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 reality. But strangely, there doesn’t seem to be a ton of concept art out there for A Bug’s Land, which came to California Adventure in 2002. But from the few images I was able to find, you can definitely get a sense of one element they brought to life: scaling you down to the size of a bug, and one element that seems to have come later: the density of vegetation in the land, and how it impacts the visual storytelling.
Source: Reddit
In this image, which was on the construction walls as A Bug’s Land took shape, gives a great overview of the land’s layout and flow. All of the attractions are in their final location, and you can see the clear paths leading to Cars Land, Pacific Wharf, and Hollywood Land. But what stands out most to me in this image are the visual tricks to convey scale. Here, you were a bug, not a human. The tissue box (bathrooms) and garden hose (Dot’s Puddle Park) work the hardest at convincing you of your size. And in the final version, details like popsicle stick benches, takeout container ride vehicles, and giant food along the Chew Chew Train continued the illusion.
But the really noticeable change from this piece of concept art to the final product is the greenery. A Bug’s Land was VERY green – thick brush, tall trees, and four leaf clovers everywhere.
Source: Pinterest
In this image, we see a bit more of the greenery. After all, if you were a bug, the grass would tower high over your head. And serving a more practical purpose, the wide four leaf clovers provided much needed shade for a land primarily designed for families and the youngest park visitors.
If artists had included all of the vegetation in the concept art, you wouldn’t have been able to see much. In A Bug’s Land, you could never see the entire space from any one vantage point. The thick plants hid large show buildings in neighboring lands and provided a sound barrier, also supported by chirping crickets and other buggy sounds coming from the brush.
Though A Bug’s Land had a less complicated design than other lands in California Adventure, the concept art does show us how important forced perspective and scale were in creating this insect-led land. Perhaps Flik and his bug friends are still out there, beneath the super heroes, continuing their adventures in the park.