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I always thought that the theme park "Disney's America" sounded like a fantastic idea. What better way to get people interested in our country's history than to make it exciting and fun? Still, I know there were a lot of complaints because it wasn't truly historic. What's the general thought here?

User Disney's America should have some insight on that... I had always expected the park would take visitors on a tour of the nation, but apparently I was mistaken:

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Scroll down to find the post...

I would love to hear more about the park. I remember Eisner saying that it would be built, somewhere, eventually.

You can read Disney's original press release here:

http://www.chotank.com/reledisn.html

You can see some concept art here:

http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Set/ ... erica.html

The images from that site were from a brochure Disney released to try and build support for the park (or others say it was from a press kit). Sometimes you can find it for sale on ebay.

Jim Hill (http://jimhillmedia.com) has several articles on Disney's America including one on a revised version of the park called "Disney's American Celebration."

Mouse Planet has an interesting article here:

http://www.mouseplanet.com/dca/america.htm

You can read Eisner's thoughts on the project here:

http://allthingswdw.conforums.com/index ... 1137092733

Those same boards have an item on the Muppets and Disney's America here:

http://allthingswdw.conforums.com/index ... 1101501781

More concept art here:

http://imagineering.tripod.com/daart.html

Enjoy!

I always love to read about ideas that never came to fruitation. But I have to admit that Disney's America really didn't send me. Maybe I'm just not really interested in American history, or I didn't like the location, or something else. I really think it would have been disastrous if Disney had built this park. But it does remind me of Freedomland, an old theme park in New York City that my mom remembers going to in the 1960s.

Most interesting concept art - thanks for the links. I'd never seen the artwork for it, it actually looks interesting. A lot better than the American History classes in school - they could make anything boring! Not sure it would have worked there with the local opposition, etc. but at least creative juices were still flowing...

I thought the idea was great, and having worked at a number of Historical Museums, Forts etc, I would have loved to have seen it happen...However, the location, at Manasas was NEVER going to get airborne.....Too many Historic Preservation Groups involved in that area....Maybe central Georgia, Tennesse or the Carolinas

Disneys America wrote:You can read Disney's original press release here:

http://www.chotank.com/reledisn.html

You can see some concept art here:

http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Set/ ... erica.html

The images from that site were from a brochure Disney released to try and build support for the park (or others say it was from a press kit). Sometimes you can find it for sale on ebay.

Jim Hill (http://jimhillmedia.com) has several articles on Disney's America including one on a revised version of the park called "Disney's American Celebration."

Mouse Planet has an interesting article here:

http://www.mouseplanet.com/dca/america.htm

You can read Eisner's thoughts on the project here:

http://allthingswdw.conforums.com/index ... 1137092733

Those same boards have an item on the Muppets and Disney's America here:

http://allthingswdw.conforums.com/index ... 1101501781

More concept art here:

http://imagineering.tripod.com/daart.html

Enjoy!

EXCELLENT INFO!

I really regret this park was never built.

Yeah...it really looked like a coll idea. Much more of a tribute to American history than say...The American Adventure.

That would have a sweet park, if the theming in those pictures could just become real, it'd make an amazing park experience.

Thanks for all the links.I love seeing the concept art!

Does everyone know what became of the land?

It was sold to the Boy Scouts of America, who have turned it into a pretty sweet Cub Scout "theme park" of sorts.

^Hmm, I didn't know that part.

Bad idea. very very bad idea on Disney's behalf. Manasses was a very poor land choice. If they did manage to get the park in the air, there would have been land disputes and a whole 'nother civil war would have begun. If you want to see history in action, go visit a local reenactment. I for one, am a civil war reenactor with the 9th Massachusetts light artillery. Reenactments deliver insight on the history of the civil war and all that each side stood for. Interesting stuff, go check one out.

edit: I forgot to mention another reason why it's a bad idea. They're making history and past conflicts almost looking "fun". I saw the concept art for that river rapids ride. What the HECK was that? Native Americans went rafting down rapids in giant round tubes? .... i'm sorry to sound like such a history nag, but i do not approve of this idea one bit.

Only a portion became the Boy Scout camp. The rest became a huge housing development, thousands of homes, major highway congestion requiring a large road construction project. The headquarters is now just another office building. In hindsight I'm not entirely sure what those who fought against the park actually accomplished.

In response to Tiki, look at G2-4T's comments on how boring history is in school. In the true Disney manner, this park was intended to inform and entertain with the hope of igniting a spark in both kids and adults. In fact, reenactors were to have played a part in the park on a regular basis.

The whole idea behind the resort was that it would be the hub of a family's visit to the area. You could take a Disney-organized tour of Manassas National Battlefield or even Gettysburg or Antietam. On another day or two the family might take in the Smithsonian museums or other Washington sights, each evening returning to their Disney resort hotel.

I'm not sure the park, as a stand alone experience, would have worked anyway. It would be closed during the coldest months of the year, (January to mid-March) a situation Disney's never dealt with before. But making it the hub of a family's vacation to the Nation's capital might have worked.

We'll never know.

when I think of Disney, i don't think of our nation's history. I think of vacation resorts in a tropical climate and a bus transit line taking visitors to well-cared for theme parks, not a historic battlefield. It just makes History sound tacky and gaudy. If I were to do a research paper on the battle of Bull-Run i wouldn't go down to Virginia and interview Mickey Mouse about it. I'd get online and research it from well-to do sites. Sorry, it's not my kind of an idea for a park.