D23 Member Patrick Johnson Destination D: Attraction Rewind sketch

D23 Member Patrick Johnson Shares His One-of-a-Kind Destination D: Attraction Rewind Experience

One of the Victorian-themed attractions from the never-built Discovery Bay.

D23 Member Patrick Johnson shares his Destination D: Attraction Rewind experience with caricatures of the presenters and attractions shown throughout the two-day event.

Participants at this year’s Destination D: Attraction Rewind were restricted from taking photos at the presentations because Imagineering shared many unpublished and unreleased images and videos, including some virtual ride-throughs of attractions that were never realized. I’ve always been fascinated by the history of WED/WDI and their work at the 1964 World’s Fair, and I love learning about Disney attractions that never came to be. I wanted to remember as much about the panels as possible.

Mickey’s of Glendale came to the rescue. I purchased Marty Sklar’s The Most Frightening Thing in the World, a hardcover spiral-bound sketchbook, and filled the pages (sometimes front and back) with more than 100 ballpoint pen sketches of the presentations. I drew caricatures of all the presenters and sketched of as many of the slides as I could.

Acting like a courtroom sketch artist was enjoyable, and it enriched my Destination D experience.

I loved drawing the various pavilions from the 1964 World’s Fair. Their graphic shapes and clean lines made them easy to capture with a few pen strokes. The most challenging work to draw was Tony Baxter’s presentation of Discovery Bay. The artwork was so rich and detailed, and there were so many slides. The moment I’d look down to sketch the Hyperion in its hangar, the slide would change to a Nautilus-themed restaurant or a whimsical dragon dangling from a large balloon.

D23 Member Patrick Johnson Sketch of Zorro and Mother Goose
Zorro and Mother Goose
D23 Member sketch of Exterior of the Dwarfs' house from the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train ride.
Exterior of the Dwarfs’ house from the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train ride.
D23 Member sketch of A never-realized themed attraction featuring a cast of singing birds and an erupting volcano designed for the Coca Cola pavilion at the 1964 World's Fair
A never-realized themed attraction featuring a cast of singing birds and an erupting volcano designed for the Coca Cola pavilion at the 1964 World’s Fair.
D23 Member Patrick Johnson sketch of A never-realized themed attraction designed by Marc Davis and loosely based on the story of The Snow Queen
A never-realized themed attraction designed by Marc Davis and loosely based on the story of The Snow Queen. The ride made heavy use of air conditioning.
D23 member sketch of early Figment character
Early renderings of Figment had a much longer snout and really buggy eyes. It’s always fun to see where beloved characters begin.
D23 member sketch of Dinosaurs lurking in the swamps of the Ford pavilion at the 1964 World's Fair
Dinosaurs lurk in the swamps of the Ford pavilion at the 1964 World’s Fair, before they made their way to Disneyland.
D23 member sketch of unused concepts of pavilions for the 1964 World's Fair
Even the unused concepts for the pavilions for the 1964 World’s Fair inspire a sense of wonder and promise for the future.
Sketch of Imagineer Gary Landrum
Imagineer Gary Landrum discusses the Carousel of Progress with Disney Legend Marty Sklar.
Sketch of Bob Gurr and Marty Sklar
Disney Legends Bob Gurr and Marty Sklar riff and ramble about Walt Disney’s contribution to the 1964 World’s Fair. Bob Gurr was nice enough to sign my unflattering sketch of him.
D23 member sketch of Minnie Mouse
Before she became a poodle trainer at Storybook Circus, Minnie was going to work with some much larger animals wearing a costume inspired by The Three Caballeros.
Sketch of attraction at Discovery Bay, the never-built expansion for Disneyland
One of the major attractions at Discovery Bay, the never-built expansion for Disneyland. The Hyperion would take guests to the fabled Island at the Top of the World.
Sketch of Rover from The Carousel of Progress
Rover from The Carousel of Progress listens to his technophile owner prattle on about General Electric.
Sketch of Skull Rock and Rainbow Caverns
Skull Rock and Rainbow Caverns are two lost treasures from Disneyland.
Sketch of Ron Logan
Ron Logan’s dry humor brought the house down as he described some of the most outrageous extravaganzas from Disney’s past, including the epic Skyleidoscope.
Sketch of light up float in Spectromagic parade
The carousel was one of the more ambitious light-up floats from Spectromagic, a beloved nighttime parade.
Sketch of Tony Baxter
Disney Legend Tony Baxter wowed the crowd with his vision of the unbuilt Discovery Bay, making us wish we could all go there.
Sketch of Tower of the Four Winds designed by Rolly Crump
Tower of the Four Winds, the marvelous, massive mobile designed by Rolly Crump that graced the entrance of it’s a small world, at the 1964 World’s Fair.

Patrick Johnson is a D23 Member, professional puppeteer and puppet builder, and the co-owner of Glendale, California-based puppet company Swazzle. Patrick was an additional Muppet performer for the Disney feature films The Muppets and Muppets Most Wanted. He puppeteered on Disney XD’s Team Smithereen, The Pee-wee Herman Show, and a special holiday episode of The Simpsons featuring Katy Perry.