Disney's America was a proposed Disney theme park in the early 1990s. A site was selected in Haymarket, Virginia, approximately from Manassas National Battlefield Park and west of Washington, D.C., accessible from Interstate 66. Disney's America would have consisted of nine distinctly themed areas spanning , and it would have featured hotels, housing, a golf course, and nearly of retail and commercial development.
The $650-million project (equivalent to $ in ) was announced on November 11, 1993. It would have been themed to the history of the United States, and it was scheduled to open in 1998. The project had initial support from various politicians and local officials, but it soon faced opposition from citizen's groups and historians who objected to Disney's planned portrayal of historical events, as well as the potential impact on nearby historic sites. It was cancelled in September 1994 following disappointing early results for Euro Disney (now Disneyland Paris), the death of Frank Wells, rising costs, the prospect of reduced profits with the park being closed for four months each year, and vigorous public protest from historians and activists.
When Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California, went on sale in 1997, discussions to buy the park and retheme it revived the concept. However, the Knott family refused to sell to Disney, citing concerns over Disney's plans, and the project failed to take off. Several of the proposed elements of Disney's America were incorporated into Disney's California Adventure, which opened in 2001.
History
Then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner stated the genesis for Disney's America was sparked by a visit taken by him and other Disney executives to Colonial Williamsburg three to four years before the 1993 announcement. After coming up with the concept, Disney spent two years scouting potential sites near Washington, D.C. After concept plans for Disney's America were drawn up for the history-based attraction in 1993, it became Eisner's pet project. Eisner obtained the support of outgoing Governor L. Douglas Wilder (D) and incoming Gov. George Allen (R), Wilder said he was "pleased that you [Disney] have come to us," and Allen promised to "kick down any hurdles" that would hold up the park. As originally proposed, Disney's America would have created 1,900 jobs and generated $50 million annually in tax revenue.
Peter Rummell, president of Disney Design & Development, stated the park was designed to be a one-day experience, and the goal was to make history "real but also make it fun." Rummell acknowledged that creating entertainment around historical events such as slavery and the Civil War could be controversial, but he elaborated that "an intelligent story, properly told, shouldn't offend anybody ... But we won't worry about being politically correct." Allen proposed in State of Virginia spending, one of the costliest incentive packages offered to-date, to improve roads at the proposed Disney site, defray relocation costs, and promote tourism in the area. In addition, Prince William County had requested in loans from Virginia to improve water and sewer lines. with Disney advancing the subsidy proposal on the last possible day and threatening to abandon the project if it was not passed.
Opposition and protests
Opposition materializes
thumb|right|400px|The parcel intended to host Disney's America was close to the town of Haymarket and the Manassas National Battlefield Park.
Public opposition to the theme park and associated development was stronger than Disney expected, especially from a vocal group of prominent historians named Protect Historic America. Other members of Protect Historic America included C. Vann Woodward, John Hope Franklin, James M. McPherson, Barbara J. Fields, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Shelby Foote, Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., William Styron, Tom Wicker, Richard Moe and Roger Wilkins. McPherson warned that sprawl "would desecrate the ground over which men fought and died." These opponents advocated for the protection of some of land in order to prevent any large developments like Disney's America.
Disney also faced opposition from groups concerned that historical events such as the Civil War and slavery could be trivialized by teaching history through entertainment and possibly selling "little souvenir slave ships." By August 1994, novelist William Styron penned an opinion that any exhibit that would allow visitors to "experience" slavery would be inadequate and soon afterward, Disney announced the proposed slavery exhibit had been shelved. but faced opposition from nearby towns who echoed McCullough's prediction: "following [the theme park] will be all the things people want, gas stations, motels and, God help us, the fast-food strips." A national farm conservation group, the American Farmland Trust, voiced its opposition to the project, saying it threatened up to 50% of the state's orchards and 15% of its farmland. Proponents of the theme park project alleged Protect Historic America was merely a front to advance the interests of wealthy landowners who owned land close to the planned development.
Disney projected up to 35,000 automobiles per day, which raised traffic and pollution concerns amongst local residents. Virginia Transportation Secretary Robert E. Martinez announced the state would seek a full federal review of the planned freeway improvements, which would delay the approval of road construction funds. Operators of other area attractions, including Colonial Williamsburg, feared that Disney's America would siphon away tourist time and spending instead of adding another attraction for the Washington, D.C., area. Disney Vice President John Dreyer dismissed these protesters as stereotypical NIMBY citizens, saying "I think it's very similar to the arguments you've heard about a dozen projects around the country—which is, 'I'm here, I don't want anyone else to come.' " saying he was "not opposed to Disney or the park, as long as the project is built in another location." Andrews was joined in support by Reps. Tim Roemer (D-IN) and Robert Torricelli (D-NJ), with Torricelli adding that Civil War history should "not [be taught] by Minnie and Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck."
