Inside Disney’s America: The Most Controversial Never Built Theme Park

In the early 1990s, there was a patriotic park planned to pay tribute to our rich American history. The park was zoned to be only 35 miles west from Washington DC and only 5 miles from Manassas National Battlefield Park. Disney’s America was designed to have 9 lands themed over 150 acres.The whole park was going to be themed to the history of the United States, and focus on education while entertaining. In the beginning the project worth an estimated $650 million had the support of politicians and the powers that be… until they weren’t.

This Land is Your Land, This Land is My Land…

Much like how Walt Disney World is split into different lands to have different experiences, Disney’s America had the same plan. Check out the proposed lands and imagine how much more interesting American history would have been if you got to visit it Disney-style.

Crossroads USA (1800 – 1850)

Leave it to Disney to open another park featuring trains. Crossroads, USA was planned to be the entrance to the park that would use the imagineering technique of having your enter under a train to help with the perception of transporting to a different time. This was the pre-Civil War era in our country that was experimenting and expanding steam and coal technology, and that’s reflected here.

Native America (1600 – 1810)

This land would take you back in time to pre-colonial America. You would visit authentic Native American villages with crafts and interactive elements to help you understand what life was like during that time. This land would also feature a white water rafting style ride to mimic the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Presidents’ Square (1750 – 1800)

Just as the name suggests, this area would celebrate the founding fathers and the men that have led our great nation since our humble beginnings. The original plan was to bring a replica of the Hall of Presidents to this area.

Civil War Fort (1850 – 1870)

Do you love war reenactments and Disney nighttime spectaculars? This land was poised to have just that, a Civil War reenactment with fireworks. Awesome. During the day you would watch a battle blaze to bring you into the history. Now, in theory that’s an interesting concept, but Disney and the bloodiest American war just do not go hand-in-hand…

Enterprise (1870 – 1930)

Imagine a rollercoaster ride that takes you through the timeline of the industrial revolution and then exiting into a mock town that explores the factory boom during the turn of the century.

We The People (1870 – 1930)

Experience a simulation of immigrants coming into Ellis Island during the first major wave of immigration to the United States. This would be an interactive experience and include shows.

Family Farm (1930 – 1945)

This land would feature hands-on experience into what small farm operations were like before there were mega corporation owned farms with automated machinery.

State Fair (1930 – 1945)

The State Fair area showcases different iconic areas in America showing old timey entertainment like Coney Island style rides and games, and of course America’s favorite pastime, baseball.

Victory Field (1930 – 1945)

In this land, guests would walk through airplane hangers showcasing planes and pilots of both World Wars. There was even a proposed dueling roller coaster called Dogfight.

Where it all Fell Apart

1994 was a rough year for the Walt Disney Company. Euro Disney (now Disneyland Paris) had been open just a couple years and was considered a huge failure, the president of the Disney Company, Frank Wells, had passed away, and then there were protests against the patriotic Disney park here in the United States.There was a lot of opposition to the park because of its proximity to national landmarks and historic sites. There was also a lot of fear around letting a large corporation depict historic events that carry such importance.

The final nail in the park’s coffin: Snow. The location was chosen initially by Disney because of its historical locations, but ironically, it was it’s final undoing. Florida may have intense and extreme weather most of the year, but they have only had to close the park due to weather twice. If Disney’s America had opened in Virginia, they would have to close the park up to 4 months out of the year because of the cold weather!

In the late 90s, land went for sale that re-sparked the project, but yet again, there was fear about the way historical moments would be represented again. The project was shuttered for the final time.

Why So Much Opposition?

It’s wise to question a corporation on how history moments would be represented because history needs to remain factual and unbiased. Disney had taught us that educational can also be entertaining, so imagine what they could do with American history, right?! Oh boy…

While presenting the details and concepts of Disney’s America, Disney’s Senior Vice President at the time, Bob Weis stated, “This is not a Pollyanna view of America. We want to make you a Civil War soldier. We want to make you feel what it was like to be a slave or what it was like to escape through the underground railroad.”

If the park would have actually been built, it would have been controversial at best.

What Do You Think?

Would Disney’s America be a place on your must-visit list? Should Disney revive this project for a fourth time, or just be like Elsa and let it go. Whether you think it was a good idea or not, Walt Disney believed in imagination and creativity. He also believed in trying new things and pushing boundaries. If everything you do is a success, are you really pushing boundaries? If no one challenges your ideas are you really being creative and trying new things?

“All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them. The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing. We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”
–       Walt Disney

This post is part of the MDT Patriotic Disney Series!

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