The Imagineering Vault - Attractions That Were Never Built

[spacemt354]

This is the start of a new thread series I've titled "The Imagineering Vault" series.

In these threads, we will take a look back at Disney Imagineering to uncover things like past attraction concepts, how attractions are designed and made, as well as explore the attraction technology advancements through the ages.

In this edition, we will take a look back at all of the attraction concepts that never came to be. We'll look at the concept art, talk about the implications if the attraction was built, and whether or not we'd want to see it today.

My hope is that these threads act as conversation pieces as we delve through Disney history. Thanks for reading and we will begin right away!

Here's an overview of the concepts we have discussed:
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Concept 1: The Magic Kingdom Area That Never Was...

• Disney's Asian Resort
• Disney's Persian Resort
• Disney's Venetian Resort
• Disney's Mediterranean Resort

Concept 2: The World Showcase That Never Was...

• Arab World Pavilion, Equatorial Africa Pavilion
• Costa Rica Pavilion, Venezuela Pavilion, Israel Pavilion, Spain Pavilion, Switzerland Pavilion
• Russia Pavilion, Denmark Pavilion, Scandinavian Pavilion
• UK Pavilion, Germany Pavilion, Japan Pavilion Attractions

 

[spacemt354]

Concept 1: The Magic Kingdom Area That Never Was...(Part 1)​

The Magic Kingdom Resort area as planned in the late 1960s was meant to be a lot different than it is today. Going clockwise around the Seven Seas Lagoon, we will take a look individually at some of the lost resorts that were never built:

Disney's Asian Resort

This resort had been in the works since 1967 and was planned to open in 1974, a few years after the WDW Resort opened to the public.

Disney's Asian Resort was a part of the master plan to incorporate five resorts build around the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake. A plot of land west of the Magic Kingdom along the Seven Seas Lagoon and attached to the monorail line was laid out in preparation for this resort.

The square plot of land would be one of the closest resorts to the Magic Kingdom, with only one stop on the monorail separating it from the park.

The resort itself was themed to Thailand and would have been decked out with Thai furniture, restaurants, shopping, and more. The large tower you see in the image above was meant to be 160 feet tall complete with a large atrium lobby with a restaurant on the top....much like the California Grill now sits on the top of the Contemporary.

In 1972, the resort was essentially finished in the planning stage and was ready for architectural design. The hotel would have been considered a Deluxe Resort with 500 standard rooms and a maximum occupancy of 2,580 guests. There was also a plan to have a large convention center attached to the resort.

In 1972, the resort was essentially finished in the planning stage and was ready for architectural design. The hotel would have been considered a Deluxe Resort with 500 standard rooms and a maximum occupancy of 2,580 guests. There was also a plan to have a large convention center attached to the resort.

However, just as plans were being finalized, the 1973 Oil Embargo hit and the economy declined, placing Disney's Asian Resort on hold. The plot of land set aside for Disney's Asian Resort sat vacant for almost 15 years, until Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa was built in it's place and opened on July 1, 1988.

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[spacemt354]

Concept 1: The Magic Kingdom Area That Never Was...(Part 2)
Continuing clockwise our tour of the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake that never was....our next stop is:

Disney's Persian Resort

While the other resorts that we will talk about were directly on the shores of the Seven Seas Lagoon, this resort (part of the original 5 resort plan in the late 1960s) was supposed to be placed north of Disney's Contemporary resort and east of the Magic Kingdom. You can see where it would have been below (also check out the original design of Space Mountain!)

The theme of this deluxe resort would have had Iranian influences. Similar to Disney's Asian Resort, the plans were put on hold with the 1973 Oil Embargo and economic decline. However, it has been said that plans were permanently dismissed due to the Iranian Revolution. So far, there haven't been any plans to bring a resort to this location since.
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[spacemt354]

Concept 1: The Magic Kingdom Area That Never Was...(Part 3)
Disney's Venetian Resort

Located in between Disney's Contemporary Resort and the Transportation and Ticket Center, this deluxe resort was planned along with the Polynesian, Asian, Persian, and Contemporary Resorts for the early years of WDW. The plans were pushed back to 1976 after the Oil Embargo, and then eventually scrapped due to cost.

