Disney’s America

Our previous post explored the disastrous downfall of what is now Disneyland Paris, and how that park’s failure destroyed thousands of plans and dashed the ideas of hundreds of Walt Disney Imagineers. Today we’ll take a look at one of the most ambitious of those ideas – Disney’s America. Disney’s America was intended to be Disney’s third American resort destination. Situated in rural Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C., the park was to lead visitors through the history of the United States, from the ancient Native Americans up to the late twentieth century.

There would literally be themed areas (“lands”) to carry guests across all the centuries of American existence. Guests would first enter the park through Crossroads USA. This would be the quintessential American town of the early 1800s, and would allow guests to see the United States as a fledgling nation not yet torn asunder. Meanwhile, a real steam train would roll in and out of town.

Continuing on, guests would enter the Presidents’ Square area. Here guests could enjoy Disney’as classic “Hall of Presidents” attraction in celebration of our freedom and those patriots who fight to preserve it. Further down the road, guests would find themselves in Native America. This land would encapsulate the native way of life found in the wilderness of America from around 1600 to the early 1800s. There would have been a full sized recreation of an American Indian village, in addition to a thrilling Lewis & Clark whitewater raft ride.  Soon, guests would enter a true-to-life Civil War Fort. Outside, a full scale battlefield would feature regularly scheduled reenactments while the nearby Freedom Bay would host naval battles daily.

Leaving the fort, guests would find themselves in the 20th century in the Family Farm. Focusing on 1930 to 1945, this land would focus on American agriculture and feature shows and attractions revolving around American grit during the Great Depression. Naturally, nearby would be the State Fair area. Set in the same era, this land would feature a striking white ferris wheel and a thrilling wooden coaster.

Also set in the 1940s would be the Victory Field land. There guests would discover several exhibits hailing American aviation of both world wars, with planes on interactive display to guests. The main attraction, however, would be the Dogfighter – at the time, it would have been the first ever inverted dueling coaster. Stepping back in time, guests wind up in Enterprise, a booming American town during the age of the Industrial Revolution around the turn of the twentieth century. Again, guests would be treated to an intense yet educational coaster experience, as they dodge molten metals and blast furnaces. Rounding out the park would be the We the People area. A full recreation of Ellis Island, the land would have been, perhaps, the most patriotic of them all, with shows and exhibits celebrating the melting pot that is the American experiment.

Unfortunately, as a result of severe pressure from locals and due to the financial losses running up in Paris, the Disney’s America was shelved permanently in 1995. Oh how I wish that wasn’t so.