From the early to mid-1950s, Disney began to devote less attention to the animation department, entrusting most of its operations to his key animators, the Nine Old Men, although he was always present at story meetings. Instead, he started concentrating on other ventures. For several years Disney had been considering building a theme park. When he visited Griffith Park in Los Angeles with his daughters, he wanted to be in a clean, unspoiled park, where both children and their parents could have fun. He visited the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark, and was heavily influenced by the cleanliness and layout of the park.
Theme parks, television and other interests: 1950–1966
Walt Disney
Walt Disney | Theme parks, television and other interests: 1950–1966
He wanted to be in a clean, unspoiled park, where both children and their parents could have fun, and was heavily influenced by the cleanliness and layout of Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark. He wanted a place where adults and their children could go and have fun together, though his dream lay dormant for many years. To create a place where adults and their children could go and have fun together He visited various amusement parks with his daughters in the 1930s and 1940s. He initially envisioned building a tourist attraction adjacent to his studios in Burbank to entertain fans who wished to visit; however, he soon realized that the proposed site was too small.
when did jungle book come out in theaters
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1967
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who was the director?
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Wolfgang Reitherman
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and the producer?
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Walt Disney
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what is the movie about?
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It follows Mowgli, a feral child raised in the Indian jungle by wolves, as his friends Bagheera the panther and Baloo the bear try to convince him to leave the jungle before the evil tiger Shere Khan arrives.
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how was it received by the public?
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It received positive reviews upon release, undoubtedly influenced by a nostalgic reaction to the death of Walt Disney.
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who was this person ?
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He was an American entrepreneur, animator, writer, voice actor and film producer.
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where was he born?
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Chicago's Hermosa neighborhood.
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could you mention character created by him?
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Mickey Mouse
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and did he win any awards for this one?
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Yes, "Flowers and Trees" won the Academy Award for best Short Subject (Cartoon) at the 1932 ceremony.
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did he set up any amusement park?
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Yes, Disneyland
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where is this located?
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Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California
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when was it constructed?
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Construction began on July 16, 1954
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what was the main idea behind this ?
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In March 1952 he received zoning permission to build a theme park in Burbank, near the Disney studios. This site proved too small, and a larger plot in Anaheim, south of the studio, was purchased. To distance the project from the studiowhich might attract the criticism of shareholdersDisney formed WED Enterprises (now Walt Disney Imagineering) and used his own money to fund a group of designers and animators to work on the plans; those involved became known as "Imagineers". After obtaining bank funding he invited other stockholders, American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatrespart of American Broadcasting Company (ABC)and Western Printing and Lithographing Company.
Walt Disney | Theme parks, television and other interests: 1950–1966
From the early to mid-1950s, Disney began to devote less attention to the animation department, entrusting most of its operations to his key animators, the Nine Old Men, although he was always present at story meetings. Instead, he started concentrating on other ventures. For several years Disney had been considering building a theme park. When he visited Griffith Park in Los Angeles with his daughters, he wanted to be in a clean, unspoiled park, where both children and their parents could have fun. He visited the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark, and was heavily influenced by the cleanliness and layout of the park.
Walt Disney | Theme parks, television and other interests: 1950–1966
In mid-1954, Disney sent his Imagineers to every amusement park in the U.S. to analyze what worked and what pitfalls or problems there were in the various locations and incorporated their findings into his design. Construction work started in July 1954, and Disneyland opened in July 1955; the opening ceremony was broadcast on ABC, which reached 70 million viewers. The park was designed as a series of themed lands, linked by the central Main Street, U.S.A.a replica of the main street in his hometown of Marceline. The connected themed areas were Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. The park also contained the narrow gauge Disneyland Railroad that linked the lands; around the outside of the park was a high berm to separate the park from the outside world.
Walt Disney | Theme parks, television and other interests: 1950–1966
A major expansion in 1959 included the addition of America's first monorail system. For the 1964 New York World's Fair, Disney prepared four separate attractions for various sponsors, each of which would find its way to Disneyland in one form or another. During this time, Walt Disney was also secretly scouting out new sites for a second Disney theme park. In November 1965, "Disney World" was announced, with plans for theme parks, hotels, and even a model city on thousands of acres of land purchased outside of Orlando, Florida. Disney continued to focus its talents on television throughout the 1950s.
The Walt Disney Company | 1950–1966: Television, Disneyland, and Walt Disney's death
He was consultant to the 1959 American National Exhibition in Moscow; Disney Studios' contribution was "America the Beautiful", a 19-minute film in the 360-degree Circarama theater that was one of the most popular attractions. The following year he acted as the chairman of the Pageantry Committee for the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California, where he designed the opening, closing and medal ceremonies. Despite the demands wrought by non-studio projects, Disney continued to work on film and television projects. In 1955, he was involved in "Man in Space", an episode of the "Disneyland" series, which was made in collaboration with NASA rocket designer Wernher von Braun.
Walt Disney | Theme parks, television and other interests: 1950–1966
An editorial in "The New York Times" considered that Disney had "tastefully combined some of the pleasant things of yesterday with fantasy and dreams of tomorrow". Although there were early minor problems with the park, it was a success, and after a month's operation, Disneyland was receiving over 20,000 visitors a day; by the end of its first year, it attracted 3.6 million guests. The money from ABC was contingent on Disney television programs. The studio had been involved in a successful television special on Christmas Day 1950 about the making of "Alice in Wonderland". Roy believed the program added millions to the box office takings.
Walt Disney | Theme parks, television and other interests: 1950–1966
Walt Disney was always fascinated with the life of Abraham Lincoln. He even recited Lincoln's Gettysburg Address to his elementary class as a small boy. As Disneyland became more prosperous, Walt proposed an expansion of Main Street, U.S.A. in 1957 to be called Liberty Street. It was to be a look back at Colonial-era America. The centerpiece attraction would have been The Hall of Presidents, a stage presentation featuring figures of every single U.S. President, which would later be built at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. Walt wanted all the figures to move, but limitations of the audio-animatronics technology of the era made it impossible.
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln | Development of the attraction
In a March 1951 letter to shareholders, he wrote that "television can be a most powerful selling aid for us, as well as a source of revenue. It will probably be on this premise that we enter television when we do". In 1954, after the Disneyland funding had been agreed, ABC broadcast "Walt Disney's Disneyland", an anthology consisting of animated cartoons, live-action features and other material from the studio's library. The show was successful in terms of ratings and profits, earning an audience share of over 50%. In April 1955, "Newsweek" called the series an "American institution". ABC was pleased with the ratings, leading to Disney's first daily television program, "The Mickey Mouse Club", a variety show catering specifically to children.
Walt Disney | Theme parks, television and other interests: 1950–1966
New animated and live-action films followed after World War II, including the critically successful "Cinderella" (1950) and "Mary Poppins" (1964), the latter of which received five Academy Awards. In the 1950s, Disney expanded into the amusement park industry, and in 1955 he opened Disneyland in Anaheim, California. To fund the project he diversified into television programs, such as "Walt Disney's Disneyland" and "The Mickey Mouse Club"; he was also involved in planning the 1959 Moscow Fair, the 1960 Winter Olympics, and the 1964 New York World's Fair. In 1965, he began development of another theme park, Disney World, the heart of which was to be a new type of city, the "Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow" (EPCOT).
