Disney’s Imagineers often talk about a “blank sheet of paper.” It’s the starting point of a design process, when nothing has been created yet and all you have is that blank sheet of paper.
Of course, these days, it’s more likely a blank document or project file on a computer screen rather than a physical sheet of paper, but the point remains the same. You start from nothing.
Except, you don’t. Disney’s Imagineers work in physical space as well as in media. They build theme parks, hotels and cruise destinations. No matter where in the world you are building something new, you are replacing or at least transforming whatever was there before. The page is never blank.
Disneyland replaced an orange grove, which probably replaced whatever grew naturally on that space in what is now Anaheim. Walt Disney World replaced a good deal of marshland in Central Florida. But Disney’s latest creative destination occupies a space renowned for its natural beauty. It cannot — and should not — be erased. So how did Disney design around that?
Earlier this month, I sailed on a press preview tour for the new Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point in The Bahamas. A quarter century after Disney opened Castaway Cay on the former Gorda Cay in The Bahamas, Disney has opened a second private destination in the archipelago, this time themed to art, culture and nature of The Bahamas.
While Disney partnered with local artists and cultural organizations to create buildings, art installations and entertainment programming for Lookout Cay, the nature was already there. To best experience that, Disney has created a Nature Trail on which Lookout Cay visitors can walk or bike through the preserved areas of Lighthouse Point, including to its limestone cliffs and the historic lighthouse that gives the area its name.
I took an hour to explore the site. I understand why so many Bahamians have argued to preserve and protect the previously isolated area on the southern tip of Eleuthera. Disney is developing less than 16% of its Lookout Cay site, keeping that development well away from the iconic cliff and lighthouse, which should help ensure unspoiled views for a generation to come.
The question now is, “for whom?” Will Disney provide easier access to the historic section of Lighthouse Point for Bahamians as well as its cruise passengers? However that shakes out, this site should be seen.
It’s a variation on the old “if a tree falls in the forest, but no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?” question. If almost no one ever sees one of the planet’s most beautiful vistas, does that beauty matter to the rest of the world?
It should. But there’s no substitute for seeing and experiencing something in person. If you want to inspire people to appreciate and defend the environment, getting them into the best of what nature has to offer makes that case best.
The construction of Disney Lookout Cay will ensure that many more people will be able to see Lighthouse Point than have before. Now it’s up to Disney to continue protecting that space even as they promote it to more potential guests.