AMERICA SINGS MEGA POST FINAL #6 --America Sings replacements that never were!!

AMERICA SINGS MEGA POST FINAL #6 --America Sings replacements that never were!!

Once AMERICA SINGS had been shuttered, Walt Disney Imagineering really did intend to install a replacement show very soon.....however corporate management and Disneyland management butted heads with WDI's creativity.

The Carousel Theater with a biomorphic shell-roof & buttresses of the unrealized

TOMORROWLND 2055

 Ideas for a new Disneyland Carousel Theater show date back to the early 80's when the Oriental Land Company was offered AMERICA SINGS in it's early attraction package proposal.  When EPCOT CENTER opened, WED/WDI planed on bringing many EPCOT shows to Disneyland--and many did in the form of a revised 1984 GREAT MOMENTS WITH MR. LINCOLN, MAGIC JOURNEYS at the SPACE STAGE, and WONDERS OF CHINA in Circle Vision. When HORIZONS was being developed, there was a proposal to use duplicated show-set pieces from the 'Looking Back At Tomorrow" sequence ---these "retro futures" would fill each theater/Acts ......a Victorian -Jules Verne ACT 1, a 20's 30's-Art Deco Future view ACT 2, a 50's 60's future ACT 3, culminating in a Carousel of Progress family future with major elements from "Tomorrows Windows" sections of  HORIZONS main show.  The host on this Disneyland -simplified Horizons show was........Jules Verne (using existing DREAM FINDER AA tooling from Journey into Imagination)

Disneyland's Carousel Theater as

THE GREAT ANIMATION MACHINE!!!

Other plans included the Great Animation Machine! Here the Carousel Theater would celebrate Classic Disney animated films of the past -and arriving to a final theater to preview guests the newest Disney film of the day. The upstairs was used to show the process on animation and display artwork and equipment used in developing the animated films of Disney. This like AMERICA SINGS seemed out-of-place in TOMORROWLAND.

Note in the rendering above how the exterior facade has elements of a film reel can. And take a closer look at the entrance marquee----------looks like the EYE OF MARA symbol!!

When HORIZONS opened at EPCOT CENTER in 1983, General Electric felt the Carousel of Progress was not a big enough "toy" for them and lost interest in the original Carousel of Progress attraction. Incidentally, HORIZONS "Tomorrows Windows" was designed as a continuation of The Carousel of Progress --even the AA figure of the man in the future apartment of Mesa Verde is the same mold as the Carousel of Progress Father!!!

WED PLANS TO BRING THE CAROUSEL OF PROGRESS "HOME"

With HORIZONS operating in Florida, WED/WDI planned replacements for the Walt Disney World Carousel Theater, with the intention of bringing the Carousel of Progress "home" to Disneyland!! In 1984, WED proposed to the EDISON ELECTRIC Institute -who sponsored Florida's WEDWAY PeopleMover, to bring sponsorship to the West Coast in the form of a revised and updated COP, to be called ,

THE CENTURY OF PROGRESS

Here are segments of the script---------and the lyrics to the 3rd generation song., "HERE COMES TOMORROW"

I wonder what the music was like??

In some future post on TOMORROWLOUNGE I'll display the entire script

Walt Disney World wanted to keep their version of the show and by the early 1990's a revised version of the Carousel of Progress opened. Disneyland theater remained vacant, but by this time, a WHOLE new TOMORROWLAND was under development----------a major redo  to rival the Tomorrowland 1967 with all new attractions and an entire  sky walk system creating a whole connecting second level to the land.

PLECTU'S GALACTIC REVUE "lands" in Tomorrowland

During this time WDI was developing a show using a combination of Industrial Robots and AA show-bots who had  a striking resemblance to some famous EARTHLING music performers!



TINA TURBO



This show seems to smell of FOOD ROCKS

For Florida's WDI was proposing NEW TOMORROWLAND - GALACTIC EXPO 2071 (this eventually became the 20's-30's Deco-Tech Future theme that opened in 1994.

For Disneyland, WDI was planning NEW TOMORROWLAND -SPACE PORT EARTH 2055!!

This became just TOMORROWLAND 2055

Plectu's Robots were soon replaced with music Aliens!!

P.T. QUANTUM'S FANTASTIC GALACTIC SHOWBOAT EXTRAORDINAIRE

In 1991 this revised version of the Plectu's show was described in a Disney Company Forum booklet :

"an outer space musical-variety revue, starring a troupe of itinerant alien musicians and featuring the latest advances in theater effects and "Audio-Animatronics" technology"

Danny Elfman developed the score for the musical numbers

P.T. QUANTUM's Showboat -Spaceship in Tomorrowland

these are looking too cute for Tomorrowland 2055................

