I've talked a little bit about how Las Vegas incorporated Disneyland-style theming on an urban scale and how other cities have followed the lead. Dubai in the United Arab Emirates is also a notable example of extensive theming on a urban, cosmopolitan scale. As per on a national scale, China has been known to host hundreds of theme parks and tourist resorts, often integrating the two.
Instead of talking about mere theming with regards to the urban landscape, we are talking about a fusion of themed resorts with attractions. This harkens back to a project Disney was involved with in the 1960's, Mineral King, because the resort was fittingly themed to a wintry chalet while simultaneously offering a handful of attractions befitting the motif of the resort. The one notable attraction proposed for this project was the Country Bear Jamboree, which would later be seen in Walt Disney World (1971), Disneyland (1972), and Tokyo Disneyland (1983). The point is that instead of designing another Frontierland or Adventureland, the next step in this boom of themed entertainment and design will ultimately be to weld resort hotels, attractions, and shopping districts to convey a singular theme and to immerse guests in that environment.
Rides, shops, arcades, bars, restaurants, hotels, pools, mini-golf courses, and other amenities would be tied to a certain setting and provide a unique experience.
Thursday, March 21, 2019
Adventures in Urban Exploration
My obsession with urban exploration, or urbex, began several years ago as the result of curiosity towards the abandoned house next door. So I grew up in Maryvale, which is the west side of Phoenix, and that neighborhood had/has issues with rampant crime, abandoned houses, and severe poverty. By extension, this meant that even houses on my street, which was relatively safe compared to other parts of the hood. So I went to the house next door, which was abandoned at the time, and I didn't get too far. In fact, I went into the backyard and I looked inside the house from the sliding door in the back. It was empty, but alas there was another abandoned house on my street. Just a couple of doors west was the house where my cat came from (that's a story for a different day) and I visited it with a friend. We had our scooters parked in the alcove next to the front door and we ventured in. I was a little nervous because I was afraid that I would get robbed by a hobo or caught by the police. I didn't, but then again much like my obsessions and habits, they all came from my childhood on Hazelwood.
I would do a little exploration over the years, but I really jumped back into it this year. I have been documenting abandoned and closed down locations in East Mesa, AZ. I'm talking about how around half of Superstition Springs Mall is occupied whereas one of the wings of the mall is almost empty. In fact, January 2019 saw the closure of the Sears, which was one of the original anchor stores from 1990.
One of my earliest encounters with an abandoned building was surprisingly at Walt Disney World in Florida. It was March 2007 and I was visiting Epcot Center. I needed to use the restroom, so we headed over to the glided dome-like pavilion that was emptied. I got to the sliding door and walked inside for a moment. Apparently, the building I entered was the former home of the Wonders of Life Pavilion as it was closed down in January 2007 after almost eighteen years. Ironically enough during that same trip I saw the Monsters, Inc. Laugh, which officially opened in April 2007. Perhaps, it was a soft opening.
One of my earliest encounters with an abandoned building was surprisingly at Walt Disney World in Florida. It was March 2007 and I was visiting Epcot Center. I needed to use the restroom, so we headed over to the glided dome-like pavilion that was emptied. I got to the sliding door and walked inside for a moment. Apparently, the building I entered was the former home of the Wonders of Life Pavilion as it was closed down in January 2007 after almost eighteen years. Ironically enough during that same trip I saw the Monsters, Inc. Laugh, which officially opened in April 2007. Perhaps, it was a soft opening.
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
20 Years of Test Track
Twenty years ago today, Epcot's Test Track had its grand opening with the typical Disney fanfare, replacing the original "World of Motion" ride. It took two and a half years to get the ride up and running, but it harkens back to a few similar blunders in Disney theme park history.
However, I should first lay out all the dates for reference. World of Motion opened to the public on 1 October 1982 along with the rest of Epcot Center (except that Horizons ride next door). 5 October 1982 was a special press opening and the ride was beloved by guests for a number of years. Eventually, the pavilion sponsor General Motors was intrigued by the suggestion that the ride would be replaced with a test track, similar to the one GM showed Disney in the 1970's. That was the early 1990's and when it was decided to go forward with the Test Track idea, World of Motion was closed in January 1996 with a preview center opening up the following month. Meanwhile, the interior was gutted and the exterior track was assembled in March 1996. The interior and exterior tracks were completed in late-October 1996. Ride testing began three days later and on Valentine's Day 1997, show installation was completed. It looked like the new attraction was going to honor its announced Spring 1997 opening.
However, issues with the ride system were apparent with the tires on the ride vehicles failing to perform to the standards needed for operation. This meant that the May 1997 opening had to be delayed and delayed it was. Luckily, after testing turned into executive cast openings on 11 December 1998 and cast previews (12 Dec.-16 Dec. 1998). The public soft opening was 19 December 1998 with limited hours of operation to the public before the Grand Opening on St. Patrick's Day 1999.
The Grand Opening included supermodel Christine Brinkley (I wonder if she tested out a red convertible) as well as NASCAR driver Richard Petty. That was apparently what happened twenty years ago.
So the blunders I can think of aren't mere omissions of attractions (e.g. the Pirates of the Caribbean at Walt Disney World), but delays in the ride systems and technology and other factors when it came to opening properly on-time. There are too many cases where this happens, so I will focus on six major ones.
Dumbo the Flying Elephants (1955, Disneyland) - Ironically one of the first rides conceived for Disneyland was not operating on Opening Day. In fact, the technical delays with the fiberglass elephants and the hydraulic lifts had rendered the ride inoperable until August 1955, one month after opening.
Pirates of the Caribbean (1967, Disneyland) - The Pirates at Disneyland publicly opened in March 1967, but imagine for a second if the popular ride opened nine months prior along with New Orleans Square. Well, it could've happened and here's how. So according to Charles Ridgeway, who served as a Disney publicist for a great number of years, Walt tested out the ride in July 1966 and it took six months to work out the issues with the splash at the bottom of the first slide. However, Disney promised the arrival of the Pirates along with the new land as early as 1964 and even the magazines were promising Pirates of the Caribbean during the Summer of 1966. So what happened? Well, the Animatronic production helped delay the opening. Understand that we are talking about human-sized figures...actually sixty-four or so...and we expect them to sing, talk, and move like real people. Oh, and it all has to be done as soon as possible. So work resumed and it resumed and it resumed and hey, the ride was workable by Halloween 1966 and the sets were mostly finished. November had all 119 figures completed and shipped down to Anaheim where they were slowly installed. Walt passed away the following month, but a D23 video taken in early-December 1966 shows the near-completion of the ride. Valentine's Day 1967 saw the first non-engineers (or "human sandbags") to enjoy the ride before it was publicly opened the next month.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1971, Walt Disney World) - While it was set to open along with the rest of Walt Disney World on 1 October 1971, the Subs were delayed until the 14th due to issues with the subs and footage from the first week of the Magic Kingdom which shows the Submarine Lagoon with no subs floating around.