As you can see above the 5 resort master plan. Disney's Asian Resort on the west side (current location of the Grand Floridian). Disney's Persian Resort on the bottom right side of the image (the northernmost resort on property) Disney's Contemporary and Disney's Polynesian Resorts in their respective current day places, and Disney's Venetian Resort...situated in between the TTC and Contemporary.

The location may have played a factor, as we will see in the next resort in the 1990s, but the main factor is the cost, as the economic decline put a halt on any construction plans for the resort.
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[spacemt354]

Concept 1: The Magic Kingdom Area That Never Was...(Part 4)
Disney's Mediterranean Resort

Proposed in the 1990s by Michael Eisner and co, this resort would have been located in the same area as the proposed Venetian Resort, and rivaled Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa which just recently opened across the Seven Seas Lagoon. However, plans were put on hold when the Imagineers realized the the foundation

Sorry for the bad image quality, but above was the proposed land usage for the resort. Themed to Greek Islands on the Seven Seas Lagoon, this project was put on hold though when Imagineers realized that they needed a deeper footing in the ground than Spaceship Earth! This is due to the swampy location.

In 2010, land was cleared again in this area, but it was just to improve the monorail sight-lines. There are no plans for this area so far into the future.

And now we have completed our tour of the Magic Kingdom Resorts that never were....!

Next we will be traveling to Epcot to discover all of the countries of World Showcase that were never built! Stay tuned!​

 

[Sam Magic]

The pain is too real...

 

[spacemt354]

The pain is too real...

Oh yes!

Hey, hopefully you don't mind me asking, would you like to do the posts for some of these? Like do a restrospective on some attractions that were never built? I'm trying to look for ways to make this more interactive! If you or anyone else would like to, please do!! Then once we have the history down we could discuss maybe...what the current day parks and resorts would look like if these were built!

 

[Sam Magic]

Oh yes!

Hey, hopefully you don't mind me asking, would you like to do the posts for some of these? Like do a restrospective on some attractions that were never built? I'm trying to look for ways to make this more interactive! If you or anyone else would like to, please do!! Then once we have the history down we could discuss maybe...what the current day parks and resorts would look like if these were built!

Well it's funny, this is what I'm kind of doing with my Alternate Worlds post.

However, I have a ton of information given the research I've done and would love to do a post here.

 

[spacemt354]

Well it's funny, this is what I'm kind of doing with my Alternate Worlds post.

However, I have a ton of information given the research I've done and would love to do a post here.

By all means!

My original intention with this was to make this a central hub for every single Disney attraction in every Disney park that was planned but never came to being. But it's much better if we work together. A long project but I'd love to have some help, if someone likes a particular attraction or resort concept they wish to talk about. Tonight I'm gonna look back at all of the World Showcase Pavilions that never were!

I got my coffee and no homework... I'm good to go!

 

[Sam Magic]

By all means!

My original intention with this was to make this a central hub for every single Disney attraction in every Disney park that was planned but never came to being. But it's much better if we work together. A long project but I'd love to have some help, if someone likes a particular attraction or resort concept they wish to talk about. Tonight I'm gonna look back at all of the World Showcase Pavilions that never were!

I got my coffee and no homework... I'm good to go!

Got some good info on those...and tons of HD pics.

 

[spacemt354]

Got some good info on those...and tons of HD pics.

Awesome! That sounds great!

 

[spacemt354]

Concept 2: The World Showcase That Never Was...(Part 1)
We will start off with the backstory of "World Showcase" as a whole. Believe it or not, the idea of a World Showcase was around since the early 1970s. Originally, in 1975, the plan was to have World Showcase close to the Magic Kingdom resort area, featuring countries around a figure eight hub, with each nation having the same land area.

As plans for Epcot (the city) began to fade, and Epcot Center began to evolve, the plans expanded to include a World Showcase opposite of Future World. The Imagineers originally planned to have the American Adventure be the entrance to World Showcase, however this idea was changed to have it been in the far back of the lagoon. The thought being that it will entice guests to go and visit it and to do so, they'd have to travel around the other countries as well.

