Concept for an East Coast Matterhorn! Newly-created concept art created by Imagineering Disney.com
I was talking with my pal Hoot the other day about how a Matterhorn mountain would fit perfectly in Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland. Disney talked about the idea decades ago. It was intended to go where Toontown is today. The latest rumors about the 'new Fantasyland' or 'Fantasyland Forest' say that some people at Disney are rethinking the whole thing- minus The Little Mermaid ride and the Be Our Guest Beauty and the Beast restaurant.
I Say Give Us a Matterhorn! Wouldn't that make everyone happy?? The thrill-seekers and the nostalgic-minded alike? The 20K (or former 20k) property is ginomous. It can fit a mountain, a few dark rides, and a whole lot more. Hoot says he wants a Pinocchio dark ride and I agree.
A Boat Ride and Swiss Village In the concept above (drawn on a napkin this afternoon) you'll see the old classic Matterhorn taken to a new level. Not only is there the Matterhorn mountain much like you see at Disneyland, there is a boat ride going through the lower caves of the mountain and through a Swiss Village. The Swiss Village would include a full-service restaurant with the boat ride through the middle. There will be a quick-service restaurant and a bakery full of swiss cheeses and pastries (at the request of my wife).
Two Tracks? Also unique to this design--- Not only is there a regular bobsled track through the mountain, the concept includes 'Junior Bobsleds' for the little ones. I ran this idea past Lilly and she said to make the tracks begin and end at the same time. That way younger riders and older riders can can load and unload together, both experiencing the 'same' attraction at the same time. This way the little riders get to ride the Matterhorn AND have a more thrilling ride to look forward to when they are older. The junior track would go through lower caves of the mountain but mostly traveling through smaller hills outside the mountain.
I say the bobsleds on both tracks should not only depart next to each other but they parallel each other for the first little while before going their own separate ways. THEN they meet up next to each other at a couple points along the way THEN end at the same unload dock. Now you can ride the same attraction three ways: regular, junior, and by boat.
The Progress City model was once a spectacular site. Housed on the second level of the Carousel Theater at Disneyland above The Carousel of Progress, it was often visited but not-so-often photographed or filmed. It was a large model with many moving parts and electric lights.
What you see today while riding the Magic Kingdom’s TTA is only a piece of the original model. Not only did a relatively small section of the model survive, a very small amount of movement and lighting remain today. There are fewer houses, far fewer cars and the landscaping is almost nonexistent compared to the original. The thing was literally sliced up in various places to fit it’s new space at Walt Disney World.
The blue lines below indicate the area of the model you see today.
A Chance to Restore the Model
A few years back I was asked if I’d like to help restore this old model city. I wet my pants a little and said, “Sign me up! I’ll come in early and stay late if I have to, just don’t change your mind”. Life stinks sometimes, the lousy bums changed their minds.
– “It’s a matter of ownership. We don’t actually know who ‘owns‘ the model”.
Yeah well I’d been up there a few times before to climb around and my old model train city I made as a kid with my mom’s hot glue gun and little hobby shop fake trees was in better shape.
The model as seen within the last several years. Viewed from catwalk above the TTA track.
– “WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE CAN’T RESTORE IT NOW??”
– “Well we think it belongs to Decorating and they ain’t interested in doin’ notin’ wid it.”
– “ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Give me their number. You are saying that even if I volunteer my time to save this piece of history, you aren't gonna let me because no one wants to deal with the thing?? IT’S OLDER THAN ALL OF DISNEY WORLD!”
- “Yeah well, we isn’t interested in the best interest of stuff around here. Go finish yurr work on that Small World doll.”
Good thing I like working on Small World dolls. As it turns out, ‘Decorating’ had already been there. No need to clean the model or fix the broken buildings. Definitely no need to fix the double ferris wheel that once moved round and around.
Now that brings me to something that not everyone seems to quite understand. Imagineering doesn’t maintain everything you see at the parks. Hardly. There are loads of other departments who are assigned to various pieces of the attractions and parks in general (Engineering Services, Decorating, Artist Prep, Creative Costuming, Buildings, Custodial, even Buena Vista Construction Company, etc.).
The Fantasy of EPCOT-style Living
I’d always loved the WEDWay PeopleMover at Magic Kingdom (now TTA) in large part due to the view of Progress City. I liked to dream of the life I could have had in the low-density residential outer rings of a city patterned after EPCOT.
Concept art for Medallion City, 64-65 New York World Fair, meant to showcase (at full-scale) the residential life in Progress City
While riding past the model I’d spot nifty looking mid-century modern ranch-style houses with PeopleMover stations out the back door and with views of the towering cosmopolitan hotel and convention center. A little amusement area and schools for the kids, pedestrian walkways separate from the motor ways, a Monorail traveling through the center of town... What could be better?
The wife and I could meet up for ethnic food while she shops in the retail district just below my office building. Once inside, weather conditions good and bad would be safely out of reach, yet visible though the domed glass skylights. Walt Disney would be walking around pointing at stuff and I’d say ‘hi’ to him. Herb Ryman would be at the next table sketching on a napkin. Then he’d give me his sketches and we’d discuss the look of transportation systems of the future.
Why the Tiki Lounge in the City of the Future?
