Seven Seas Lagoon

Here's an interesting bit of Disney trivia that I've always wondered, but didn't find the answer till now. This is from the May 2007 DVC Member Newsletter:

Here's another interesting Disney Resort tidbit. Did you ever wonder why the body of water in front of the Magic Kingdom Park is called the Seven Seas Lagoon, rather than something more themed to the Park? It's because the lagoon was going to be surrounded by exotic Resort hotels themed to the seven seas of the world. Plans called for Asian, Persian and Venetian hotels (the Venetian concept included its own canals), but those plans never materialized.

It went on to say after the construction of the Contemporary and Polynesian Resorts...

The next resort to open was to have been the Asian Resort, and a location had been identified during the Park's construction. The 500-room Resort was to be themed in a Thai style, complete with Thai architecture, furnishings and meals. Plans called for the Resort to take the form of a large square with a 160-foot-tall central building featuring four A-frame windows.

The opulent penthouse restaurant would have featured high ceilings and ornate statuary, and the space would have been the night spot for dancing and stage entertainment. Also planned were convention facilities, which were to be located underneath the main Guest areas much like the Cast utilidor system beneath the Magic Kingdom Park.

Concept drawings of the resort were featured in books sold at the Walt Disney World Preview Center before opening day. The Walt Disney Company's 1972 annual report stated that construction on the Asian Resort would begin by 1974 and that the Resort would open later that same year.

The U.S. energy crisis, beginning in 1973, was one of the greatest factors in the Resort's demise. Another factor was the need for additional capital to support the eventual development of Epcot.

Ten years later, in 1983, the company repurposed the Asian Resort site as the home for Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, which opened in 1988 as the Grand Floridian Beach Resort. The Resort helped usher in a new era of Walt Disney World Resort luxury and established an enduring tradition of partnerships between Disney and renowned contemporary architects.

Fascinating! Now I know not only why it is called Seven Seas Lagoon, but also what were planned to be around it.

Zz.