An anonymous viewer sent in a really interesting site plan for the eventually constructed, Boardwalk Hotel. Though, in this 1993 master plan, a curious dotted line depicts an intended monorail beam. It's something i've never seen before, and I posted it over on Twitter. Give me a follow while you're there to get updates on stuff like this! twitter.com/BrightSunFilms/status/1671234101217488896?s=20
@@jakezoet-jd1wk probably was a monorail connected a station not inside the resort but behind that connected Disney Springs at the time and Yaht Club to Epcot.
I hope that this Reflections Resort can officially get back on building soon. But if it cannot be built here. They need to build it as part of a brand new Story Living Community near Yosemite National Park. Because that is one of the main Inspirations for the world of Bambi.
All of these lost hotels need to be built here, shown on this video. ua-cam.com/video/OE42_V7RWbc/v-deo.html And they all can be connected with their own respective lands. Also, there needs to be a hotel theme to Mexico that can be based off the Mission Inn in Riverside California. ua-cam.com/video/WVv9B9D1MOY/v-deo.html There also needs to be a Brazilian Style Hotel as well.
Yeah everything just seems to be becoming more lackluster in nature... boring solid colors, no patterns, no theming. It's just like how boring new fast food restaurants look. And they are trying to do the IP themed rooms, but they just look too kitschy and forced for my taste. Whereas the hotels had their own unique theming and touchings before.
I actually work for the architecture firm that designed the Dolphin hotel. Its weird seeing how many other architects designs were left by the wayside while Michale Graves got his over the finish line.
Very interesting to see how many of the cancelled concepts such as the Mediterranean, Venice one, and Asian resort in comparison to today's more modern and bland hotels had a holistic theme to the whole building, and not just a regular design with some disney characters placed around as the theme. As said in the video, it just goes to show how before the 90's Disney had the architecture and experience in mind instead of Disney+ and other commercial expansions
I hate to be "that guy," but I think modern social media outrage has caused major companies to play it safe. You can't make major news and be the hot topic on podcasts with a bland hotel, whereas an Asian, Persian, of Venician might cause a vocal minority to go full send on social media. Don't forget, any land development will stir the environmental hornets nest. The only way Disney will take a risk like that again is if 1) the property division is split off from other parts of the company, and 2) a hostile takeover occurs putting the aforementioned division in the hands of risk-taking leaders. With how south things have been going at Disney, only time will tell.
@@ElijahRock92 It's less social media and more capitalism. Putting massive amounts of money into a project without guaranteed income is a losing strategy. Playing it safe might be boring, but it's profitable.
I think the star wars hotel is a great example of giving the fans something they want, then pricing them out of it. I loved the concept and wanted to go, but when i started planning a disney trip i found it was way too expensive. if you want to cater to a niche fan group you have to make it so they can participate, pricing it at the same level as the top tier resorts makes no sense, and people will just choose to go there instead
Honestly it wasn’t a Star Wars hotel. I think they failed in their marketing…I went and it was a immersive 2 day event. You could not just come and go like a normal hotel. There is a themed shuttle that took you to the park at a certain time. If you have the means to book before it’s gone I highly suggest you do. It was amazing. It’s far far more than just a themed hotel.
$1200 PER NIGHT PER GUEST FOR TWO NIGHTS. Damn that is expensive! Disney and elite ski resorts cater to a few billionaires, and suddenly start thinking $1000+ daily experiences are a solid business plan
@@vtmkb EXACTLY. Disney's failure was a failure to adequately publicize and market it for what it was. The fact that people are still out here calling it a "Star Wars hotel" proves that. Yes, the price was ridiculous if all you got was a hotel room - but that wasn't what it was. They should have been promoting the hell out of it.
@louiearmstrong correct. 💯 Jackson Hole Wy is a good example. They were a RV, camper 🏕 tourist spot for decades, then in the 1980s 1990s more rich year round 🏘 residents shifted in. Now 2023, it's 🍌. Prices are sky high. Hourly employees are "poor" but earn $20-35/hour. I worked at GTLC 🏞 security in 2020.
This may be an unpopular opinion, but the few places on Disney property that DON'T have IPs awkwardly shoved in, are the most magical. Iger NEEDS to go and they need someone in place who understands and respects the company history, legacy, and philosophies Walt and Roy had.
Yes, when fans say they want more theming, they generally don't mean, "Slap a sticker of a popular movie on it." They mean the kind of design and level of detail that makes you believe you've left the everyday world behind and have been transported to some other place and/or time.
With regards to Galactic Starcruiser, I'm amazed they haven't just designed and built a general hotel just with a Star Wars theme that wasn't ridiculously expensive. It doesn't have to have the big production value, but they could essentially blended the Venetian idea into a hotel styled after Naboo for example.
You could have made a $300 Embassy Suites Tatooine with their omelet breakfast and couch beds, and you would be sold out every night forever. Disney wanted 5 digit used car prices for the Star Wars hotel experience.
I really don't think that would work in a regular hotel setting where people are constantly coming and going. The amount of the outside world that comes into a hotel would be breaking the illusion left, right, and center.
@@ttintagel Perhaps, but even in Galactic Starcruiser you have people in regular non-SW style clothes and Mickey Mouse hats and such during the events :)
I still remember the original video of the abandoned hotels! Used to listen multiple times at my old job. Jake, the amount of times I bring up these hotels, people look at me like I have a second head, they're shocked and it's thanks to you I get to experience those reactions, keep it up mate!
Wow, this is new Haven’t seen a new Cancelled episode in a long time, especially one including Disney Great job Jake, another awesome and successful video just like always. Also, it is quite a shame these hotels were never built, it would be pretty cool to see what they looked like if they were, especially considering the designs of these buildings and rooms
@@BrightSunFilms. That Asian, Arabian, and Venetian motels would have all been amazing, and all destroyed by I’ll luck of an oil crisis and an Iranian coup. Didn’t Universal finally build the ‘Venetian’ (Portofino)?
Disney has slowly lost its immense integration of theming over the years in various projects and it's really sad. I get it's a money problem, but just not as much magic going into projects as they used to.
