Westcotters.....

[uncloaking]

Did the park actually have a two-story or stacked wagon-wheel design w/ Spaceship Earth's area being the focal point / elevator from the ground to the below ground park?

If not, then how was one going to get to the three large "future world" pavilions on the park's edge?

 

[TP2000]

When you look at the park aerial renderings, those giant show buildings all had front entrances accessed via the central lagoon. You'd just walk in via the front door.

I imagine they were to act as a much larger version of the Mexico pavilion at EPCOT Center; walk in and find a contained indoor environment with shops, dining, and a ride.

Or, more recently and likely more similar in scale, the larger version of that found at Tokyo DisneySea; Mermaid Lagoon. There you walk in and find a massive indoor environment with shops, multiple dining, a large theater, and 4 different rides.

 

[TP2000]

I just noticed something in that rendering above...

Even in the most ambitious and daring of Imagineering eras, circa 1990 and pre-Paris financial mess, when Michael Eisner was telling WDI to go really big and remake the way Disneyland looks and feels forever...

The Pan-Pacific/Disneyland Pacific/Paradise Pier/Pixar Place Hotel was still sitting there being dumb and ugly.

I heard a brief explanation once over a decade ago from someone who would definitely know, but there has got to be more to that story about why that hotel is the ugly cement wart on Disneyland's backside that will never go away.

 

[Parteecia]

I heard a brief explanation once over a decade ago from someone who would definitely know

Did you sign an NDA?

 

[TP2000]

Did you sign an NDA?

Nope.

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned it previously, and it's not earth shattering, but the discussion was in the context of the Yamabuki restaurant that closed in that hotel over a decade ago. The man said that the deal Disney signed with the Japanese hotel developer to get the hotel after the Japanese economy crashed in the early 90's was surprisingly brutal for Disney; they were forced to give a cut of the profits from the hotel back to the Japanese developer for decades. Which is why Disney could never make a decent restaurant pencil out in that hotel, they had to send 10% or more back to the original developer in Japan.

Disney doesn't entirely own the hotel outright, and they have to keep sending a cut of the profits from the hotel property back to the Japanese hotel developers for decades. That was the gist of it. And it was really a conversation about why the rather good Japanese restaurant in the hotel, Yamabuki, was closed just a couple years after Disney remodeled it very nicely. Disney just couldn't get it to pencil out due to the developer deal, and it was costing them money to keep it open.

I have to wonder what the agreement is Disney has with The Great Maple in that hotel now? Perhaps there's a clause in the contract that the Japanese developer doesn't get their cut if a restaurant is operated by a third party?

 

[uncloaking]

I understand the facades for World Showcase but what about Future World? (17, 18, 19)

 

[Gusey]

Tony Baxter in 1994 discussing Westcot:

Tony Baxter.....on Westcot

The icon, which we still don't have a name for yet has changed a dozen times. We had the 300' golden ball and then we looked at how that would look from Main Street and it looked terrible, so it's evolving. We want something that symbolizes hope and is attractive in that it lures you toward it. That's the gateway there--with all the mist and fountains--for all of the attractions, so everyone goes in one way. It's all theatrically lit so you don't go outside--except for maybe in a few of these nature biomes. . . . It's an environment that we wanted to make almost like Tom Sawyer Island but along the trails, instead of slides and tree houses you'll find adventures that tell you about a certain part of nature's eco system.

Across from the lake is Future World and like I mentioned it's like going on stage. We only have one icon so instead of all the different pavillions competing architecturaly, we only have one space. You'll walk under the cascading waterfall into the lobby and there'll be gangways leading to the stages. Inside those stages we have 3 wonder areas, in combination with the Four Wonders of the World, will give us The Seven Wonders of WestCOT. That will be a catch phrase at WestCOT.

 

[denyuntilcaught]

God I miss this degree of thinking and ambition.

 

[NobodyElse]

I just noticed something in that rendering above...

Even in the most ambitious and daring of Imagineering eras, circa 1990 and pre-Paris financial mess, when Michael Eisner was telling WDI to go really big and remake the way Disneyland looks and feels forever...

The Pan-Pacific/Disneyland Pacific/Paradise Pier/Pixar Place Hotel was still sitting there being dumb and ugly.

I heard a brief explanation once over a decade ago from someone who would definitely know, but there has got to be more to that story about why that hotel is the ugly cement wart on Disneyland's backside that will never go away.

Hilarious.
I was looking at your first post, and noticed the same thing. Thank you for saving me some typing.

 

[lazyboy97o]

The thing about a park at the stage of development where you’re still looking for planning approval is that A LOT has not been figured out.

 

[Phroobar]

God I miss this degree of thinking and ambition.

Now we get, "We're all invited to a party!"

 

[denyuntilcaught]

Now we get, "We're all invited to a party!"

Good joke but really now, Imagineering's efforts have really reflected the current state of society's preference for quick gratification and no longer represent a POV on where humanity should place its focus for the future. You feel the difference in substance in messaging alone.

Sorry for my digression!

 

[uncloaking]

Misattached in above message.

 

[uncloaking]

That sure sounds like a stacked hub design to me.....

Tony Baxter in 1994 discussing Westcot:

Tony Baxter.....on Westcot

 

[Disney Vault]

Misattached in above message.

View attachment 793127

I don't think I've ever seen this version before

 

[NobodyElse]

I know it's all academic, since none of this ever did or will exist, but I'd like to see a chronological layout of all the renderings.

I'd be interested in seeing a few things, like:

• The layout/waterway of the World Cruise
• The positioning and design elements of "Ride the Dragon" and it's mountains. (The text from that slide show said the mountains would block out the Emerald Hotel, but most of the renderings above show Egyptian pyramids in that area)

 

[uncloaking]

Source for illustrations above. https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/WestCOT

 

[truecoat]

Did the park actually have a two-story or stacked wagon-wheel design w/ Spaceship Earth's area being the focal point / elevator from the ground to the below ground park?

If not, then how was one going to get to the three large "future world" pavilions on the park's edge?


View attachment 792123

What's funny about this is the design was by accident. An Imagineer was looking at jobs in the pharmaceutical industry and designed a new IUD. He left the design on his WED desk when Baxter came by and saw a people mover instead, the rest is history or forgotten history.

 

[DLR92]

I just noticed something in that rendering above...

Even in the most ambitious and daring of Imagineering eras, circa 1990 and pre-Paris financial mess, when Michael Eisner was telling WDI to go really big and remake the way Disneyland looks and feels forever...

The Pan-Pacific/Disneyland Pacific/Paradise Pier/Pixar Place Hotel was still sitting there being dumb and ugly.

I heard a brief explanation once over a decade ago from someone who would definitely know, but there has got to be more to that story about why that hotel is the ugly cement wart on Disneyland's backside that will never go away.

I can remember the blueprints of the master plan of the resort, WESTCot hotel or whatever that thing was supposed to be name. Surrounded the Pan Pacific Hotel.