Book Review: Project Future

PROJECT FUTURE

The Inside Story Behind the Creation of Disney World

Chad Denver Emerson
185 pages
$14.95
ProjectFutureBook.com

I purchased this book online at Amazon.

For those who have a deep interest in the early history of Walt Disney World or EPCOT, Walt’s vision of the City of Tomorrow, then this book will become a valuable addition to your library. Chad Emerson tells the often glossed over story of how Disney secretly bought enough land in central Florida so that they could fit in Manhattan – twice! Then secure the land use rights in such a manner that gives the Company more control over their property than most Counties in the United States.

Steve Mannheim’s Walt Disney and the Quest for Community was the first book to really dig into the details about the EPCOT’s feasibility. Chad Emerson’s book really fills in the blanks and creates a strong narrative on how Walt’s dream become partially a reality in 1971 where the book ends.

The book starts with a flight over central Florida where Walt and other Disney executives first saw Bay Lake. Somehow, Walt knew that he found what he had been looking for. That day was November 22, 1963.

Walt was able to use the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair to test his Circarama projection system. The 1964 New York World’s Fair gave him the resources to invent new entertainment technologies. It wasn’t long after Disneyland opened that Walt started to look eastward. Of course, he was being courted by cities all across America. But only a few of those opportunities got a serious look.

The book highlights some of the potential Disneyland East locations such as the Meadowland in New Jersey, a Niagara Falls project with the Seagram family, and an indoor facility along the St. Louis waterfront.

One of the book’s strengths is Mr. Emerson goes beyond the often told story of why the St. Louis project never made it off the drawing boards. Usually the story suggests Walt killed the idea after being offended by local beer interests that his park would fail unless it sold alcohol. In fact, the project continued to move forward quite far along in the design phased before two issues would put it aside. Those issues include who was going to pay for the infrastructure – the City or Disney and more importantly, Walt’s lack of interest as Project Future in Florida was starting to move into high gear.

Other potential Disneyland East locations included Signboard Hill in Kansas City Missouri with an early version of the World Showcase, Walt’s hometown Marceline Missouri, and Palm Beach, Florida.

The 1959 Palm Beach project would have been a partnership with the NBC television network. This was the first time the “community of Tomorrow” was mentioned and included a 400-acre theme park and a town center serving a population of 70,000.

In order to keep the price of the land acquisition down, an elaborate scheme of dummy corporations and hidden identities were put together to buy the necessary parcels. Mostly wetlands, farming and grazing land, there was very little development in the area. A few very large parcels, one more than 12,000-acres formed the core of the project.

As an Urban Planner, I was mostly engaged with the story of how the Reedy Creek Improvement District was formed. The unique form of government has proven to be a success for more than 40 years. In most parts of the country, the basic infrastructure systems are managed by Special Districts. These quasi-public/private Special Districts are an efficient way to maintain water and sewer systems, flood control facilities, and other public uses. The original idea for Disney was simply to create a special district to deal with drainage issues. Throughout the years, the level of authority had grown tremendously with the District covering virtually everything but schools.

Today, the Reedy Creek Improvement District services two counties, two cities, and thousands of acres of protected wetlands. The voting rights are restricted to landowners and all of the chosen Disney personnel who live on property lease their homes. Plans to sell homes was considered part of the project all the way up to a 1971 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that went against Disney’s interests.

Master planning for the project started in the summer of 1966 with Marvin Davis picked as the lead master planner. By February of 1967, Disney had announced that Phase 2 of the project would be a city under a 50-acre dome with a 30-story hotel at its center. Then on May 5, 1967, the Florida legislature approved the Reedy Creek Improvement District and Project Future could move forward.

The book reviews economic impact reports from 1967 and 1983 and there is a listing of key player and a timeline that will become essentials for researchers. This is a well-written book, very readable, and will give you a new appreciation of how Walt Disney World only exists because a small group of people implemented one man’s dream.

DAILY DOSE OF DISNEY

1958 – Grand Canyon Diorama opens at Disneyland.

1974 – The Magic of Walt Disney World airs on NBC.

DIsneyland's Adventureland 08: Tarzan's Treehouse

To truly understand why the Disney parks stand apart from other theme parks, you just have to remember that the design tradition started in animation and the movies. Walt asked architect Welton Beckett to help him with the parks. Welton told Walt to train his own people because they would be the only ones who got what was in Walt’s head. So that is what he did.

