1920's and 1930's or a recreation of a Spanish-Caribbean village at a theme park in Florida.

Now look at that grill...it's certainly hot.

However, the basis for the Torre del Sol clock tower was originally supposed to be based on the Old Town Bermuda Clock Tower, but the inspiration for the Tower that was actually built in Florida was from...you guessed it. It was from California, namely the Holmby Hall tower in Westwood, Los Angeles. It was built in 1929 and this insight was revealed to me by a trusted source. Apparently, the Caribbean Plaza look was more Caribbean than what the designers settled upon in mid-1972.

It was in this very area (Los Angeles, to be certain) where they created the ideal Caribbean village for a theme park situated just a plane hop from the real Caribbean. I'm guessing their original intention of having New Orleans Square with the bayou setting in early 1972 was just too "close to home" (then again they recreated a mini Colonial Williamsburg in Florida) and the Caribbean locale was selected within the design process.

Anyway, back to the wonderful world of dirt, concrete, wood, and fiberglass.

The Tower of the Sun rose up as 1973 went on and the construction of interior sets were being handled by Disney's own Central Shops. In fact, in a late 1973 issue of a carpenter union's trade magazine, the work on the props and woodworking of Caribbean Plaza were documented. The entrance was something that Collin Campbell, Fred Joerger, and Yale Gracey were both eager to show Orlando-Land editor Edward Prizer when he visited the construction site in November 1973 and Ed wrote that the queue was effective and that the ride appeared to being installed efficiently.

This Spring 1973 photo shows that the Tower of the Sun was one of the first things finished with regards to the entrance building. This coincided with the construction of a new queue annex for the Jungle Cruise. (Credit: Passport2Dreams)

This October 1973 photo taken by Jerry Klatt shows the state of progress on Caribbean Plaza. Within two months, that view would show a neat entrance into the first E-ticket attraction added to the Florida Park since it opened two years prior.

Other publications at the time (mid-late 1973) covered what they had seen of the construction. According to a cast member at the time who filled up the flume with water for the first time in about September or October, his crew saw a panther hanging out in the housing for the water pumps and had to shoo it out. Fun times, I tell you!

Still they apparently drained it and the Audio-Animatronics that were being done at MAPO since roughly late 1972 were mostly getting to Florida around November 1973. So they had about three weeks left to install, test, and dress the stragglers as well as finish up the minor details of the ride before it was set to open on December 16th for the press and December 17th for regular, old peasants...I mean, guests.

November 1973 saw the installation of our two brothers-in-arms (more like brothers with their arms tied up). Notice the button pinned to the shirt of the woman on the right. It's an advertisement for the attraction that was worn by cast members and designers in Florida.

The confusion surrounding the ride's opening date was something covered previously, but it's known that it debuted on 15 December 1973 with a rope-cutting ceremony between Rock Hudson who had just flew to Florida the day before and Christi Ziesler as well as another ceremony taking place the following day. Meanwhile, the cast members were invited to ride the attraction in early December 1973 as the last details were being taken care of by landscape artists.

Despite the opening taking place on 15 Dec. 1973, this famous "opening day" photo was credited to one of the opening ceremonies that took place for the press the day after in the Orlando Sentinel, but publications of the time had also noted an opening ceremony that was took place the very day guests were first allowed into Caribbean Plaza (Dec. 15, 1973).   

Caribbean Plaza partially opened in mid December 1973 with the Pirates of the Caribbean and the majority of the southern half of Caribbean Plaza. The House of Treasure, which was supposed to be the general souvenir location, was briefly opened along with the ride for the press preview and it was closed to the public until sometime in late February 1974 according to the folks at Eyes and Ears in the March 9th issue. The construction walls surrounding the northern half of the Plaza installed in late 1973 had announced the upcoming features of the Plaza complex: La Princesa de Cristal (a glass-blowing shop occupied by the Arribas Brothers), Fuente de la Fortuna (the water fountain midway between the bandstand and refreshment stand), The Golden Galleon (a higher-end), Paseo de las Flores, and El Pirata y El Perico Refreshments.

Spring Break 1974 in Florida must've been great until you got to Caribbean Plaza and realized there was only that one ride with the singing pirates and the burning town... (YouTube screenshot)

This was all promising to guests who were there and remained so for about four-and-a-half months, but there were issues with the ride that showed up as early as the blueprints were made. So back in early 1972, Marc was given control by Dick Irvine to make a few adjustments, including one that would affect the ride system. The story goes that Marc hated the finale for the Pirates with the ramp and he allegedly begged Irvine for weeks to make a number of changes when tasked with redesigning the Pirates for WDW. After Dick relented and Marc was allowed to redo a few scenes, add a new finale, but he had decided to use a speedramp to transport guests instead of keeping them in the boat.

April 1972 was the beginning of a four-month design period that would be green-lit in August for immediate construction. Here in April 1972, we see alpha Imagineer Marc Davis doing what he does best...designing a classic Disney attraction.

By the time this photo was taken in July 1973, the attraction was deep into its production phase with the animatronics being fabricated by MAPO and shipped off to Florida for installation, some of which weren't finished until late October. Anyway, let's get back to our story, eh?

However later, there were issues with boats backing up in the finale because the flume at the unloading point had to be lifted to a merge point on the second floor. Since there were delays with loading/unloading and backing up at the bottom, the lift and by extension the ride system had to be manually operated. In fact, the cast member at the bottom of the lift would typically have to push the boat into the lift. Sometimes, the upstairs loading system wouldn't even run properly, causing even more back ups than before, and this sometimes led to having to evacuate the ride. The other part of the issue was the ride system's control technology. While the opening crew was trained at Small World, there was only one similarity between the two. The Small World's ride control system was relatively primitive compared to the one installed for the Pirates. According to a cast member who had trained the Pirate crew, it was Disney's first attempt at an in-house ride system and they designed it with the latest technology. Heck, one could dedicate a post to ride systems, but the point is that when the cast member pushed the dispatch, it would go to the Tower (this is seen above the flume from the load area) for the actual dispatch. Sometimes, those cast members had to manually push the boats into the main flume.

At any rate, these issues would come up when they hoped it did. A former cast member confided in me that the New York Stock Exchange attended a special preview the opening weekend and they had to run the ride manually, but those stockbrokers couldn't tell a difference.

Since we got the tidbits out of the way, let's get into the Plaza itself and see what has been hidden behind those walls.

Caribbean Plaza was completed in April 1974 with the north side of the complex opening not only its two higher-end shops, but a refreshment stand and its signature bandstand where a steel band would routinely perform.

This is how Caribbean Plaza looked when it was finished. This May 1974 photo shows the area that had been previously walled up since December 1973.

