First up, Tim K. of Manchester, U.K. writes in to ask:
Hi Jim,
Always enjoy reading your site as everyone does ! I had a question about the Disney hotel that was to be built in Times Square NY. Do you know why this project was abandoned? Was any art work ever released? I remember something about a pixie dust light effect on the building.
I would be very grateful if you could give any info about this. Thanks!
Tim K.
Manchester, UK
Dear Tim K.
Oy. Talk about the big one that go away.
The hotel that Tim’s talking about here was something that the Walt Disney Company toyed with doing back in the Summer of 1994. The Mouse’s plans called for a 47-story structure to be built at the corner of 42nd Street & 8th Avenue.
Now what would have been really intriguing about this $200 million project was that Disney had envisioned this hotel as being a mixed use property. Meaning that 750 rooms in the building would be reserved for tourists and conventioneers, while an additional 100 rooms in the hotel would be set aside for Disney Vacation Club members.
And these Disney Vacation Club rooms were supposed to be really snazzy, people. Two-and-a-half times the size of the standard rooms at the hotel. With primo views of Times Square and/or the Hudson River.
So why didn’t Disney go ahead with its plans to build a hotel on the edge of Times Square? To be honest, the project’s pricetag really concerned Disney CEO Michael Eisner. Which is why the Mouse House eventually sought out a financial partner — New York-based Tishman Realty — to help split the cost of construction.
But even with Tishman agreeing to pick up half the construction costs for this high profile project, Uncle Michael was still very nervous about this Times Square hotel idea.
Mind you, you have to understand that this was back in 1994. A full three years before the Walt Disney Company had completed its floor-to-ceiling renovation of the New Amsterdam Theatre. Long before Julie Taymor had agreed to direct her Tony Award winning version of “The Lion King.”
And 42nd Street — at this point in New York City history — was still a pretty scary place. Loaded with adult bookstores, call girls and people selling pot. Which — as you can probably understand — wasn’t a neighborhood that Eisner thought that Disney Vacation Club members would really want to vacation in.
It was this — coupled with the fact that (in the summer of 1994) the Walt Disney Company was still reeling from all the financial problems that Euro Disney was having — that ultimately made Michael Eisner decide to take a pass on the Times Square hotel project. It just didn’t seem like the right time for the Disney Corporation to blow $100 – $200 million on a 47-story structure in NYC.
Of course, hindsight is always 20/20. The revival of NYC’s 42nd Street & Times Square area is one of the truly great tales of urban renewal in the past 50 years. Right up there with Boston’s Quincy Marketplace and Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.
And Michael Eisner to this day regrets that he let Disney’s Times Square hotel slip through his fingers. According to those close to the CEO, he still moans about all the money that the Mouse could have made by that project. “We could have sold packages where people pain one price for a hotel room as well as tickets for ‘The Lion King’ or ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ ” is supposedly Uncle Mike’s standard rant. I’ve also heard it said that Eisner thinks that Disney Theatrical could have kept “Aida” open if the company had been able to shuttle hotel guests over to the Palace Theater.
As for concept art work of this project, Tim … I seem to recall seeing something in “Wired” magazine back in 1995. A photo that showed an enormous “Disney Vacation Club” sign about 2/3rds up the side of the structure.
As for a pixie dust light effect … Well, even though then-head of Disney Development David Malmuth promised that this hotel project wouldn’t result in Times Square becoming Disneyland East, I do recall that a few Imagineers that I’ve spoken with about this proposed 47-story-tall building mentioned that WDI had been asked to create a few NYC-specific attractions for this structure. The details of these proposed rides & shows escape me at the moment. Let me a few phone calls and see if anyone out in Glendale can remember what the Imagineers wanted to do with Disney’s Times Square hotel project.
Next up, Daniel F. writes in to ask:
Hi Jim,
I really enjoy your site, especially the articles like your Beauty and the Beast series, that give us these behind the curtain stories.
I just got back from the Incredibles, and noticed Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas in the credits. I was wondering if you knew what roles they played in the film?
Thanks!
Dear Daniel —
Frank and Ollie (or — to be specific — CG caricatures of these two Disney Legends) make a cameo appearance in the last 10 minutes of the movie. You’ll see them right after the Incredibles & Frozone defeat the Omnidroid. The crowd around the edges of the battlezone begin to cheer, and then the camera quickly cuts away to a medium shot of two older gentlemen.
As for these character’s somewhat controversial “Old School” comments … Animation fans seem somewhat split over the real meaning over this particular piece of dialogue. Some folks think that Brad Bird (who actually wrote the script for “The Incredibles” as well as directing the picture) is using this moment in the movie to make a pointed comment about the Walt Disney Company. Suggesting that — since the Mouse seems to have turned its back on making quality animted features — that it’s up to Pixar to keep the “Old School” of film-making alive. Where a film-maker’s ultimate goal was to create memorable characters as well as a compelling storyline.
Me personally? I think that some people may be reading a little too much into that particular sequence in “The Incredibles.” I was just happy to see Frank & Ollie together again. Even if it was just in CG form.
Next up, TonsOToons writes in to ask:
Jim —
You’ve given a couple of sets of JHM tours out in Anaheim over the past year. So when are you coming back to Orlando? I know that a number of us Florida-based Disneyana fans would love to join you at the Magic Kingdom for a tour of that theme park.
So how’s about, Hill?
Dear TonsOToons —
You know. You’re right. It HAS been quite a while since I was last down at Walt Disney World to give any JHM tours. So how’s about this: Given that I’m already supposed to be down in Orlando December 8th – 14th to take part this year’s Mousefest, why don’t I try to set up some tours of the Magic Kingdom for Thursday, December 9th and Monday, December 13th.
So, if you’d like to join me next month for a tour of WDW’s first theme park, why don’t you drop a line to Scott Lilenjenquist. And Scott will take care of the particulars.
By the way, former JHM columnist Chuck Oberleitner now has his own website — www.o-meon.com — up and running. And I think all you animation fans out will enjoy Chuck’s debut piece. Which reveals that David Stainton’s reign as head of Disney Feature Animation may soon be coming to an end.
And — speaking of coming to an end — that’s it for this week’s “Why For.” Here’s hoping that you folks enjoy this week’s selection of articles at JHM. And that you’ll be back for even more Disney-related writing come next Monday morning.
Til then, you guys take care, okay? And have a great weekend, alright?
jrh