Progress City, U.S.A.

Mermaids… In… SPACE…

Michael — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 03:37:48 +0000

So, you’re watching C-SPAN, getting a taste of the NASA Information Technology Summit, and naturally there’s a presentation by Walt Disney Imagineering about the new Fantasyland project in Florida.

Naturally.

Jack Blitch, Vice President and General Manager of Walt Disney Imagineering – Florida, made an appearance at the NASA conference to discuss the use of technology in planning new attractions. Not to be snarky, but I think the old WED model shop in the 60s and 70s could have probably figured out when there was a stray girder poking out of the structure, but I digress.

Blitch’s demo is actually a pretty interesting look at how WDI operates in the modern age; since most of what we know of Imagineering comes from Walt’s days, via his televised walkthroughs of their workshops, it’s interesting to see how computers have changed the process. Around 1:10:00, Blitch shows some of the models of the new Little Mermaid attraction in Fantasyland (including that elusive fifth dimension of space/time – money!) and there’s even a brief VR walkthrough of the queue and part of the attraction. It’s an amazing little peek at what we have in store for the future.

Note that Blitch only mentions Mermaid, the “Be Our Guest” restaurant, and the dueling Dumbos as part of the expansion. This is indicative of a number of changes underway with the expansion plans, which we’ll discuss soon. Also note the irony that this Summit is taking place in National Harbor, Maryland – the site of Disney’s announced but currently MIA resort project.

Not to go too avant garde here, but isn’t this the sort of thing that maybe we could stand to see a little more of? Heaven knows that instead of soft-selling us the gauzy-lensed propaganda videos featuring heaps of magic, dreams, wishes, and princesses, Disney could regularly give us a look at the real magic like this. It might appeal to some fans, don’t you think?

The Ryman Centennial: Fond Farewell To A Friend

Michael — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 03:01:09 +0000

When we began this series in late July, it was to celebrate the 100th birthday of one of the Disney studio’s great artists. Since then, we’ve traveled the world with Herb Ryman, witnessed his brushes with the greats of Hollywood’s golden era, and seen how he helped create the art of theme park design.

All good stories must come to an end, though, and so it was that Herb’s travels ended when he succumbed to cancer on the 10th of February, 1989. At 78, you can’t claim that Ryman didn’t live a full and rewarding life. Yet still it seems he left us to soon; age hadn’t dulled his skills, and his art in those final years was just as vital and exciting as ever.

But it also would be an understatement to merely say that his legacy lives on. Ryman inspired a generation of Imagineers and artists, some of whom worked with him at Disney and others who will never meet him but who grew up entranced by his artwork.

To those in the know, though, there’s another tribute – a living tribute in the park the Herb helped create. When I began this series, I knew that this is where I wanted to end the tale. As we’ve previously featured stories in this series by those who know and worked with Herb, I thought it best that the story of Herb’s memorial come from someone who was there. And so the final word will go to Ryman friend and biographer, John Donaldson.

Towards the end of 1988, Herbert said he would like to have a live tree for Christmas, instead of an artificial one. But with the cancer he suffered, having recently termed terminal, it was thought he would not survive to the season. Such trees were not yet for sale, so I went to a local nursery, and purchased a small potted pine…which was set by his side, where it stood… through Christmas… until February, when he passed away.

At the memorial reception, Bill Evans, the famed, Disney, landscape designer, was amazed to see this little tree, kept in a darkened room as it was, now sprouting new shoots. It was decided that it should be transplanted, in tribute, to the side of the Sleeping Beauty Castle… in after hours, secret ceremony.

The right site was shoveled. Herbert had been subject of a Disney Channel short, in which he said, in final frames, “My work with Walt Disney, fitted right in with my aims; to try to translate beauty and inspiration to people. And, there’s more of an extensive mission that has been accomplished, by the work I’ve done here, for Disneyland and Walt Disney, than anything I could have done as a private artist, because I would have had a very limited audience. But, here at Disneyland, it’s a world audience. So, what better showcase could an artist have?”

