Yesterworld: The Troubled History of Epcot's Abandoned World Showcase - The Original Disney World
TLDRThis video script delves into the history and evolution of Epcot's World Showcase, which originally planned to feature 30 countries but faced numerous changes due to economic challenges and Disney's vision. The script explores unrealized pavilions, abandoned attractions, and the transformation of the park from Walt Disney's initial concept to its current form, highlighting the challenges and creativity behind this iconic theme park area.
Takeaways
- 🏰 Epcot Center was envisioned as a place where visitors could immerse themselves in the cultures of various countries, starting with the idea of International Street at Disneyland.
- 🌍 The original plan for Epcot included showcasing 30 countries, but this was scaled down due to financial and logistical challenges.
- 🚀 Epcot was initially conceived by Walt Disney as a futuristic city, showcasing the ingenuity and imagination of American free enterprise, before becoming the theme park we know today.
- 💼 Each country in the World Showcase was expected to be sponsored by their respective governments or corporations, responsible for funding and maintaining their pavilions.
- 🏙️ The concept of Epcot evolved from a single theme park to a combination of Future World and World Showcase, reflecting both technological progress and international cultures.
- 🎬 Some pavilions, like Germany and Japan, were planned to have unique attractions like the Rhine River Cruise and a motion simulator ride, but many of these ideas were never realized.
- 🌳 The design of the pavilions was influenced by debates between a unified theme and individual cultural influences, ultimately leading to the distinct architectural styles seen today.
- 🌐 The economic downturn in the US during the 1970s affected the scale and scope of Epcot, leading to a reduction in the number of countries and attractions.
- 🌳 Some pavilions, like Venezuela and the Philippines, were deeply developed but ultimately abandoned, with their detailed plans and attractions never making it to the final version of Epcot.
- 🎉 Epcot's opening was a significant moment, but it also marked the beginning of a long history of changes, expansions, and revisions to the park's attractions and pavilions.
Q & A
What was the original concept of Epcot Center's World Showcase?
-The original concept of Epcot Center's World Showcase was to immerse visitors into the cultures of 30 different countries through separate pavilions, each sponsored by their respective governments or corporations.
Why was the International Street concept at Disneyland never realized?
-International Street at Disneyland was never realized due to budget constraints during the park's development, and it was eventually evolved into the International Land concept, which was also abandoned.
What was the role of Walt Disney in the development of Epcot?
-Walt Disney envisioned Epcot as a showcase for the ingenuity and imagination of American free enterprise, aiming to address urban challenges and present a futuristic city with an international shopping area.
How did Walt Disney's passing impact the development of Epcot?
-Walt Disney's untimely passing in 1966 put the project on hold, and when development resumed, the initial vision had to be abandoned and reimagined without his personal guidance.
What was the initial plan for the number of countries in the World Showcase?
-The initial plan for the World Showcase was to have pavilions for 30 countries, but this number was later scaled down to 20 due to difficulties in securing sponsorships.
Why were the pavilions initially envisioned to be interconnected?
-The interconnected design was due to then-president Card Walker's idea of having a unifying theme on the outside of the showcase, with individual country themes on the inside.
What was the concept for the American Adventure pavilion before it became a theater show?
-The American Adventure pavilion was initially conceived as a ride using an omni-mover vehicle system, but it went through several iterations before becoming the theater show we know today.
What was the intended experience for visitors in the Germany Pavilion?
-The Germany Pavilion was intended to feature a Rhine River cruise, a boat ride that would take visitors through Germany's cultural heritage and folklore.
What was the original concept for the Japan Pavilion's attractions?
-The original concept for the Japan Pavilion included a motion simulator ride that would appear to be a bullet train touring Japan's historically significant locations and an omni-mover dark ride through iconic Japanese environments.
What were some of the challenges faced in realizing the World Showcase?
-Challenges included securing sponsorships for each country's pavilion, adapting to economic downturns, and evolving the design from interconnected pavilions to separate ones to better represent each country's unique culture and architecture.
What happened to the Venezuela and Philippines pavilions that were in development?
-The Venezuela and Philippines pavilions, which were in advanced stages of development, were mysteriously abandoned before the World Showcase's opening but were considered to be reintroduced later.
