Is it appropriate to write a preface to a prologue? I don’t know. I never studied creative writing. I just write what sounds...uh...right to me. Something told me that I needed to share with you, however many or few of you there are who might have stumbled across this post, just what I’ve been working on for the past six-plus years.
In January 2015 I began taking part in a fantasy theme park competition, Theme Park Apprentice (TPA), on a different site (Theme Park Insider www.themeparkinsider.com , a terrific site that I still write articles for).
In January 2015 I began taking part in a fantasy theme park competition, Theme Park Apprentice (TPA), on a different site (Theme Park Insider www.themeparkinsider.com , a terrific site that I still write articles for).
The competitions there were a little bit different than those held in WDWMagic’s Imagineer Forum, but I began to create something that, to me, took on a life of its own. I proposed creating a completely unique, independent theme park, with no deep vault of popular movie titles or any popular IPs to draw from. No Disney. No Universal, nor Six Flags or Cedar Fair. The park was not set in an obvious tourist area, and was not owned or sponsored by a well-known entertainment conglomerate. No Merlin or Herschend Family Entertainment.
It was a completely crazy idea.
I came in second in the competition, and that was fine with me. I didn’t care if I came in last. From the moment I started to create this park, I knew that I was creating something special, at least to me. Regardless of the results of the competition, I would continue to develop it, refine it, and would create something that was important to my most important audience- myself. If that sounds conceited, I plead guilty. I learned many years ago that if anyone tries to create something that they really don’t like, that they are not passionate about, it will be obvious to everyone who sees it. I hope that, if you are willing to spend the next few months immersing yourselves into this presentation, you will appreciate just how much love I have for this project, and if I’ve accomplished what I hope to accomplish, maybe you’ll love it just a bit, too.
@D Hulk told me that he was reading my proposals during that competition, and that they inspired him to participate in the next TPA (which he won handily). That is how we met. He introduced WDWMagic to me, and that is what led me to occasionally make appearances in here.
September 18, 2020 was the date that he premiered the first installment in his breathtaking presentation of DisneySky, a park that he originally created for Theme Park Apprentice (and which I had the pleasure of judging). As I read the daily installments of his updated creation, I remember thinking two things- first, he took what was already a magnificent theme park creation and made it exponentially superior to what it was originally, and second, he inspired me to wonder if anyone would be interested in reading a similar presentation of my theme park, hopefully much improved from its original design. He encouraged me to do so but insisted that I do it in my own distinctive way. There, I was ahead of him. I admit that I studied his presentation, but decided that I would present it in my own way. For my park to be as unique as I hope it is, I have to present it in my own unique style.
Will you see some similarities with that legendary DisneySky presentation? Yes, of course. Some ideas just work so well that there is no reason not to mimic them, but in the next few months- as you hopefully become both interested and perhaps a bit addicted to seeing what’s next in this saga- you’re going to see some completely new features that @D Hulk and DisneySky didn’t need to use to make it come alive in your mind. As wonderfully crafted as that presentation was, it was based on many well-established, well-known Disney legends, characters, films and concepts. My presentation introduces (or reintroduces) completely new characters (at least new to most of you), with no pre-established cultural references from Disney, Universal, or any other entertainment reference. DisneySky was built on a decades-old, deeply-ingrained foundation that everyone in here has been immersed in for most of their lives. For my park, for my presentation, I need to start from the ground up. I had very little foundation to build on.
You will see some traditional presentations of attractions and the use of visual images that, I hope, will help to explain what I see in my mind as I take you on a personally guided tour of the park. You will also find that, on some days, the presentation will consist of nothing but a short story, the script from a show, or even a recipe for a confection. There will be history lessons (no tests, though!). The unique, distinctive artwork that @D Hulk created for me as a generous gift from a great friend will be featured throughout the presentation, and to his talents and good counsel I will always be indebted.
Some of the photos will be in color, while others will be black-and-white, or even in the vintage tones of sepia. The photos used will, hopefully, augment my descriptions, and if something incongruous and OP (out of period) creeps into a picture, I think that most Imagineers in WDWMagic can relate to that problem.
Along with the distinctive artwork of @D Hulk, I must also thank my best friend, @Knight2000 , who is brand new to WDWMagic. Without his computer knowledge, skills and artistic talents this presentation would never have happened. Whenever you see a picture, a montage of images, or any artwork other than the obvious contributions of @D Hulk, they came from the talents of @Knight2000 .
As you read through this presentation, I hope that you will feel free to ask questions, especially if something needs to be clarified. What might be obvious to me might not be obvious to anyone else, and I welcome constructive criticism or an observation of a typo (something I enjoyed pointing out to @D Hulk if for no other reason than to keep myself from feeling totally unworthy of thinking that I could do anything like DisneySky).
There might be some days that I don’t post, and I will attempt to always let you know that ahead of time. By the time you read this, I will have finally retired from my real-life job, and will be enjoying a much-needed rest...and how will I spend my retirement time? By presenting to you, my most respected and knowledgeable audience and friends, something I have been crafting for over half a decade.
@D Hulk told me that he was reading my proposals during that competition, and that they inspired him to participate in the next TPA (which he won handily). That is how we met. He introduced WDWMagic to me, and that is what led me to occasionally make appearances in here.
September 18, 2020 was the date that he premiered the first installment in his breathtaking presentation of DisneySky, a park that he originally created for Theme Park Apprentice (and which I had the pleasure of judging). As I read the daily installments of his updated creation, I remember thinking two things- first, he took what was already a magnificent theme park creation and made it exponentially superior to what it was originally, and second, he inspired me to wonder if anyone would be interested in reading a similar presentation of my theme park, hopefully much improved from its original design. He encouraged me to do so but insisted that I do it in my own distinctive way. There, I was ahead of him. I admit that I studied his presentation, but decided that I would present it in my own way. For my park to be as unique as I hope it is, I have to present it in my own unique style.
