DisneyManOne
Well-Known Member
Small-ish update today, but a fulfilling one nonetheless. If you're just joining us, please refer to Part One found on Page 2. As always, feedback is what keeps me going! Likes, comments, you name it.
Disneyland Australia
“I love the nostalgic myself. I hope we never lose some of the things of the past.”- Walt Disney
In the design of our Magic Kingdom, everything is a form of storytelling. We, the audience, will physically experience one adventure after the next, seldom as spectators, but almost always as “participants” in the drama. In contrast to the county fair or carnival known the world over, Disneyland Australia, or “DLA,” is a seamless, thematic epic. This perfect blend of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy is in favor of the wild animals, alien creatures, and storybook castles found beyond the Main Gate.
Inspired by the unrealized concept for “WESTCot Center” and the Disneyland Resort, Disneyland Australia is a remarkable design in immersion and focus on the Guest Experience. The idea sought to bring Walt Disney World and Disneyland into the 21st Century; the most detailed, fully realized theme park in history, rivaled only by that of Tokyo DisneySea.
“Many of us fondly remember our small hometown and its friendly way of life at the turn of the century. To me, this era represents an important part of our nation’s heritage. On Main Street we have endeavored to recapture those by-gone days.” - Walt Disney
“Scene Two” is World Bazaar, where a dramatic blend of architecture and “vision” from around the world fill the promise of our expected “Main Street.” Here is a collage of color, music, the exotic and the familiar; a marketplace of 1,001 Arabian Nights; a postcard of Italy’s Grand Canal; the bustle and light of old Manhattan. The adventure and discovery of James Cook, Lewis and Clark, Marco Polo, and Zheng He are retold amid the soaring towers and thatched merchant stalls of this patchwork marketplace; an avenue of mystery and beginning in a world of magic.
But remarkably, the entrance of World Bazaar and this Magic Kingdom, is not of the unfamiliar or the exotic. In fact, those familiar with Disneyland, U.S.A. or Hong Kong Disneyland might recognize the same clock tower and gingerbread-trim of the Fort Collins-inspired Main Street Station. World Bazaar Station is of the same design.
Walt’s lifelong love of the railroad has once more translated into a Disney Park. Once through the familiar turnstiles and beyond the gate, we glimpse the storied clock tower and station, the smile of a Mickey Mouse Floral. The romance and grandeur of early steam travel is captured in the beauty and excitement of the Disneyland Australia Railroad.
A Grand-Circle Tour of the Magic Kingdom, the Disneyland Australia Railroad is an authentic, 3-foot narrow-gauge heritage railroad. Along the way, we catch the many sights and sounds along the rails - an ancient jungle, a metropolis of tomorrow, an active volcano - the unkempt frontier of the American West is our threshold to the rim of the Grand Canyon.
A spectacular glimpse at one of the world’s longest dioramas, the Grand Canyon is a panoramic re-creation of the flora and fauna of Arizona’s Great Abyss. To Ferde Grofé’s “Grand Canyon Suite,” curious wildlife examine our train in hesitant caution. A freak thunderstorm brings a brilliant light to the promise of a vibrant rainbow, all while a flock of mountain goat look on…
From the Station, we pass through one of two tunnels on either side of the aforementioned Mickey Floral. A bronze plaque above either tunnel read a familiar sentiment:
“HERE YOU LEAVE TODAY
AND ENTER THE WORLD
OF YESTERDAY, TOMORROW
AND FANTASY”
An iconic attribute to any Magic Kingdom, electronic posters line the walls of either tunnel, each interchanging to offer a taste of the coming attractions and adventures. One unique detail, however, is that each poster features a simple animation; i.e. Dumbo actually appears to fly.
World Bazaar
The true Grand Entrance of Disneyland Australia, World Bazaar is a lovingly built and detailed capture of the world’s most beautiful, familiar and exotic architecture. The seamless and eclectic neighboring of European, Asian, African and American influence set our stage for an enticing adventure in the kingdom of dreams before us. This is our overture to a symphonic masterpiece.
In the principle of Main Street, U.S.A., World Bazaar is a sparkling thoroughfare presented in the style and architecture of one unique design after the next. The ground floor buildings of World Bazaar are built on a 9/10 scale, with the second and third stories progressively smaller; forced perspective at work. The thoroughfare is to always remain fresh and new. Throughout, the air is filled with song. The Background Music (BGM) of the Bazaar is global in origin, inspired entirely by the culture and taste of an international network, for at one moment one might hear the serenity of Chinese Zen music, in another, the haunting charm of an Arabic flute.
Traveler’s Green is the “Town Square” of World Bazaar, a lush park set between a variety of different buildings. Live musicians, a central fountain and exotic trees set the stage for a storied adventure. A bandstand is host to performance groups and live entertainment. A flagpole is erected near the central fountain, proudly bearing the Australian field of six stars and the Flag of the United Nations. A plaque in the base of the flagpole reads the dedication of Disneyland Australia:
“To all who come to this happy place: Welcome. Today, the spirit of Walt Disney and his Disneyland continue into the hope and aspiration for the Disneyland Australia Resort. In this enchanted realm of yesterday and tomorrow, fantasy and adventure, we relive the nostalgia and innocence of a childhood dream. This Magic Kingdom is dedicated in honor of the young and the young-at-heart, with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world.”Whereas a Town Square would feature a City Hall or a Firehouse, Traveler’s Green features, on either end, a major attraction: Meet the World and Soarin’ Over the Horizon.
