DisneySea (California)

For the theme park owned by The Oriental Land Company in Japan, see Tokyo DisneySea.
DisneySea
Location Port Disney, Long Beach, California, U.S.A.
Coordinates 33°44′48″N 118°11′06″W / 33.74667°N 118.18500°W / 33.74667; -118.18500Coordinates: 33°44′48″N 118°11′06″W / 33.74667°N 118.18500°W / 33.74667; -118.18500
Theme Nautical
Owner Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
Status Canceled
DisneySea
DisneySea was proposed for new fill on Queensway Bay at the mouth of the Los Angeles River.

DisneySea was a proposed amusement park designed by Disney that was planned to open at the proposed Port Disney complex in Long Beach, California. Port Disney was part of the "Disney Decade" plan of expansion in the 1990s, and was competing with the WestCOT proposal to add a "second gate" to the Disneyland Resort complex in Anaheim, California. The "second gate" was eventually built on the site of the former Disneyland parking lot as Disney California Adventure.

DisneySea was unveiled to the public on July 31, 1990.[1][2][3] A pamphlet, the Port Disney News, was distributed to Long Beach residents in September 1991[4] detailing plans for DisneySea, including the goal of "[enabling] everyone to experience the 'marvels of nature′s secret world beneath the sea' and to gain firsthand experience of how the oceans affect human life as well as the life of the planet."[5] Disney elected to pursue the WestCOT proposal instead of Port Disney in December 1991,[6] and some of the concepts developed for DisneySea were eventually built at Tokyo DisneySea, which opened in 2001.

Oceana

This area would have been the park's centerpiece. According to the Preliminary Master Plan (1990),[3]

Oceana, the architectural focal point for the park, would rise up from the center of DisneySea in a series of futuristic bubbles, luring guests to a fascinating evolutionary journey through the world's seas. Guests would walk through a state-of-the-art, two-story aquarium.

The Port Disney News (1991) gave an updated description of Oceana:[5]

The architectural centerpiece of DisneySea, Oceana would also serve as one of the main educational components of the park. Within this oceanarium, guests will experience true-to-life recreations of marine habitats and ecological systems from around the globe. Visitors will be able to touch, smell, feel and hear the world of water. Overhead walkways and underwater portholes would provide both bird's-eye and crab's-eye views.

In Oceana, interactive displays and hands-on participation will encourage children and adults to learn about the ocean in ways that are fun, challenging, and informative. For example, guests can see for themselves how gills work, how fish communicate, and how coral build their fragile, complex reefs. Through special lenses, they may see through the eyes of an octopus, a lobster, a penguin, and a whale. A variety of demonstrations and experiments will be specially created to educate as well as entertain.

Future Research Center

This area would have featured interactive exhibits and a working research and preservation meeting center within Oceana similar to The Living Seas pavilion and The Land pavilion at Walt Disney World's Epcot. According to the Preliminary Master Plan (1990),[3]

The curious would journey into the 21st century, visiting a working Future Research Center where scientists from the world's leading institutions would come together to conduct oceanographic studies, in much the same fashion as researchers now gather at the Living Seas and Land Pavilions at Epcot Center in Walt Disney World. Adults and children alike would learn about the ocean and its diverse marine life in a hands-on exploratorium.

The Port Disney News (1991) described the Future Research Center as follows:[5]

Set at the edge of DisneySea, the Future Research Center will be a state-of-the-art research laboratory where guests could interact with some of the nation's top marine scientists conducting oceanographic research.

Southern Californians active in marine science will be invited to serve on an advisory board to direct the initial mission statement of the Center.

Through an ongoing dialogue with the local scientific community and nearby universities, joint research programs will offer students of all ages a rare opportunity for hands-on exploration.

Guests will be able to visit the heart of this functioning sea laboratory, observing scientists at work. Watching these experts, visitors can glimpse the future of man's involvement with the seas and probe deeper into man's relationship with the environment. For the more light-hearted adventurers, the Center will include a simulator adventure that will give guests a glimpse of the drama — and danger — faced by real explorers of the deep.