On June 22, 1994, a Senate subcommittee hearing was held in regards to the validity of the proposed development of Disney's America. Elected officials and Disney executives testified in support of the project, while historians testified in opposition. Sens. John Warner (R-VA), Ben Nighthorse Campbell (D-CO), and other officials argued that Congress had no business intervening in what was a state project. The same day, a Prince William County judge dismissed a lawsuit that had been brought by Disney's America opponents on the grounds that the proposed park violated local zoning ordinances.
Eisner rebuked protesters and detractors, especially the historian members of Protect Historic America, saying in a June 1994 interview with The Washington Post that "I sat through many history classes where I read some of their stuff, and I didn't learn anything. It was pretty boring. I guess I can say that I object to some of their stuff." Eisner was surprised by the opposition, stating that he had "expected to be taken around on people's shoulders" for both the economic stimulus of 19,000 new jobs and the entertainment value that would allow visitors "to get high on history."
In order to try to convince historians who were opposed to the project, Eisner brought a group of historians to Epcot to see The American Adventure. However, the historians reacted negatively to the exhibition, and Eisner later said that the historians probably had the impression that "Disney couldn’t be trusted to depict American history in ways that were sufficiently complex, subtle and inclusive". The group also went to see The Hall of Presidents at Magic Kingdom, which received generally positive acclaim from the historians. despite the political backing of numerous officials. By the time Disney withdrew the project from Haymarket, the New York Times reported that Disney felt they could gain official but not public approval, resulting in unacceptable delays. The land slated for the proposed park has instead since been used to build tens of thousands of single and multi-family homesites in the Dominion Valley and Piedmont housing developments and Camp William B. Snyder for the Boy Scouts of America.
At the same time they announced they were abandoning the Haymarket site, Disney announced they still intended to build the theme park at a "less controversial" site in either Virginia or Maryland. within a theme park serving up to 30,000 visitors per day.
- Crossroads USA, 1800–1850 – A pre-Civil War-era village that would have served as the hub of Disney's America. Guests would enter under an 1840s train trestle, which would have featured antique steam trains circling the park.
- Native America, 1600–1810 – A recreation of a Native American village that would have reflected the tribes that were known in that part of the country. Guests would have also enjoyed interactive experiences, exhibits, and arts and crafts, as well as a whitewater river raft ride that would have traveled throughout the area, based on the Lewis and Clark Expedition. would have been replicated or relocated in this section of Disney's America from, respectively, Magic Kingdom Park and Epcot at Walt Disney World.
- Civil War Fort, 1850–1870 – A Civil War fort would have plunged guests into a more turbulent time of American history; with an adjacent replica battlefield where Civil War re-enactments would be staged and an adjacent man-made Freedom Bay, where water battles between the Monitor and the Merrimac would have been staged as a "thrilling nighttime spectacular".
Additional proposed development
According to Rummell, plans also included:
- Democracy, the entrance area featuring attractions such as America: A User's Guide, the American Free Speech Forum and the American Hall of Fame.
- Family or Generations, featuring a multi-media show called American Families following four generations of a family from 1929 to 1999.
- The Land, based on the Epcot attraction of the same name.
- Creativity and Fun, similar to the original concept for State Fair, featuring a full-scale recreation of Ebbets Field and Coney Island-themed attractions.
- Work featuring factory tours of iconic American companies such as Apple, Ben & Jerry's and Crayola.
- Service & Sacrifice, similar to the original concept for Victory Field, featuring the attraction Soldier's Story taking guests through memorable moments in American wars and other interactive areas where guests could attempt military training.
- American People telling the Immigration Story on a ride and film featuring the Muppets as well as the Dream of Freedom movie discussing the ongoing struggle for freedom and equality.
- Streets of America, a dining district featuring "streets" themed for cuisine from different cities, including:
- Chicago (Chicago-style pizza)
- Los Angeles (Hispanic and fast food)
- New Orleans (Cajun)
- New York City (Jewish/deli food)
- St. Louis (barbecued ribs)
- San Francisco (Chinese)
- Disney's America Live, the entertainment venue featuring outdoor stages and the State Farm Arena where guests could attempt hog calling and calf roping.
Proposed conversion of Knott's Berry Farm
thumb|right|250px|[[Independence Hall replica construction at Knott's Berry Farm, March 17, 1966. Courtesy of Orange County Archives.]]
A conversion of Knott's Berry Farm (in Buena Park, California, near Disneyland) into Disney's America was drafted shortly after the Knott family announced that they would take bids for its property. The idea for the conversion reportedly came from the exact replica of Independence Hall, which sits in the parking lot of Knott's Berry Farm.