The Caribbean Plaza bandstand, which is sometimes referred to as the Paseo de Flores Covered Gardens (and oddly that name also belongs to our westbound walkway to Frontierland...), was finished in April 1974, one of the last features of Caribbean Plaza to be completed in time for the summer crowds. (Disney)

The House of Treasure was technically the first gift shop at Caribbean Plaza when it fully opened in February 1974, despite briefly being opened up on a photogenic weekend in mid-December 1973. In fact, the rather sparse offering of souvenirs in the 1973 Plaza del Sol Caribe (Galleria de Fuentes) were briefly stored (pun intended) in the House of Treasure until the Plaza was finally fitted with security gates in the mid-1970's. 

April 1974 was "very attractive" because Caribbean Plaza gained not only a quick service food location (one that shared a kitchen with Pecos Bill) and  a bandstand with a groovy steel drum ensemble, but TWO specialty shops.

By year's end, the empty enclave across from the entrance to the House of Treasure opened as the Caribbean Arcade, which was obviously based on the Pirates Arcade in New Orleans Square.

The "Welcome to the World" television special marked the grand opening of Space Mountain and had Lucie Arnaz and Tommy Tune on-hand to showcase the beauty of a visit to the Disney World.

As the story goes, the night of 15 January 1975 saw a major temperature drop at the area near Space Mountain and they had to relocate the party to Caribbean Plaza to continue with the festivities. Cast members set up the Plaza to be a Caribbean paradise of song and dance for Lucie Arnaz and the rest of the "Welcome to the World" crew. They put tables surrounding the runway-like stage through the heart of the Plaza, gave the guests blankets fresh from the Contemporary, set up heaters in the covered queue, placed the cameras on the roof of said queue and throughout the Plaza, and they proceeded with the filming of the special. There were song-and-dance numbers with a Caribbean flavor, the steel band played underneath the arch to Frontierland as well as on the bandstand, the dessert was bananas flambe (accompanied with a cover of "Yes, We Have No Bananas" a number of familiar Disney characters from Saludos Amigos emerging on the balconies and Lucie Arnaz dressed up a la Carmen Miranda), and the end of the special shows the Plaza in its post-revelry state. According to the cast member who provided the information regarding the set-up of an iconic part of the special, he mentioned that the guests were given free reign to enjoy the Pirates while the cast members took the tables, stage, heaters, and other fixtures backstage and returned the blankets to the Contemporary.

The exit area was officially named the Pirates Bazaar in 1975. According to the merchandise officer at the time, the covered, open-air area immediately after the up-ramp wasn't intended to be a purveyor of merchandise when the Plaza opened in 1973 because it couldn't be secured at night unlike the indoor House of Treasure. In fact, the iron-lace gate they have at the entrance to the area was only installed later in about 1975 when they started including sombreros, flower carts, and other novelties.

It looks more like a Mexican marketplace than a Pirate's Bazaar, but by 2010, this atmospherically-pleasing courtyard would definitely be a Pirate's Bazaar of sorts...

Sometime between late 1975 and Spring 1976, the Barker Bird that had originally been installed at the unloading area was removed and set up at the front of the covered queue. Notably for a few days in May 1976, the Pirates was closed down to make repairs to the run-off area following the downramp, which lessened the splash the boats made, a common complaint among both guests and cast members.

May 1976 saw the correction of an issue that was first noticed by testers in November and December 1973...that big splash at the ride's only downramp. Since the schematics were drawn up in Glendale at WED in 1972 and installed rather quickly in 1973 to meet the rigid deadline, the kinks in the ride's operation weren't fully resolved (or re-"sloved") at the time it opened. In fact, the original in California had splash issues that took about two years to fix.

The next few years of the Plaza would be uneventful, save for the legendary stories cast members had surrounding the day-to-day operation of the Pirates and the Plaza itself as well as a small, but significant addition to the queue in November 1977 with the chess gag in the dungeon, which remains one of Marc Davis' best jokes (Merritt).

Some changes were noted, such as the renaming of the Caribbean Arcade to the Caverna de los Piratas in 1979, or the closure of that arcade in 1980, but most of the time, the area was kept in its original state.

In fact, the charm of Caribbean Plaza as a tiny, yet evocative space earned the honor of being the backdrop for the Adventureland Steel Band's 1976 album cover.

The courtyard between the entrance to the Pirates ride and the House of Treasure was the Abbey Road for the Adventureland Steel Band, despite their frequent performances at the Caribbean Plaza Bandstand or around the entrance to the Pirates. Heck, they migrated from performing exclusively under the bandstand situated in the center of Adventureland proper to performing throughout the Caribbean...Plaza, that is.

Meanwhile, a new generation of attraction posters came into the World in the early 1980's and the land designation for the Pirates was not listed as Adventureland, but as Caribbean Plaza, continuing to separate that corner of the Kingdom from being strictly a part of Adventureland. This hearkened back to the decision to treat Caribbean Plaza as not only a thematic extension of Adventureland, but also a sovereign area of the Park. It helped that the wooden sign greeting visitors at the western archway of the Plaza acknowledged the addition as "Caribbean Plaza | The Pirates of the Caribbean". Unfortunately, the designers at WDI replaced the original sign with a generic "passage way to Adventureland" sign in 2006, thus undoing what designers at WED in the 1970's set out to accomplish.

At any rate, there were still some changes to the Plaza in the 1980's. After all, the first business to close its doors in the Plaza was the Caribbean Arcade and that was done the first year of that decade. To be fair, it was apparently a cross-country decision as the New Orleans Square Pirates Arcade was also shuttered after thirteen years of operation. The replacement was Lafitte's Portrait Deck, which lasted into the mid-1990's, as a place where guests could take family portraits decked out in pirate garb. This enclave was closed off in early 1997 and was relegated to a stockroom.

As per the other features of the Plaza, the shaded bench area immediately between the transition of Frontierland and Caribbean Plaza was redone as a Kodak camera shop called the Crow's Nest in 1988 and survived as a merchandising location until 2011 when it was refitted to be the Pirates Adventure Game headquarters.

Meanwhile, the manicured greenery and bubbling water fountains made an appearance in a picture book titled "The Gardens of Walt Disney World" as well as other publications.

However, the past thirty years (1989-2019) saw the most changes to not only the Pirates of the Caribbean, but the whole of Caribbean Plaza. It was expected in the early years of operation that some businesses in the Plaza would change management and personnel and sometimes, even merchandising, but what happened in the 1990's through the mid 2010's was something that made Caribbean Plaza and many other areas of the parks different than before.

