The Fabulous Disney Babe
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So, the word's out on Project Gemini, Forbidden Mountain, and Treasure Planet - it's nice to be excited about Disney's future again - it's been a while!  A friend sent me a Hong Kong Disneyland t-shirt, which is now my favorite, but I haven't been really excited about it - it just seems so far away, I guess. 

For the first time in a while, I'm excited: Tower of Terror, Rock n Roller Coaster, and now two big projects for Walt Disney World are in the hopper:

I have seen an opening date of April 12, 2007. Right now, they're working on Facility Concept, Creative Concept, Ride Concept and facility design.  The preliminary ride vehicle concepts are due to be completed at the end of January 2003.  Spaceship Earth will close at the end of January 2005; at that time, the new track will be almost completed. The building will be cleared out - I know there's film involved, as Theme Park Productions is all over this project. Salvage of the existing sets should be finished at the end of March.  The interior and exterior (yes, exterior) track will be laid in two separate project parts in 2005.  I don't know whether or not exterior track means outside of the building or not - the papers I have are not clear.  If someone could clue me in on this, I'd appreciate it.

The Time Racers area looks to be either a pre-or post-show element to set up story or complete the experience.  The backstory, from what I've heard, is about how knowledge doubles over time - it was once thought that mankind's knowledge doubled every thousand years until the Gutenberg press, then it was five hundred. Right now, it's thought to be every seven years, and in Time Racers, you actually go into the future chasing the doubling and tripling ad infinitum of knowledge. Like Spaceship Earth, it sets up the story of Future World, and serves as an introduction to that section of Epcot.  Ray Bradbury's original concept script, while unwieldy, presented closer to what you'll see in Time Racers than what originally opened.

It's kind of funny - EPCOT was originally envisioned as a series of Centers - education, conservation and entertainment, among others.  When the powers that be declared that only one park could be built, Marty Sklar solved the problem by shoving the Future World and World Showcase theme park models together.  "There!" and EPCOT Center as it opened was - close to, anyway - born.

Now, one of the prospects being discussed is of opening World Showcase to the public after dark - no admission, and a separate gate into Future World.  While it would be good for the managers of the restaurants there, Illuminations would be a real zoo at night.

Remember when I mentioned that Harold, the Yeti inside Disneyland's Matterhorn, was going to be setting up some cousins in Florida?  I finally saw some photos of the Forbidden Mountain Model - it's going into Disney's Animal Kingdom's Asia pretty soon.  No loops, but very large in scope.