World Showcase's Mountain Range That Never Was

[Cmdr_Crimson]

While recently watching the Special Backstage Disney: The American Adventure they come to the amazing model of Epcot Center while it pans out it shows the Mountain Range that was to happen but, got cancelled...

So, I decided to make a screengrab of the shot..The Mountains would have Domiated the skyline. You can cleary see the Mt Fuji Roller Coaster in Japan...However... Does anyone know what Mountain is that next to Italy? Unless that was the Planned Switzerland pavillion's Matterhorn...Anyone know?

 

[MississippiBelle]

While recently watching the Special Backstage Disney: The American Adventure they come to the amazing model of Epcot Center while it pans out it shows the Mountain Range that was to happen but, got cancelled...

So, I decided to make a screengrab of the shot..The Mountains would have Domiated the skyline. You can cleary see the Mt Fuji Roller Coaster in Japan...However... Does anyone know what Mountain is that next to Italy? Unless that was the Planned Switzerland pavillion's Matterhorn...Anyone know?

If it was Italy, it could have been Mt. Etna. It's a volcano in Sicily. It looks more like a Matterhorn type shape to me though.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

That it is the Matterhorn, next rather than behind Italy. Lovely transition: Germany -> Switzerland -> Italy.

I like how the mountains balance each other, for symmetry. Still, I might prefer WS lagoon without a mountain range. They would dominate the horizon too much.

Bonus thought: goodness, Mount Fuji totally resembles Space Mountain. I should have to look up which came first, maybe even volcanoes are classic Disney fans!

 

[*Q*]

That it is the Matterhorn, next rather than behind Italy. Lovely transition: Germany -> Switzerland -> Italy.

I like how the mountains balance each other, for symmetry. Still, I might prefer WS lagoon without a mountain range. They would dominate the horizon too much.

Bonus thought: goodness, Mount Fuji totally resembles Space Mountain. I should have to look up which came first, maybe even volcanoes are classic Disney fans!

I'd rather those dominate the skyline than the Swan and Soarin'. It'd be interesting if they would have continued the mountain theme, with Kilimanjaro, Ayers Rock, Everest, etc.

 

[marni1971]

Switzerland. The proposal booklet is or was posted on line a while back for more information.

Interesting tid bit: Rhine River, Matterhorn and the Italian Gondolas were all to share the same water system. Another reason for the adjacent placements.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

Switzerland. The proposal booklet is or was posted on line a while back for more information.

Interesting tid bit: Rhine River, Matterhorn and the Italian Gondolas were all to share the same water system. Another reason for the adjacent placements.

Yeah the concept art looked impressive for both Mountains...

From Progresscityusa
Mt Fuji

Switzerland Pavillion

And just for the Curious on how Equitoral Africa would have looked instead of the Refreshment Post..

 

[Schneewittchen]

The unrealized awesomeness breaks my heart. If only they had a bigger budget for lumber, fiberglass and paint....

 

[Minthorne]

It is because the held off on these big plan they have been able to keep the attendance reasonable and prices low.

 

[aladdin2007]

So cool but so sad.

 

[Soarin2u]

Personally, I don't think I would have done mountains either. Everything else in the world showcase is so realistic and I fear that adding a fake mountain in the backdrop would take away from that.

 

[Chef Mickey]

Cutting out things in proposed plans sounds more like today's Disney.

 

[halltd]

I think it was posted on a website we're not allowed to mention here. But, if you Google, "Switzerland Epcot book" you will come across a post from Dec 2014 showing every page in the pavilion's concept book. It's a great read!

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Cutting out things in proposed plans sounds more like today's Disney.

Mwah..that has always been Disney. The MK never got its mountain range either, although some sort of replacement, ultimately. Horizon's budget was slashed late in the design phase. Spaceship Earth was supposed to be much bigger yet. No trace of that proposed EPCOT city either. The MK area was never build out into a collection of globally themed hotels - how I long for that Persian, Venetian and Asian resort and take a world cruise on Seven Seas Lagoon!

There is a world of difference between proposal, pipe dream, blue sky, blueprint, concept. It is fun to dream, but is impossible for WDW to have build everything ever proposed, or even everything greenlit.

 

[Chef Mickey]

Mwah..that has always been Disney. The MK never got its mountain range either, although some sort of replacement, ultimately. Horizon's budget was slashed late in the design phase. Spaceship Earth was supposed to be much bigger yet. No trace of that proposed EPCOT city either. The MK area was never build out into a collection of globally themed hotels - how I long for that Persian, Venetian and Asian resort and take a world cruise on Seven Seas Lagoon!

There is a world of difference between proposal, pipe dream, blue sky, blueprint, concept. It is fun to dream, but is impossible for WDW to have build everything ever proposed, or even everything greenlit.

I agree things were cut before, but at least we got projects like Splash, Everest, Test Track, Tower of Terror, Fantasmic, etc. Now, we get Frozen at the expense of Maelstrom, 7DMT at the expense of SWSA and an overall underwhelming New Fantasyland.

 

[Csmith041177]

Have to admit that is really cool stuff. It is amazing how different things could have been.

 

[doctornick]

Switzerland. The proposal booklet is or was posted on line a while back for more information.

Interesting tid bit: Rhine River, Matterhorn and the Italian Gondolas were all to share the same water system. Another reason for the adjacent placements.

They need to dust off the plans and get 'em built.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Personally, I don't think I would have done mountains either. Everything else in the world showcase is so realistic and I fear that adding a fake mountain in the backdrop would take away from that.

Well Canada has a mountain range, so it's not like a precedent hasn't been set.

 

[Soarin2u]

Well Canada has a mountain range, so it's not like a precedent hasn't been set.

I'm talking about, the big looming ones shown in the pictures. Which I just think are too big and too much for my taste.

 

[Phonedave]

Mwah..that has always been Disney. The MK never got its mountain range either, although some sort of replacement, ultimately. Horizon's budget was slashed late in the design phase. Spaceship Earth was supposed to be much bigger yet. No trace of that proposed EPCOT city either. The MK area was never build out into a collection of globally themed hotels - how I long for that Persian, Venetian and Asian resort and take a world cruise on Seven Seas Lagoon!

There is a world of difference between proposal, pipe dream, blue sky, blueprint, concept. It is fun to dream, but is impossible for WDW to have build everything ever proposed, or even everything greenlit.

Any project I have ever worked on, from constructon to system releases are like that. You have your BREQs - basic things that the project must address, but your "nice to haves" get pushed off to a later date (which somtimes never comes)

-dave

 

[Courtney6682]

I think it was posted on a website we're not allowed to mention here. But, if you Google, "Switzerland Epcot book" you will come across a post from Dec 2014 showing every page in the pavilion's concept book. It's a great read!

Thank you for this!!! I am a lover of all things Epcot...especially the WS. Those plans were so neat!! I loved the ride concept!