A special Thursday edition of Why For

Jim Hill

18 years ago

First, Hankipoo writes in to ask about Epcot's proposed U.S.S.R. pavilion:

Jim,

I have really been enjoying all of the Disney theme park stories that you've been posting on the site lately (More importantly, I like that you've finally stopped carping about "Cars"). So I was wondering what you could tell JHM readers about that Soviet pavilion that was supposed to have been added to World Showcase back during the Disney Decade.

Thanks,

Hankipoo

Dear Hankipoo,

To be honest, there's really not a lot to tell about the U.S.S.R. pavilion that was proposed for Epcot back in the late 1980s / early 1990s. According to press releases from that era that I've got on file, This World Showcase addition was to have featured a widescreen film tentatively titled "Let the Bells for Freedom Ring." Which was to have detailed the many changes that have happened in this part of the world over the past 100 years.

The Imagineers also planned on installing a family-friendly dark ride at the U.S.S.R. pavilion …

… One that would have taken Epcot visitors past stylized recreations of memorable moments from Russian folklore …

Where (borrowing a page from "it's a small world") all of the characters that were to have appeared in this attraction would have been modeled after wooden folk art dolls.

As to the ride vehicle that you would have ridden through this World Showcase attraction on … You can actually see it in the lower right-hand corner of the above image capture.

That's right. You were supposed to have zoomed through this proposed U.S.S.R. attraction aboard a magical flying sleigh. Which (I'd imagine) would have made this dark ride very popular with WDW guests during the holiday season.

Unfortunately, given that many of the reforms that occurred under Mikhail Gorbachev seem to have eroded and/or evaporated completely while Vladimir Putin has been president of the Russian Federation, it's looking less and less likely that this proposed World Showcase addition (Which was originally supposed to have begun back construction in 1997, with the completed pavilion opening to the public sometime in 1999) will ever make it off the drawing board.

Which is a real shame. Given that — even today — a Russian-themed pavilion is still the top choice whenever Epcot visitors are asked about what they'd like to see added to World Showcase. Or so my sources at WDW Guest Relations tell me.

Next up, Lynne G. writes in to say:

I just don't get all of the fuss about this proposed retheming of Disneyland's Tom Sawyer Island. Hong Kong Disneyland has a Tarzan-themed island in its Adventureland section whiich seems quite popular with guests visiting that theme park.

Just like at the original Disneyland, Hong Kong Disneyland uses rafts to get guests back and forth across the Rivers of Adventure. And they seem to handle the crowds waiting in line just fine.

So again I ask: Why all the fuss about changing Tom Sawyer Island over to a new pirate-themed attraction?

Dear Lynne G.

The basic problem here is that many West Coast-based Disneyland fans have very fond memories of the times that they spent on Tom Sawyer Island as kids. Which is why they don't really want to see Injun Joe's Cave rethemed around the "Pirates of the Caribbean" mythology.

Mind you, the folks who are doing most of the complaining here are typically people who haven't been out to the island for years now. But — because this Disneyland attraction that they don't visit anymore is still a treasured piece of their past — they want Tom Sawyer Island to remain just as it was. Untouched & pristene.

But the sad fact of the matter is that — due to a decade or more of delayed maintenance and budget cut-backs — Tom Sawyer Island is in pretty sorry shape right about now. Which is why the idea of the Walt Disney Company spending any money on this 50-year-old attraction (Be it "Pirates" retheming and/or just on general upkeep) should be applauded and encouraged. Not derailed by Disneyana fans who just don't like the idea of anything changing at that Anaheim theme park

Me myself, I call this sort of behavior "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" syndrome. Where Disneyana fans will scream bloody murder whenever this Main Street U.S.A. mainstay is threatened with closure. Every time this rumor make the rounds, these well-intentioned weenies write letters, set up online petitions, even pepper Guest Relations with annoying phone calls. Doing everything except what really needs to be done. Which is actually attending performances of "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln."

Let's face facts, folks. One of the reasons that the Imagineers are seriously toying with retheming Tom Sawyer Island is that attendance levels for this New Orleans Square attraction have been steadily falling for more than a decade now. The current theme of the island just doesn't appeal to your typical Southern Californian tourist. Which is why it might be interesting to see what impact a "Pirates" themed overlay might have on increasing the island's overall appeal.

FYI: That's the latest word on the Tom Sawyer Island redo. Given the incredibly short time frame that we're talking about now (I.E. We've got less than seven months now 'til "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" holds its world premiere at the park), what the Imagineers are now talking about is a "Haunted Mansion Holiday" -style retheming. You know? Lots of temporary props and scenic elements scattered around the island next summer.

And if that version of Tom Sawyer Island proves to be popular with Disneyland visitors … Well then, over 2008 and 2009, the island will then be completely rethemed. Only — in this case — WDI will be working with a more-than-adequate budget as well as much-more-realistic construction schedule.

Speaking of construction schedules … A pal at Imagineering just gave me a peek at the next five years' worth of projects for Hong Kong Disneyland. After HKDL's version of "it's a small world" opens in Fantasyland in late 2007 / early 2008, most of this theme park's future expansion will then be confined to Adventureland.

Well, perhaps "confined" isn't exactly the right word to use in this situation. Given that the Imagineers are planning on busting through the berm in order to facilitate guest access to that theme park's three huge expansion pads.

What area am I talking about? Well, if you'll look closely at the map below …

Photo courtesy of Google Images

… You can clearly see where the Imagineers plan on building a walkway that will then take Hong Kong Disneyland guests under the train tracks and into this future expansion area.

Okay. Maybe you can't clearly see that walkway. Let me throw in a close-up of the area that I'm talking about. Do you now see those two thin grey lines that are crossing the train tracks?

Photo courtesy of Google Images

This is where the walkway into the Adventureland expansion area will supposedly go. And — if you look at this overview of the current footprint of Hong Kong Disneyland …

Photo courtesy of Google Images

… You'll see that we're talking about a huge piece of property. One that's big enough to hold a "Great White Hunter" version of the Haunted Mansion, a "Pirates of the Caribbean" themed redo of Splash Mountain as well as a clone of that popular new Tokyo DisneySea coaster, "Raging Spirits."

FYI: Hong Kong Disneyland isn't the only Disney theme park that may soon be getting a carbon copy of this recent Lost River Delta addition. The Imagineers have also reportedly been toying with adding "Raging Spirits" to the Adventureland section of WDW's Magic Kingdom. Since it's been more than a decade now since Disney World's signature theme park last got a new thrill ride.

And speaking of the Magic Kingdom … Dozens of folks wrote in last week about Jeff Lange's recent "When it comes to the Haunted Mansion, theming is a matter of grave importance" photo essay. Not just because they really enjoyed that piece. But also because they wanted to point out a very important part of the pet cemetery at WDW's Haunted Mansion that they thought Mr. Lange had left out.

Here (courtesy of loyal JHM reader Epcot lives) is the item that everyone was talking about …

Photo courtesy of Epcot Lives

… the graveside statue that pays tribute to that long-closed Fantasyland favorite, "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride."

Anyway … That concludes this week's addition of "Why For." As for why I felt that I had to move this typically-Fridays-only feature up a day or so this week … Well, you might to drop by the site tomorrow afternoon. Especially all of your baby boomers out there. As I pay tribute to a very special pop culture-related anniversary.