Could Have, Should Have, Would Have- Disney's Animal Kingdom

Billed as a whole new breed of theme park, Disney's Animal Kingdom certainly is. Rich with theming, Animal Kingdom brings visitors through realistic, modern Africa and Asia while showing humanity's impact on nature and the animal world, both positive and negative. The park also includes Rafiki's Planet Watch, a working veterinary hospital for the park with important messages about doing one's small, yet vital, part in conservation; Camp Minnie-Mickey, a character meet-and-greet area made to look like an Adirondack campground; and Dinoland USA, focusing on the fascination with extinct creatures. The park was given a large budget, but there is room for improvement in anything.

Could Have- Kept the "Countdown to Extinction" name

At first, the idea of a simple attraction name change seems foolish and pointless, but Dinosaur, formerly Countdown to Extinction, is in desperate need of such an adjustment. The interior of the prestigious Dino Institute not only houses exhibits based more on extinct animals than dinosaurs in particular, but also the CTX Time Rovers, based on the name Countdown To Extinction. The name was changed to tie in with Disney's computer animated film, Dinosaur, which did poorly at the box office. The name is not a draw, nor is the attraction inside based on the film, so a rename would not send conflicting messages. The story is about the supposed meteor shower that wiped out the dinosaurs, so Countdown to Extinction makes sense with the idea of a race against time to escape the past without becoming extinct. Also, the current name does not hold as much significance to the commitment to extinct animals as a whole, rather than specifically dinosaurs, as a mural of extinct creatures dons the wall of the ride's gift shop. Finally, Dinosaur conveys to guests that the ride is about dinosaurs, which is both bland and unrevealing about the plot of the attraction. Countdown to Extinction, however, is attention catching and briefly gives the idea that the ride is fast paced and thrilling, unlike the sedate Institute facade. While a name change is minor, it has an effect and could easily be done.

Should Have- The Excavator

Animal Kingdom opened with the promise to "pay tribute to animals live, extinct, and imaginary," so naturally a Dinosaur themed area would be a major aspect. Dinoland, USA ended up opening with only one major attraction, Countdown to Extinction; a restaurant(osaurus); and a play area, the Boneyard. While it ended up being only a McDonald's sponsored playground, albeit a detailed play ground themed to a dinosaur dig site, the Boneyard was planned to have much more. The area's focus, seen in the artwork above, was going to be "The Excavator," a wooden roller coaster in a mine cart over and under the land, including dramatic sweeps passed fossils. All seemed green lit for the coaster, but as costs began to rise and Animal Kingdom's budget got higher and higher, Eisner had to pull the plug on select projects deemed unimportant, the first and foremost being the Excavator. While Dinoland is much more completed with the addition of Chester and Hester's Dino-Rama!, and now has the Primeval Whirl coaster, the Excavator would be a thrilling, thematically correct way to improve park capacity and draw in more guests. Plans have not been made to build the Excavator, and the land originally planned for it has been developed, causing a problem over where to put the attraction should it be built. The best area would probably be behind Chester and Hester's, but that could provide problematic views of backstage areas. Also, the skyline would become unbalanced, with large Expedition Everest and the Excavator on the east side of the park, and no large structure to the west.

Would Have- Beastly Kingdomme

No conversation about planned Animal Kingdom is complete without mention of Beastly Kingdomme, alternatively spelled Kingdome and Kingdom. The Kingdomme was planned for the space now occupied by Camp Minnie-Mickey, along the Discovery River between Discovery Village and Africa. Beastly Kingdomme would have been split into two areas, the good side, with a Fantasia boat ride past the Greek/Roman gods of the "Pastorale Symphony" segment and a hedge maze to find a beautiful unicorn in a magical grotto, and the evil side, home to the charred ruins of the Dragon's Tower. Upon entering the castle, bats hanging upside down would tell guests of a great treasure in the fortress's charred remains, guarded by a fabled fire breathing dragon. Once the guests boarded, Kuka's robotic arm technology would carry them through the castle, past the treasure, and culminating with a climactic glimpse of the dragon, holding a charred roller coaster train and breathing real fire at visitors. Imagineers were excited about the area, so they gave the parking lot a unicorn area, adorned a ticket booth with a dragon's head, and put a dragon on the park's logo. Even the Discovery River Cruise would have featured an area with charred knight's armour and a dragon, based on the one beneath Disneyland Paris's castle, breathing fire at the guests. Unfortunately, budget cuts were made, first causing the dragon along the river to be replaced by a dragon-shaped rock formation. The cuts continued, and finally the entire area was dropped, replaced by the "temporary" Camp Minnie-Mickey, which proved to be more popular than the executives in Burbank thought. Beastly Kingdomme could be built, and it would draw many more tourists and thus make money for the park, while also giving the logo, parking area, and ticket booth more meaning. Disney's Animal Kingdom must fulfill it's goal to pay tribute to animals living, extinct, and imaginary.

