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While Walt Disney World is home to several iconic resorts, even more never came to fruition, including one with an Iranian theme.
Given the many themed resorts available to guests, this is almost hard to believe today.
When Walt Disney World opened on Oct. 1, 1971, it featured two themed resorts, today named Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Disney’s Contemporary Resort. However, several proposed hotel projects, developed in the 1960s and planned as part of a five-year “Phase I” expansion, were canceled due to the 1973 oil crisis.
Here is a brief look at some Walt Disney World Resorts that never were:
Disney’s Persian Resort
Unbuilt Walt Disney World: The Persian Resort would have sat on the shores of Bay Lake just to the north of the Contemporary Resort. The focus of the resort would have been a 24-foot dome at the center. This project was canceled due to the 1973 oil strike and Iranian Revolution. pic.twitter.com/yI3tXGog0L
— History@Disney (@HistoryAtDisney) October 8, 2023
Disney’s Persian Resort was planned to be situated on Bay Lake’s western shore instead of the Seven Seas Lagoon, where several Magic Kingdom resorts are located.
The resort was designed with a circular layout and a central building with a 24-foot dome housing an entrance area and meeting facilities. Initial sketches indicated a monorail spur would run through the resort and Tomorrowland in Magic Kingdom.
A few years later, in 1978, the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, offered to finance the construction and operation of the resort. However, the project was permanently abandoned due to the Iranian Revolution.
Disney’s Venetian Resort
Disney’s Venetian Resort would be themed after Venice, Italy, and located on the Seven Seas Lagoon near the water bridge between the Transportation and Ticket Center and Disney’s Contemporary Resort.
Michael Eisner was highly impressed by the triumph of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort in the late 1980s and early 1990s and was determined to create an even superior one. While the Venetian was initially considered, it was discarded in favor of the Mediterranean Resort, which similarly never came to fruition.
A 500-room resort was planned near the water bridge between the Transportation and Ticket Center and Disney’s Contemporary Resort. The resort would feature canals and gondolas for transportation.
Plans for a Venetian-themed resort on the site were revisited in 1999 as part of Disney’s Grande Venezia Resort project. It was designed by Walt Disney Imagineering in conjunction with the architectural firm Wimberly, Allison, Tong & Goo, which helped design the Grand Floridian.
Like the Mediterranean Resort, the hotel was to rival the Grand Floridian to be the most luxurious of all Disney’s resorts. The concept plans included elaborate buildings with terra cotta roofs, functional canals with gondolas, illuminated fountains, a pool with a masquerade theme, a conference center, and a wedding chapel.
Disney’s Asian Resort
Disney’s Asian Resort was expected to open in 1974 on a site today occupied by Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
The hotel was conceived to reflect Thailand’s culture and showcase its unique furnishings and cuisine.
The architectural plans included a more than 160-foot-tall central building with a restaurant on top, similar to the layout of Disney’s Contemporary Resort. The guest rooms were planned to be arranged in a square shape around three sides of the perimeter, with the side opposite the Seven Seas Lagoon left open.
While the initial plan included 600 rooms, it was revised and scaled down to 500. Two-thirds of the guest rooms had garden or lake views, while 50 suites would have been deluxe rooms themed after Thai royalty.
The Grand Floridian Resort & Spa opened in 1988.
