Other Secret Stories of Walt Disney World

by Jim Korkis

  This particular dress was obviously the possession of a warrior’s wife since elk teeth are a great display of wealth. An elk only has two teeth and a dress might take hundreds of them. Most hunters saved the teeth as a memento of the hunt.

  This rare dress, which has been determined to be from around 1875, was worn for special ceremonial occasions like a wedding.

  Something that is easy to miss located to the right of the lobby side of the fireplace is the elevated library area of Whispering Canyon restaurant. It has both Gustav Stickley chairs and Frank Lloyd Wright tables and a china cabinet. Stickley was a proponent of the Arts and Crafts Movement, traditional craftsmanship in simple forms.

  The pottery and ceramics that adorn the cabinet are authentic pieces from the Arts and Crafts Movement. They are a hundred years old. Mass production by machines was becoming more common, so the movement emphasized appreciation for hand-made glass and pottery because they expressed the unique individuality of the particular artist.

  Located to the left of the Whispering Canyon Café on the wall near the restrooms is a painting that is a reproduction of the work of Thomas Moran, an important panoramic Western landscape painter and illustrator. Moran is well known for his paintings of Yellowstone that helped inspire the creation of the area as a national park in 1872.

  Other interesting artifacts bring a sense of reality and history to the lobby and are well worth a moment’s appreciation.

  Wilderness Lodge

  The Headdresses

  Native Americans believed that by wearing the feathers of the eagle, one of the most respected and revered birds, it was possible to impart the characteristics and power of the eagle to the wearer. It was usually the chief who would wear such a headdress and it was hoped it would provide wisdom and a different perspective.

  At the entrance to the Whispering Canyon restaurant are two headdresses on display. When the Imagineers had to re-create a headdress, they were not allowed to used eagle feathers because eagles are an endangered species so they used turkey feathers and enhanced them.

  On the left hand side is a single-trailer split-horn headdress that would have been worn by a high-ranking warrior chief circa 1835. A single-trailer headdress has a felt trailer hanging from the back of the headdress to the ground. The feathers are displayed on only one side of the trailer, giving it a symmetrical appearance.

  This particular headdress was inspired by one belonging to Mato-Tope of the Mandan Tribe.

  On the right hand side is a double-trailer eagle feathers headdress from around 1875. A double-trailer headdress is named for the two felt trailers that hang down the back of the headdress to the ground. An elaborate headdress of this style would have been worn by the highest-ranking member of the Sioux tribe.

  This particular headdress was inspired by one belonging to Chief Red Cloud of the Oglala Lakota tribe of the Great Sioux Nation.

  Located between two bundles of lodge poles toward the back of the lobby is the ermine-tipped raven headdress that resembles a nineteenth-century Crow warrior headdress. Inspiration for this headdress is the watercolor painting done by artist Charles Bodmer that is located just off the lobby elevator on the fourth floor. The painting was rendered in the 1830s during an expedition led by Prince Maximillian to the American West.

  Just to the right of the elevators is the feather-duster rooster feathers headdress. It was used by the Crow tribe circa 1890. The red of the feathers indicates war honor.

  In addition, there is an authentic display of moccasins made by the Plains Indians. Hard rawhide soles were hand sewed to a soft buckskin upper piece. Often, the craftsmen would chew on the material to make it softer and more pliable. The footwear was then ornamented with dyes, quills, beads, cloth, buttons, fur, and fringe, and this work varied greatly among the different tribes.

  Using no measuring tools or patterns, moccasins were each one-of-a-kind made to fit a specific foot of a child or adult. Intricate designs existed only the minds of the Native Americans making them and sometimes the design evolved as it was being worked on.

  Another display case specifically showcases some actual beadwork for a variety of different articles. The “seed” bead, a small round opaque Venetian glass bead, became available to the Native American cultures around 1840 through the pioneers entering their territories. Because “seed” beads were partly handmade, they were somewhat irregular.

  The delicacy of the bead pattern determined the size of the bead chosen. When settlers began to crowd into the Sioux country about 1860, beadwork became a major industry for the Native Americans that was highly popular until around 1900, although examples of this beautiful craft are still produced in smaller quantities today.

  Settlers sometimes dictated the style of bead pattern for the garments they were willing to purchase or trade. Later visitors to the area brought imported Czechoslovakian beads, which were somewhat darker than Venetian beads and had a slightly bluish tinge.

  Shades of Green

  The Story Behind the Story

  Shades of Green originally opened as a Disney-owned resort known simply as the Golf Resort in December 1973 with 151 rooms. The Golf Resort was located in the middle of the Palm and Magnolia golf courses and was meant as an amenity for golfers using the courses.

  It was designed to look like a two-story country clubhouse and originally did not have any guest rooms. Guest wings were added in 1973 as part of Walt Disney World’s Phase 2 expansion that was meant to include three other Magic Kingdom resorts that were never built.

  The resort was generally known for its dessert of French fried ice cream served in the Magnolia Room restaurant (later the Trophy Room) that also included live entertainment. In addition to golf, the resort had two lighted tennis courts for night-time play and a pool.

