Forever Magical
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Baxter always felt Disneyland's Fantasyland was very hard and rigid. So he did a painting of his fantasy-style Fantasyland. When he got back from Epcot he was assigned to the Fantasyland facelift of 1983. Baxter explained it was frightening because it was the heart of Disneyland. By 1984 the Company was going through a dark time. Baxter was looking for a new guru which led to a meeting with George Lucas. Then Disney management changed. Michael Eisner and Frank Wells came in and asked what was on the table. They were presented Star Tours and the film Splash. Baxter described working with Lucas as being partnered with a god but described Lucas as very personable.
With the arrival of Eisner and Wells and the collaboration with Lucas, Disney was coming back to life. Disney was once again setting the standard. There had never been a simulator ride like Star Tours up until then. To celebrate the park was open for 24 hours to accommodate the guests. The line for Star Tours extended to Mr. Lincoln.
His next project was Splash Mountain. As a side note, Baxter explained the model for Splash Mountain used the last of Walt’s French Fluff. He had given the model shop a suitcase full of the stuff, which you’d normally put on a hat. They had been calling Splash Mountain it Zip-A-Dee River Run but when they presented it to Eisner he suggested Splash Mountain. Although the film was about a mermaid and had nothing to do with the attraction, he felt it was a great name. So it became Splash Mountain.
Then came Disneyland Paris. A lot of Tony’s dreams including the dragon from Island at the Top of the World and a castle coming out of a rock were realized in Disneyland Paris, which he feels is the most beautiful of the Disney parks. He also said the best version of Big Thunder Mountain is in Paris.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Disneyland Paris
Immediately following Disneyland Paris he was put on the Disneyland Toontown project. And then Indiana Jones which was a completion of the agreement with Lucas. It took technology five years to catch up with the vision of Indy, which was a totally unpredictable yet reliable ride system. An outgrowth of that is Test Track at Epcot and the Winnie the Pooh attraction at Tokyo Disneyland where the vehicles dance with each other on no track at all in the Heffalumps and Woozles scenes and then spin out in all different directions.
Next Baxter talked about Tarzan's Treehouse. He explained that the Treehouse redo was to help Disneyland continue to ignite children’s dreams. Disneyland must stay enchanting to the young. With the Autopia redo they wanted to reflect how our view of transportation had changed. Cars are now extensions of our personalities and draws attention to an area that we had just been passing by.