The Wizard of Bras Porch - Redux

PLEASE VISIT MICECHAT FOR THE FULL ARTICLE.

Disney California Adventure Design: A Bug's Land

A BUG’S LAND

A Bug’s Land was not part of the original Disney California Adventure line-up when the park opened in 2001. This one-and-a-half-acre land was added in 2002 to address complaints that there was not enough for little ones to do at Disney’s new “hip and edgy” theme park. The Imagineers took a few off-the-shelf amusement park rides, dressed them up a bit, and placed them in a cleverly themed immersive environment. Viola! A new land is born.

Of course, like most of the other areas within the Disney theme parks there is a story that ties all of the design elements together to eliminate any visual contradictions. According to a press release, when the construction crew started to build The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror in the parking lot behind the new park, they discovered that the local bugs had created a tiny amusement park of their own. The Imagineers were so enchanted with this little park they invited the bugs to become part of the theme park line up. You might say that Disney found a cost efficient way to expand the park.

The challenge for the designers was to facilitate a believable change in scale from human size down to the size of an insect. They had some experience with this at the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids playground at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida. It starts with a gateway sign using familiar objects like pencils and leaves but done in way out of scale. As you approach the entrance, the pathway narrows and you step through a cereal box (Woody’s Cowboy Crunchies). Inside of the box are images from Pixar films and lots of inside jokes.

The story is further embellished with the area lighting (straws with light bugs), street furniture (used popsicle sticks), and sounds (different during the day and night). The food booths are used food containers and the bathroom is an upturned tissue box with its own little interior sounds (no not that).

A couple attractions are borrowed from the Mermaid Lagoon section of Tokyo DisneySea. Flik's Flyers is the same as the Blowfish Balloon Race and Francis' Lady Bug Boogie is the same as The Whirlpool. Over at Paradise Pier is another attraction that is a copy from Japan - the Jumpin' Jellyfish, which is the same as the...Jumpin' Jellyfish (theirs is so much better - the detail!).

The designers cleverly incorporated the giant Hollywood Tower Hotel structure into the background to help emphasize the change of scale. Between the real plants and the man-made clovers, you get a sense that you are smaller than a blade of grass. As the landscaping has matured, this effect has become even more pronounced. Speaking of clovers, are you lucky enough to find the one 4-leaf clover hidden within the area?

A New Disneyland in Burbank!

Well not really. But this was the headline in the Burbank Daily Review on March 27, 1952:

WALT DISNEY MAKE-BELIEVE LAND PROJECT PLANNED HERE

"Disneyland," a spectacular world of make-believe made reality by the genius of famed cartoon producer Walt Disney is being planned as a $1,500,000 development on Disney property at Riverside and Buena Vista.

The statement by Disney described the project as "something of a fair, an exhibition, a playground, a community center, a museum of living facts, and a showplace of beauty and magic."

Walt won tentative approval from the City's Parks and Recreation department after hearing Walt's assurance that this was not a commercial venture and was not meant to turn a profit.

The WEDway PeopleMover

Click here for the MiceChat Version with more graphics.

A few weeks ago, we wandered around the all-plastic Monsanto House of the Future. That demonstration home lasted until 1967 when a whole new Tomorrowland based on the “World on the Move” theme was unleashed. One of the breakthrough attractions in the new Tomorrowland was the WEDway PeopleMover. Although it is gone, it certainly is not forgotten. Where did this marvel of technology come from?

The PeopleMover is a by-product of Walt’s involvement with the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair. WED Enterprises was hired to design the Ford Motor Company Pavilion in the summer of 1961 by Henry Ford II. The show would be called Magic Skyway and it would feature Ford convertibles as the ride vehicles. The Ford Pavilion had a $30 million budget and the building was nearly 275,000 square feet and the largest structure at the Fair. Welton Becket was the architect. The Magic Skyway became one of the most popular attractions with nearly 15 million visitors taking a spin behind the wheel of a Ford.

The purpose for using Ford products was to give guests a chance to experience the new vehicles first hand. The Ford Mustang was introduced at this Fair and this was the first chance that many people had to ride in one. This interaction is similar to what Ford did at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. During that Fair, drivers took guests on a ride along a short test track within the pavilion. This meant long hours in line for guests. A goal for the 1964 Fair was to increase guest capacity. Therefore, a new type of propulsion system was required to move the convertibles through the Magic Skyway.