Walt Disney | Introduction
Disney also oversaw aspects of the full-length features "Lady and the Tramp" (the first animated film in CinemaScope) in 1955, "Sleeping Beauty" (the first animated film in Technirama 70 mm film) in 1959, "One Hundred and One Dalmatians" (the first animated feature film to use Xerox cels) in 1961, and "The Sword in the Stone" in 1963.
Walt Disney | Theme parks, television and other interests: 1950–1966
Sherman & Richard M. Sherman for "Chim Chim Cher-ee". The theme park design and architectural group became so integral to the Disney studio's operations that the studio bought it on February 5, 1965, along with the WED Enterprises name. On December 15, 1966, Walt Disney died of complications relating to lung cancer, marking the end of an era for the company.
The Walt Disney Company | 1950–1966: Television, Disneyland, and Walt Disney's death
Walt Disney originally conceived of a show that would pay tribute to all U.S. Presidents as part of a proposed extension of Main Street, U.S.A. in the 1950s. However, the technology at the time would not permit a show on the scale Disney wanted, and the Main Street extension proposal was abandoned (the presidential tribute was later built as The Hall of Presidents at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom). Disney's Imagineers opted to focus instead on creating a tribute to Lincoln, Disney's boyhood hero. In 1962, Robert Moses visited Disney seeking ideas for attractions for the upcoming World's Fair. Moses was intrigued by a prototype of the Audio-Animatronic Lincoln, and Disney agreed to build it.
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln | Introduction
Based on ideas stemming from modernism and futurism, it was consciously designed to solve the infrastructure issues created by urban sprawl that had become widely apparent in the urbanized areas of the United States in the 1960s. After Walt Disney's death in 1966, Walt Disney Productions abandoned the concept, citing the impracticality of maintaining and governing an operating city. The plans for the property evolved into Walt Disney World, at the behest of Roy O. Disney, which opened in 1971. A theme park inspired by the philosophy of the original EPCOT plans opened in 1982 as EPCOT Center. A portion of an architectural model known as Progress City, completed after Walt Disney's death, is on display on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover, located in Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom.
EPCOT (concept) | Introduction
The program was accompanied by merchandising through various companies (Western Printing, for example, had been producing coloring books and comics for over 20 years, and produced several items connected to the show). One of the segments of "Disneyland" consisted of the five-part miniseries "Davy Crockett" which, according to Gabler, "became an overnight sensation". The show's theme song, "The Ballad of Davy Crockett", became internationally popular, and ten million records were sold. As a result, Disney formed his own record production and distribution entity, Disneyland Records. As well as the construction of Disneyland, Disney worked on other projects away from the studio.
Walt Disney | Theme parks, television and other interests: 1950–1966
In 1949, Ice Capades added a Disney segment to its performances. Costumes from those shows were used at the opening of Disneyland in 1955 with some performers hired away for Disney. Originally, entry into the theme park and travel business was a side project of Walt Disney himself. As the Disneylandia project started to become a reality, Walt Disney Productions at Walt's request set up Disneyland, Inc. (DLI) in 1951 and agreed to a design deal in March 1953 with WED Enterprises (WED), Walt's personal corporation, which then included what would now be called Walt Disney Imagineering. With the WED concept designs and prospectus for Disneylandia, Roy Disney in September 1953 met with TV networks in a deal for Disney-produced TV show and Disneyland investment.
Disney Parks, Experiences and Products | Background
In early 1950, Disney produced "Cinderella", his studio's first animated feature in eight years. It was popular with critics and theater audiences. Costing $2.2 million to produce, it earned nearly $8 million in its first year. Disney was less involved than he had been with previous pictures because of his involvement in his first entirely live-action feature, "Treasure Island" (1950), which was shot in Britain, as was "The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men" (1952). Other all-live-action features followed, many of which had patriotic themes. He continued to produce full-length animated features too, including "Alice in Wonderland" (1951) and "Peter Pan" (1953).
Walt Disney | Theme parks, television and other interests: 1950–1966
In October 1954, the ABC network launched Disney's first regular television series. In 1954, Walt Disney used his "Disneyland" series to unveil what would become Disneyland, an idea conceived out of a desire for a place where parents and children could both have fun at the same time. On July 18, 1955, Walt Disney opened Disneyland to the general public. On July 17, 1955, Disneyland was previewed with a live television broadcast hosted by Robert Cummings, Art Linkletter, and Ronald Reagan. After a shaky start, Disneyland continued to grow and attract visitors from across the country and around the world.
The Walt Disney Company | 1950–1966: Television, Disneyland, and Walt Disney's death
Walt Disney's early concepts for an amusement park called for a "Mickey Mouse Park" located adjacent to the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank (presently the site of the West Coast headquarters of ABC). As new ideas emerged, Walt and his brother Roy realized that the Burbank location would be too small for the project, and hired a consultant from Stanford Research Institute to provide them with information on locations and economic feasibility. The consultant recommended a remote location in Anaheim, adjacent to the then-under-construction Santa Ana Freeway. The consultant correctly predicted that the locationcovered by orange groves at the timewould become the population center of Southern California.
Disneyland Resort | Concept and construction
Much of Walt Disney's plans for his Progress City were abandoned after his death and after the company board decided that it did not want to be in the business of running a city. The concept evolved into the resort's second theme park, EPCOT Center, which opened in 1982 (renamed EPCOT in 1996). While still emulating Walt Disney's original idea of showcasing new technology, the park is closer to a world's fair than a "community of tomorrow". One of EPCOT's main attractions is their world's showcase which highlights 11 countries across the globe. Some of the urban planning concepts from the original idea of EPCOT would instead be integrated into the community of Celebration much later.
Walt Disney World | 1980s–present
In 1959, Walt Disney Productions began looking for land to house a second resort to supplement Disneyland in Anaheim, California, which had opened in 1955. Market surveys at the time revealed that only 5% of Disneyland's visitors came from east of the Mississippi River, where 75% of the population of the United States lived. Additionally, Walt Disney disliked the businesses that had sprung up around Disneyland and wanted more control over a larger area of land in the next project. Walt Disney flew over a potential site in Orlando, Florida—one of many—in November 1963. After witnessing the well-developed network of roads and taking the planned construction of both Interstate 4 and Florida's Turnpike into account, with McCoy Air Force Base (later Orlando International Airport) to the east, Disney selected a centrally located site near Bay Lake.
Walt Disney World | Conception
As the music stops, it is now Halloween during the "Fabulous Forties" and John is wearing a sweater while sitting at a circular booth-style kitchen table. He tells guests that everything is better than ever in the 1940s and shows off new kitchen technologies, including a refrigerator that holds more food and ice cubes and an automatic dishwasher. John also informs guests that he is now a part of the "rat race" and they now have television, when it works, and that John Cameron Swayze brings them the news every night. At this point, the scene shifts and focuses on a room on the right, where the grandmother and grandfather are watching wrestling on TV.
Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress | Act 3 - 1940s
Many investors were interested in replicating Disney's park. This led to the rise of the modern theme park, such as Six Flags Over Texas, which opened in 1961. Other parks were renovating to match these theme parks, such as Cedar Point beginning around 1960, Geauga Lake in 1969, and Hersheypark, beginning in 1971. In addition to the rise of the theme park, another impact was the decline of streetcar services. This had been a major pull for visitors to West View Park over the parks first six decades, but by 1965, ridership had so sharply declined that streetcar services were discontinued to the park.
West View Park | 1946–1965: The George M. Harton III era
Although Walt Disney was the first major film producer to venture into television, two established independent film producers successfully ventured into television production before Disney, Hal Roach and Jerry Fairbanks. Disney wanted to produce a television program to finance the development of the Disneyland amusement park. After being turned down by both CBS and NBC, Disney eventually signed a deal with ABC (which had merged with United Paramount Theaters in 1953) on March 29, 1954. The show contained teasers for Walt's park, as well as episodes representing life in one of the park's main sections: Adventureland, Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, and Frontierland, with the opening titles used from its inception until the show's move to NBC in 1961, showing the entrance to Disneyland itself, as well as the four aforementioned lands, one of which was then identified as the main feature of that evening's program.
Walt Disney anthology television series | "Walt Disney's Disneyland" (1954–1958)
In the late 1950s, after Disneyland's initial success, Walt Disney planned to expand the Main Street, U.S.A. area with two districts: "International Street" and "Edison Square". In Edison Square, guests would be treated to a show which was supposed to be called "Harnessing the Lighting" hosted by an "electro-mechanical" man named "Wilbur K. Watt". The show would chronicle the evolution of electricity in the home, from the late 19th century to the present and beyond — showing how much electrical appliances, specifically GE appliances, have benefited American life. After each time period, or "act", was over, the audience would get up and walk to the next one, but this idea was eventually scrapped.
Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress | Edison Square concept
However, the Main Street expansion idea fell by the wayside. One of the reasons for this was that the technology available to put on the show just was not up to par with what Walt Disney wanted. The idea, however, stayed in Disney's mind for the next few years. GE still wanted to work with Disney, but a better outlet was needed.
Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress | Edison Square concept
Walt Disney, Inc. (WDI) was formed by Walt Disney on December 16, 1952 with an engineering division tasked with designing Disneyland. In light of objections from his brother Roy as well as those of potential stockholders, WDI was renamed "WED Enterprises" in 1953 based on Walt's initials. In 1961, WED moved into the Grand Central Business Park. WED Enterprises theme park design and architectural group became so integral to the Disney studio's operations that the Disney Productions bought it on February 5, 1965 along with the WED Enterprises name.
Walt Disney Imagineering | WED Enterprises
In 1977, Walt Disney Productions executive Jim Jimirro brought forth the idea of a cable television network that would feature television and film content sourced from the studio. Disney chairman Card Walker turned down the proposal, citing the company's focus on developing the Epcot Center at Walt Disney World. The idea was revived in November 1981, when Disney entered into a partnership with Group W Satellite Communications. In September 1982, Group W rescinded its interest in the intended joint venture, due to disagreements over creative control of the channel and financial obligations that would have had Group W shoulder 50% of the service's start-up costs.
Disney Channel | History
Walt Disney died on December 15, 1966. His brother Roy stated that, even while he was dying from lung cancer, Walt was still planning his city in the hospital. Walt used the ceiling grid to lay out a scale plot plan in his imagination, each 24" x 24" tile representing one square mile. Florida Governor Claude R. Kirk Jr. signed Chapter 67-764 into law on May 12, 1967, establishing the Reedy Creek Improvement District. However, Disney directors eventually decided that it was too risky to venture into city planning now that its biggest advocate was gone. Roy persisted and took the reins on the project, but he could not convince the board to build EPCOT.
EPCOT (concept) | EPCOT after Disney
Walt explained that Disney had to protect its copyright position with the new medium of television.
W6XAH | Introduction
However, Walt's older brother, Roy, came out of retirement to make sure Walt's biggest dream was realized. Construction started in 1967, with the company instead building a resort similar to Disneyland, abandoning the experimental concepts for a planned community. Magic Kingdom was the first theme park to open in the complex, in 1971, followed by Epcot (1982), Disney's Hollywood Studios (1989), and Disney's Animal Kingdom (1998). It was Roy who insisted the name of the entire complex be changed from Disneyworld to Walt Disney World, ensuring that people would remember that the project was Walt's dream. In 2018, Walt Disney World was the most visited vacation resort in the world, with an average annual attendance of more than 58 million.
Walt Disney World | Introduction
The monorail, while mainly an attraction at Disneyland, was utilized as an actual transportation system, taking guests some thirteen miles around the Resort area. The Contemporary Resort opened with the Magic Kingdom as an architectural remnant of EPCOT's modernist aesthetic. In the late 1970s, Disney CEO Card Walker wanted to revisit the EPCOT idea. But the board was still wary and all agreed that Walt's EPCOT would not work in its initial incarnation; they thought that no one would want to live under a microscope and be watched constantly. The result of the compromise was the EPCOT Center theme park (now "Epcot"), which opened in 1982.
EPCOT (concept) | EPCOT after Disney
In 1977, Walt Disney Productions executive Jim Jimirro brought forth the idea of a cable television network that would feature television and film material from the studio. Since the company was focusing on the development of the Epcot Center at Walt Disney World, Disney chairman Card Walker turned down the proposal. Instead, they made a deal with HBO to air a select number of Disney films, cartoons, and specials, including a live production of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" at Radio City Music Hall. However, Disney revived the idea in November 1981, entering into a partnership with the satellite unit of Group W (which had sold its 50% ownership stake in one of The Disney Channel's early rivals, Showtime, to Viacom around the same time); however, Group W would ultimately drop out of the intended joint venture that September, due to disagreements over the channel's creative control and financial obligations that would have required Group W to pay a 50% share of the channel's start-up costs.
History of Disney Channel | 1977–1983: Origins
The main roads for both cars and supply trucks would travel underneath the city core, eliminating the risk of pedestrian accidents. This was also based on the concept that Walt Disney devised for Disneyland. He did not want his guests to see behind-the-scenes activity, such as supply trucks delivering goods to the city. Like the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World, all supplies are discreetly delivered via tunnels.
EPCOT (concept) | Transportation
Its weekday afternoon children's television program "The Mickey Mouse Club", featuring its roster of young "Mouseketeers", premiered in 1955 to great success, as did the "Davy Crockett" miniseries, starring Fess Parker and broadcast on the "Disneyland" anthology show. Two years later, the "Zorro" series would prove just as popular, running for two seasons on ABC. Despite such success, Walt Disney Productions invested little into television ventures in the 1960s, with the exception of the long-running anthology series, later known as "The Wonderful World of Disney". Disney's film studios stayed busy as well, averaging five or six releases per year during this period.
