lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
From what I can make out, that 1980 site plan also shows a small utilidor system.
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Miscellaneous Tokyo Thoughts
- Thread starter Animaniac93-98
- Start date
Robbiem
Well-Known Member
Here, click on these links:
Tokyo Disneyland Construction Site Plan.
Tokyo Disneyland Construction Site Plan. - Van Eaton Gallerieswww.icollector.com
Tokyo Disneyland Project Synopsis Documents.
Tokyo Disneyland Project Synopsis Documents. - Van Eaton Galleries
these are interesting its a shame that there is so little about the planning and design of Tokyo Disneyland available it would be really interesting to see the iterations that disneys first international park went through
There's an archival interview on YouTube from a 1983 news report where Tom Jones talks about the Utilidors, but mentions how the reclaimed land, and earthquake codes, weren't fit for them in Tokyo. Fast forward to 2:10 in this video:
The making of Tokyo Disneyland was extensively documented for invoicing and training purposes because OLC, not Disney, was responsible for paying the bills and running the show. But since the resort is not 100%, or even 50%, owned by Disney and most fans buy into the "it's just a copy" narrative that even the Imagineering Story pushes, it's never been explored much online. I can't even find a retro fan site.
Tokyo Disneyland was such a smash right out of the gate, that we take for granted now how very wrong it could have gone.
OLC really took the time to get it right. It wasn't just that they spent a lot of money. Extensive planning, extensive training in California. Double checking interpreters, picking the then best elements from each Magic Kingdom etc. It was 8 years from the time of the feasibility study to the time the park opened. No corners were cut and the success is the result of that more than any one element.
OLC really took the time to get it right. It wasn't just that they spent a lot of money. Extensive planning, extensive training in California. Double checking interpreters, picking the then best elements from each Magic Kingdom etc. It was 8 years from the time of the feasibility study to the time the park opened. No corners were cut and the success is the result of that more than any one element.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
Not sure how well known it is, and it’s been years now since I read it, but Riding the Black Ship: Japan and Tokyo Disneyland by Aviad E. Raz is an incredibly detailed look at Tokyo Disneyland in the late 90s.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
Frank recently joined The Producer's Group and they have put a small biography on their website.
Frank Stanek’s White Paper on COVID-19 - The Producers Group - Theme Park Consultants
TPG Executive Advisor, Frank Stanek, recently wrote a white paper on COVID-19 and its affect on the Themed Entertainment industry. If you would like a copy of the white paper, please email press@producers-group.com.
www.producers-group.com
IMDREW
Well-Known Member
Don't know where else to ask this, but I am planning a 2021 Tokyo Disney trip for around April. I know their Easter celebrations are massive over there with its own parade running twice daily.
Now my question is, does Dreaming Up! run alongside the Easter parade daily? I am a massive fan of Dreaming Up! and would not want to miss it. Anyone know?
Now my question is, does Dreaming Up! run alongside the Easter parade daily? I am a massive fan of Dreaming Up! and would not want to miss it. Anyone know?
PiratesMansion
Well-Known Member
They both run daily. The only reason they wouldn't is if Dreaming Up goes into refurb at that time or if there are operational changes taken as a response to Covid-19 or its aftereffects.
IMDREW
Well-Known Member
Thanks! I thought it be weird to not have your grand parade running for almost 4 months of the year.
Good point! Thanks!
Japanese Laserdisc tour of Tokyo Disneyland from the late 80s. Includes footage of the Castle Mystery Tour:
Brer Panther
Well-Known Member
Did you know that the animated segments on the screens at Pan Galactic Pizza Port were done by Kurtz and Friends? That's the same animation company that animated Mr. DNA in Jurassic Park and the title sequences of George of the Jungle, City Slickers, and the 2006 remake of The Pink Panther.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
@PiratesMansion, I have not yet listened to it, but the latest episode of The Progress City Radio Hour podcast is part one of an interview with Frank Stanek.
I just listened to it. Part 1 only goes up until the early development of WDW and Mineral King, but Part 2 should have Tokyo specific insight, along with other projects Stanek worked on.
I also just got my copy of Marc Davis In His Own Words, which includes notes on ideas he had for Tokyo Disneyland, along with pictures he took while doing site inspection and supervision.
Again, Tokyo Disneyland was not a simple copy and paste, as it has been so often dismissed as. WED was making suggestions and tweaks to things if they could, even if not all the ideas were used.
Again, Tokyo Disneyland was not a simple copy and paste, as it has been so often dismissed as. WED was making suggestions and tweaks to things if they could, even if not all the ideas were used.
PiratesMansion
Well-Known Member
That book set is a treasure! Hopefully Claude Coats and some of the other imagineers will be fortunate to have books of a similar caliber published about them as well.
It's incredibly disheartening knowing that we will never get an in-depth look at the planning and execution of Tokyo. Perhaps one exists in Japanese, but it's certainly never going to come in English.
