A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow
According to the film’s crew, Walt was visibly tired as he recorded the presentation, even being administered oxygen during takes. Less than two months later, before the film was even shown to the corporate partners it was designed, he passed away.
The world mourned, and the company paused. Could Walt Disney Productions really construct a city? It would’ve been a gruelling undertaking with Walt still at the helm, but with him gone, the idea seemed as fantastical as the fairy stories that lit up picture houses under the Disney banner.
Walt’s brother, Roy, who served as the company’s money man, oversaw the project as best he could. Disney now owned a seven mile stretch of land in Florida, with the powers of a small government granted to them by the state, and needed to do something with it. As a result, a theme park, that had always been an ancillary part of Walt’s Florida Project to entice public interest, became the main event – with certain forward-thinking infrastructure ideas from the city concept reworked to benefit the Magic Kingdom.
A decade later, in a tribute to the city that was never built, EPCOT Center would open, eventually dropping “Center” from its name in 1996. The park is still open today. It welcomed over 12 million visitors in 2021. It has a Frozen ride.
King of Disneyland
Would EPCOT have worked if Walt Disney hadn’t died? The man was stubborn, and determined, and left a legacy of innovation. He likely would’ve forced it through, one way or another, and the world would know now what an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow actually looks like. Or how it might’ve ended.
EPCOT, like Disneyland, would’ve been Disney’s property – Walt’s property – and he wasn’t keen on giving control to its citizens. An associate of Walt’s suggested that what he was planning amounted to an “absolute monarchy,” the exact thing that was removed with much bloodshed during the French Revolution.
Walt reportedly raised an eyebrow and responded, “Can I have one?”
While you’re here, be sure to check out our video of the week. 10 of the best PlayStation 1 games of all time are shown off. What is your favourite PS1 game?
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