Sunset Blvd's Original Plans

[lrodk]

Jim Hill, in his second installment on the history of the Tower of Terror, discusses the original plans that were on the drawing board for Sunset Blvd, as well as why they were eventually scrapped. Here's the Link:

http://www.tower-of-terror.com/jim_hill_tower_tales_2.html

 

[Luv2Roam]

Thanks for the link!
Great info!

 

[DisneyKidds]

Of course, just about this time (mid-1992), word was trickling in about all the financial trouble that the Euro Disney Resort was in. So Michael Eisner handed down an edict: No more expensive, overly ambitious attractions for the parks.

The most telling line in the piece. At that point WDI/Disney still had big ideas. Then the Euro Disney debacle. Could that have been the beginning of the end. Load on a few more bad acquisitions and, voila, here we are. Too bad.

I'm not sure how the Sunset Blvd envisioned in this piece would have come off. If there was adequate seperation between the areas it could have been fun. However, is there that much space there to do all those things and keep them from crowding one another? We actually like strolling down Sunset Blvd, with the period music and all. It is rather pleasant.

 

[larworth]

Would Mickey’s Movieland have been in addition or in place of the Animation Studios? I would agree with Jim that this sounded the least appealing of all the proposed additions.

Would they really have built both Baby Herman’s Buggy Ride and Benny the Cab Ride. Seems like they are too similar. I would guess they would have picked one or the other, but both?

I am also curious about the Toontown Trolley concept. If this was really the next step in simulation, wouldn’t WDI later have proposed a similar attraction be built somewhere with a different theme. Anyone, hear of a proposed ride that’s sounded similar? Could this have been based on CAVE technology?

Since this should have been a time period when WDI was still designing to a high standards level, the model of the Roller Coaster Rabbit is interesting. Is this a good example of what we would have expected Disney to deliver under the banner of that “Disney themed roller coaster” we often talk about?

 

[Another Voice]

WDI did use the ToonTown Trolley technology – it’s ‘Stormrider’ at DisneySea.

Eisner never approved any plans to use the ride system in a U.S. park (money, of course).

 

[larworth]

I thought SR was a large theater setting (100+ people) with most of the main visuals projected from one direction (forward). The larger screen and more extensive 4D effects make it a bigger and better Star Tours.

The description of Toontown Trolley looks like small compartments (12 people?) where the visuals completely surrounded the guest. Both have 4D effects, but one is much more visually immersive, due to the 360 degree visual simulation.

 

[eeyore0062]

Wow, that coaster looked awesome! Too bad Stephen Speilberg and Disney couldn't have seen eye to eye... that whole concept for Sunset Blvd would have been GREAT! Of course, I love ToT and RnR...too bad we couldn't have had it all!

 

[Bob O]

The great things disney could have done, but alas they never came to be. The roller coaster sounded great and could have been unique in some ways but instead we got a cheap launched coaster!!
And it seems they would have built a simulator ride that would have been similiar to Spiderman in some ways but instead they wont even replace the dates Star Tours!!

 

[scooby-the-doo]

I love reading the history of the parks, the rides, what were planned and what will never be. In this case, I could give or take the rollercoaster (Disney should always lean towards projects that your local Six Flags could never dream of offering), but the Dick Tracy attraction sounds like it would have been a AAA+ experience.

'Tis so sad to loose so many attractions before they were given a chance. But then again, this is the company which has left the 20k lagoon empty and dormant for the better half of a decade.

 

[tuck]

One word says it all ........... Eisner .... the man who will kill Disney if he aint done away with....

 

[Bob O]

Maybe disney should trying to work on projects that Universal is able to dream up and then implement.