Other educational facilities

The park would have also offered a number of educational opportunities and facilities including interactive programs and an Ocean Outreach Center.[5]

Interactive Programs for Students of all Ages
In addition to Oceana and the Future Research Center, DisneySea will offer more formal on-site educational programs. A variety of full and half-day programs will be designed to help teachers in their efforts to share the wonder of the ocean with students. Programs may include special field trips featuring multi-media presentations, tours and lectures for the Los Angeles and Orange County area schools.

Ocean Outreach Center
Similar to the Teacher's Center in Walt Disney World's Epcot Center, an Ocean Outreach Center is envisioned to assist visitors in their quest for more information about the ocean. Serving as a library of the sea, the Outreach Center will offer computer terminals, reading rooms and research files designed to meet the need of guests, staff scientists, teachers and students.

Other attractions

In addition to Oceana and The Future Research Center the park would have included other attractions and aquatic-themed "lands". The Preliminary Master Plan (1990) provided a first glimpse at some of these attractions.

Mysterious Island

Mysterious Island was one of the themed lands, featuring the Pirate Island and Nemo's Lava Cruiser attractions and rides.[3] A revised version of Mysterious Island, including the planned volcano, was eventually built at Tokyo DisneySea.

At Mysterious Island, guests would discover the lost City of Atlantis on a modern version of a Disneyland "E" attraction. Children could follow clues to buried treasure on Pirate Island, while the more intrepid might dare to board Nemo's Lava Cruiser and careen suspended through dangerous caverns.

Heroes' Harbor

Heroes' Harbor (later renamed to Hero's Harbor) was planned to explore the stories behind legendary and mythical adventurers, with an entrance through Aqua-labyrinth, a maze whose walls were made of water:[3]

Aqua-labyrinth, a challenging maze with walls made only of water, would serve as the entrance to Heroes' Harbor, where the myths and legends of the sea come to life. Here guests would find rides themed to the adventures of Sinbad, Ulysses and other storied adventurers from the past.

Boardwalk and Fleets of Fantasy

A boardwalk and amusement rides reminiscent of The Pike would be built adjacent to Fleets of Fantasy, featuring rides and dining onboard historical replica ships.[3] Elements of both were later incorporated as the American Waterfront land at Tokyo DisneySea, including the SS Columbia moored in the American Waterfront's New York Harbor, similar to how RMS Queen Mary would have been relocated as a focal element of DisneySea. Paradise Pier at Disney California Adventure also includes representative California beach/boardwalk amusement rides.

On the edge of the Bay facing downtown, a boardwalk would recreate the nostalgia of the Long Beach oceanfront in its heyday. Nearby at Fleets of Fantasy, a harborful of fabled and fanciful ships, including outsized Chinese junks and Egyptian galleys, would disguise exciting rides and dining and entertainment experiences.

Venture Reefs

Other planned themed environments featured cultures with strong ties to the water and a shark-diving experience. At the time, these attractions did not have a name,[3] but they were later collectively named Venture Reefs in the 1991 Port Disney News.[5] Shark Reef, an attraction at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon at Walt Disney World, also featured snorkeling and shark interactions at saltwater reefs.

Shoppers and diners will be intrigued by DisneySea's themed environments — a Grecian village, an Asian watermarket, a Caribbean lagoon. Here guests might be seen surfing, snorkeling, or wading through tropical reefs teeming with fish. Some will experience the ultimate underwater adventure — being lowered in a steel cage into a tank full of sharks.

Port Disney News (1991) updates

At the time of the publication of the Port Disney News (1991), Walt Disney Imagineering still had not finalized the list of green lighted lands. The updated descriptions for Venture Reefs (with no mention of the shark-diving experience), Fleets of Fantasy, Mysterious Island and Hero's Harbor were:[5]

While plans for DisneySea are still evolving, Walt Disney Imagineering is planning attractions for visitors to enjoy the spirit of the sea with fun as the common denominator. For example, on the exotic beaches of Venture Reefs, guests will enjoy scenic beach vistas from the Caribbean, Polynesian, and the Pacific. They'll be entertained and invited to dine, shop, and take a dip in the ocean, where they'll find sunken ships and marine life "under the sea."