In October 1991, the Pirates closed down to be rehabbed and one of the key changes made was to the ride system, namely the loading situation. Since 1973, the dual load ride system that was adapted to accommodate twice as many riders by having two side-by-side loading channels was becoming more and more difficult to operate. Sometime in 1991, a young boy lost a finger when a boat on the other channel was released into the flume and they had to redo the load system to prevent anymore injuries at the merge point for that reason. According to other cast members, they had similar incidents dating back to the 1970's, but without the laceration. The altered ride system included new boats and a new loading station.

In 1992, both the Golden Galleon and Princesa de Cristal shops went out of business. One of the reasons surrounding the departure of the Arribas Brothers from the Plaza was a legendary dispute over the costs of doing business in that rarely-visited alcove and their business remained on Main Street. As per the reasoning behind the closure of the Golden Galleon, there is no readily available excuse, but understand that this point in Walt Disney World history was in a state of constant change. This was the era of Eisner where he was looking for ways to enhance every aspect of the theme park experience, including the incorporation of various "tourist" activities that could extend a visit to Disney World or Disneyland, and this included building a Walt Disney World-style resort in France (that resort opened in 1992). If this predated anything, it would be a change in management and operation from the classic Disney experience into the modern Disney experience. This would predate the removal of classic Magic Kingdom and Epcot Center attractions, such as 20K, Toad, World of Motion, Horizons, etc. This was the turning point where merchandising went from area-specific to generalized souvenirs. Truly a dark era for those who grew up with Disney World in its "golden age".

By 1998, the only two businesses remaining from the 1973-1974 era were the Pirate and Parrot refreshment area and the House of Treasure.

In the early 2000's, the six water fountains were turned off and relegated to planters, where the only signs of its past life were the tiled reminders of its heyday.

2006 saw the biggest changes to the Plaza when it was announced that the Pirates would be down for several months to be "updated" and it was promptly closed that February. Foxxy of the Passport2Dreams blog told me that during the infamous Jack Sparrow refurb, the asbestos were removed and replaced with a safer form of insulation. Meanwhile, it did briefly reopen in April for about a week or so before remaining closed until June when WDW guests first saw the new Caribbean Plaza. Instead of the old "Pirates of the Caribbean" signs above the two entry arches seen from the Adventureland gate or underneath the front patio entrance, the original entrance was relegated to stroller parking and the main entrance was refitted with a banner with the cinematic logo and a new "weenie" was introduced---the crow's nest manned by, well, a dead man and a flag with the film typeface. The audio and lighting had been changed. No longer could guests hear each sound effect through the queue, including the Spanish soldiers audio. There were some cosmetic changes, such as the removal of a few EXIT signs that were originally installed in 1973. But the change was in the show. Jack Sparrow was added, the skull at the drop was replaced with nothing but rockwork, and the politically incorrect elements were totally removed. Oh, and the ending that Marc Davis crafted in early 1972 was replaced with Jack Sparrow drunkenly moving about with his treasure. Heck, Caribbean Plaza was NOT safe from this takeover. I guess the Pirates really did take over the Plaza in the end...

In 2009, the former House of Treasure was re-modeled to be the Pirate's League, which is basically the male equivalent of the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. Two years later, the Pirate and Parrot, which had been operating on a seasonal, intermittent basis since 1998, was renamed the Tortuga Tavern, an obvious tie-in to the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise. The Caribbean Plaza bandstand was repurposed to an interactive live-action show featuring Jack Sparrow.

In 2017, the announcement that Imagineers were removing the old Auctioneer scene and replacing it with, well, something alright, had sparked a MAJOR debate that warranted my coverage of it in an academic context. That same year saw the return of the Downramp Skull.

In June 2018, part of the Plaza's original identity was restored when the bombastic Pirates of the Caribbean score was replaced with the tropical steel drum background music that had been a staple of the Plaza for so many years.

That was a good day.

As of this writing, the Plaza had been changed so much over the years with older businesses being replaced by newer establishments and the only constant is that it provides each generation with a different set of memories and experiences based on the fact that the Plaza fulfills its purpose---being a gateway to not only the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, but to adventures around every corner and bend.

It's quite understandable given that one of my relatives who upon seeing a photo I shared online of the old Plaza had recalled a visit to Disney World in 1974, which echoed my first impression of the Plaza via the Internet in late 2006.

In fact, this relationship between place and time in the context of this corner of the Kingdom is best summarized in the parting words of Disney writers back in 1974: "This is yesterday, today...the delightful Caribbean Plaza in Adventureland at Walt Disney World...the boarding place for a voyage on the high seas with the Pirates of the Caribbean."




Sources/Bibliography
WDW Eyes and Ears (May & October 1972; January, August, and December 1973; January, February, March, and April 1974; May 1976 issues)

Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Foxxy Furr of the Passport2Dreams blog, Mike Lee of Omniluxe/Widen Your World, Jerry Klatt, Chris Merritt, and all those who have been a part of the research, including cast members as well as interviewers.


All photos belong to Disney, unless noted otherwise.

The Vacation Kingdom that Never Was

Let's go to the Walt Disney World that never was...specifically the Vacation Kingdom that never was.


THEME PARK FAVES

Instead of the three original dark rides that debuted in Disneyland's Fantasyland, there were plans early on to substitute them with three "atmospheric" dark rides. At least, that has been the narrative for a very long time. For example, Peter Pan's Flight would be a Mary Poppins dark ride instead, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride would be themed to Ichabod Crane (which is fitting given the 1949 film), and Snow White's Adventures would be a Sleeping Beauty dark ride. On a similar note, I have read on an Internet board that Alice in Wonderland was slated to be Babes in Toyland. According to the user, this was all originally planned during Walt's lifetime when the Magic Kingdom was first being planned by the Imagineers, which places it in 1966, but that brings up some reservations I have about the claims. However, other descriptions of the possible IP used for Fantasyland dark rides would've included Sword in the Stone and other films.

Then again, think about the Western River Expedition. Yes, that legendary Marc Davis attraction which was just a victim of harsh circumstances and wasn't even built (at least in its planned form because some people argue that Splash Mountain is a descendant of Western River, but that's a post for a different day).

During Walt's lifetime, the discussion of what would be a part of Disney's Florida theme park was kept mostly to the design team, which is interesting because of how busy the designers were with other projects, such as Pirates of the Caribbean, New Tomorrowland, and even the Haunted Mansion. Ultimately, Walt was more concerned with EPCOT as in the planned city, not the theme park. His only noted remarks regarding the Florida park were vague in that he said he wanted the unnamed theme park to NOT be a duplicate or replica of the original. He was also quoted as saying that the attractions at Disneyland have been designed and proven to be fitting for the new theme park. So in the end, Walt's limited remarks on the Florida Park basically set the stage for what WED would do for Florida.

