DisneySea (California)

This centre was planned to feature interactive exhibits and a working laboratory within Oceana similar to The Living Seas pavilion and The Land pavilion at Walt Disney World's Epcot.[1] According to the Preliminary Master Plan (1990):

The curious would journey into the 21st century, visiting a working Future Research Center where scientists from the world's leading institutions would come together to conduct oceanographic studies, in much the same fashion as researchers now gather at the Living Seas and Land Pavilions at Epcot Center in Walt Disney World. Adults and children alike would learn about the ocean and its diverse marine life in a hands-on exploratorium.

The Port Disney News (1991) described the Future Research Center as follows:[1]

Guests will be able to visit the heart of this functioning sea laboratory, observing scientists at work. Watching these experts, visitors can glimpse the future of man's involvement with the seas and probe deeper into man's relationship with the environment. For the more light-hearted adventurers, the Center will include a simulator adventure that will give guests a glimpse of the drama — and danger — faced by real explorers of the deep.

The park also planned to offer other educational facilities:[1]

Interactive Programs for Students of all Ages
A variety of full and half-day programs was designed for educational reasons. Field trips for the Los Angeles and Orange County area schools were proposed to assist teachers in educating their students on oceans. Ocean Outreach Center
Similar to the Teacher's Center in Walt Disney World's Epcot Center, an Ocean Outreach Center was aimed to inform visitors about the ocean. The Outreach Center planned to offer computer terminals, reading rooms and research files.

Mysterious Island was one of the themed lands, featuring the Pirate Island and Nemo's Lava Cruiser attractions and rides. A revised version of Mysterious Island, including the planned volcano, was eventually built at Tokyo DisneySea.

At Mysterious Island, guests would discover the lost City of Atlantis on a modern version of a Disneyland "E" attraction. Children could follow clues to buried treasure on Pirate Island, while the more intrepid might dare to board Nemo's Lava Cruiser and careen suspended through dangerous caverns.

Heroes' Harbor (later renamed to Hero's Harbor) was planned to explore the stories behind legendary and mythical adventurers, with an entrance through Aqua-labyrinth, a maze whose walls were made of water:

Aqua-labyrinth, a challenging maze with walls made only of water, would serve as the entrance to Heroes' Harbor, where the myths and legends of the sea come to life. Here guests would find rides themed to the adventures of Sinbad, Ulysses and other storied adventurers from the past.

A boardwalk and amusement rides reminiscent of The Pike would be built adjacent to Fleets of Fantasy, featuring rides and dining onboard historical replica ships. Elements of both were later incorporated as the American Waterfront land at Tokyo DisneySea, including the SS Columbia moored in the American Waterfront's New York Harbor, similar to how RMS Queen Mary would have been relocated as a focal element of DisneySea. Paradise Pier at Disney California Adventure also includes representative California beach/boardwalk amusement rides.

On the edge of the Bay facing downtown, a boardwalk would recreate the nostalgia of the Long Beach oceanfront in its heyday. Nearby at Fleets of Fantasy, a harborful of fabled and fanciful ships, including outsized Chinese junks and Egyptian galleys, would disguise exciting rides and dining and entertainment experiences.

Other planned themed environments featured cultures with strong ties to the water and a shark-diving experience. At the time, these attractions did not have a name, but they were later collectively named Venture Reefs in the 1991 Port Disney News. Shark Reef, an attraction at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon at Walt Disney World, also featured snorkeling and shark interactions at saltwater reefs.

Shoppers and diners will be intrigued by DisneySea's themed environments — a Grecian village, an Asian watermarket, a Caribbean lagoon. Here guests might be seen surfing, snorkeling, or wading through tropical reefs teeming with fish. Some will experience the ultimate underwater adventure — being lowered in a steel cage into a tank full of sharks.

At the time of the publication of the Port Disney News (1991), Walt Disney Imagineering still had not finalized the list of green lighted lands. The updated descriptions for Venture Reefs (with no mention of the shark-diving experience), Fleets of Fantasy, Mysterious Island and Hero's Harbor were:

While plans for DisneySea are still evolving, Walt Disney Imagineering is planning attractions for visitors to enjoy the spirit of the sea with fun as the common denominator. For example, on the exotic beaches of Venture Reefs, guests will enjoy scenic beach vistas from the Caribbean, Polynesian, and the Pacific. They'll be entertained and invited to dine, shop, and take a dip in the ocean, where they'll find sunken ships and marine life "under the sea."

Fleets of Fantasy, adventurous attractions themed to storybook seafaring, would recapture the spirit and whimsy of turn-of-the-century amusement park rides. Mysterious Island and Hero's Harbor would feature "high seas" thrill rides incorporating thousands of years of mythic folklore relating to the ocean.

At the rim of the American continent and the Pacific Ocean, DisneySea will offer a unique entertainment experience — and a site of magic and wonder.