Pirates of the Caribbean (1973, Walt Disney World) - Walt Disney World's Pirates of the Caribbean had a relatively short approved-completion period of roughly 24 months and the construction itself lasted 15 months. With a ride like Pirates, even in abbreviated form, the ride system proved to have issues similar to its sister in California. The major issue with the ride system was mostly caused by the awkward flume layout. The up-ramp in the ride is directly after the unloading area. This backs up the boats in the Treasury/Jack Sparrow scene and this is a source of delays. However, the original dual loading area had to be altered in 1991 because it became such an inconvenience. I've had the pleasure to talk with some of the Opening Day operating crew and they confirmed that there were delays lasting from October 1973 through December 1973 and even in the months following. These delays didn't keep the ride from opening, but cast members had to manually operate the loading and unloading system. By May 1974, these delays and bugs were fixed for the most part because there are still issues with the ride system due to its awkward, problematic layout that have affected the attraction for 45 years.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (1979, Disneyland) - Big Thunder Mountain was meant to open by the end of 1978. After all, construction began in 1977 after the closure of the Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland. Big Thunder had delays with its ride system similar to the early technical difficulties experienced when designing Walt Disney World's Space Mountain in the 1970's.
Splash Mountain (1989, Disneyland) - Disneyland's Splash Mountain took a long, long time opening to the public. While it eventually did on 17 July 1989, it took months and months of delays because like the Pirates, the splash would drench the testers. Basically, they had to rework the final drop to reduce the "splash", but then again if it's Splash Mountain, then it needs that splash.
However, I should first lay out all the dates for reference. World of Motion opened to the public on 1 October 1982 along with the rest of Epcot Center (except that Horizons ride next door). 5 October 1982 was a special press opening and the ride was beloved by guests for a number of years. Eventually, the pavilion sponsor General Motors was intrigued by the suggestion that the ride would be replaced with a test track, similar to the one GM showed Disney in the 1970's. That was the early 1990's and when it was decided to go forward with the Test Track idea, World of Motion was closed in January 1996 with a preview center opening up the following month. Meanwhile, the interior was gutted and the exterior track was assembled in March 1996. The interior and exterior tracks were completed in late-October 1996. Ride testing began three days later and on Valentine's Day 1997, show installation was completed. It looked like the new attraction was going to honor its announced Spring 1997 opening.
However, issues with the ride system were apparent with the tires on the ride vehicles failing to perform to the standards needed for operation. This meant that the May 1997 opening had to be delayed and delayed it was. Luckily, after testing turned into executive cast openings on 11 December 1998 and cast previews (12 Dec.-16 Dec. 1998). The public soft opening was 19 December 1998 with limited hours of operation to the public before the Grand Opening on St. Patrick's Day 1999.
The Grand Opening included supermodel Christine Brinkley (I wonder if she tested out a red convertible) as well as NASCAR driver Richard Petty. That was apparently what happened twenty years ago.
So the blunders I can think of aren't mere omissions of attractions (e.g. the Pirates of the Caribbean at Walt Disney World), but delays in the ride systems and technology and other factors when it came to opening properly on-time. There are too many cases where this happens, so I will focus on six major ones.
Dumbo the Flying Elephants (1955, Disneyland) - Ironically one of the first rides conceived for Disneyland was not operating on Opening Day. In fact, the technical delays with the fiberglass elephants and the hydraulic lifts had rendered the ride inoperable until August 1955, one month after opening.
Pirates of the Caribbean (1967, Disneyland) - The Pirates at Disneyland publicly opened in March 1967, but imagine for a second if the popular ride opened nine months prior along with New Orleans Square. Well, it could've happened and here's how. So according to Charles Ridgeway, who served as a Disney publicist for a great number of years, Walt tested out the ride in July 1966 and it took six months to work out the issues with the splash at the bottom of the first slide. However, Disney promised the arrival of the Pirates along with the new land as early as 1964 and even the magazines were promising Pirates of the Caribbean during the Summer of 1966. So what happened? Well, the Animatronic production helped delay the opening. Understand that we are talking about human-sized figures...actually sixty-four or so...and we expect them to sing, talk, and move like real people. Oh, and it all has to be done as soon as possible. So work resumed and it resumed and it resumed and hey, the ride was workable by Halloween 1966 and the sets were mostly finished. November had all 119 figures completed and shipped down to Anaheim where they were slowly installed. Walt passed away the following month, but a D23 video taken in early-December 1966 shows the near-completion of the ride. Valentine's Day 1967 saw the first non-engineers (or "human sandbags") to enjoy the ride before it was publicly opened the next month.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1971, Walt Disney World) - While it was set to open along with the rest of Walt Disney World on 1 October 1971, the Subs were delayed until the 14th due to issues with the subs and footage from the first week of the Magic Kingdom which shows the Submarine Lagoon with no subs floating around.
Pirates of the Caribbean (1973, Walt Disney World) - Walt Disney World's Pirates of the Caribbean had a relatively short approved-completion period of roughly 24 months and the construction itself lasted 15 months. With a ride like Pirates, even in abbreviated form, the ride system proved to have issues similar to its sister in California. The major issue with the ride system was mostly caused by the awkward flume layout. The up-ramp in the ride is directly after the unloading area. This backs up the boats in the Treasury/Jack Sparrow scene and this is a source of delays. However, the original dual loading area had to be altered in 1991 because it became such an inconvenience. I've had the pleasure to talk with some of the Opening Day operating crew and they confirmed that there were delays lasting from October 1973 through December 1973 and even in the months following. These delays didn't keep the ride from opening, but cast members had to manually operate the loading and unloading system. By May 1974, these delays and bugs were fixed for the most part because there are still issues with the ride system due to its awkward, problematic layout that have affected the attraction for 45 years.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (1979, Disneyland) - Big Thunder Mountain was meant to open by the end of 1978. After all, construction began in 1977 after the closure of the Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland. Big Thunder had delays with its ride system similar to the early technical difficulties experienced when designing Walt Disney World's Space Mountain in the 1970's.
Splash Mountain (1989, Disneyland) - Disneyland's Splash Mountain took a long, long time opening to the public. While it eventually did on 17 July 1989, it took months and months of delays because like the Pirates, the splash would drench the testers. Basically, they had to rework the final drop to reduce the "splash", but then again if it's Splash Mountain, then it needs that splash.
Sunday, March 10, 2019
Adventures in Armchair Imagineering: New Horizons
I've had so many ideas about new rides and how to enhance older attractions in a way that balances the original intent with the wonders of newer technology (not justifying anything holographic or screen-based). It is a tricky undertaking, but it comes with wisdom and knowledge. The wisdom is knowing, for example, that a classic attraction is a major part of the theme park experience for the audience, but knowledge is how to make sure the themed experience is properly created in three-dimensional form.
However, I am here talking about what I would either do to enhance the experience without sacrificing thematic integrity and the original intent or to create new experiences within the context of not upsetting the implied atmosphere or the natural progression of themed spaces. For example, I'm talking about what I may do to help increase walking space to allow for large enough capacity without disturbing the spacing and beauty of a themed land. I am also referring to how I may revive old shows in the context of the theme park while expanding upon established or implied motifs (e.g. Discovery Bay-style lands) with new rides, shows, and spaces.
So today I begin my journey on here as an Armchair Imagineer. Today's suggestion for a ride idea is based on a desire to experience an extinct attraction in a feasible manner without disrupting the infrastructure of an older ride.
Horizons was supposed to be a sequel to the Carousel of Progress as it presented a continuation of the family beyond the present. It opened in October 1983, one year after Epcot Center, and for the sixteen years it operated, it became a beacon for a better future as well as an icon of Epcot's purpose. The old Horizons ride closed down permanently in January 1999 and the site of the attraction became home to Mission Space, which opened in 2004.