While it is mainly because I went down with family, I've only really been down twice (well, down to Florida 3 times, the first being when I was a baby when some family events down in Florida happened, but, twice if you consider above 10 years old).
A coworker of mine did some landscape architecture work for for a firm contracted by DDC in the 90s and I found some of the drawings on a company server. As an LA myself, I love looking at the hand rendering style which was predominate at the time for master planning. It's also fascinating to see the items that were planned but weren't included in the built resorts, like a monorail at Boardwalk.
Fun Fact: Cast members who operate the transport boats on Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake to this day refer to the edge of shoreline where the Venetian and Mediterranean resorts would have sat as “Venetian Pointe” for navigation purposes.
I'm glad that you weren't afraid to call out the uninspiring design of Riviera. During my last visit to WDW I decided to check out their newest "premiere resort". I was less than impressed. It's so unfortunate to see what could have been, but at least the classic resorts that were made have such unique identities.
@AdamEfimoff It looks like a boutique European hotel, which I'm guessing they were going for. I don't understand the hate for it either. It's just not Wilderness Lodge or Grand Floridian.
Disney and his parks is the perfect example of one man having a vision that would have never stopped growing, but after he was no longer present, progress slowed heavily
I’m someone who knew about a good few of these projects. But even then, I’m amazed at how many there were I DIDN’T know. You always do a phenomenal job at providing a deep dive on subjects
Wow! Incredibly well-researched video! I've followed Disney's architectural projects since the 80's and you have a ton of documents here I've never seen before. Good work! Thanks!
Modern Disney usually makes the mistake of thinking you should be there for their characters. Walt understood that you are the character. I hope they get better at channeling Walt in their future projects. The Star Wars one seems to have the earmarks of something they thought might do this but didn't do it effectively or at a price people could afford. Walt managed it by buil;ding a frontier town and a castle instead of making you stay in a windowless oddity. When I was a kid you got Swiss theming on the skyway entrance and a mountain with a brief glimpse of a yeti. That's because it was built to let you become part of it. Then you'd saunter over to Big Thunder where there weren't characters, there was you, a train, and a strange mining operation. Characters are fine, and I met a bunch of them, especially by the carousel. I pulled the sword from the stone and now decades later I still remember it. If not for pictures my parents took, I would not remember which characters I met but I did have a magical day because even then, I knew I experienced things, not just saw them. If riding a submarine isn't fun unless you see Nemo or Ariel, you're not taking advantage of the submarine itself.
Recently stayed at Pop. We visited the Riviera since it was on the skyliner, can't describe how disappointed I was in it. It was underwhelming. Pop on the other hand I found to be pretty fun, plus the food was surprisingly great!
The recent regimes are making Michael Eisner look like Steve Jobs. He should receive much more credit than he does for reinvigorating the company, both in the animation studio and in the resort hotels. The current regime could learn a lot from him.
It depends on which Eisner we’re talking about. Frank Wells Eisner or post Frank Wells. One saved Disney and largely made it what it is today. The other one almost destroyed it.
@@tanman99 Not really, that's an overstatement. Yes, things were simpler in the first half of his tenure (and before Euro Disney), but despite some missteps, Eisner was still pumping out amazing projects post-Wells, such as DAK, ToT, Indy Adventure, the Cruise Line, Hercules, Mulan, Tarzan etc. The company was financially doing great when he left...In his last year, 2005, Disney saw all-time record profits. They were also holding the best anniversary celebration they've ever done. If you understand the interpersonal drama with Roy E, then you understand that if he were still around, he would have booted Bob Iger out a long time ago. ...I'd take the second half of the Eisner era over what we have now ANYDAY. Yea he destroyed Journey into Imagination and Horizons, but he brought us Alien Encounter and Timekeeper. Nice pfp btw😉
@@EEvtg excellent points. Yes it was an oversimplification. And yes Eisner still had great projects even after Wells died and even later in his tenure like the ones you listed. But for every AK there was a DCA that suffered for a long time due to budget cuts, for every ToT there is a camp Minnie Mickey or beastly kingdom that suffered or never came to pass. For every Lilo and Stitch there were countless direct to video sequels that nobody asked for and only served as a cash grab and diluted the Disney brand. But you’re right. Whatever we thought was bad at the end of Eisner’s tenure is nothing compared to what Disney fans have had to endure the last few years. Especially for theme park fans. I mean come on. Just today they loudly announced the “return” of park hopping, something they arbitrarily took away and now are touting as a “benefit” while quietly increasing AP prices up to 10%?! Anyone remember when Iger admitted the parks were too expensive? Anyone..?
thank you for calling to attention how cool and unique those hotel designs were. i feel like out of disneys failed ventures, the biggest projects that are the coolest are the ones that never get made. all of those talented designers stick their neck out and work for so long on things that only exist as drawings and models and ideas. thanks for putting names on those pictures.
@@AtrocityEquine01 You mean Defunctland? If so, I'd say it's less like acting he was killing Disney and more showing the bad financial decisions he made. But I have to agree the Eisner slander can only be funny for a number of times before it starts getting old
@@susumeyun Defunctland is obsessed with the "great man" theory of history to the point of absurdity. The CEO of a company like Disney is not nearly as influential as they make it seem.
Thank you for this video @BrightSunFilms 😊 I have been diving into Disney history recently, especially cancelled/abandoned projects. Further down the rabbit hole I go!
I think most of these were amazing designs but the problem Disney has in the last 20 years is affordability. That is the reason the star wars hotel failed it cost too much to stay there. I think the last thing they need is another 650+ a night hotel. The crowds haven't stopped coming to the park but I think they looked at the financials and with the increased travel costs people can't spend 15k on a disney week. But for 200 a night with a kitchen they can stay off property and get transportation to the park everyday for much less.
This is very true, the pricing around Disney is already downright awful even if you're just going to the park, buying some stuff and eating. Adding in wildly expensive hotels isn't doable for a lot of people. It's such a shame about the Star Wars one too, I would've loved to go but dang I've got bills to pay.
@@wheelsee He can still be objective about what the experience was like. Just don't count on him to have the same financial situation. Same for any reviewer really.