Fleets of Fantasy, adventurous attractions themed to storybook seafaring, would recapture the spirit and whimsy of turn-of-the-century amusement park rides. Mysterious Island and Hero's Harbor would feature "high seas" thrill rides incorporating thousands of years of mythic folklore relating to the ocean.

At the rim of the American continent and the Pacific Ocean, DisneySea will offer a unique entertainment experience — and a site of magic and wonder.

References

  1. ↑ Fiore, Faye (31 July 1990). "Long Beach Greets Disney With Little Amusement". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  2. ↑ Fiore, Faye (1 August 1990). "Disney Unveils Plans". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 The Walt Disney Company (July 1990). Port Disney—Long Beach, California—Preliminary Master Plan: Executive Report. University of Central Florida Showcase of Text, Archives, Research & Scholarship (Report). Harrison "Buzz" Price Papers, Paper 170. Retrieved 14 September 2016. B. DisneySea
    The centerpiece of the proposed master plan is a new ocean-oriented theme park concept, tentatively called "DisneySea", that combines a wide variet of Disney-style rides, shows and attractions with activities directed towards developing a better understanding of the sea. Disney's Imagineers have focused their efforts on exploring the myths, romance, challenges and mysteries of the ocean - the world's last great frontier. Both fun and educational, DisneySea would break down barriers between our guests and the sea.
    While the theme park is currently in the early stages of development, some of the concepts under consideration are briefly described below. An artist's conception of the project is shown in Figure 6.
    Oceana, the architectural focal point for the park, would rise up from the center of DisneySea in a series of futuristic bubbles, luring guests to a fascinating evolutionary journey through the world's seas. Guests would walk through a state-of-the-art, two-story aquarium. The curious would journey into the 21st century, visiting a working Future Research Center where scientists from the world's leading institutions would come together to conduct oceanographic studies, in much the same fashion as researchers now gather at the Living Seas and Land Pavilions at Epcot Center in Walt Disney World. Adults and children alike would learn about the ocean and its diverse marine life in a hands-on exploratorium. An artist's conception of Oceana is shown in Figure 7.
    At Mysterious Island, guests would discover the lost City of Atlantis on a modern version of a Disneyland "E" attraction. Children could follow clues to buried treasure on Pirate Island, while the more intrepid might dare to board Nemo's Lava Cruiser and careen suspended through dangerous caverns.
    Aqua-labyrinth, a challenging maze with walls made only of water, would serve as the entrance to Heroes' Harbor, where the myths and legends of the sea come to life. Here guests would find rides themed to the adventures of Sinbad, Ulysses and other storied adventurers from the past.
    On the edge of the Bay facing downtown, a boardwalk would recreate the nostalgia of the Long Beach oceanfront in its heyday. Nearby at Fleets of Fantasy, a harborful of fabled and fanciful ships, including outsized Chinese junks and Egyptian galleys, would disguise exciting rides and dining and entertainment experiences.
    Shoppers and diners will be intrigued by DisneySea's themed environments — a Grecian village, anAsian watermarket, a Caribbean lagoon. Here guests might be seen surfing, snorkeling, or wading through tropical reefs teeming with fish. Some will experience the ultimate underwater adventure — being lowered in a steel cage into a tank full of sharks.
    At the rim of the American continent and the Pacific Ocean, DisneySea will be a place of magic and wonder offering a unique entertainment experience.
  4. ↑ Fiore, Faye (26 September 1991). "Disney Public Relations Machine Is on a Roll". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Port Disney News: Published as a service to the Long Beach community by the Walt Disney Corporation" (1). The Walt Disney Corporation. 1991. Archived from the original on 16 September 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016. DisneySea: Disney Imagineering At Work
    Welcome to DisneySea! Here you will experience a thrilling journey through the mysteries, challenges and natural wonders of the sea. Among the highlights of your trip will be an intimate encounter with our plant's most important environmental resource and the chance to participate in exciting research activities conducted by some of the world's leading oceanic scientists.
    For millions of Southern California residents and visitors, this fantastic voyage may become a reality based on the conceptual master plan for one of the most innovative theme parks ever conceived by The Walt Disney Company. According to its designers, the goal of DisneySea is to enable everyone to experience the "marvels of nature's secret world beneath the sea" and to gain firsthand experience of how the oceans affect human life as well as the life of the planet.
