Walt Disney and the Quest for Community

Steve Mannheim

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2016
• ISBN:
  9781317000570
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Politique et relations internationales
• Subtopic: Urbanisme et développement urbain

During the final months of his life, Walt Disney was consumed with the world-wide problems of cities. His development concept at the time of his death on December 15th, 1966 would be his team's conceptual response to the ills of the inner cities and the sprawl of the megalopolis: the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow or, as it became known, EPCOT.

This beautifully written, instantly engrossing volume focuses on the original concept of EPCOT, which was conceived by Disney as an experimental community of about 20, 000 people on the Disney World property in central Florida. With its radial plan, 50-acre town center enclosed by a dome, themed international shopping area, greenbelt, high-density apartments, satellite communities, monorail and underground roads, the original EPCOT plan is reminiscent of post-war Stockholm and the British New Towns, as well as today's transit-oriented development theory.

Unfortunately, Disney himself did not live long enough to witness the realization of his model city. However, EPCOT's evolution into projects such as the EPCOT Center and the town of Celebration displays a remarkable commitment by the Disney organization to the original EPCOT philosophy, one which continues to have relevance in the fields of planning and development.

Notes

Introduction

1. 1. Boyle Workman as told to Caroline Walker, The City That Grew (Los Angeles: The Southland Publishing Co., 1935), FML, p. 325. See David R. Smith, Inventory of Walt Disney's Offices, 3H Wing of the Animation Building, Walt Disney Studios, Burbank, California, August 23, 1971, WDA.
2. 2. John Reddy, ‘The Living Legacy of Walt Disney,’ Reader's Digest, June 1967, p. 170.
3. 3. Victor Gruen, The Heart of Our Cities (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1964). See Disney's office inventory.
4. 4. Public Law 89–754, Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan Development Act of 1966, Section 101.
5. 5. Ibid.
6. 6. Walt Disney, Florida Film – Final Script, Disney's segments were filmed on October 27, 1966, WDA, p. 7.
7. 7. Walt Disney quoted in Dave Smith, ed., Walt Disney: Famous Quotes (Lake Buena Vista: The Walt Disney Company, c. 1994), p. 33.
8. 8. Ward Kimball, interview by author, December 15, 1998, transcript, p. 5.
9. 9. Bob Thomas, ‘Uncle Walt's Greatest Stand: How There Almost Was No Disneyland,’ Los Angeles, 21, 12, December 1976, p. 164.
10. 10. William E. Potter, ‘Walt Disney World: A Venture in Community Planning & Development,’ ASHRAE Journal, March 1972, p. 30.
11. 11. Lillian Disney quoted by Katherine Greene and Richard Greene, interview, 1986. www.waltdisney.org, December 7, 2001, 20:00. This is the Walt Disney Family Educational Foundation museum website.
12. 12. Harrison Price, interview by author, February 16, 1998, transcript, p.14. Anonymous, ‘Disneyworld Amusement Center With Domed City Set For Florida,’ NYT, 116, 39,822, February 3, 1967, p. 38. See also Carl Bongiorno, interview by author, February 9, 1999, transcript, p. 22 (‘we always said that, based on what Walt is thinking, we have 20 to 30 years of work’). Along similar lines, Marty Sklar stated, ‘He gave us enough to last 10 to 20 years.’ Quoted in Jack Boettner, ‘Disney's “Magical Little Park” After Two Decades,’ LAT, July 6, 1975, p. X9.
13. 13. E. Cardon Walker, interview by author, April 6, 1999, transcript, p. 4.
14. 14. Marvin Davis quoted in Jack E. Janzen and Leon J. Janzen, ‘Planning the First Disney Parks … A Talk With Marvin Davis,’ TET, 28, Winter 1997, p. 17.
15. 15. Lewis Mumford in Robert L. Carovillano and James W. Skehan, S.J., Science and the Future of Man (Cambridge: The MIT Press, c. 1970), p. 111.
16. 16. John Hench, interview by author, December 18, 1997, transcript, p. 11.
17. 17. Victor Gruen, The Heart of Our Cities, p. 12.
18. 18. Sharon Disney Lund quoted in Amy Boothe Green and Howard E. Green, Remembering Walt (New York: Hyperion, 1999), p. 84.
19. 19. Morgan ‘Bill’ Evans, interview by author, June 27, 1998, transcript, p. 16.
20. 20. Randy Bright, Disneyland: Inside Story (New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1987), pp. 45, 48.
21. 21. Peter Hall, Cities in Civilization (New York: Pantheon Books, 1998), p. 961.
22. 22. Marvin Davis, interview by Richard Hubler, May 28, 1968, transcript, WDA, p. 25.
23. 23. Lewis Mumford Introductory Essay in Ebenezer Howard, Garden Cities of To-Morrow (Cambridge: The MIT Press, 1965), p. 29.
24. 24. Disney's father Elias was a Socialist. ‘Dad was raised on a weekly publication called The Appeal to Reason.’ Diane Disney Miller, as told to Pete Martin, ‘Hard Times in Kansas City,’ SEP, November 24, 1956, p. 70.
25. 25. Ward Kimball, interview by author, December 15, 1998, transcript, p. 18.
26. 26. Walt Disney, Florida Film – Final Script, Disney's segments were filmed on October 27, 1966, WDA, p. 2.

