Settle a debate: Which park was Walt's "true" vision?

[Walt Disney1955]

I don't want this to get into a Disneyland vs. Disney World debate. I hope it doesn't either. This isn't the intention. But there has long been an argument of which park Walt would have prefered. Which one was his true vision? Disneyland based on the fact that he oversaw the entire project and did it through his own image, or Disney World based on the luxury of space provided?

 

[Zummi Gummi]

Given how early in WDW's construction he passed, I would think you'd have to say Disneyland. It remains the only park he oversaw construction of, from the first shovel in the ground to opening day. Who knows how WDW would have turned out had he been around longer. In order to avoid speculating and playing the "what if" game, you have to go with the park he was around to design, build, and ultimately open.

 

[lazyboy97o]

In The EPCOT Film what became the Magic Kingdom was just a copy of Disneyland as it would be in 1967. That's it. Nothing more. His focus was on EPCOT. He had done the theme park thing and moved on with his interests. Design of the Magic Kingdom only began after his death.

 

[ChrisFL]

I"ll put it this way...Disneyland was Walt's first vision, however it was built on a smaller budget than he wanted.

The Magic Kingdom was to be bigger and better, but we don't really know how much changed in the 4+ years from his passing until the park opened. He seemed to spend most of his effort on the EPCOT City plan.

So there's not much we can tell for sure.

 

[Clever Name]

Walt made many mistakes with the construction of Disneyland and he regretted those mistakes. One of the most well known things about Disneyland that Walt hated was seeing cast members out of place (i.e. a cowboy in Tomorrowland). The utilidors in the MK were specifically designed to correct that mistake. There were (and are) a host of other mistakes with Disneyland too numerous to mention here. Disneyland served its purpose as a test ground for Walt’s real dream which was the Florida Project.

Walt had pretty much washed his hands of Disneyland. :wave:

 

[wdwfan4ver]

I can't do a lot of hindsight in what parks would be in Walt's version outside of when he lived and planned. Disneyland is the park was in Walt's vision, but he admitted to mistakes with that park including space. My dad went to Disneyland once the mid 1960's and said it was very small compare to Disney World after he went to WDW for the first time in 1991 with him comparing the Magic Kingdom to what what he saw at Disneyland in terms of size.

I think parts of the Magic Kingdom were Walt's "true" vision, but it is questionable if any of it was changed. It seemed like Walt Disney was very much into the plans of Epcot than the Magic Kingdom before his death based on what I understood from watching Walt Disney World: Past Present and future back in 1991 on the Disney Channel. Imagineers even called Epcot "Walt topia"(don't know if I spelled it right) based on that Disney Channel special I saw in 1991.

EPCOT changed a lot from Walt's plans to what was built and makes you wonder about the Magic Kingdom also. Epcot was not supposed be a theme park, but a community.

 

[lazyboy97o]

The Magic Kingdom was to be bigger and better, but we don't really know how much changed in the 4+ years from his passing until the park opened.

I think parts of the Magic Kingdom were part of Walt's true vision, but how much. It goes down to the fact EPCOT changed a lot from Walt's plans to what was built and makes you wonder about the Magic Kingdom also. Epcot was not supposed be a theme park, but a home to residents.

Again, the only images of Walt and the Magic Kingdom have the park as a copy of Disneyland.

Walt Disney in front of Magic Kingdom roof plan.

 

[AEfx]

He's dead. He has no opinion.

 

[ChristianG]

Definitely EPCOT. Disneyland may be his first vision, but I think he was the most interested in EPCOT.

 

[Motorpro]

None ,Disneyland disappointed Walt because everyone built right next to it and ruined to feeling,Disneyworld(mainly Epcot) would have been if he lived to finish it,both are great but a compromise of his vision

 

[ArtieJim]

Lets thaw him out and ask.

 

[rsoxguy]

Universal Studios. He loved Spiderman comics.

 

[Mad Stitch]

Walt had pretty much washed his hands of Disneyland. :wave:

lol Good thing this is a Walt Disney World forum, because the Disneyland lovers would have your head on a stake.

 

[Crockett]

Paradise Pier at DCA was Walt's true vision. Because as we all know, Walt was just thrilled at the idea of carnival-style rides, games of skill/chance, and that whole "fairground"/pier feel.

Seriously...were Imagineers mocking Walt when they dreamed up & created PP?

 

[invader]

I would say this answers the question; http://vimeo.com/8798681

EPCOT.

 

[Crockett]

EPCOT.

But what type of Epcot? The community of tomorrow (Celebration meets the Jetsons), or the theme park with Figment & Three Caballeros?

 

[ChrisFL]

One thing I think we are missing in this thread is that Walt didn't JUST have ONE true vision...he had many. That's what made him great. He never stopped trying to do the next big thing.

Oswald was his true vision in the 1920's

Mickey was his true vision in the 1930's

Animated Full Length Films were his true vision in the 1940's

Disneyland was his true vision in the early 1950's

EPCOT was his true vision in the 1960's

......what else could he have accomplished in the 1970's or even 1980's

 

[AintNoOtherMan]

Disneyworld. DL has evolved so much since his time. It's a mini-dw.

 

[koryadams]

Walt Disney World because he know he could do better than Disneyland, and he really loved the size and possibilities of WDW and I think he would have loved it over Disneyland any day! It was his crowning achievement and his biggest dream!

It still gets to me that he never saw it complete. Such an amazing place, crated by the most amazing creative person!

 

[brightlillstar]

I'm going to say all of them and none of them.

Yes, DL was the one he constructed from start to "finish" although in Walt's own words it will never be complete. However, with DL, all of those hotels and diners popped up and didn't allow him to do all he'd have liked, hence the need for "the Florida project", so DL was a start, but obviously it was incomplete.

Walt dreamed of the FL project, with a DL type park - MK, and EPCOT. You can say MK is an updated DL, which learned from its lessons in planning. MK's utilidoors system is amazing and improves upon DL (in terms of that planning. I'm not going to compare WDW to DL in terms of rides, exerience, etc).

EPCOT is not what Walt planned exactly, but it has some of the spirit, and like all of Walt's Blue Sky ideas changed over time as times, finances, and the needs of the public dictated.

Even the newer parks that Walt never even saw a blueprint for (DHS, DAK, International parks), are part of Walt's vision not only because they have classic attractions and takeoffs on classic attractions but because they have Walt's spirit of innovation, or entertaining the entire family, etc etc.

I think it's all Walt's vision,

That having been said, I do want to go to DL and walk in Walt's footsteps, and I am fascinated by what his idea of EPCOT could have become.