THE PROGRESS CITY SUITE
PROGRAM NOTES

PROJECT X

LUX AETERNA
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MYSTERIES OF THE ATOM

In the final years of his notable life, Walt Disney - the bridge of high and low art, sought to bring the world something of much more importance. This was to be the largest of all of his life’s endeavors. A dream so vast in scope and so sensitive in execution that, by necessity, its conception was intentionally shrouded in mystery. Lux Aeterna, (from the Latin meaning “Eternal Light”), serves as the “Overture” to the Suite. This particular variation was used in conjunction with the film “2O1O: The Year We Make Contact” Based on the novel, published in 1982, the text explicitly states EPCOT (or “Disneyville” in the book) is the residence of Dave Bowman’s mother. Its spacious atmosphere conveys the Vastness of Walt’s vision and the possibilities of its future. The movement concludes with Mysteries of the Atom, its dark, (Bernard) “Hermann-esque” tones express the absolute secrecy surrounding a project for which Walt’s own brother, Roy, was intentionally left in the dark.

THE MIND OF WALT DISNEY

THE SKYDOME SPECTACULAR

Imagination, insight, and innovation combine to become the basic principles that drive Walt’s remarkable intellect. The Skydome Spectacular’s electric composition signifies the millions of synapses of the brain and the excitement of an ever expanding vision. Identifying the problems of our cities, researching the reasons for their existence and developing new solutions all combine to create a possible future that could change the way we live life on this planet – and all of this occurring within a three pound space.

THE GARDEN CITY

PROGRESS CITY
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JOIN THE SWING

More than just a metropolis of architecture and infrastructure, EPCOT was envisioned as a place where the city was not only functional but beautiful. Announcing the Master Plan of EPCOT, “Join the Swing” served as the initial underscore for “The EPCOT Film” and “Progress City” the musical score for the at-one-time massive model representing the city of tomorrow - a perfect balance of the natural and technological, a Garden City.

WORLD ON THE MOVE

MIRROR MAZE
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NATION ON WHEELS
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WORLD OF TOMORROW

Traffic, Congestion, Pollution, and Loss of Community, in Walt’s mind these problems stem from a single source – the automobile. But in a nation on wheels how can we even begin to eliminate a vehicle that allows people everywhere the freedom to go anywhere at any time? The answer was diversification. For the most part people, go to and from three places during the week: home, work, and shopping. WEDway, that most marvelous of all transportation devices, would get them there and a new car was always ready. For high speed intercity travel to the airport or the Magic Kingdom, a sleek Monorail Runs Through it!

CITY ON A HILL

MEDALLION CITY
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PROGRESSLAND SPECTACULAR

Every visitor to Disney World would enter a massive Entrance Complex then be whisked several miles away to the Magic Kingdom. However, before arriving in the land of Fantasy, the visitor would pass through the middle of EPCOT. First spotting the beautiful modern houses, then its beautiful greenbelt of parks & churches, and finally passing through the gleaming city center, with its massive transportation lobby encircled with WEDway hubs shooting out in every direction. Subsequently experiencing the entire unfolding in reverse, from the architectural to the horticultural, connecting and then reconnecting with the natural world. All this before entering the Vacation Kingdom, EPCOT by definition a Model City, a “light [to] the world” (Matt 5:14) - a City on a Hill.

THE FINAL VISION

DISNEYLAND ‘61
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FWSS MAIN THEME

EPCOT was never intended to exist solely in a vacuum. It was to be “a showcase to the world of the American free enterprise system” an example for the rest of the world to follow. If EPCOT was to be realized one could only imagine the spectacular implications of such a wide reaching vision. Monorails crisscrossing the country, WEDway for inner-city transport, decreased need for oil consumption, an increased focus on the natural world, and most importantly a world that addresses the needs of people and the planet we share. And all this inspired by an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.