Imagining Neverland
themed environment concept
Reimagining Tom Sawyer Island at Walt Disney World.
The political and social climate of today has caused The Walt Disney company to reevaluate the stories being told in their theme parks across the world. With the recent Splash Mountain transition being announced, how do you bring some more Fantasy into Frontierland? How do you ensure all guests feel welcome by the stories being told in the Parks? While Tom Sawyer is a classic story, less and less schools are including it in their required reading programs for various cultural reasons. Peter Pan is one of my favorite Disney films. At recess a friend and I would run around imagining we were helping the fairies who had come to earth on a mission. The following graphics + renders are (theoretical) proposed changes to transform Tom Sawyer Island into the magical playground where kids never grow up: Neverland.
All ideas within this project are my own. This is a personal project that is completely theoretical and is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Disney or its theme parks. (Although someday I would love for it to come to life.)
The Transition
The nature of Tom Sawyer Island being, well, an island, automatically lends itself to the story of Peter Pan. Many of the attractions could be easily re-themed or renamed. With the addition of a few key elements, the island can be completely transformed into an interactive playground for families of all ages.
The Transformation
Once the attraction list became clear, I started sketching for signage, the brand, and how you interact with the island as a whole. The signage is made of things you would find on an island-- driftwood, old sails, parchment, and even oars. But my favorite thing about this Neverland is how it comes to life at night. The trees glisten with pixie dust and the island is covered in lanterns and string lights.
Smee's Tavern
The icing on the cake. Aunt Polly's has been closed for some time, but with the reimagining of the island, it can be reopened by none other than Mr. Smee himself. Serving a variety of buried treasure (golden fried pickle chips) and other themed dishes, Mr. Smee's delicious delicacies are sure to make the gram.