“We discovered the idea for the New York World’s Fair WEDway PeopleMover system while on a business trip to the Ford Motor Company in Detroit,” John Hench said. “Walt and I were invited to visit the mill where Ford made steel for car bodies. We saw a device for handling steel ingots, masses of glowing red-hot metal. The ingots were moved around on tracks powered rollers from one are to another while being transformed into sheet steel for making cars.” Walt asked, “Do you think we could put some kind of seat on that type of conveyor, or some kind of arrangement for people to ride on…do you think this thing would handle it?” Hench replied, “I said, “Sure, look at the weight carried here. I bet that Roger Broggie would know how to do it.”

The challenge was to find a way to push the Ford cars around a winding track with elevation changes. The solution was a technology called a booster brake drive system. This system was first used on the Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland. Broggie said, “Walt remembered the booster brakes on the Matterhorn, which were at the top of each hill. They were rolling tires that helped slow down the cars and get them going at the right speed.”

The solution for both the Ford cars at the Fair and ultimately the WEDway PeopleMover was to embed electric motors powering rubber tires along a track every few feet and put a steel plate on the bottom of the vehicle. Although the vehicles themselves do not have motors, the tires spinning below make contact with a steel plate mounted on the bottom and push them along. The speed of the vehicles could vary determined by how fast the rubber wheels were spinning. The EPCOT film claims one of the benefits of this technology is, “No single car can ever break down and cause a rush hour traffic jam.” Even if one of the motors breaks, it would not stop the system, as the other motors would pick up the slack.

To test the technology, a three hundred foot oval track and loading ramp was built in the Burbank studio backlot. Ford sent over two white 1961 Lincoln Continentals with the engines, transmissions, and other bits removed to make them lighter. Bob Gurr set up his conveyor system and it worked. Further refinements were made and the system was installed in New York.

In 1964, Walt was the one who first realized that he could adapt the World’s Fair propulsion technology and create the WEDway PeopleMover system. PeopleMover name was Walt’s working title for the project but it stuck. In 1966, Walt had a chance to ride in a prototype system of the attraction that was built on the back lot. He passed away before the system could be installed in Disneyland.

For Walt, the primary function for the Disneyland PeopleMover was to give guests an overview of Tomorrowland. After this “bird’s eye-view” introduction, guests would know exactly where they wanted to go next and what to expect.

The WEDway PeopleMover made its public debut as a signature part of the new Tomorrowland that opened in 1967. The Disneyland system was a 5/8^th scale demonstration model designed by Bob Gurr and Bill Watkins. What was not known to the general public was the attraction was specifically designed as a prototype for the system that Walt wanted to installed in EPCOT. Just like the monorail, Walt was going to use his park as a way of testing the durability of the technology. For me, it was one of the breakthrough technologies that helped define my memories of Tomorrowland. The attraction has constantly polled at the top of the list as one of the most missed attractions at Disneyland.

The Disneyland WEDway PeopleMover system consisted of 62 continuously moving, fully automated four-car trains. The attraction could host up to 4,885 guests per hour. The performance claim was “on peak days, it carries nearly 40,000 passengers.” Guests would take a 16-minute journey through Tomorrowland. Goodyear Tire Company was the sponsor. The attraction opened in 1967 and closed in 1995.

The loading platform is similar to a system that Walt spotted in Lausanne, Switzerland. Guests would step on Speedramp, an escalator belt without steps, that lead up to the loading platform. The Speedramp had a much great carrying capacity than a traditional moving stairway. At the top of the ramp was a circular walkway that was moving at the same speed as the vehicles and will “continue to move even while passengers are disembarking or stepping aboard.” The vehicles run continuously and “the next car is always ready.” The doors open and close automatically and it does not take many attendants to manage very large crowds.

When the attraction opened at the Magic Kingdom, Disney used a different propulsion system that in many ways was an improvement over the previous technology. Instead of using rubber tires to push the trains along, which were subject to wear and tear, linear induction motors were installed. All of the moving parts were eliminated. Embedded in the track are powerful electro-magnets that are switched on in off in sequence. As the vehicle approaches, the magnet pulses on and the opposing magnetic field pushes the vehicle forward. Each motor is made up of a proximity sensor, speed sensor, and a motor unit. One design constraint for systems powered by linear induction motors was the track had to be level. The older World’s Fair and Disneyland technology allowed for elevation changes.