Michael Eisner thought these were too cutesy as well.........and said the show seemed like something you'd see at any Chuck E. Cheese restaurants around the country. This along with some problems in fitting Alien Encounter into the Mission To Mars building-------and a few other things  killed TOMORROWLAND 2055...............

A billboard concept for future acts.........(this is NO joke!!)

The NEW TOMORROWLAND 2055 project was put on hold, and it's budget was given to the creation of TOONTOWN and FANTASMIC!!

Once attention was placed back on TOMORROWLAND, Disneyland wanted the Carousel Theater removed completely-------the first plans were for a "lake" with rock structures surrounding it in a stone henge fashion-in the middle a rock-island with the ASTRO ORBITOR at it's center.

Some TRUE Imagineers were determined to NOT let the old Carousel Theater get demolished and vowed to get the theater rotating once again. The challenge: there was almost NO budget in the Paul Pressler regime.......but WDI was gonna find a way.

OUCH!!!

For those of us who do not care for Disneyland's INOVENTIONS, here is something we must understand: without it-----there would no longer be a Carousel Theater at Disneyland. WDI spent money to KEEP the theater and get it to rotate again. Now, with a saved show building--there was NO money for a show inside. WDI reluctantly had to search for sponsors-lots of them to help provide much needed money to fill the void within.

No single BIG sponsor could be hooked, but smaller sponsors were interested. The Result: An attraction that had to showcase sponsor's products -----creating the INOVANTIONS format like EPCOT CENTER.

Bruce Gorden --a art director for the NEW TOMORROWLAND of 1998 said a year before opening........."We have NO idea want the HELL we are gonna put in here!.........."




an early mock-up test to give potential sponsors an idea of what could be done.......
note the HORIZONS Butler Robot in the distance?

 

this is less than a year to opening..........

The carousel Theater awaits sponsors and a decision on which mural will be used!

A beautiful new mural was designed by master futurist Syd Mead (of Short Circuit and Bladerunner films) but Imagineering couldn't use it as it didn't fit the loosely tied together theme of the growing number of sponsors.........

COMING SOON TO TOMORROWLOUNGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

***MORE IMAGE GUESS-O-RAM!!***

***STARCADE***

***TOMORROWLAND SIGN PODS***

***TOMORROWLAND PUBLIC ART***

***EPCOT HORIZONS***

***PEOPLEMOVER & THE SUPER SPEED TUNNEL""

***DELTA DREAM FLIGHT***

***SPEEDRAMPS!!***

AMERICA SINGS MEGA POST PART 5 - the Carousel Theater Comes to a screeching halt and the erosion begins!

AMERICA SINGS MEGA POST PART 5 - the Carousel Theater Comes to a screeching halt and the erosion begins!

This sign gave guests hopeful expectations for almost a decade!!

And while things seemed quietly the same on the outside: We knew that Imagineering were working busily on the 3rd Disneyland Generation Carousel Theater show right!!???

Well, not exactly!

Guests haven't sat here in many many years ---but people WERE using it!

Here we see a sad and ill fitting use for the exit stage of America Sings being used as a training and presentation room! Notice the ORIGINAL Carousel Of Progress seats with walnut armrests??

(don't worry.....the Weasel, Sam and Owl have been removed for years when this picture was taken)

Even the Colonel left the Old South behind!

To the left of ACT 1 (OLD SOUTH) is the "welcome-introduction theater"--when this picture was taken it was being used as extra offices for Disneyland engineering and construction

Debris and collapsing set pieces are strewn about!

In ACT 2 THE OLD WEST we see the REMAINS of old wagon REMAINS.

The scrim hangs from the clouds was once used for the haunting-romantic number "Home on The Range"

This saloon use to be one of my favorite show sets.

In ACT 4, MODERN TIMES. Notice how the stage trap doors have been boarded up!

The magic that once was.............

How would you like to be hired at Disneyland at then be shown to your new office here!?? I'd LOVE IT!!

Some last looks of the upper balcony details of AMERICA SINGS. Notice the trash bags left up there!