Walt Disney World's "Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin" is a continuation of a history of Omnimover-based Tomorrowland dark rides that started in 1967 with "Adventures Thru Inner Space" at Disneyland. When it came to designing the Magic Kingdom in Florida, the designers at Disney used the original theme park as a template. This meant that classical attractions were due to be recreated in Florida, but that's a post for a different day. Ultimately, the Florida sister of the dark ride in Disneyland's New Tomorrowland was a similar show, sponsored by Eastern Airlines, called "If You Had Wings". This dark ride, which was being planned as the park was nearing completion, opened in June 1972. Fifteen years later, Eastern's sponsorship was canceled and the ride was turned into "If You Could Fly", which operated for two years until Delta sponsored a new attraction, "Delta Dream-Flight" until 1996. In 1998, the ride system and interior was reconfigured to be a Toy Story-themed shoot-em-up ride called "Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin", which opened late that year.
The ride system has been used since its installation in 1972 for a number of incarnations and the most recent ride opened in 1998. It's the same ride system used in Adventures Thru Inner Space and the Haunted Mansion as well as the prototype for the ride system used for Horizons.
My suggestion is to replicate Horizons within the If You Had Wings/Buzz building with the major scenes being shown. I mean it has that Omnimover ride system.
THE LAYOUT OF THE RIDE
QUEUE/LOAD (FUTURE-PORT)
SCENE ONE (INT. GLOBE)
SCENE TWO (ASCENDING FLIGHT-AZTEC MEXICO): EASY LIVING
SCENE THREE (MEXICO CITY): EASY LIVING
SCENE FOUR (CARIBBEAN PORT): OMNISPHERE
SCENE FIVE (STRAW MARKET): NOVA CITE
SCENE SIX (PUERTO RICO/CARIBBEAN PORT): MESA VERDE (DESERT FARM)
SCENE SEVEN (TRAFFIC SCENE-TRINIDAD): SEA CASTLE (UNDERWATER CITY)
SCENE EIGHT (NEW ORLEANS-SPEED ROOM): BRAVA CENTURI (SPACE COLONY)
SCENE NINE (MIRROR ROOM-ASCENDING FLIGHT): FINAL SCENE
UNLOAD/GIFT SHOP
HORIZONS CENTER (PROJECT): In the area due south of the WED-Way track between the Carousel of Progress and the If You Had Wings building is a small area that could be used for the Horizons Center, which is a Disney tourism center acting as a travel office of the future with various resorts and parks being advertised to play on the uniqueness of the original ending of Horizons with its "choose your own future" section. Perhaps, Disney can even consider building a Horizons Hotel resort with Mesa Verde, Brava Centuri, Sea Castle, and Nova Cite sections in the future to capitalize on such an idea.
In conclusion, the New Horizons is a wonderful idea and I owe it to thinking a lot about why Disney seemed to forget about Horizons while building new rides without the spirit that made the Carousel of Progress and eventually Horizons. In fact, it makes perfect sense and it helps the theming of Tomorrowland.
PS: I also thought about using the nearby Circle-Vision theater for some sort of pre-show. Perhaps, Disney can honor the tradition of preview centers by establishing a permanent Walt Disney World Preview Center in that space or even repurposing the old Hospitality House on Main Street for a permanent preview center. Granted, "Disney isn't a museum" according to some people, including Michael Eisner. I know it's ironic that a theme park touted as always growing would have a museum dedicated to its history, but then again it would also be a preview center, so it's a balance of yesterday and tomorrow for a time when only today is truly honored.
However, I am here talking about what I would either do to enhance the experience without sacrificing thematic integrity and the original intent or to create new experiences within the context of not upsetting the implied atmosphere or the natural progression of themed spaces. For example, I'm talking about what I may do to help increase walking space to allow for large enough capacity without disturbing the spacing and beauty of a themed land. I am also referring to how I may revive old shows in the context of the theme park while expanding upon established or implied motifs (e.g. Discovery Bay-style lands) with new rides, shows, and spaces.
So today I begin my journey on here as an Armchair Imagineer. Today's suggestion for a ride idea is based on a desire to experience an extinct attraction in a feasible manner without disrupting the infrastructure of an older ride.
Horizons was supposed to be a sequel to the Carousel of Progress as it presented a continuation of the family beyond the present. It opened in October 1983, one year after Epcot Center, and for the sixteen years it operated, it became a beacon for a better future as well as an icon of Epcot's purpose. The old Horizons ride closed down permanently in January 1999 and the site of the attraction became home to Mission Space, which opened in 2004.
Walt Disney World's "Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin" is a continuation of a history of Omnimover-based Tomorrowland dark rides that started in 1967 with "Adventures Thru Inner Space" at Disneyland. When it came to designing the Magic Kingdom in Florida, the designers at Disney used the original theme park as a template. This meant that classical attractions were due to be recreated in Florida, but that's a post for a different day. Ultimately, the Florida sister of the dark ride in Disneyland's New Tomorrowland was a similar show, sponsored by Eastern Airlines, called "If You Had Wings". This dark ride, which was being planned as the park was nearing completion, opened in June 1972. Fifteen years later, Eastern's sponsorship was canceled and the ride was turned into "If You Could Fly", which operated for two years until Delta sponsored a new attraction, "Delta Dream-Flight" until 1996. In 1998, the ride system and interior was reconfigured to be a Toy Story-themed shoot-em-up ride called "Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin", which opened late that year.
The ride system has been used since its installation in 1972 for a number of incarnations and the most recent ride opened in 1998. It's the same ride system used in Adventures Thru Inner Space and the Haunted Mansion as well as the prototype for the ride system used for Horizons.
My suggestion is to replicate Horizons within the If You Had Wings/Buzz building with the major scenes being shown. I mean it has that Omnimover ride system.
THE LAYOUT OF THE RIDE
 |
| This blueprint of the If You Had Wings building (with the adjacent Circle-Vision theater blocked by the Eastern logo) shows the track of the 1972 ride system and the interior. Construction began on the extension of Tomorrowland's southern building around September 1971 and the WED-Way track goes through the ride building. |
QUEUE/LOAD (FUTURE-PORT)
SCENE ONE (INT. GLOBE)
SCENE TWO (ASCENDING FLIGHT-AZTEC MEXICO): EASY LIVING
SCENE THREE (MEXICO CITY): EASY LIVING
SCENE FOUR (CARIBBEAN PORT): OMNISPHERE
SCENE FIVE (STRAW MARKET): NOVA CITE
SCENE SIX (PUERTO RICO/CARIBBEAN PORT): MESA VERDE (DESERT FARM)
SCENE SEVEN (TRAFFIC SCENE-TRINIDAD): SEA CASTLE (UNDERWATER CITY)
SCENE EIGHT (NEW ORLEANS-SPEED ROOM): BRAVA CENTURI (SPACE COLONY)
SCENE NINE (MIRROR ROOM-ASCENDING FLIGHT): FINAL SCENE
UNLOAD/GIFT SHOP
HORIZONS CENTER (PROJECT): In the area due south of the WED-Way track between the Carousel of Progress and the If You Had Wings building is a small area that could be used for the Horizons Center, which is a Disney tourism center acting as a travel office of the future with various resorts and parks being advertised to play on the uniqueness of the original ending of Horizons with its "choose your own future" section. Perhaps, Disney can even consider building a Horizons Hotel resort with Mesa Verde, Brava Centuri, Sea Castle, and Nova Cite sections in the future to capitalize on such an idea.