In continuing with that philosophy, the 1968 Annual Report (published Sep. 1968) outlines the "show philosophy" for the future theme park:

"During 1968, while the land was being prepared for actual construction, major design emphasis has been placed on the show philosophy for the 'new Disneyland' theme park. In size, and in its general shape, it will parallel many of the features of California's Disneyland.

Although many attractions will be familiar to the 76 million people who have already visited California's Disneyland, many more will be unique to the new theme park in Walt Disney World."

It goes on to establish the general aspects of what the theme park would cover on the following page:

"As Disneyland now does, however, the new theme park in Walt Disney World will strongly reflect the wonder worlds of nature, the classic stories of childhood, and the spirit of America as we prize it---the nostalgia of the past, and the abiding faith and dreams for man's future."

Wow, I am forever partial to that "utopian" marketing, as in the kind the Walt Disney Company has been reliant upon for decades.

Anyway, I shall get on with my point and say that the idea to have enough attractions to make Walt Disney World a separate experience than Disneyland and yet retain the format of said attractions, while presumably reimagining classic Disney attractions.

So the timeline of "currently available history" shows that the master planning of the theme park itself was kicked in high gear in early 1967. That year alone for Disneyland brought the Pirates and the New Tomorrowland, which were both influential and the zenith of Disney Imagineering at the time (and for a long time afterwards).

Within the early stages of planning, decisions were made to make the new theme park stand out from its predecessor. Perhaps more out of concern for the costs than the inherent design philosophy (then again, the design replaced a land from the California park with an unused concept from that park), the Pirates of the Caribbean was eventually given the axe in favor of the Western River Expedition, which was first developed that year as a mixture of Pirates and Nature's Wonderland. That was done by late 1967. So the Pirates survived as a possibility for Florida for a short time in 1967 and wasn't considered for another four years until the park opened and warranted its quick inclusion.

We know the history, especially if you've read what Foxxy Furr of Passport2Dreams, Jim Hill, Mike Lee of Omniluxe (WidenYourWorld), and well, this blog.

So what about those other E-Ticket items?

Well, the E-Ticket attractions in 1967 were the Pirates (already covered), Small World, Matterhorn, Submarine Voyage, Tiki Room (it originally required its own separate ticket when it opened in 1963 as it was owned by Walt Disney and not the actual Park), and the Pack Mules Thru Nature's Wonderland. Heck, at the time that planning on the Magic Kingdom began in 1966 and 1967, the two major upcoming E-ticket concepts were the Haunted Mansion and Space Mountain. 


MEET THE REPLACEMENTS!

In the planning stage, a lot of attractions that were either already at Disneyland or were considered for Disneyland at one point were put on the boards. Like what we know about the Pirates and Western River Ride, even the attractions that wouldn't be duplicated at the new theme park were given a counterpart.

Instead of having the Matterhorn Bobsleds replicated in Florida, it was decided early on (perhaps as early as the first half of 1967) that the Space Mountain roller coaster that was supposed to be the focal point of the New Tomorrowland update was given a premium spot on the ever-changing layout of the Florida park.

The Haunted Mansion, which was being designed in its final form around this time (1967-68), was one of those attractions that would naturally fit into the park and was selected early on to be another ride for Walt Disney World.

Of course, that opened a whole can of worms since the location of the Disneyland Haunted Mansion was on the outskirts of the Frontierland-New Orleans Square area and it was already built as a plantation manor from the Antebellum South. As we know, Liberty Square was envisioned for Disneyland by Walt in the mid-1950's and it didn't get built at the time, so it was revisited as a replacement for New Orleans Square for the new theme park as New Orleans Square was both meant to be a unique experience and the actual Big Easy was deemed too close to Florida to replicate such a land. Heck, look at the similar store offerings at the New Orleans Square of the 1960's and the Liberty Square of the 1970's. Then again, there was the Bicentennial coming up within ten years that would certainly be a missed opportunity if they neglected to finally build Liberty Street in some form for Florida, which restarted plans for a revised Liberty Street at Disneyland. From what I've been able to determine, Liberty Square was always part of the plans for WDW. In fact, its other unbuilt neighbor, Chinatown, was slated for the Florida Park's Main Street.

(Note: This is curious, given Dick Nunis' hint at building a New Orleans Square style area at Lake Buena Vista in the early 1980's)

Back to the actual shows and rides, folks.

Anyway, the Liberty Square idea always had the Hall of Presidents show in some form or another, so instead of merely replicating the Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln show from Disneyland, they revisited the "One Nation Under God" show that Walt had been tinkering with at the time of the work for the New York World's Fair. They "plussed" it!

So are we still in American History Land?

Yes, because a lot of things were altered in this area and yet familiar to the original.

Let's take a look at Pecos Bill.

Before Pecos Bill settled there, the area was designated to be a store because the prime eating location would be the Mesa Terrace Restaurant in nearby Thunder Mesa. However, the change in plans brought a striking resemblance to the Casa de Fritos area.


The frontier facades were altered, but three major similarities were left intact. Grizzly Hall (the home of the Bear Band show) resembles the Davy Crockett Frontier Arcade building. The Golden Horseshoe was magically transformed into the Diamond Horseshoe with a similar facade and interior. In fact, Bill Martin once said that there was this planned building (likely a copy of the Golden Horseshoe, but directly across the street where the Casa de Fritos would stand) for Disneyland's Frontierland back in 1953-1954 that was too expensive to build at the time and those plans were recycled twelve years later for the "replacement" of the Golden Horseshoe.  The Frontierland Shooting Gallery was, well, the Frontierland Shooting Gallery.

As per the islands carved out early on, Tom Sawyer was to return, but with new activities planned for the islands. In fact, some of Dorothea Redmond's early work on the Florida Park in 1967 was done on what would be Tom Sawyer Island and additional activities were planned by Marc Davis in 1969 and 1971.

So when it came to Adventureland, it was given a hell of a lot more space, based on years of dealing with a tight area in California. It retained the three basic attractions, but improved them. For example, the Swiss Family Tree House was put on a man-made island. The Tiki Room was given a wider, and I mean wider, pre-show area. Oh, and it wasn't even announced as the Enchanted Tiki Room. It became the Tropical Serenade, which was a copy of the original show with a larger theater and set in a Balinese ceremonial house. As per the Jungle Cruise, it was given the Marc Davis treatment from the beginning with a longer ride time and an excursion into the ruins of an ancient Cambodian temple. A lot of the shopping and refreshment experience was just given that thematic boost. For example, the Tahitian Terrace was initially planned for the area due east of the Jungle Cruise and the Adventureland Bazaar was given a courtyard of space. Oh, they added a viable quick-service location called the Adventureland Veranda.

