September 20, 2007: Book Review: The Disney Mountains

[Werner Weiss]

I just finished reading The Disney Mountains: Imagineering at Its Peak by Jason Surrell. It's a new book that was published this month by Disney Editions.

Link to Book Review - The Disney Mountains: Imagineering at Its Peak at Yesterland.

Have you read the book yet? How did you like it? What should Jason Surrell write about next?

Please discuss the book The Disney Mountains: Imagineering at Its Peak and related subjects here.

[Athlonacon]

Thank you, I will purchase this book and add it to my list of reading, I get almost all the books I read from recommendations. After all, books are just like movies in that you have the superb ones that are a true credit to their craft...then you have those that obviously think little of their audience's time or intelligence. Recommendations are how I am able to separate the wheat from the chaff, as it were.

[dgmoran]

Another great article, Werner! Thanks!

I found one minor typo: in the paragraph following your first picture of the Matterhorn there is a sentence that reads as follows:

"The book is organized in chapters and 1- to 2-page articles within those chapters, so that’s east to do."

The word east should be easy.

Thanks!

Dan

[Werner Weiss]

The word east should be easy.

Thank you! I fixed it.

I'm not surprised that my spellchecker didn't catch it. I guess my proofreading skills aren't very good at 2:00 a.m.

[no1here]

One either minor error: "Mount Prometheus, site of Journey to the Center of the Earth and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, at Tokyo Disney Seas (1987)"

I thought this opened in 2001.

[Werner Weiss]

One either minor error: "Mount Prometheus, site of Journey to the Center of the Earth and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, at Tokyo Disney Seas (1987)"

I thought this opened in 2001.

Thank you!

Yes, Mount Prometheus opened with Tokyo DisneySea in 2001.

What bugs is that I noticed the same error when I proofread the article. But it looks like I never fixed it.

Now I've fixed it.

[tasman]

Another mountain to possibly add to the unbuilt concepts list..."Geyser Mountain" planned for the Frontierland section of Disneyland Paris, according to Jim Hill. Also versions of Matterhorn proposed at different times for the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Disney-MGM...plus a Matterhorn-type ride for the Japan Pavilion at Epcot...all unbuilt concepts.

[Werner Weiss]

Another mountain to possibly add to the unbuilt concepts list..."Geyser Mountain" planned for the Frontierland section of Disneyland Paris, according to Jim Hill. Also versions of Matterhorn proposed at different times for the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Disney-MGM...plus a Matterhorn-type ride for the Japan Pavilion at Epcot...all unbuilt concepts.

The book has a wonderful rendering of a Swiss Pavilion, with a Matterhorn, for Epcot.

But there's nothing about any "Geyser Mountain" or Mt. Fuji ride.

[tasman]

The book has a wonderful rendering of a Swiss Pavilion, with a Matterhorn, for Epcot.

But there's nothing about any "Geyser Mountain" or Mt. Fuji ride.

According to an old article on the Jim Hill site, "Geyser Mountain" was supposed to combine the old "Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland" with some thrill elements. Guests would go through a new version of the old rainbow caverns before their ride vehicle (in)conveniently got stuck on a bridge right over the geyser the mountain was named for. Then the geyser would erupt and guests would be catapulted up to the top of the mountain using the same technology as in the Tower of Terror.

The Fuji ride was essentially the same as the Matterhorn, with Japanese overlay. One of the reasons it didn't get built was that Disney friend Kodak objected to the association of the ride with its rival Fujifilm.

The picture of the Swiss Pavilion makes we want to buy this book even more. Next month perhaps...

[MasterGracey]

Great review, Werner. I just received the book, but haven't had time to actually read it...

I did thumb through it though, and also noticed that the book indulges itself on Expedition Everest. I wonder if this book was originally going to be focused on Expedition Everest, but as Surrell did his research, he realized that he couldn't talk about the latest-and-greatest Disney mountain without mentioning the ones that led up to Everest.. and from there the history outgrew Everest...

Or did Surrell have a part in Everest, so its near and dear to his heart? I wonder...

Nevertheless, the book looks great, and your review makes me want to finally sit down and read it. Thanks for the great review!

[Barbossa]

Sounds like a good book. I'll definitely get this one in the future. I do have Surrell's Pirates of the Caribbean book which is definitely worth every penny.

[SimpTwister]

Mount Prometheus, site of Journey to the Center of the Earth and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, at Tokyo Disney Seas (2001)

DisneySea. It's Tokyo DisneySea.

edit: everyone seems to get that one wrong .

[Werner Weiss]

DisneySea. It's Tokyo DisneySea.

edit: everyone seems to get that one wrong .

That's embarrassing. Later in the same article, I had it right.

Thanks! I fixed it.

[kayoss]

Mount Prometheus is really the greatest thematic achievement in Disney Theme Park history. It's enormous, fully viewable in 360 degrees (unlike Everest which you can clearly [ and sadly ] see the back of in the parking lot) and just technically incredible. It's truly sad that there isn't more out there on it's design and construction.

[lazyboy97O]

I think it is quite clear that Surrell's books are aimed at a more mainstream audience. This isn't a negative, as his books are wonderful, it would just explain why the book presents what is presented.