We are going to focus on the several World Showcase Pavilions that were planned, but for one reason or another, never saw the light of day. As you can see above, there are six land areas currently available around the World Showcase lagoon. 7 and 8 are now occupied by the International Gateway and Convention Festival Building respectfully.

Here's a peak at some of the countries that could have been. And @Sam4D23 I will leave this open ended for you if you have some of those pictures and content to add!

This will be divided into several posts. First we will talk about the nations that were never built and then get into the attractions in the current pavilions that never came to be. Hope you enjoy!

Arab World Pavilion

Planned to have been one of the most ambitious pavilions in all of World Showcase, the Arab World Pavilion would have included a large bazaar shopping area including a boat ride through Persepolis. Unfortunately, due to complications in Iran during the time of planning, the project was put on hold and has yet to be revived.

Equatorial Africa Pavilion

Part of the original World Showcase plans, the Equatorial Africa Pavilion would have included a massive 60ft tall tree with a treehouse at the top that guests could climb to and gaze at animals below in a watering hole. In an outdoor amphitheater, there would have been a live show featuring African music and dance, while the "Heartbeat of Africa" show would discuss the culture of the land.

Overview of the planned land - current day location of the "Outpost" between China and Germany.

While this would be an awesome pavilion, I feel like we got a "version" of this with Africa in Animal Kingdom, and that is one of the most detail oriented lands in all of Disney Parks, so I think in a way we saw this idea become a reality (thank goodness)!

Part 2 coming up!​

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[spacemt354]

Concept 2: The World Showcase That Never Was...(Part 2)​

Costa Rica Pavilion

Very early World Showcase designs included a Costa Rica Pavilion, which would have featured a Crystal Palace as the land's main icon. The Palace would have included waterfalls, exotic animals, and gardens similar to the nation itself. Food and shopping locations would have had a tropical vibe as well. There were also plans for an arts and crafts area in the palace.

Venezuela Pavilion

In 1981, Disney actually announced plans for a Venezuela pavilion to be a part of World Showcase. The land would have included an aerial tram ride through the rainforest as seen in the concept art above. However, after the design phase, the plan fell through and the nation never began construction.

Israel and Spain Pavilions

While little concept art can be found on these pavilions (@Sam4D23 maybe you can help me out with that!) Israel and Spain Pavilions were planned and even announced as part of World Showcase Phase II, however the unstable situation in Israel halted the plans for that pavilion and the Spain Pavilion ended up falling through. Both pavilions would have been very interested, but I was particularly intrigued by the Spain Pavilion - which would have featured 2 attractions and a restaurant. The two attractions included a dark ride through Spain showing off their culture and a film about the nation's landmarks.

Switzerland Pavilion

In 1989, the Switzerland Pavilion was proposed and would have played host to a replica of the Matterhorn Bobsled attraction from Disneyland.

The pavilion would have been located in-between Germany and Italy (taking up the #4 slot in the World Showcase map a few posts ago). The Matterhorn Mountain was planned to be 192 ft tall...completely dwarfing all of the other nations around it. The attraction itself would also have had a track that was identical to Disneyland's Space Mountain - just themed to the Alps.

The village as you walk through the pavilion would have been host to several arts and crafts areas, including a wood carving shop, and a clock/music shop.

I had found a source that actually showed the concept art for the Switzerland proposal, but it wasn't allowing me to post a link or pictures unfortunately. If you search it on google though you should be able to find it. Check it out, it's pretty neat!

From the concept art I've seen (and you can too..just google it for now) think of it looking fairly similar design wise to the Germany Pavilion, except it would have had a massive roller coaster in the back. It would have been interesting to see how this would have fit into the World Showcase skyline...while its a cool design, I think it would have actually stood out too much and dwarfs its neighboring pavilions. Comment below and discuss!

Thank you for reading and part 3 coming tomorrow!​

 

[spacemt354]

Concept 2: The World Showcase That Never Was...(Part 3)

Russia Pavilion

In the 1990s, plans were conceived for a Russia Pavilion, with the main showcase being a replica of the St. Basal's Cathedral. The main attraction would have been titled "Russia - The Bells of Change" Similar to the American Adventure, the show would have featured Audio-Animatronics and film to bring the culture of Russia to life. The fall of the Soviet Union put an end to these plans however.

