New Twists on Classic Lands, Part I

When new resorts are opened, they almost always copy many of their lands from the original Disneyland (I recognize, however, that there is still quite a bit of originality.) To combat this problem of repetition, I have created some original lands that replace, but still carry a similar atmosphere as, their classic counterparts. This post will be a twist on Main Street. Next post will be about a new twist on the Adventureland formula.

Seaport of America

1.Train Station
2.The Haunted Mansion
3.The Firehouse
4.City Hall
5.The Labyrinth
6.Opera House
7.Treasure Island
8.Adventure Arcade
9.Discovery Arcade
10. Retractable Arcade
11.Liberty Arcade
A.The Lobster House
B.The Lighthouse
C.Zanzibar Traders
D. (not labelled) The Crystal Palace 

Tokyo DisneySEA Study

Tokyo DisneySEA

Tokyo DisneySEA: the real-life sister of the Long Beach DisneySEA that resides only in our imaginations, it is in my opinion the best Disney park of them all. The extreme budget allowed for spectacular effects and wonderful experiences, and the intricacies of its details transport guests into a world of dreams where no one worries, and there is always more to explore.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, here's the scoop: back in the 90's, a theme park and entertainment resort complex was considered by Disney for Long Beach, and it was to be called Port Disney. The most important part of the complex was to be the DisneySEA theme park. However, another park, called WESTcot, a second version of EPCOT Center, was being considered for Anaheim around the same time. Two seperate teams competed to see which park would be created. While Port Disney was much more ambitious, conservationists demanded that due to the extensive amount of reclamation required, it was harmful to the environment. That, among other things, brought Port Disney down. Some of you may be wondering why we never got WESTcot, but that's another story. Eventually, when the time came to build a second park in Tokyo, Imagineers reinvented the idea of DisneySEA. Originally, the focus was to be on the sea, marine life, and the study thereof (kind of like an oceanic EPCOT Center.) The one in Tokyo takes a different approach. It focuses on exotic locations and there cultures as well as seafaring exploration. One land, however, called Port Discovery, carries a little of Long Beach DisneySEA spirit in its futuristic seaport of a land.

One of my favorite things about DisneySEA is that it has so many wonderfully executed details. From the real rockwork on Mt. Prometheus to each and every  parapet and ornementation on the Hightower Hotel, nothing is left unfinished. The park is split into seven ports of call, starting with the Italian themed entrance of Mediterranean Harbor. From the Venetian gondolas to the Ponte Vecchio, it is a large, realistic port of call. Moving counter-clockwise, you cross a covered bridge to the Mysterious Island, inspired by the works of Jules Verne. Next is Mermaid Lagoon, inspired by the 1989 animated film, 'The Little Mermaid.' Another land based on a movie, Arabian Coast hosts Sinbad's Storybook Voyage along with a slew of Alladin-themed attractions. The Lost River Delta is a mysterious South American rainforest. As mentioned earlier, Port Discovery is the seaport of tomorrow. My favorite land, American Seaport, is inspired by 1920's Jazz Age New York as well as Old Cape Cod.

For those familiar with Tokyo DisneySEA, today's project is to come up with ways to add to this already amazing park. If you have any ideas, comment or e-mail me.

Introduction

Welcome to Imagineering Spot! This blog focuses on all aspects of design that go into making a theme park. From site plans and conceptual drawings to attraction design, this blog will combine art styles and ideas from people all over the world to create perfection in imaginary design. Another thing we will do is observe other theme parks that already exist. The next post will be about a theme park that is definitely my favorite, and is simply spectacular.