For Walt’s vision for EPCOT, the WEDway PeopleMover was a “key system in [a] coordinated network” of transportation technologies and a critical piece of the puzzle. The EPCOT film touted the WEDway PeopleMover as “a silent, all-electric system that never stops running.” Walt needed a reliable intermediate transportation system to ferry guests from the Transportation Lobby out to the retail districts, the high-density apartments, the greenbelt with its recreational facilities and out to the ring of low-density single-family homes. He would also use the technology to connect the monorail to the industrial parks. As well as functioning as a transportation device, the proposal was for the WEDway PeopleMover to give guests a preview of what was going on inside the industrial facilities.

For EPCOT, initial plans showed a system of twenty WEDway PeopleMover lines “that radiate to and from the Transportation Lobby.” This system would become the string that ties the various land use pearls together. “From all over the community residents going to their jobs converge by WEDway on the Center City. Many work downtown in offices, stores, and shops, but most employees go beyond the city core to their jobs.” From the Transportation Lobby to the low-density residential zones at the far edge, the WEDway PeopleMover would be the transportation system of choice for residents and visitors in EPCOT.

The EPCOT system would feature trains consisting of four attached cars with each car seating up to four guests. Of course, the trains would be full size, therefore much larger then either the Disneyland or Magic Kingdom versions. The proposed headway time, the time it takes to wait for the next vehicle to arrive, was a mere three minutes. If a train was not already at the station, a rider would press a button and it would signal one to come. If the demand were to decrease, surplus trains would move back into the roundhouse.

The WEDway PeopleMover was the forerunner of another type of transportation technology called Personal Rapid Transit (PRT). At the theme parks, the custom has become one party riding in one vehicle. This type of behavior is consistent with the PRT concept, whereby the guests are assigned to private vehicles, not shared with strangers, to take them on a nonstop no-transfer trip from their origin stations to their destination station. The WEDway PeopleMover provides an unprecedented level of privacy and security, which is a pleasant change from other forms of public transportation. It would be possible to provide users with key cards that limited access to certain stations.

Disney tried to sell the PeopleMover solution to cities and shopping mall developers. They set up a company called Community Transportation Company. The company offered modular systems that could be modified to meet the specific needs of its customers. The Houston Continental Airport installed a third generation WEDway PeopleMover system.

Book Review: Four Decades of Magic

FOUR DECADES OF MAGIC
Celebrating the First Forty Years of Disney World
A collection of essays

Compiled by Chad Denver Emerson
Foreword by Jim Hill

Ayefour Publishing
2011
379 pages
$19.95

DISCLAIMER: I contributed an essay entitled “Walt Disney’s EPCOT and the Heart of Our Cities,” which a small chunk has been excerpted and posted on Samland. Obviously I would like to see the book do well and sell as many copies as possible. The reality is simple. If you read Samland you will love this book. It is geek heaven written by the best geeks in the business. I am honored to be in the same table of contents with this cast. So think of this review as a preview.

JIM HILL – Foreword

CHAD EMERSON - Introduction

TOM CORLESS – The Sunset Boulevard that Was, and Never Will Be
TOM CORLESS – When is the 3 O’clock Parade? Then, Now, and Forever
Tom starts off with two very thorough essays about Sunset Boulevard in Disney’s Hollywood Studios and a complete history of WDW parades. In many ways, Disney’s Hollywood Studios has always been the most hastily put together theme park. Tom takes you through a very comprehensive history of the most significant expansions in the park’s history. It is hard to imagine walking down Sunset and seeing it the same way again. His essay about the parades will also become the first stop for anybody doing serious research about WDW. In fact, the level of detail and completeness throughout the book is one of its greatest strengths. Disney has rarely given up this much information about its past. For those who like parades, this essay is sure to jog some pleasant memories.

MICHAEL CRAWFORD – Tomorrow’s Windows: Looking Back at Horizons
MICHAEL CRAWFORD – A Brief History of the Future: From EPCOT to EPCOT Center
I am a big fan of Michael and I am glad he took me on this tour of Horizons. I never got to visit the attraction and it is talked about in the hushed tones of a cult classic. However, after Michael’s tour, I have a better sense of what was happening and why. He begins with the development of the attraction and then takes you step by step through the ride. His second essay takes through the evolution of EPCOT, when it was an acronym for an Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow, to the Epcot theme park. It is an interesting story and one that tends to get glossed over as “Marty and John pushed two models together and viola! Epcot was born.”