Could Have, Should Have, Would Have- Disney's Hollywood Studios

There are three approaches to the history of Disney's Hollywood Studios. One group, the "official" story, claims that the Studios' Great Movie Ride was intended as the focus of an entertainment pavilion for EPCOT Center, and Michael Eisner thought that it was an excellent idea that could anchor an entire park. Group two insists that it was all a plot by Eisner to undermine the success of the nearby soon to open Universal Studios. In reality, it is most likely a combination thereof, an idea for an entertainment pavilion was proposed and Eisner thought that it would anchor a park that would keep guests from going to Universal. The park is currently undergoing a major rehab, with name changes, new areas, and new attractions galore. Yet, there are only three things that Disney could have, should have, and would have done to improve the Studios.

Could Have- Done Actual Filming

Actual filming while guests toured the park. That was Disney's plan to lure guests to the Disney-MGM Studios, as it was then known. It's seemed to be the perfect idea, a win-win-win situation- Disney could shoot television series and films in Florida much cheaper than in California, guests could experience show business first hand, and the state of Florida and city of Orlando could get the prestige of becoming Hollywood east. Everything was set. The promise of filming was printed in guide books and advertisements, Disney had multiple shows and movies to film at the park, and guests were anticipating seeing real movie stars. Then reality came in fantasyland. It cost just as much to film in Florida as it did in California once the price of airfare was added in. That ended Disney's desire to do much of anything, other than a few television shows and animation, but even those stopped filming. Guests were upset, as whenever shooting actually did happen, those parts of the park were closed off. Disney finally set up cast members with cameras along the backlot tour route, and had the tour guides tell guests to be quiet, due to the filming of a music video. Frequent guests caught on to the ploy, and Disney stopped. Actual filming in the park of television and animation could easily happen again, and guests could walk through sound-proof halls with audio playing inside the hall for guests to hear. Also, if the price was the same for movie making, then Disney could film in Florida without problems.

Should Have- Indiana Jones Adventure

Disney has often had a good friendship with George Lucas, leading to such attractions as Star Tours, the Studio's Indiana Jones stunt show, and Disneyland's Indiana Jones Adventure attraction. Disney's Hollywood Studios prominently featured the works of Lucas in the form of the Stunt show and Star Tours. Rumor began to circulate in the late 1990s that Disneyland's amazing Indian Jones Adventure attraction would be coming to Disney-MGM Studios, a park in desperate need of expansion. The attraction would have been the perfect compliment to the similarly-themed stunt show, and was considered by Disney executives. However, Disney's Animal Kingdom opened in 1998 with the Countdown to Extinction ride, which used the same technology and track layout as Anaheim's Indy. Disney decided that two similar rides should not be on the same property, so in a twist of fate similar to that of the Western River, Indy was doomed. With the current emphasis on refurbishing the Studios, rumours have started again that the Temple of the Forbidden Eye will be an aspect of a proposed Lucasfilm Studio expansion, which would be very beneficial to the Hollywood Studios, still very much a "half day" park. Disney's notion that two similar ride systems are not good when close together is a bit far fetched considering most of Fantasyland is the same type of darkride, and rarely do guests ride Peter Pan's Flight and deem it the same as Snow White's Scary Adventures. Technology does not usually affect the average guest; it's the theme that makes two rides different or similar.

Would Have- Maroon Cartoon Studios

"Who Framed Roger Rabbit" was an excellent success for the Walt Disney Company, so naturally they capitalized on the characters, opening Mickey's Toontown in California, devoting much of Disneyland's fortieth anniversary to Roger, making theatrical shorts, and naturally having him be a heavy influence on their newest park in Florida. Eddie Valiant's office from the film is seen over Echo Lake, complete with "No Toons" sign and a Roger shaped hole in the window. On Hollywood Boulevard, Roger, Jessica, and Baby Herman are the focus of Maroon Cartoons' billboard. Disney even intended to devote much of the Sunset Boulevard area to Roger, opening the Maroon Studios. The area would include the Red Car from the film, a simulator ride through Toontown, a diner with actual Toons eating along with guests, Baby Herman's runaway buggy miniature roller coaster, in which guest would ride a baby carriage while wearing a giant diaper and bonnet, making for hilarious photos throughout the ride, and Roger's multilevel Car-Toon Spin, where guests would ride in Benny the Cab through Toontown. The problem was that Disney did not completely own the rights to the film. Steven Spielberg and Amblin also owned the movie, and had to agree with everything Disney did, or Disney could not use the characters. Spielberg denied Disney the privilege to create more shorts after a dispute over who's film would open with "Roller coaster Rabbit," so Spielberg began preventing anything Disney wanted, killing the Maroon Cartoon Studios. The Red Car Track still remain in the Sunset Boulevard pavement, both as a sign of the Maroon Studios idea not coming to fruition and the time in which Sunset Boulevard is set, when the Red Car was being phased out, a scandal alluded to in the Roger Rabbit film.