BasiltheBatLord
Well-Known Member
I was at TDL today, some random thoughts and observations:
- Having to wear a mask all day in the Tokyo summer heat/humidity is pretty miserable. I knew it was gonna be a rough day when it wasn't even 9:00 AM yet and I was sweating hard. IMO not really worth going to the parks right now until the weather gets consistently cooler.
- Social distancing is slowly being abandoned it seems. A lot of the queues are being pushed into outdoor space now in order to try and avoid indoor crowding, space where there has never been any distancing tape applied, and even in the proper queues there's less attention being paid by guests to the distancing tape than last month. Also some people (not a lot, but some) are pulling their masks down whenever they're outside due to the heat, and CMs don't seem to be enforcing the outdoor mask rule on anyone.
- The parks in general seemed more crowded than last month. Not sure if that can be attributed to anything specific, maybe cause they're letting APs back in? Splash Mountain as usual had the highest wait times all day, immediately starting the day at 45 mins and never dipping below that all day, hitting a high of 70.
- More stuff was open compared to last month (vending carts, some restaurants etc.) Notably the Ice Cream Parlor is back, opening at 1:00 PM everyday.
- What's going on in the space behind Toontown/BatB? Is that the TDS expansion or some unannounced thing? There's a ton of construction cranes up now.
- The Tomorrowland theater is undergoing a lot of construction. Dunno if its just general upkeep or if it's preparation for an unannounced new show. I would presume it could be the latter considering One Man's Dream is now finished.
- The new Baymax spinner ride in Tomorrowland was testing throughout the day, you could clearly hear the cars moving behind the planters and the show lighting was also on. There were also lights on inside the new popcorn building thing in Tomorrowland. Didn't notice anything new about BatB aside from water running in the fountain in the center of the land.
- Didn't see a single show effect broken or working improperly today. I always keep mental notes to see if I can spot anything. In my entire lifetime of going to TDR I've only ever noticed two show effects out of order, and one of them was just an isolated timing error.
Also just thought I'd mention cause I haven't noticed anyone else do so yet: park hours are changing next month, although park will still be open the same number of hours. New park hours will be 9:00 AM-9:00 PM (instead of the current 8:00 AM-8:00 PM). So no real change, just moving opening and closing one hour later.
- Having to wear a mask all day in the Tokyo summer heat/humidity is pretty miserable. I knew it was gonna be a rough day when it wasn't even 9:00 AM yet and I was sweating hard. IMO not really worth going to the parks right now until the weather gets consistently cooler.
- Social distancing is slowly being abandoned it seems. A lot of the queues are being pushed into outdoor space now in order to try and avoid indoor crowding, space where there has never been any distancing tape applied, and even in the proper queues there's less attention being paid by guests to the distancing tape than last month. Also some people (not a lot, but some) are pulling their masks down whenever they're outside due to the heat, and CMs don't seem to be enforcing the outdoor mask rule on anyone.
- The parks in general seemed more crowded than last month. Not sure if that can be attributed to anything specific, maybe cause they're letting APs back in? Splash Mountain as usual had the highest wait times all day, immediately starting the day at 45 mins and never dipping below that all day, hitting a high of 70.
- More stuff was open compared to last month (vending carts, some restaurants etc.) Notably the Ice Cream Parlor is back, opening at 1:00 PM everyday.
- What's going on in the space behind Toontown/BatB? Is that the TDS expansion or some unannounced thing? There's a ton of construction cranes up now.
- The Tomorrowland theater is undergoing a lot of construction. Dunno if its just general upkeep or if it's preparation for an unannounced new show. I would presume it could be the latter considering One Man's Dream is now finished.
- The new Baymax spinner ride in Tomorrowland was testing throughout the day, you could clearly hear the cars moving behind the planters and the show lighting was also on. There were also lights on inside the new popcorn building thing in Tomorrowland. Didn't notice anything new about BatB aside from water running in the fountain in the center of the land.
- Didn't see a single show effect broken or working improperly today. I always keep mental notes to see if I can spot anything. In my entire lifetime of going to TDR I've only ever noticed two show effects out of order, and one of them was just an isolated timing error.
Also just thought I'd mention cause I haven't noticed anyone else do so yet: park hours are changing next month, although park will still be open the same number of hours. New park hours will be 9:00 AM-9:00 PM (instead of the current 8:00 AM-8:00 PM). So no real change, just moving opening and closing one hour later.
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fradz
Well-Known Member
yeah that's the TDS stuff as you can see here for example :
Agree that wearing a mask by warm & humid weather is a pain!
Part 2 was posted today.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
In terms of Tokyo Disneyland, this too was a little disappointing but still great to have a nice long interview with someone who doesn’t step into the spotlight. It also would have been great to hear about some of those international Universal parks like Dubailand, Korea, Moscow and Shanghai moving to Beijing.
Maybe he’ll write the book. Or Val Usle will write a memoir about Tokyo Disneyland that goes beyond the little tidbits he included in Theme Park Project Management.
I found it interesting that Disney did their first feasibility study for a park in Europe about 20 years before DLP opened.
Also that part about Ron Miller's ideas for the company and its 5-year plan that Eisner took claim of without modifying much.