Where he stood, is where the unmarked tree would be.

For the following Christmas, reproduced to card, I would write a poem, with message to Imagineers…

Deep within the Magic Kingdom,
Standing guard the castle gate,
Is in spirit, a little sentry,
Defender of the faith.

Attempt not to deceive him,
As he surveys the domain,
For only happiness may dwell here,
Only hearts of gold may reign.

And thus he will protect you,
If you dream the dreams of yore,
For he guards the dreams of many,
Who have crossed that bridge before.

Remembrance is the keystone,
Caretaker of destiny,
For these fortress walls can find their strength,
Only in memory.

So within these hallowed grounds,
Respect —
And divine creativity,
And you will live, as they shall live,
For all eternity.

And standing there beside you,
Forever our little sentry,
Always to guard and guide you,
Is Herbie’s Christmas tree.

Also at that after-hours memorial ceremony in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle in 1989, according to a contemporaneous report in WDEye, were Tim Onosko, Joen Koemmer, Frank Armitage, Larry Hitchcock, Bob Stockemer, Andrea Favilli, Tim Delaney, and Eddie Sotto.

Herb’s tree remains in the park to this day – to the right of the castle, near Snow White’s wishing well.

Dateline: Disney – Parent Trap III, 1988

Michael — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 00:52:20 +0000

Here’s a little something for you Hayley Mills fans – and I know you’re out there, too. This is from the Disney Channel in 1988, meant to promote the made-for-TV movie Parent Trap III.

The Ryman Centennial: Safari So Good

Michael — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 22:14:42 +0000

Herb Ryman has some cake before setting off on safari

As we’ve mentioned, after the completion of EPCOT Center Imagineer Herb Ryman left for a trip to the wilds of Africa. His paintings from the trip evoke the majestic landscapes of the continent, with which Herb became infatuated while working on the Equatorial Africa pavilion for EPCOT.

Before he left, though, Herb was the guest of honor at an Imagineering “bon voyage” party. From the WED/MAPO Imaginews from February 25th, 1983:

Herb Ryman left last January 21, for an extensive trip to paint and observe peoples and cultures of different nations. All of Herb’s friends at WED & MAPO got together to wish him a “bon voyage”.

Recently, “Herbie’s” friends told the Imaginews that Herb will be traveling extensively throughout Africa, spending time in such places as Nairobi and Lake Naivasha, Kenya, East Africa. He is presently at Lamu Island. Later, Herb will continue his travels to such far-off and exotic locales as Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan.

We all wish Herb the best of luck in his journey!

As John Donaldson relates in his biography of Ryman, while on the aforementioned Lamu Island Herb paid visit to Frank Maurice “Bunny” Allen, a former big game hunter. Allen had served as a consultant on MGM’s Mogambo, and in earlier times had worked as a gunbearer for the husband and the lover of one Karen Blixen; Blixen would go on to adopt the pseudonym Isak Dinesen and write the memoir Out of Africa.

What the?

An interesting tidbit in the background of those photo – note the planned monorail line to the Lake Buena Vista Village leaving EPCOT between the Universe of Energy and the future site of Horizons

The Ryman Centennial: Other Ports Of Call

Michael — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 03:34:55 +0000

Ryman works on a concept painting for Euro Disneyland in 1988; his concept for the Indiana Jones Adventure is in the background

When Herb Ryman returned to WED Enterprises to work on EPCOT Center in 1976, he also helped with conceptual designs for “Oriental Disneyland” – the park that Disney was developing for Tokyo. Most of his work seems concentrated on World Bazaar, the covered area that would replace Disneyland’s traditional Main Street, U.S.A.

The Hub, Tokyo Disneyland

Note the huge expanse depicted in Ryman’s rendering of Tokyo Disneyland’s hub – the park was designed to be far more spacious than the typical Disney park. Also of interest in this piece is that it’s a mirror image of the actual park; Tomorrowland as depicted here is where Adventureland and Westernland are in the real park.