  Unfortunately, Disney guests did not consider it a resort since it was off the monorail loop so it suffered low occupancy. In February 1986, Disney expanded the resort and renamed it the Disney Inn in hopes of attracting more than golfers, promoting it as having the intimate and rustic charm of a quiet country inn.

  In 1988, it was re-themed to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in hopes of reinforcing the Disney connection. The snack bar was called the Diamond Mine to make the connection with the dwarfs. There was also a Diamond Mine Arcade. However, the resort still could not match the popularity or occupancy of the other WDW resorts.

  The U.S. military was looking for a continental America location to build an Armed Forces Recreation Center (AFRC) and surveys showed that Orlando, Florida, was the highest-ranking location for its service members.

  On February 1, 1994, the US Department of Defense, to Disney’s delight, leased the resort and the land it sits on with a 100-year lease to use for the MWR (Morale, Welfare and Recreation) program and limited the resort to eligible guests.

  Eligible guests are active and retired members of the U.S. military, National Guard, and Department of Defense, as well as their families. Others who are on vacation with an eligible sponsor are also allowed. Room rates are based on rank and pay grade.

  In 1996, the resort was purchased outright, for $43 million, due to its success, although Disney still owns the land on which the resort sits.

  In the process the resort was renamed Shades of Green, referring to the colors of the different uniforms. All war-fighting uniforms have some shade of green.

  The resort was completely remodeled and expanded during 2002–2004. Those renovations by KBJ Architects included a new five-story wing featuring an additional 299 rooms, a 500-seat Magnolia Ballroom, a fitness center, pools, tennis courts, new restaurants and dining areas, and a new lobby featuring a vaulted ceiling, fireplace, and veranda.

  The front entrance overlooks a large, natural pool with plants, rockwork, and five waterfalls, with each flume representing a branch of the U.S. military.

  The architects designed the new building and surrounding area to blend with the existing resort to create the feel of a Floridian lodge. Its new five-st
ory parking garage was a first at a WDW resort.

  The U.S. military funded the expansion project, coordinating its efforts with Walt Disney Imagineering and Walt Disney World leaders.

  Shades of Green guests have full transportation to all Walt Disney World theme parks and attractions. Shades of Green is considered a Disney-owned resort for purposes of extra magic hours/early entry hour at the theme parks.

  The Swan and Dolphin

  The Stories of the Swans and Dolphins

  CEO Michael Eisner felt that one of his legacies would be “entertainment architecture,” referring to telling stories architecturally in buildings on Disney property that were not in the theme parks.

  Eisner brought in renowned architect Michael Graves to design the Team Disney corporate building in Burbank, California. Graves said when he was in meetings with Michael Eisner that Eisner told him:

  Look, everyone here will have some design priorities for you, but I only have one priority. When I come in to work each morning and go up to my office, I’ll probably have very little to smile about. So do something that will make me smile when I arrive.

  When his first designs for the Team Disney building were rejected, Graves came up with the concept of having the Seven Dwarves as caryatids. A caryatid is a sculpted figure serving as an architectural support, taking the place of a column or a pillar supporting horizontal bands.

  Graves said:

  Because Snow White and the Seven Dwarves was truly the foundation of the Disney Studios and supported the growth of the company, just as the dwarves are supporting the building.

  Eisner was so pleased with the final result that he had Graves come up with designs for the Swan and Dolphin resorts.

  Designed by Graves, the swan statues (like the dolphin statues) were created from steel, wood, and fiberglass, and were believed to be the largest structures of their kind in the world at the time. Since there were no existing samples to work from, Disney artist Gary Graham, following Graves’ design, sculpted the swan models out of Styrofoam. These were then computer-photographed (photogrammetry) in a process that turns the shapes into a digitized database.

  The photogrammetric information was then sent to a ship-building company in Wisconsin. There it was put into a computer that automatically cut the wooden ribs to exact specifications and imprinted the ribs with numbers and location directions. The ribs were then delivered to the statue site, where they were fitted to a steel frame. Once assembled, a fiberglass covering was carefully brushed on and then covered with five layers of laminate. The swan statues were then sanded, painted, and ultimately lifted into place in May 1989.

  Completed, the swan statues, referred to as “heroic” statues, are each 47-feet high. At a combined weight of 56,000 pounds, they required a multi-ton, 70-foot crane to lift them and place them atop the hotel. They were placed on specially constructed pedestals at either end of the hotel’s roof, which support and display them.

  The dolphin statues are each 63-feet high. All the roof sculptures are hollow inside, except for the structural beaming, and they have internal staircases and trapdoors for maintenance purposes.

  At the Walt Disney World Dolphin, the sculptures were three-dimensional where guests can’t touch them and two-dimensional, like in the indoor fountain, where they can be touched.

  At the Walt Disney World Swan, it is reversed and the sculptures are generally three-dimensional where they can be touched by guests (like the interior fountain), but two-dimensional (like the monkeys and parrots in the trees) where they can’t be touched.

  The dolphins in the fountain facing the Walt Disney World Swan were supposed to be three-dimensional, but Graves was told to space them out wider because they obstructed the view. Instead, Graves simply sliced the dolphins, making what he called “dolphin filets,” and keeping them exactly where they were but opening up the space. He also made the fountain smaller since the dolphins are now two-dimensional and needed to be able to be touched.

