The Fabulous Disney Babe
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Next to Nemo’s Grand Salon Restaurant would be the Discovery Bay Railroad Station. See those lanterns on the Tomorrowland Railroad Station? Like that, but all over the place. Guests would cross under the Railroad tracks to enter the Mythia, Land of Legends attraction.
On the Northwestern end of the land would be (depending on the time of development) The Tower or The Spiral, a spiral thrill ride like no other, themed to a wild magnetic experiment. Disney’s never brought this idea to fruition, but it would be dizzy, sickening, and fun. Next to the Spiral/Tower is the Balloon Adventure, or Great Western Balloon Ascent, which would take guests to the neighboring land to the West, Dumbo’s Circus, which would help to make a clean transition from Fantasyland without a hub to “cleanse the theme park palate” as it were.
Across the walkway to Dumbo’s Circus, to the South of the Balloon Attraction, would be Professor Marvel’s Gallery (not Professor Marvel from The Wizard of Oz, a different Professor Marvel). This attraction was pitched as an evolution of Rolly Crump’s Museum of the Weird, one of the original Haunted Mansion concepts.
The San Francisco Chowder House and Energy Factory (I don’t have a good description, can anyone help?) cap off the southern end of the land, which backs up against Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, just called Big Thunder Railroad at the time of the September 1976 pitch.
An electronic gaming hall (that would be a video arcade) with crystal chandeliers and gorgeous Victorian interiors, while the shop windows advertise eggs for $18 per dozen and rooms for $100 per night, reflecting the runaway inflation of the time and place. "Actual shops might include 'The Model Works' featuring Disney oriented scale reproductions, and a scientific supplies office.” Heaven.
Jules Verne and H.G. Wells are, of course, mentioned, as well as a time machine and dimensional-travel attraction. Discovery Bay would have been fantastic, an idea so good that pieces of it appear repeatedly every time Disney opens a theme park. Many people inside and outside of Imagineering still hold hope that someday Discovery Bay will become a reality, either as a themed land or as its own Disney Park.
In future articles, I’ll talk about some of the attractions, ideas, and people behind Discovery Bay, including the greatest second-generation Imagineer who ever lived, Tom Scherman.
Discuss It
-- Michelle Smith
Michelle Smith can be reached using the Talkback form below or by emailing her at [email protected].
The Fabulous Disney Babe's column is posted every Friday and when ever else she has something to say. For more on Michelle's background, see her first column. She also offers The Fabulous Tour: Disneyland Secrets and Stories. Click here for more information.
The opinions expressed by our Michelle Smith, and all of our columnists, do not necessarily represent the feelings of LaughingPlace.com or any of its employees or advertisers. All speculation and rumors about the future plans of the Walt Disney Company are just that - speculation and rumors - and should be treated as such.
-- Posted May 25, 2001