20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

In this week’s case study we look at the typography from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Not too much reference material exists when looking at the now-retired Walt Disney World attraction, so thank goodness for the alive-and-well Tokyo DisneySea. 

From a typography standpoint, 20,000 Leagues is the missing link in the transition from the more medieval-era fonts of Fantasyland to the ultramodern fonts of Tomorrowland. 20,000 Leagues uses a combination of Slab Serifs, Egyptian/Egyptienne, and some of the other classifications of type seen in the previous lands, mainly Adventureland and Frontierland. One font in this week’s case study isn't present within the parks, but it should be. Typographer and designer David Occhino designed an amazing display font titled Nautilus. Inspired by the novel and Harper Goff, the typeface is completely accurate in theme and time period. Be sure to check it out, especially the Barbed and Barbed Submerged versions. No Disney font collection would be complete without this typeface.  

20,000 Leagues features classic serif fonts accurate to the time period of this Jules Verne classic. Tokyo DisneySea accomplishes this same effect while incorporating more of a steampunk feel, mixing elegant Victorian-style fonts with hard-edged, bold slab serif fonts. Both attractions utilize steampunk fonts to some degree, but it is definitely more prevalent at Tokyo DisneySea. Disney Designers also added a few typefaces that aren't really related to the time period such as art nouveau style fonts. While these fonts may not be accurate to the era nor to the genre, they do have a nautical, underwater look to them.

20,000 Leagues was/is the perfect attraction for a typeractive person like myself. As always, thanks for stopping by and remember to tune in Sunday for a new Retro 71 shirt concept. See ya soon!

The Enchanted Tiki Room

In this week’s case study we look at Disney's own tropical oasis, The Enchanted Tiki Room. The original Tiki Room opened in the early sixties, when Polynesian pop was at its peak. This Americanized take on Polynesian culture quickly evolved into heightened kitsch, and as countless tiki-themed bars and hotels popped up all over the states, it was only fitting that Walt would want to design an attraction based on this craze. Originally conceptualized as a dining experience, Walt and his Imagineers felt the new-fangled Audio-Animatronic birds could carry their own weight as a floor show attraction.

 The typography used to help establish The Enchanted Tiki Room comes from the early to mid-sixties. Most of the display fonts are heavily themed to reflect the Oceanic cultures represented within the attraction. A few of our classic Disney fonts make their appearances in the signage, such as the popular typeface Bookman Swash, which appears in two other attractions within the parks. A few classic serif fonts are used here and there, most likely to ease the viewer’s eye. The Enchanted Tiki Room also includes a few hand-carved and hand-painted fonts. Out of love for this classic Disney attraction, a few typographers such as David Occhino and Brian Bonislawsky have taken the time to recreate these one-of-a-kind fonts.

Over time, designers have added more tropical tiki-themed fonts through various refurbishments and enhancements. Unfortunately (or thankfully, depending on how you see it), you will not see any of the WDW “Under New Management” fonts in today's case study poster.  Well that about wraps it up for this week. I raise my tiki mug of Otto's Octane to you, Mahalo.  See you next week for another exciting look into the wonderful world of Disney typography, and be sure to stop by Sunday evening for another Retro 71 shirt concept.