Throughout the parks you find these cinematic tricks used ranging from forced perspective to the “cross-dissolve.” Tarzan’s Treehouse (formerly the Swiss Family Treehouse) is a perfect example of the “inbetweens.” The result is a richer texture and a more immersive environment.

In Disneyland: Inside Story, author Randy Bright reminds us that in Walt’s time, not every had to increase capacity or create publicity. It didn’t have to make money. Walt knew he had to create “remarkable pieces of out-of-the-way charm that doesn’t shout or call attention to itself,” wrote Bright. Instead “the visitor sort of stumble upon it, experiencing all the surprise and delight that childhood discoveries bring.” Another example of this is the petrified tree in Frontierland.

In the book Disney Animation and the Illusion of Life, the authors describe the animation process. The scene is staged by a series of key drawings that highlight major points of motion. The key drawings come to life because of the large number of “inbetweens” that complete the scene.

When the park opened in 1955, Adventureland only had one attraction – the Jungle Cruise. A major expansion came in 1962, which included the Tahitian Terrace, the Safari Shooting Gallery, the Adventureland Bazaar was rehabbed, and the Swiss Family Treehouse grew from the fertile soil of Anaheim.

The design objective was to create an evergreen backdrop. The original budget was $254,900 with $40,000 targeted toward the 300,000 vinyl leaves and blossoms. The entire structure weighs 150 tons and is anchored 42 feet into the ground. It has 450 branches.

This is a rare tree. Its Latin name is “Disneyodron Semperflorens Grandis.” The name is taxonomically and botanically accurate. As I understand it, the Greek word “dendron” equals “tree”, the Latin word “semper” equals “always”/”ever”, and the Latin word “grandis” equals “large.” You have large evergreen Disney tree. It is a one of a kind with a close relative living in Florida called the Disneyodron Eximus.”

In 1999, the tree was converted into Tarzan’s Treehouse to make it more “relevant” to a new generation. A new stair tower was built in the middle of the path. This created a view terminus and made for a smoother transition in a tough area where Adventureland, New Orleans Square, and Frontierland converge. It also gives the attraction a great presence.

A nice tribute to the former tenants is the constant sound of the "Swissapolka" playing on the Victrola. Lots of other fun things to push, pull, and bang throughout the camp.

If you are brave enough to put your hand the whole you might find a surprise. There are two experiences like this in the camp below Tarzan's Treehouse.

DAILY DOSE OF DISNEY

1952 - The first announcement for a place called Disneyland is published at the Burbank Daily Review. It was going to be located at the corner of Riverside Drive and Buena Vista Road.

1961 - Snow White Grotto opens at Disneyland

DAILY DOSE OF DISNEY

1994 - Food Rocks opens at Epcot.

Knott's Preserved Event

I recognize that SamLand is focused on the North American Disney theme parks. But I will confess I have a soft spot in my heart for Knott's Berry Farm. Growing up in Southern California, especially as a teenager, Knott's was always a cooler place to hang than Disneyland. This was back in the day when many of the attractions were designed by former and future Imagineers such as Tony Baxter and Rolly Crump. (Correction: As you can see in the comments author Chris Merritt noted that Tony never designed for Knott's but was a huge fan. I stand corrected. That is why I love doing this blog. Very cool. Thanks Chris)

So it is with great pride that I annouce a wonderful event taking place at Knott's on April 18. That is when authors Chris Merritt and J. Eric Lynxwiler will be releasing their long-awaited book Knott's Preserved. To celebrate this achievement, they have put together a full-day event that is a must attend for anybody interested in the history of theme parks. Activities include:

• Historical tours of Ghost Town and Grand Avenue led by Phil Brigandi and Chris Jepsen
• A multi-media lecture on the early history of the park inside of the Bird Cage Theatre
• A group buffet at Mrs. Knott's naturally (Yum, Fried Chicken!)
• And the reason why Disney fans should attend: a panel discussion featuring Rolly Crump, Chris Crump, Dean Davisson, John Waite, and Eddie Sotto
• Plus you can get a copy of the book autographed by the authors

You can learn more about the event by going here and here. I also recommend you visit www.knottspreserved.com to learn more about the book.

I already have my ticket and I hope you will be joining me at Knott's on April 18.

