10-10-06 Tom Sawyer to Stay on the Island…For Now

[Chuck Oberleitner]

Tom Sawyer to Stay on the Island…For Now

By C. W. Oberleitner
October 10, 2006
Conflicting reports are beginning to emerge from the House of Mouse about the fate of Disneyland’s Tom Sawyer’s Island. Disney insiders insist the nationwide reports that the island playground, originally designed by Walt Disney himself, is about to be bulldozed are wishful thinking at best.

Read the full story here >>

[DisneyDude2006]

Disneyland Island Safe for Tom Sawyer, Say Imagineers
Disney Imagineers, who are responsible for designing the attractions at the company's theme parks, have downplayed reports by an unofficial Disneyland website that the company is planning to turn Tom Sawyer's Island, one of the original Disneyland attractions, into a Pirates of the Caribbean Island in time for the release of next year's Pirates sequel. In an interview with the O-meon website ("for the grownup geek in all of us"), one Imagineer remarked that the project could not be completed on such short notice. Others said no one had seen any designs for such an attraction. Moreover, they noted, changing Tom Sawyer's Island would also mean changing the Americana theme surrounding it. Indeed, asked one Imagineer, "What are guests going to think of the Mark Twain [a stern-wheel riverboat] gliding around a tropical island?"

There you have it.

[Dustysage]

Interesting. Two of my favorite Disney bloggers with two different points of view. Well written story Chuck!

-Dusty

[thmar]

Thanks for sharing this information...maybe Daniel Boone's River Pirates will be the only pirates on the Rivers of America...only time will tell..

[sediment]

Originally Posted by Dustysage

Interesting. Two of my favorite Disney bloggers with two different points of view. Well written story Chuck!

-Dusty

Kind of, but not really.
Neither story denies that someone in marketing asked imagineers to start imagineering TSI into a pirate island, and in time for POTC 3. (Which, again, I think reflects the major issue in The Mouse House right now.)

Neither story claims that it was a go and to expect the change.

They seem very similar and complementary.

[awaflyboy]

Interesting to read both sides, especially since this past weekend while at DL, my bud and I were given a ride in the Pilot House of the Mark Twain. When I asked the Pilot if the Fort on the island would ever re-open, his response was that they were going to re-do it completely to tie in with POTC. Later in the trip he then remarked that the MT was going to be going in for a full overhaul, at least for a year - where all the wood was going to be replaced - basically having to rebuild the entire ship due to the amount of rot and an improper sandblasting that took place a few months ago.

True or not, it makes you wonder....

[thmar]

Originally Posted by thmar

Thanks for sharing this information...maybe Daniel Boone's River Pirates will be the only pirates on the Rivers of America...only time will tell..

OOPS!! I mean DAVEY CROCKETT'S RIVER PRIATES!

[barfownz]

Disney most likely heard feedback on the TSI change and posponed it.

[Gemini Cricket]

Cool article!

[alphabassetgrrl]

Good. I like TSI and am sort of on pirate overload.

[Chernabog]

I'm sort of annoyed that the IMDB picked up these articles and pitted them against each other. Especially when Al had an entire paragraph saying THIS HAS NOT BEEN GREENLIT and never says that the island is going to turn all palm tree tropical and the media reports "TSI IS TURNING INTO A PALM TREE PIRATE ISLAND IN TIME FOR POTC3!!!".

Then Mr. O's article confirms that it is an idea that's being bandied about, but of course hasn't been greenlit or made into a cohesive plan, and suddenly Al is wrong? Oooookay.

I did enjoy reading Mr. O's article though!!!

[filmfreak11]

^ Some people just can't properly process what they just read or don't understand the entire story and jump the gun. Ain't the world funnie?

[The SeaDog]

Come on!! Everyone knows that Disney will neither confirm or deny anyting until it's own media tools are announcing it. Usually a week after the event happens. We had already completely gutted Super Stupid Lamo...I mean Super Star Limo and started the install on Monsters Inc. before the suits would even admit a new attraction was moving in. Disney loves it's secrets! That way if it falls thru they don't have to explain why! Nothing is sacred at the park, with the possible exception of Walt's Trains.

[mrmainstreet]

Originally Posted by The SeaDog

Come on!! Everyone knows that Disney will neither confirm or deny anyting until it's own media tools are announcing it. Usually a week after the event happens. We had already completely gutted Super Stupid Lamo...I mean Super Star Limo and started the install on Monsters Inc. before the suits would even admit a new attraction was moving in. Disney loves it's secrets! That way if it falls thru they don't have to explain why! Nothing is sacred at the park, with the possible exception of Walt's Trains.

To that end, has Disney announced anything about a certain section of Paradise Pier officially?

[DCACM]

A CM I know, who also happens to intern at WDI, was told the TSI project was given the "green light" yesterday.

What exactly the project is, I don't know; but my fingers are crossed that it will respect the theming and story of the surrounding lands and attractions.