When the first paint scheme was being tested for Inoventions, the first coverings of paint were peeling here-and-there (no lead!!) and I was able to get a piece of the "peel". Why??? because I liked it!!----it featured a top peel of INOVENTIONS, with an exposed layer of AMERICA SINGS..AND..................a third exposed layer of CAROUSEL OF PROGRESS MURAL!!!!! A Tomorrowland retrospective (in paint) in the palm of my hand!!!

More architectural views.

Now some of you may have noticed that there were no scenes of ACT 3, The GAY 90's. That's because by this time entertainment costuming was using that theater for storage. The interior showed no signs of it's Turn-of-the-century elegance. Just drywall and rack and racks of costumes. HOWEVER..............................downstairs was another story!!!!!

It was amazing that even after almost a decade there were figures and props left in here!!! see the waiter pig from the GAY 90's sequence! on the floor was even the steel shadow silhouette of the Wandering boy segment "Drinking Rabbit". Above would have been the GAY 90's STAGE and sets.

When this exterior shot was taken there was only a few more days left before the AMERICA SINGS remnants would be gutted and tossed forever! See the barricades ready to go up!?

Come back and visit TOMORROWLOUNGE to see the Carousel Theater get gutted and a revue of some attractions that almost took residence here--like THE CENTURY OF PROGRESS---PLECTU'S GALACTIC SHOWBOAT EXTRODINAIR and other concepts in AMERICA SINGS MEGA POST # 6!!!!!

AMERICA SINGS MEGA POST PART 4!!!! inside and outside the "Swinging Carousel Theater"

AMERICA SINGS MEGA POST PART 4!!!! inside and outside the "Swinging Carousel Theater"

HEY!!! AMERICA SINGS IS OPEN!!!!!

These cheerful fellas are wearing Disneyland's newest 1974 Tomorrowland costume (in summer & winter versions) - these were designed by Tom Pierce who also brought us the first Haunted Mansion costume and the Small World Gondolier costume that was used  until the 1990's. Tom designed thousands and thousands of Disney park costumes for operations and attractions (like Country Bear Jamboree and every AA show at EPCOT!!)

And here's something for the ladies of tomorrow.......these are images of costumes (also in summer & winter versions) redone without Del Monte's sponsorship--the big red tomato patch would have gone center on the white waistline on the ladies, and near the name badge on the men's version

Does that Sam the Eagle  and stars graphic look likes it was added later to you?? Well it should! Can you guess what was removed from the original sign?  A giant Del Monte Tomato logo!!

This is a rare version of this guide with the opening date printed (or stamped!) on the cover

I liked how both the murals of The Carousel pf Progress and America Sings combined the upper stationery section and the lower rotating section to appear as one large mural within the graceful guest ramps and balcony of the theater.  Innoventions does not do this making the upper section look overly massive and heavy -I majored in environmental design with an emphasis in architecture so things like that bother me......

A view of AMERICA SINGS from the PeopleMover!!

As a kid the 1890's Act was always one of my favorites! With all the advancements with technology and animatronics I don't think AA figures will ever be as perfect as these. The shapes and movements were perfect to there designs and Marc Davis , Blaine Gibson and the programers knew how to take advantage of limitations. Bill Justice would say  "Just because someone wants a bear to dance like a Rockett- he can't dance like a Rockett --he's still a bear!!"  (but can a Rockett dance like a BEAR!!???)

I Think that Stork or Crane is showing off!

Our "Bird In A Gilded Cage" was voiced by Cheryl Poole --who also voiced Trixie over at Country Bear Jamboree!! ( I think she looks like Phylis Diller --The Bird in the cage --not Cheryl Poole!)

A perfect song for an obvious gag!

I really miss this show!

Some "architectural shots" most people didn't think to shoot back in the day. But I Did!!

I was wished for a PeopleMover train to pass ---but it was never going to happen again.

I can't begin to tell you how many people ask me to PLEASE post a image of the TOP of the America Sings roof!!!! So here it is!!!!!! (ok.........maybe a handful of people requested this image. Or come to think of it........no one has EVER requested an image of the America Sings roof. But I'm glad I took it!!

Ok........take a good look at this last shot. It will come in handy for tomorrows post-- Be sure to have a box of tissues handy!!!  

"On behalf of Disneyland and our friends at Del  Monte , we hope you enjoyed AMERICA SINGS!. Now please gather your belongings and exit through the doors in which you came, and enjoy the rest of your visit to TOMORROWLOUNGE!!"

Please join TOMORROWLOUNGE for its next AMERICA SINGS MEGA POST ( #5) as we feature the abadoned and destroyed AMERICA SINGS interior and exterior!!!!