Animated Concept Art from Western River Expedition: Saloon Singer

Western River Expedition at Walt Disney World was planned to be a kind of sequel to the Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland. The building designed to house WRE was named Thunder Mesa, and themed to look like rocky cliffs and bluffs. Along with WRE, Thunder Mesa was reportedly going to be home to three other attractions - a runaway mine train ride (that idea would eventually become Big Thunder Mountain Railroad), and hiking and pack mule trails winding up the side of cliffs.

Thunder Mesa Art

To ride the Western River Expedition park guests would enter inside Thunder Mesa thru a cave-like passage, and board small boats much like Pirates of the Caribbean at the Disney parks. Part of the journey would take them through a western town called Dry Gulch. It's here the guests would witness all types of rowdy cowboy activity. Like a lively scene from the front porch of a saloon...

"Saloon Singer" by Marc Davis

... so now here's this concept art animated to look like audio-animatronics with simulated show lighting...



Closing Comments...

Long time Disney composer Buddy Baker (he did the music for the Haunted Mansion) was supposedly going to write the music for WRE. To the best of my knowledge no WRE music was ever recorded. So for my animation the saloon singer is Tammy Grimes from a 1963 episode of the TV western The Virginian entitled "The Exiles." Here's Tammy's performance if you wish to check it out...



I learned it's really hard to animate a piano player. If I was in charge of programming an animatronic piano man I'd be asking (more like begging) that we use some sort of motion capture to do the job.

Lastly if you want to learn more about Western River Expedition please visit Widen Your World. This was the first place on the internet to seriously document the history of WRE.

The Western River Expedition is Coming

Howdy to all you folks out there in blog-o-land!

*chirping crickets*

Is anyone still out there?

Well if you are reading this, and you enjoyed those Haunted Mansion concept art animations I did a few years ago I've got something else brewing. I'm animating Marc Davis's art from the never built Western River Expedition.

Marc Davis and a model of a Western River Expedition show scene.

For you people not up on Disney theme park history, Western River Expedition was a epic attraction designed by legendary Disney animator and Imagineer Marc Davis that was originally supposed to be built for the opening of Walt Disney World. Due to many factors the project got pushed back, and then back again, and was eventually abandoned.

That's only brief summery, and so if you want to learn more about the history of Western River Expedition check out this Wikipedia entry which also has a few great links to further WRE content from across the vast interweb.

So anyways to spark your interest for the new animations, here's a little tease of of what's coming in August...



Please leave a comment, and let me know how interested you are in this project. Encouragement can only help in getting these animations completed.

Prehistoric Forest

Since my last post was super boring I thought my next post should be extra exciting, and what's more exciting than dinosaurs.

This is a low budget brochure for Prehistoric Forest in Irish Hills, Michigan, and Prehistoric Forest was a dinosaur attraction filled with low budget fiberglass dinos.


Although it must be said that these were well done low budget fiberglass dinos, and at least when I visited everything was well maintained and freshly painted. Besides the dinos, there were other odd things to see at Prehistoric Forest like that "burning spring" thing pictured on the upper right above. I can remember asking my father how fire could be bubbling out of the water like that. Yeah kids can be so naive, but then again I was 23 when I asked this. Thank you folks, I'll be here all week!



Since the pictures in this brochure were all B&W I wanted to include some color photos my father took when this attraction was in its prime. Unfortunately I could only find one (I'll update this post if any other pix turn up).


This is the "Neanderthal Man" and if you noticed he looks like he had a makeover compared to the brochure picture.

You should have guessed by my use of past tense that Prehistoric Forest in Irish Hills is now defunct. According to a report online it closed in 1999. Thanks to YouTuber mortuarygirl1 you can see how Prehistoric Forest looked in 2009.


UPDATE: There's a few more color Prehistoric Forest photos right here...

Vist Dutch Wonderland

Hey Look, it's a monorail and a castle! This must be a Disney park brochure!

Nope, this is a Dutch Wonderland brochure from the late 1970's.

In the center of the Dutch Wonderland brochure are ads for other local attractions. I assume they pitched in for printing costs, or Dutch Wonderland is super generous.

A map of how to get to Dutch Wonderland, and a list of other "interesting" area attractions. Surprise, there seems to be a lot of Amish attractions in Lancaster Pennsylvania. Who would have thunk it.

The spectacular giant foldout of the wondrous wonders to be found at Dutch Wonderland. I know that photo of the cafeteria caught my eye.

And finally, the back of the Dutch Wonderland brochure.

Dutch Wonderland is still in operation, and was purchased by Hershey in 2001. This park bills its self as a "Kingdom for Kids" and features rides basically for small children. Although they do have a "haunted swing" which is rather rare, and something I'd like see myself. (Give yourself extra bonus points if you know what a "haunted swing" is)

Santa Claus Land 1978

Just when you thought it was safe, Santa Claus Land strikes back!

