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Unseen Little Mermaid artwork?
- Thread starter djkidkaz
- Start date
Tim Lohr
Well-Known Member
It does seem a lot like the Disney Sea area, on the left it looks like a row of snail shell type ride vehicles going around that twisting spire, and on the right there are the clam shells visible similar to the DCA version Mermaid. I've never seen it before either but if I had to guess it looks like an early concept for the FLE because the castle and lay out are so similar
IWant2GoNow
Well-Known Member
Is that CC on the left? If so, the orientation of the ride is odd for this to be an old concept for MK. Especially since the clam shell vehicles appear to be visible from outside & not housed by the show building like most dark rides in MK due to the FL weather. I would think either the artist wasn't too concerned about those details or that this is concept art for another park. Shanghai perhaps? I don't know, just pure speculation. I'm sure there's an insider somewhere who can shed light.
bdearl41
Well-Known Member
A wonderful picture, nice dig! It definately has that seashell ride from Disney Sea to the left of the bridge. This drawing must of definately been from the BLUE SKY state of planning. I am sure Disney wanted something like this but imagine their was just not enough land. Glad to see they seemed to keep the castle and waterfall landscape from this drawing though.
Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
My guess is that this is for Shanghai since we know that Fantasyland will have a boat ride in it.
Pixiedustmaker
Well-Known Member
On the left is a version of "Scuttle's Scooters", a ride which is currently operated at Disney Seas. The sketch is original concept art work for FLE's Mermaid. They toyed with extending the castle's "moat" around FLE (using bridges so folks could still use walkways), and reopening the swan boats. Needless to say, didn't get very far, though Shanghai will have an interesting boat ride.
ExtinctJenn
Well-Known Member
It certainly looks it to me but are you saying that as fact or opinion? If indeed it's fact I have to admit I have slight disappointment now as it would've been a beautiful version of what ended up being done. Not saying the Mermaid area of FLE isn't gorgeous but the idea of a boat ride, similar to the old Swan Boats, would've been lovely!
EDIT: Found this http://22-2400.blogspot.com/2011/10/week-6-marker-renderings-from-disney.html - If this bogger is correct, indeed it is original concept art for that area. I almost wish I hadn't seen it. LOL
Lee
Adventurer
And then...the accountineers stepped in and put a stop to all that goodness.
Pixiedustmaker
Well-Known Member
And then...the accountineers stepped in and put a stop to all that goodness.
Yup. Would have been very expensive, including building underground "cave" portions to go under walkways. A lot of these ideas are going to be recycled for Shanghai, so its not a total loss in terms of development.
ExtinctJenn
Well-Known Member
IASW Part 2 -- It's a SPARKLY World!
The Empress Lilly
Well-Known Member
Wow...
They can stick Scuttle Scooters where the sun doesn't shine, but the idea of an extended castle moat, including underground cavern, all the way to the water in front of Belle and Ariel, with new Swan Boats...wow.
Sometimes, you wish you didn't know about 'what could've been'.
The Empress Lilly
Well-Known Member
I already love the song!
On second thought, after looking at a satellite pic, I don't see any way this could have worked. And with Florida's water table, this would have been impossible.
This looks like art for Shanghai. Unless Lee can say this was definitely created for WDW, I call BS.
If it were created for WDW, it was way beyond blue sky – it was completely impossible.
This looks like art for Shanghai. Unless Lee can say this was definitely created for WDW, I call BS.
If it were created for WDW, it was way beyond blue sky – it was completely impossible.
Pixiedustmaker
Well-Known Member
It sort of already did work, remember, MK is built on the "second floor", at least the guest areas, and the swan boats traveled *under* guest walkways. So, in a way, half of this boat ride has already been built, they'd "just" need to dig out the walkway between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, build a lot of bridges, (or one massive bridge with a cave like depicted above. They could have two stops, one where the old swan boat landing is, and one in Fantasyland, or they could add Storybookland canal boat type features to where the old Swan boat water way is.
If you remember the old Swan boat ride, you definitely felt like you were down in a grassy "ditch", so much so that you didn't see out of the boat much to Main Street, but mostly saw the plants and stuff b/c that is what was at eye level.
So of course, expanding the Swan Boat moat to FLE would not have been impossible . . .
Pixiedustmaker
Well-Known Member
Look at a Google Map image of FLE construction . . . there is land behind Gaston's, and even Mermaid, a big chunk of land inside of the train tracks even. Mermaid's show building is actually sort of sucking up space between FLE and Circusland, remember, if they push the loading area back to this area, and moved the showbuilding back, they would have had room for this and more.