Time to look towards the future. The Submarine Voyage from Disneyland was somewhat outdated by 1967, so it was moved to Fantasyland and given a 20K theme. Then again, the idea of the Nautilus being a submarine ride was something that was suggested as a future attraction back in 1957-1958. Keep in mind that Disneyland still had the 20K walk-thru exhibit around the time they started planning the Florida Park or at least when the Florida Project was announced to the public in 1965. Space Mountain was going to be Disney World's "Matterhorn", despite being a "future attraction" bound for Disneyland. Speaking of the Matterhorn, it was initially tossed around, but the idea of a Matterhorn in Florida was reconsidered after the park opened and yet it was a possibility that was entertained in a stockholders meeting in 1971. The Flight to the Moon was likely going to be an attraction sponsored by R.C.A., which featured computers. Known as the Computerama, or in the words of John Hench, "Alice in Computerland", and we all know about how that went...

The Carousel of Progress, which was already spinning at Disneyland at this time, was "replaced" by a show concept called the Yestermorrow Time Machine, which was to be sponsored by Monsanto and was conceived in 1970 between Dick Irvine, Marc Davis, and writer Ray Bradbury. The entry building on the right side of the entrance to Tomorrowland in Florida was originally designed to hold a possible Carousel theater setup.

So the Adventures Thru Inner Space dark ride wasn't planned to be at Disney World and the sponsored dark ride slot was taken up by Eastern Airlines for a show of some nature. That was announced publicly during the summer of 1971, even though there were hints of a pavilion being designed as early as 1970. The People-Mover and Monorail were planned for Disney World from the beginning. (Do we need to go over EPCOT?)

As per the one ride that did open in Tomorrowland back in '71, the Grand Prix Raceway was a retooled Autopia to fit in with the then-super popular sport of drag racing instead of the consumer-fueled car culture of 1950's futurism.

And I definitely mentioned the trinity of classical Disney dark rides (in Fantasyland, of course), but did I mention the other small changes that were made?

So the Skyway Chalet was redesigned for Disney World, but the Motor Boat Cruises that were to receive a transformation into "Garden of the Gods" by Marc Davis in the early 1960's. Since that concept was also unused at Disneyland, it was likely suggested for the Florida park in 1967 or 1968. It would be brought up again in 1972 for Disneyland and a variation on the idea was pondered for Florida in the 70's and again in the 90's.

Whew, we spent a long time just thinking up what could've been. However, these aren't probably all the ideas that were suggested. As per that Nature's Wonderland replacement, we'd get a diorama of the stagecoach robbery scene from the Western River Expedition, a possible duplicate of the Rainbow Caverns, and definitely the scenery of the "animated wilderness" on the Rivers of America. This 1967-1968 concept was eventually dropped by 1971, but the idea for the Rainbow Caverns was revisited in 1971 when additional capacity was needed for Florida.

In fact, we would be able to choose from a number of "themed" resorts, including the un-built Asian, Venetian, and Arabian resort hotels. Certainly, the city core of Epcot would be likely there in some form with its only actual proof that it remained a city-like idea after Walt's death in the form of the Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village that opened in March 1975.

Imagine what could've been...

Revision: Riverfront Square

Recently, I talked to the esteemed Chris Merritt about his magnum opus, "Marc Davis in His Own Words: Imagineering the Disney Theme Parks" and I asked him about Marc's supposed involvement in the never-built, but nonetheless storied Riverfront Square concept at WED in the early 1960's. He told me that he was not able to find any art Marc did for the idea and it's more than likely that he never contributed to it. So as someone who has chronicled the history of the Western River Expedition, or at least, talked about it from a historical perspective, I have to correct what I feel is a valuable piece of information.

The Western River Expedition was something that began its life sometime in 1967 as a replacement for the Pirates when it came to the Florida Park. It had nothing to do with the Lewis and Clark Expedition boat ride that was planned in 1963 from our new understanding. It's understandable, however, in a previous age of relative "ignorance" that we believed they were part of the same idea and had a common history that strengthened its timeframe by adding four years of gestation as a concept. Notably, the same was suggested about other attractions. For example, the past understanding that Marc was consulted by Walt in 1962 to visit Disneyland to improve the Jungle Cruise, Santa Fe-Disneyland Railroad, or Nature's Wonderland had betrayed two years of improvements that were made to the park. Oddly enough, I encountered the same trap while chronicling the history of Disney World's Pirates of the Caribbean.

So we probably knew that WDW Pirates had a distinct identity in its architectural form, one that led to the insertion of a classic Marc Davis gag. Well, my understanding and the understanding of many of us, including those who worked at the park in the 70's, was that the chess scene was inserted into the queue in late 1973 and was a fixture of the environment since, but now we know that memory plays tricks on us and that it was installed in 1977.

Instead of going back and changing the past, I'm putting it out that "WRE did not come from RFS."

Amusement or Theme?

One of my biggest pet-peeves is to hear someone say that Disneyland is an amusement park. What an insult to Walt Disney, who intended Disneyland to be a departure from seedy amusement parks like Coney Island. The difference between a theme park and an amusement park is in its theming, the scope of the park, and the attractions. A typical amusement park has minimal-to-no-theming and typically smaller (but not always) with generic rides whereas a theme park is, well, themed and designed to convey an experience. This brings me to the debate over the very first theme park.

So Santa Claus, Indiana, was arguably one of the closest manifestations of a "theme park" before Disneyland opened in 1955. Santa Claus was a themed tourist attraction that opened in 1935 as Santa Claus Town before becoming Santa Claus Land eleven years later.

A closer proto-theme park is Knott's Berry Farm, which infamously prides itself on being America's first theme park. As with Santa Claus Land, I would consider Knott's to be a themed tourist attraction until June 1968 when it was enclosed and admission was charged for the first time, thus becoming a bona fide theme park.

Disneyland was marketed as a "brand-new concept in family entertainment", certainly one that proved popular enough that dozens of imitations were made over the following years.

However, there is a curious case of a themed "amusement" park, or hey, at least a family entertainment center. It's Castles-n-Coasters in north Phoenix, Arizona, and while it's a blend of Arabian and Wild Western motifs, it is still one of the places where theming is key to the experience, but it has the atmosphere of an urban amusement park with roller coasters, a log flume, and a dozen other rides in addition to the gaming arcade and mini-golf course. Ultimately, this was marketed as Phoenix's only theme park, despite the feel of the place reflecting a spiced-up Dave and Busters. Heck, Phoenix's only actual theme park, Legend City, was closed down thirty-six years ago after twenty years of operation. As someone who grew up in Phoenix to parents who also grew up in Phoenix, I heard stories about it.

