[Pictures] Long lost Westcot

[brian9549]

I was going through my Disneyland stuff that I have kept over the years and I found the original press kit from Westcot. This was from 1993. Have a look at what we could have gotten, sorry for the quality of some of the images, my scanner is not the best. I hope you enjoy.

[Cuddles McHenry]

Re: Long lost Westcot

Very very cool, thanks for sharing. I remember when this was announced.
What a great piece of Disney history to keep.

[Ortizmo2000]

Re: Long lost Westcot

Yeah, I remember seeing glimpses of this too. This would've rocked.

hey....at least we have Soarin' and ToT.

[sailerm]

Re: Long lost Westcot

I recall the term Wescot, but did not realize that press kits had released. Very Cool.

[basx]

Re: Long lost Westcot

[Mad_Hatter_Lover]

Re: Long lost Westcot

So Westcot was going to go where DCA is now?!

[Bob Weaver]

Re: Long lost Westcot

Thanks! If only they had built that instead of DCA! That would have been truly awesome. Why did they discard the Westcot plan? Could they still build it now, in the location marked "Future expansion area?" Could they extend the Monorail over to that area? I think that area is occupied by a cast member parking lot now.

[Mojave]

Re: Long lost Westcot

It is interesting all the parking lot/structures. I can tell where Mickey and Friends parking is now compared to this map but what about the other 2 "10"‘s? I was under the impression that Disney only owned the strawberry field, which looks like the "future expansion area". An area much larger then what the field is.

For the other 2 "10"s on the east side of the map, the bottom one is what became Garden Walk. The bottom half of the top one is the Pumbaa Lot which will become a parking structure. The top half has warehouses/businesses mixed into another parking lot. I remember talking about this space a year ago, but don't recall what we determined about the possibility of Disney owning/buying that land.

The problem I see with a Westcot is that it would try to do too much in too little a space: future world and the world showcase. Those pyramids, for instance, would have been interesting, but probably underwhelming given the limited space. Then again, Cars Land is being built in limited space and looks to be pretty amazing.

[Peoplemover Priit]

Re: Long lost Westcot

I think I'm kind of caught in the middle. I think that what was planned for Westcot and what we got in DCA is an obvious lead to Westcot. But I think that DCA has much more potential.

[LittleImagineer]

Re: Long lost Westcot

Wow, that's awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Okay, so I wasn't alive at the time when Westcot was announced and all that so was Westcot a huge deal that everyone knew about? Why did they scratch the idea if they had already gone sooo far with it and released a bunch of stuff and all that?

[Tomorrowland_1967]

Re: Long lost Westcot

I remember this very well. Have the same literature.

As much as we all would have appreciated this FAR more than DCA ...... my only issue is it would have been a completed park with no room for future expansion. And the only way to renew the park .. would have been to tear out something .. to build something new.

[Tomorrowland_1967]

Re: Long lost Westcot

Wow, that's awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Okay, so I wasn't alive at the time when Westcot was announced and all that so was Westcot a huge deal that everyone knew about? Why did they scratch the idea if they had already gone sooo far with it and released a bunch of stuff and all that?

Eisner got cold feet.

Three things shifted his interest in quality theme parks, attractions, etc:

1. Well's death in 1994
2. Eisner's own health issues around the same time.
3. Lackluster performance at Euro Disney (the hotels, not the park).

Enter - the era of "El Cheapo-land". (DCA, TL:98, Light Magic, etc.)

Another little bit of history Disney does not like to publicize - These "glamorous" ideas (Westcot) was ALSO a ploy to get the city of Anaheim interested in a Second Gate. While ... simultaneously .. Disney made their phony "DisneySea/Queen Mary" plan for Long Beach. But it was just a cocked up scheme to get the city of Anaheim in their back pocket .. which was what they really wanted.

[dogtherock]

Re: Long lost Westcot

I really wish WestCOT has happened.

[Rob™]

Re: Long lost Westcot

Eisner got cold feet.

Three things shifted his interest in quality theme parks, attractions, etc:

1. Well's death in 1994
2. Eisner's own health issues around the same time.
3. Lackluster performance at Euro Disney (the hotels, not the park).

Enter - the era of "El Cheapo-land". (DCA, TL:98, Light Magic, etc.)

