Peter Pan Shield

Some designs don't make the cut. As Peter Pan attraction guests leave the loading area of the Shanghai Disneyland version, they fly through a gate designed to block the view of the first scene. A simple shield with the attraction title was used as a placeholder during the design phase, and the team leadership complained every time they saw it. Every time they complained, we (at Studio Z) explained that it was a placeholder and that a design incorporating the characters was still to come. This design was intended to reflect the early Fantasyland attraction's character murals. With the new design complete, we spent time with the mechanical engineers to figure out how the gate would split open and not cut Pan and Tinker Bell down the centerline. They would remain on the same side as the Neverland pirate crew, symbolizing the difference between the fantasy world and the children's reality.

Sadly, the design did not make the final cut, and I suspect it was a budget concern, although we were told they didn't like the design. Additionally, they claimed that all characters would have to be redrawn by an approved Disney character artist. Things changed between the 1990s, when I worked on Paris Disneyland, and 2013, when China Disneyland was under design.

For Paris Disneyland, in addition to art directing and designing the three dark rides (Snow White, Pinocchio, and Peter Pan), I also drew all of the character murals, tapestries, and stained glass windows for the land. These included those found in the Cinderella restaurant and Sleeping Beauty castle--not to mention the dark rides.

The shield shape remained with a nondescript pattern. It was a missed opportunity since these are the only gates that guests often stop and stare at before beginning the adventure. Nevertheless, I'm happy to share what might have been.

Lost in Details--Storeroom Door

An interesting comment prompted me to post a detail image of the Jupiter 2 small storeroom door. Located just behind the radio control station a very small storeroom was tucked away next to the porthole and under the sloped hull. In this SketchUp model I've removed the outer hull for clarity and shown the door in in both its closed and open positions. The door was actually designed as what is known as a bi-fold door. It swung into the storage room cutting into a portion of the interior space. Because of the way the manual door operated and was cut at an angle it actually had plenty of practical clearance to stay under the sloped hull.

The Outfielders

Sometimes love can come out of left field.

Tony was waiting until he went away to college to come out to his parents and start his new gay life. Unfortunately, at twenty-four, it doesn’t look like college is going to happen after all. Stuck in a dead-end job in a small town and still living at home, with all the arrested development that entails, he finds escape in playing for the company baseball team and lusting after his straight outfielder crush, Alex. But Tony’s best friend, Jennifer, thinks she’s found a plan in the pages of gay romance novels. All Tony has to do is convince Alex he’s gay for you… or for Tony. It’s easy—just find some excuse to be alone in bed together and let nature take its course. What could possibly go wrong?

You can’t get to first base if you don’t take a chance and step up to the plate.

Jupiter 2 Exterior

Okay, this model is really a cheat. I have used the lower section of the full-sized Jupiter 2 exterior with its landing gear as a base. The full-sized spaceship had diameter of only 43’-6”. The miniatures of the spaceship were scaled for a diameter of 48’-0”. The full-sized interior/exterior of the spaceship had a diameter of 47’-4”.

This version of the Jupiter 2 has the 47’-4” diameter of the full-sized interior/exterior.

The other cheat comes from how tall the upper deck portion is. To scale the miniatures all had an upper deck portion of 6’-0”. The same 6’-0” was on the upper deck portion of the full sized exterior spaceship. The full sized interior/exterior had sloped sides that continued up into the scaffolding of the stage. Here the upper deck is 7’-8” in order to house the spaceship upper deck interior.

Don’t ask about the lower deck.

Jupiter 2 Master Control Console

This view of the master control console shows the panel as it appeared during the first season. Instead of a central control panel the closed panel could unfold into a pilots seat. This was perfect for the concept of a single pilot, but by the second season a second seat was added and the center panel became another control panel.

Here the view out the window is of Gate 115 (or, double one-five, as it was called on the second season episode “The Ghost Planet”). The gate is not exactly as seen in the episode. Design drawings indicated that the full-sized exterior spaceship was to be used outside of the Fox Lot Mill building. The location was the same location used for the third season episode “Visit to a Hostile Planet.” Here I have dressed the mill and painted it as it was intended.

Jupiter 2 Interior Elevator

One of the most significant changes from the set of the Gemini 12 to the set of the Jupiter 2 was the addition of the elevator and ladder leading to the lower level. Along side of each are doors that would lead to storage compartments. In the third season the door nearest the elevator led to the Space Pod.

Jupiter 2 Upper Deck

I’ve been recently asked why I haven’t followed up on my “Lost in Space Design” book series. The sad truth is there isn’t enough interest. It took the publisher three years to sell 1,000 copies. The audience is just too small to make this labor of love profitable.

For those interested from time to time I’ll post a few images from the books that might have been. It was my intention to make a series of five books. Book One is “Lost in Space Design: No Place to Hide.” Book Two would have been “Lost in Space Design: The Reluctant Stowaway.” Each of the remaining books (Three, Four and Five) would have been dedicated to one of the three seasons.

The image here is from a SketchUp model of the Jupiter 2 upper deck. This model incorporates many of the set modifications made to convert the Gemini 12 into the Jupiter 2 spaceship. Here the new airlock, radio control center and storage room are located next to the improved master control console.