    Walt Disney Imagineering, the creative, design, production and project management subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company responsible for the creation of Disney theme parks and their attractions, ahs been charged to develop DisneySea. Its vision for Long Beach is a singular blend of entertainment and education through Disney-style rides and attractions, marine research facilities, an oceanarium and other aquatic adventures.
    "Our goal is to sensitize millions of visitors each year to the enormous challenges and opportunities of our seas — our most precious resource — in a setting that encourages play and fantasy," said David Malmuth, project director and vice president with Disney Development Company. "Basically, we want people to have fun. We also want our guests to directly experience the sea, to wonder about it, to ask questions and to have a memorable time."
    Oceana
    The architectural centerpiece of DisneySea, Oceana would also serve as one of the main educational components of the park. Within this oceanarium, guests will experience true-to-life recreations of marine habitats and ecological systems from around the globe. Visitors will be able to touch, smell, feel and hear the world of water. Overhead walkways and underwater portholes would provide both bird's-eye and crab's-eye views.
    In Oceana, interactive displays and hands-on participation will encourage children and adults to learn about the ocean in ways that are fun, challenging, and informative. For example, guests can see for themselves how gills work, how fish communicate, and how coral build their fragile, complex reefs. Through special lenses, they may see through the eyes of an octopus, a lobster, a penguin, and a whale. A variety of demonstrations and experiments will be specially created to educate as well as entertain.
    Future Research Center
    Set at the edge of DisneySea, the Future Research Center will be a state-of-the-art research laboratory where guests could interact with some of the nation's top marine scientists conducting oceanographic research.
    Southern Californians active in marine science will be invited to serve on an advisory board to direct the initial mission statement of the Center.
    Through an ongoing dialogue with the local scientific community and nearby universities, joint research programs will offer students of all ages a rare opportunity for hands-on exploration.
    Guests will be able to visit the heart of this functioning sea laboratory, observing scientists at work. Watching these experts, visitors can glimpse the future of man's involvement with the seas and probe deeper into man's relationship with the environment. For the more light-hearted adventurers, the Center will include a simulator adventure that will give guests a glimpse of the drama — and danger — faced by real explorers of the deep.
    Interactive Programs for Students of all Ages
    In addition to Oceana and the Future Research Center, DisneySea will offer more formal on-site educational programs. A variety of full and half-day programs will be designed to help teachers in their efforts to share the wonder of the ocean with students. Programs may include special field trips featuring multi-media presentations, tours and lectures for the Los Angeles and Orange County area schools.
    Ocean Outreach Center
    Similar to the Teacher's Center in Walt Disney World's Epcot Center, an Ocean Outreach Center is envisioned to assist visitors in their quest for more information about the ocean. Serving as a library of the sea, the Outreach Center will offer computer terminals, reading rooms and research files designed to meet the need of guests, staff scientists, teachers and students.
    Attractions Capture Spirit of the Sea
    While plans for DisneySea are still evolving, Walt Disney Imagineering is planning attractions for visitors to enjoy the spirit of the sea with fun as the common denominator. For example, on the exotic beaches of Venture Reefs, guests will enjoy scenic beach vistas from the Caribbean, Polynesian, and the Pacific. They'll be entertained and invited to dine, shop, and take a dip in the ocean, where they'll find sunken ships and marine life "under the sea."
    Fleets of Fantasy, adventurous attractions themed to storybook seafaring, would recapture the spirit and whimsy of turn-of-the-century amusement park rides. Mysterious Island and Hero's Harbor would feature "high seas" thrill rides incorporating thousands of years of mythic folklore relating to the ocean.
    At the rim of the American continent and the Pacific Ocean, DisneySea will offer a unique entertainment experience — and a site of magic and wonder.
  6. ↑ Johnson, Kevin; Woodyard, Chris (13 December 1991). "Disney Chooses Anaheim as Location for $3-Billion Resort". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 14 September 2016.

External links

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