Will you see some similarities with that legendary DisneySky presentation? Yes, of course. Some ideas just work so well that there is no reason not to mimic them, but in the next few months- as you hopefully become both interested and perhaps a bit addicted to seeing what’s next in this saga- you’re going to see some completely new features that @D Hulk and DisneySky didn’t need to use to make it come alive in your mind. As wonderfully crafted as that presentation was, it was based on many well-established, well-known Disney legends, characters, films and concepts. My presentation introduces (or reintroduces) completely new characters (at least new to most of you), with no pre-established cultural references from Disney, Universal, or any other entertainment reference. DisneySky was built on a decades-old, deeply-ingrained foundation that everyone in here has been immersed in for most of their lives. For my park, for my presentation, I need to start from the ground up. I had very little foundation to build on.
You will see some traditional presentations of attractions and the use of visual images that, I hope, will help to explain what I see in my mind as I take you on a personally guided tour of the park. You will also find that, on some days, the presentation will consist of nothing but a short story, the script from a show, or even a recipe for a confection. There will be history lessons (no tests, though!). The unique, distinctive artwork that @D Hulk created for me as a generous gift from a great friend will be featured throughout the presentation, and to his talents and good counsel I will always be indebted.
Some of the photos will be in color, while others will be black-and-white, or even in the vintage tones of sepia. The photos used will, hopefully, augment my descriptions, and if something incongruous and OP (out of period) creeps into a picture, I think that most Imagineers in WDWMagic can relate to that problem.
Along with the distinctive artwork of @D Hulk, I must also thank my best friend, @Knight2000 , who is brand new to WDWMagic. Without his computer knowledge, skills and artistic talents this presentation would never have happened. Whenever you see a picture, a montage of images, or any artwork other than the obvious contributions of @D Hulk, they came from the talents of @Knight2000 .
As you read through this presentation, I hope that you will feel free to ask questions, especially if something needs to be clarified. What might be obvious to me might not be obvious to anyone else, and I welcome constructive criticism or an observation of a typo (something I enjoyed pointing out to @D Hulk if for no other reason than to keep myself from feeling totally unworthy of thinking that I could do anything like DisneySky).
There might be some days that I don’t post, and I will attempt to always let you know that ahead of time. By the time you read this, I will have finally retired from my real-life job, and will be enjoying a much-needed rest...and how will I spend my retirement time? By presenting to you, my most respected and knowledgeable audience and friends, something I have been crafting for over half a decade.
Enough of the preface. It’s time to get this presentation started.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Imagineers all, I am proud to present:
Ladies and Gentlemen, Imagineers all, I am proud to present:
‘Walt Disney’s dedication speech for Disneyland only had sixty-six words, and he gave it in less than thirty seconds,’ Jack thought to himself as he stood at the podium, facing the thousands of people filling the Courthouse lawn, the streets and sidewalks of Courthouse Square, and even stretching north down Maple Grove Road towards the towering, majestic Americana Wonder Wheel. ‘Did Walt have any idea how important those thirty seconds would be? Had he known, would he have said more?’ Jack gathered his thoughts as he placed both pages of his speech side-by-side on the lectern’s surface, removed his straw boater hat and carefully placed it on the table to his right, and resisted the unnecessary urge to adjust the microphone. ‘I don’t care,’ he told himself firmly, proudly. ‘I’m not Walt Disney. I’m Jack Cahill. I’m the Founder of Americana 1900. This is my moment, my time, and at this moment what Walt said is not important. This is my moment, my park.’ He paused to take a small sip of water from the glass preset beside him on the table, then silently said, ‘Thank you, Walt, but it’s my turn now.’ He looked up at the expectant faces, many of which he recognized and many more that he didn’t, and began to give the most important speech of his life.
“Americana 1900...what is it? Is it an amusement park? Is it a theme park? Is it a historical park? The answer to those questions is ‘Yes!’ It is all those things, and more. Americana 1900 is not just a place, a thing- it is an idea, a concept, a dream that has become real. It is not a perfect, exact recreation of our nation’s past, but a joyful celebration of the best of where we came from. It is a tribute to our forefathers who worked, and fought, and strived to give their children- our parents and grandparents and great-grandparents- a better life. They laid the foundations that Americana 1900 is built upon, foundations dug from the rich, fertile soil of the American Dream, laid by the tenacity of their hands and hearts and minds, and built upon by men and women who found in that Dream the inspiration to create, invent, and inspire their own children to make America a better place than they found it.
“Were they always successful? No. Nothing in life is always successful, but it was through their failures that they discovered the road that would lead them to their successes. It is these successes that Americana 1900 celebrates and revels in, and these successes are what the Townsfolk of Americana 1900 invite you to discover, and experience and treasure for yourselves. If you think of Americana 1900 as a living history book, its cover will never be closed. New pages will always be added, new chapters will always be written, new discoveries revealed and new stories from the American Dream will be brought to life.
"Americana 1900 will never truly be accomplished, any more than America will ever complete the American Dream. Our history is deep, and complex, sometimes troubling and painful, but it can also be profoundly inspirational, and it is that deep complexity that Americana 1900 will continue to explore and examine and celebrate. Americana 1900 is not complete, but it is alive and waiting for you to discover, and as you discover it with your family and friends and your fellow Americans, my deepest hope and dream is that you will be inspired to discover your own personal path from the America of your ancestors to your place in America today, and that you will lay the foundations in the American Dream for your children and their children for generations to come.
“The history of Americana 1900 has just begun!”
I'll do my best 
