Coaster Lover
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
Not the largest of images, but these two were from Tony's vision for Jolly Holiday...
-
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Not the largest of images, but these two were from Tony's vision for Jolly Holiday...
TeriofTerror
Well-Known Member
Thank you very much for posting this, but I can't bring myself to "like" it.
My Lin-Manuel Miranda obsession has reached Disney levels at this point, and I literally learned to speak watching Julie Andrews films. (I'm not kidding. Speech experts have mistaken me for Canadian -- which I'll take over rural Ohioan every day of the week.)
Also, the night before my beloved dog Jack died, I spent the entire night holding him and singing songs from Mary Poppins to him. To say it holds a special place in my heart doesn't begin to cover it.
I'm gonna go drink a glass of wine and cry my eyes out, now. Best. Dog. Ever.
RoysCabin
Well-Known Member
This thread has me sitting in a daze imagining a world where Rhine River was finally brought to Germany, Thames River to UK, a gondola attraction to Italy, and one of the many proposed ideas (bullet train simulator? Mount Fuji coaster? Meet the World?!) to Japan.
I blame this thread should I be found in a coma-like trance during the next 24 hours.
I blame this thread should I be found in a coma-like trance during the next 24 hours.
Mike S
Well-Known Member
I could just imagine "Feed the Birds" in that contextThank you very much for posting this, but I can't bring myself to "like" it.
My Lin-Manuel Miranda obsession has reached Disney levels at this point, and I literally learned to speak watching Julie Andrews films. (I'm not kidding. Speech experts have mistaken me for Canadian -- which I'll take over rural Ohioan every day of the week.)
Also, the night before my beloved dog Jack died, I spent the entire night holding him and singing songs from Mary Poppins to him. To say it holds a special place in my heart doesn't begin to cover it.
I'm gonna go drink a glass of wine and cry my eyes out, now. Best. Dog. Ever.
seabreezept813
Well-Known Member
Sometimes reading this I am reminded that ingorance is bliss....oh the could have beens...
Figments Friend
Well-Known Member
Tony literally has so many fantastic Attraction concepts sitting around unbuilt that if they all were built, you could open another Theme Park with them all and have one Hell of a park!
His famous 'Jolly Holiday' Mary Poppins themed ride was one of them.
This concept came into being when Tony was still in collage in the late 60s.
He was ( and still is.. ) a huge fan of the film 'Mary Poppins' and the movie left it's mark on him in a personal way.
The 'Jolly Holiday' concept came about as he had to complete a design project for his collage final.
He was encouraged by a sympathetic teacher to work on a ride design instead of the tasked work assignment since it was obvious even to her then that this is where his real interest and passion were.
It was a very important event in his journey.
He completed it for the final, and afterwards held on to the portfolio of work upon graduating.
He still has it today in his own personal archives.
The Attraction was themed to recreate the scenes from Mary and Bert's 'chalk drawing' fantasy escapades during the main animated segment from the film.
Literally, the films musical number 'Jolly Holiday'.
Guests would ride on carousel horses that 'magically' leapt off of revolving 'merry go rounds' and they would then proceed to pass through all the major scenes shown during that sequence.
The artwork posted earlier shows some of those scenes.
The ride system to be used was similar to 'Peter Pan's Flight', in that the horses and their riders would be suspended from a ceiling mounted ride track.
I've heard Tony talk about this a few times, but I forget if he mentioned if the horses moved up and down as well as forward.
It would have been a fun, fantasy filled little dark ride that made you feel like one of the characters experiencing the scenes just as they were in the film.
Like all of the great Fantasyland Attractions, YOU the Guest were cast in the role as the character experiencing their adventures.
The original 'Jolly Holiday' ride concept work was one of several pieces he presented when applying for a position at WED / WDI in 1969.
Tony had already been working at Disneyland in Foods and then a year or two later in Attractions.
A mutual friend encouraged him to interview for a job at Imagineering, since they were at that time bulking up the ranks to begin construction of Walt Disney World.