In conclusion, the New Horizons is a wonderful idea and I owe it to thinking a lot about why Disney seemed to forget about Horizons while building new rides without the spirit that made the Carousel of Progress and eventually Horizons. In fact, it makes perfect sense and it helps the theming of Tomorrowland.
PS: I also thought about using the nearby Circle-Vision theater for some sort of pre-show. Perhaps, Disney can honor the tradition of preview centers by establishing a permanent Walt Disney World Preview Center in that space or even repurposing the old Hospitality House on Main Street for a permanent preview center. Granted, "Disney isn't a museum" according to some people, including Michael Eisner. I know it's ironic that a theme park touted as always growing would have a museum dedicated to its history, but then again it would also be a preview center, so it's a balance of yesterday and tomorrow for a time when only today is truly honored.
Wednesday, March 6, 2019
REFERENCE: OPENING DATES (DL & WDW)
DISNEYLAND
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
Cast Member Opening/Preview: 14 February 1967
Public/Soft Opening: 18 March 1967
Grand Opening/Dedication: 19 April 1967
HAUNTED MANSION*
Cast Member Opening/Previews: 6-8 August 1969
Soft/Public/"Grand" Opening: 9 August 1969
"Grand" Opening/Dedication: 12 August 1969
COUNTRY BEAR JAMBOREE
Soft Opening (Magic Kingdom Club Members): 23 March 1972
Soft/Public Opening: 24 March 1972
Grand Opening: 25 March 1972
THE WALT DISNEY STORY
Soft Opening
Grand Opening/Dedication: 14 April 1973
SPACE MOUNTAIN
Soft Opening: 4 May 1977
Grand Opening/Dedication: 27 May 1977
WALT DISNEY WORLD
HAUNTED MANSION**
Opening: 1 October 1971
IF YOU HAD WINGS
Soft Opening: 5 June 1972
Grand Opening/Dedication: 24 June 1972
THE WALT DISNEY STORY
Soft Opening: April 1973
Grand Opening/Dedication: 6 May 1973
TOM SAWYER'S ISLAND
Soft Opening: 16 April 1973
Grand Opening/Dedication: 20 May 1973
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN***
Soft Opening: December 1973
Grand Opening: 15 December 1973
SPACE MOUNTAIN
Soft Opening: 26 December 1974
Grand Opening: 15 January 1975
BIG THUNDER MOUNTAIN RAILROAD
Soft Opening: 23 September 1980
Grand Opening: 15 November 1980
NOTES
*Disneyland's Haunted Mansion's "Grand Opening" was advertised as the 12th, and yet the 9th was advertised as the opening day at the time by the LA Times.
**Opening day attraction. This means that while previews were likely held before the Park opened to the public or given their Grand Opening, this attraction was available on the Park's opening day. For reference, Disneyland had its Grand Opening (press dedication and special) on 17 July 1955 before opening to the public on 18 July 1955. Walt Disney World opened to the public on 1 October 1971 and was dedicated on 25 October 1971.
***For these attractions, there are no soft openings (to my current knowledge), but they still had cast member previews or at least WED tests.
INDEX
Grand Opening (includes Dedication) = the day an attraction is "opened" by the Park, usually with a ceremony.
Soft Opening = the day the guests (general public) were allowed to experience the attraction.
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
Cast Member Opening/Preview: 14 February 1967
Public/Soft Opening: 18 March 1967
Grand Opening/Dedication: 19 April 1967
HAUNTED MANSION*
Cast Member Opening/Previews: 6-8 August 1969
Soft/Public/"Grand" Opening: 9 August 1969
"Grand" Opening/Dedication: 12 August 1969
COUNTRY BEAR JAMBOREE
Soft Opening (Magic Kingdom Club Members): 23 March 1972
Soft/Public Opening: 24 March 1972
Grand Opening: 25 March 1972
THE WALT DISNEY STORY
Soft Opening
Grand Opening/Dedication: 14 April 1973
SPACE MOUNTAIN
Soft Opening: 4 May 1977
Grand Opening/Dedication: 27 May 1977
WALT DISNEY WORLD
HAUNTED MANSION**
Opening: 1 October 1971
IF YOU HAD WINGS
Soft Opening: 5 June 1972
Grand Opening/Dedication: 24 June 1972
THE WALT DISNEY STORY
Soft Opening: April 1973
Grand Opening/Dedication: 6 May 1973
TOM SAWYER'S ISLAND
Soft Opening: 16 April 1973
Grand Opening/Dedication: 20 May 1973
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN***
Soft Opening: December 1973
Grand Opening: 15 December 1973
SPACE MOUNTAIN
Soft Opening: 26 December 1974
Grand Opening: 15 January 1975
BIG THUNDER MOUNTAIN RAILROAD
Soft Opening: 23 September 1980
Grand Opening: 15 November 1980
NOTES
*Disneyland's Haunted Mansion's "Grand Opening" was advertised as the 12th, and yet the 9th was advertised as the opening day at the time by the LA Times.
**Opening day attraction. This means that while previews were likely held before the Park opened to the public or given their Grand Opening, this attraction was available on the Park's opening day. For reference, Disneyland had its Grand Opening (press dedication and special) on 17 July 1955 before opening to the public on 18 July 1955. Walt Disney World opened to the public on 1 October 1971 and was dedicated on 25 October 1971.
***For these attractions, there are no soft openings (to my current knowledge), but they still had cast member previews or at least WED tests.
INDEX
Grand Opening (includes Dedication) = the day an attraction is "opened" by the Park, usually with a ceremony.
Soft Opening = the day the guests (general public) were allowed to experience the attraction.
Attraction Profile: Peter Pan's Flight (Disneyland and Walt Disney World)
One of the most iconic Disney attractions is located in Fantasyland and it represents one of Disney's most beloved classics. Peter Pan's Flight is something Walt knew he wanted in Disneyland. After all, it was based on the animated film that Walt Disney Productions had released in 1953, just two years before Walt's theme park was due to open, so it made sense in the Park's most important land to have a ride based on a popular film.
Unlike Alice in Wonderland in 1951, Peter Pan was not a flop and early concept art shows how committed Disney was towards replicating Neverland.
May 1954 saw the beginning of what became Peter Pan's Flight with a concept drawing done by Herb Ryman. The ride system was tested in October 1954 at the Disney Studio in Burbank with Cleveland Tram Rail Company designing the track and mechanisms for the ride system.
In March 1955, Imagineers Claude Coats and Ken Anderson began working on the installation of the attraction and it was finished in time for the grand opening on 17 July 1955.
Despite the popularity of Peter Pan's Flight, there were issues with the tracks and the fiberglass vehicles.
When it came to designing Walt Disney World's version of the Magic Kingdom in 1967, WED debated whether or not to include a number of classic Disneyland attractions in their new park. Rides such as the Pirates of the Caribbean, Submarine Voyage, Adventures Thru Inner Space, and Matterhorn weren't initially included in the plans for the Florida Project (that's a story for a different day) and were slated to be duplicated as different attractions. Instead of an adventure through the bayous, pirate lairs, and port cities of the Caribbean, the Pirates were recast as cowboys and banditos in the Western River Expedition. The Submarine Voyage that debuted in 1959 was arguably dated and was turned into a seafaring journey with Captain Nemo from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Adventures Thru Inner Space had been replaced with a possible Omnimover attraction, sponsored by Eastern Airlines (If You Had Wings) and as for the Matterhorn, the thrill ride planned for Disneyland's 1967 Tomorrowland expansion was put on hold and then suggested for Florida (Space Mountain).
