A water-themed Disney park in the United States is probably a dream for many fans of theme parks and aquatics across the country. It’s bittersweet that it was so very close to becoming a reality twenty-some years ago.
Though it ended up being constructed in Japan, DisneySea was originally intended for the West Coast of the United States. The plans for the Port Disney / DisneySea project in Long Beach, California were extremely complex and extravagant, so much so that the Mouse ultimately decided it couldn’t afford to execute them.
However, thanks to a burgeoning theme park business in Japan, the stars aligned so that DisneySea could exist on another continent. Read on to see the spectacular plans for Port Disney and DisneySea in America, as well as the past, present and future of Tokyo’s fully-realized version.
The birth of Port Disney
Port Disney was born out of the acqusition of the Disneyland Hotel, years after it was originally built. Walt Disney tied up so much money into making his crazily ambitious Disneyland concept a reality that he couldn’t afford to fund a place that would house all the visitors. Walt convinced his friend Jack Wrather to build a Disneyland Hotel in return for the rights to any Disney-themed hotels in California. It wasn’t long before Walt Disney did have the money for a hotel, but, realizing the value of what he had, Wrather wouldn’t sell. Only his death caused his corporation to be sold to Disney. Among the Wrather Corporation’s assets were the Disneyland Hotel, rights to Disney-themed structures in California and interests in Long Beach, California.
Disney executives quickly wanted to take advantage of the property. They eventually decided on a whole new resort called Port Disney as part of Disney CEO Michael Eisner’s so-called “Disney Decade.” It would have such elements as a marina with around 400 boats, a cruise ship port for the Disney Cruise Line, an expansive retail and entertainment area, five hotels and, most significantly, its very own aquatic theme park named DisneySea. In 1991 Disney announced its intention to build Port Disney in the debut of a publication sensibly titled the Port Disney News, which only ever had that one issue. Here’s an excerpt, with thanks to Jim Hill Media.
Welcome to DisneySea! Here you will experience a thrilling journey through the mysteries, challenges and natural wonders of the sea. Among the highlights of your trip will be an intimate encounter with our planet’s most important environmental resource and the chance to participate in exciting research activities conducted by some of the leading oceanic scientists.
For millions of Southern California residents and visitors, this fantastic voyage may become a reality based on the conceptual master plan for one of the most innovative theme parks ever conceived by the Walt Disney Company. According to its designers, the goal of DisneySea is to enable everyone to experience the “marvels of nature’s secret world beneath the sea” and to gain first-hand experience of how the oceans affect human life as well as the life of the planet.
Walt Disney Imagineering, the creative, design, production and project management subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company responsible for the creation of Disney theme parks and attractions, has been charged to develop DisneySea. Its vision for Long Beach is a singular blend of entertainment and education through Disney-style rides and attractions, marine research facilities, an oceanarium and other aquatic adventures.
A separate document called the “Port Disney Preliminary Master Plan Executive Report, 1990” covered some of the ambitions the Imagineers had for the place.
Disney’s Imagineers have focused their efforts on exploring the myths, romance, challenges and mysteries of the ocean – the world’s last great frontier. Both fun and educational, DisneySea would break down barriers between our guests and the sea.
You might think that once Disney had announced it, there was no going back. That didn’t up being the case, though, despite that and the very extensive plans the Imagineers had for a DisneySea theme park. Read about many of those ideas next.
The INSANE plans for DisneySea
The ideas that were thought up for California’s DisneySea are absolutely awe-inspiring. A core Disney Imagineering philosophy is to not consider budget when coming up with an attraction, and oh boy did they stick to that for DisneySea. Check out some of the concepts that Imagineers came up with, most of which would never come to life..
Oceana
The centerpiece of DisneySea was to be Oceana, a giant-sized aquarium that would have served as a sphere of education and entertainment. It would even have had a tidal exchange with the ocean. That means that the tides would have risen and fallen so guests could see actual undersea nature from the inside of the structure. Here’s what Port Disney News had to say about it.
Within this oceanarium, guests will experience true-to-life recreations of marine habitats and ecological systems from around the globe. Visitors will be able to touch, smell, feel and hear the world of water. Overhead walkways and underwater portholes will provide both bird’s-eye and crab’s-eye views.
In Oceana, interactive displays and hands-on participation will encourage children and adults to learn about the ocean in ways that are fun, challenging, and informative. For example, guests can see for themselves how gills work, how fish communicate, and how coral build their fragile, complex reefs. Through special lenses, they may see through the eyes of an octopus, a lobster, a penguin, and a whale.
Future Research Center
The Future Research Center was going to be a very advanced research laboratory at the edge of DisneySea. Attendees of the park would get to speak with some of the top scientists in the field of oceanographic research. It would involve an advisory board made up of people in the area interested in marine science, giving people young and old a chance to (pardon the pun) get their feet wet in the field. They would have got to visit the lab, watch the experts do their jobs and get an overall sense of the future of our relationship with the two-thirds of the earth that aren’t land.