"That is the reason the star wars hotel failed it cost too much to stay there." The reason the cost was so high is that it WASN'T a hotel. You weren't paying just to stay there. The fact that there are still people out here laboring under this misconception proves that the failure was a failure to adequately publicize what exactly they were selling.
@15:14 The cancelled Disney's Grande Venezia Resort, reminds of the now Tokyo DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta. It is a pity that something like that was not built in Walt Disney World.
I know that it's not exactly in your usual genre, but I would love for you to do a similar video to this one focusing on the hotels that did get built, talking about their architects and history in the same way you cover the cancelled projects.
Michael Eisner is regularly dogged, but he saved Disney and gave it it’s greatest architecture. Michael Graves, Robert Stern, Gwathmey Siegel, and others worked there. Their buildings are classics. That new Venetian DVC hotel is a dog. The new crowd needs to step up its game. Anyway, great video.
The idea of the Reflections resort is such a disaster. Not only was it a failure but had it been built you could argue it would have been even more so with how it would wreck the ambiance of Fort Wilderness, which is consistently sold out. Why don't they just expand the fort? Its in high demand, could use some extra sites or amenities, is cheaper to build considering its embrace of the outdoors AND would allow them to up prices for sites since they're taking on new features. It's a no brainer in my mind.
I can definitely see how the grand venetian hotel's cancellation probably greenlit Universal's Portofino Bay, though that hotel was a much smaller version of what the Venetian was supposed to be.
I love your videos, particularly the Disney ones! The detailed research, obscure information, and entertainment value are unparalleled, great job as always!
This is so cool. An interesting tidbit, I worked at the Wilderness Lodge for a bit, and one thing we were told so we could explain to guests who would ask about how to get to the Campgrounds (bc people did get them mixed up frequently and to be fair I did once too) is that there used to be a walking path between the Lodge & the Campgrounds but it's been closed due to being dangerous as a result of "ongoing construction" which is the abandoned construction site of the Reflections hotel. It is a bit of an inconvenience for Guests who are trying to get to the other half without taking the confusing bus system.
My favorite of these canceled hotels has the be The Asian Resort just for the aesthetics alone. Really would have been one of Disney's best looking ones in my opinion
I agree! And seeing how beautiful the Asian inspired hotel is at Phantasialand, I’m very surprised they haven’t taken inspiration from it, & how well it’s received
I would've love to see the Asian resort come to fruition! And it still blows my mind that such a potential Epcot pavillion like Thailand hasn't even come to mind! Imagine the possibilities! 🤦🏻♂️
I love that you had your family's caricature on the nightstand (and in the last video, too). Thank you for this incredible series. And more so, thank you so much for always, always, always spreading kindness, positivity, and love.
I remember being impressed the first time I walked into the Wilderness Lodge. However, a few years later I visited the Old Faithful Inn. My reaction was, "Oh, wow, now this is the REAL thing!"
I don’t know where you source your concept art and photos from but it’s the best I’ve seen online. Thank you this video!!! It was a like a present and treasure trove all in one! I’ll definitely be watching it a couple times this weekend! Awesome job!!🥇
Disney history is always a good topic. Jake has another hit. Even though this is a generally well-covered subject, Jake and his team have added many details and images that are seldom shown.
Thank you Jake! I worked at Disney World from 1973 to 2012 and was there during this time span of your video WOW really brought back some great memories!!
I must be honest I am really enjoying this channel Ive been watching so many videos, binge watching whwn I get the chance as well. You are so awesome. Please keep up the good work
Yup :( I do get it because of all the immersive stuff, you are paying for some 20 actors to be "on stage" around you at any time and such, but with what the economy is like, it's limited to a very very small group of people who can pay these prices. Add in that it's a very niched theme, and you honestly get a recipe for disaster.
Wilderness Lodge is one of the most beautiful hotels Disney built. It was the first I ever stayed in and was the first Disney Vacation Club property that we bought into (I also own Saratoga Springs and Animal Kingdom). thru DVC I have also stayed at the Grand Floridian among other resorts. It too is an absolutely gorges design. Reflections looks cold and uninviting. You also mentioned Dixie Landings which we stayed at many years ago but that resort was Re themed and became part of Port Orleans. I really missed it when they rethemed it. I never liked the Port Orleans.
I have a degree in architecture and have practiced and studied it for years and I will say, it’s important to remember that trendiness in architecture is a bad thing in that it fades quickly, goes drastically in the opposite direction causing costly remodels due to its often blind eye towards actual function and experientially has a short lived wow factor for just being different. Many of these proposed hotels were trendy in their time or relied on a deep knowledge of history behind actual geographical areas they are inspired from to allow a guest to be immersed enough in to hold their attention. Disney’s experiential design is a fictional ‘place-making’ that is pulled directly from a story. All theses hotels looked great in their sculptural forms as a model, but how deep and how much of an adventure into a STORY, that is not a history lesson or reproduction or just a short lived wow factor, would they have been. I will say Peter Dominick’s works are MASTERFUL, his lobbies are dramatically deep in story and scale and all just beautifully pull you in to the story the resort. It’s too bad he passed away, I feel like he was just scratching the surface of his potential.
I feel so sad about the Mediterranean design not coming into fruition, it’s the most unique hotel I’ve ever seen, and definitely would’ve been a standout at the resort. The Venezia was also really nice and dynamic.
This is hands down the coolest video I’ve ever watched on UA-cam. Sooooooo cool I might need to watch it again 😂 thank you for making this! Info I never knew I wanted to know 😂😂
You can’t really blame them. It was supposed to be the perfect town, but anytime a murder is committed it kind of spoils the perfection and is really hard to bounce back from. Just my opinion.
If you are looking for more abandoned Disney locations, you should do a video on the abandoned airport runway by the TTC (the STOL port). The runway is still there and I think Disney uses it to park various vehicles.
Mears use to use it during training for their bus drivers and the tune KINDA worked. Then the construction crews used it for storage and their offices. After I left I was told it was destroyed and this was a few years ago.