On the cover of this 1978 brochure the actual photo of Santa used in the 1976 version has been replaced with a cartoon representation of a gigantic Santa overlooking his kingdom. Also free parking is prominently featured.




If you've been wondering what has happened to Santa Claus Land, well you won't find it anymore.

But good news everybody, that's because Santa Claus Land became Holiday World in 1984. Holiday World is a very popular amusement park with various lands themed to a different holiday.

Story Book Fantasy at Deer Acres

My next brochure isn't technically Christmas related, but if you accept it in the vein of Babes in Toyland which is something of a Christmas classic, it sorta fits a Christmas theme.

Hey I'm trying here...


This Story Book Fantasy at Deer Acres brochure is from the late 1970's, but sure looks like it could be from the 1950's.


I'm always suspicious of brochures that don't have actual photography of the attractions. If they're only using illustrations, I think what are they trying to hide?


Actually Deer Acres Storybook Amusement Park (it's current official name) seems like a modest old fashioned park which by all accounts is clean and run well. The park recently celebrated it's 50th season. Although the current owners wish to sell, and if you read this article the 2008 season might have been its last.

Santa Claus Land 1976

Just in time for the 2008 Holiday season here's part one of my Christmas themed brochure-a-palooza!

First up is that jolly old fat man himself, the one and only Santa Claus, and the Santa Claus Land amusement park located in the appropriately named Santa Claus, Indiana.

Check out the inside of the brochure in all its bicentennial-era glory...

Walt Disney World Bicentennial Brochure

Just in time for Independence Day I bring you the Walt Disney World Bicentennial Brochure.

The year was 1976, and every day at WDW was like the Fourth of July with their very patriotic and lavish "America On Parade" parade.



I don't know if you noticed, but back in 1976 Disney was still on the ticket system. A 2 day ticket book for one adult cost $15 in 1976. Today just parking your car at Disney costs about this much!

BONUS STUFF: Hey look, it's an official "America On Parade" drinking mug. It still has its price tag, and cost $1.25 back in the day. I wonder how much it would go for on Ebay?


Hey look again, it's the official guide to Walt Disney World from 1976. It's compliments of a company called GAF - whatever that was...

This guide is about 30 pages long. So I'm not planning to scan it for this blog any time soon.

Circus World Brochure

Here's another in a series of now defunct amusement park brochures.

Circus World in Barnum City, Florida was located only "10 minutes west of Walt Disney World,"and that might have been a reason for its ultimate failure. I don't know call me crazy, but unless you're some big media conglomerate like Universal, I don't think it's wise to open an amusement park in Disney's backyard.

Oh well, if you want to know more about what happen to Circus World you can read all about it here.

Old Chicago brochure

Here's a vintage brochure for the long gone Old Chicago in Bolingbrook Illinois. Old Chicago was a indoor amusement park and shopping center.

Now only if it was a shopping center first and amusement park second, much like the Mall of America, maybe Old Chicago would have lasted more than six years (1975-1981).

Maybe it's just me, but there's something fundamentally depressing about an indoor amusement park.







UPDATED FUN FACT: A memorable scene in Brian De Palma's The Fury (1978) was shot at Old Chicago. If you watch the trailer below at around the 1:10 mark you'll see a spinning ride go out of control, and send its passengers sailing through a large glass window.

Guntown Mountain brochure

I know I visited Guntown Mountain in Cave City, Kentucky as a kid, but I don't remember much about it. It's hard to believe with all the action packed entertainment they crammed into this place that I don't remember something. All I know I was there, but the details of the western town, scenic train, petting zoo, onyx cave and even a haunted house are gone. (Actually I do remember looking at the haunted house, but we didn't go in.)

Anyways, the cover of this vintage brochure is certainly very memorable. Although I have doubts they still use this particular cover photo.

It's Where the Brady Bunch Stayed

There's a memorable episode of the Brady Bunch where they travel to Kings Island amusement park near Cincinnati Ohio. Between getting Alice to ride the roller coaster, Jan losing the important blueprints, and both Greg and Peter dressing up as one of the Hair Bear Bunch characters - the Brady's stayed at the luxurious Kings Island Inn.

Here's a brochure from the 1970's that I'm sure Brady's brought home to show the neighbors what a swanky place they stayed at.

Story Book Forest Brochure

This is a brochure from the late 70's for the children's amusement park Story Book Forest in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. I'm happy to report that this quaint old fashioned attraction built in 1956 is still in business and is now part of Idlewild Park.

I've never been to Story Book Forest, but from the reports I've read its upkeep is immaculate. It's a minor miracle that an attraction of this kind this hasn't slipped into disrepair over the years.