For the less studious visitors, the Future Research Center was also to have an adventure ride that simulated what it was like to be a deep sea diver/explorer.
Themed lands
Here’s what we know about themed areas intended for the abandoned California DisneySea project. One of them is probably never going to materialize, but Tokyo’s DisneySea recreated the other one with some changes.
Pirate Island
This seemed like the Tom Sawyer Island at Disneyland, but taken to a whole new level. The schematics put together for Pirate Island were actually used by producers of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies to convince others of the potential for the series. It was clearly a convincing argument.
Heroes’ Harbor
A land made up of high seas thrill rides involving mythic folklore connected to the oceans and the seas.
Mysterious Island
Mysterious Island, based on some classic Jules Verne novels, involved Nemo’s Lava Crusier, an advanced simulator-based attraction that would have involved adventures including an encounter with a giant squid.
Other attractions
- Exotic beaches of Venture Reefs
- Sunken ships and marine life
- Fleets of Fantasy, attractions themed based on storybook-like seafaring
- A “Shark Cage Encounter” with a name that explains itself. This is probably the single craziest idea that was had for DisneySea.
Programs for students
Ever concerned about education, Disney had a plan specifically for students. Full-day and half-day programs were discussed that would have given teachers a reason to send students to DisneySea on a field trip. Elements were to include multimedia presentations, tours and lectures for a number of schools in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas.
Ocean Outreach Center
The Ocean Outreach Center was likened to the Teacher’s Center at Epcot, with a “library of the sea” that was to include computer terminals, reading rooms and research files.
The death of Port Disney
So how did such a great dream die? Money was obviously a factor, given the extravagant plans for California’s DisneySea. This was especially an issue after the epic failure that was EuroDisney’s opening years. Another factor was the opposition Disney faced from the California Coastal Commission and the Port of Long Beach, both of whom didn’t want Port Disney in Long Beach.
The single biggest hurdle was that the Coastal Commission wouldn’t let the Imagineers use the 250 acres of open coastal water it needed for its building plans. Because of that backlash from different sources and its financial woes, Disney turned away from its Port Disney plans. However, the idea for a DisneySea was too good to let go of completely. Read on to learn how it ultimately ended up halfway around the world…
The rebirth of DisneySea in Tokyo
Image: Disney
Tokyo Disneyland, which opened in 1983, was a big success. It was doing so well that, at an event celebrating Tokyo Disneyland’s five-year anniversary on April 15, 1988, the resort’s owner, The Oriental Land Company, announced intentions to open a second theme park. What would that theme park be? That wasn’t announced for almost ten years.
The first plan was to make a version of Walt Disney World’s Disney-MGM Studios, which had just opened in 1989, in Tokyo. The proposed name was a mouthful: “Disney Hollywood Studio Theme Park at Tokyo Disneyland.” Things stalled on that by 1991. In 1992 they started considering a theme park based on the seven seas, which led to the second park that Tokyo has today. By 1997 the name “Tokyo DisneySea” and a general description were made public.
The owners of Tokyo Disneyland wanted a theme park that was radically different from the first park so that they could appeal to the broadest group of people with their resort. They also wanted something that celebrated Japanese culture, which was a small source of contention between Disney and The Oriental Land Company. They had to figure out a way to compromise between what would make sense to both Japanese and American cultures.
The icon of the park itself was up for debate. Disney wanted a lighthouse, because to Americans it usually represents coming home as a beacon of safe return. But to Japanese people a lighthouse is a symbol of loneliness; Japan has a saying meaning “It’s always the darkest under the lighthouse.” So Disney and The Oriental Land Company compromised with the AquaSphere, a majestic structure that highlights how much of the world is water. It’s at the entrance to Tokyo DisneySea and is glorious to behold, as the above picture attests. Another debate was held over how much money would be spent on the S.S. Columbia, a ship for the area in the park that celebrated American history.
The groundbreaking ceremony for Tokyo DisneySea was held on October 22, 1998. A press conference hosted both by Disney and The Oriental Land Company announced that the park would soon open. After two years and over $4 billion spent, it opened in September of 2001. There was a Grand Opening Ceremony at the central area, called the Mediterranean Harbor, attended by then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner and the president of The Oriental Land Company, along with a number of early guests. Eisner took the honor of dedicated the park. Read his inspiring words below.
Welcome one and all to a world where Imagination and Adventure set sail. Tokyo DisneySea is dedicated to the spirit of exploration that lives in each of us. Here we chart a course for Adventure, Romance, Discovery and Fun and journey to exotic and fanciful Ports of Call. May Tokyo DisneySea inspire the hearts and minds of all of us who share the water planet, Earth.