A more futuristic – dare I say contemporary? – concept for World Bazaar from 1976

A World Bazaar that more resembles the final design

A very rough sketch for the World Bazaar entrance

A portion of one of Ryman’s conceptual paintings for Meet the World

Aside from World Bazaar, Herb also worked on Meet the World; this attraction was a Tokyo Disneyland exclusive, although it was originally intended for EPCOT’s Japan pavilion as well. The show, which took place in an adapted carousel theater, took guests through scenes from Japan’s history through the integrated use of animatronics, film, and animation.

Ryman in Tokyo

After wrapping up his work on EPCOT, Herb traveled east once more to recreate some of his adventures from the 1930s. There was a special side trip, though, as Herb stopped in Tokyo to visit the newly-opened Tokyo Disneyland park.

Concept for the S.S. Admiral, a project for Landmark Entertainment

In Ryman’s spare time, he would occasionally work on projects for Landmark Entertainment. Gary Goddard, a former Imagineer, founded Gary Goddard Productions in 1980; it would be renamed Landmark Entertainment in 1985. Landmark has worked on many, many well-known projects over the years, for Universal and others, and in its early days it employed the services of many legendary Imagineers. Alain Littaye has a wonderful collection of their artwork on his site, and we have two of Ryman’s pieces here.

The first, above, is for the S.S. Admiral project in St. Louis. Below is one of Ryman’s pieces for “Phineas T. Flagg’s Power Plant,” an indoor entertainment project designed by Landmark for Six Flags. Lasting only a few years, this remarkable concept was located in a disused power plant on the harbor in Baltimore. Part of a failed attempt at urban renewal, the site was ironically used more than a decade later for the first ESPN Zone – which was shuttered this year.

I’ve gotta say… I wouldn’t mind a Phineas T. Flagg’s Power Plant 2.0.

Rendering for Phineas T. Flagg’s Power Plant

Concept for Euro Disneyland. Note the elevated train on the right, and that’s our pal Dick Nunis with the child on his shoulders.

Much of Herb’s last work for Disney was on the Euro Disneyland project, where he focused on Main Street, U.S.A. The original designs for this land, overseen by Progress Citizen Eddie Sotto, traded in Disneyland’s more rural midwestern Main Street for an urban, Prohibition-era design from the 1920s. The designs were fresh and very promising, but sadly they were pulled by Disney CEO Michael Eisner at the last moment. More artwork from this wonderfully atmospheric concept can be found at Disney and More.

As you can see, Sotto’s Main Street featured an elevated train that would give guests a view of the area from above. It would also feature a genuine 1920s speakeasy, hiding a swinging Jazz Age club in the secret room behind an innocuous florists’ shop. Another concept the Imagineers wanted to feature was a diner based on Edward Hopper’s famous painting Nighthawks. Sadly, this was all lost when the street’s theming was reverted to the turn of the century.

Ryman’s sketch of the Nighthawks diner; the speakeasy’s entrance was via the orange awning to the left

Ryman’s work on Euro Disneyland and other projects like the Indiana Jones Adventure would wrap up his career; sadly, he would never see their debut.

Dateline! Disney’s California Adventure!

Michael — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 01:38:33 +0000

“California Adventure! Stately home of Paul Pressler’s career! Price? No one should say!”

This was making the rounds on Twitter the other day, but it’s too good not to share here. This is the funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time; in fact, I’m insanely jealous I didn’t make it myself. When I first saw the link to the video I thought it was an amazing idea but prepared myself for disappointment – after all, the faux newsreel is a concept that’s very often done poorly. But this is aces, from the production values to the content.

So well done brave filmmakers! Excelsior!

The Ryman Centennial: The 21st Century Begins

Michael — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 03:14:04 +0000

Herb Ryman at work on EPCOT Center’s Mexico pavilion

Herb Ryman’s work on EPCOT City for Walt Disney ended well before Walt Disney World’s debut in 1971. Ryman departed WED Enterprises that year, and set off on another round of world travels. He returned to the halls of Imagineering in 1976, though, in order to assist in the massive task of making EPCOT Center come to life.