JASON DIFFENDAL – The Walt Disney World Monorail System
JASON DIFFENDAL – Spaceship Earth
Love the Walt Disney World monorail system? Go on a loop ride just because it is really fun? Make it a point to take both loops near the Magic Kingdom? I have the feeling that Jason does that frequently. This is one of the most comprehensive looks at the monorail ever to be published. Everything. Jason does the same thing for Spaceship Earth. After reading the essay, I must say that I am reminded about how cool the Jeremy Irons version was compared to the updated attraction. I am not a fan of the change to the storyline from communication to technology. Once again, if anybody were doing research on either of these two attractions, you would be required to refer to these two essays.

GREG EHRBAR – Much Ado About Hoop-Dee-Doo
CHUCK MIRARCHI – History of the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue
When Chad invited people to contribute to the book, he left the topic choice up to the writer. I have never been to the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue but I certainly have a strong sense of what this show is all about. Now if I could just get that theme song out of my head…

GREG EHRBAR – The 65th Year for Mickey, the Very First Visit for Kids
MICHAEL SCOPA - The Carousel of Progress: What Would Walt Think
In both of these essays, we get a sense of how important the Cast Members are to the Disney theme park experience. Greg’s is a firsthand account and Michael tells a touching tale that is worthy to be shared.

DIDIER GHEZ – Joe & Carl: Two Men Who Built the World
There are some very important people in the history of Disney that really deserve a closer look. Didier has done that for Joe Fowler and Carl Bongirno. Admiral Fowler is the better known of the two. He is legendary as the man got things done and got both Disneyland and Walt Disney World built. Carl was right there with him a Walt Disney World. Over time, I think we become complacent on how much of an engineering marvel the Walt Disney World property really is. This is a strong reminder.

ADAM GOSWICK – Disney Brings Sports to the World
Once again, we are treated with another comprehensive review of the history and development of a major WDW facility. This diversity is one reason why Chad chose this format to honor the resort’s 40th anniversary.

SCOTT AND CAROL HOLMES – Whatever Happened to Beastly Kingdom?
As many of you know, the guiding principle at Disney’s Animal Kingdom was the celebration of animals past, present, and in myth. We got the past in DinoLand USA. We have the present scattered throughout the rest of the park. What are missing at an equal level are those animals of legend. I guess the Yeti is a stab in that direction but he is now a stuffed corpse with a flashing light and no longer lives. The Holmes capture the tale of what could have been. So the next time you see a dragon at Animal Kingdom, it will make sense. The unicorn maze would have been awesome.

DEBRA MARTIN KOMA – Magic of the Night: The Evolution of Walt Disney World’s Nighttime Fireworks Displays
Earlier we learned everything you wanted to know about the parades. Now we gain a new level of sophistication about the signature fireworks displays. Many of you will read this essay and it will bring back some fun memories.

JIM KORKIS – Meeting Mickey: Remembering Mickey’s Toontown Fair
JIM KORKIS – For Your Pleasure: The Mythology and Reality of Pleasure Island
Jim has become the ultimate collector of the soon to be lost Disney stories. This man is on a mission to chronicle everything. Thank you Jim. Reading his essays is like filling in the colors within an outline of a story. You can see and probably know the basics but Jim adds texture and context. Here he focuses on things that really will be history. You get the most detailed look at Mickey’s now defunct Toontown Fair as well as Pleasure Island that is currently in print. Still not going to miss Toontown Fair but bummed I never saw Pleasure Island in its prime.

MIKE LEE – The Relative Truth About If You Had Wings
MIKE LEE – Thunder Mesa & the Western River Expedition: A Neverending Story
From what I can imagine, this attraction sponsored by Eastern Airlines is the east coast equivalent of Adventure thru Inner Space at Disneyland. The both were free (no ticket necessary), trippy, relaxed Omnimover rides through immersive environments by Claude Coats. I like it. Wish I would have seen it. Feel like I have now that I read Mike’s essay. He does the same thing for the Western River Expedition. Glad somebody wrote about this attraction. Somebody had to. It is fundamental to the development of the western edge of the Magic Kingdom. Mike does a brilliant job telling a story that has been told many times before. He finds a fresh edge. Good job.

CHUCK MIRARCHI – History of the Main Street Electrical Parade
CHUCK MIRARCHI – History of the Contemporary & Polynesian Resort Hotels
Along with Chuck’s history of the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue, he also tackles the coast-to-coast history of the Main Street Electrical Parade and the Contemporary & Polynesian Resort Hotels. As with the other essays, this is a comprehensive look and will become the start for any research project.