So how is this related to a dark ride in Fantasyland?
Well, since design considerations were made early in the development of the Park and WED wanted Disney World guests to be both wowed by the differences from the original in Anaheim and yet familiar with the park, they had to make decisions on what to include in terms of theming and attractions. So when it came to designing Fantasyland, they knew that they were going to have at least three dark rides (excluding It's a Small World), a theatre, and new facilities to be a slight departure from the Fantasyland at Disneyland.
Instead of Peter Pan's Flight, a Mary Poppins dark ride would fulfill the atmospheric quota for that land. Unfortunately, Roy Disney had objected to this with the logic that guests at the Florida Park might never get to visit the original Disneyland and that guests would expect to see the same rides and shows as advertised. Ultimately, the Peter Pan's Flight dark ride was planned for Florida in 1968 and construction on a new and improved ride system was done by Arrow Dynamics, who worked on several other Disney attractions.
Unlike Alice in Wonderland in 1951, Peter Pan was not a flop and early concept art shows how committed Disney was towards replicating Neverland.
May 1954 saw the beginning of what became Peter Pan's Flight with a concept drawing done by Herb Ryman. The ride system was tested in October 1954 at the Disney Studio in Burbank with Cleveland Tram Rail Company designing the track and mechanisms for the ride system.
In March 1955, Imagineers Claude Coats and Ken Anderson began working on the installation of the attraction and it was finished in time for the grand opening on 17 July 1955.
Despite the popularity of Peter Pan's Flight, there were issues with the tracks and the fiberglass vehicles.
When it came to designing Walt Disney World's version of the Magic Kingdom in 1967, WED debated whether or not to include a number of classic Disneyland attractions in their new park. Rides such as the Pirates of the Caribbean, Submarine Voyage, Adventures Thru Inner Space, and Matterhorn weren't initially included in the plans for the Florida Project (that's a story for a different day) and were slated to be duplicated as different attractions. Instead of an adventure through the bayous, pirate lairs, and port cities of the Caribbean, the Pirates were recast as cowboys and banditos in the Western River Expedition. The Submarine Voyage that debuted in 1959 was arguably dated and was turned into a seafaring journey with Captain Nemo from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Adventures Thru Inner Space had been replaced with a possible Omnimover attraction, sponsored by Eastern Airlines (If You Had Wings) and as for the Matterhorn, the thrill ride planned for Disneyland's 1967 Tomorrowland expansion was put on hold and then suggested for Florida (Space Mountain).
So how is this related to a dark ride in Fantasyland?
Well, since design considerations were made early in the development of the Park and WED wanted Disney World guests to be both wowed by the differences from the original in Anaheim and yet familiar with the park, they had to make decisions on what to include in terms of theming and attractions. So when it came to designing Fantasyland, they knew that they were going to have at least three dark rides (excluding It's a Small World), a theatre, and new facilities to be a slight departure from the Fantasyland at Disneyland.
Instead of Peter Pan's Flight, a Mary Poppins dark ride would fulfill the atmospheric quota for that land. Unfortunately, Roy Disney had objected to this with the logic that guests at the Florida Park might never get to visit the original Disneyland and that guests would expect to see the same rides and shows as advertised. Ultimately, the Peter Pan's Flight dark ride was planned for Florida in 1968 and construction on a new and improved ride system was done by Arrow Dynamics, who worked on several other Disney attractions.
If You're Going to Disneyland, Be Sure to Cut Your Hair
Disneyland management has always tried to control their fantasy world from the time it opened in July 1955 and this once included the appearance of their guests. It's true. Look at photos of Disneyland throughout the first two decades of its existence and you'll notice something striking about the guests at the Park. One may suggest that my request is rooted in a racial context, but a post on Disneyland and race would be something for a future publication. However, notice rather the fashion. Granted, there wasn't necessarily an embrace of casual fashion at the time, especially for occasions like going to restaurants, flying on airplanes, visiting Disneyland, and most things people do now in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Things were different. Smoking was allowed in most places. By the time I was born in the latter half of the 1990's, most places in the United States had started instituting no-smoking zones. A lot of things have obviously changed since Disneyland's first twenty years. Almost fifty years' worth.
But this is neither a discussion of everyday life in mid-century America, nor is it an indictment of our current society. It's just a brief history of Disney and long-hairs.
Since opening in 1955, Walt wanted Disneyland to be a unique place where things were clean, pristine, and ordered. That's precisely why he didn't allow male cast members to sport long hair or don mustaches. Despite brandishing his own mustache, his reasoning was simple. Carnies.
Well, carnival workers typically had mustaches, goatees, and beards and this was 1955 when the only people who had facial hair were Beats and "undesirables" as they were called. Then again, this was the 1950's, keep in mind. So the biggest issue to Walt was the criminal element attached to the carnival image and he never wanted a carnivalesque atmosphere. He wanted order and a sense of morality as portrayed by not only his animated features, but the values of the time.
Anyway, in October 1968, the Disneyland management relaxed its grooming standards even more with the general admission of hippies on the grounds that they would be otherwise clean and dressed properly. Interestingly enough, country-rock guitarist Gram Parsons was admitted into Disneyland that year with the help of Buck Owens' manager. The Disneylanders were reportedly more concerned about his dress-like outfit than his shoulder-length hair.
Local papers from 1967 and 1968 explain that Disney management didn't want hippies to show up, smoke dope, and wreak havoc, but at the same time, long-haired celebrities, such as John Phillips, Keith Richards, and different members of the Doors among others showed up around that time. In fact, an article on celebrity hippies and Disneyland is something I want to write about in the future, so watch out for an article in the near future.
By August 1969, commentators took note of how Disneyland had really relaxed the grooming rule, thus allowing any clothed and clean guests entry into the park without hassle. Like the apparent impetus to embracing a handful of contemporary acts such as the Spoonful back in '68, Disneyland chose to loosen the restrictive grooming guidelines around the same time to attract more business and thus avoid tough competition. Of course, the irony surrounding the measures of theme parks in response to local youth movements should be noted, including how the relatively-more conservative Knott's Berry Farm had introduced an admission system in 1968 to keep the hippies and bikers from using the park as a hangout whereas Disneyland had gradually loosened their grooming code. Needless to say, Disneyland had always boasted a basic admission system.
Unfortunately, the happy "hippie" time ended with a fateful August day in 1970. On 6 August 1970, thousands of "Yippies" or members of the Youth International Party had converged upon Disneyland to take a stand against the very machine Disney represented at that point: a capitalist paradise where attractions are sponsored by corporate elites and where the crowds and content would more or less reflect the white, middle-class demographic of politically conservative Orange County. I personally disagree with what they did because I feel that Disneyland is one of the greatest forms of escapism from the political maelstrom of the world and I feel that since it ruined a lot of families' day at the Park, it isn't something I would celebrate.
But this is neither a discussion of everyday life in mid-century America, nor is it an indictment of our current society. It's just a brief history of Disney and long-hairs.
Since opening in 1955, Walt wanted Disneyland to be a unique place where things were clean, pristine, and ordered. That's precisely why he didn't allow male cast members to sport long hair or don mustaches. Despite brandishing his own mustache, his reasoning was simple. Carnies.
Well, carnival workers typically had mustaches, goatees, and beards and this was 1955 when the only people who had facial hair were Beats and "undesirables" as they were called. Then again, this was the 1950's, keep in mind. So the biggest issue to Walt was the criminal element attached to the carnival image and he never wanted a carnivalesque atmosphere. He wanted order and a sense of morality as portrayed by not only his animated features, but the values of the time.
