Notable TidBits
Walt Disney → pioneered → synchronized sound → full color, multi-dimensional depth in animation
End World War II → grew tired of labor unions & cost of animation
Disney Land → attempt to transform a child's carnival into a family friendly amusement park → rejected due to "carnival atmosphere" in town
→ result → W.E.D Enterprises → sole purpose to build Disney Land
Right-hand man → John Hench → master of all creative trades
→ original group → the Imagineers → creative engineers → mixed bag of personalities
The Imagineers
- Claude Coats
- X. Atencio
- Blaine Gibson
- T. Hee
- Mary Blair → art director → minimal color setter
- Wathel Rogers
- Al Bertino
- Marc Davis
- Colin Campbell
- Ken O'Brien
- Herb Ryman → Drew first full scale aerial schematic of Disney Land
Disney Land location → Anaheim, California → few major roads → hard to convince people of its success → including brother, Roy and banks
→ tv was Hollywood's enemy → Walt and Roy saw an opportunity
→ proposes weekly tv series for struggling abc ↖︎in exchange↘︎ for $5 million park funding
→ aired 1954
The vision → 4 parks inside
→ FantasyLand
→ TomorrowLand → 1959 makeover →Walt's creativity clashes with construction
→ AdventureLand → life-sized animals
→ FrontierLand
Design → Spoke–hub distribution paradigm → Paris system
Construction → Walt was scared about money and enthusiasm → employees pitched in donations → Walt sold his Palm Springs home
→ result → labor disputes over long hours
Opening day → July 17, 1955 → spent $17 million → television broadcasted event → a disaster logistically → too many people → bad reviews → coined "Black Sunday"
Beginning of Disney Land → urged Imagineers to stand in line with guests
Matterhorn Bobsleds → first tubular steel rollercoaster in the world
Monorail → first operating monorail in North America
1961 → Next Imagineers → introduction of audio animatronics → Tiki Room: restaurant (singing parrots)
1964 → New York's World's Fair → Disney shows very popular
→ Abraham Lincoln → first human animatronic → people through coins at it to see if it would react
→ Small world ride → needed a simple song that could translate through several languages
1966 announcement → Florida expansion → tourism & cheap land → Epcot (city project)
Walt's lung cancer during Florida project → wishes ongoing projects to be complete
→ Died December 15 1966 → 65 years old
Quotes
Disney Land will never be completed as long as there is imagination left in the world -Walt Disney (in response to unfinished attractions)