A Haunted History

We all heard that the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland was a vacant house on the riverside for six long years before Disney opened its doors and that it was planned before the Park was even built. You know exactly what I am talking about. Well, through a connection to the Imagineers, I found out that the Haunted Mansion's history is far more complicated than merely being delayed and magically opening one August day in 1969.


When Walt died in 1966, no one at the Company or at WED were certain about the fate of the Disney name, especially the ambitious projects Walt did worked on in his last year. However, the Haunted Mansion's fate was still undecided until a couple of developments the following year.

Well, 1967 gave WED a better idea of what to do with their Haunted Mansion. First off, the use of the Omnimover in "Adventures Thru Inner Space" had given the designers of the Haunted Mansion their ideal ride system.

According to an article in a New Jersey newspaper dating back to October 1967, Disneyland had installed construction walls around the Mansion.

According to one document, the show building began construction in November 1968. The show building was completed in February 1969, according to one Imagineer. Meanwhile, the interior was still worked on through the Spring and the Summer, even as opening day loomed closer. In fact, some of the opening day effects, such as the Hatbox Ghost, were covered up when the attraction was unveiled to guests, only to be uncovered, and messed around with by designers.

The Mansion's ride system was being tested by July 1969, but the ride system was reportedly installed in April. However, it makes sense that the interior was being installed during the April-July timeframe. It is interesting to think about the crunch time WED has been under with some of its greatest projects. 

I mean they designed, installed, and opened Small World for the Fair within a year. The Pirates of the Caribbean, which had noted production and installation delays, was finished before its third major deadline for opening, which was supposed to be April 1967. Of course, we know it opened to the public a month ahead of schedule.


As per the Hatbox Ghost's removal, it was likely in October 1969 when the Mansion went through its first annual refurbishment. However, there were reports that old Hattie did not make it into September, let alone survive until October. 

The Decade Epcot Ruled

Full disclaimer: I was born fifteen years after Epcot Center opened. I wasn't able to experience the original 1982 line-up in its initial form. In fact, by the time I visited Epcot for the first time, it was not only celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary, but its headlining attraction, Spaceship Earth, had undergone two major refurbishments. Heck, that year later saw another remodeling job, but that's a conversation for another time.

I feel while Epcot is not the theme park it was in the 1980's and early 1990's, it is still very popular and still offering a lot of potential that has been neglected and removed over the years.

Recently, I was talking about the greatest theme park ride to be destroyed. Mind you, it's not the greatest theme park ride standing (that honor goes to Pirates with Haunted Mansion following closely behind) or even the greatest theme park ride to have never materialized into its fullest form (that honor goes to the Western River Expedition). Yes, we are talking about Horizons, which graced the east side of Future World from 1983 until it permanently closed in early 1999.

I have had the great fortune of talking with members of what I call the "Epcot Center generation", which consisted mostly of teenagers born between 1967 and 1969 who presumably grew up with Walt Disney World and took advantage of the optimism embodied by Epcot Center.

You got to understand that Epcot Center was all the rage at Disney World during the majority of the 1980's. Sure, you had the bookends of Big Thunder opening in 1980 and the opening of Disney MGM-Studios alongside Typhoon Lagoon and the Pleasure Island complex at the Village, but since at least 1966, there was talk about EPCOT that had morphed from a working prototype of a futuristic city into a theme center where industry and culture would unite.

What the Vacation Kingdom was to the tykes of the 1970's became the ultimate playground to the scores of teenagers and young adults in the 1980's. I mean who doesn't think of 1980's Florida as a mixture of vaporwave aesthetics, glided shopping malls, the setting of Miami Vice, and ultimately a decade of optimism mixed with rampant consumerism, a stricter enforcement of the War on Drugs, and an overall conservative facade of society.

Hope and Change

“I love the nostalgic myself. I hope we never lose some of the things of the past.”

Whenever something at Disneyland is altered, there are people who say that Walt would be rolling in his grave. First off, he was cremated, so it would be difficult. 

There are two camps in this argument. The first are the ones who quote Michael Eisner's infamous "Disneyland is not a museum" line in response to any suggestion that a change may be too hasty. They also employ Walt's promise that Disneyland will never be complete to justify every change, no matter how detrimental such a change will pose. The opposite camp will suggest that Walt always wanted it a certain way without alteration, but I believe that is also foolhardy to suggest that he was one to retain things wholesale from 1955. The stagecoach country from 1955 was later improved with a mine train experience and detailed scenery. In fact, this area alone was changed about three times in five years with the addition of the mine train, desert, caverns, and mining town, another rehab, and then a dash of humor. Then again, the area would change once again with the closure of the ride in 1977 and the opening of its replacement in 1979. That alone is a great example of how Disney saw change. However, he did admit a longing for the nostalgic and that is why he said that he didn't want certain things to change. Overall, he had the same opinion I have. I personally fall in the middle between those two camps as I can recognize the need for change and yet retaining the past simultaneously. I can see that replacing the Viewliner with the Monorail was a good decision as I can see that changing the character of Main Street or New Orleans Square will only tarnish it. I can respect the decision of replacing the Adventureland patio of the Plaza Pavilion.


Let's acknowledge that some changes are good and enhance the theme park experience. For example, New Orleans Square replaced Magnolia Park and the Chicken Plantation into a total environment where themed experiences predominated on a scale far greater than what could've imagined. This would set a high standard for thematic design, notably seen in Liberty Square (1971), Bear Country (1972), Caribbean Plaza (1973), and the World Showcase (1982).

The replacement of the Viewliner trains with the Monorail is a noted change that has proven beneficial.

A Disney historian from the Disney History Institute said the following with regards to the 2019 Adventureland Sign controversy:

"Change at Disneyland is always an emotionally mixed thing. On the one hand, we've always known that change would be constant at the Park - Walt told us so from the very beginning, and it's always happened, in one way or another, ever since. Some changes have been major, some minor, but they always happen. And yet, every time something about Disneyland changes, we have mixed feelings, those of us who care about the Park and about Walt's legacy. We want to hold onto the past, and we have good reason to want to maintain that connection, but at the same time, we recognize the need to change with the times and bring in fresh, new ideas as well. It's hard. Being a Disneyland enthusiast means constantly dealing with both heartache and hope."

In essence, I couldn't have said it better because Disneyland, like every other theme park in the brand, is a historical place which has that need to adapt to new audiences. In the case of the parks that were developed after Disneyland, the local culture, climate, and history. For example, the Magic Kingdom in Florida was never meant to be an exact duplicate of the original. It was designed to be unique and yet reminiscent of the Disneyland experience.