Tiki building as seen in the model's original state
The same tiki building on current model
Doesn’t seam to fit in, or does it? Remember, the peak of America’s fascination with all things ‘tiki’ was the 1950s and 60s. The phenomenon began with returning WWII soldiers who had served time in the Pacific. Hawaii had not been opened to tourist travel by jet plane for all that long. The war ended in the mid 40s and i presume many of the W.E.D. staff had spent time in Polynesia. And remember that Progress City focussed on all areas of life, including leisure. What better way to relax than in some tike restaurant on the marina? Maybe someone just liked tiki stuff and added it to the plans?? Either way, this piece is still on the model and boy is it cool to think about.
A Hacked Model
You can compare the model in its two locations and the pieces that still stand today. You’ll notice the little PeopleMover tracks no longer have moving PeopleMover cars on them. The tracks were hacked, therefore no longer operational. They appear to have been made of simple slot car technology. Just like the slot car tracks you had as a kid.
Let's give give credit where credit's due. Though the model is in a very dilapidated state after all these years, it's presented in a way that makes it look pretty good. I'd love to see moving parts and fewer broken pieces, but from a moving WEDWay car, in a dark tunnel, behing glass, the thing doesn't look half bad.
Some of these photos were taken without show lighting and with the use of flash. Some are with show lighting, no flash.
I'd Give My Right Eye
I’ve been looking for video or imagery of the upper level of Disneyland’s Carousel of Progress forever now. After the final act of the show, guests would exit though the stage area and ascend to the second floor to see the Progress City model. I’ve found very little. I would love to see exactly what that experience was, including the viewing area of the model.
So PLEASE send anything you have showing these things.
Photos by Fritz, Mitch and Hoot. A special thanks to Hoot who has done a heap of research and investigation involving the model. He was the one who showed me door to get to the model and the catwalk above. Photos were taken on assignment and with permission. Please don't attempt to access the model.
A look at the early days of Disneyland. The park opened to invited guests on July 17, 1955. The following day it opened to the general public.
Front and back covers of "Picture Souvenir Book of Disneyland in Natural Color" reprinted in 2005 for Disneland's 50th Anniversary.
Scan from the inside front cover of "Picture Souvenir Book of Disneyland in Natural Color"
A list of attractions was presented in this early map from an early Picture Souvenir Book. This specific book was not available on Opening Day, of course, because photos with guest in them were not available. This an interesting map-- oddly drawn and missing a number of attractions from 1955. You'll notice the lack of labels for Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Snow White, Peter Pan, Mad Tea Party, and almost everything in Tomorrowland. I love that the Railroad is traveling the wrong direction. Holidayland is on the complete opposite side of the park. It's cool to see the waters of Rivers of America connected to the waters of " 'Explorer Boat Ride' through the Rivers of Mexico, Africa, Central and South America, and Australia" (The Jungle Cruise).
Main Street, USA
No other part of Disneyland resembles the way things looked in 1955 more than the exterior portions of Main Street. Almost every sign has been changes but the architecture of the buildings remains almost identical. The interiors however have changed much.
Fantasyland
Within the Castle Courtyard King Arthur Carrousel was positioned much closer to Sleeping Beauty Castle than it is today. The Mad Tea Party was directly north of the carrousel (both moved to new locations along with Dumbo in 1983). Sleeping Beauty Castle was spectacular yet the public had little connection with the animated film because Sleeping Beauty would not debut until January of 1959. Artwork was presented on Disneyland, the T.V. show in 1954 and the Sleeping Beauty walk through attraction inside the castle opened in 1957 with several dioramas telling the story of Sleeping Beauty. A similar walk through attraction exists today.
Casey Jr. Circus Train, one of the most charming little attractions even today, offered a view of the very underdeveloped Canal Boats of the World (later renamed Storybook Land Canal Boats). The boats were sadly not operational on Opening Day. The landscaping and miniature scenes we know today were not present but plenty of dirt was.
A creepy looking Court Jester selling balloons?
You'll notice what looks like another Court Jester running with kids on Opening Day through the castle in this famous photo. When did they finally get rid of those guys?? I guess they fit the land in which they reside, but still...
Tomorrowland
The most changed of any land. The Autopia is the only remaining attraction today. In 1955 guests enjoyed the following, now extinct, attractions. Circarama U.S.A., "A Tour of the West, the Dutch Boy Paint Color Gallery, Monsanto Hall of Chemistry, Kaiser's Hall of Aluminum Fame, Rocket to the Moon, Space Station X-1, Thimble Drome Flight Circle (displaying flying model planes), Tomorrowland Boats, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea exhibit, and The World Beneath Us presented by Richfield Oil.
No guide rail on the Autopia track?? Boy did I dream of that as small child. Among the first to ride the Autopia on Opening Day were Frank Sinatra and son and Sammy Davis Jr.
Adventureland
Hop aboard the "Explorer Boat Ride through the Rivers of Mexico, Africa, Central and South America, and Australia" (Jungle Cruise) where the skipper was not wise-cracking, the plants were small, and the Marc Davis gags we know and love today did not exist. However Schweitzer Falls waterfall was called Schweitzer Falls even way back then.
Frontierland
Other than the exteriors of Main Street and Sleeping Beauty Castle, the southern stretch of Frontierland facades have changed less than almost anything in the park.
Opening Day Model
It's worth taking a look at this top-notch model that was installed in the lobby of Disneyland's Opera House in Town Square for the 50th Anniversary. It was originally installed flat then later relocated within the same lobby to a northwest wall and was mounted on an angle. This location, as you might remember, once housed the talking animatronic owl who spoke about Walt Disney's True Life Adventures. Oh how I loved watching him narrate those clips in his little graduation cap in an old-fashioned classroom setting.
Hooray for Disneyland.
Images scanned by Mitch. All other photos taken by Mitch.
Fritz ;)
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