Ryman’s paintings were an essential tool in selling the park’s concept to potential corporate sponsors, as well as in helping Walt Disney Productions figure out exactly what this unprecedented new project was going to be. He worked on ideas for EPCOT’s entrance, on the layout and atmosphere of World Showcase, and on individual pavilions for both Future World and World Showcase. His globetrotting experiences helped in this regard; his fascination with both Africa and the Orient led to his involvement with the China and Equatorial Africa pavilions.

Ryman’s depiction of Spaceship Earth and EPCOT’s entrance plaza from 1978. Note the original, modern design for the American Adventure to the left.

Ryman’s well-known rendering of Horizons

A rendering of EPCOT’s Transportation pavilion from 1979; before it became “World of Motion” the building had a more complicated design as shown here.

An earlier rendering for a “Science & Invention” pavilion; this was a catch-all concept intended to snare corporate sponsors and some of its themes later emerged in Communicore and Horizons

A Ryman sketch for an unknown EPCOT attraction; most likely this is an idea for an exhibit at Communicore

This intriguing rendering shows a concept for an unknown attraction for EPCOT

Famous rendering of Spaceship Earth by Ryman; incidentally, this has served as my desktop background for many years

The artist at work on a concept for World Showcase, 1976

The same rendering from 1976 shows EPCOT in transition; World Showcase pavilions would be located in a semi-circular show building and would be the entrance to the park. The spires depicted were the visual “wienie” that beckoned guests into Future World.

A sketch of World Showcase from circa 1977

This intriguing and rare sketch by Ryman, which I estimate to be from early 1977, shows a little-seen configuration for the park. World Showcase retains its original design concept that dated back to at least 1973 but which would be replaced some time in 1977 by a layout similar to the one we know today. Spaceship Earth has sprouted in Future World, replacing the spires. I’ve never seen any “official” Disney renderings featuring this particular configuration.

Other things of note include the WEDway train passing overhead – it was meant to encircle the lagoon. The “cruise ship” sketched on the lagoon resembles a similar craft that would appear in Harper Goff’s renderings of World Showcase a year later.

This rare sketch shows several concepts for the China pavilion

Ryman’s time spent in China and other Asian nations during the 1930s helped inspire his design work on the China pavilion. Herb would return to the Orient a few years after EPCOT’s debut; he made a special trip to see Tokyo Disneyland, for which he also did design work.

A wonderfully atmospheric concept piece for EPCOT’s unbuilt Israel pavilion, 1982

Concept for unbuilt Equatorial Africa pavilion

Ryman was also enthusiastic about the Equatorial Africa pavilion slated for inclusion in World Showcase. Asking to join Ken Anderson on the design team for the attraction, Ryman painted a number of inspirational paintings for the project. Along the way he befriended Roots author Alex Haley – a consultant on the pavilion. They would remain friends for the rest of Ryman’s life.

The Waterhole – This piece depicts one of the two attractions intended for the Equatorial Africa pavilion, where guests would observe a jungle watering hole as night fell

Herb’s work on the Equatorial Africa pavilion, much like his work on The Good Earth almost fifty years prior, inspired his desire to check out “the real thing” and so, in his early seventies, he set out on safari. This was an artistic safari, however, and Ryman would have a series of high adventures in Africa.

Concept for The American Adventure

Ryman worked for several years on The American Adventure; various designers were asked to do treatments for different aspects of the attraction, and Herb was assigned the task of depicting “the multitudes”. So it was that many of his paintings showed the masses of people that have streamed into America over the years, and evoked the sense of “the melting pot.”