This included scraggly facial hair and long hair on male guests. With the advent of the Beatles and their signature mop-top hairstyle, there was pushback. High schools had expelled male students who refused to get haircuts, restaurants and other businesses would refuse service, and even other patrons would harass and attack men with long hair. Entire countries, such as Mexico, Turkey, Singapore, etc., would deny entry or even forcibly shave any male with hair longer than a certain length. Some of those places even threw people in jail. While Disneyland did not exactly dole out involuntary crewcuts, they kept a basic grooming policy in place for admission.
This ban on long-hair was extended to male guests and it was somewhat relaxed for exceptions, such as famous musicians and entertainers on occasion. However, when Jim "Roger" McGuinn visited the Park in 1964, his Beatle-length hair was the determining factor in denying him entry into the Park. Granted, this was one year before he rose to fame with the Byrds, so it's likely that if he had been recognizable like the actual Beatles, maybe he would've been admitted that day. However, the exception towards entertainers was not always definite, either.
Of course, there is a great history regarding the Beatles and Disney worthy of its own entry in the future, but rumor has it that the Beatles visited Disneyland after they performed at the Hollywood Bowl in 1964. They didn't, but George Harrison did visit the park in the late 1960's and early 1970's when those rules were still roughly in-effect.
Of course, there is a great history regarding the Beatles and Disney worthy of its own entry in the future, but rumor has it that the Beatles visited Disneyland after they performed at the Hollywood Bowl in 1964. They didn't, but George Harrison did visit the park in the late 1960's and early 1970's when those rules were still roughly in-effect.
Among the bands that followed the Beatles in the British Invasion of the mid-1960's, the Yardbirds had visited California in mid-1965 and actually went out to the park one day. Unfortunately, their clothes, accents, and manes were cause enough to deny them entry into the Happiest Place on Earth.
During their May 1966 residency in Los Angeles, Andy Warhol and his ragtag army of East Coast artists had visited Disneyland. The year prior, the Dave Clark Five (a Beatlesque band) had been admitted to the park.
Unfortunately, other artists weren't exactly given the green light. A local rock singer by the name of Jim Morrison and his friends (including one Ricky James Matthews) had been rejected for their unkempt, drugged out appearance in 1966. The Monkees referenced the anti-longhair rules on occasion. In fact, a Fall 1966 article on the band commented on this with an anecdote about Micky Dolenz being kicked out of the park for his hair.
A newspaper item from July 1966 had stated that the park management would "start turning away boys with long hair". It appears, though, that they already did, but it is possible that management recognized it as more and more of a "growing" trend and needed to clarify its stance. Disneyland entertainment personnel had already stated, in 1965, that they would stay away from hiring long-haired musicians, possibly fearing the chaos associated with the Beatles (as noted by their alleged sojourn in 1964) among other acts.
In 1967, the management at Disneyland started to admit long-haired males who were considered non-entertainment on a limited basis, but it was still highly selective. They did turn away a UCLA student and a few others. Actor Terence Stamp was offered a haircut at the gate in exchange for admission, but balked at the idea. The fiancée of a Hollywood starlet had been turned away, so did a few others. Among those was a local countercultural reporter named Terry Gilliam who had been chosen to review the brand-new Pirates of the Caribbean ride. While he moved shortly afterwards to England that year to pursue a career with the Monty Python team, he cited that incident as pivotal to his future work, including Brazil (1985) and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998).
Going into 1968, Disneyland management also allowed more contemporary acts, such as the Lovin' Spoonful, to perform. The intriguing thing about the Spoonful by this time was that they had lost a lot of countercultural cred. While John Sebastian had his signature Beatles'-length hair, he was allowed to sing "Daydream" from the elevating Tomorrowland Terrace stage one Spring night. Part of the reasoning would be a practical business move. Since some aspects of the counterculture were becoming more mainstream by then, recruiting a contemporary pop-rock act would attract more teenage guests to the park and give local clubs and teenage fairs some competition. It is not that Disneyland talent managers had refused to allow any modern acts prior to 1968, but by then, they mostly recruited the most bubblegum of bands. Of course, this can be explained by the fear of some Hard Day's Night-style Beatlemania or Rolling Stones-meets-The Doors riot. God forbid a Grateful Dead-Jefferson Airplane Acid Test, which would've been thematically fitting for the area near the Alice in Wonderland ride...
Anyway, in October 1968, the Disneyland management relaxed its grooming standards even more with the general admission of hippies on the grounds that they would be otherwise clean and dressed properly. Interestingly enough, country-rock guitarist Gram Parsons was admitted into Disneyland that year with the help of Buck Owens' manager. The Disneylanders were reportedly more concerned about his dress-like outfit than his shoulder-length hair.
Local papers from 1967 and 1968 explain that Disney management didn't want hippies to show up, smoke dope, and wreak havoc, but at the same time, long-haired celebrities, such as John Phillips, Keith Richards, and different members of the Doors among others showed up around that time. In fact, an article on celebrity hippies and Disneyland is something I want to write about in the future, so watch out for an article in the near future.
By August 1969, commentators took note of how Disneyland had really relaxed the grooming rule, thus allowing any clothed and clean guests entry into the park without hassle. Like the apparent impetus to embracing a handful of contemporary acts such as the Spoonful back in '68, Disneyland chose to loosen the restrictive grooming guidelines around the same time to attract more business and thus avoid tough competition. Of course, the irony surrounding the measures of theme parks in response to local youth movements should be noted, including how the relatively-more conservative Knott's Berry Farm had introduced an admission system in 1968 to keep the hippies and bikers from using the park as a hangout whereas Disneyland had gradually loosened their grooming code. Needless to say, Disneyland had always boasted a basic admission system.
Unfortunately, the happy "hippie" time ended with a fateful August day in 1970. On 6 August 1970, thousands of "Yippies" or members of the Youth International Party had converged upon Disneyland to take a stand against the very machine Disney represented at that point: a capitalist paradise where attractions are sponsored by corporate elites and where the crowds and content would more or less reflect the white, middle-class demographic of politically conservative Orange County. I personally disagree with what they did because I feel that Disneyland is one of the greatest forms of escapism from the political maelstrom of the world and I feel that since it ruined a lot of families' day at the Park, it isn't something I would celebrate.
The following day, Disneyland re-opened and reintroduced their "no hippies allowed" policy. While Disneyland security turned away some 100 or so hirsute gentlemen, they did allow a handful of hairy guests into the park after inspection. Apparently, cleanliness and attitude were factors that determined entry, just like before.
PERSONAL ANECDOTE: My grandfather (my mom's dad) had some shaggy hair back in the 1960's and the 1970's (he still has long hair after all these years). Shortly after he married my grandmother and my mom was born, they went to Disneyland. It was the Summer of 1969 and from what I remember, he said that they went on the Haunted Mansion at least three times because it just opened that same August. They also apparently had lunch at the Blue Bayou, which was relatively inexpensive at the time. My grandfather looked like George Harrison with the mustache. Since this was August or maybe September 1969, it appears that the rules on long-hair had been relaxed and it contradicted my impression that the second Disney let in a long-haired man with a mustache, it escalated into the Yippie Invasion of August 1970.