Outlines
🎢 The Evolution of Epcot's World Showcase
This paragraph delves into the history of Epcot Center's World Showcase, which was envisioned to feature an ever-changing number of countries, from 20 to as few as 9. It discusses the park's origins, starting with Disneyland's budget constraints that led to the shelving of International Street, and the subsequent evolution of this concept into International Land. The narrative then shifts to the mid-1960s, highlighting Walt Disney's development of Epcot as an experimental prototype community of tomorrow, which aimed to showcase American ingenuity. Walt's passing in 1966 and the subsequent shift in focus to the Magic Kingdom theme park are also mentioned, setting the stage for Epcot's eventual realization.
🏙️ Reimagining Epcot: From Vision to Reality
The second paragraph outlines the challenges faced in bringing Epcot to life without Walt Disney's guidance. It describes the initial ambitious plan for 30 countries in the World Showcase, each sponsored by their respective governments or corporations. However, economic downturns and difficulties in securing commitments reduced this number. The paragraph also details the innovative solution by Imagineers Marty Sklar and John Hench to combine the concepts of Future World and World Showcase into one entity, which became Epcot. The narrative touches on the evolving design of the pavilions, from a unified exterior to individually designed structures, reflecting each country's cultural history and architecture.
🌍 A Tour of the Original World Showcase Concept
This paragraph takes us on a conceptual tour of the original World Showcase, starting with Costa Rica and moving through various countries, each with its unique planned features, attractions, and cultural representations. It highlights the changes in scale and design for pavilions like Morocco and the Australia New Zealand pavilion, and mentions the planned but later abandoned attractions for countries like Switzerland and Germany. The paragraph also notes the iterative process of development, with some pavilions growing in scope and others being simplified or abandoned entirely.
🎨 The Unbuilt Pavilions of Epcot's World Showcase
The final paragraph continues the exploration of the World Showcase's original vision, discussing the various pavilions that were planned but never built. It covers the transformation of the Saudi Arabia pavilion into the United Arab Emirates pavilion and the ambitious designs for France, Scandinavia, and other countries. The paragraph also hints at the complexities of the development process, with pavilions like Venezuela and the Philippines being deeply developed before being mysteriously abandoned. The narrative concludes with a teaser for the second part of the series, which will delve into the stories of the unbuilt pavilions and attractions.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Epcot Center
💡World Showcase
💡International Street
💡Walt Disney
💡Epcot Future World
💡Pavilions
💡Attractions
💡Sponsorship
💡Imagineers
💡Conceptual Renderings
💡Omni Mover
Highlights
Epcot Center was envisioned to immerse visitors in the cultures of 20 countries in its World Showcase.
The original concept for Epcot included unrealized pavilions, abandoned attractions, and cancelled expansions.
Walt Disney's original vision for Epcot was influenced by the budget constraints of Disneyland and the idea of International Street.
The idea for an international land was abandoned in favor of the Matterhorn mountain, putting the international concept on hold.
Epcot was initially planned as a futuristic city showcasing technology and progress, separate from the Magic Kingdom.
Walt Disney's passing in 1966 led to a shift in focus to the Magic Kingdom, delaying the development of Epcot.
The World Showcase was initially planned to include 30 countries, each sponsored by their governments or corporations.
Economic downturns in the US led to a downsizing of the World Showcase from 30 to 20 countries.
The final vision for the World Showcase included separate pavilions for each country, each with its own unique design.
The American Adventure was originally planned as a ride, not a theater show.
The Germany Pavilion was to feature a Rhine River cruise, showcasing Germany's cultural heritage.
The Japan Pavilion was initially planned to include a motion simulator ride and an omni mover dark ride.
The United Kingdom Pavilion was to feature a state-of-the-art animatronic theatre show based on a Christmas carol.
The Africa Pavilion was designed to recreate the sense of being in the heart of Africa with a simulated jungle environment.
The Saudi Arabia Pavilion was revised into the United Arab Emirates Pavilion, changing its design to be less specific to one country.
The Venezuela Pavilion was abandoned shortly before the World Showcase press reveal, only to be reconsidered after Epcot's opening.
The Philippines Pavilion was far along in development but was ultimately left out of the finalized 1978 version.
Transcripts
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