4. Updated and improved versions of Epcot attractions

Future World would have been the home to new versions of attractions from Epcot such as Horizons, Journey into Imagination, The Living Seas, Wonders of Life and The Land. We don’t know what the new concepts and innovations they would have had, but it’s fun to imagine some extra bells and whistles added on to Journey into Imagination and other attractions.

5. The longest ride in the history of Disney parks

A boat ride attraction named The River of Time was supposed to connect the Four Corners of the World and Future World, and it would have been a staggering 45 minutes long. Some theme park fans have been clamoring for rides that aren’t so short, and WestCOT would have delivered. There were to be five points where people could board, with about nine minutes of ride between each of the stops. You’d enjoy scenes not dissimilar to ones in the show on Spaceship Earth but connected to the land you were going through. The scenes would have taught you about the cultures of each pavilion and the overall growth of civilization. The stations you’d stop at would have been directly connected to those scenes you just watched. When are you going to deliver on a 45-minute ride, Disney?

6. A giant amphitheater

The original plan for a Disneyland Result included the Disneyland Bowl, an amphitheater that would have seated 5,000 people. It would have situated  between WestCOT and Disneyland. I bet something like that could lead to amazing things at a current park. Probably a pipe dream at this point, though.

7. Seven guiding principles

The very best Disney ideas are often driven by specific ideology. WestCOT was no exception. Here are the seven principles that guided its design and would have probably guided everything after.

I. Project Unity: The design would have caused the park as a whole to be more than a sum of its parts. Everything would have been created to complement what surrounded it.

II. Integration: Disney would have worked with the Anaheim Commercial Recreation Area so that the whole community would benefit from the success of WestCOT.

III. A Dramatic Entry Sequence: The entrance was supposed to immediately immerse you in the experience.

IV. Parking on the Perimeter: WestCOT would have been able to handle tens of thousands of cars.

V. Transportation Linkages: Making it easy for people to get around was crucial to the Imagineers.

VI. Pedestrian Orientation: The resort would encourage walking, and make those walks enjoyable. 

VII. Diversity of Guest Activities: A wide variety of attractions and activities would have interested people of every age, race, gender, etc.

These principals would apply to a lot of aspects of existing Disney theme parks.

WestCOT certainly sounds like it would have been something special. What do you think? Are you sad it never happened, or think that everything turned out for the best? Let us know on Facebook and in the comments below!