HMF
Well-Known Member
I know you didn't Eddie. It is great having you around and many of us appreciate it.:wave:
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Eddie Sotto's take on the current state of the parks
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Eddie Sotto
Premium Member
Walt Story time.....
My friend Herb Ryman told me lots of great stories about Walt.
Heres' one.
Herb was Walt's favorite fine artist and asked him if he would paint a portrait of one of his daughters, I think it was Diane. No, was the answer. Herb could be really coy and difficult so he told Disney to "get Norman Rockwell to do it". "You can afford it, just call him, he'd do a better job". Herb drove Disney nuts with this apathy. Funny to hear him tell it. So finally he made Walt beg, "If I wanted Norman Rockwell I would have asked him! But I don't. C'mon Herbie, please...I want YOU to do it." That's what Herb wanted to hear :fork: Imagine getting Walt who rarely gives out compliments to say that to you! It must have fried him to have to do that.
So once the painting was done they were gonna unveil it at his house and Herb and the whole family was there. (Walt was a notorious scene stealer and joker). So they saw it and raved over Herbie. Walt instead asks Herb if he wants to hold his collection of tiny ivory elephants given to him from some foreign dignitary, guaranteed to bring good luck. Herb says No, he can see them just fine, no. Walt insists several times and then Herb reluctantly thrusts his hand out accepting these microscopic carvings into his palm. Of course Walt pours them in a way that they just run over Herb's palm and the tiny elephants fall into the abyss of the pile carpet never to be seen. Walt is now furious and blames Herb that now he'll have bad luck of they don't find them all. the whole family has to crawl around and look for them ending the moment. All attention is taken from the portrait and Herb is furious. Norman Rockwell sized payback from the big guy.
(BTW Diane does not remember this story so it may have been Sharon.)
Fun stuff huh..
My friend Herb Ryman told me lots of great stories about Walt.
Heres' one.
Herb was Walt's favorite fine artist and asked him if he would paint a portrait of one of his daughters, I think it was Diane. No, was the answer. Herb could be really coy and difficult so he told Disney to "get Norman Rockwell to do it". "You can afford it, just call him, he'd do a better job". Herb drove Disney nuts with this apathy. Funny to hear him tell it. So finally he made Walt beg, "If I wanted Norman Rockwell I would have asked him! But I don't. C'mon Herbie, please...I want YOU to do it." That's what Herb wanted to hear :fork: Imagine getting Walt who rarely gives out compliments to say that to you! It must have fried him to have to do that.
So once the painting was done they were gonna unveil it at his house and Herb and the whole family was there. (Walt was a notorious scene stealer and joker). So they saw it and raved over Herbie. Walt instead asks Herb if he wants to hold his collection of tiny ivory elephants given to him from some foreign dignitary, guaranteed to bring good luck. Herb says No, he can see them just fine, no. Walt insists several times and then Herb reluctantly thrusts his hand out accepting these microscopic carvings into his palm. Of course Walt pours them in a way that they just run over Herb's palm and the tiny elephants fall into the abyss of the pile carpet never to be seen. Walt is now furious and blames Herb that now he'll have bad luck of they don't find them all. the whole family has to crawl around and look for them ending the moment. All attention is taken from the portrait and Herb is furious. Norman Rockwell sized payback from the big guy.
(BTW Diane does not remember this story so it may have been Sharon.)
Fun stuff huh..
EPCOT Explorer
New Member
YES!:lol: I LOVED SMRT-1....One of my earliest and favorite EPCOT Memories.
As for that windup...Hold on to it.
It's a pretty penny on eBay.
janoimagine
Well-Known Member
EPCOT Explorer
New Member
That article was a great read, thanks for sharing that.
Yeah, Internaitonal Land!? Never heard that, before!:lol:
Eddie Sotto
Premium Member
Here's a link to the last film Walt made which was presenting EPCOT. You may notice that the paintings of the enclosed Shopping Center are all International facades like World Showcase. They also recycled lots of art used in production of the parks, like the Plaza inn Interior, etc.
http://www.the-original-epcot.com/2008/05/epcot-film-video.html
EPCOT Explorer
New Member
Right, I know that film...One of my faves and I own a copy, but never noticed it! Thanks for pointing it out, Eddie.
MiklCraw4d
Member
I've always loved the fact that the concept tried and tried to get built ever since 1956 with Disneyland's International Street. From that to getting included in EPCOT city, to being the separate World Showcase park in 1973, to getting spliced back into EPCOT park around 1976-77. I'm surprised they didn't try and cram it into Independence Lake or the Celebrity Sports Center. WED *really* wanted that, and I'm glad they finally got it.
EPCOT Explorer
New Member
MiklCraw4d
Member
If you think about it...EPCOT is about 40-50 years old.:shrug:
What's funny is that the radial design intended for EPCOT city dates back to the turn of the LAST century - with railroads linking the city centers instead of monorails! The similarities are striking. So in a way, EPCOT is older than Walt!
Missing20K
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the kind words, and yes, real life got in the way of me spending much time here the last couple days.
It does seem like a great concept. My only thought is if it was so fantastic, why hasn't it been implemented in greater numbers. If it was so cost-effective and efficient, seems like it would be ubiquitous. My guess would be something to do with the initial cost to build a large network of PRT. :shrug:
Thanks for the all the great links, Eddie, I'm having trouble keeping up, but please don't stop rolling them out.