Around 9:08 you mentioned the lobby center was odd and not on theme for the Venetian hotel. I just wanted to point out that the lobby looks a lot like the Doge’s Palace in St. Marks Square in Venice, as well as a lot of other Palazzos in Venice. I personally really love the design and though the later Italian one you showed is much better, I still think the Venice themed one has an iconic 70s charm on the Venetian architecture
amazing video per usual. a lot of truly incredible hotels came from the eisner era such as the animal kingdom lodge, yacht/beach clubs, grand floridian, and wilderness lodge. i have had the privilege to have stayed at the AKL and yacht club, and can attest to how amazing they are firsthand. however, its a real shame some of these concepts were never built, however mainly the plot where the venetian/mediterranean resorts were planned. the mediterranean and grand venetian concepts for those spaces would have pretty easily been the most extravagant hotels disney had ever made, in my opinion, and it wouldve been awesome to see them come to life.
We went Epcot in 1991, when Disney World was 20 years old. We actually were staying near Busch Gardens by Tampa. and also visited Cape Kennedy, KsC, and places like Clearwater and Sarasota. Having visited many parts of Florida, especially since 2016, and lived in SE Florida more recently, quite a bit has changed there since over 30 years ago. 😮
I hope that this Reflections Resort can officially get back on building soon. But if it cannot be built here. They need to build it as part of a brand new Story Living Community near Yosemite National Park. Because that is one of the main Inspirations for the world of Bambi.
Meanwhile, there's some nearby parallel universe where they built the Mediterranean, and that universe's Jake just put out a video in his popular "Completed" series about it that features a short digression along the lines of, "Before we get into the details about this amazing hotel, look what boring nonsense they nearly built in that spot instead! Crazy, right?" :/
Nicely done! I'll take a look at the rest of your channel content. As info, my favorite WDW hotel is the Dolphin. Have stayed there 13 times, and normally get an upgrade due to my lifetime status with Marriott. Love the hotel and its location.
An anonymous viewer sent in a really interesting site plan for the eventually constructed, Boardwalk Hotel. Though, in this 1993 master plan, a curious dotted line depicts an intended monorail beam. It's something i've never seen before, and I posted it over on Twitter. Give me a follow while you're there to get updates on stuff like this! twitter.com/BrightSunFilms/status/1671234101217488896?s=20
Huh, that’s interesting. Perhaps the monorail was likely going to go through the hotel or have a hotel station built there for a potential new line
@@jakezoet-jd1wk probably was a monorail connected a station not inside the resort but behind that connected Disney Springs at the time and Yaht Club to Epcot.
I hope that this Reflections Resort can officially get back on building soon.
But if it cannot be built here. They need to build it as part of a brand new Story Living Community near Yosemite National Park.
Because that is one of the main Inspirations for the world of Bambi.
All of these lost hotels need to be built here, shown on this video.
ua-cam.com/video/OE42_V7RWbc/v-deo.html
And they all can be connected with their own respective lands.
Also, there needs to be a hotel theme to Mexico that can be based off the Mission Inn in Riverside California.
ua-cam.com/video/WVv9B9D1MOY/v-deo.html
There also needs to be a Brazilian Style Hotel as well.
P
I hope to get to a point where I can throw out entire hotels like those socks I never liked 😂
Holy shit its really you!! I'm sure you get there one day man!
Tay Zonday ladies and gentlemen!
Wow, we've been touched by an angel!
He came back for us. The chocolate rain man.
Socks stained with chocolate rain
I’m glad you pointed out the horrible trend of Disney’s hotel “updates” removing theming.
...because Going Woke is way more important, so they can't have any distractions from pushing THAT agenda.
-- BR
The Disney Dream is as dead as the American Dream
@@billredding2000You'd think they'd use theming to push the "woke" agenda, but I guess I'd be wrong 🤷
@@bigbabado8296 ...maybe you're not wrong, maybe it's in the works right now!
-- BR
Yeah everything just seems to be becoming more lackluster in nature... boring solid colors, no patterns, no theming. It's just like how boring new fast food restaurants look. And they are trying to do the IP themed rooms, but they just look too kitschy and forced for my taste. Whereas the hotels had their own unique theming and touchings before.
That white Mediterranean resort was STUNNING and so ahead of it’s time! I’m so sad it doesn’t exist
so cool to see you here, hope! 🤩
I want a Disney Mediterranean Resort hotel for the Walt Disney World Resort! I might want it to exist!
I actually work for the architecture firm that designed the Dolphin hotel. Its weird seeing how many other architects designs were left by the wayside while Michale Graves got his over the finish line.
Which architecture firm do you work at?
Yea no offense to you or your employer but the others are way cooler. I never thought the dolphin looked interesting at all.
Very interesting to see how many of the cancelled concepts such as the Mediterranean, Venice one, and Asian resort in comparison to today's more modern and bland hotels had a holistic theme to the whole building, and not just a regular design with some disney characters placed around as the theme. As said in the video, it just goes to show how before the 90's Disney had the architecture and experience in mind instead of Disney+ and other commercial expansions
I hate to be "that guy," but I think modern social media outrage has caused major companies to play it safe. You can't make major news and be the hot topic on podcasts with a bland hotel, whereas an Asian, Persian, of Venician might cause a vocal minority to go full send on social media. Don't forget, any land development will stir the environmental hornets nest.
The only way Disney will take a risk like that again is if 1) the property division is split off from other parts of the company, and 2) a hostile takeover occurs putting the aforementioned division in the hands of risk-taking leaders. With how south things have been going at Disney, only time will tell.
@@ElijahRock92 It's less social media and more capitalism. Putting massive amounts of money into a project without guaranteed income is a losing strategy. Playing it safe might be boring, but it's profitable.
@@Craxin01 Ehhhh... if you think it's "capitalism", I'm just gonna leave you to your own devices. ✌🏾
P
@@Craxin01 You think you could build an "Arabian Nights: Person themed" hotel without people losing their minds on social media?
