Disney Sea was an aquatic-themed amusement park proposed by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Disney Sea, California was unveiled on July 31, 1990[1][2][3] as one part of the Disney Decade Expansion.[4] This part of the expansion would be focused on the development of Disney Port, as part of the canceled resort complex, Port Disney, in Long Beach, California.[1]
| Location | Port Disney, Long Beach, California, U.S.A. |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 33°44′48″N 118°11′06″W / 33.74667°N 118.18500°W |
| Status | Cancelled |
| Owner | Walt Disney Parks and Resorts |
| Theme | Nautical |
The theme park was met with backlash from multiple parties, including locals of the area, and was limited by prohibitions listed in the California Coastal Act.[5] Port Disney was also speculated to be a $2.8 billion project.[6] Because of such barriers, in December 1991, plans for DisneySea ceased.[7]
Instead, the WestCOT plan was pursued at the site of the former Disneyland parking lot, which is now known as Disney California Adventure. Some of the concepts proposed for DisneySea were used for Tokyo DisneySea (2001).
Proposed Features/Attractions in the Preliminary Master Plan (1990)
editOceana
editThe plans for DisneySea included a two-story aquarium in the center of the park. The designers had plans to make the feature interactive and educational for guests.[1] The design of Oceana, a large spherical structure, was designed to be the main feature of the park.
Future Research Center
editThe aquarium, Oceana, was to include interactive exhibits and a working laboratory. This was similar to The Living Seas pavilion and The Land pavilion at Walt Disney World's Epcot.[1] It was advertised in the park's Preliminary Master Plan (1990) and has been created for educational purposes.
Aquatic-Themed 'Lands'
editMysterious Island
editMysterious Island was one of the themed lands built around the idea of the lost City of Atlantis. It would have featured a Pirate Island and Nemo's Lava Cruiser attractions and rides. A revised version of Mysterious Island, including the planned volcano, was eventually built at Tokyo DisneySea.
Heroes' Harbor
editHeroes' Harbor (later renamed to Hero's Harbor) was planned to explore the stories behind mythical adventurers such as Sinbad and Ulysses. The entrance was going to be through the Aqua-labyrinth, a maze whose walls were made of water.
Boardwalk and Fleets of Fantasy
editA boardwalk was to be reminiscent of The Pike. This would have been built adjacent to Fleets of Fantasy, a harbor featuring rides and dining onboard historical replica ships. Elements of both were later incorporated as the American Waterfront land at Tokyo DisneySea, including the SS Columbia moored in the American Waterfront's New York Harbor.
Venture Reefs
editThe Preliminary Master Plan (1990) included activities such as shark diving. This section of the amusement park was later labelled Venture Reef in 1991 by Port Disney News. These themed environments included a Grecian village, an Asian water market, and a Caribbean lagoon.
Port Disney News (1991) Updates
editPort Disney News (1991), was published at the time where Walt Disney Imagineering had not finalized the list of green-lit lands. Updated descriptions for Venture Reefs, Fleets of Fantasy, Mysterious Island and Hero's Harbor were included in this publication.
Cancellation of Port Disney and DisneySea (1991)
editThere were many factors that hindered the construction of Port Disney and DisneySea, which eventually lead to its cancellation in 1991.
California Coastal Act
editResistance from the community in Long Beach especially from local environmentalists[8] was strong throughout the construction of Port Disney and DisneySea. This was one of the factors which resulted in the California Coastal Act, which denied permission to fill the ports needed to expand development.[9]
Financial Issues
editAnother adversity was its expense. Being almost 3 billion USD with unfavorable reception, Disney eventually canceled the construction.[10]
Historian Michael Crawford mentioned in retrospect, “Dollar signs that killed that project,”.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "Long Beach Lost: The Dramatic Tale of the Disney Theme Park in DTLB • Long Beach Post". lbpost.com. Retrieved 2018-12-04.
- ^ Fiore, Faye (31 July 1990). "Long Beach Greets Disney With Little Amusement". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
- ^ Fiore, Faye (1 August 1990). "Disney Unveils Plans". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
- ^ "BILLION-DOLLAR EXPANSION OF PARKS WILL MAKE '90S THE 'DISNEY DECADE'". Deseret News. 1990-01-13. Retrieved 2022-03-27.
- ^ Dirk Libbey (2020-08-26). "Port Disney: The Disneyland Companion Park That Could Have Been". CINEMABLEND. Retrieved 2022-03-27.
- ^ "Long Beach Lost: The Dramatic Tale of the Disney Theme Park in DTLB • Longbeachize". lbpost.com. Retrieved 2022-03-27.
- ^ Johnson, Kevin; Woodyard, Chris (13 December 1991). "Disney Chooses Anaheim as Location for $3-Billion Resort". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
- ^ "Paradise Lost: The Port Disney Dream in Long Beach". www.laalmanac.com. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
- ^ Dirk Libbey (2020-08-26). "Port Disney: The Disneyland Companion Park That Could Have Been". CINEMABLEND. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
- ^ "4 Reasons Disney FAILED to Bring DisneySea to the US". Theme Park Tourist. 2014-12-23. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
External links
edit- Younger, Cole (2008). "DisneySea". The Neverland Files. Archived from the original on 28 June 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
- Hill, Jim (3 February 2005). "A watered down version of "Why For" (blog)". Jim Hill Media. Archived from the original on 30 November 2006. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
- Hill, Jim (7 February 2005). "What there would have been to see at Long Beach's DisneySea theme park (blog)". Jim Hill Media. Archived from the original on 11 March 2007. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
- Crawford, Michael (29 April 2009). "Neverworlds Bicentennial Special — Port Disney (blog)". Progress City, U.S.A. Archived from the original on 20 September 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
- Crawford, Michael (2015). "32: Port Disney". The Progress City Primer: Stories, Secrets, and Silliness from the Many Worlds of Walt Disney. Orlando, Florida: Progress City Press. pp. 267–284. ISBN 978-0-9862050-6-4. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
- Gennawey, Sam (9 May 2013). "SAMLAND: The Port Disney Story (blog)". MiceChat. Archived from the original on 8 June 2013. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
- Gennawey, Sam (2013). "8: New Ideas: 1985–1996". The Disneyland Story: The Unofficial Guide to the Evolution of Walt Disney's Dream. The Unofficial Guides. ISBN 978-1-62809-012-3. Retrieved 15 September 2016.