Statues of the Roman Empire lead our trail to a grand observatory of Venetian Gothic design. It is said that the celestial observatory is the hidden dwelling of a Leonardo Da Vinci, still alive. Inside, a number of peculiar inventions and blueprints channel the spirit of imagination to realize man’s most ancient and elusive dream: to soar like a bird.
The elderly Da Vinci has invited us to board his latest prototype of a Renaissance aircraft. As the lights dim and the music grows, we take flight before an 80-foot projection dome, 40-feet high from the earth below. The Australian Outback, Mount Rushmore and Niagara Falls are among the spectacle and wonder of our globetrotting tour, ending in a firework spectacular above Sydney Harbour. The iconic score of “Soarin’” by Jerry Goldsmith is retained and remastered in a moving performance by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
In a quiet corner of the ancient observatory, we find the entrance of Da Vinci’s, an Old World delight of warm service and rich, Italian tradition. On the outside patio or in the spacious dining room amid murals of the Renaissance and Ancient Rome, sparkling chandeliers help relish the deep, textured flavors of classic Italian fare. The observatory neighbors a miniature courtyard of a Mediterranean harbor. Corte di Cesare (Court of Caesar) is an aged vineyard of the Italian coast; a small collection of shops and cafes. True to form, olive trees, Mediterranean citrus, wine tastings and a fine selection of real grapevines mark the Vigna Imperiale (Imperial Vineyard), another fine restaurant. It offers a six-course meal of “Chef’s Choice” wine and foods from around Italy. On the horizon, one might spot the distant silhouette of St. Mark’s Campanile. A statue of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet stand before the entrance of the Mercato di Verona (Verona Market). Aged murals and décor portray the tragedy of Romeo & Juliet. For purchase, fine cookware, decorative items, Italian foodstuffs and apparel, an incredible selection of wines and spirits, and dazzling Venetian masks.
Meet the World is, in essence, the Mission Statement of World Bazaar. In short, our host, the voice of an unseen traveler, leads an inspired retrospective into the past, present and future of our Earth. The presentation is in salute to the world’s most valuable resource: its People.
The elegant Paris Opera House is the home of such an extraordinary tale. The history of the world unfolds in a dramatic retelling enhanced with over 40 Audio-Animatronic figures, rear-projection film and an orchestral score by Michael Giacchino. Such vignettes include: the Dawn of Man, the Rise of Egypt, the Fall of Rome, World War II, and the Moon Landing. Along the way, we’ll meet such luminaries as Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, Marco Polo, and the late Steve Irwin.
Like the miniature snapshot of Italy found ‘cross Traveler’s Green, a small image of France lies nestled in the shadow of the Paris Opera House. With the Eiffel Tower off on the horizon, the smell of fresh bread and romance of “Gay Paris” are captured in this warm corner of World Bazaar. The famous Fontaines de la Concorde (built on a smaller scale) is an icon all its own. Les Chefs de Paris is perhaps the finest restaurant in World Bazaar. Nestled in an elegant corner of the Opera House, Les Chefs de Paris stands as it were a typical bistro of Paris; high ceilings, mosaic flooring, white linens, and expansive windows looking out onto the promenade. Patio and interior seating compliment the fresh and simple ingredients of French cuisine; beef tenderloin, onion soup and roast duck among others.
Le Donjon Du Fantôme, also nestled in the Opera House, is named for the terrifying icon of French Literature: The Phantom of the Opera. “The Phantom’s Keep” is a macabre nook with décor of the occult; though the shop itself is a "subterranean" music store... A cobweb-kissed pipe organ springs to life, its ghastly, unseen organist only portrayed in shadow… Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie has the most enchanting aroma in town, a traditional French bakery: baguette sandwiches, croissants, souffles and French roast coffee. Boutique de Souvenirs has the apparel, home décor, accessories, perfumes and trinkets of a French market, even inspired by a since shuttered, real-world Parisian market.
The spectacular Ratatouille: The Adventure of Epcot and Walt Disney Studios Park has made a third home amid this miniature recreation of Paris, France, just off an askew trail of Traveler’s Green. Gusteau’s famous Parisian restaurant is the setting of our “zany” adventure. Having shrunk to the size of Remy and friends, we scurry to safety in a dazzling chase across Chef Skinner’s kitchen with the sights, sounds, smells and dangers of the legendary restaurant. Remy and Emile often frequent the Fontaines de la Concorde which, remarkably, seems to have bronze rats intruding in its historic design…
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This is excellent so far!
I'll be the first to admit that the design of World Bazaar has been incredibly difficult. It's a bit of a challenge trying to cram so many international venues and ideas into one main thoroughfare. But now, I think I have it. 