I think the star wars hotel is a great example of giving the fans something they want, then pricing them out of it. I loved the concept and wanted to go, but when i started planning a disney trip i found it was way too expensive. if you want to cater to a niche fan group you have to make it so they can participate, pricing it at the same level as the top tier resorts makes no sense, and people will just choose to go there instead
Honestly it wasn’t a Star Wars hotel. I think they failed in their marketing…I went and it was a immersive 2 day event. You could not just come and go like a normal hotel. There is a themed shuttle that took you to the park at a certain time. If you have the means to book before it’s gone I highly suggest you do. It was amazing. It’s far far more than just a themed hotel.
Im 💯 sure Star Wars Galaxy Edge hotel, concept will be studied in US business schools, hotel hospitality 🏨 courses. What NOT to do!
$1200 PER NIGHT PER GUEST FOR TWO NIGHTS. Damn that is expensive! Disney and elite ski resorts cater to a few billionaires, and suddenly start thinking $1000+ daily experiences are a solid business plan
@@vtmkb EXACTLY. Disney's failure was a failure to adequately publicize and market it for what it was. The fact that people are still out here calling it a "Star Wars hotel" proves that. Yes, the price was ridiculous if all you got was a hotel room - but that wasn't what it was. They should have been promoting the hell out of it.
@louiearmstrong correct. 💯 Jackson Hole Wy is a good example. They were a RV, camper 🏕 tourist spot for decades, then in the 1980s 1990s more rich year round 🏘 residents shifted in. Now 2023, it's 🍌. Prices are sky high. Hourly employees are "poor" but earn $20-35/hour. I worked at GTLC 🏞 security in 2020.
This may be an unpopular opinion, but the few places on Disney property that DON'T have IPs awkwardly shoved in, are the most magical. Iger NEEDS to go and they need someone in place who understands and respects the company history, legacy, and philosophies Walt and Roy had.
They also need someone who doesn't get the company involved in politics, cause it keeps on biting them in the ass.
Walt Disney was racist so i don’t think he should do that
@Mattimaginex1 He really wasn't. He was anti union and the commies attacked him for it and made up stories.
Yes, when fans say they want more theming, they generally don't mean, "Slap a sticker of a popular movie on it." They mean the kind of design and level of detail that makes you believe you've left the everyday world behind and have been transported to some other place and/or time.
@@motherurck7542 It was getting OUT of politics that got them in trouble with the fascists.
I NEVER get bored of these amazing productions. We even have viewing parties here in the UK. Top notch content. Keep it up mate!
Thank you so much!
The Mediterranean Hotel was a beautiful design that would have given a lovely and eye catching scenery for Disney World.
With regards to Galactic Starcruiser, I'm amazed they haven't just designed and built a general hotel just with a Star Wars theme that wasn't ridiculously expensive. It doesn't have to have the big production value, but they could essentially blended the Venetian idea into a hotel styled after Naboo for example.
It's been rumored that Disney is just going to tear it down. Disney isn't what it once was, ideological differences aside.
You could have made a $300 Embassy Suites Tatooine with their omelet breakfast and couch beds, and you would be sold out every night forever. Disney wanted 5 digit used car prices for the Star Wars hotel experience.
I really don't think that would work in a regular hotel setting where people are constantly coming and going. The amount of the outside world that comes into a hotel would be breaking the illusion left, right, and center.
@@ttintagel Perhaps, but even in Galactic Starcruiser you have people in regular non-SW style clothes and Mickey Mouse hats and such during the events :)
@@foabmoab I don't think having guests in 21st-century clothing on the Starcruiser can compare to what it would be like at a hotel.
I still remember the original video of the abandoned hotels! Used to listen multiple times at my old job. Jake, the amount of times I bring up these hotels, people look at me like I have a second head, they're shocked and it's thanks to you I get to experience those reactions, keep it up mate!
That’s so cool to hear! I hope I’ve done the topic justice the second time around!
@@BrightSunFilms You sure have mate! Now I have more details to tell people now!!
As a Defunctland regular, it's weird to see Michael Eisner in the beginning and not immediately go "what shit did he do this time"
the recuring villain, it all goes back to Eisner there
EIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Defunctland's just biased and only focuses on the negative.
This is a reoccurring theme when I watch these.
Wow, this is new
Haven’t seen a new Cancelled episode in a long time, especially one including Disney
Great job Jake, another awesome and successful video just like always.
Also, it is quite a shame these hotels were never built, it would be pretty cool to see what they looked like if they were, especially considering the designs of these buildings and rooms
Thank you so much!
@@BrightSunFilms. That Asian, Arabian, and Venetian motels would have all been amazing, and all destroyed by I’ll luck of an oil crisis and an Iranian coup. Didn’t Universal finally build the ‘Venetian’ (Portofino)?
@@RLucas3000 I'd say Disney/OLC did when they built Hotel Miracosta and the Mediterranean Harbor at DisneySea
Disney has slowly lost its immense integration of theming over the years in various projects and it's really sad. I get it's a money problem, but just not as much magic going into projects as they used to.
While it is mainly because I went down with family, I've only really been down twice (well, down to Florida 3 times, the first being when I was a baby when some family events down in Florida happened, but, twice if you consider above 10 years old).
Go woke, go broke! Too bad!
Makes you wonder how much of the political climate over the years played a role in this.
Nobody likes their woke crap
A coworker of mine did some landscape architecture work for for a firm contracted by DDC in the 90s and I found some of the drawings on a company server. As an LA myself, I love looking at the hand rendering style which was predominate at the time for master planning. It's also fascinating to see the items that were planned but weren't included in the built resorts, like a monorail at Boardwalk.
That’s super interesting! Shoot me an email if you’re down to discuss further. Contact@brightsunfilms.ca
Fun Fact: Cast members who operate the transport boats on Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake to this day refer to the edge of shoreline where the Venetian and Mediterranean resorts would have sat as “Venetian Pointe” for navigation purposes.
I'm glad that you weren't afraid to call out the uninspiring design of Riviera. During my last visit to WDW I decided to check out their newest "premiere resort". I was less than impressed. It's so unfortunate to see what could have been, but at least the classic resorts that were made have such unique identities.
@AdamEfimoff It looks like a boutique European hotel, which I'm guessing they were going for. I don't understand the hate for it either. It's just not Wilderness Lodge or Grand Floridian.