LOU MONGELLO – Walt Disney World Resorts That Never Were
What would a book about WDW history be without a contribution of Lou Mongello? Lou takes us on a fanciful journey through the lobbies of the resort hotels that never were. It is a remarkable collection of themed places to rest your head in the evening that just did not get off the drawing board. WDW would be a much, much different place if these projects had been implemented.

FOXX NOLTE – A Ghost Story
FOXX NOLTE – Another Magic Corner of the World
Probably one of my favorite essays is Foxx’s tale of George. Seems “George” lives in the Pirates of the Caribbean. Don’t believe it? Read the essay. You will. Foxx also chronicles the long twisted history of Downtown Disney. Once again, another contributor provides the authoritative of a slice of WDW history. It is hard to imagine that The Walt Disney Company would release a book on this subject. Now back to George….

JEFFREY PEPPER – EPCOT 1939
Kind of like my essay, Jeffrey takes one thing and applies it to another thing and is astounded by the similarities. I think we would both agree that one of Walt’s greatest strengths was synthesizing ideas from a wide variety of inputs. Here we see a comparison to this landmark World’s Fair and how it seems to echo what was built as Epcot, the theme park.

GEORGE TAYLOR – An Island Filled with Tropic Beauty, Colorful Birds, and the Mystery of Ben Gunn’s Buried Treasure!
As I type this I guess George wins the award for the longest title. Big fan of George. When Walt first flew over the Florida property, he commented on the island in the middle of Bay Lake. That was a big plus in his book. George takes it from there and tells you about its long and storied history. Myst Island, eh?

KEVIN YEE – Honoring the Cast: Insider Tributes & Homages
KEVIN YEE – Theme Park Archaeology
I realize that the essays are in alphabetical order by author but somehow it is appropriate that the final two chapters come courtesy of Kevin Yee. Leave it to Kevin to use a microscope and identify the amazing array of tributes to those who made WDW what it is today. His romp as a theme park Indiana Jones was such a good idea he has since expanded that into a full book. One more thing. Kevin is a show off and actually has photos to support his story.

BOTTOM LINE
Should you buy it? If you have visited Samland more then once then yes, you should buy this book. This is the kind of stuff I can’t get enough of and the kind of material that is the foundation for this blog. To be a part of this stellar cast of writers is a rare privilege.

Walt Disney Family Museum April Events

The Walt Disney Family Museum

April 2011 Events Calendar

Join us for Alice in Wonderland-themed screenings, activities and fun!

Take a “Look Closer” at the Art and Flair of Prominent Disney Artist Mary Blair

SCREENINGS + DISCUSSIONS

FILM OF THE MONTH – April 1–April 30

Alice in Wonderland (1958)

1:00pm and 4:00pm daily, Theater (except Tuesdays and April 9, 10, 16 + 17)

Tickets available online at www.waltdisney.org

April 9 – Exploring the Gardens of Wonderland: An Illustrated Talk by Horticulturist Robert Hornback with Disney historian Paula Sigman Lowery

3:00pm, Theater Tickets available online at www.waltdisney.org

Follow horticulturist Bob Hornback through the Gardens of Wonderland and learn about the Queen of Hearts, her roses and The Garden of Live Flowers. Disney historian Paula Sigman Lowery will provide little known information about the Disney classic adapted from Lewis Carroll’s book. A screening of the movie will follow the program. Don’t be late! For more information on the program, visit www.gardenconservancy.com.

CLASSES

Saturday, April 16 – Introduction to Voice-over – SOLD OUT.

1:00—4:00pm, Learning Center Media Studio

Find the voices within you in this interactive introductory workshop with Disney voice-over artist Ben Hoppe. You will learn about the voice-over industry and have the chance to step up to the mic yourself and breathe life into a character. This workshop is best suited for participants with no previous voice-over experience. Registration required. Email education@wdfmuseum.org or call 415.345.6814. Price: Members: $55 // None-Members: $60

APRIL DISNEY DISCOVERIES! + LOOK CLOSER SERIES

DISNEY DISCOVERIES: Saturday, April 9 + Sunday, April 17

1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, Learning Center Art Studio

“One side will make you grow taller and the other side will make you grow shorter.” Use colorful paper, recycled materials, glitter and glue to make a tiny or oversized hanging wonderland garden of your own creation.

