Which park would Disney have loved the most if he still were alive?

[luv]

After Walt's passing the idea shifted and MK was the priority and Epcot was still the dream.

And remains one.

Too bad he died.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Disneyland, it was the original.

 

[Californian Elitist]

A lot of people are saying Disneyland, but it had changed a lot since Walt Disney last saw it, nearly fifty years ago. No one knows if he'd approve of what it is now. This question is impossible to answer.

 

[WWWD]

If he was alive today, Walt would prefer MK, because the jobs at MK would be supporting the citizens of his Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.

 

[James122]

It is certainly impossible to say whether or not Walt would approve of the Disneyland that exists today, almost 60 years after he opened it, although if he were alive he'd probably have more emotional attachment to Disneyland than Magic Kingdom since MK was intended to be a copy of DL, albeit on a larger scale, and also was (in his eyes probably) really just the economic engine that would fund his EPCOT.

I think he might actually like Animal Kingdom, but it's definitely interesting to think about what he'd make of DHS and Epcot, especially the latter in its current state.

 

[SMS55]

MK. Yes it's generally a copy of Disneyland, but the whole idea was to keep the good stuff and fix the things that weren't done properly at Disneyland. While EPCOT was his dream it was built into theme park and not the model city he envisioned.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Um...what? He was involved in all of the land acquisition and preliminary planning from what I know before he took to ill and passed away. He had no plans when he built Anaheim but realized the limitations of the park and it's location so he wanted to do it on a grander scale. I know I heard all of this on the History Channel special but can't find the footage right now. Here is is involved in one of the announcements of the park.

The preliminary planning of the Florida Project did not include any real discussions regarding the second theme park. Walt says that the company would not build another Disneyland but the master plans for the property show an exact copy of Disneyland. Walt's focus had shifted elsewhere and design would have largely been left to the Imagineers with more general guidance from Walt had he lived.

True as Epcot was the priority. But, it still makes me wonder what he had planned for a park where MK stands as it was on the map during the Florida project presentation.

I do not think it is so much a question of what Walt planned as what he would have not allowed since the Magic Kingdom did end up being another Disneyland.

So Roy didn't build the MK that Disney wanted?

While Roy always believed in his little brother, their relationship has never crossed me as one of bouncing ideas back and forth.

MK. Yes it's generally a copy of Disneyland, but the whole idea was to keep the good stuff and fix the things that weren't done properly at Disneyland. While EPCOT was his dream it was built into theme park and not the model city he envisioned.

That was the company's plan with the Magic Kingdom, but is not really ever discussed as truly originating with Walt himself.

 

[FettFan]

Other: Tokyo DisneySea.

 

[BryceM]

The current iteration of Epcot would just depress him.

 

[Phil12]

Universal Orlando

 

[George]

If Walt was still alive his interests would have shifted from theme parks and we would all hate "Uncle Walt" our iron fisted overlord, except for the fact that we will have all been retrofitted with the AN-1156 Obedience chip.

 

[copcarguyp71]

If Walt was still alive his interests would have shifted from theme parks and we would all hate "Uncle Walt" our iron fisted overlord, except for the fact that we will have all been retrofitted with the AN-1156 Obedience chip.

With Salsa? mmmmmmmmm chip and salsa!

 

[jdmdisney99]

Walt Disney didn't have money to fund his city, E.P.C.O.T., and so his advisers told him he needed to build another Disneyland. A copy of Disneyland was never in the original plans. I'm sure @lazyboy97o can expand on that.

This keeps coming up doesn't it. Walt didn't want another park. He wanted utopia, but they needed the money, so he wedged in a theme park in the far northwest corner of the property, leaving EPCOT in the heart of it all.

 

[jdmdisney99]

And remains one.

Too bad he died.

Ah, wouldn't it be great if one day, Disney dusted off the plans and actually built the city? Dreams are but fond memories for the future.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

The original plans did indeed have a MK. Epcot was never intended to be a theme park, Walt's Epcot was a city, with the latest innovations and would be always up dated with the newest inventions.

As to the question, I believe Walt would always have DL as his 1, but I believe he would have liked Epcot, especially world showcase, while noting it was not HIS Epcot!

AKK

 

[skimbob]

I think he would approved of what has been done at DL. I think he would have really liked Cars Land at DCA. AK would have definately pleased him since he originally wanted live animals in the Jungle Cruise. He was always about the show. i think he would have approved of the new Fantasyland as well even though many don't like it. Things may not be on the scale of Universal in some peoples eyes but the fact remains that when Disney does something they put a lot of thought into it and no I do not work for Disney

 

[SMS55]

That was the company's plan with the Magic Kingdom, but is not really ever discussed as truly originating with Walt himself.

In late 1965, he announced plans to develop another theme park to be called Disney World a few miles southwest of Orlando. Disney World was to include "the Magic Kingdom", a larger, more elaborate version of Disneyland. It would also feature a number of golf courses and resort hotels. The heart of Disney World, however, was to be the Experimental Prototype City (or Community) of Tomorrow, known as EPCOT for short.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney#Plans_for_Disney_World_and_EPCOT

I know it's wiki so it's not always 100 factual. Where does your info come from?

 

[jdmdisney99]

In late 1965, he announced plans to develop another theme park to be called Disney World a few miles southwest of Orlando. Disney World was to include "the Magic Kingdom", a larger, more elaborate version of Disneyland. It would also feature a number of golf courses and resort hotels. The heart of Disney World, however, was to be the Experimental Prototype City (or Community) of Tomorrow, known as EPCOT for short.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney#Plans_for_Disney_World_and_EPCOT

I know it's wiki so it's not always 100 factual. Where does your info come from?

Actually, the original Magic Kingdom was a copy and paste of Disneyland. It was just put in so that the bean counters would approve Walt's city.

See here at 8:24...

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Which park would Walt have loved the most? Easily the MK.

Walt had moved on from DL and was looking for the next thing. Never one to look back, Walt always enjoyed his latest project best. He sadly had no time to build an improved East Coast MK himself, but the sight of the glorious park that Roy built for him would've greatly touched him.

Newer, better, improving on all the failures and constraints of DL that frustrated him, and built as a love letter to him too.

 

[Californian Elitist]

This keeps coming up doesn't it. Walt didn't want another park. He wanted utopia, but they needed the money, so he wedged in a theme park in the far northwest corner of the property, leaving EPCOT in the heart of it all.

Yes, it does. People bring up improvements... Yes, he wanted more space and he didn't like the seedy hotels surrounding Disneyland, but those are pretty much the only improvements he was talking about.

Like I said previously, this question can't be answered.