After a very eventful interview experience ( another two page paragraphs worth telling...I shall hold back....) he was hired, and the rest as they say...is history.
-
NobodyElse
Well-Known Member
Mike S
Well-Known Member
That's a ride. I meant a walk through.
DznyRktekt
Well-Known Member
Please continue! This is good stuff.
Figments Friend
Well-Known Member
Well, if there is interest in his story......sure.
This is a lot longer then two paragraph though.
Such a great story deserves a longer telling!
How Tony was hired at Imagineering back in 1969 / 1970 -
As I briefly mentioned in my previous post, Tony had been working at Disneyland prior to being hired at WED / WDI.
He was a major 'Disney fan' from a very young age, watching Walt on tv and drawing and building models of famous Disney related places.
When Disneyland opened in 1955, thus began his lifelong love of the Park.
Little did he know that he was about to have a lifelong relationship with that Park, and grow into a role that made him able to seriously enhance said Park!
In the Summer of 65', Tony visited the Park one day to see Walt's impressive new presentation and technology showcase fresh from the New York Worlds Fair - 'Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln'.
He was so utterly blown away by what he saw, that he immediately decided right then and there he needed to be a part of this.
Legend tells of him leaving the Park and walking down Harbor Blvd. to where the Cast hiring office was located at that time to fill out an application.
Two weeks later, in August 1965, he began his 48 year career with Disney - at the Carnation Plaza Gardens scooping ice cream, and sometimes scooping popcorn from a cart in the Hub in front of the Castle.
He had some memorable adventures at Carnation, the two most famous known stories likely being the day he met Walt and the afternoon he sneaked into 'Pirates of the Caribeean' while it was being built during his lunch break.
Getting back to the main story now...
Tony worked Foods for a year or more and then switched over to Attractions...where he really wanted to be.
Here he could see for himself how everything was put together, how the ride systems worked, everything backstage and in front.
His first position was Autopia, as according to Tony, all the new recruits for Attractions were started there as nobody wanted the position.
In the late 60s, Autopia did not have guard rails to keep the cars in line and on the road like today.
It was very common for Cast Members there to constantly have their ankles hit and painfully bruised with the incoming cars at the load / unload stations.
Thus why working this Attraction was not very popular..!
He soon 'graduated' from Autopia and starting working other Tomorrowland Attractions, primarily 'Submarine Voyage' and 'Adventure Thru Inner Space'.
He also had a brief stint working 'The Haunted Mansion' on opening day.
By now, Tony had worked at Disneyland for four years and he was feeling the urge to move on to something else within the company...to move 'up' to something else.
A co-worker who had seen some of Tony's artwork suggested he apply for a position at WED ( WDI ) as the word was circulating around via Park employees that WED was hiring en masse for the upcoming construction of Walt Disney World on the East Coast.
Tony decided to give it a shot, so a interview was arranged.
The day of the interview, Tony arrives at WED with some examples of his artwork, some watercolor paintings, and various ride ideas he had come up with on his own.
He also brought one other item in the back of a friends' van....more about that later.
Hearing Tony tell the tale, his impression was the interview did not seem to be going very well in his favor.
WED did not seem all that impressed with his artwork or his visualized ride ideas, and it looked as if he was about to be turned away.
Before they had the chance, Tony had one more thing to show them.
He entices the interviewer(s) to come outside and see what he has in the back of the van - a marvelously clever self made 'marble maze' contraption.
Tony had designed and built two such creations, a small one he made for a relative as a gift, and the several foot long version the WED folks were now looking at.
Place a marble at one end, and gravity pulls it along a maze like pathway setting off all sorts of visual tricks and mechanical novelty actions.
They were mesmerized and enchanted.
They asked Tony to bring his marble maze creation around back to show some other people, which he happily agreed to.
'Around back' was the legendary WED Shops were everything was designed and built for Disneyland, and now work was going on at a fever pitch for WDW's Magic Kingdom.
Tony was beside himself with glee as it was every die-hard Disney fans dream - getting a tour of the area and seeing all the things currently being worked on.
