Would Walt Be Proud?

[jamstew]

Originally Posted by goofyernmost
OK, EPCOT didn't work out the way he had envisioned it, but it is hard to understand how that concept was going to work in a freedom loving country anyway.

Originally Posted by jamstew
Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't understand what this means

He envisioned a place where people would live. The concept evolved into a theme park.

I understand that part--I'm not sure how being a "freedom loving country" has anything to do with it not working

 

[bicker]

I think the point goofyernmost was trying to make is that the success of the original vision of Epcot relied a bit too much, perhaps, on the civil authority asserting control over perturbations that would be introduced by a self-determining population. Indeed, one of the hardest things about managing a prototypical hub-and-spoke city design is that certain problems seem to develop naturally, unless "un-American" controls are imposed, including gentrification of the residential portion of the dynamic city center, and marginalization of the residential portion of the industrial city perimeter.

I'm not sure I agree with either the assertion that these problems are inevitable, or that imposing such control is specifically un-American (given that their imposition would be agreed-on in advance by all folks choosing to relocate to the area), but I do understand the point being made.

 

[jamstew]

I think the point goofyernmost was trying to make is that the success of the original vision of Epcot relied a bit too much, perhaps, on the civil authority asserting control over perturbations that would be introduced by a self-determining population. Indeed, one of the hardest things about managing a prototypical hub-and-spoke city design is that certain problems seem to develop naturally, unless "un-American" controls are imposed, including gentrification of the residential portion of the dynamic city center, and marginalization of the residential portion of the industrial city perimeter.

I'm not sure I agree with either the assertion that these problems are inevitable, or that imposing such control is specifically un-American (given that their imposition would be agreed-on in advance by all folks choosing to relocate to the area), but I do understand the point being made.

Thanks -- I get it now (although I'm with you in not being sure that I agree). It would certainly have been interesting to see.

 

[dburg30]

I think if Walt was still alive he would have wanted monorails transportation to every park in WDW and moreso to the disney hotels.

He would've wanted that, but he would've had to fight hard for it with the cost of it. Watching modern marvels last night, it was expensive to build the monorail back in 71, I could only imagine the price now!

the issue with the jungle cruise wasn't the invisible barriers, it was that animals would be sleeping most of the day and not necessarily on display. JC (disneyland) did actually have live alligators (or was it crocodiles?) on display outside the attraction but they had to be removed after repeatedly being taunted by guests thinking they were fake.

True, they werent worried about containment, they were trying to figure out how to get them to do what they wanted, all day, every day, for each 'cruise'

 

[DebbieB]

I think he would be totally amazed. I disagree that he would not have liked MGM/DHS. I think he would have loved a park whose main theme is movie making/movie tributes.

 

[bradk]

current - perhaps (very) modest - estimates of the monorail have it at about $1.5M+ per mile of track.

the track is a specific blend of concrete and air (?) because pure concrete would crack due to environmental influences.

each section of track was actually built on the west coast and driven across country where it was all assembled on property. each pillar has to be individually measured and built to ensure that it's level with the next one.

or something like that.