Imaginations and creativity will soar with our new Disney Discoveries! Join us for family fun and activities in the Learning Center. The activities planned by our education staff will inspire the hidden artist in young visitors while learning about the life and work of Walt Disney.

LOOK CLOSER:

April 29 + 30 – Look Closer: The Mary Blair Paint Stand

3:00 pm, Lower Lobby

Mary Blair (1911-1978) was one of Walt Disney’s most brilliant conceptual designers, helping define the look of such classics as Cinderella (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1951), and Peter Pan (1953). She also brought her distinctive, colorful style to children’s books, advertisements, theatrical set designs, and theme park attractions, including “It’s A Small World,” and the deceptively naive style of her commercial artwork belied great visual sophistication in everything from color choices to composition. Mary’s colorful Paint Stand is located in the Lower Lobby of our Museum!

Would you like to know more about one of the artifacts in the galleries? Our Look Closer series will give you that opportunity—staff will reveal little known facts, behind the scenes information, or just additional information during the 5 to 8-minute gallery talk.

Where: The Walt Disney Family Museum

104 Montgomery Street, The Presidio of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA 94129

Admissions: Various: check Website for details.

Website: www.waltdisney.org

www.facebook.com/thewaltdisneyfamilymuseum

Main Phone: 415-345-6800

Disney California Adventure Design: Paradise Pier

PARADISE PIER

Before there was Disneyland, there were seaside boardwalks up and down the California coast. Before Disneyland, tourists would visit such piers as the Santa Monica pier (1923) or the Santa Cruz Boardwalk (1902), which still operate. Other influential piers include the now defunct Pike (1905 to 1979) in Long Beach and Pacific Ocean Park or POP (1955 to 1967) in Santa Monica. For a brief time, POP was rebuilt as a theme park owned by CBS, Lawrence Welk and other Hollywood stars, and had a higher attendance than Disneyland.

Walt had a real problem with these entertainment zones and one of the primary objectives for Disneyland was to show people there was a better way. They were dirty, unsafe, and filled with shady characters. That is one reason why Walt was very specific to put Disneyland inland.

When Disney California Adventure first opened in 2001, Paradise Pier was the one area that critics focused on with the most venom. The Pier is set back behind a 16 million gallon lagoon, which is also the home to the World of Color fountain show. The Country Fair section of the proposed but not built Disney’s America project near Haymarket, Virginia heavily influenced the area.

Currently, Paradise Pier is a mash-up of architectural styles. The older sections (King Triton’s Carousel, California Scream’ queue, and some of the shops on the Western side) are modern spins on an old-fashioned pier with over the top signage filled with puns. The newer parts (Toy Story Midway Mania and the arcade games) are a highly detailed reproduction of a 1890s resort pier. Little details, such as Donald Duck along the shade areas near the water, the highly themed food booths, and the music add to the ambiance.

Since a steel rollercoaster would be inappropriate, California Screamin’ has designed to look like a wooden coaster. The blue tubes that you see are not for decoration but to contain the screams from the riders and to not disturb the neighbors.

Walt once said, “"A word may be said in regard to the concept and conduct of Disneyland’s operational tone. Although various sections will have the fun and flavor of carnival or amusement park, there will be none of the ‘pitches,’ games wheels, sharp practices, and devices designed to milk the visitor’s pocketbook." Remember that as you play one of the cleverly designed games along the pier.

Paradise Pier continues around the lagoon with many changes planned for the future. Most notably is the Silly Symphony Swings featuring Mickey Mouse. Mickey never appeared in a Silly Symphony cartoon as they were two different series. The Paradise Pier park is designed to be a viewing area for World of Color and can hold up to 4,000 guests.

Spring is Here!

Just Because

Walt Disney and the Heart of Our Cities - Part 2 - Excerpt

Part Two

The Heart of Our Cities opens with Gruen on a trans-Atlantic cruise. Gruen was reflecting upon the fate of our cities. He noticed that a cruise ship is a city with everything planned with an emphasis on function, comfort, and convenience.

As Gruen suggests, “One of the primary purposes for a city is to bring together many people so that, through direct communication with each other, they may exchange goods and ideas without undue loss of energy and time.” Walt wanted to take this idea one step further. At EPCOT guests would be invited to participate in his experimental community and to take the lessons learned back home with them.