I've heard him talk about the things he saw that day....Haunted Mansion figures being built for Florida, and lots of models.
He was in fanboy heaven.
Tony's 'marble maze' amazes the Imagineers in the shop that day, and they call their co-workers over to get a look at this amazing little 'game'.
Soon dozens of people are gathered around marveling at the little silver marbles rolling about firing off the different triggered mechanisms.
Things were looking up for Tony.
After the lukewarm response to his artwork, THIS seemed to be getting their attention in a positive way.
The interview ended on a positive note, with the hope that they would be calling him soon with a job offer in the near future.
Returning to his CM role at Disneyland, time seemed to drag by as he anxiously awaited news of his possible hiring at WED.
It was now Christmastime, and still no response.
Tony was starting to feel a bit disappointed, thinking he failed to impress them and he was not going to get a job there after all.
It was a blue Christmas in 1969 for Mr. Baxter....
But then....a New Year beckons....and with it new opportunities ahead in 1970....!
He finally hears back from someone around New Years Eve that YES...he has been hired and will begin working at WED!
One day he is working Attractions, then is asked to turn in his Cast uniform, and in the blink of an eye he is at WED wearing a smock and holding a paint roller the next day.
His first assignment at WED?
Painting the black wooden board bases used for the large scale models in the WED Model Shop.
He didn't have to do this for long, as he was already known as 'that kid with the marble game'.
People came up to him for years afterwards and told him how that clever 'toy' was talked about a lot after that day.
Tony was soon tasked with helping to build and paint models related to WDW projects in the Shop, and it was here where he caught the eye of his future mentor-to-be Claude Coats.
Claude had a important role to play in young Tony's future development as a Imagineer, and let him stretch his own creative wings with projects Claude was tasked with for WDW.
Those projects included helping Claude with designing interiors for WDW's version of 'Snow White's Adventures' and leading the installation team for the '20,000 Leagues Under The Sea' Attraction.
Tony deeply respected and appreciated Claude's outstretched hand in those early years and the two of them had a very productive mentor / mentee creative relationship over the years.
I think the rest of his story from this point on is probably common knowledge.
Those 'marble mazes' still exist, by the way.
The small version contained in a glass case is on display in his home, while the large version that won him a job at WED is stored away.
Last I was aware, Tony still has it but it is in need of restoration which he means to do some day.
-
Last edited:
Bocabear
Well-Known Member
What a great story! Would LOVE to see a picture of the marble mazes...Well, if there is interest in his story......sure.
This is a lot longer then two paragraph though.
Such a great story deserves a longer telling!
How Tony was hired at Imagineering back in 1969 / 1970 -
As I briefly mentioned in my previous post, Tony had been working at Disneyland prior to being hired at WED / WDI.
He was a major 'Disney fan' from a very young age, watching Walt on tv and drawing and building models of famous Disney related places.
When Disneyland opened in 1955, thus began his lifelong love of the Park.
Little did he know that he was about to have a lifelong relationship with that Park, and grow into a role that made him able to seriously enhance said Park!
In the Summer of 65', Tony visited the Park one day to see Walt's impressive new presentation and technology showcase fresh from the New York Worlds Fair - 'Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln'.
He was so utterly blown away by what he saw, that he immediately decided right then and there he needed to be a part of this.
Legend tells of him leaving the Park and walking down Harbor Blvd. to where the Cast hiring office was located at that time to fill out an application.
Two weeks later, in August 1965, he began his 48 year career with Disney - at the Carnation Plaza Gardens scooping ice cream, and sometimes scooping popcorn from a cart in the Hub in front of the Castle.
He had some memorable adventures at Carnation, the two most famous known stories likely being the day he met Walt and the afternoon he sneaked into 'Pirates of the Caribeean' while it was being built during his lunch break.
Getting back to the main story now...
Tony worked Foods for a year or more and then switched over to Attractions...where he really wanted to be.
Here he could see for himself how everything was put together, how the ride systems worked, everything backstage and in front.