The Walt Disney Company | 1950–1966: Television, Disneyland, and Walt Disney's death
Since 1952, Imagineering has created twelve theme parks, a town, four cruise ships, dozens of resort hotels, water parks, shopping centers, sports complexes and various entertainment venues.
Walt Disney Imagineering | Theme park projects
Their first well known movie was "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs". Although this movie was a hit and the Disney Company was growing in world-wide fame, they were still not saved from their debt woes. They continued their work, and after the success of several more full-length animated movies, the company gradually arose from debt. As a new invention known as the television graced America, Walt wanted to plan a show. Knowing this was not enough, he was also working on a plan to build an amusement theme park. Soon later, the television movies were big hits and Disneyland was set up within a matter of a few years.
Walt Disney: An American Original | Summary
It was to have been built in the shape of a circle with businesses and commercial areas at its center with community buildings, schools, and recreational complexes around it while residential neighborhoods would line the perimeter. This radial plan concept is strongly influenced by British planner Ebenezer Howard and his Garden Cities of To-morrow. Transportation would have been provided by monorails and PeopleMovers (like that in Magic Kingdom's Tomorrowland). Automobile traffic would be kept underground, leaving pedestrians safe above ground. Walt Disney was not able to obtain funding and permission to start work on his Florida property until he agreed to first build Magic Kingdom.
Epcot | 1960s: Experimental concept
The Walt Disney Outdoor Recreation Division was incorporated as Walt Disney Attractions, Inc. on August 10, 1989. In January 1990, Disney CEO Eisner announced plans to expand both Disneyland (by 20% in 10 years) and Walt Disney World (WDW). The plan would have WDW add another theme park and 16 new attractions in Disney-MGM Studios. Disney and The Coca-Cola Company agreed to a 15-year marketing contract on January 25: Coca-Cola products would be exclusive in Disney theme parks, and Coca-Cola would use some Disney characters in their ads. On March 16, 1990, Attractions president Nunis announced a 25-year plan for a development in Osceola, Florida, with homes, shopping malls and industrial buildings.
Disney Parks, Experiences and Products | Walt Disney Attractions
Walt personally sketched a master plan for the Florida property known as the Seventh Preliminary Master Plot Plan in 1966, the year of his death. The main features of the plan include the Magic Kingdom, hotels, camps and motels, convention facilities, EPCOT and a satellite community, a golf course, a "swamp ride," an industrial park, a tourist trailer camp, a main entrance, and a "jet airport." In addition, a monorail runs the length of the property. Visitors would enter at the southern end of the property and be shuttled by monorail to the Disney World Welcome Center. There, they would be welcomed by "cast members" able to speak the guests' own languages.
EPCOT (concept) | Master plan and community site
Epcot was originally conceived by Walt Disney during the early development of Walt Disney World, as an experimental planned community that would serve as a center for American enterprise and urban living. Known as "EPCOT", the idea included an urban city center, residential areas, industrial areas, schools, and a series of mass transportation systems that would connect the community. After Disney's death in 1966, the "EPCOT" concept was abandoned as the company had uncertainty about the feasibility of maintaining an operating city. In the 1970s, WED Enterprises began developing a second theme park for the resort to supplement Magic Kingdom, as that park's popularity grew.
Epcot | Introduction
The resort's fourth theme park, Disney's Animal Kingdom, opened in 1998.
Walt Disney World | 1980s–present
The Magic Kingdom project proceeded, and Walt Disney World Resort opened in October 1971 with only the Magic Kingdom and two hotels. Roy insisted it be called Walt Disney World as a tribute to the man who had dreamed it up. Even though the city was never built, the Resort represents some of the forward-thinking planning that embodied Walt's idea of EPCOT. Because of the formation of the RCID, Disney could find innovative solutions to the problems of transportation, building construction, supplying electrical power, and waste disposal. Imagineers, including John Hench and Richard Irvine, devised means of waste disposal and sewer transport.
EPCOT (concept) | EPCOT after Disney
Beginning in 1958 with the contracting of Economics Research Associates (ERA) to find a location for another Disney resort, Disney Productions moved beyond a single park. ERA recommended Florida; another study in 1961 named Ocala or Orlando in Florida as possible locations. In , Walt Disney made a trip to Florida for final site selection. In 1962, Disney Productions purchased Celebrity Sports Center (opened on September 17, 1960, in Denver, Colorado) from its owners, including Walt Disney, Art Linkletter, and John Payne, to use as a staff training center for its second resort. In 1963, Roy made plans to buy from , which was carried out in 1964, amassing by .
Disney Parks, Experiences and Products | History
Fractured vertebrae and other injuries led him to abandon the sport on the advice of his doctor, who recommended a calmer recreational activity. Starting in late 1947, he developed an interest in model trains after purchasing several Lionel train sets. By 1948, Walt Disney's interest in model trains was evolving into an interest in larger, ridable miniature trains after observing the trains and backyard railroad layouts of several hobbyists, including Disney animator Ollie Johnston. In 1949, after purchasing of vacant land in the Holmby Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, he started construction on a new residence for himself and his family, and on the elaborate gauge ridable miniature Carolwood Pacific Railroad behind it.
Disneyland Railroad | Attraction concept origins
As head of the Concept Development Studio "think tank", Sotto applied principles of Imagineering outside the theme park setting. This culminated in such projects as the "Media as Architecture" facade of ABC's Times Square Studios in New York City and the design of the futuristic Encounter Restaurant in Los Angeles International Airport's Theme Building.
Eddie Sotto | Walt Disney Imagineering
On September 28, 1994, Michael Eisner announced Disney was canceling its plans after a bruising national media fight with Protect Historic America, and aggressive local opposition in Virginia from Protect Prince William and other citizen groups.
Disney Parks, Experiences and Products | Abandoned and misreported concepts
The resort's third theme park, Disney-MGM Studios (renamed Disney's Hollywood Studios in 2008), opened in 1989 and is inspired by show business. In the early 1990s, the resort was seeking permits for expansion. There was considerable environmentalist push-back, and the resort was convinced to engage in mitigation banking. In an agreement with The Nature Conservancy and the state of Florida, Disney purchased 8,500 acres of land adjacent to the park for the purpose of rehabilitating wetland ecosystems. The Disney Wilderness Preserve was established in April 1993, and the land was subsequently transferred to The Nature Conservancy. The Walt Disney Company provided additional funds for landscape restoration and wildlife monitoring.
Walt Disney World | 1980s–present
Disneyland Park, originally Disneyland, is the first of two theme parks built at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, opened on July 17, 1955. It is the only theme park designed and built to completion under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. It was originally the only attraction on the property; its official name was changed to Disneyland Park to distinguish it from the expanding complex in the 1990s. It was the first Disney theme park. Walt Disney came up with the concept of Disneyland after visiting various amusement parks with his daughters in the 1930s and 1940s. He initially envisioned building a tourist attraction adjacent to his studios in Burbank to entertain fans who wished to visit; however, he soon realized that the proposed site was too small.