Gruen said a city that is functioning properly gives one “free choice” to be “sociable” or to be private. To express your “human gregariousness” while meeting others or “the chance to disappear.” This is the freedom granted to everyone visiting the theme parks. How else can you explain people wearing silly hats?

To illustrate the cellular concept, Gruen compares a city to the human body. In a human, a healthy heart is one that shows high cardiac output. For a city, the central business district is the heart and it must demonstrate “high vitality”. Vitality is measured by the ability of primary functions to perform successfully and without strain.

A healthy city is one with an “infinite variety whose buildings and structures form, between them, spaces of differing size and character, narrow or broad, serene or dynamic, modest or monumental, contrasting with each other by virtue of varied treatment of pavement, landscaping, and lighting.”

The only way to achieve “high vitality” is to ensure that the secondary or “utilitarian” functions are also working well. These utilitarian functions include sewer systems, the telecommunications networks, our power supply, and our transportation systems.

In EPCOT, the central business district would be oriented toward the needs and scale of the pedestrian and feature a signature hotel, convention facilities, shops, restaurants, and Disney-style attractions. All public areas would be highly detailed and heavily themed. New Orleans Square in Disneyland may have set the standard for design. Like the theme parks, all secondary functions were going to be hidden from the public’s view.

Two ways to objectively measure the success of urban spaces is to use what Gruen described as “Appearance” and “Atmosphere”. Appearance is the “sum total of the physical and psychological influence of an environment on human beings.” Atmosphere is the “small-grained variety and diversity” that elevates a space from acceptable to exceptional.

To measure Appearance, note the “degree [you] feel enabled to live undisturbed, unmolested, and free of interference.” As you move through a space, pay attention to how comfortable you are, how you feel, and are you being inspired.

Atmosphere is about function. As noted author Jane Jacobs said, the “main purpose is to enliven the streets with variety and detail.” She adds, “The whole point is to make the streets more surprising, more compact, more variegated and busier than before – not less so.” Atmosphere does not come about because of showy architectural statements. Architect Mies van der Rohe said, “God is in the details” and for many, this is what is referred to as the “Disney difference”.

At EPCOT, the industrial areas would be located in their own pod and connected by the monorail. Walt and Gruen were strong advocates for separating all mechanical and utilitarian functions away from the public realm. As he had done with other projects, Gruen proposed placing the Fair’s truck traffic and utilities underground and building the show buildings on the second level. Walt would propose the same idea for EPCOT and it would finally be tested at the Magic Kingdom.

Using Disney nomenclature, Walt called the public realm “onstage” where Appearance and Atmosphere would create a seamless show. Hidden “backstage” are the utilitarian functions, away from the guests.

Gruen was frustrated by the lack of progress in the development of new public transportation technologies. He commented that millions of people go to Disneyland to ride a monorail that is being promoted as the transportation system of the future but the technology had been around since the 1890s. Solving the mobility problem is where Walt would make major improvements upon Gruen’s design. Transportation systems are one of Walt’s passions and specialties. For EPCOT, he proposed to use monorails, PeopleMovers, and electric vehicles to move people around.

How we move people and goods around has a huge influence on the design and function of our cities. A vibrant urban space must have the right balance between pedestrian spaces, buildings, private open spaces, access, and the appropriate transportation systems. Many downtowns suffer because the balance is out of whack and too much land is given over to the private automobile and not enough land is dedicated to people.

Gruen’s solution was to align transportation technologies along a scale of gradation of movement. At each increment, there are certain transportation systems that can enhance the pedestrian experience or make you feel miserable. If the match is done right, the environment will “promise comfort, convenience, and calculated visual pleasure.” You will enjoy a positive experience. If the match is not right, the environment will feel unsafe and you will be on edge. You might say it is the difference between walking in a theme park and walking through the parking lot on the way to the theme park.

In reviewing drawings of EPCOT, I used Gruen’s scale of gradation of movement and I learned a great deal about what life in the city would have been like. In Gruen’s book, he provides many suggestions on how to mix uses, preserve the integrity of the public realm, and hide the vital services that keep the community alive.

I learned even more when I interviewed Harrison “Buzz” Price. Price worked on feasibility studies for the project. He was able to provide firsthand confirmation on project details and the application of these urban design principles.

Price said it all begins at the center. At the heart of EPCOT would be a world-class resort hotel with conference facilities combined with the transportation center. This combination would create a critical mass of activity that would energize the edge uses.