Another little bit of history Disney does not like to publicize - These "glamorous" ideas (Westcot) was ALSO a ploy to get the city of Anaheim interested in a Second Gate. While ... simultaneously .. Disney made their phony "DisneySea/Queen Mary" plan for Long Beach. But it was just a cocked up scheme to get the city of Anaheim in their back pocket .. which was what they really wanted.

Misguided and disheartening times.

Oh how I remember them so vividly.

[Mac Daddy]

Re: Long lost Westcot

It really is amazing to think about how much more acreage would have gone into that park when you include Downtown Disney as part it. Now THAT'S a park. DCA....really now. What were they thinking? :blink:

On the other hand, you really have to wonder where they would have put all of those cars...Maybe it's not shown on the map. Is that a monorail or a people mover running from the hotels? No trams that I can see...

[maelstrom]

Re: Long lost Westcot

Westcot would've been amazing. I don't know how they could have honestly decided on good conscience that DCA was a better choice. I remember reading about Westcot and getting excited. I remember being at Disneyland while DCA was being built and for some reason still thinking (at thirteen years old) that it was still going to be a Westcot-like park (despite having had to have read about DCA; we got the Disney Magazine, and that's where I found out about Westcot to begin with) and being excited about what was to come. I remember, then, finally seeing a good deal of info about DCA and wondering what had happened. I finally visited DCA for the very first time last week, at twenty-three years old, all these years after seeing the original construction... and I have to say, it "lived up" to my disappointment. It's sad. I just kept wondering what could've been.

[LittleImagineer]

Re: Long lost Westcot

Eisner got cold feet.

Three things shifted his interest in quality theme parks, attractions, etc:

1. Well's death in 1994
2. Eisner's own health issues around the same time.
3. Lackluster performance at Euro Disney (the hotels, not the park).

Enter - the era of "El Cheapo-land". (DCA, TL:98, Light Magic, etc.)

Another little bit of history Disney does not like to publicize - These "glamorous" ideas (Westcot) was ALSO a ploy to get the city of Anaheim interested in a Second Gate. While ... simultaneously .. Disney made their phony "DisneySea/Queen Mary" plan for Long Beach. But it was just a cocked up scheme to get the city of Anaheim in their back pocket .. which was what they really wanted.

Thank you for answering my questions. I appreciate it :]
I've heard that Well's death effected Eisner greatly. I was unaware that Eisner has or did have health issues. So was Eisner afraid that Westcot would become lackluster such as the Euro Disney hotels?
When was DCA proposed? I can barely remember DCA opening, but I do remember going there and my parents being dissappointed and the only thing my little sister and I could really ride was that SuperStar Limo. Haha. I had no clue Disney proposed a "DisneySea/Queen Mary" idea for Anaheim. Would anybody mind sharing more info on that? Was this around the same time as Westcot? Thanks! :]

[Bob Weaver]

Re: Long lost Westcot

All I can recall right now was that Disney said they had to decide between building a second park in Long Beach or a second one in Anaheim, and they made their decision. How serious they really were about the Long Beach location, I have no idea. In 1994 a brief news story came out that Eisner had quadruple bypass surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A., which is certainly a major operation, but apparently he recovered quickly from it. Around the same time Disney was in a public relations battle over a proposed "Disney's America" theme park in Virginia, outside Washington, DC, which, obviously, was never built. One of the few bright spots at that time for Disney was the release of "The Lion King," which of course was a smash hit.

[Tomorrowland_1967]

Re: Long lost Westcot

So was Eisner afraid that Westcot would become lackluster such as the Euro Disney hotels?

Not lackluster .. per se ..... but, overtop in terms of budget. That's when BIG-BIG spending came to a halt!

When was DCA proposed?

Mid 90s (1994/1995)

I had no clue Disney proposed a "DisneySea/Queen Mary" idea for Anaheim.

Not Anaheim. Long Beach

Was this around the same time as Westcot? Thanks! :]

All at the same time.
It was sort of like a "bidding war" game.
Hedging Long Beach city officials against Anaheim officials .. to get a new theme park.

Disney was very trixy ...... to wager Long Beach against Anaheim!

[Tomorrowland_1967]

Re: Long lost Westcot

Would anybody mind sharing more info on that?

The long forgotten (and bogus) - Port Disney Long Beach