Disneyland: One Man's Dream: Disneyland Resort Initial Conception

Disney abbandoned the Port Disney idea after protest from enviornmentalists and the government. So now focused shifted once again back to where it all started.

Disney aquired the Disneyland Hotel, along with all other assets of the Jack Wrather Coperation. Then, Disney sold all other assets (RMS Queen Mary, Lassie, etc.) and kept the hotel. This was the first step to building the Disneyland Resort.


Now, the first plans of the Disneyland Resort were being showed to the public. The resort would include:
-Disneyland Park (with a few more attractions...)
-WestCOT- A second theme park, similar to Epcot in Walt Disney World, which would be built on the Disneyland parking lot.
-4 Resort Hotels (The Disneyland Hotel, The Magic Kingdom Hotel, The WestCOT lake Resort
-Disneyland Center- A shopping, dining, and entertainment area situated on a 6 acre lake.
-Disneyland Bowl- A 5,000 seat ampitheater.
-Large Parking Structures, like Mickey and Friends, with a people mover to transport people to and from the parking structures.

The entire construction was going to cost $3 billion, with WestCOT itself costing $2 billion. Let's get into some of the details, shall we?

Disneyland Center was going to be a large dining and shopping area with different forms of entertainment. Think of GardenWalk and Downtown Disney combined. The buildings would be modeled after various California landmarks, including Catalina's Avalon Ballroom, Venice Beach's Boardwalk, and San Diego's Coronado Hotel. All this was to be situated along a 6 acre lake.

The Magic Kingdom Hotel was designed to look like the historic Santa Barbara Mission. This was going to be located, like most of the other hotels (except the original Disneyland Hotel) in Disneyland Center.

The Disneyland Resort Hotel was going to contain about 800 rooms and was going to be the most luxurious hotel in the resort. It was going to be Disneyland's crown jewel, like the Grand Floridian Hotel. And why wouldn't it be? It had was based of the same exact hotel as the Grand Floridian- The Hotel del Coronado in San Diego.

Finally, the WestCOT Lake Resort was going to be unlike any other Disney Hotel- the hotel was actually going to be inside a themepark. The resort would be desinged to look like the Beverly Hills Hotel. Guests could stay in rooms above the attractions above World Showcase at WestCOT (more on this tomorrow...).

And, of course, we had WestCOT which deserves it's own segment. It was truly a marvel.