Rendering of The American Adventure; not depicted is the American Gardens Theater, but there is a very nifty sailing ship from the 16th or 17th century

In this rendering of the “mighty Mississippi”, the floating raft isn’t occupied by Frederick Douglass, but rather Huckleberry Finn and Jim

Ben Franklin by Ryman, 1976

Mark Twain, 1976

Humorist Will Rogers was originally intended as a third host of The American Adventure, as seen in this painting from 1976

Ryman seemed to be proud of his work on EPCOT; he speaks fondly of it in A Brush With Disney. But I found this quote fascinating and, looking at the park today, somewhat sad:

These pavilions are all confined as little pieces of pie along the lagoon. I think it’s very interesting to envision that we’ve got room for many other nations to squeeze in between these pieces of the pie. If the imagination is still working, there can be lots of nations along there.

If only, Herb… if only!

The Ryman Centennial: A Community Of Tomorrow

Michael — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 03:20:04 +0000

In 1965, when Walt Disney moved into active planning for his “city of the future,” he needed artwork to get his vision across. To help sell the project to the Florida legislature and state officials whose permission he needed to create a new type of governmental district to govern his property in central Florida, Walt once again turned to Herb Ryman. Ryman, whose sketch had sold the Disneyland concept to financiers a decade earlier, joined the team that was toiling in secrecy to convert Walt’s dreams into some concrete and relatable vision.

As you can tell by glancing at our masthead, these were events for which we hold some interest here at Progress City.

Rendering of EPCOT/”Progress City”, 1965

Rendering of the approach to EPCOT’s city center, 1965

This concept for one of EPCOT’s outlying neighborhoods shows the satellite communities which would lie outside the city’s greenbelt. Residents would reach the city center via Peoplemover and other means.

A while ago I asked Imagineer George McGinnis if he’d ever worked closely with Ryman, and while they never worked directly together their artistic paths did cross thanks to EPCOT. Says McGinnis:

My first day on the job, 6-6-66, the project given me by Marvin Davis (Sr. Epcot Designer) was to design the modal split access between the Monorail and Walt’s “Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow” WedWay Peoplemovers. (Interesting to note in his film Walt didn’t mention “Monorail” — he use the term “Rapid Transit”. Probably he had in mind GE’s sponsorship.)

Original concept for Walt Disney World Peoplemover by George McGinnis

Walt wanted [McGinnis's original Peoplemover design] enlarged for additional capacity. My immediate boss, Roger Broggie, walked into my office and found me working on the larger WedWay and asked, “Why I are you working on this?” I answered Walt asked me to do it. He quietly walked out. This helped me to understand Walt’s way of working — everyone worked for Walt and people respected this.

In this photo of concept art for EPCOT’s transportation lobby, note the smaller, original Peoplemover design on the turntable to the left. Says McGinnis, “Ryman’s original painting with the small cars I had designed. I don’t remember if I added these — probably did, looks like my work.”

This is the same rendering as above, except that the Peoplemover cars have been altered to resemble McGinnis’s later, larger design that was created at Walt’s request. Also note the monorail’s change from something resembling the later Walt Disney World Mark IV trains to the more traditional Mark III design.

I worked over one of Herb’s concept paintings for Walt’s EPCOT presentation, adding the larger WedWay (PeopleMover) Walt had asked me to design. I also used the larger WedWay in my painting for the same presentation in October 1966 to Florida’s governor.

We never heard from Walt after this on account of his illness that took his life in December.

“Another Ryman painting with the enlarged WedWay cars Walt asked me to design. I selected this painting because it let me show off the cars in a better way.”

While EPCOT city never came to be, some of its ethos rubbed off of the Florida property and on the theme park that bears its name. A few design concepts remained, too; EPCOT’s international shopping district was a revival of the old “International Street” expansion once planned for Disneyland – it would survive, in altered form, as EPCOT Center’s World Showcase.

Concept for the “Spanish district” of EPCOT’s International Shopping Center

Says McGinnis of those days:

I don’t think I ever worked directly with Herb, but our offices were close together and we had many conversations. I was always surprised how freely he spoke his opinions of WED operations.

Last thing he was working on was the Japan [Disneyland] concept and the day he left working at WED — he was in and out for projects — he stopped by my office to bid farewell, not knowing if and when he would be back. He passed away and John Hench remarked, “It is hard to imagine WED without working with Herb.”

