Could Have, Should Have, Would Have- Disney's California Adventure.

Before the Disneyland parking lot was transformed into the Disneyland Resort's second gate, what to do with the land was part of a Machiavellian scheme on the part of Disney. Not only did Disney own the property in Anaheim, but it also owned beachfront area, the Queen Mary, and the hangar of the Spruce Goose in Long Beach. When Eisner decided to expand Disneyland and make it a resort, he had the choice of the two cities. Thus began the battle between Long Beach and Anaheim. Anaheim promised widened roads and improved curb appeal and tree growth along Harbour and Katella Boulevards in return for WESTCOT Center, a more lush and elegant version of Florida's EPCOT Center. Long Beach was going to improve their roads and give Disney more beachfront property for them to build DisneySea, a park devoted to sea life. The Long Beach project caused an uproar amongst Eco-friendly groups, which led to it's demise. Having settled on Anaheim, planning for WESTCOT began. The idea metamorphosed into Disney's California Adventure, designed to explore the beauty of the Golden State without having Disneyland's guests have to leave to see it. Unpopular from the start, California Adventure is currently undergoing a massive billion dollar refurbishment and overhaul, but there are only three major changes that Disney could have, should have, and would have made.

Could Have- Created a Cohesive Logo

Disney's California Adventure is lacking in that it does not have an immediately recognizable logo. Disneyland has it's calligraphy, EPCOT Center is sleek, Disney's Animal Kingdom is rustic, but California Adventure is somewhat schizophrenic. While it is often identified with the above logo, the park also has used a simple, somewhat dull font that says "Disney's California Adveture," without any other details, and the wheelchair signs use a rough font on a bear claw. Which is the proper logo? Disney should choose just one, and I personally like the above logo best. It looks nice, it is not as unexciting as one variation, and not as rustic as the other, which really only fits the Grizzly Mountain district. A new logo may come with the refurbishment, but Disney would best be advised to choose only one and use it for all publicity, so as not to cause confusion. Finally, while not a dramatic change, like with Countdown to Extinction it can greatly affect the guest's opinion of the park.

Should Have- Built a Berm

A "berm" is Disney's word for a large earthen mound built around the perimeter of their parks to block the outside world. Every Disney theme park has one, except for Disney's California Adventure. While the lack of a berm makes the park look intriguing from the outside, as almost every building can be seen, it also causes reality to sneak inside, setting the fanciful Paradise Pier against the backdrop of downtown Anaheim, rather than a seaside amusement park. The berm's nonexistence certainly saved Eisner money, but it distracts overall from the fantasy. While it is true that most guests are too busy looking at the scenery to acknowledge the outside world, it is particularly glaring in Paradise Pier. The jarring landscape of a small city outside the gates of the park certainly does fit with the theme of a sleazy amusement park on, say, Coney Island, but it is certainly not Disney. With the refurbishment changing the park's perimeter with new areas, a berm could potentially be built, although it may be too close to the sidewalks in Anaheim.

Would Have- Superstar Limo

"Wait!" you say, "They DID build Superstar Limo and it was crap!" Yes, the version of Limo that they built was odd to say the least. While I liked it, the other guests apparently did not, and Limo was closed after only one year. However, the Imagineers did not intend to build the version of Superstar Limo seen in the park, but rather a small roller coaster through scenes of Hollywood. The concept was that you were a famous star who had just landed at LAX,. To show the airport, the entrance would have been through a small version of the Theme Building, which was designed by the Imagineers. Inside would be a postage stamp sized recreation of the Encounter restaurant, visible only from the monorail. Once you boarded your limo, Eisner would tell you that you had to hurry to Grumman's Chinese Theatre to sign a contract with Disney. Your chauffeur would tell you that he knew a shortcut, and thus would begin your zany trip through Los Angeles, included sharp turns and swerves away from the adoring paparazzi. Then tragedy struck. Britain's Princess Diana was killed in a motor accident during the attraction's design phase. Suddenly, swerving away from the paparazzi was out of vogue, and Superstar Limo received the overhaul seen in the park. California Adventure's only darkride, it became a slow, cartoonish trip through Hollywood inside jokes. (Show of hands- who got the "Bauble Room" joke without it being explained?) Although Eisner himself was out of the ride, it was very much his pet project, although some of his gags, such as the "Dreamjerks" studio, were cut. The attraction opened to little fanfare became one of the first of California Adventure's attractions to close.

For more information on the history of Disney's California Adventure, Jim Hill wrote a excellent series titled, "California Misadventure" for his blog, Jim Hill Media.