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.

Could Have, Should Have, Would Have- The Magic Kingdom

Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, the company's second foray into the world of theme park operations, opened in 1971, sixteen years after it's sister park in Anaheim. Like Disneyland, the Florida park has it's share of attractions that Disney should have kept, could have built, and would have built if not for another important factor.

Could Have- Kept the Plaza Swan Boats

The Plaza Swan Boats opened in 1973, two years after the park opened. The elegant boats drifted down the canals around the Hub and down into the jungles of Adventureland with a circle around the Swiss Family Tree house, albeit seasonally. Featuring a graceful swan with a glittering crown, the boats fit the gingerbread elegance of Main Street and the then-candy striped vessels of the Jungle Cruise. Unfortunately, the Swan Boats closed in 1983, ten years after they first began navigating the Magic Kingdom's waterways. The canals and loading dock still remain, now a smoking area, so if the ever capacity minded Disney executives want to open a new attraction, the Swan Boats would be an easy and inexpensive choice. Changes would have to be made, however, such as replacing the live Cast Member with a recorded narration, similar to Living with the Land at Epcot to save the igh operational costs. Also, the crowned Swans could easily be renamed Cinderella's Royal Swan Boats to appease the Princess audience. While it certainly would not be meant for roller coaster fanatics, but the Swan Boats were a calm, enjoyable ride, similar to the surprisingly popular Tomorrowland Transit Authority. The two have many similarities, such as the glide pat the Swiss Family Tree house echoing the TTA's dip into Space Mountain, which never ceases to thrill. Both also provide a kinetic aspect to their respective areas, working as what Walt termed a "weenie" to lure guests into the themed lands. The Plaza Swan Boats also include water, which is known to attract guests, making it an ideal attraction that Disney could easily revive.

Should Have- Built Pirates of the Caribbean for Opening Day

Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean attraction opened in 1967 in the New Orleans Square area of the park. When Walt Disney World was announced, fans assumed the Magic Kingdom would have it's own New Orleans Square and Pirates attraction as well. Disney executives thought otherwise. Florida, they thought, was already rife with pirate tales and too close to the real New Orleans for it to be exotic. They planned to replace it with the exclusive Western River Expedition, an attraction that would rival Pirates in scope and creativity. However, Western River did not make it, and the Magic Kingdom was left without a major ride. Guests at the park were shocked not find the Disneyland Pirates ride that they had heard so much about, and poured into City Hall on Main Street with complaints. Disney realized that guests had heard stories of pirates, but never actually got to experience them first hand, as in the attraction. So, to appease the angry guests, a shortened version of Pirates of the Caribbean was quickly put in a "Caribbean Plaza" area of Adventureland. While the queue, set in the labyrinthine Castillo Del Morrow, equaled the stellar themeing of Disneyland's tranquil Blue Bayou, the attraction itself was greatly abridged. The attraction, while popular, feels distinctly like an afterthought, and should have been built at park opening with identical parts as were being installed at Disneyland, in the same manner as the Haunted Mansion. Even if Western River was built, two amazing adventures have never hurt a park, have they?

Would Have- Western River Expedition

The fabled replacement for Walt Disney World's Pirates of the Caribbean was to be an elaborate boat ride past scenes of the old west. Western River Expedition was to be but a small aspect of the large Thunder Mesa, to be built on land now occupied by Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain, which would have included a flume ride, a runaway mine train roller coaster, and hiking trails up to a pueblo village. Long a staple of the preview center, the future seemed bright for Thunder Mesa and the Western River, but Disney is the entertainment industry of the Festival of Fools from "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," so nothing is as it seems, and a series of unexpected factors did in the Expedition. First of all, times had changed since Marc Davis did the first concept drawings for the river, and his scenes of red skinned Indians doing the rain dance were considered offensive and Politically Incorrect. Also, an expensive, audio-animatronic heavy boat ride was introduced to the park with the aforementioned Pirates of the Caribbean, so the Western-themed animatronic boat ride was deemed unoriginal. Finally, in a move that led Marc Davis to hold a grudge against imagineer Tony Baxter for decades, the company decided that the park needed more roller coasters, ending all hope for the Western River and putting Big Thunder Mountain Railroad into the spotlight.

For more information of Thunder Mesa and it's attractions, Jim Hill has written an excellent series called "Why Western River Went South" at his blog, Jim Hill Media.