Disneyland | Introduction
Instead, Disney relocated several of the exhibits to Disneyland in Anaheim, California, and subsequently replicated them at other Disney theme parks. Walt Disney World near Orlando, Florida, which opened with Magic Kingdom in 1971, is essentially the realization of the original concept of an "East Coast Disneyland"; Epcot, which opened in 1982, was designed as a permanent world's fair.
1964 New York World's Fair | Disney influence
Disney was a heavy smoker throughout his life and died of lung cancer in December 1966 before either the park or the EPCOT project were completed.
Walt Disney | Introduction
Eventually, Central Florida was chosen as the ideal location for the project. Commenting on this choice, Walt said, "Here in Florida we've enjoyed something we've never enjoyed at Disneyland: the blessing of size. There's enough land here to hold all the ideas and plans we could possibly imagine." Disney covertly purchased the land in Osceola County and Orange County through various dummy corporations to prevent price gouging. By June 1965, Disney had acquired 27,433 acres—twice the size of Manhattan—for an estimated total of $5.1 million. Dissatisfied with all of the city planning regulations he had to deal with in Anaheim, Disney developed the Reedy Creek Improvement District for the property.
EPCOT (concept) | History
After Disney's death on December 15, 1966, plans were moving ahead for the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Since there was going to be another Disneyland-style theme park, this time officially known as the Magic Kingdom, Imagineers felt that one of the changes that would differ between Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom should be in one of the themed lands. The Imagineers decided that since Florida was closer to the real New Orleans in Louisiana, having a New Orleans Square in the Magic Kingdom was a bit superfluous. The old designs and concepts for Disney's Liberty Street at Edison Square were reviewed, revised, and what became of it was the Magic Kingdom's Liberty Square, that served as the alternative to New Orleans Square.
The Hall of Presidents | Liberty Square
Designed to supplement Disneyland in Anaheim, California, which had opened in 1955, the complex was developed by Walt Disney in the 1960s. "The Florida Project", as it was known, was intended to present a distinct vision with its own diverse set of attractions. Walt Disney's original plans also called for the inclusion of an "Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow" (EPCOT), a planned community intended to serve as a test bed for new city-living innovations. Walt Disney died on December 15, 1966, during the initial planning of the complex. After his death, the company wrestled with the idea of whether to bring the Disneyworld project to fruition.
Walt Disney World | Introduction
Disney originally wanted to build "Mickey Mouse Park," as he first called it, next to the Burbank studio. But his aides finally convinced him that the space was too small, and there was opposition from the Burbank City Council. One council member told Disney: "We don't want the carny atmosphere in Burbank." Disney later built his successful Disneyland in Anaheim. Burbank saw its first real civil strife as the culmination of a six-month labor dispute between the set decorator's union and the studios resulted in the Battle of Burbank on October 5, 1945, a confrontation that led to the largest wave of strikes in American history.
Burbank, California | Entertainment industry
While people wrote letters to Disney about visiting the Walt Disney Studios, he realized that a functional movie studio had little to offer to visiting fans, and began to foster ideas of building a site near the Burbank studios for tourists to visit. His ideas evolved to a small play park with a boat ride and other themed areas. The initial concept, the Mickey Mouse Park, started with an plot across Riverside Drive. He started to visit other parks for inspiration and ideas, including Tivoli Gardens in Denmark, Efteling in the Netherlands, and Greenfield Village, Playland, and Children's Fairyland in the United States; and (according to the film director Ken Annakin, in his autobiography 'So You want to be a film director?'), Bekonscot Model Village & Railway, Beaconsfield, England.
Disneyland | Origins
The release of "Cinderella" in 1950 proved that feature-length animation could still succeed in the marketplace. Other releases of the period included "Alice in Wonderland" (1951) and "Peter Pan" (1953), both in production before the war began, and Disney's first all-live action feature, "Treasure Island" (1950). Other early all-live-action Disney films included "The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men" (1952), "The Sword and the Rose" (1953), and "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" (1954). Disney ended its distribution contract with RKO in 1953, forming its own distribution arm, Buena Vista Distribution. In December 1950, Walt Disney Productions and the Coca-Cola Company teamed up for Disney's first venture into television, the NBC television network special "One Hour in Wonderland".
The Walt Disney Company | 1950–1966: Television, Disneyland, and Walt Disney's death
With the approval of the Florida legislature and Governor, the District had most of the powers of a Florida county. By 1965, the specific EPCOT plans were referred to as "Project X". Walt was concerned with the "urban crisis" of the time and believed there was no bigger problem facing society. Congress was also in the midst of creating model cities legislation. Walt soon recognized that planning a community for 20,000 residents would be much more difficult than developing his insulated Disneyland theme park. Toward the end of his life, Walt began to immerse himself in urban planning literature, ranging from works by Ebenezer Howard and Victor Gruen.
EPCOT (concept) | History
Walt incorporated concept art as well as highly technical animation. However, he stressed that the film's contents were only a starting point in the conceptualization of EPCOT, stating: "Everything in this room will change time and time again as we move ahead. But the basic philosophy of what we're planning for Disney World is going to remain very much as it is right now". The film itself can be found on in its entirety. The EPCOT philosophy, as it became known, included the following: showcase the development, utilize and test new materials and ideas from American industry, find solutions to urban problems, EPCOT would be in a state of becoming, focus on the needs and happiness of residents, and generate demand for new technologies.
EPCOT (concept) | The EPCOT film
Watching Saturday-morning cartoon programming, up to four hours long, became a favorite pastime of most American children since the mid-1960s and was a mainstay for decades. Disney had entered into TV production relatively early, but refrained from creating newly animated series for decades. Instead, Disney had their own anthology series on the air since 1954 in primetime three-hour slots, starting with the "Walt Disney's Disneyland" series (1954-1958), clearly promoting the Disneyland theme park that opened in 1955. Walt Disney personally hosted the series that apart from older cartoons featured segments with, for instance, looks behind the scenes on film-making processes or new live-action adventures.
History of animation | Animated TV series of the 1950s
He changed the focus of the project from a town to an attraction. At the inauguration in 1971, Roy dedicated Walt Disney World to his brother. Walt Disney World expanded with the opening of Epcot Center in 1982; Walt Disney's vision of a functional city was replaced by a park more akin to a permanent world's fair. In 2009, the Walt Disney Family Museum, designed by Disney's daughter Diane and her son Walter E. D. Miller, opened in the Presidio of San Francisco. Thousands of artifacts from Disney's life and career are on display, including numerous awards that he received.
Walt Disney | Illness, death and aftermath
On February 9, 1996, The Walt Disney Company acquired Capital Cities/ABC, and renamed the broadcasting group ABC, Inc., although the network also continues to use American Broadcasting Companies, such as on TV productions it owns. ABC's relationship with Disney dates back to 1953 when Leonard Goldenson pledged enough money so that the "Disneyland" theme park could be completed. ABC continued to hold Disney notes and stock until 1960, and also had first call on the "Disneyland" television series in 1954. With this new relationship came an attempt at cross-promotion, with attractions based on ABC, shows at Disney parks and an annual soap festival at Walt Disney World (the former president of ABC, Inc., Robert Iger, now heads Disney).