Starting from the hotel and transportation center, and radiating out toward the edge, is what Gruen calls a Pedshed. A Pedshed is the “desirable walking distance” that a lazy walker, on a one-purpose trip without interruption, will walk. If the walker can sit, shop or eat, it distracts them and they can go longer distances. The length of a Pedshed is determined by Appearance and Atmosphere, as well as climate and topography.

EPCOT would have a large Pedshed because of the highly attractive and completely weather-protected environment. A typical guest would easily walk up to one mile or 20 minutes with these conditions. Imagine a network of storefronts like New Orleans Square in Disneyland or the international pavilions at Epcot under one roof to distract the guests.

The theme parks are within the next gradient of the scale. A guest will walk up to a half-mile or ten minutes if you provide a highly attractive environment where the sidewalks are protected from sunshine and rain.

Next, we have the conditions found in many cities. If the central business district is attractive but not protected from the weather and people are exposed to the elements this limits the desirable walking range to less than a quarter of a mile or five minutes of walking. Degrade the environment even further with unattractive spaces like parking lots, garages, or a traffic-congested street, and you limit your range to only 600 feet or two minutes of walking.

Within the Pedshed, Gruen suggested slow moving people carriers like moving sidewalks. Walt’s solution to extend the Pedshed and enhance the experience was to use horse-trolleys, fire trucks, the omnibus, and other vehicles.

The common perception was EPCOT would be a city under a dome. This seemed very ambitious and would be very expensive. According to Buzz Price, the actual architecture was going to be much more conventional and predictable. At the center, the transportation center and hotel would be connected to the themed retail and dining districts by a covered pedestrian boulevard. Each highly detailed facade disguises an ordinary industrial building. Once again, think of New Orleans Square in Disneyland.

Once guests pass through the retail areas they will come to another pedestrian boulevard, which connects to the high-density residential apartments. The apartments are typical structures but residents would have been given a choice of views. They could look down at the indoor pedestrian boulevard or outside to a greenbelt that separates the central city from the low-density neighborhoods.

Gruen struggled with a way to move people between one to two miles and that is the next link in the scale of gradation of movement. For many, this is too far to walk but it is an inefficient trip in a car. He recommended electric mini-buses and taxis. Instead, Walt would use his PeopleMover to connect the hotel complex and transit center to the residential areas. For transportation planners, a transit system on a fixed rail connecting activity nodes with virtually no headway is a dream. Another benefit would be the overhead PeopleMover tracks could define the edges of the themed retail districts.

For trips of two to five miles you need different transportation technologies. Gruen liked fixed rail systems and larger buses. Walt preferred the monorail. His system would run north to south to include the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, the Industrial district, the gateway transportation center, and the jetport. The monorail is perfectly suited for this challenge.

Gruen continues with recommendations for longer distances. During the planning for EPCOT, the focus was on automobiles, buses, and airplanes. Motorized traffic would have been diverted below EPCOT, out of view of the residents and visitors.

Continental and intercontinental visitors would typically arrive by airplane. One of the most unusual ideas proposed for EPCOT was Walt’s proposal for a radial jetport. This unique configuration for the terminal promised greater efficiency in moving planes in and out of the terminals.

One sharp contrast between Gruen and Walt was the outer core of residential units. Gruen stated that “the space-devouring detached single home was not considered as suitable” and he was an advocate of clustered attached homes that shared common open space. Walt was not convinced and showed suburban-style single-family residential units. Price confided that, “Walt wanted a place for his friends to live.”

The Gruen plan for his post-fair city contained enough detail to convince the Washington DC executives to back his proposal. He did a lot of work on the development of data tables that help determine appropriate residential densities from the core to the outer edges of the community. All of this would benefit Walt.

So I come back to my initial question; would EPCOT have worked?

During my conversation with Price, I asked him if the project would have worked. After all, nobody else alive today knew as much about the EPCOT project. He was in the room with Walt. Without hesitation he said, “Absolutely yes”. Price added, “Walt would obsess over a problem”. He reminded me that EPCOT was not revolutionary but evolutionary. Walt was going to use true and tried architectural technologies, creatively blend the land uses, arrange them in a way where the hotel and day guests are coming from one direction and they would meet the residents coming from another direction. Everyone would interact in a beautiful, comfortable, and inspiring public setting.

Price concluded by saying that, “EPCOT would have been more famous than Walt Disney World”.