His first position was Autopia, as according to Tony, all the new recruits for Attractions were started there as nobody wanted the position.
In the late 60s, Autopia did not have guard rails to keep the cars in line and on the road like today.
It was very common for Cast Members there to constantly have their ankles hit and painfully bruised with the incoming cars at the load / unload stations.
Thus why working this Attraction was not very popular..!
He soon 'graduated' from Autopia and starting working other Tomorrowland Attractions, primarily 'Submarine Voyage' and 'Adventure Thru Inner Space'.
He also had a brief stint working 'The Haunted Mansion' on opening day.
By now, Tony had worked at Disneyland for four years and he was feeling the urge to move on to something else within the company...to move 'up' to something else.
A co-worker who had seen some of Tony's artwork suggested he apply for a position at WED ( WDI ) as the word was circulating around via Park employees that WED was hiring en masse for the upcoming construction of Walt Disney World on the East Coast.
Tony decided to give it a shot, so a interview was arranged.
The day of the interview, Tony arrives at WED with some examples of his artwork, some watercolor paintings, and various ride ideas he had come up with on his own.
He also brought one other item in the back of a friends' van....more about that later.
Hearing Tony tell the tale, his impression was the interview did not seem to be going very well in his favor.
WED did not seem all that impressed with his artwork or his visualized ride ideas, and it looked as if he was about to be turned away.
Before they had the chance, Tony had one more thing to show them.
He entices the interviewer(s) to come outside and see what he has in the back of the van - a marvelously clever self made 'marble maze' contraption.
Tony had designed and built two such creations, a small one he made for a relative as a gift, and the several foot long version the WED folks were now looking at.
Place a marble at one end, and gravity pulls it along a maze like pathway setting off all sorts of visual tricks and mechanical novelty actions.
They were mesmerized and enchanted.
They asked Tony to bring his marble maze creation around back to show some other people, which he happily agreed to.
'Around back' was the legendary WED Shops were everything was designed and built for Disneyland, and now work was going on at a fever pitch for WDW's Magic Kingdom.
Tony was beside himself with glee as it was every die-hard Disney fans dream - getting a tour of the area and seeing all the things currently being worked on.
I've heard him talk about the things he saw that day....Haunted Mansion figures being built for Florida, and lots of models.
He was in fanboy heaven.
Tony's 'marble maze' amazes the Imagineers in the shop that day, and they call their co-workers over to get a look at this amazing little 'game'.
Soon dozens of people are gathered around marveling at the little silver marbles rolling about firing off the different triggered mechanisms.
Things were looking up for Tony.
After the lukewarm response to his artwork, THIS seemed to be getting their attention in a positive way.
The interview ended on a positive note, with the hope that they would be calling him soon with a job offer in the near future.
Returning to his CM role at Disneyland, time seemed to drag by as he anxiously awaited news of his possible hiring at WED.
It was now Christmastime, and still no response.
Tony was starting to feel a bit disappointed, thinking he failed to impress them and he was not going to get a job there after all.
It was a blue Christmas in 1969 for Mr. Baxter....
But then....a New Year beckons....and with it new opportunities ahead in 1970....!
He finally hears back from someone around New Years Eve that YES...he has been hired and will begin working at WED!
One day he is working Attractions, then is asked to turn in his Cast uniform, and in the blink of an eye he is at WED wearing a smock and holding a paint roller the next day.
His first assignment at WED?
Painting the black wooden board bases used for the large scale models in the WED Model Shop.
He didn't have to do this for long, as he was already known as 'that kid with the marble game'.
People came up to him for years afterwards and told him how that clever 'toy' was talked about a lot after that day.
Tony was soon tasked with helping to build and paint models related to WDW projects in the Shop, and it was here where he caught the eye of his future mentor-to-be Claude Coats.
Claude had a important role to play in young Tony's future development as a Imagineer, and let him stretch his own creative wings with projects Claude was tasked with for WDW.
