Concept Art

Concept Art: Fantasyland

Concept Art: Fantasyland

Sometimes it’s really tricky to find concept art imagery for the oldest of Disneyland’s spaces, but I had no trouble tracking down some amazing images for Fantasyland. While it’s remarkable to see how closely they resemble the final product in many cases, I think the most fun part of looking at concept art is seeing […] Read more…

Concept Art: Galaxy's Edge

Concept Art: Galaxy’s Edge

When designing an out-of-this-world land, Imagineers have to have out-of-this-world imaginations, with concept art to match. But as I was looking through Galaxy’s Edge concept art, I was amazed to discover that most of it is remarkably close to the final product, especially compared to other lands at the resort. While sometimes scale is a little […] Read more…

Concept Art: Golden State

Concept Art: Golden State

California Adventure 1.0 was a little confusing. There were big, clearly defined lands, like Paradise Pier and Sunshine Plaza. And then there were weird, little lands that were sometimes referred to as their own thing, and sometimes referred to as part of the larger “Golden State” region. Golden State was the most “California” part of […] Read more…

Concept Art: Pixar Pier

Concept Art: Pixar Pier

Pixar Pier is one of those instances where Disneyland didn’t exactly design from the ground up. Instead, Paradise Pier broke apart, with the boardwalk area getting some new coloring and details – but the bones were there. That’s largely why so much of the concept art is remarkably accurate compared to most imagery we see […] Read more…

Concept Art: Mickey's Toontown

Concept Art: Mickey’s Toontown

With the reopening of Mickey’s Toontown just days away, I thought it would be fun to look back at the concept art that shaped Disneyland’s wild child land. This redesign gives us two different eras of concept art to look through: the original, leading up to the grand opening in 1993, and the updated, teasing […] Read more…

Concept Art: Critter Country

Concept Art: Critter Country

Critter Country is an interesting case at the Disneyland Resort. This “new” land wasn’t really new; it was a moderate re-theming of an existing space. So when searching for concept art, you’ll find a mix of Bear Country and Critter Country. And that makes sense, because many of the structural elements present in Critter Country […] Read more…

Concept Art: Buena Vista Street

Concept Art: Buena Vista Street

If you’ve seen my previous posts on concept art, you know that design evolves over time. These images are not meant to be blueprints – they convey the look and feel of a land rather than exact imagery. In that spirit, Buena Vista Street‘s concept art is quite the mixed bag. Some images could be […] Read more…

Concept Art: Cars Land

Concept Art: Cars Land

Sometimes, finding concept art for Disneyland spaces can be really tricky, especially when they were designed more than 60 years ago. But other times, the art is so plentiful that it can feel overwhelming! And then…there’s Cars Land. Honestly, the best concept art for this space is the movie Cars itself. Imagineers really went as close […] Read more…

Concept Art: A Bug's Land

Concept Art: A Bug’s Land

Concept art is never an exact architectural plan for a land. Instead, it’s more like a stylized vision board conveying the land’s story, major elements, etc. Concept art brings the written and technical ideas to life in a visual way. I love looking through concept art to see how a land’s ideas eventually translate into […] Read more…

Concept Art: New Orleans Square

Concept Art: New Orleans Square

If you’ve been a reader of this blog for any amount of time, you know New Orleans Square is my absolute favorite land at the resort. I love exploring the different streets, listening for the sounds coming from the windows and admiring all the little details. And when you take a look at the land’s […] Read more…