—Michael D. Eisner, September 4, 2001
The attractions at DisneySea in Tokyo
We know many readers of Theme Park Tourist won’t have the chance to travel internationally to experience DisneySea, no matter how great that experience might be. But it’s still fun to dream! For that reason, below is a list some of the best unique attractions found at DisneySea in Japan. Tokyo DisneySea currently has seven separate lands (each referred to as a “port-of-call”) for guests to visit.
Mediterranean Harbor
The Mediterranean Harbor is referred to as a hub for DisneySea, and is themed after an Italian city that is known being based largely on water. The hotel inside the theme park area, the Hotel MiraCosta, recreates the structure and design of buildings found at Portofino and Venice’s ports.
Mysterious Island
Originally planned for Disney’s proposed aquatic California park, this is based on the setting from the classic novel by Jules Vernes also named The Mysterious Island. It has the character Nemo’s secret base, including a harbor for his ship from the books. Nemo takes visitors on journeys based on Vernes’ two most popular books, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Journey to the Center of the Earth, both made into movies by Disney at some point. It also has a giant volcano at its center.
Mermaid Lagoon
This is made up as the palace of King Triton, best known to Disney fans as Ariel’s father in The Little Mermaid. It’s mostly indoors and gives you the sense of being outside, with seashell architecture. Its attractions are geared towards children, but certainly anyone can enjoy the scenery there.
Arabian Coast
The Arabian Coast is, naturally, based on the Aladdin movie. It features a recreation of an Arabian harbor, using the setting and characters of the movie along with more influences from the book Aladdin was born from, 1001 Arabian Nights. The Middle-Eastern and Indian influences create a pretty unique atmosphere and experience, especially for people who are accustomed to the kinds of theme parks found in North America.
Lost River Delta
At the back of DisneySea is the ruins of an Aztec temple. It holds the Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull attraction, not related to the often maligned fourth film in the Indiana Jones series. The Lost River Delta also has ‘Mystic Rhythms,’ a live theater show in a hangar in a jungle, and a roller coaster situated in the ruins of the Aztec ceremonial site called Raging Spirits.
Port Discovery
This is often referred to as the “marina of the future.” Kind of a water-themed version of Tomorrowland, Port Discovery combines elements of the Discovery Bay concept planned for Disneyland but never constructed and the Discoveryland built at Disneyland Paris.
American Waterfront
Based on the Northeastern seaboard of the United States in the early-1900s, the American Waterfront is actually composed of two themed sections. One is an Old Cape Cod area, meant to recreate the atmosphere and scenery of the New England fishing village. That’s a much more leisurely area than the other section, a good place to stroll around with no specific attractions to speak of.
More lively is the New York Harbor, representing New York near the end of the bustling Industrial Age. It has a classic American Theater and boats including S.S. Columbia, a huge ship that was part of the detailed backstory for the area involving a wealthy citizen named Harrison Hightower III, a man who disappeared after getting a hold of a cursed African Idol. It holds the Tower of Terror in the Hightower Hotel, Turtle Talk in the S.S. Columbia and a version of Toy Story Mania.
There’s also a new Scandinavia area opening in the near future, entirely based around the world of Frozen. There is also a new attraction coming in 2017 based on Pixar movie Finding Nemo and the upcoming sequel Finding Dory. On it passengers are on a submarine that “shrinks” to fish-size and combines visuals from the movies together with a motion system, and apparently can expect to discover new aspects of the environment every time they ride.
With all this in mind, Tokyo’s DisneySea might be the international theme park that needs to be on the top of a Disney theme park fan’s priority list. Because the base concept of a water-based park is so different from the original Disneyland model, there were opportunities for Disney and the Oriental Land Company to add a lot of unique attractions and events that you won’t find anywhere else.
The lasting legacy
So what’s the legacy of DisneySea?
Maybe DisneySea could have made it to Long Beach, California if the “Disney Decade” wasn’t such a mess. An overconfident Michael Eisner wanted to do far too much far too fast. In regard to DisneySea, one of the biggest mistakes was officially announcing the project in the Port Disney News long before they could have been confident that it would actually materialize.
Another problem that was Disney’s own fault was the massive expense. Because the Port Disney complex as a whole would have cost a purported $3 billion, all it took was a less-than-successful start to EuroDisneyland for the company to have to start abandoning the project that Imagineers and theme park fans alike were starting to get really excited about.
To be fair, they did make some worthwhile progress. The Disney Decade was declared in the early 1990s and by 2002 both California Adventure in Anaheim and Walt Disney Studios in Paris had been added to the Mouse’s theme park portfolio. But those two parks are only a fragment of all that Eisner and his colleagues had planned for those years, and have been heavily criticized for their lack of ambition.
DisneySea is very unique amongst Disney’s many abandoned projects in that it actually lived on elsewhere. Aspects of various projects have been incorporated into new attractions before. But it’s rare for a whole park that was scrapped to be put back together again somewhere else entirely.
It isn’t easy to pay for a trip to Japan, but to see DisneySea fully materialized is a persuasive reason to try to make the trip.