ONE PERSPECTIVE: Tom Sawyer Island June 13, 2009

Missing the Rivers of America? Me too. This is one of the great spots in Disneyland. Basically the stage for Fantasmic! Nicely hidden within and under this little building beneath the treehouse. For awhile we had a nice pirate show. However, Captain Jack seems to have sailed to other waters. But beware. The hints of pirates remain.

Click to enlarge

Another one of my favorite resting spots. Just grab a seat on a box and watch the world go by.

Watch out. Sometimes there are some scary creatures around the island.

DAILY DOSE OF DISNEY

1956 - The Astro-Jets open at Disneyland
1972 - Country Bear Jamboree opens at Disneyland

March WDW Trip Report - Part 2

The Communications Around the "World" class

photo by Kathy Werling

www.disunplugged.com

Day 5: Friday - March 12

I find the grounds of Port Orleans Riverside to be some of the best on property. There is a benefit to having a room near the first bus stop. On many occasions, my bus would fill up, avoid making the loop, and drive directly to my destination. My king bed room was very comfortable and clean. For the very first time, Mousekeeping made animals out of my towels.

Friday night is one of those type of experiences that you read about at the Disney Food Blog. I have made it a habit to try sitting at the Kitchen Counter of various Disney restaurants. My steak from Napa Rose is still the benchmark. Jiko's is at the appetizer bar and the samples were a special bonus. The California Grill's kitchen is a show especially as they stop and deal with foods with many restrictions. But no experience could surpass my meal at The Flying Fish Cafe.

A fun way to experience these restaurants is to go off-menu. You ask the Executive Chef to prepare a meal built around your preferences and restrictions. This worked wonders at Napa Rose and Jiko, and to limited success at California Grill. I mentioned this to Keith, the General Manager, and who would have thought that on that day, Corporate just approved changing the first 6 seats at that very counter into a special dining experience exactly as I described that you will be able to book in a month or so. The stools and the counter will reflect this special status.

I like my California red wines and really had my heart set on a Heitz Cabernet. Chef Tim came out many questions about what I like and didn't like. He then stated he would prepare an entire meal that was built around my wine choice. Four of the best courses I have ever experienced. Each one personally supervised and delivered by the Chef. This giant of a man would pull up a stool and walk me through all of the elements of my meal.

• Locally grown grape and beefsteak tomatoes with deep fried Porcini Mushrooms, fresh Buffalo Mozzarella Cheese and Balsamic Vinegar Glaze
• Salad of locally grown Watercress and Arugala with Blood Oranges, Candied Walnuts, Tupelo Honey Goat Cheese and a Walnut Oil Vinaigrette
• Roasted Butternut Squash and Midnight Moon Chevre Ravioli with Black Truffles, Sunchoke-Porcini Crema and Amaretti Cumbles.
• Slices of Char-crusted Black Angus New York Strip Steak and 9-hour Roasted Angus Beef Short Rib "Osso Bucco" over Mustardseed Spatzle with a Port Wine-Mustard Reduction
• A sampler of Flying Fish dessert specialities including: Florida Key Lime Fantasi with Key Lime-Pineapple Sorbet and Chocolate Accents; Toasted Almond, Polenta and Strawberry Tort with White Chocolate Strawberry Creme Brulee and Valrhona Chocolate and Strawberries; Caramelized banana Napoleon with phyllo, banana mousse, Creme Caramel, and Fruit Coulis and Bitter Chocolate
• Trentadue Port - a port infused with Chocolate Oil

Thank you Keith and Chef Tim. Everyone must do this at least once.

To add to a magical evening, I was strolling past the International Gateway just as Illuminations was going and noticed movement in a tree. Climbing up the tree were a couple of people and Security had also noticed them. I found it amusing and they gently got the kids out of the tree. I applauded the Security people and one asked for my name. She mentioned that I would be on a list for tomorrow night to stand along the wall behind the pub in the UK and watch the show from a perfect spot. Now you know why I like this place.

Day 6: Saturday - March 13

What I had dubbed Sleep-in Saturday was my chance to get a late start for the first time that week. On my way to the Magic Kingdom, I thought I would take advantage of an Annual Passholder perk. For a limited time I could get three free laps in a ride-along at the Richard Petty Driving Experience. Now Top Gear is my favorite show on television and I prefer my race cars without fenders but I was feeling the need for speed and this was the time.

