Originally Posted By SuperDry There used to be a one-page, several-paragraph history on the OLC website about how OLC brought TDR into being. I went looking for it today, only to find a gem that's so far been hiding from me. Check this out: <a href="http://www.olc.co.jp/en/50th/" target="_blank">http://www.olc.co.jp/en/50th/</a> This page has an overview, and then 7 detailed pages that give an extensive history of OLC, TDL, and TDR. It's a very interesting read, and I've never seen it covered in nearly this much detail in a single place before.
Originally Posted By SuperDry Mr X wrote in another thread: <<< ... and it sort of accompanies the fact that the OLC did approach Walt Disney himself somewhat earlier in the game to ask him about building a "Tokyo Disneyland" with the land they had in mind) >>> That is not my understanding. The OLC history above doesn't mention any contact with Disney until the early 70's, well after Walt's death. My understanding has always been that there was some other, unrelated business group (maybe just a lone businessman) that approached Walt during the 60's about a Disneyland in Japan, but that he got rebuffed. I think that Walt was quite upset personally about Nara Dreamland, and didn't want to have anything to do with the Japanese operating a Disney theme park. But I could be completely mistaken about this. It is interesting to think about where we would be today if OLC had not been formed, and/or their negotiations with Disney to bring a Disneyland to Japan in the late 70's had not panned out. I think in all likelihood, they would have developed the land into a "leisure facility" anyway with some sort of amusement park component. If that had happened, what would have happened with Disney in Japan? Would Paris still have been the first Disney theme park outside of the US, or would Disney itself set its eyes on Japan?
Originally Posted By Mr X I don't know if true or not, except to say I heard it in several OLC "orientation" meetings at DisneyWorld and Disneyland, and by multiple orientation staffers. So if that's urban legend, they must have heard it someplace and got around to repeating it. In fact, they always told the story the same way (I heard it at LEAST twice, but I think as many as four times), including a little joke about Walt being "a little busy with some new project in Florida" at the time of the request.
Originally Posted By Mr X Perhaps the orientation folks mixed up the two stories. They definitely did claim it was "the OLC" that approached Walt Disney.
Originally Posted By dennis-in-ct I see the Sinbad show building very close to small world just as mr x said
Originally Posted By Mr X ***Subsequently, in February 1974, we made a formal request in writing for the top Disney executives to come to Japan on a fact-finding tour. In June, President Kawasaki paid a visit to The Walt Disney Company. He met with the Disney president to reiterate Oriental Land’s desire to bring Disneyland to Japan and again issued an invitation to the top executives to visit Japan*** This is funny to me. Without saying it, I'm guessing the implication is that their "formal request" was blown off by the Disney folks. This must have been quite puzzling by Japanese business standards (as such a "formal request" MUST have been backed by the intention of wining and dining and dazzling the execs from America in grand fashion!). I wonder if the cold shoulder didn't pique their interest all the more though, resulting in the company president himself "paying a visit" (in Japanese terms, that's quite humiliating for an important person to have to do!) in order to try and move things forward. Anyway, just thought it was a funny way of putting things (I would guess a Western account would leave out the initial, thoroughly rejected offer). lol
Originally Posted By Mr X I second Dave in post 7, by the way...awesome find SD, and thank you for sharing it with us all!
Originally Posted By Mr X I'm loving some of the amazing pictures shown there (the dinosaur from Western River Railroad traveling through Ginza, and the CM's spelling out Tokyo Disneyland for an ariel shot of the park still in early stages of being built! SD, these are gems! One wonders why the Parisians aren't so proud of "Paris" being attached to their own park (or TWDC, perhaps?)...I know from experience that part of what makes TOKYO Disney so special is that they are very proud of the "Tokyo" part of their moniker, which is so apparent in that picture! One would think "Disneyland Paris" is a much more special thing than "Disneyland Park (not to be confused with the original one in Anaheim)". But I digress. I'm just sort of soaking up these awesome pages of history like fine wine at this point...how I wish I'd had the chance to check out TDL in its' early days (I first experienced WDW in 1975, first time at Disneyland was 1990, and first time at TDL was 1998). The Mrs. X has some VERY interesting stories to tell, as she grew up with the place. For one thing, according to her most Japanese folks thought the place would be a flop, and it didn't gain much popularity until a few years after opening. She grew up near TDL, and is as good a source of "reality" as I can think of (despite claims of "vast crowds" early on which I've read about repeatedly)...she also worked at TDL in the early days of the park and has some interesting insights, I shall show her this most interesting historical piece and TRY to cajole her into commenting here if at all possible.
Originally Posted By Mr X ***During the Second Plan period, annual Park attendance continued to increase, thanks in part to the economic boom in Japan. With that in mind, we expanded what was supposed to be a single attraction into an entire new themed land—Splash Mountain was turned into the focal attraction of Critter Country*** I am equally amused by/annoyed with DisCorp speak such as this... It's not "the focal attraction", it's the ONLY attraction. Plus, a restaurant. That's about it. Technically speaking, the canoes do launch from Critter Country (when did THEY open, though?), but I can say without exaggeration that I, personally and without any assistance of any kind, could design and build with my own hands, a pathway so that the canoes would be launched from Westernland (I'm assuming they were in the first place, but I'll leave that to the historians lol). So I wonder what they mean by expanding to "create a whole new land", beyond corporate-speak for "another reason to visit the park!". Critter Country in America has always included the Bears and the Rabbit (and then Pooh, in California's case), and a bit more to see and do (not much). But in Tokyo's case, calling the thing "a whole new themed land" is pretty pathetic imho. How many people hung around and spent a chunk of time in Critter Country TDL, aside from perhaps grabbing a bite to eat before or after the ride on Splash? I can easily say I spent time in/explored/enjoyed, pretty much any other "land" in the Disney empire, but hardly this one. It's a ride (and a restaurant), off the path from Westernland. Rant, over.
Originally Posted By leemac <<It's not "the focal attraction", it's the ONLY attraction.>> Oh no it isn't. )
Originally Posted By Mr X Photo booths don't count, dude. But in case I'm missing something, please enlighten me.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo >>>One would think "Disneyland Paris" is a much more special thing than "Disneyland Park (not to be confused with the original one in Anaheim)". But I digress.<<< Hmmmm, well there is a difficult balance. In Europe, although we are trying to integrate the countries much more, there are 1000's of years of tension and history on the continent. Although there are some references to Paris (like a cute range of merchandise where the Fab five are in front of famous Paris landmarks), the park is essentially a European park (though the majority of visitors are from France). Paris seems to be more loved outside of Europe than in it.
Originally Posted By Mr X I will forever stand by my guns (sorry Sarah Palin for the audacity lol) in saying that there is only, and only ever WILL be, ONE Disneyland. The one that Walt Built. In California. Thus "Disneyland Park" is a tough one to accept. And I don't accept it (labeled that way or not). The Asian parks do a good job of separating things (heck, TDR starts with TOKYO, after all), I think it only proper that Euro/Paris/France/Le Dizunee/whatever make some distinction of it. All appreciation for the historical input though, Dave! Does certainly put things into perspective (WHY do they hate Paris so much though? I don't get it), although I still will never accept the notion of multiple "Disneyland Park" parks out there!
Originally Posted By leemac <<though the majority of visitors are from France>> Barely - 51% of guests come from France.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo >>><<though the majority of visitors are from France>> Barely - 51% of guests come from France.<<< Leaving 49% spread across the UK, Spanish, Italain, Dutch, Belgian, German, Austrian, Swiss, Portuguese, Scandanavian etc. markets. sounds like a majority to me.