Ideas transferred to other parks
Soarin' from Epcot and Disney's California Adventure evolved from some of the rides planned for Victory Field. Other concepts originally intended for Disney's America were slightly re-themed and re-worked as elements of Disney California Adventure, including the Bountiful Valley Farm (Family Farm), Grizzly River Run (Lewis and Clark Expedition raft ride), California Screamin (State Fair roller coaster ride) as well as Condor Flats (Victory Field).
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Contemporaneous opinions
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Will the project encourage sprawl beyond the boundaries of the park itself? There's little doubt that it will.<br />What is sprawl? It is low-density development on the edges of cities and towns. It is poorly planned, land-consumptive, automobile-oriented, designed without regard for its surroundings -- and usually ugly as well.<br />Sprawl has already established a solid beachhead in Northern Virginia, and this project will almost certainly give it a big push westward. New and widened highways will be built for the 30,000 tourists expected at the park each day, and this will likely lead to the rapid proliferation of fast-food restaurants, motels and strip malls. It is sadly easy to envision this "road rash" devastating some of the most beautiful and historic countryside in America.
[...]
What effect will "Disney's America" have on public visitation at "real" historic sites? Disney spokesmen claim that the park will draw thousands of additional visitors to the area and that all historic sites will benefit.<br />But the park's power to attract new visitors is no sure thing. When Disney steps too far beyond its tried-and-true formula of audience-pleasing entertainment and storybook endings, it can stub its toe. EuroDisney, an American-style theme park near Paris, drew disappointing crowds and lost nearly $1 billion in its first year. Disney may find that selling real history to Americans is as great a challenge as selling the Magic Kingdom to Europeans.<br />If the park does draw huge crowds, it will likely do so by cutting deeply into the area's already-established tourist market. Washington is one of the country's most popular vacation destinations. Last year, more than 13 million domestic tourists came here for fun and a dose of history; it's as time-honored a ritual as anything in American tourism. Disney surely knows that a family planning the typical three- to-four-day visit to Washington will be under strong pressure from children -- and probably adults as well -- to spend at least one day at the theme park.
[...]
What will "Disney's America" mean for the teaching of American history? How authentically will Disney portray the awfulness of slavery or the brutality of the Indian wars? Is the "warts-and-all" teaching of history too much at odds with modern notions of mass entertainment?<br />Not necessarily. Ken Burns's television classic, The Civil War, deeply moved millions of viewers, and David McCullough's series on The American Experience has reached millions more. Any number of films and plays, ranging from Abe Lincoln in Illinois to the recently released Gettysburg, have enriched our understanding of American history.<br />Can Disney do the same? Perhaps, but the countervailing pressures of authentic history on the one hand and sustained commercial success on the other are probably too great for each other. Can George Washington co-exist with Mickey Mouse? Can the meaning of the Civil War be conveyed next to a roller coaster? Once a visitor has seen the Disney version of Ellis Island, will the real thing retain its appeal? Can slavery be properly interpreted in an amusement park?
—Richard Moe, 21 December 1993
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Critics complain that Disney is in the business of telling stories and is not up to the challenge of "serious issues."<br />Yes, by its own admission, Disney's strength is story telling -- using creative methods and advanced technology to add realism and accuracy, and to hold the listener's interest. But what is history, if not a true "story"? Indeed, Webster's is instructive, defining history as "an account of what has or might have happened, esp. in the form of a narrative, play, story, or tale."<br />Moreover, Disney has an impressive record in addressing serious questions. Its Hall of Presidents at Walt Disney World is a sterling example of the company's ability to bring history alive without sacrificing accuracy. Given the opportunity, I'd rather meet Abraham Lincoln in the flesh. Given that Mr. Lincoln isn't available, Disney's Hall of Presidents is the next best thing.<br />Disney's critics have also posed a fundamentally false choice between "real" history as represented by the monuments of Washington, D.C., and the Civil War battlefields of Virginia and "synthetic" history at Disney's America. Once exposed to history as depicted at Disney's America, the critics lament, tourists would ignore the White House, the Manassas battlefield, Mount Vernon, Monticello and other historic landmarks.<br />No such choices are necessary. Disney's America is designed to complement the historic attractions in the D.C. area and the state of Virginia. By stimulating an interest in history, Disney's America should whet the appetite for visits to battlefields, museums, and Disney's critics also seem to suggest that there is a single, correct version of history. In fact, no book, no museum, no single authority possesses the final word.