Chapter 1

1. 1. John Hench quoted in Charlie Haas, ‘Disneyland is Good For You,’ New West, 3, 25, December 4, 1978, pp. 13–19. At that time, Hench was chief operating officer of WED Enterprises at the age of 70.
2. 2. Elvis Lane, ‘Disney Tells of $100 Million Project,’ OS, 81, 187, November 16, 1965, p. 1. For a useful bibliography see Stephen J. Rebori, Theme and Entertainment Parks: Planning, Design, Development and Management (Chicago: American Planning Association, c. 1995). Also see Christopher Tunnard and Boris Pushkarev, Man-Made America: Chaos or Control? (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1963).
3. 3. Walt Disney quoted in Van Arsdale France, Window on Main Street … 35 Years of Creating Happiness at Disneyland Park (Nashua: Laughter Publications, Inc., c. 1991), p. 78.
4. 4. Marvin Davis did not care for New York City. See Marjorie Davis, interview by author, October 12, 1998, transcript, p. 4. For a classic analysis of Las Vegas, see Robert Venturi, Learning From Las Vegas: The Forgotten Symbolism of Architectural Form (Cambridge: MIT Press, c. 1977).
5. 5. Walt Disney quoted in Dave Smith, ed., Walt Disney: Famous Quotes, p. 34.
6. 6. See Carl Bongiorno, interview by author, February 9, 1999, transcript, p. 13.
7. 7. Marvin Davis quoted in Jack E. Janzen and Leon J. Janzen, ‘Planning the First Disney Parks … A Talk With Marvin Davis,’ p. 18. Davis was a pilot and had an interest in airports and their problems. See Marjorie Davis, interview by author, October 12, 1998, transcript, p. 13.
8. 8. Walt Disney Productions, ‘Project Florida/A Whole New Disney World,’ c. 1967, paper, WDA, p. 10. Also see East Central Florida Regional Planning Council, Airports, Comprehensive Regional Plan Series, September 1967, OPL, pp. 7, 18, 21.
9. 9. Walt Disney Productions, ‘Project Florida/A Whole New Disney World,’ p. 10.
10. 10. Ibid., p. 3. See Marjorie Davis, interview by author, October 12, 1998, transcript, p. 4.
11. 11. Dick Irvine, interview by Bob Thomas, April 24, 1973, transcript, WDA, p. 42. In 1965, Davis returned to WED from television to work on EPCOT and Disney World.
12. 12. See Jack E. Janzen and Leon J. Janzen, ‘Planning the First Disney Parks … A Talk With Marvin Davis,’ p. 16.
13. 13. Marvin Davis quoted in Jack E. Janzen and Leon J. Janzen, ‘Planning the First Disney Parks … A Talk With Marvin Dav...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title Page
• Dedication Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• List of Illustrations
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Concept
• Site
• Economics and Marketing
• Regulation and Governance
• List of Abbreviations
• Notes
• Biographical References
• EPCOT Chronology
• Bibliographical Essay
• Index