Could Have, Should Have, Would Have- EPCOT Center

When it opened in 1982, Walt Disney World's second theme park, EPCOT Center, was the culmination of years of planning. Originally envisioned by Walt to be an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, EPCOT would have been the focus of his Florida Project, an ideal city in which to live, work, and play without fear of slums, urban sprawl, or other typical dangers developing, because everything would be under Walt's ever present, watchful eye. Unfortunately, all hopes for the construction of the ambitious city died along with Walt in the December of 1966. Stuck with acres of land and no plans for it, Walt's successors put the city on hold and built the Magic Kingdom, claiming that it's subterranean halls and vacuum-powered garbage disposal system held the spirit f EPCOT. Things changed when "Playboy" magazine ran an article brutally attacking Walt Disney World and Walt Disney Productions for not building Walt's futuristic model city. Disney was incensed that "Playboy" would question their morals, so the Imagineers were put to work on EPCOT. Not EPCOT the city, but rather a more easy to operate theme park, EPCOT Center, based on the key concepts of the city, a "future world" devoted to new technology and it's effect in people's daily lives, and an International district with it's focus on shopping and dining. EPCOT Center has undergone many changes, including a name change to lowercase Epcot, but there are three major things that Disney could have, should have, and would have done.

Should Have- Kept Imageworks Upstairs

While the majority of EPCOT Center was focused on technology, Kodak's Imagination Pavilion was the most fantastical part of the park. The pavilion featured the three dimensional film "Magic Journeys" (and later "Captain EO" starring Michael Jackson) and the centerpiece attraction, the Journey into Imagination. Upon exiting the whimsical ride, guests were invited up into the building's iconic glass pyramids to explore the creative Imageworks, a bright and airy room with such amusements as the colour changing Rainbow Tunnel (pictured above), Figment's touch-screen computer Colouring Book, and tiles that made different noises when stepped upon. Sadly, the attraction's drastic change in the mid-1990s moved Imageworks from it's lofty Crystal Palace to a dark basement. The new area shows the influence of sponsor Kodak, with most of the area devoted to digital cameras. While the pictures are fun to play with, the old, open Imageworks could easily be brought back, as the room has been left virtually unchanged- same carpet, same Rainbow Tunnel, same old pavilion logo. In fact, Disney could keep both, appeasing Kodak and engaging guests in the fun areas now laying dormant.

Should Have- Kept the Wonders of Life Pavilion

Speaking of dormant areas, the next section regards Disney's Chernobyl Adventure...I mean the Wonders of Life Pavilion. Opened in 1989, the pavilion featured a show about human reproduction, an animatronic show about the body, various games, and the popular "Body Wars" simulator. Metropolitan Life sponsored the pavilion, but it was seen by most as a sort of trophy for Met Life's Chief Executive, who was determined to have a Disney connection, despite the lack of tourists going to Walt Disney World to buy insurance. Naturally, when a new CEO came along, the sponsorship was dropped, dooming Life. The pavilion languished in limbo for years, before Disney decided to open it seasonally, until they decided to close it permanently, killing Life. The pavilion still sits with it's golden dome used for special events, but otherwise it is lit as usual, except for the building being impossible to get to without climbing over the planters and trees shoved in the path. Life should be revived, for the same reason as the Plaza Swan Boats- it increases park capacity, is relatively intact, and appeals to a wide group, from thrill seekers to comedy fans. The 80s pastel should be updated, but Disney has spent more merely advertising "Pirates of the Caribbean" than it would take to refurbish and reopen the pavilion.

(Yes, I am absolutely reveling in the humour of the Wonders of Life's abbreviation)

Would Have- Built a USSR Pavilion for World Showcase

Set in a recreation of Moscow's famous Red Square, the USSR pavilion was to be very impressive. Despite the Cold War, the Soviet Union's pavilion was one of the more elaborate in World Showcase, from detailed versions of Saint Basil's Cathedral, the walls of the Moscow Kremlin, and plenty of onion domes decorating the esterior to an attraction through Russian folktales in a sleigh inside. The newest country for World Showcase seemed set to open in the early 1990s: the pavilion was designed, a plot a land was selected, and Disney knew a sleigh ride would be wildly popular, especially around Christmas. There was one catch- countries sponsored their pavilions, and the late 80s and early 90s were not a good time for the United Soviet Socialist Republics. The Berlin Wall fell, the country fell, and all hopes for a pavilion fell before it could be built. Luckily, as Russia is regaining it's wealth and power, Disney is also rumoured to be pulling out the old plans to expand World Showcase. After all, no good idea ever dies at Walt Disney Imagineering, not matter how many decades and government styles pass.

For a history of Walt Disney World and it's many entertaining anecdotes, David Koneing's "Realityland" is a perfect reference. I a more critical approach toward EPCOT Center is desired, there is a link to the EPCOT Central blog to the right of this article.