Disneyland's Unbuilt 'Wescot' Park and Pandora's Pandora Updates

Pandora: The World of Avatar Updates

• 💡 Disney's media relations team clarified that the "bioluminescent frozen cocktail" at Pandora's Pongu Pongu Lounge uses "glow cubes," not actual bioluminescent organisms, after an inquiry about FDA regulations and dietary concerns.
• 📺 The launch of Pandora was heavily promoted across ABC, with segments on Good Morning America, The View featuring James Cameron, and The Chew showcasing the food.
• 🗺️ The backstory for Pandora is set 20 years after the Avatar sequels, with the Na'vi now willing to welcome outsiders, despite the toxic atmosphere of Pandora requiring humans to use avatars or specialized suits.

Na'vi River Journey and Flights of Passage

• 🛶 The Na'vi River Journey is described as a mild boat ride through a bioluminescent forest, utilizing a mix of practical effects, props, and screens, culminating in an encounter with the Na'vi shaman.
• 🐉 Flights of Passage features two-person ride vehicles designed to simulate riding a Banshee, with a curved projection screen and adaptive vehicle elements to enhance the immersive experience.
• ⏱️ Both rides are designed for a combined hourly capacity of approximately 4,000 people, though final testing with cast members is pending to confirm throughput efficiency.

The Unbuilt 'Wescot' Park Proposal

• 🏗️ In 1990, Michael Eisner proposed a massive "Disney Decade" expansion for Anaheim, including a new park called "Wescot," estimated to cost over a billion dollars.
• 🚇 Wescot's design featured subterranean "sound stage" style buildings for Future World pavilions (Wonders of Nature, Space, Living) to avoid visual intrusion and allow for flexible theming.
• 🌍 The World Showcase portion of Wescot was planned with four themed worlds: Old World (Europe), New World (Americas), Asia, and Africa, with buildings six stories tall and hotel space on upper floors.
• 🚀 A central "Space Station Earth" attraction, a 300-foot golden sphere, was envisioned as the park's icon, housing a film attraction called "Cosmic Journeys" similar to "Powers of 10."
• 🚆 Transportation within Wescot included an "Orient Express" for the European section and a "Montreal" system for the wider resort, aiming to create a multi-day destination.
• 🛣️ The proposal also included significant infrastructure improvements, such as new parking garages and highway ramps, requiring Disney to purchase surrounding land.
• 🚢 Simultaneously, Disney was exploring a "Port Disney" project in Long Beach, using this as leverage in negotiations for the Anaheim expansion.

Historical Context and Design Philosophy

• 💡 The concept of Wescot's underground pavilions and flexible interior spaces was influenced by Eisner's desire to avoid the perceived sterility of Epcot Center and the cost of maintaining exterior building aesthetics.
• 🎢 Comparisons were drawn to existing rides like Pirates of the Caribbean and "it's a small world" for the Na'vi River Journey, and the Tron Lightcycle Power Run in Shanghai for the Flights of Passage ride vehicle concept.
• 📉 The discussion touches on historical capacity issues, citing Splash Mountain's reduction in log capacity as an example of how initial designs can be impacted by practical testing and safety concerns.
• 🗣️ The podcast hosts acknowledge their critical stance on Disney's offerings, noting it likely prevents them from receiving media event invitations.