Criticism of The Walt Disney Company | American Broadcasting Company
After Liberty Street was abandoned, the Imagineers concentrated their efforts on one president: Mr. Lincoln. In April 1962, Robert Moses approached Walt Disney about contributing attractions to the pavilions of the 1964 New York World's Fair. Walt took Moses around the studio, showing him the new technology his Imagineers were working on. Nothing really sparked Moses' interest. Walt then showed Moses a prototype electronic figure of Lincoln. Moses was astonished at the possibilities and told Walt that he "had" to have this figure at the Fair. Despite knowing that the figure was years from completion, Walt told Moses it would be ready.
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln | Development of the attraction
Commercial tie-ins with Disneyland commenced with the planning and development of the park in the 1950s. With the need to raise money to finance the park, Walt Disney entered into a production agreement with the ABC television network to provide weekly programming in exchange for a line of credit to be used to pay for the park's development, as well as to market the park, itself, through the programming of a weekly program: Disneyland. The weekly show featured themes in keeping with the different themed areas of the namesake amusement park. Jack Lindquist later helped to create one of today's most recognized commercial tag-lines, and celebratory tradition, when the New York Giants won Super Bowl XXI in 1985, and quarterback Phil Simms was the first to utter the phrase: "I'm Going to Disneyland." while on the East coast broadcasting feed, the line was: "I'm Going to Disney World."
Jack Lindquist | Commercial tie-ins
As stated above, no one living in EPCOT would own their own land or home, thereby having no municipal voting rights (bond issues, etc.). Walt Disney wanted to exercise this control only to be able to change technology in the homes easily. According to the film, all adults living in EPCOT would be employed, thereby preventing the formation of slums and ghettos. There would be no retirees—everyone would have been required to have a job. Residents would have been employed at the Magic Kingdom theme park, the city central core shopping areas, the hotel/convention center, the airport, the Welcome Center, or the industrial park.
EPCOT (concept) | Living and employment
In 2010, Damon Lindelof began discussions with Walt Disney Studios about producing a modern science-fiction Disney film, with Tomorrowland as a basis. The project was greenlit by Walt Disney Pictures' president of production, Sean Bailey in June 2011 with Lindelof signed on to write and produce a film with the working title of "1952". Lindelof asked Jeff Jensen — who had previously published material on Lindelof's "Lost" television series — if he was interested in contributing to story elements. Jensen agreed and began to research the history of the Walt Disney Company, particularly Walt Disney's fascination with futurism, scientific innovation and utopia, as well as his involvement with the 1964 New York World's Fair and Disney's unrealized concept for EPCOT.
Tomorrowland (film) | Development
Disney had plans to build Walt Disney's Riverfront Square in St. Louis, but canceled the project in July 1965. In the 1960s, Disney initiated a plan for a ski resort at Mineral King in California. Opposition from environmental groups led by the Sierra Club led to a temporary court injunction in 1969 and legal battles through the 1970s. The project's planning and scale changed multiple times, and in 1978, Mineral King was annexed into Sequoia National Park, ending any possibility of developing a resort there. Disney had plans to build a park named Disney's America in Haymarket, Virginia, but abandoned the idea in 1994.
Disney Parks, Experiences and Products | Abandoned and misreported concepts
Starting in 1949, Ice Capades started adding Disney's segment to their performances. Costumes from those shows were used at the opening of Disneyland in 1955, with some performers hired away for Disney. With the characters a hit at the 1964 New York World's Fair, Walt Disney wanted another outlet for "live" characters. Disneyland put on "Disney on Parade," a self-produced live arena show, starting in 1969. After several years, Card Walker shut down the show as it was not making enough profit. Soon after Mattel/Feld Productions' 1979 purchased the Ice Follies And Holiday on Ice, Inc., Feld approached Disney with a proposal to create a Disney show on ice.
Disney Theatrical Group | Background
Fabricated at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank as "Children of the World", it was created by WED Enterprises, then shipped to the 1964 New York World's Fair's UNICEF pavilion, sponsored by Pepsi, where it featured at its entrance a kinetic sculpture, "The Tower of the Four Winds", a 120-foot perpetually spinning mobile created by WED designer Rolly Crump. It was added to four attractions — "Magic Skyway" (Ford), "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" (Illinois), "The Carousel of Progress" (General Electric), and "CircleVision 360" (Kodak)—already under development, which were used by Disney to sponsor, fund, and test concepts and develop ride systems and innovative entertainment intended to be moved and rebuilt at Disneyland after the World's Fair closed in 1966.
It's a Small World | History
The three-story former main building for Walt Disney Animation Studios was completed in 1940, based on a Streamline Moderne design by industrial designer and architect Kem Weber. It is considered the jewel of the original studio buildings. Walt Disney personally supervised the eight-wing "double H" design, ensuring as many rooms as possible had windows, which allowed natural light into the building to help the animators while working. Many Disney animated features were drawn here, including "Dumbo" (1941), "Bambi" (1942), "Cinderella" (1950), "Alice in Wonderland" (1951), "Peter Pan" (1953), "Lady and the Tramp" (1955), "Sleeping Beauty" (1959), "One Hundred and One Dalmatians" (1961), "The Jungle Book" (1967), "The Aristocats" (1970), "The Rescuers" (1977), and "The Fox and the Hound" (1981).
Walt Disney Studios (Burbank) | Animation Building
Three historically based hour-long programs aired during late 1954/early 1955, and were followed up by two dramatized installments the following year. The TV episodes were later edited into two theatrical films.
Walt Disney anthology television series | "Walt Disney's Disneyland" (1954–1958)
In a 1962 interview, Walt Disney talked about his new audio-animatronic technology in The Enchanted Tiki Room and untitled haunted house attraction. He said that he had similar plans for "all the Disney characters." Contributing Disney Imagineers were John Hench, Bill Justice, and Wathel Rogers. The original theater at Walt Disney World sat 500 park guests, but the pre-show area only had room for 300, a planning mistake. The animatronic Mickey currently resides in the Walt Disney Archives, and was put on display at the D23 Expo in 2011.
Mickey Mouse Revue | History
American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres (AB-PT) agreed to the Disneyland, Inc. investment. Joining AB-PT as Disneyland investors were Walt Disney Productions (WDP), Western Publishing and Walt Disney. Walt Disney Productions had the option to repurchase the Walt Disney, WED and Western Publishing shares (31%) by May 1, 1959, for $562,500. With a need for the Disneyland Hotel nearby and no funding available for Disney to build it, Walt Disney approached Jack Wrather to build the hotel who agreed.
Disney Parks, Experiences and Products | Background
"The Plausible Impossible" is an episode of the "Disneyland" television program, originally broadcast on October 31, 1956. Walt Disney explains how drawings and animation make things that are impossible seem plausible, as evidenced in ancient history (i.e., Egyptian gods, dragons, and various creatures from Greek mythology) and various cartoons with Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. This episode also includes an unfinished form of one scene from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" that ultimately ended up on the cutting room floor and was not used in the final film. This episode culminates with the "Night on Bald Mountain" segment of "Fantasia".
