Canceled/Failed Disney Projects?

[pumpkinbot343]

I’m talking stuff like the failed (in terms of expansion) DisneyQuest, or stuff like Disney’s America theme park and proposed pavilions of Epcot that never made it past planning. Those are the ones I know of. I’m interested in all the stuff Michael Eisner planned as part of his “Disney expansion” before the opening of “Euro Disneyland”/Disneyland Paris shut all them down.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

The indoor St. Louis park was always one of the more wild ones. The OG Fantasyland concept for Magic Kingdom which was to have all new dark rides. New Orleanse square expansion to Village Marketplace. Asia and Persian hotels.

 

[GA-MBIT]

The Presidents Square area or whatever the exact name for that scrapped land was always pops in my head whenever I walk through Magic Kingdom's Main Street. Once you know about it, it's hard to not picture that branch street off to the right being so clearly prepped for expansion that will never arrive haha.

 

[Clive]

The indoor St. Louis park was always one of the more wild ones. The OG Fantasyland concept for Magic Kingdom which was to have all new dark rides. New Orleanse square expansion to Village Marketplace. Asia and Persian hotels.

For those wondering, I believe the films that advanced in development were Sleeping Beauty, Sleepy Hollow, and Mary Poppins.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

For those wondering, I believe the films that advanced in development were Sleeping Beauty, Sleepy Hollow, and Mary Poppins.

Also the Snow Queen

 

[Michael S]

Also the Snow Queen

The Enchanted Snow Palace? I thought that was designed in the late 70s by Marc Davis, while Claude Coats was doing the original Fantasyland for MK which would’ve included 3 dark rides and a show to mirror the opening day offerings at DL. I could have my wires crossed, tho. But I remember hearing they wanted mirrored versions for the “east coast Disneyland.” Sleepy Hollow (Mr Toad), Mary Poppins (Peter Pan), Sleeping Beauty (Snow White).

 

[TheUniC6]

For me what comes to mind is WestCot, the over engineered Mary Poppins flat ride for Epcot, the OG Muppets Courtyard that fell through after Henson passed away, the original Quinjet Avengers E ticket for DCA that was canned due to capacity logistical reasons, and finally the Play Pavillon.

But TBH, the list can go on of Disney projects that never saw the light of day for a vairety of reasons.

 

[Michael S]

For me what comes to mind is WestCot, the over engineered Mary Poppins flat ride for Epcot, the OG Muppets Courtyard that fell through after Henson passed away, the original Quinjet Avengers E ticket for DCA that was canned due to capacity logistical reasons, and finally the Play Pavillon.

But TBH, the list can go on of Disney projects that never saw the light of day for a vairety of reasons.

Disney Wharf at Sydney Harbor can be added to that list. It seemed almost perfect for the market but the project was shelved nonetheless…

 

[Eckert]

The Presidents Square area or whatever the exact name for that scrapped land was always pops in my head whenever I walk through Magic Kingdom's Main Street. Once you know about it, it's hard to not picture that branch street off to the right being so clearly prepped for expansion that will never arrive haha.

Is this where the Main Street Theater would've been? Wish we still got that...

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Is this where the Main Street Theater would've been? Wish we still got that...

I find the Main Street Theater (and the rumored "expansion" of Main Street to permanently theme the bypass) cancellation is the hardest loss for me. It was practical and would have made Main Street more pleasurable during busier seasons. I'm really hoping they can bring back the plans for MK's expansion plans.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

Why didn’t Play Pavillion happen? Seems like a layup concept that would’ve likely worked for families. Epcot needs more for the very small kids, building them a mini city to play around sounds like something I’d have been obsessed over as a kid. They can even charge people to play certain things or keep track of scores (obviously not advocating for things that cost us more money, just thinking how Disney would) and it’s indoors, which is always helpful in summer and with rain. Never understood why that didn’t get built.

 

[TheUniC6]

Why didn’t Play Pavillion happen? Seems like a layup concept that would’ve likely worked for families. Epcot needs more for the very small kids, building them a mini city to play around sounds like something I’d have been obsessed over as a kid. They can even charge people to play certain things or keep track of scores (obviously not advocating for things that cost us more money, just thinking how Disney would) and it’s indoors, which is always helpful in summer and with rain. Never understood why that didn’t get built.

IIRC, it was canned due to COVID when Disney was unsure if such an experience would be suitable for a post pandemic world.

 

[Clive]

Why didn’t Play Pavillion happen? Seems like a layup concept that would’ve likely worked for families. Epcot needs more for the very small kids, building them a mini city to play around sounds like something I’d have been obsessed over as a kid. They can even charge people to play certain things or keep track of scores (obviously not advocating for things that cost us more money, just thinking how Disney would) and it’s indoors, which is always helpful in summer and with rain. Never understood why that didn’t get built.

Genuinely, I have no idea. They spent so much money on it already.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

IIRC, it was canned due to COVID when Disney was unsure if such an experience would be suitable for a post pandemic world.

Well, it’d be fine now! That reasoning makes sense. I also don’t think it should be compared to anything Universal is doing with Nintendo/Potter wands. It’s a larger scale play area for kids at Disney World, heck throw an IP at it if we must. It doesn’t appeal to me as an attraction obviously but I always found it strange it just never got built.

 

[SeventyOne]

The mother of all failed projects has to be Big Thunder Mesa/Western River Expedition, the epic E-ticket dark ride that was slated to go into Frontierland (and may have had other rides attached). Lots of concept art and descriptions of what could've been out there.

If you find the right rabbit hole with Google, there's a lot of concept art/descriptions of David Copperfield's Magic Underground, a show-heavy-restaurant that even broke ground at MGM Studios. Same era as a Noah's Ark musical penned by Andrew Lloyd Weber, but I've never heard of so much as a leaked track from that.

The late Jim Korkus had a few books on Disney history, one of which detailed the history of Pleasure Island. The unbuilt concepts that stayed with me were Madison's Dive, a nautical themed bar not unlike the Adventurers Club, and (admittedly dumb) the 24-hour TGI Fridays, which would've been a lot more unique and impressive in 1989. Later, after PI shut down, a couple cool restaurants were teased for "Hyperion Wharf" (the new name for the area). AeroBlue looked amazing in the concept art--WW II plane hanging above the dining room with a saxophonist--there was a North Pole one as well I think, and a Landry's aquarium restaurant was slated for the old Virgin store.

If you're into this sort of thing, I'd recommend Defunctland and Poseidon Entertainment on YouTube. Not all they do but a lot of videos if you go back through their archives.