In fact, I believe that the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World is more of "Walt's Park" than the current Disneyland. While he died five months or so before ground broke on the project, the Magic Kingdom has more of the classic attractions. They still have the WED-Way People-Mover, the Carousel of Progress, the Swiss Family Treehouse, and Tom Sawyer's Island whereas Disneyland replaced their People-Mover with a sub-par thrill ride that ruined the tracks, the Carousel Theatre with a Star Wars exhibit, a Tarzan tie-in, and a Pirate's Lair. Some of the concepts that were developed for Disneyland or similar projects in the 1950's and 1960's were initially exclusive to the Florida Park, such as Space Mountain, the Country Bear Jamboree, and Liberty Square.

Let's talk briefly about each of those for a minute. Walt died in December 1966 and his final concerns were on a handful of projects: Pirates of the Caribbean, New Tomorrowland, Mineral King, and EPCOT. However, the genesis concerning the "classics" I had mentioned are simpler. Space Mountain was meant to be a major "theme center" (think of New Orleans Square meets Tomorrowland), the Country Bear Jamboree was slated to be an after-hours show for Mineral King, and Liberty Square was planned as early as 1957 to be a side street off of Main Street with a show called the Hall of Presidents (think of the current Liberty Square and cut it down to fit within the area between Main Street, the Opera House, and Space Mountain). The only major of the classics personally designed by Walt Disney (or at least said to be) was the original Tom Sawyer's Island at Disneyland, which was brought along to the design stage for Florida (albeit with Dorothea Redmond and Marc Davis drawing up the initial plans). In Florida, their Island opened to the public in April 1973 and it remains intact with the Tom Sawyer motif whereas the original from 1956 was given a Pirates theme to tie it in with the New Orleans Square area. 

Vacation Kingdom 1980's Style

Management used the fact that tourists would spend a day at Busch Gardens in nearby Tampa to justify building their own zoological theme park at Disney World just like they built a working backlot and cinema-focused theme park. When it came to the announcement that the Sea World brand was coming to central Florida in the early 70's, Disney incorporated an aquatic attraction into their "Vacation Kingdom" concept. Despite the "Sea World-style show" was never actually built as a part of the Lake Buena Vista Village shopping and entertainment complex, the idea was incorporated into other attractions for Walt Disney World, including the Living Seas pavilion at Epcot Center, which was known for sporting one of the largest aquariums in the world at that time. Anyway, the major
types of tourist attractions were either planned or actually built at Disney World, such as the major theme park, a movie studio, a zoological preserve, a water park, shopping mall (I mean it's a tourist attraction to a certain kind of traveler), and other venues.

But then again, what about the Disney-affiliated tourist magazine, Vacationland?

Well, in the 1980's, Michael Eisner wanted the parks to be better than the competitors, especially in the tourism-focused regions of Southern California and Central Florida. This meant replicating the formulas of other attractions in the regions to be part of the Disney World or Disneyland experience.

After all, the last two theme parks built (or at least designed) by Disney before Eisner took over in 1984 were Epcot Center (1982) and Tokyo Disneyland (1983). The former was an application of Disney's dreams of smart urban planning in the context of a major theme park and the latter was an international Magic Kingdom built with the favorites of the American Kingdoms.

Anyway, Eisner had it focus on the Disney experience, not the tourist experience with places like Cypress Gardens, Miami, the Kennedy Space Center, Busch Gardens, Knott's Berry Farm, Hollywood, Sea World, Universal, etc.

Design Phases

In Disney theme park history, we look at not only the genesis of various shows through their developmental phases or the shows that never got the chance to see the light of day (except for vignettes being slyly placed in newer attractions), but we look at the big picture surrounding the development of shows in different eras in the Company's history. We look at how the late 1960's and early 1970's were different than Disneyland's opening decade and what made certain ideas work.

The first phase I allude to is the initial where Disney's theme park expertise was extremely limited at the time and this is was Disneyland in its early years. So this had to be 1954 when construction began to 1959 when the first major expansion debuted with the Matterhorn, the Monorail, and the Submarine Voyage. Those three attractions were constantly moving and handling a high capacity, which was needed for a theme park like Disneyland with 3.6 million people visiting in its first year alone. In 1959, they were developing new concepts for attractions, such as a Hall of Presidents, a Haunted House, and a Pirate Wax Museum.

Fast forward two years to July 1961 when Dick Nunis, Disneyland's Operations Director, had sent out a memo to Joe Fowler regarding a revelation made about walk-thru attractions. According to the memo, he states that guest reaction has shown that walk-thru attractions have a low appeal and were not adequate. This is where the notion that the Pirates could be a ride took hold and helped pave the way for future attractions to be developed as rides.

Meanwhile, Disney was getting into the World Fair business once again after his most recent victory with the United States Pavilion in Brussels during Expo 58 and it was the New York World's Fair set for 1964 that he dedicated his energy towards creating at least three unique pavilions. Of course, it wouldn't be until 1962-1963 when the fourth one was worked on, but that's a different story.

So Disney was developing Audio-Animatronic technology at this time, which was a far-cry from the primitive set-up of the animals on the Jungle Cruise, for a number of projects. He was toying with the idea of tropical Animatronic songbirds for a Tiki restaurant planned for Disneyland and that became the first attraction to use AA on a large scale (I know the Nature's Mine Train had AA technology), but it was the Animatronic Honest Abe that really got Robert Moses on board.

Anyway, the development of a ride system that cycled boats through a flume with a high capacity was underway in Mountain View at the Arrow Development facilities for a new attraction called "Children of the World" (later renamed "It's a Small World").

While this was being done for the Small World ride, the idea translated to Dick Nunis' idea of converting the Pirates of the Caribbean into a ride-thru**. The other innovations in ride systems like the People-Mover prototype found in the Ford Magic Skyway had been in the minds of designers when looking back at how to improve Disneyland.

Now, what about that Tomorrowland from the 1950's? I mean, honestly...


It was enough justification that Walt started development on a New Tomorrowland set to open in 1967.

Meanwhile, that New Orleans-themed development was definitely hit by the knowledge gained in New York. The Pirates was definitely not going to be a walk-thru by this point and perhaps the buccaneers of the Spanish Main didn't need to be wax figures at all, but animated figures that were indistinguishable from real people or animals.

Perhaps, the Haunted Mansion could be a ride instead, but nah, that'll never happen...

Anyway, the mid-1960's were a busy time for WED and Walt. I mean they had to finish four major pavilions for the World's Fair in New York and then finish the projects they left untouched. They were developing an indoor theme park for St. Louis, a prototype city of the future in Florida as well as a theme park resort complex, and a dozen new rides and shows for Disneyland.