—Richard R. Willich, 15 February 1994
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Disney says that it intends to build a new city with 2,500 houses for a population of some 7,000 people on this now uninhabited site, along with hotels, offices, shopping and malls. The magnet for this suburban city is a theme park on American history, sitting at the project's center, that Disney estimates will attract some 30,000 visitors a day. Adding residents, visitors and some 9,000 workers together, we have a daily population of 46,000 people added to Haymarket's present population of 375. Ancillary development attracted by the project will draw at least half again as many people. (In Anaheim and Orlando, such development has drawn far more.) That will leave a city with a daily population of about 70,000 people, approaching the size of Alexandria. Issues of crime, sprawl, gridlock and pollution can't be dealt with here -- but Disney's claim that these won't be serious problems is wishful thinking.<br />Certainly anyone who owns land in Haymarket could profit from Disney's America, provided he or she is prepared to sell it and move away. A family with 10 acres on the highway could be rich right now. If land values rise 20-fold, property taxes must certainly follow -- particularly with the vast, open-ended public commitment to infrastructure that the project will require. National chains and franchises are already bidding up the price of land in Haymarket -- they will soon control the land market entirely, just as they do in Manassas and other suburban cities. How many present residents of the region will remain after the conversion to an international tourist economy is complete? Those who can't afford the taxes will be forced to move, while those who can will go of their own volition. Whole communities like Aldie, Haymarket and The Plains, which are centuries old, are apt to be destroyed.
[...]
Let's assume we're lucky -- that the presence of 13,800 new jobs attracts just 10,000 new families of 2.8 people to the Piedmont region, and that trailer parks along Route 66 and Interstate 95 spring up fast enough to handle them. The region will then have some 8,000 new students to educate, to which we should add another 2,000 students from Disney's housing tracts. At $5,000 per student per year, Disney's America could cost the public some $50 million a year for schools alone. New taxpayers will help foot some of that bill, no doubt. But it's a plain demographic fact that the candidates for Disney's low-paying, service-sector jobs are most likely to be those very people with young children who pay the least in taxes.
[...]
Disney will be followed by a secondary invasion of national and global chains, to feed off the stream of tourists flowing through the park. The profits from these companies -- Sheraton, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Pizza Hut -- will be shipped back to their various home bases. Meanwhile, in the process of establishing themselves, they'll likely drive Joe's Pizza, Gossom's Hardware, Little River B&B and The Plains Pharmacy out of business. When that happens, Joe and his fellow business leaders will have no profits to re-invest, and no choice but to work at Disney or Pizza Hut like everyone else. Local leadership dies when the locally owned economy is wiped out.<br />It's ironic that a 20th century mercantile power like Disney would choose Virginia, of all places, to establish a colony whose money would come from selling history, of all subjects. The first English mercantile colony was founded at Jamestown in 1604, and the revolution that drove the English from America was led by Virginians -- mostly from the Piedmont -- who accepted the English surrender, the first of many in their colonizing history, at Yorktown. Somewhere in its collective memory, Virginia knows about colonial oppression.
—Richard Squires, 23 January 1994
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The naysayers paint a simplistic picture in which commercial development and a respect for history are mutually exclusive, in which past and present are combatants in a never-ending war of attrition. The actual arguments against Disney's America are more animated and exercised than "Fantasia's" dancing hippos.<br />It is ironic that the jeremiads against Disney's America are themselves so cartoonishly overwrought. Disney's America will certainly spur traffic and population increases in the area (up to 6 million visitors are expected annually), but it is doubtful that the growth will consist of pushers and prostitutes. The anti-Disney forces repeat time and again that the park's site is "sacred" but never explain precisely how commercial development precludes an appreciation for the area's history.<br />While T-shirt and souvenir shops may not be particularly rustic, they won't be plopped down in the middle of a historic battlefield, either. That is one of the reasons -- along with the economic opportunities generated by the park -- why a majority of residents of Prince William County, where the park will be situated, are in favor of the development.<br />Much of the intellectual contempt for Disney's America is purely reactionary, exhibiting what the late Nobel laureate economist George Stigler identified in his 1963 essay, "The Intellectuals and the Marketplace," as "the instinctive dislike for a system of organizing economic life through the search for profits." By this logic, it is all right to maintain historic landmarks, as long as they don't draw very many visitors. But to build something nearby that local inhabitants support and that might actually generate tourism and money is, in C. Vann Woodward's mind, an act of 'invasion.'
—Nick Gillespie, 18 July 1994
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In media
In 1995, English musician Graham Parker released a song about the planned park on his album 12 Haunted Episodes. The song was well-received and considered, "the best of his latest batch," according to Mike Boehm of the Los Angeles Times. The song was considered a critique of "soulless commercialism."
See also
- Freedomland U.S.A., a defunct American history-themed amusement park in New York City, loosely based on the original Disneyland
- Marriott's Great America, another unbuilt amusement park planned for Manassas, Virginia
References
Bibliography
External links
- Disney Documents þlus on park's defeat
- Disney and More The Disney's America Theme Park Project