The Plausible Impossible | Introduction
The original c.1966-67 master plan for Walt Disney World never included plans for the Seven Seas Lagoon, Walt Disney had only envisioned an expanded Bay Lake as a large open body of water. What would become the lagoon was originally conceived as home to various themed resorts which were relatively landlocked which would be separated from the Magic Kingdom by golf courses, an ice rink and a rollerskating dome. Original plans showed the monorail terminating in front of the Magic Kingdom entrance on a linear route with three WEDway People Movers lines connecting guests to the various resorts. This would change all after Walt's death where major changes were made with the design of WDW.
Seven Seas Lagoon | History
The area surrounding Disneyland became the atmosphere of colorful lights, flashy neon signs, and then-popular Googie architecture that he wanted to avoid (and which years earlier had caused the city of Burbank to deny his initial request to build his project in Burbank). The Anaheim Convention Center was built across the street from Disneyland's original parking lot, and residences were constructed in the area as part of the city's growth in the late 20th century. Eventually, Disneyland was "boxed in", a factor which would later lead Walt Disney to acquire a significantly larger parcel of land for the construction of Walt Disney World.
Disneyland Resort | 1955–1998: one park, one hotel
Lincoln, another attraction designed by Disney at the 1964–1965 New York World's Fair, to as a basis. Besides the AA performers, the Imagineers, led by Disney engineers Roger E. Broggie and Bob Gurr, also devised a "carousel theater", so that the audience could stay seated and ride around a stationary set of stages, instead of getting up and walking from stage to stage. This allowed the audience to remain comfortably in place during scene changes and avoid the time-consuming disruption of changing seats repeatedly during a show. Singing cowboy Rex Allen was tapped to voice Father, the host and narrator of the show that replaced the original "Wilbur K.
Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress | 1964 New York World's Fair
While initially not interest in television back in the 1930s, Walt Disney changed his mind seeing TV at least as a promotional tool. Most studios were generating revenue by selling off their permanent TV right to their films made before 1948, while Disney held on to the company's film rights. Thus Walt Disney Productions was the first of the film industry, which saw TV as an adversary, to enter the TV production field. Walt Disney Productions did an hour-long special on Christmas Day 1950 for NBC then in 1951 for CBS. The specials used Disney film clips, short films and promoted the upcoming "Alice in Wonderland" theatrical film.
Walt Disney Television (production company) | Background
A three-dimensional film called "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience!" complete with physical effects such as wind and water was created as an attraction at Walt Disney World's Epcot in 1994, and later made its way to Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris with all four parks featuring the attraction by 1998. The film was a replacement for the Michael Jackson film "Captain EO", a musical film launched in 1986. The film begins as a mock award show by "The Imagination Institute" that is intended to honor Wayne as "Inventor of the Year." Instead, the audience is "shrunk" and threatened by Quark, Gigabyte (Nick's pet python), Diane, and even Adam, among other thrills.
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids | Disney Parks attraction
and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Roy Disney, for financial reasons, suggested more combined animation and live-action productions. In 1948, Disney initiated a series of popular live-action nature films, titled "True-Life Adventures", with "Seal Island" the first; the film won the Academy Award in the Best Short Subject (Two-Reel) category. Disney grew more politically conservative as he got older. A Democratic Party supporter until the 1940 presidential election, when he switched allegiance to the Republican Party, he became a generous donor to Thomas E. Dewey's 1944 bid for the presidency. In 1946, he was a founding member of the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals, an organization who stated they "believ[ed] in, and like, the American Way of Life ...
Walt Disney | World War II and beyond: 1941–1950
At the time of its construction in the mid 1950s, Disneyland was in a remote area outside Anaheim, California. Walt Disney wanted to build a hotel for Disneyland visitors to stay overnight, since Disneyland was quite a drive from the established population centers of Southern California at the time, but Disney's financial resources were significantly depleted by the construction of the park. Initially he tried to interest his friend Art Linkletter in building the hotel, but Linkletter declined. At the time, Linkletter was hesitant about the prospects of the park (only ruefully years later to walk along the sidewalk in front of the property while telling himself with each step "And that's another million I missed out on").
Disneyland Hotel (California) | Concept and construction
Herbert Ryman drew many sketches and preparatory drawings for several Disney theme parks including:
Herbert Ryman | Disney theme park attractions
He later worked on "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!" (1969), and other series produced by Hanna-Barbera. He returned to Disney (WED Enterprises in 1977 through 1983), contributing his unique view to the design of Epcot Center in Florida, where his influence included architectural facades, sculptures, fountains, show rides and murals for The Land and "Imagination!" (formerly The journey into the Imagination) pavilions.
Walter Peregoy | Animation work
The 1955–56 United States network television schedule was for the period that began in September 1955 and ran through March 1956. "The $64,000 Question" had debuted on CBS during summer 1955 and became the #1 program on U.S. television. The three networks "rushed to copy this latest hit format, quickly filling prime time with similar contests". (It would not be until fall 1958 that it would be confirmed that several of these new quiz shows were rigged.) For years, ABC had "struggled to cobble together a TV schedule", but following the network's major success with Disney-produced series "Disneyland" in 1954, other Hollywood film companies began embracing television.
1955–56 United States network television schedule | Introduction
There is speculation regarding Disney's hand in the sculpture, which is raised outward. Many believe his arm is raised as if he is showing Mickey what has come of his dream. Gibson said, “I chose to depict Walt as he was in 1954. I think that was when Walt was in his prime. It was tough trying to match the media image of Walt Disney, the one the public knows, to the real Walt, the one we knew. I think Walt is admiring the park and saying to Mickey, ‘Look what we’ve accomplished together,’ because truly they were very much a team through it all.
Partners (statue) | Introduction
Within the ten years following the introductory of Disney World, Walt’s health steadily declined. Walt planned another theme park in Florida but was never able to see his dream of Disney World completed. Walt Disney died from a cancerous tumor brought on by his habit of smoking.
Walt Disney: An American Original | Summary
After Walt's and Roy's deaths in 1966 and 1971, respectively, the Walt Disney Company would go on to achieve success with the multi-park, multi-hotel resort complex business model of Walt Disney World in Florida, which opened in 1971. In the 1990s, Disney decided to turn Disneyland into a similar multi-park, multi-hotel resort destination. In 1991, Disney announced plans to build WestCOT, a theme park based on Walt Disney World's EPCOT Center, on the site of the original Disneyland parking lot. Its estimated cost was US$3 billion, largely due to the cost of land that Disney would need to acquire. With the new Euro Disney Resort, which opened in 1992, becoming a financial and public relations albatross for the company, Disney was unable to finance the project, and cancelled WestCOT in 1995.
Disneyland Resort | 1990s: planning an expansion
Walt Disney had originally wanted an attraction similar to the "Hall of Presidents" called "One Nation Under God" at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. After Disneyland had become a huge success, Disney proposed an extension of Main Street, U.S.A. called Liberty Street at Edison Square. Disney originally wanted wax figures of all the U.S. Presidents, and later decided to try to make them animated figures, but the technology that he wanted for this attraction did not exist or fully meet his desire. Disney decided to collaborate with his fellow Imagineers of WED Enterprises to try to make the first Audio-Animatronic figure in a human form, and it would be one of Disney's heroes: Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States.
