Once upon a time , Walt Disney was thinking about building his next theme park in St. Louis , Missouri . Though Disneyland was a great success , enquiry showed that onlytwo percentof visitors came from east of the Mississippi River . In society to reach that part of the country , Disney figure , he ’d have to work up a green that was more accessible to them . In addition to St. Louis , the companyconsideredNiagara Falls and Baltimore , but St. Louis is the metropolis they were most serious about , even plump so far as to draw up 13 pages of blueprints .
As any Missourian can tell you , the weather is n’t on the nose temperate year - rotund . So , instead of creating an outdoor theme car park as he had in Anaheim , Disney planned to construct a five - story building in downtown St. Louis . Attractions would haveincludeda tribute to Missouri ’s Meramec Cavern and a Lewis and Clark Adventure drive .
Unfortunately for St. Louis ( and all Midwesterners , really ) , those plans were argufy . It was longrumoredthat the park went kaput due to a dispute between Disney and Anheuser - Busch heading August Busch , Jr. , about serving intoxicant . Walt was opposed ; you could probably guess Busch ’s stance . In reality , other factors were probable at looseness , let in funding — Disney proffer to pay off for the rides , but want St. Louis topay for the building . When the city ’s redevelopment pot forbid that estimation , Disney may have expect a little harder at Florida and decided he like what he saw there .
But there ’s still at least one remnant of Disney St. Louis blow around today , and you’re able to own it : Those 13 pages of blueprint for “ Walt Disney ’s Riverfront Square”go up for auctionon Thursday . This footling piece of history isexpectedto go for somewhere between $ 5000 and $ 10,000 . Other pieces of Disneyana are also on the auction sale block , let in a stretching portrait from the Haunted Mansion , a ride vehicle from The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh , and shrunken point from the Jungle Cruise .