Eddie Sotto
Premium Member
1939
Especially since the EPCOT we have has owes it's plan to the 1939 NYWF (Lagoon of Nations with the US pavilion on axis across a lake from the original perisphere ball, surrounded by the future corporate pavilions)
http://www.pmphoto.to/worlds_fair/wf_tour/index.htm
If you think about it...EPCOT is about 40-50 years old.:shrug:
Especially since the EPCOT we have has owes it's plan to the 1939 NYWF (Lagoon of Nations with the US pavilion on axis across a lake from the original perisphere ball, surrounded by the future corporate pavilions)
http://www.pmphoto.to/worlds_fair/wf_tour/index.htm
Eddie Sotto
Premium Member
Like we discussed, old concepts never die, they just get recycled! If the Nautilus does not make it to Discovery Bay, it will make it into TDS and Discoveryland!
Eddie Sotto
Premium Member
Ciao for now.
Know how you feel. I'm afraid I'm gonna have to get some work done myself and will be back as time permits, till then, it's been fun while it lasted! Thanks for everything. Ask me questions and I'll get to them when I can.
Don't forget "fear minus death equals fun!", and thanks for a great thread!
Know how you feel. I'm afraid I'm gonna have to get some work done myself and will be back as time permits, till then, it's been fun while it lasted! Thanks for everything. Ask me questions and I'll get to them when I can.
Don't forget "fear minus death equals fun!", and thanks for a great thread!
Vernonpush
Well-Known Member
And it looks like Walt's E.P.C.O.T. owes alot to:
'Inside the Perisphere was the "Democracy” exhibit, a huge model of "The City of the Future– which would house more than 1,000,000 people. Outside the city were five satellite towns with an artery of roadways connecting them back to the center of the metropolis.'
http://www.pmphoto.to/worlds_fair/wf_tour/theme-1.htm
EPCOT Explorer
New Member
Indeed! It's incredible how this idea has been floating around for a age.
Yep!:sohappy: I did a Thesis for WF39 last year....It was one of my best, and one of my favorite topics to write. I had a whole page on the EPCOT Connection.:lol:
Funny that you mention the lagoon....Isn't it awesome how they even had a IllumiNations show?:sohappy:
MiklCraw4d
Member
Like something with a 99.8% operational reliability rating, zero emissions and low maintenance cost? Like a WEDway?
There's lots of great tech that hasn't been getting its due for a long time, especially when it requires a CEO or politian to go out on a limb.If only there had been a hand and a wand on the Trylon, it would have been really magic! Seriously, tho, what I would give for a trip to the '39 fair...
Work? Work?! Oh right... work! At least I can go back and catch up with the thread to see if you've talked about Sci-Fi City, and grill you if you haven't!
MiklCraw4d
Member
So how was Marty Party?
EPCOT Explorer
New Member
Looked good, from the report on MiceChat.:lol:
Can't wait to hear Eddie's take on it!
Eddie Sotto
Premium Member
Looked good, from the report on MiceChat.:lol:
Can't wait to hear Eddie's take on it!
I'm exhausted. It was moving to say the least. Shot it all in HD so when I figure out how to compress it without ruining the look, maybe it can be uploaded.
I went to the WDI patio party the day before the window ceremony. BEST MOMENT. Sitting in a retired "Peoplemover" vehicle having a few beers watching Richard Sherman (the co-songwriter of just about every attraction song) serenade Marty with "There's a Great BBT" LIVE on the piano! A quintessential "Progress City" geekout moment!
Lots of legends like Alice Davis, Bob Gurr, Rolly Crump, Walt Peregoy, all the 2G guys and gals (old home week), and way more. They did a spoof video on how "Disneyland" was gonna be "Martyland" but Walt changed it. Cute. The thing Tony mentioned was that it was likely the last event where you see this many original folks together as many flew in for Marty. It was truly historic and overwhelming. Well done affair.
Entertainment and DL did a great job on his window ceremony (had a choir of cast members come out and sing TAGBBT to him. Dove release.) It was moving and got right to my "inner Imagineer". He rides in on the Fire Engine just like Walt did (whenever he worked a DL Xmas party night he drove it). It was a beautiful morning on the park's anniversary no less. So you can imagine what he felt being there on opening day and then getting his window 54 years later! Marty's City Hall window is the same location as his old office from the fifties! So it's accurate! I think that's a first. Marty is a true legend, the only Imagineer who has "opened" every single park. We are kind of his "kids" as he says in that he "raised us all" at WDI, so it felt like one big happy disfunctional family.
I asked him to sign my "Disneyland" hardback book (1969) that he wrote and I had as a kid. It was the only thing you could read at the time that told you why the park existed and it was what you read over and over in your room. That book was a big inspiration. Others have had him sign theirs for the same reason. Anyway, I asked him to sign the last page where it mentions the coming of WDW and the sub heading is "Work yet to be Done". Seemed fitting as he is retiring.
You know what he wrote?
Makes a big arrow to the subtitle and in "Red Sharpie" splashes across the page.
"Make no Sequels! That was Walt's way! Keep moving forward."
None of this "miss you" "all the best" HS yearbook kind of stuff. His instant reaction to that subtitle tells you who was Walt's speechwriter. Marty encourages us all to NEVER abandon the creative charter of staying original even as he retires! GOTTA LOVE THAT!!
Great advice for us all from a great Imagineer. Keep moving forward!
Thanks for everything Marty!
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