Disney and his parks is the perfect example of one man having a vision that would have never stopped growing, but after he was no longer present, progress slowed heavily
I’m someone who knew about a good few of these projects. But even then, I’m amazed at how many there were I DIDN’T know. You always do a phenomenal job at providing a deep dive on subjects
Wow! Incredibly well-researched video! I've followed Disney's architectural projects since the 80's and you have a ton of documents here I've never seen before. Good work! Thanks!
Modern Disney usually makes the mistake of thinking you should be there for their characters. Walt understood that you are the character. I hope they get better at channeling Walt in their future projects. The Star Wars one seems to have the earmarks of something they thought might do this but didn't do it effectively or at a price people could afford. Walt managed it by buil;ding a frontier town and a castle instead of making you stay in a windowless oddity.
When I was a kid you got Swiss theming on the skyway entrance and a mountain with a brief glimpse of a yeti. That's because it was built to let you become part of it. Then you'd saunter over to Big Thunder where there weren't characters, there was you, a train, and a strange mining operation.
Characters are fine, and I met a bunch of them, especially by the carousel. I pulled the sword from the stone and now decades later I still remember it. If not for pictures my parents took, I would not remember which characters I met but I did have a magical day because even then, I knew I experienced things, not just saw them. If riding a submarine isn't fun unless you see Nemo or Ariel, you're not taking advantage of the submarine itself.
Recently stayed at Pop. We visited the Riviera since it was on the skyliner, can't describe how disappointed I was in it. It was underwhelming. Pop on the other hand I found to be pretty fun, plus the food was surprisingly great!
The recent regimes are making Michael Eisner look like Steve Jobs. He should receive much more credit than he does for reinvigorating the company, both in the animation studio and in the resort hotels. The current regime could learn a lot from him.
Time has been kind to Michael Eisner, at least he was the head of Disney when it went through its comeback in the 90's
It depends on which Eisner we’re talking about. Frank Wells Eisner or post Frank Wells. One saved Disney and largely made it what it is today. The other one almost destroyed it.
@@tanman99 Not really, that's an overstatement. Yes, things were simpler in the first half of his tenure (and before Euro Disney), but despite some missteps, Eisner was still pumping out amazing projects post-Wells, such as DAK, ToT, Indy Adventure, the Cruise Line, Hercules, Mulan, Tarzan etc. The company was financially doing great when he left...In his last year, 2005, Disney saw all-time record profits. They were also holding the best anniversary celebration they've ever done. If you understand the interpersonal drama with Roy E, then you understand that if he were still around, he would have booted Bob Iger out a long time ago.
...I'd take the second half of the Eisner era over what we have now ANYDAY. Yea he destroyed Journey into Imagination and Horizons, but he brought us Alien Encounter and Timekeeper.
Nice pfp btw😉
@@EEvtg excellent points. Yes it was an oversimplification. And yes Eisner still had great projects even after Wells died and even later in his tenure like the ones you listed. But for every AK there was a DCA that suffered for a long time due to budget cuts, for every ToT there is a camp Minnie Mickey or beastly kingdom that suffered or never came to pass. For every Lilo and Stitch there were countless direct to video sequels that nobody asked for and only served as a cash grab and diluted the Disney brand.
But you’re right. Whatever we thought was bad at the end of Eisner’s tenure is nothing compared to what Disney fans have had to endure the last few years. Especially for theme park fans.
I mean come on. Just today they loudly announced the “return” of park hopping, something they arbitrarily took away and now are touting as a “benefit” while quietly increasing AP prices up to 10%?! Anyone remember when Iger admitted the parks were too expensive? Anyone..?
thank you for calling to attention how cool and unique those hotel designs were. i feel like out of disneys failed ventures, the biggest projects that are the coolest are the ones that never get made. all of those talented designers stick their neck out and work for so long on things that only exist as drawings and models and ideas. thanks for putting names on those pictures.
Hell yeah you know it's gonna be a good day when bright sun films drops a new video, thanks for all your hard work on this superb content
Say what you want about Eisner but there’s no denying that some of the best and most iconic resorts on WDW property were built because of him.
Some of the best rides and parks too...
If only a certain channel would learn this instead of acting like he was killing Disney, especially compared to Iger...
@@AtrocityEquine01 You mean Defunctland? If so, I'd say it's less like acting he was killing Disney and more showing the bad financial decisions he made. But I have to agree the Eisner slander can only be funny for a number of times before it starts getting old
@@susumeyun Defunctland is obsessed with the "great man" theory of history to the point of absurdity. The CEO of a company like Disney is not nearly as influential as they make it seem.
It's refreshing to hear "the oil crisis of the 70s caused issues" instead of the running theme of this channel "the crash of 2008"😂😂
Surprised not more have been caused by covid
Thank you for this video @BrightSunFilms 😊 I have been diving into Disney history recently, especially cancelled/abandoned projects. Further down the rabbit hole I go!
I think most of these were amazing designs but the problem Disney has in the last 20 years is affordability. That is the reason the star wars hotel failed it cost too much to stay there. I think the last thing they need is another 650+ a night hotel. The crowds haven't stopped coming to the park but I think they looked at the financials and with the increased travel costs people can't spend 15k on a disney week. But for 200 a night with a kitchen they can stay off property and get transportation to the park everyday for much less.
Yep! Who WANT'S a "payment plan" to travel. We already have mortgage, car note, insurance to worry about.
This is very true, the pricing around Disney is already downright awful even if you're just going to the park, buying some stuff and eating. Adding in wildly expensive hotels isn't doable for a lot of people. It's such a shame about the Star Wars one too, I would've loved to go but dang I've got bills to pay.
That's why I take Jake's reviews with a grain of salt...he's a young single UA-cam with no kids.
@@wheelsee He can still be objective about what the experience was like. Just don't count on him to have the same financial situation. Same for any reviewer really.
"That is the reason the star wars hotel failed it cost too much to stay there." The reason the cost was so high is that it WASN'T a hotel. You weren't paying just to stay there. The fact that there are still people out here laboring under this misconception proves that the failure was a failure to adequately publicize what exactly they were selling.