Attraction Profile: Space Mountain (Walt Disney World and Disneyland)
One of the most iconic Disney attractions is a weenie (main visual attraction) that sits in almost everyone Tomorrowland. Yes, I am referring to Space Mountain. Guests probably know that Space Mountain was around since the 1970's when both Disney World and Disneyland opened their own versions, but there is a long, storied history behind the attractions on both coasts.
On a personal note, I first went on Disneyland's Space Mountain back in 2005 after about a year-and-a-half of not going to the Park and when I finally made it to the original Space Mountain in Florida two years later, I had an even memorable time. Whenever I go to a Magic Kingdom-style Disney park, I just have to visit Space Mountain (unless it's closed). Space Mountain was a vital aspect of my relationship to Disney and it still inspires me as of this writing.
However, this isn't my Space Mountain story, it's the story of one of the greatest theme park attractions.
So let's go back in time to not the space-obsessed 1970's, but to a simpler time. Let's head back to 1959 when the Matterhorn Bobsleds opened at Disneyland in California.
Walt Disney was hesitant to have a roller coaster in his theme park because they were a common fixture on boardwalks, midways, and shady amusement parks in major cities, but since he designed and opened the Matterhorn, it gained enough popularity to prove to Walt that roller coasters were welcome in his park.
Walt understood that Disneyland wasn't a typical amusement park (it's a theme park, darn it!) and the theming that his company was known for had distinguished not only attractions, but the experiences.
The "Matterhorn" principle (the very idea of building a Matterhorn-type thrill ride with a slightly different theme) caught on and had influenced the development of the plans for a Tomorrowland refurbishment.
Since Tomorrowland was increasingly seen as dated in the early 1960's and Walt wasn't exactly thrilled with the fact that the land was rushed open with its streamlined, mid-century design, this meant that a redesign of Tomorrowland was due in the near future.
One of the attractions suggested for the refurbishment was the Space Port, also known as "Tomorrowland Mountain", "Tomorrowland Space Adventure", and ultimately in June 1966, "Space Mountain". In fact, John Hench, who painted one of the original renderings of Space Mountain, actually pitched that name to Walt during one of the meetings.
Similar to New Orleans Square, this attraction was a "theme center" with various other attractions in addition to the planned E-Ticket adventure, "Space Voyage", which would be an 8-track roller coaster that simulated a rocket ride both indoors and outside of the complex. This was at the time going to be one of WED's most ambitious projects.
The original plans for the theme center, according to Mike Cozart, included the eponymous E-ticket (Space Mountain), the Rocket Jets inside the complex, a space-themed shooting gallery, the Flight to the Moon ride, the Space Place/Bar (a fast food restaurant), even a dance floor (sponsored by 7-Up), and other possible attractions.
The Space Port theme center was further in danger when the computing technology required to design Space Mountain was not efficient enough to build the anchor attraction within a few years, especially for the number of tracks planned and while the scope of the attraction was downsized from the original size, the real estate needed for the attraction wasn't enough.
However, the project wasn't built along with New Tomorrowland in 1967 and when its expected opening as part of the second phase of NT's expansion in 1968 didn't come, it remained listed as a future attraction on Disneyland maps for years...and years, but a project Walt began in Florida was welcoming of this new attraction with its unique shape taking up space on early Magic Kingdom and Vacation Kingdom literature and even WED annual reports.
When the Magic Kingdom in Florida was designed in 1967 and 1968, Space Mountain was pushed towards the Florida Park. Early models and pre-opening literature for WDW included Space Mountain, presumably as a part of their own theme center.
The telecommunication firm, RCA, had sold Disney the televisions, intercoms, radios, and other specialized gadgets, according to their 1968-9 Project 90 report, for Walt Disney World, which included the facilities and hotels, and they agreed to a deal with WED in about 1969 or 1970 to sponsor an attraction with a price tag around $10,000,000. The catch is that RCA had to approve the attraction. RCA was quickly sold on sponsoring Space Mountain and construction began on 15 December 1972 with an expected opening date of April 1974 and then late 1974 before settling on January 1975.
Construction in WDW's Tomorrowland was a constant for three years. Meanwhile, it was suggested back in California that Disneyland would receive its Space Mountain after all and by late 1973, according to a mid-1971 memo. However, construction in Disneyland's Tomorrowland had been intermittent between 1967 and 1973, when the Carousel of Progress was closed down for its move to Florida and the opening of a replacement attraction ("America Sings") in June 1974.
However, the construction on Space Mountain in Florida was wrapped up in 1974 with the track being tested and the final details being fine-tuned, but it was initially expected to be up and running on the East Coast in April 1974 according to a February 1973 project schedule. Needless to say, the construction was delayed with the oil crisis of late 1973.
Space Mountain was running for cast members and even some fortunate WDW guests in December 1974.
Despite the delays, Space Mountain opened along with the recently-moved Carousel of Progress on 15 January 1975 in a grand ceremony with celebrities, dignitaries, and scientists in attendance. In fact, it was the highlight of a 1975 episode of Disney's primetime show.
Six months after opening, construction began on the Disneyland version on 15 July 1975 and construction wrapped up with another high-profile grand opening on 27 May 1977, just five days after the original Star Wars was released in theatres. On 4 May 1977, Disneyland's version had its soft opening.
As with other attractions, cast members are allowed to test the ride before opening and as per the one at Disneyland, Imagineer Bill Watkins took the maiden voyage in early 1977.
Duplicates of the Disneyland version have been replicated at Tokyo Disneyland (1983) and Hong Kong Disneyland (2005). Another tidbit about Space Mountain is that it was the first roller coaster to be designed with the aid of a computer and the Matterhorn Bobsleds was refurbed in 1977-1978 with the technology used on both Space Mountains.
In conclusion, Space Mountain is one of the most iconic attractions on the Disney theme park landscape.
On a personal note, I first went on Disneyland's Space Mountain back in 2005 after about a year-and-a-half of not going to the Park and when I finally made it to the original Space Mountain in Florida two years later, I had an even memorable time. Whenever I go to a Magic Kingdom-style Disney park, I just have to visit Space Mountain (unless it's closed). Space Mountain was a vital aspect of my relationship to Disney and it still inspires me as of this writing.
However, this isn't my Space Mountain story, it's the story of one of the greatest theme park attractions.
So let's go back in time to not the space-obsessed 1970's, but to a simpler time. Let's head back to 1959 when the Matterhorn Bobsleds opened at Disneyland in California.
Walt Disney was hesitant to have a roller coaster in his theme park because they were a common fixture on boardwalks, midways, and shady amusement parks in major cities, but since he designed and opened the Matterhorn, it gained enough popularity to prove to Walt that roller coasters were welcome in his park.
Walt understood that Disneyland wasn't a typical amusement park (it's a theme park, darn it!) and the theming that his company was known for had distinguished not only attractions, but the experiences.
The "Matterhorn" principle (the very idea of building a Matterhorn-type thrill ride with a slightly different theme) caught on and had influenced the development of the plans for a Tomorrowland refurbishment.
Since Tomorrowland was increasingly seen as dated in the early 1960's and Walt wasn't exactly thrilled with the fact that the land was rushed open with its streamlined, mid-century design, this meant that a redesign of Tomorrowland was due in the near future.
One of the attractions suggested for the refurbishment was the Space Port, also known as "Tomorrowland Mountain", "Tomorrowland Space Adventure", and ultimately in June 1966, "Space Mountain". In fact, John Hench, who painted one of the original renderings of Space Mountain, actually pitched that name to Walt during one of the meetings.
