Long lost Westcot

[Theophilus Carter]

Originally Posted by I Heart Disneyland

Weird, I just saw this booklet 2 weeks ago at DL when I met a friend there who had one. I wish they'd gone ahead with it. They'd not be tossing so much dough at DCA now if they had.

I have to think WestCot would have been a huge success, as well. But from a financial perspective, Disney should have invested in the rest of the WestCot project-regardless of which park was built. I have to think Disneyland Center, the new hotels, and the concert venue would have provided more revenue than Downtown Disney, the Grand Californian and the Paradise Pier hotel.

[Rob™]

What disheartens me the most is that when
WestCot and Port Disney were reportedly canceled,
Eisner left off to an executive retreat for a few days
in which during that time conceived the concept of
California Adventure.

As a final attempt to "save" his image and Disney's reputation.

What a copout.

[Radiobarry]

Talk, and very preliminary plans for a proposed "Westcot" were, as I remember it, presented to employees even as early as the mid to late 70's, when I was there...even before EPCOT opened in Florida. If I'm not remembering that correctly, someone please correct me.

Anyway, I vividly remember the whole thing of pitting Anaheim against Long Beach in the early 90's...Disney was really throwing its weight around, seeing which city's taxpayers would give them a sweeter deal. Not exactly free market capitalism at its finest IMHO.

Still, the announced plans for Westcot had most veteran Disneylanders like me pretty excited.

Then, the events so well chronicled above took place. And enter Paul Pressler, the man who thought Disneyland was just a retail mall with a few rides...and voila.

Maybe now you have an even better idea, why so many of us were so bitterly dissappointed with DCA, which by any objective account was a disaster at the start.

[KEBSD]

Makes me wonder which I would've liked more... Westcot or the refurbed DCA?

[Bob Weaver]

Who made the final decision to drop Westcot?

[MarkTwain]

Originally Posted by Tomorrowland_1967

...

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.

I wasn't aware that the Westcot / Port Disney plans were only ploys... although that doesn't surprise me, considering the Eisner-era mentality. So does that mean that they never would have happened even if it weren't for DCA? What a shame!

[Circa1966]

congrats on making it into the roundup!

[Waking Beauty]

I had a discussion about this with one of the imagineers who worked on Westcot, and he said that the reaction of the imagineering team to Eisner's startling change-of-direction was to attempt to convince Eisner that a theme park based on the wonders of California was an idea with a great deal of potential for success - IN TOKYO.

Now, THAT would make some sense!

I'd never seen the promotional literature for Westcot before - thanks so much for posting that!

[daannzzz]

Wasn't one of the issues with the Disney sea that Long Beach balked at the Disney plans or refused some of the concessions that would have had to make?

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by daannzzz

Wasn't one of the issues with the Disney sea that Long Beach balked at the Disney plans or refused some of the concessions that would have had to make?

It was really the state government that killed it. The Coastal Commission was not going to permit the landfill in the bay, which basically made the whole project a no go.

[Tomorrowland_1967]

Originally Posted by Uncle Bob

It was really the state government that killed it. The Coastal Commission was not going to permit the landfill in the bay, which basically made the whole project a no go.

Yeah ... and as Palpatine once said - "Everything is going accordingly to plan".

All part of the plan for Disney to get what they really wanted - Anahiem!

[♥disney.princess♥]

Wait, how do we know those long beach plans were bogus?

[Zorro825]

Originally Posted by Waking Beauty

I had a discussion about this with one of the imagineers who worked on Westcot, and he said that the reaction of the imagineering team to Eisner's startling change-of-direction was to attempt to convince Eisner that a theme park based on the wonders of California was an idea with a great deal of potential for success - IN TOKYO.

Now, THAT would make some sense!

I'd never seen the promotional literature for Westcot before - thanks so much for posting that!

Can you imagine what DCA would've looked like with the OLC funding it?

[stevo505]

Originally Posted by ♥disney.princess♥

Wait, how do we know those long beach plans were bogus?

I heard it was Disney's scheme to get Anaheim to allow a 2nd gate for Disneyland. They said they were going to Long Beach to make the city of Anaheim want Disney's new park in Anaheim, not in Long Beach.

[♥disney.princess♥]

Originally Posted by stevo505

I heard it was Disney's scheme to get Anaheim to allow a 2nd gate for Disneyland. They said they were going to Long Beach to make the city of Anaheim want Disney's new park in Anaheim, not in Long Beach.

Oh, so it was just a rumor, though? Noone but WDI and Disney knows if it was really bogus or not?