The Hall of Presidents | "One Nation Under God"
The 1954–55 United States network television schedule began in September of 1954 and ended in the spring of 1955. Fall 1954 marked a big change for television when ABC announced a network deal with a significant Hollywood producer. ABC had contracted with Walt Disney to produce a new series called "Disneyland" (as part of the deal, the network provided funding towards the construction of Walt's amusement park of the same name, opening in July 1955). The series was an instant hit, and marked the beginning of the networks allowing Hollywood programs into their schedules. Thus, Disney became the third significant Hollywood film producer to venture into television production, after Jerry Fairbanks and Hal Roach.
1954–55 United States network television schedule | Introduction
Disneyland, Inc. was incorporated in the State of California in 1951 by Walt Disney. A companion company owned only by Walt Disney originally called Walt Disney, Incorporated then WED Enterprises (WED) was set up in 1952 supposedly only for television production, but was used to design Disneylandia and its attractions. As the board of directors of Walt Disney Productions (WDP) was questionable in its support for the project. In March 1953, WDP board of directors agreed to Walt Disney's personal services contract and WED's contracts for designing and building Disneyland park attractions for cost plus overhead with three board directors resigning.
Disneyland, Inc. | Start up
In return, the network agreed to help finance the park. For its first five years of operation, Disneyland was owned by Disneyland, Inc., which was jointly owned by Walt Disney Productions, Walt Disney, Western Publishing and ABC. In addition, Disney rented out many of the shops on Main Street, U.S.A. to outside companies. By 1960, Walt Disney Productions bought out all other shares, a partnership which would eventually lead to the Walt Disney Corporation's acquisition of ABC in the mid-1990s. Construction began on July 16, 1954 and cost $17 million to complete (equivalent to $ in ). The park was opened one year and one day later.
Disneyland | Origins
Also, Roy E. Disney objected to the overvalued purchase price of the naming right and voted against the purchase as a Disney board director.
The Walt Disney Company | 1966–1984: Roy O. Disney's leadership and death, Walt Disney World, new leadership, theatrical malaise
The park's name, Epcot, was previously an acronym for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, a utopian city of the future planned by Walt Disney, often interchanging "city" and "community." In Walt Disney's words: "EPCOT will take its cue from the new ideas and new technologies that are now emerging from the creative centers of American industry. It will be a community of tomorrow that will never be completed but will always be introducing and testing, and demonstrating new materials and new systems. And EPCOT will always be a showcase to the world of the ingenuity and imagination of American free enterprise." His original vision was for a model community that would have been home to twenty thousand residents and a test bed for city planning as well as organization.
Epcot | 1960s: Experimental concept
According to the official website of the Republic of the Children, in 1950 Walt Disney visited the park and, surprised by the beauty, was inspired to build Disneyland.
Republic of the Children | Disneyland and the Republic of the Children
The main entrance and Sunshine Plaza were turned from a "giant postcard" spoof of California into Buena Vista Street, a representation of Los Angeles as it appeared when Walt Disney moved there in the 1920s. The "CALIFORNIA" sign in front was removed and donated to Cal Expo in Sacramento. Paradise Pier was turned from a contemporary representation of California boardwalks into a representation of Victorian seaside amusement parks of the 1920s, and some of the area's off-the-shelf rides were either removed outright (Maliboomer) or re-themed to have more of a focus on Disney characters (Mickey's Fun Wheel, Goofy's Sky School, Silly Symphony Swings).
Disney California Adventure | Major redesign and expansion
Around the time of the film's production, Walt Disney intended to build Liberty Street in Disneyland as an annex to Main Street USA. The project never materialized. After Walt's death, the concept was revived and turned into the much more expansive Liberty Square in Walt Disney World, which opened as a part of the park's grand opening on October 1, 1971. A Southern live oak tree found growing on the Walt Disney World property (originally six miles from the Magic Kingdom) was transplanted by Disney engineers and now serves as the square's Liberty Tree. Adorning it are 13 lanterns, representing the original 13 American colonies.
Johnny Tremain (film) | Legacy
Warner Bros. moreover recognised the value proposition in the theme park than in the studio. In July 1989, the two companies entered a joint venture to develop the park with Pivot Leisure, part-owners of a property trust in Sea World, a local marine mammal park. That year, they commissioned American designer C. V. Wood to design the theme park. He had six park designs in his portfolio at the time, including Six Flags Over Texas and Disneyland. He modelled the layout on similar parks such as Universal Studios Hollywood and Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park. The park was scaled such that guests could visit all attractions in a single day, even during peak periods, and to support up to 13,000 daily guests.
Warner Bros. Movie World | Park set-up and opening
Inspired by the Griffith Park carousel, Walt Disney wanted something similar for his new theme park: a carousel consisting of all jumpers. A park model Menagerie Carousel was purchased and moved to Disneyland in 1954. The carousel was built by William Dentzel and had been operated at Sunnyside Beach Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, since 1922; it had three courses of horses and other animals on a platform in diameter.
King Arthur Carrousel | History
In addition, Tomorrowland featured the Monsanto House of the Future (1957), designed by architects from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Architect/planner Victor Gruen's plans to convert the site of the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair into a city was also considered. The plan features a raised platform and a plastic dome over an international shopping bazaar. Imagineer Marty Sklar believed that this was a significant influence. Numerous locations were proposed for EPCOT, including St. Louis, Niagara Falls, Washington D.C., New Jersey, and New York City's World Fair's site. Walt also considered a concept to incorporate an experimental city into his plans for a Palm Beach, Florida development with RCA and investor John MacArthur in 1959, that was later dropped.
EPCOT (concept) | History
The multiplane camera used to create the three-dimensional effects of "Bambi" was also as a topic for a "Fantasy Land"-set telecast. In one episode, four different artists were given the task of drawing the same tree, with each artist using his own preferred ways of drawing and imagining a tree; this led to cartoon examples of differently animated trees, as in some of the early "Silly Symphonies" shorts, and later full-length animated films. "Tomorrow Land" was an opportunity for the Disney studio staff to present cutting-edge science and technology, and to predict possible futures, such as futuristic automobiles and highways.
Walt Disney anthology television series | "Walt Disney's Disneyland" (1954–1958)
The EPCOT city, according to the concepts presented in the EPCOT film, was based on a radial plan, a design inspired by the garden city movement of urban planning. Based on a concept similar to the layout of Disneyland Park, the city radiates out like a wheel from a central core. The urban density of the area would dwindle as the city fanned out. The dome Imagineer Martin A. "Marty" Sklar believed that Walt Disney was heavily influenced by architect/planner Victor Gruen's plan to convert the site of the 1964-1965 World's Fair into a city. An article by famed architectural historian Ada Louise Huxtable, "Out of a Fair, A City" appeared in "Horizon" in May 1960.
EPCOT (concept) | The community