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| John Hench's initial concept for "Space Port" (circa 1964-5, property of Disney). |
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| 1964 Concept painting of the New Tomorrowland project, property of WED/Disney. Notice the "Ford"sign above one of the People-Movers. That year, WED unveiled an exhibit for the Ford Pavilion at the New York World's Fair called "the Ford Magic Skyway" alongside three other pavilions. |
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| Circa 1965-6 Herb Ryman painting of Space Mountain's swanky modern exterior in the very area it would stand in a decade. Property of Disney. |
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| John Hench's late 1964/early 1965 concept art of NT, as seen in the 10th Anniversary Disneyland guidebook from 1965. |
Similar to New Orleans Square, this attraction was a "theme center" with various other attractions in addition to the planned E-Ticket adventure, "Space Voyage", which would be an 8-track roller coaster that simulated a rocket ride both indoors and outside of the complex. This was at the time going to be one of WED's most ambitious projects.
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| "Tomorrowland Mountain", according to a WED/Disneyland publication from 1967, would serve as a "spaceport and theme center" where guests would board rocket ships to "experience the sensation of racing through distant space" and it would stand up to 18 stories. Wow, that's tall! |
The original plans for the theme center, according to Mike Cozart, included the eponymous E-ticket (Space Mountain), the Rocket Jets inside the complex, a space-themed shooting gallery, the Flight to the Moon ride, the Space Place/Bar (a fast food restaurant), even a dance floor (sponsored by 7-Up), and other possible attractions.
The Space Port theme center was further in danger when the computing technology required to design Space Mountain was not efficient enough to build the anchor attraction within a few years, especially for the number of tracks planned and while the scope of the attraction was downsized from the original size, the real estate needed for the attraction wasn't enough.
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| Circa 1967-8 photo of the Space Mountain model developed by WED. This can be seen in WED's 1967 Annual Report, which was published in early-1968. |
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| Imagineers review Space Mountain model (circa 1968) |
However, the project wasn't built along with New Tomorrowland in 1967 and when its expected opening as part of the second phase of NT's expansion in 1968 didn't come, it remained listed as a future attraction on Disneyland maps for years...and years, but a project Walt began in Florida was welcoming of this new attraction with its unique shape taking up space on early Magic Kingdom and Vacation Kingdom literature and even WED annual reports.
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| From the cover of the 1969 WDW Preview booklet, we can tell that Space Mountain was supposed to be one of the major attractions at WDW before it opened. |
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| Courtesy of WED/Disney. This 1969 concept illustration of the exterior of Space Mountain at Walt Disney World was featured in early WED literature concerning the Magic Kingdom in Florida, including the 1969 Walt Disney World Preview Booklet given to stockholders at their annual meeting in Los Angeles. Look at the spires and the enormity of such a project. |
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| Model of Space Mountain (Courtesy Walt Disney Imagineering, circa 1967-1969) |
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| WED painting of Space Mountain (circa 1971) by Clem Hall. I couldn't pin down an exact date, but the suggestion that this was from 1974 is too late in the game and the other suggestion that it was painted in 1970 or 1971 when Clem Hall was commissioned to conceptualize the exterior. |
When the Magic Kingdom in Florida was designed in 1967 and 1968, Space Mountain was pushed towards the Florida Park. Early models and pre-opening literature for WDW included Space Mountain, presumably as a part of their own theme center.
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| Early WED model of the Magic Kingdom, circa 1969-1970, with Space Mountain as part of an unrealized Tomorrowland layout that persisted on paper as late as 1971. Worthy of noting that the area with the auto racing ride between Space Mountain and the 20K Lagoon was known as "Holidayland". |
The telecommunication firm, RCA, had sold Disney the televisions, intercoms, radios, and other specialized gadgets, according to their 1968-9 Project 90 report, for Walt Disney World, which included the facilities and hotels, and they agreed to a deal with WED in about 1969 or 1970 to sponsor an attraction with a price tag around $10,000,000. The catch is that RCA had to approve the attraction. RCA was quickly sold on sponsoring Space Mountain and construction began on 15 December 1972 with an expected opening date of April 1974 and then late 1974 before settling on January 1975.
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| One of the early WED models of SM (circa 1971-2) |
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| Left to right: Marty Sklar, Tony Baxter, George McGinnis, and John Hench review the model for WDW's Space Mountain in 1973. |
Construction in WDW's Tomorrowland was a constant for three years. Meanwhile, it was suggested back in California that Disneyland would receive its Space Mountain after all and by late 1973, according to a mid-1971 memo. However, construction in Disneyland's Tomorrowland had been intermittent between 1967 and 1973, when the Carousel of Progress was closed down for its move to Florida and the opening of a replacement attraction ("America Sings") in June 1974.
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| Aerial shot of the progress done on Space Mountain, 16 July 1973. Within a year, the exterior was mostly finished and the actual attraction was under construction. |
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| Not only a lovely shot of the Contemporary Resort (which was placed there purposefully to be seen from inside Tomorrowland), but also the construction on both Space Mountain and the WED Way People-Mover track (1973). |
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| This late 1973/early 1974 exterior shot shows the progress on Space Mountain (Disney) |
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| This 1974 view of the interior of Space Mountain shows that the track was either under construction or completed with an Imagineer or construction worker eyeing his own work. Courtesy WED/Disney. |
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| Imagineer hard-at-work on a rocket for Space Mountain. I presume this was in the Central Shops at WDW (1974). |
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| Publicity photo, courtesy WED/Disney (1974). This is the infamous "Star Tunnel" that leads WDW guests through Space Mountain. |
However, the construction on Space Mountain in Florida was wrapped up in 1974 with the track being tested and the final details being fine-tuned, but it was initially expected to be up and running on the East Coast in April 1974 according to a February 1973 project schedule. Needless to say, the construction was delayed with the oil crisis of late 1973.
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| The Feb. 1973 schedule of planned projects, published by Disney. Notice how Disney expected the MK to look by 1979. |
Despite the delays, Space Mountain opened along with the recently-moved Carousel of Progress on 15 January 1975 in a grand ceremony with celebrities, dignitaries, and scientists in attendance. In fact, it was the highlight of a 1975 episode of Disney's primetime show.
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| 15 January 1975 saw the Grand Opening of Space Mountain with Mickey Mouse the Astronaut. |
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| Goofy and Mickey, donning their flight suits, have just returned from their premiere trip through space (15 Jan. 1975). |
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| Opening day photo of WDW guests boarding their rockets for an "out of this world" adventure (15 Jan. 1975). |
Six months after opening, construction began on the Disneyland version on 15 July 1975 and construction wrapped up with another high-profile grand opening on 27 May 1977, just five days after the original Star Wars was released in theatres. On 4 May 1977, Disneyland's version had its soft opening.
As with other attractions, cast members are allowed to test the ride before opening and as per the one at Disneyland, Imagineer Bill Watkins took the maiden voyage in early 1977.
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| Imagineer Bill Watkins takes the first ride on Disneyland's Space Mountain during its testing phrase |
Duplicates of the Disneyland version have been replicated at Tokyo Disneyland (1983) and Hong Kong Disneyland (2005). Another tidbit about Space Mountain is that it was the first roller coaster to be designed with the aid of a computer and the Matterhorn Bobsleds was refurbed in 1977-1978 with the technology used on both Space Mountains.
In conclusion, Space Mountain is one of the most iconic attractions on the Disney theme park landscape.
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