Jake you are so informative about the history of the projects that never were. Great work
@15:14 The cancelled Disney's Grande Venezia Resort, reminds of the now Tokyo DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta. It is a pity that something like that was not built in Walt Disney World.
I know that it's not exactly in your usual genre, but I would love for you to do a similar video to this one focusing on the hotels that did get built, talking about their architects and history in the same way you cover the cancelled projects.
Michael Eisner is regularly dogged, but he saved Disney and gave it it’s greatest architecture. Michael Graves, Robert Stern, Gwathmey Siegel, and others worked there. Their buildings are classics. That new Venetian DVC hotel is a dog. The new crowd needs to step up its game. Anyway, great video.
That's because he had Frank Wells to temper him. Once Frank passed, Eisner was never the same.
Good point.
Frank Wells was the genius too bad he never gotten to be CEO
@@TheStreetFoolosopherMr187 Nah, stop revisionism.
So what I've gathered from this video is that there is space for another monorail resort that Disney is just not taking advantage of??? Thats CRAZY!
Disney owns alot of land, they could build 20 more parks.
The idea of the Reflections resort is such a disaster. Not only was it a failure but had it been built you could argue it would have been even more so with how it would wreck the ambiance of Fort Wilderness, which is consistently sold out. Why don't they just expand the fort? Its in high demand, could use some extra sites or amenities, is cheaper to build considering its embrace of the outdoors AND would allow them to up prices for sites since they're taking on new features. It's a no brainer in my mind.
That Riviera hotel sure doesn't look that distinct from a slightly more fancy interstate-side Hilton hotel.
I can definitely see how the grand venetian hotel's cancellation probably greenlit Universal's Portofino Bay, though that hotel was a much smaller version of what the Venetian was supposed to be.
I love your videos, particularly the Disney ones! The detailed research, obscure information, and entertainment value are unparalleled, great job as always!
Thank you!
This is so cool. An interesting tidbit, I worked at the Wilderness Lodge for a bit, and one thing we were told so we could explain to guests who would ask about how to get to the Campgrounds (bc people did get them mixed up frequently and to be fair I did once too) is that there used to be a walking path between the Lodge & the Campgrounds but it's been closed due to being dangerous as a result of "ongoing construction" which is the abandoned construction site of the Reflections hotel. It is a bit of an inconvenience for Guests who are trying to get to the other half without taking the confusing bus system.
21:17 in my humble opinion, Port Orleans French Quarter is the BEST Disney World resort hotel…by far. 🎭
I kinda get that
My favorite of these canceled hotels has the be The Asian Resort just for the aesthetics alone. Really would have been one of Disney's best looking ones in my opinion
Agreed!
I agree! And seeing how beautiful the Asian inspired hotel is at Phantasialand, I’m very surprised they haven’t taken inspiration from it, & how well it’s received
Whenever you revisit a concept you do a phenomenal job of making it feel new. Good stuff!
Thank you!
Can we talk about how Bay Lake tower completely throws off the symmetry of The Contemporary Resort!
Yeah it kinda sucks
I would've love to see the Asian resort come to fruition! And it still blows my mind that such a potential Epcot pavillion like Thailand hasn't even come to mind! Imagine the possibilities! 🤦🏻♂️
I love that you had your family's caricature on the nightstand (and in the last video, too). Thank you for this incredible series. And more so, thank you so much for always, always, always spreading kindness, positivity, and love.
I already know this is gonna be an absolutely awesome watch!!! Keep up the interesting and exciting work Jake !
I remember being impressed the first time I walked into the Wilderness Lodge. However, a few years later I visited the Old Faithful Inn. My reaction was, "Oh, wow, now this is the REAL thing!"
Another home run, Jake! Fascinating and informative as ever. I love that the Wilderness Lodge grew out of these ideas.
i love the constant little mentions of river country, it's what made me find and fall in love with your channel back then
I don’t know where you source your concept art and photos from but it’s the best I’ve seen online. Thank you this video!!! It was a like a present and treasure trove all in one! I’ll definitely be watching it a couple times this weekend! Awesome job!!🥇
Jake, you and your team never fail to disappoint, you all do a wonderful job, thank you
Thank you for watching!
Bright Sun uploads, I watch. Cheers to another great video Jake
Thank you so much!
Disney history is always a good topic. Jake has another hit. Even though this is a generally well-covered subject, Jake and his team have added many details and images that are seldom shown.
Thank you so much!
Every day Jake makes a new video is a good day. Love it. Another excellent video!
Thank you Jake! I worked at Disney World from 1973 to 2012 and was there during this time span of your video WOW really brought back some great memories!!
I very much agree, some of my favorite resorts were built in the 70s/80s, with Wilderness Lodge and the Polynesian being my absolute faves!
Best channel on UA-cam! Needs to be weekly for selfish reasons
Proper People
I love these videos so much, I literally don’t know what else to say, you’re just awesome 😭
I must be honest I am really enjoying this channel Ive been watching so many videos, binge watching whwn I get the chance as well. You are so awesome. Please keep up the good work
Thank you!
So excited for this one. Thanks Jake!
Hope you like it!
19:55 Disney's Star Wars hotel closing in less than 2 years is no surprise when you realise how greedy they got with the pricing
Imagine dropping a near 10k to sleep in a room without real windows
Yup :( I do get it because of all the immersive stuff, you are paying for some 20 actors to be "on stage" around you at any time and such, but with what the economy is like, it's limited to a very very small group of people who can pay these prices. Add in that it's a very niched theme, and you honestly get a recipe for disaster.
@@overlookers If all you were getting was a hotel room, that would indeed have been a ridiculous price.
Wilderness Lodge is one of the most beautiful hotels Disney built. It was the first I ever stayed in and was the first Disney Vacation Club property that we bought into (I also own Saratoga Springs and Animal Kingdom).
thru DVC I have also stayed at the Grand Floridian among other resorts. It too is an absolutely gorges design.
Reflections looks cold and uninviting.