There was a small line since this was the first dry day of the week. You suit up in a Nomex firesuit suit and you must have closed toe shoes. Once you get to the front of the line, you are fitted with a Nomex firehat and a helmet. A Hans safety device is affixed to your neck limiting movement. I was feeling like the Stig. I was also grinning ear to ear. The sound of those rumbling V-8s really got to me. So it is my turn and jump through the window, go through the very brief safety orientation ("if you crash pull this and this"), and got belted in. Like a bat out of Hell, the driver floored it and off we go. Some say we were going around 140 mph. I say we were running the high line after lap 2 and the wall was very close. I was giddy.

Is it worth it? What I did would cost $109 and the two guys behind me in line did pay for the approximately 6-minute complete experience. Let's put it this way:

• If you watch NASCAR every week or Cars was a life changing experience then this is a must.
• If you are a casual racing fan and have the time and looking for something different then you should strongly consider this.
• If you are bored with everything else at the World then you might want to consider this.
• If the idea of race cars or going in a circle at 140 mph seems silly then you should pass.

To avoid the long lines at the Monorail and the Ferry, I walked over to the Poly and had lunch at the Kona Cafe. No wait at the Poly's Monorail station and just a short ride to the front gate. The usually reliable crowd calendar at TouringPlans.com suggested that the crowds at the Magic Kingdom would be a 7 out of 10. Using their really cool Lines app, I saw they tweaked the calendar up to a 10 out of 10. I have never seen such a sea of humanity.

Crowds walking through Frontierland.

This is my dream of a retirement job.

No matter how crowded the park is, you will always find space on the Liberty Belle, inside the Hall of Presidents, the Country Bears, and others.

There was even a short line for the TTA. Yes, that is correct, a short line for the TTA. At a theoretical throughput of 3,700 people per hour that is certainly a statement.

My obsession with Walt's City of Tomorrow - EPCOT - almost made me jump out of the TTA car. I remember seeing this model at the top of the Speedramp at the Carousel of Progress in Disneyland's Tomorrowland.

Huge crowds and Space Mountain decides to go down for awhile really backing things up.

I stayed through the early evening and then headed to Epcot to see my favorite attraction - The American Adventure, watch the British Invasion, and take advantage of my special Illuminations spot. What a day. Back to work (the second tour) on Sunday.

Day 7: Sunday - March 14

Met the class at the Animal Kingdom Lodge and gave a tour of that lobby. A breakfast at Boma then a full day. As before, I will outline this tour in a future article. After breakfast we caught the bus to Epcot and talked about that arrival experience and the park's organization. We met up briefly with Len Testa of the Unofficial Guide before reboarding the monorail toward the Magic Kingdom. From there, we toured the three monorail resorts before breaking for the afternoon. I ran back to Epcot to met up with Len and his incredible daughter, ate lunch at Nine Dragons (If this place was bad then they have certainly improved), and that is when I got my copy of the Unofficial Guide: The Color Companion to Walt Disney World. Have you bought your copy yet? A review will be popping up soon. The perfect weather forced me to slowly absorb everything that is possible at Epcot from watching the Voices of Liberty to just sitting and watching the world go by. As I was walking out of the park, the sound of Illuminations was splashing behind me.

Day 8: Monday - March 15

The final day is always the one where the only plan I have is to get to the airport by a certain time. It is always my last chance to go back to something I really missed. And the Magic Kingdom was the winner. I got there early and went on everything I didn't go on earlier in the week. Taking the advice from the guys over at WDW Today, I asked if there were any walk-ups at Tonys for lunch. But of course with immediate seating. As I finished lunch I remembered my story about the party line phones on Main Street at Disneyland. Hale mentioned there was a Magic Kingdom equivalent. Sure enough, right there on the wall in the Chapeau hat shop, is a working phone with the tape from 1974!

A non-working phone is in the fire station.

Guest Blog: Disneyland's D23 Anniversary Party

Once again, Samland is fortunate to present a guest blogger - Laura Dahl. As I was having a grand time in Florida, Ms. Dahl was able to attend the first anniversary party held at Disneyland on Wednesday, March 10. The following are her impressions. Thanks Laura!