Hard to imagine, indeed – and somewhat interesting to hear that from Hench, towards whom many of Ryman’s freely-spoken opinions were directed!

Special thanks to George McGinnis for sharing his memories for this article.

The Ryman Centennial: A Whole New Disney World

Michael — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 03:34:23 +0000

Herbert Ryman was working on Disneyland projects right up to the time of Walt’s death in 1966, doing quite a bit of artwork for both the New Orleans Square and New Tomorrowland expansions. It seems only natural, then, that Herb would begin work on Walt Disney World when development began on the new resort. Much of Walt’s attention before his passing was devoted not to the Magic Kingdom park, but rather to his city of the future – EPCOT. Tragically, Walt seems to have died without seeing much artwork for the Magic Kingdom; this sketch of Cinderella’s Castle from January of 1967 is one of the first pieces of art done specifically for the new project.

Sketch of Cinderella Castle by Herbert Ryman, 1967

It doesn’t seem like Herb did very much art for the Magic Kingdom itself; certainly, it’s hard to find nearly as many renderings for early Walt Disney World as one can find for Disneyland. One section that Ryman worked heavily on, though, was Liberty Square. Based on many of his original designs for the unbuilt Liberty Street at Disneyland in 1956, the area featured the Hall of Presidents – itself based on an attraction originally intended for Disneyland. Herb had presented ideas for this attraction to Walt way back in 1954, and he was pleased to see the concepts take shape decades later in a format very similar to his original design. Ryman’s renderings for Liberty Square are wonderful, full of detail and excitement that makes the actual area seem rather lifeless by comparison.

Rendering of Liberty Square’s “Concord Bridge”, 1969

Ryman did a magnificent rendering of an alternate concept for the Magic Kingdom’s Haunted Mansion which you can find in the art book A Brush With Disney.

Oil painting of the Richard F. Irvine, 1971. This painting might be familiar if you’ve stayed at the Dixie Landings resort at Walt Disney Room; prints of it and other Ryman pieces are featured in various guest rooms.

Sketch of proposed covered bridge in Adventureland, never built

Concept for Tomorrowland Entrance, 1970

Perhaps the most famous piece of art for Cinderella Castle, this was painted in 1969 and was featured prominently in much of the park’s early marketing and on numerous souvenirs

Ryman left WED in 1971; the official story is that he retired, but it seems that instead he was ushered out. He flew to Orlando on his own dime to attend the opening of Walt Disney World, and after that took a long journey in Europe to see how things had changed since his adventures there in the 1930s.

Herb would return to Disney, though, in 1976. This time, he would be working on a project that would utilize all his skills as an artist and draw extensively on his life experiences and far-ranging travels – EPCOT Center.

Dateline: Walt Disney World – Mickey’s 60th Birthday Parade

Michael — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 02:19:51 +0000

From the Disney Channel, in 1988:

It’s hard to believe that 1988 was the last time the Disney company publicly celebrated Mickey’s birthday – in this case, his 60th. Back in the 1980s and early 1990s, Disney park celebrations were often centered on specific anniversaries or events. In 1981 it was Walt Disney World’s “Tencennial”. In 1984 it was Donald Duck’s 50th birthday. Walt Disney World celebrated its 15th birthday in 1986, and 1987 marked the bicentennial of the United States Constitution. This approach gave the celebrations the feel of a real “event,” and the result was that they were far more distinctive than today’s “Celebrate Dreams”, “Celebrate Wishes”, and “Celebrate Celebrations” approach.

Despite this clip’s justification for the “Happy Birthday from Across the USA” theme of Mickey’s birthday parade, the actual reason for the theme was that it allowed for the re-purposing of 1987’s “All-American Parade.” Not that I can blame the company; this was a massive and lengthy parade with many elaborate floats and set pieces and it was re-used several times in the late 1980s.

Of course, the other in-park recognition of Mickey’s 60th was the all-new Mickey’s Birthdayland, a “temporary” attraction that would eventually turn into today’s Mickey’s Toontown Fair.