Luckily, they were given permission to take their New York productions back to California to make their place in the Magic Kingdom. Ultimately, the Ford Magic Skyway couldn't be brought back to California, so the ride system idea and the robotic dinosaurs were the only remnants of the Pavilion at Disneyland.

The Disneyland guidebook printed in 1965 for the Park's tenth-year anniversary was filled with previews of new rides, shows, and experiences. They had the Pirates of the Caribbean, New Orleans Square, Small World, New Tomorrowland, etc. It was all up to plan, but Walt's death in late 1966 definitely changed the course of the Company.

Walt opened both Small World and New Orleans Square during the summer of 1966 (the Pirates were expected to be present on Opening Day, but there must've been traffic because they weren't ready in time) while being able to keep tabs on the ride being built behind those three blocked off doors in New Orleans Square (the marquee in front of the Pirates building was there when the land opened). When Walt died, the Pirates were nearing completion, New Tomorrowland was under construction, and acres of swampland in Florida were awaiting development.

It is difficult to consider the Haunted Mansion a "Walt" attraction because it changed course once again after his death, but it was ultimately designed by the same people who finished the Pirates and worked on past projects, so I consider it to be within that phase of Imagineering.

Of course, the Florida Project's Magic Kingdom was being developed almost immediately after Walt's passing and the shows/rides were going to be a mixture of the old and the new.

One concept brought over from the mid-1960's development of New Tomorrowland to the Florida park was a roller coaster called Space Mountain, which was originally slated to open in 1968.

Other concepts included attractions that were too ambitious or expensive in the past that would make Florida's Magic Kingdom unique, such as the Hall of Presidents and the Liberty Street expansion announced originally in the 1950's.

So we are transitioning from the Imagineering that brought us things like the Enchanted Tiki Room, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, It's a Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean, Carousel of Progress, and the Haunted Mansion into the era where concepts like Bear Band, Hall of Presidents, Space Mountain, Western River Expedition, America Sings, and Big Thunder Railway dominated. It was not merely a change in storytelling, but a paradigm shift, even if some of those concepts were adjustments to classics.

What was the major link?

It was Tony Baxter who was too young to design the Tiki Room, Small World, the Pirates, and the Haunted Mansion, but old enough to participate in the transition from those attractions into the next phase of Imagineering when he officially joined in 1970.


With the tourist slump of the mid-1970's and the box office failures at the time, WED was at a difficult spot. They had dozens of ambitious concepts at the time. In fact, prior to the oil embargo in late 1973, WED had planned to complete a number of those projects by the end of the 1970's.

Yet one of the more unfair criticisms aimed at Imagineering in the late 1960's and early 1970's was the stagnation in development. After all, Disneyland had two major attraction droughts in their first twenty years. The first one lasted two years between August 1967 when Adventure Thru Inner Space opened and August 1969 when the Haunted Mansion finally opened (what took so long, Mr. Ghost Host?). The second lasted from 1969 until March 1972 when the Country Bear Jamboree opened.

However, I think that piece of criticism forgets that Disney was invested in a second theme park across the country that needed extra resources to even open on-time in 1971. One of the major issues facing the very development of the Magic Kingdom in Florida between 1967 and 1971 was its ballooning budget with hundreds of millions of dollars being spent to build a theme park similar to Disneyland, three resorts, and a monorail system. This made approving projects for Disneyland even more difficult.

Anyway, Florida had its own Nunis moment when the first Thanksgiving at the park saw peak capacity with a closure of the front gates, so Disney resolved it by approving new attractions for design as well as new facilities. Ultimately, Space Mountain (which was considered in some form for the Florida park since around 1967) was one of the attractions approved and the Pirates of the Caribbean (a result of the need for capacity and guest complaints) was green-lit.

What about that Wild West counterpart to the Pirates?

The Western River Expedition was one of those ambitious projects that began in the 1960's and wasn't feasible at the time. One of the delays concerning the WRE was its projected cost, which was about $60 million in 1970, and it was moved to Phase II as in the first five years of operation. It was also challenged by the guest demand for the Pirates as it was designed as a boat ride to replace the Pirates, which were not included in the Florida plans for a number of reasons, and with an actual Pirates ride, the WRE wouldn't be needed as badly.

However, that's just the quick history of it because into 1973 when the Pirates were still under construction, the WRE was slated to debut around April 1977. Obviously, it wasn't an entirely dead concept by that point.

Since the massive building housing the ride would cost a lot to build, Marc Davis suggested a mine train ride and an Indian village to really sell the project. Mind you, that was 1969. This is 1972 when Disney World is facing record crowds and a bevy of new ideas for the parks. After all, that Tony chap was assigned to help Marc with the mine train.

By 1973, it was decided that Thunder Mesa would have two phases of construction. The first would see the opening of the Big Thunder Railway in 1974 and the second would be the Western River Expedition in 1976 or 1977. This would've been beneficial to Thunder Mesa as it provided the audience something to enjoy while construction was underway with the Western River.

Meanwhile, Baxter was working on Space Mountain, a new land for the area north of the Rivers of America, and other ideas.

Ultimately, the Western River was never built and in its place, Splash Mountain sits, which was Tony Baxter's other brainchild.

Let's get back to the 1970's when the old guard of WED began to retire and young Imagineers like Tony were replacing them. Disney wasn't just looking for ways to improve their existing parks. In fact, they were developing their first overseas expansion for Japan as well as the namesake of the Florida Project as an educational theme park.

Is it any wonder that experiences like the Tiki Room, Small World, the Pirates, and the Haunted Mansion belong to a unique period in Imagineering history like how the Hall of Presidents, the Country Bear Jamboree, Space Mountain, and Big Thunder belong to another in WED history?


As a parting gift, or rather an exercise, think about Disneyland's 1967 Tomorrowland versus Walt Disney World's 1975 Tomorrowland or about the differences between a 1960's ride like Pirates or Haunted Mansion with a 1970's ride like Space Mountain or Big Thunder.




GUIDE (There is some overlap in the Phases with regards to design, construction, etc.)

Phase I: 1954-1959 (Initial design phase)
Phase II: 1959-1963 (Beginning of people-eating attractions)
Phase III (New York Walt): 1963-1966 (First phase of major AA-driven attractions)
Phase IV (Walt-WED): 1966-1971 (Second phase of major AA-driven attractions, including the completion of under-design projects at the time of Walt's death)
Phase V (WED): 1971-1973 (Need for more people-eating attractions)
Phase VI: 1973-1980 (Recovering from setbacks, includes emphasis on thrill rides with increased frugality as well as a new focus on future developments)
Phase VII: 1980-1995 (Modernization of the parks as well as international expansion and corporate changes)
Phase VIII: 1995-2020 (Current phase)