  PART THREE

  The Rest of Walt Disney World

  While most guests concentrate on the theme parks and resorts and a few on other venues like the water parks and Disney Springs, those areas comprise only a fraction of Walt Disney World property.

  All of WDW property (as well as some surrounding areas) is protected by a full-time paid fire department provided by the Reedy Creek Improvement District. There are four stations on property. Their motto is “Protecting the Magic.”

  The Reedy Creek Fire Department was officially created in August 1968. In 1972, it consisted of two 1,250 GPM pumps, two woods trucks, one 1,250-gallon tanker, one boat, one rescue vehicle (ambulance), and three service trucks for emergency investigations and inspections. Chief Paul Pennington, a former Orlando fire chief, was originally in charge.

  There are over one hundred firefighters, who work on three platoons, with one platoon on duty at all times. The fire department averages about 65 calls for service a day or almost 24,000 calls per year. Those calls include requests for fire, medical, and fire-code enforcement.

  Some of these are false alarms that are caused by the system over-reacting to normal environmental conditions such as construction dust or cleaning solvents. Some are caused by burnt food in microwaves or people smoking in areas where smoking is prohibited and thereby causing a smoke detector to activate. Many of the medical calls are minor and quickly treated.

  As might be suspected, the Walt Disney World property has one of the most stringent fire codes in America, and many of Florida’s fire codes now follow that same model. In over four decades, there has never had been the loss of a single human life due to structure fire.

  Fire Station #1 is located behind Epcot’s World Showcase and is visible from Buena Vista Drive. It was designed by the Philadelphia architectural firm Venturi Scott Brown and cost $2.5 million. It was completed in 1994.

  Architect Robert Venturi stated:

  The architecture works to acknowledge its civic dimension via its scale, big and little, and via representation and symbols. Also, it’s designed to appeal to children.

  It was meant to resemble a child’s over-sized red building blocks and the roof is purposely positioned slightly askew to suggest that a child had put it on. The entrance on the opposite side is composed of white porcelain enamel blocks with large black Dalmatian spots because the dogs are closely associated with fire department lore. Also outside the entrance, the supposedly leaking fire hydrant actually serves as a fountain.

  Fire Station #2 is on Osceloa Parkway near Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Fire Station #3 opened in January 2008 and is on Maple Road off of Flordian Way. Fire Station #4 opened in 2003 and is located on Buena Vista Drive across from the Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa. It was designed with a whimsical post-modern red building approach and neon lights.

  Out front, there is an over-scaled curving up-and-down fire hose that ends as a spurting fountain. Over the entrance is a huge yellow fire helmet. Reedy Creek Improvement District Information Services are on the second floor and an Orange County Sheriff’s Office sub-station is in a separate area on first floor (at the southeast corner).

  At present, the Reedy Creek Fire Department operates four engines, two ladders, one squad (heavy rescue), one reserve squad, one tanker, and seven ALS rescues (ambulances) as well as specialized equipment (brush trucks, rapid response EMS vehicles, etc). They also provide automatic mutual aid into Orange and Osceola Counties as well as providing training for WDW cast members.

  Disney Miscellany

  Osprey Ridge Gone But Not Gone

  The tranquil Osprey Ridge Golf Course opened in 1992 and closed on August 15, 2013, but unlike so many things at Walt Disney World, it didn’t truly disappear after its closing. It became part of the Four Seasons Resort Orlando and reopened in October 2014 as the renamed Tranquilo Golf Club.

  The name Tranquilo pays homage to the resort’s Spanish Revival design and tranquil setting, featuring many southern live oak trees with delicate Spanish moss. Th
e original layout for the course was by Tom Fazio and he was brought back in to renovate and revitalize the course.

  The course remains unique because of its varying elevation, abundant wildlife, and protected wetlands. It allows golfers to connect with nature in a setting designed to seem secluded.

  Located near Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, the unique course winds its way through a forest of mature oaks, pines, palmettos, and cypress trees.

  The “ridge” in the original course was its central feature and was created to a large extent from earth excavated from the lakes and creeks that lined the fairways.

  “We didn’t have the time or the budget, so we picked sites that were environmentally compatible with our development plans before we even started,” said Tom Sunnarborg, project manager for the Disney Development Company who was in charge of building Osprey Ridge and its sister course, Eagle Pines (designed by Pete Dye).

  After the selection of the sites, the Disney company hired environmental specialists to stake out the land and invited each of the many federal, state, and local agencies to come out, one at a time, and inspect the property and make their recommendations.

  During the construction of the Osprey Ridge course, yellow ropes and bright pink ribbons were located to be highly visible markers of the wetland areas. This was done to assure that bulldozers or other heavy equipment did not get anywhere near those sensitive, protected locations.

  Environmental concerns were taken into consideration in the planning not only in terms of routing the two new courses but also in the building of roads on that property. At Osprey Ridge, the first two and last two holes were connected to the rest of the course by a hand-built, one thousand foot boardwalk-style bridge on pilings. This was done because roads could not be constructed over the wetlands.