Those projects included helping Claude with designing interiors for WDW's version of 'Snow White's Adventures' and leading the installation team for the '20,000 Leagues Under The Sea' Attraction.
Tony deeply respected and appreciated Claude's outstretched hand in those early years and the two of them had a very productive mentor / mentee creative relationship over the years.
I think the rest of his story from this point on is probably common knowledge.
Those 'marble mazes' still exist, by the way.
The small version contained in a glass case is on display in his home, while the large version that won him a job at WED is stored away.
Last I was aware, Tony still has it but it is in need of restoration which he means to do some day.
-
Launchpad McQuack
Well-Known Member
This is one of those ideas that you could take in a million directions. I mean, Doctor Who could be an attraction that takes you through the history of Great Britain, meeting important figures through the ages, or it could be an action/adventure ride where you fight or escape from Daleks or Cybermen, or it could be a scary attraction where you're in the dark on the run from Weeping Angels, or it could be about space and the future, or it could be about cosmic history like the big bang and formation of planets, or it could have dinosaurs, etc...
CanadianGordon
Well-Known Member
I'd love to see a dark ride for Mary Poppins. One day....
Crazydisneyfanluke
Well-Known Member
Since the mention of a Mary Poppins ride, I cant get Jolly holiday out of my head 
Haymarket2008
Well-Known Member
He designed an Imagination 4?? Wow. Any chance of resurrection?
Princess Leia
Well-Known Member
Low cost solution to get Mary Poppins into the UK pavilion- have a cast member dress up as the Bird Woman, designate a bench for her, and have her sing 'Feed the Birds' at different hours. Then she could sell bird seed, and the proceeds could go to endangered bird life protection or something.
He had his ideas. Ready to go as a swansong.
Mike S
Well-Known Member
Anything that could be shared like other lost concepts you've posted?
DznyRktekt
Well-Known Member
Thanks for taking the time to share this info, and for the vitamin rich content. I have always admired Mr. Baxter, only knowing him by what I have read. I would love to meet him in person someday.Well, if there is interest in his story......sure.
This is a lot longer then two paragraph though.
Such a great story deserves a longer telling!
How Tony was hired at Imagineering back in 1969 / 1970 -
As I briefly mentioned in my previous post, Tony had been working at Disneyland prior to being hired at WED / WDI.
He was a major 'Disney fan' from a very young age, watching Walt on tv and drawing and building models of famous Disney related places.
When Disneyland opened in 1955, thus began his lifelong love of the Park.
Little did he know that he was about to have a lifelong relationship with that Park, and grow into a role that made him able to seriously enhance said Park!
In the Summer of 65', Tony visited the Park one day to see Walt's impressive new presentation and technology showcase fresh from the New York Worlds Fair - 'Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln'.
He was so utterly blown away by what he saw, that he immediately decided right then and there he needed to be a part of this.
Legend tells of him leaving the Park and walking down Harbor Blvd. to where the Cast hiring office was located at that time to fill out an application.
Two weeks later, in August 1965, he began his 48 year career with Disney - at the Carnation Plaza Gardens scooping ice cream, and sometimes scooping popcorn from a cart in the Hub in front of the Castle.
He had some memorable adventures at Carnation, the two most famous known stories likely being the day he met Walt and the afternoon he sneaked into 'Pirates of the Caribeean' while it was being built during his lunch break.
Getting back to the main story now...
Tony worked Foods for a year or more and then switched over to Attractions...where he really wanted to be.
Here he could see for himself how everything was put together, how the ride systems worked, everything backstage and in front.
His first position was Autopia, as according to Tony, all the new recruits for Attractions were started there as nobody wanted the position.
In the late 60s, Autopia did not have guard rails to keep the cars in line and on the road like today.
It was very common for Cast Members there to constantly have their ankles hit and painfully bruised with the incoming cars at the load / unload stations.
Thus why working this Attraction was not very popular..!
He soon 'graduated' from Autopia and starting working other Tomorrowland Attractions, primarily 'Submarine Voyage' and 'Adventure Thru Inner Space'.