Denmark and Scandinavian Pavilions

Originally, Disney desperately wanted to have a Denmark Pavilion along the World Showcase Lagoon, and for a while it almost happened. The pavilion would have included a replica of the Tivoli Gardens, a LEGO-themed boat ride, and carnival type attractions such as a Ferris Wheel and carousel. As the deal seemed to fall through, Disney wanted to go for a more broad pavilion titled the Scandinavian Pavilion. Norway was the only country who signed up, and that is why we have Norway, today!

So here's a question for everyone....

Out of all these pavilions, which one would you have liked to see become a reality? Or, if you could add a new nation to World Showcase that's not on this list, which would you choose?

Would be interested to hear what everyone thinks!


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[DisneyManOne]

My two cents regarding World Showcase: I really do think Equatorial Africa was given new life thanks to Animal Kingdom, so at least that came to fruition: but regarding the others, I'd really like to see Russia, Spain and Israel come to fruition.

In fact, upon reading all that, I plan to return to my "EPCOT Center: A New Generation" thread and see if I can squeeze those three in somewhere.

---Edit---

This is how I would put those three in. Do you think that this would be feasible?

 

[IAmNotAHufflepuff]

I'm not sure Israel is a major enough country to warrant it's own pavilion. If you tried to base it off the Bible, you might find some angry non-Christian church groups.

I do think that Russia and Spain deserve their own pavilions though, as they are both major countries both financially and culturally.

Ypa!

 

[spacemt354]

My two cents regarding World Showcase: I really do think Equatorial Africa was given new life thanks to Animal Kingdom, so at least that came to fruition: but regarding the others, I'd really like to see Russia, Spain and Israel come to fruition.

In fact, upon reading all that, I plan to return to my "EPCOT Center: A New Generation" thread and see if I can squeeze those three in somewhere.

---Edit---

This is how I would put those three in. Do you think that this would be feasible?

That looks cool! I really like the World Showplace area...nice touch!

And that's great you're starting that up again. The Epcot New Generation was my pick for Best Park in the TAFI Award nominations!

 

[spacemt354]

I'm not sure Israel is a major enough country to warrant it's own pavilion. If you tried to base it off the Bible, you might find some angry non-Christian church groups.

I do think that Russia and Spain deserve their own pavilions though, as they are both major countries both financially and culturally.

Ypa!

View attachment 124192View attachment 124192 View attachment 124192

Definitely two countries I could see added. If I had to pick I'd go with Brazil and Russia...just for diversity sake because it'd really change the landscape of World Showcase to have a tropical nation and a tundra nation.

 

[DisneyManOne]

Definitely two countries I could see added. If I had to pick I'd go with Brazil and Russia...just for diversity sake because it'd really change the landscape of World Showcase to have a tropical nation and a tundra nation.

For Russia, I wouldn't really emphasize the tundra nation aspect, because I'd rather base it--like the original concept--on the Red Square with St. Basil's cathedral.

But for Brazil--well, if you remember my "Disney's Animal Kingdom: A New Generation" (which is NOT dead--I will be adding on to the thread in the future), I did have plans for a South American area. And much like how Africa serves as a spiritual successor to the canned Equatorial Africa pavilion, my South America area will serve as a successor to a non-existent Brazil pavilion.

 

[spacemt354]

For Russia, I wouldn't really emphasize the tundra nation aspect, because I'd rather base it--like the original concept--on the Red Square with St. Basil's cathedral.

But for Brazil--well, if you remember my "Disney's Animal Kingdom: A New Generation" (which is NOT dead--I will be adding on to the thread in the future), I did have plans for a South American area. And much like how Africa serves as a spiritual successor to the canned Equatorial Africa pavilion, my South America area will serve as a successor to a non-existent Brazil pavilion.

Nice! And for Russia...I would definitely base it on St. Basal's Cathedral, I was more thinking of having it take place in the winter time and add a slight snow element.