Check-in

After braving the rush hour traffic, we made it to the Esplanade for check-in around 6pm. The line was pretty long and didn't move too fast, which was strange since all we did was show ID and our D23 membership card, sign a photography waiver and pick up our "welcome packet." The packet was underwhelming since it was a large envelope with two pieces of paper in it - a press release announcing the 2011 Expo and Destination D and a welcoming note from Steven Clark. I was disappointed that there was not any kind of a program or map or bios of the celebrities invited to the party. We also got purple wristbands.

We were advised that we could meet back at the same area and would be let in to the park at 8:45p or if we had park admission, we could go in and when the park closed at 8:00p to show our wristbands and head to the hub.

Pre-Party Dinner at Cafe' Orleans

I decided to have dinner at Cafe' Orleans - a "light" Monte Cristo sandwich so we could save room for dessert. Waddled out of there around 7:30p and shopped around New Orleans Square area and then headed to Main Street, which was open until 9:00p. Around 8:45p we saw lots of D23 members coming into the park. Security checked wristbands around Coke Corner and directed us to the hub and the front of the Castle.



Waiting in the Hub

Lots of excitement waiting in the hub - people were having a good time, lots of photos and videotaping going on. Shortly after nine, they played Walt's welcome speech and fireworks were set off from the castle. We were then welcomed into the castle and into Fantasyland. Since we were off to the side, we were encouraged to enter Fantasyland via the wishing well area. It seemed the large crowd would fill Fantasyland, but we headed beyond the Carrousel towards Dumbo to find lots of dessert and hot drink tables that weren't crowded (Editor's note: Laura has learned the lesson to start in the back and move forward).

Food Tables

There were a large variety of desserts on the tables and Disney staff continued to bring replenishments out whenever they got low. We shared a couple plates of food including chocolate covered Mickey rice crispie bars, chocolate cupcakes, eclairs, fruit tarts, and cookies. (Editor's note: Yum!) The food tables were pretty with jewel tone tablecloths and large silver candelabras and flowers. The drink choices were coffee, hot water for tea and iced water. Alcohol was available for purchase. I had a small $8 glass of chardonnay. There was also a red wine and several bottled beers and soft drinks available for purchase.

Rides

All of the Fantasyland rides wre running with short lines. We rode Casey Junior's train and Peter Pan's flight. A wonderful cast member was operating Peter Pan and she serenaded everyone as they entered their vehicles. We saw her later in the park and she remembered us and sang to us again. The Carrousel was spinning and lit up all night but it wasn't open for riders. The Matterhorn wasn't operating but it's a small world was running with it's new sign. A small sign near the Matterhorn pointed the way to Captain EO and we headed that direction to take a nostalgic trip back to the 80s.

On our wasy to Captain EO, we saw that the AstroOrbitor was also running and also the Star Trader store was open. Captain EO was fun, especially with no wait, although I could live without the theater shaking in time with the music in the finale.

We were amazed how many cast members were needed for the party - besides the ride operators and food delivery people and bartenders, there were a lot of staff guarding closed areas to make sure that the party guests didn't wander where they were not supposed to be.

Cars

The Small World esplanade had a photo opportunity with Mickey Mouse in his bandleader costume and a big car that they use for parading the volunteers. A long line formed for the photos. Also, Walt's electric runabout car - which wasn't available for sitting in, but just looking.

Characters

Lots of different characters were out for photos in Fantasyland and near the Matterhorn. We saw the Three Little Pigs, Alice, Mad Hatter and the White Rabbit, Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket, Clara Cluck and 3 of the Country Bears. Also running about were the bears from Brother Bear and Malificent. There were also many Imagineers and other Disney celebrities. You know you are at a party with Disney nerds when the line to meet Tony Baxter is longer than the line to see Jiminy Cricket. The people who were meeting and getting autographs and photos from their idols looked ecstatic, especially when meeting Margaret Kerry and Bob Gurr. Everyone seemed very gracious and happy to meet with the fans.

Around 11:45p we slowly headed out of Fantasyland pausing to take photos of the castle and an empty Main Street. We could have chosen to take a double-decker bus or one of the other Main Street vehicles, but we wanted to walk. When we got back to the flagpole, many of the characters were there for one last photo opportunity, which was a nice touch. We couldn't resist a photo with Jiminy and Pinocchio.

It was a great party and one that we hope to do again next year. Happy Birthday D23!