He also had a brief stint working 'The Haunted Mansion' on opening day.
By now, Tony had worked at Disneyland for four years and he was feeling the urge to move on to something else within the company...to move 'up' to something else.
A co-worker who had seen some of Tony's artwork suggested he apply for a position at WED ( WDI ) as the word was circulating around via Park employees that WED was hiring en masse for the upcoming construction of Walt Disney World on the East Coast.
Tony decided to give it a shot, so a interview was arranged.
The day of the interview, Tony arrives at WED with some examples of his artwork, some watercolor paintings, and various ride ideas he had come up with on his own.
He also brought one other item in the back of a friends' van....more about that later.
Hearing Tony tell the tale, his impression was the interview did not seem to be going very well in his favor.
WED did not seem all that impressed with his artwork or his visualized ride ideas, and it looked as if he was about to be turned away.
Before they had the chance, Tony had one more thing to show them.
He entices the interviewer(s) to come outside and see what he has in the back of the van - a marvelously clever self made 'marble maze' contraption.
Tony had designed and built two such creations, a small one he made for a relative as a gift, and the several foot long version the WED folks were now looking at.
Place a marble at one end, and gravity pulls it along a maze like pathway setting off all sorts of visual tricks and mechanical novelty actions.
They were mesmerized and enchanted.
They asked Tony to bring his marble maze creation around back to show some other people, which he happily agreed to.
'Around back' was the legendary WED Shops were everything was designed and built for Disneyland, and now work was going on at a fever pitch for WDW's Magic Kingdom.
Tony was beside himself with glee as it was every die-hard Disney fans dream - getting a tour of the area and seeing all the things currently being worked on.
I've heard him talk about the things he saw that day....Haunted Mansion figures being built for Florida, and lots of models.
He was in fanboy heaven.
Tony's 'marble maze' amazes the Imagineers in the shop that day, and they call their co-workers over to get a look at this amazing little 'game'.
Soon dozens of people are gathered around marveling at the little silver marbles rolling about firing off the different triggered mechanisms.
Things were looking up for Tony.
After the lukewarm response to his artwork, THIS seemed to be getting their attention in a positive way.
The interview ended on a positive note, with the hope that they would be calling him soon with a job offer in the near future.
Returning to his CM role at Disneyland, time seemed to drag by as he anxiously awaited news of his possible hiring at WED.
It was now Christmastime, and still no response.
Tony was starting to feel a bit disappointed, thinking he failed to impress them and he was not going to get a job there after all.
It was a blue Christmas in 1969 for Mr. Baxter....
But then....a New Year beckons....and with it new opportunities ahead in 1970....!
He finally hears back from someone around New Years Eve that YES...he has been hired and will begin working at WED!
One day he is working Attractions, then is asked to turn in his Cast uniform, and in the blink of an eye he is at WED wearing a smock and holding a paint roller the next day.
His first assignment at WED?
Painting the black wooden board bases used for the large scale models in the WED Model Shop.
He didn't have to do this for long, as he was already known as 'that kid with the marble game'.
People came up to him for years afterwards and told him how that clever 'toy' was talked about a lot after that day.
Tony was soon tasked with helping to build and paint models related to WDW projects in the Shop, and it was here where he caught the eye of his future mentor-to-be Claude Coats.
Claude had a important role to play in young Tony's future development as a Imagineer, and let him stretch his own creative wings with projects Claude was tasked with for WDW.
Those projects included helping Claude with designing interiors for WDW's version of 'Snow White's Adventures' and leading the installation team for the '20,000 Leagues Under The Sea' Attraction.
Tony deeply respected and appreciated Claude's outstretched hand in those early years and the two of them had a very productive mentor / mentee creative relationship over the years.
I think the rest of his story from this point on is probably common knowledge.
Those 'marble mazes' still exist, by the way.
The small version contained in a glass case is on display in his home, while the large version that won him a job at WED is stored away.
Last I was aware, Tony still has it but it is in need of restoration which he means to do some day.
-