Hi Eddie et al! I have a question about master plans. Reading about the upcoming Carousel of Projects for D23, and some of the Imagineers' concerns that it may become another Disney Decade (ie. a slew of promising projects that end up never being built), it made me think of the five-, ten-, even twenty-year(?) master plans that get mentioned about the parks. With the amount of time they cover, and the massively changing circumstances that a park must face, surely they never actually happen??
So I was wondering if you could shed some light on what these plans are like? How specific are they ("We're going add 'Desperate Housewives: The Ride' in 2018"), or are they more about suggesting budgets and target audiences without specific content or theme? Do they detail changes in park direction perhaps (like the Hollywood Studios divergence from a working studio)? Perhaps they look at what available space can be used in the future, or what attractions may need to be removed? And who are in charge of these, it seems more like an Operations document than an Imagineering one (I know that the Disneyland Long Range Master Plan from 1976 that suggested World Holiday Land, Big City USA and some other things that covered a whopping twenty-four years, was done by the Disneyland Interdivisional Team, not WDI ... who thought it a little bland). If these plans aren't done by WDI, how bound are the Imagineers to the plans?
It seems that beyond three, four, five years, predicting what will be built seems almost impossible, even to those who make the decisions. What benefit do these master plans bring, how long do they last before being replaced, and most interestingly perhaps... how accurate are they in hindsight?
For anyone interested, here are the extracts from the 1976 master plan mentioned (Eddie, is this typical of them?):
... To give Westernland a completely new appearance, the Davy Crockett area and the Frontierland log fort would be replaced with a new facade. This facade would be more of the Pendleton - Golden Horseshoe architecture. While viewed from the central plaza it would give the appearance of a new development and would also add the continuity to Frontierland that presently does not exist. Two major attractions would be added in the existed Mine Train area, an indoor thrill / show type 3400 / hour, and an outdoor gravity thrill attraction of 2200 / hour. These two would help ease the demand problem that exists at our thrill attractions.
... reworking the west end of Fantasyland. A marquee type attraction similar to Dumbo or the Rocket Jets possibly with a Mary Poppins theme would be added where the Fantasy 1 food stand is presently located. This would serve to set the area off as a new experience and create interest as a visual and physically exciting attraction. In addition, a new dark ride attraction possibly with a Pooh theme with 900/hour capacity could be added near Casey, Jr. The major attraction of the reworked area would a thrill show attraction of 2600/hour capacity. This could be developed around Mary Poppins and include a major merchandise complex at the exit. The Pinocchio attraction would round out the area fiiting into what is now the Mickey Mouse theatre, with 1000/hour capacity.
... During parade time, guest completely block Main Street, which necessitates walking guests entering or exiting the Park through service areas. To relieve this problem, a second Main Street area is needed. This could very likely be a Liberty Square themed area between Main Street and Space Mountain, containing Hall of Presidents, food, merchandising, and a new first aid facility.
The theme of (this) new land could be developed around the Big Town setting. This would enable the use of shops and food facilities of a variety of sizes and types, which were all part of the city at the turn of the century. Several other legitimate Big Town elements could be used that are not properly themed elsewhere in the Park. An indoor theatre, 3000 seat, could be included for live stage shows with big name talent. The use of our existing railroad in an elevated fashion would serve as another visual attraction while adding a new dimension to our steam trains.
Part of America that was once very exciting and has since died out is the old carni-amusement park. The use of a Victorian style playland could show this piece of our history in a themed area. A ferris wheel, roller coaster, and small water sports such as paddle boats could be included by extending our Rivers of America. Other elements might be the entrance of a time machine ride through an old subway.
Food facilities could be developed around a number of themes. An automat, cafeteria or even small delicatessans are good themes. A Golden Horseshoe type experience might be set under a Ziegfeld theme including a dinner with the show.
... a new area with an adventure theme could be developed, extending the Rivers of America to provide a large water area and a volcanic island. Some of our studio properties -- Island at the Top of the World, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea as well as the Lost Continent of Atlantis, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and other H.G. Wells - Jules Verny type attractions could be used. The water area could also be serve as the setting for some smaller water activities or attractions.
... A thrill attraction with a Bavarian theme; a Scandinavian folklore attraction; a medieval England oriented show; a CircleVision 360 theatre with a world travel theme; and another indoor theatre with international live stage shows are all possible attractions. Food facilities such as a Bavarian waitress service, old English pub, French sidewalk cafe and a gourmet snack shop would provide the necessary artmosphere, while small artisan and souvenir shops would be themed to the various European areas.
