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3. A lack of focus for Tomorrowland 

Tomorrowland

Walt couldn’t stand stagnation, and he was never slowed by practical matters like budgets or timelines. His biggest problem with the concept of Tomorrowland was, as he put it, that “Right when we do Tomorrowland, it will be out dated.” Explaining the concept for this area, he said, “The Tomorrowland attractions have been designed to give you an opportunity to participate in adventures that are a living blueprint of our future.” To Walt, Tomorrowland would always be a living, evolving, thing that would change as rapidly as the times.

Sadly, Walt Disney World’s Tomorrowland hasn’t held up to this ideal. The Carousel of Progress, rather than being innovative, is one of the oldest attractions in the park. The final scene, though updated, is far from futuristic, featuring technology that not only exists, but is much sleeker and more refined today. The area is dedicated more to movies like Lilo and Stitch, Toy Story, and Monsters, Inc. than it is to any innovative ideas about the future, falling short of its original goals.

4. Giving up when something doesn't work right

Expedition Everest

Walt was never one to let details go or accept the idea that a thing couldn’t be done. One of his more famous quotes says it all. “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” He was also known to jovially say that “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” Attractions like Expedition Everest would certainly look different if they had Walt’s fingerprints on them.

The cawing bird that’s very clearly on a stick above the broken train tracks on the ride was originally conceived as a giant Yeti hand reaching over the edge of the mountain. Budget constraints nixed this feature as well as much of the exterior shaping that would have kept the mountain looking sharp at all angles. As it exists now, Everest has elements of the ride building visible from some spots.

The Yeti in Expedition Everest was another ongoing problem that was ultimately given up on. Early guests got to see the Yeti in all its glory, with a massive arm swooping down toward riders. Today, strobe lights conceal the non-moving figure. With his tenacious attitude, Walt surely would have insisted on a better resolution for the impressive audioanimatronic.

5. The Epcot theme park

Epcot

Epcot was never designed to be a theme park. Originally an acronym, EPCOT was to stand for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. Walt designed Epcot to serve as a working city. You can still see some of the original plans for the community onboard the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover. The Progress City model is only a portion of the original that was once on display over the Carousel of Progress in Disneyland.

To Walt, EPCOT would be a real world embodiment of his ideas and ideals. The city would become a place of innovation, experimentation, and forward thinking. Features like hidden driveways would keep the neighborhoods pristine, while the futuristic airport would provide convenient travel well beyond the bounds of the productive city. After Walt’s death, the idea for EPCOT languished for over a decade. The EPCOT that did finally come to be was designed after the innovative ideas of the World’s Fair. Over the years, even this focus has fallen to the wayside and Epcot has departed from its original plans to become another attraction-filled theme park.

Though Walt would have long since passed by today, it’s intriguing to look at park operations through the eyes of the original dreamer whose creative fantasies brought it all to life.

 
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