You also mentioned Dixie Landings which we stayed at many years ago but that resort was Re themed and became part of Port Orleans. I really missed it when they rethemed it. I never liked the Port Orleans.
Friday’s are the best, as we have a new doc from Bright Sun Films focusing on Walt Disney World? We are the lucky ones indeed!
Thanks!
One of your best vids yet!! Awesome job!
I’m so early, can’t wait to watch a new episode! Love the videos
Another week. Another enjoyable Bright Sun Films video. 😁
Thanks!
Wished videos where more often but they are always well made
I have a degree in architecture and have practiced and studied it for years and I will say, it’s important to remember that trendiness in architecture is a bad thing in that it fades quickly, goes drastically in the opposite direction causing costly remodels due to its often blind eye towards actual function and experientially has a short lived wow factor for just being different. Many of these proposed hotels were trendy in their time or relied on a deep knowledge of history behind actual geographical areas they are inspired from to allow a guest to be immersed enough in to hold their attention. Disney’s experiential design is a fictional ‘place-making’ that is pulled directly from a story. All theses hotels looked great in their sculptural forms as a model, but how deep and how much of an adventure into a STORY, that is not a history lesson or reproduction or just a short lived wow factor, would they have been. I will say Peter Dominick’s works are MASTERFUL, his lobbies are dramatically deep in story and scale and all just beautifully pull you in to the story the resort. It’s too bad he passed away, I feel like he was just scratching the surface of his potential.
Another great vid, after the old magic kingdom resorts vid and legendary years I was wondering more about these resorts
The detail that you put into these videos is admirable. Keep it up man!!
Thank you!
Excellent video as always. Thank you for the information.
Thank you for watching!
Wow, I can't imagine the amount of research and editing that went into this video. Great work!
I feel so sad about the Mediterranean design not coming into fruition, it’s the most unique hotel I’ve ever seen, and definitely would’ve been a standout at the resort. The Venezia was also really nice and dynamic.
Great job, Jake. Your level of research is fantastic.
I appreciate that!
Thank you Jake, I love the video!!❤
Fantastic video! Your research and delivery is perfect!
Thank you so much!
This is hands down the coolest video I’ve ever watched on UA-cam. Sooooooo cool I might need to watch it again 😂 thank you for making this! Info I never knew I wanted to know 😂😂
This is the best channel on UA-cam! Keep going Jake 🐐
Why don’t you talk about the town of Celebration, in Florida? That was abandoned by Disney, and it makes me curious to know more about it. ❤
It wasn’t abandoned it was just sold off
@@Kyle-Russell sold off, abandoned to its own luck… the same, they ABANDONED THE PROJECT.
You can’t really blame them. It was supposed to be the perfect town, but anytime a murder is committed it kind of spoils the perfection and is really hard to bounce back from. Just my opinion.
@@KatherineThrelkeld-kp3od their desires in the first place were a little far fetched, tbh..
Celebration FL was like a HUGE HOA. A 55 page occupant rule book 📒.
Excellent video, this is incredibly thorough! It's always amazing to get info on the evolution in planning in these documentaries.
Really enjoyed the video, im glad you brought up the star wars hotel, im hoping you make a full video on it and why it failed
Heck, Disney spent billions for Star Wars and burned it to the ground with horrible sequels.
I didn't know anything about this. Love to learn. Love this channel
Disney has the accumulated brilliance to be able to step aside from greatness.
Great video Jake. Glad to see cancelled back, and a Disney one nonetheless
Thanks!
Love the content! Cheers from New Brunswick bro 🇨🇦 😊
If you are looking for more abandoned Disney locations, you should do a video on the abandoned airport runway by the TTC (the STOL port). The runway is still there and I think Disney uses it to park various vehicles.
Mears use to use it during training for their bus drivers and the tune KINDA worked.
Then the construction crews used it for storage and their offices.
After I left I was told it was destroyed and this was a few years ago.
Wow this Italian Venice hotel looks absolutely gorgeous. Would have love to see this!
Around 9:08 you mentioned the lobby center was odd and not on theme for the Venetian hotel. I just wanted to point out that the lobby looks a lot like the Doge’s Palace in St. Marks Square in Venice, as well as a lot of other Palazzos in Venice. I personally really love the design and though the later Italian one you showed is much better, I still think the Venice themed one has an iconic 70s charm on the Venetian architecture
love when a new bright sun vid comes out....👍👍
amazing video per usual. a lot of truly incredible hotels came from the eisner era such as the animal kingdom lodge, yacht/beach clubs, grand floridian, and wilderness lodge. i have had the privilege to have stayed at the AKL and yacht club, and can attest to how amazing they are firsthand. however, its a real shame some of these concepts were never built, however mainly the plot where the venetian/mediterranean resorts were planned. the mediterranean and grand venetian concepts for those spaces would have pretty easily been the most extravagant hotels disney had ever made, in my opinion, and it wouldve been awesome to see them come to life.
We went Epcot in 1991, when Disney
World was 20 years old. We actually
were staying near Busch Gardens by
Tampa. and also visited Cape Kennedy,
KsC, and places like Clearwater and
Sarasota. Having visited many parts
of Florida, especially since 2016, and
lived in SE Florida more recently, quite
a bit has changed there since over 30
years ago. 😮
I hope that this Reflections Resort can officially get back on building soon.
But if it cannot be built here. They need to build it as part of a brand new Story Living Community near Yosemite National Park.
Because that is one of the main Inspirations for the world of Bambi.
4:00 what an amazing shot
Meanwhile, there's some nearby parallel universe where they built the Mediterranean, and that universe's Jake just put out a video in his popular "Completed" series about it that features a short digression along the lines of, "Before we get into the details about this amazing hotel, look what boring nonsense they nearly built in that spot instead! Crazy, right?" :/
I love to see videos on Disney's visionary works. Thanks for this!
The Gulf War lasted 6 months, not 2 years. From August 1990 to February 1991. Love your videos!
As always great video. 👍
Nicely done!
I'll take a look at the rest of your channel content.
As info, my favorite WDW hotel is the Dolphin. Have stayed there 13 times, and normally get an upgrade due to my lifetime status with Marriott.
Love the hotel and its location.