There are hundreds of ski resorts currently operating in the U.S., each with its own charms. But, once upon a time, America almost had the most magical ski area on Earth.
Tucked in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains sits Mineral King Valley, a pristine subalpine basin accessible only by foot or a single, small winding road—a place so beautiful it could easily be the backdrop of a Disney movie. And that makes all the more sense when you learn that it was poised to become a premier ski destination under the leadership of Walt Disney.
It was an ambitious project which, at first, was supported by the Forest Service, but later found opposition so strong it never had its happy ending. But here’s what could have been—and more about how Walt Disney impacted the ski industry.
Walt Disney and Skiing
Disney was a rather avid sports fan. His love for baseball is well documented, and he was even a semi-pro equestrian, playing polo throughout his life. But it turns out Disney was quite the winter sports fanatic, too. According to the Disney Family Museum, it all began when a doctor suggested Disney take up skiing in the 1930s after he sustained a neck injury playing polo as a new way to relieve stress. So, he and his wife, Lillian, took lessons at Yosemite’s Badger Pass, where they met Austrian skiing champion Hannes Schroll, head of the Yosemite Ski School, starting a friendship that also lasted his lifetime and led to the successful development of one ski resort (more on that in a bit) and the dream of Disney Mineral King. Disney even produced the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1960 Winter Olympics held in California.
Disney’s Mineral King Ski Resort Plans
Mineral King Valley is a year-round paradise, but its base elevation, glacial-sculpted landscape, and peaks reaching upward of 12,343 feet make it a prime destination for skiing. And that’s why in 1965, when the U.S. Forest Service sent out a request for proposals for a ski resort, Disney answered the call—and ultimately won.
“When I first saw Mineral King five years ago, I thought it was one of the most beautiful spots I had ever seen, and we want to keep it that way,” Disney shared in a statement at the time. The news of Disney’s potential ski resort was announced just one month after the company shared that they purchased the land in Orlando that would one day become Disney World.
Disney’s ambitious plan for an “American alpine wonderland” included everything you’d need for a self-contained ski getaway. That included:
Accommodations: The plan included a five-story hotel with 1,030 rooms. Recreational facilities: The ski area’s plan had 22 lifts and gondolas spread across eight peaks, which would have given guests access to runs up to four miles long with vertical drops of 3,700 feet.Amenities: 10 restaurants and cafes (including on-mountain dining options), an ice-skating rink, swimming pools, tennis courts, a golf course, a movie theater, and entertainment venues were all included in the plan. Transportation: This was a critical component for Disney, who aimed to preserve as much of the Mineral King environment as possible. The plan included an up to 10-story parking structure outside of the main resort, along with a cog railway to transport guests to and from the facility to ensure the village remained car-free.
There was also a little Disney magic originally planned for the park that made its way into Disneyland. According to PBS, the Disney Imagineers designed a few robotic characters to sing and put on a show at one of the restaurants—and those robots eventually became the bears at the Country Bear Jamboree.
Despite all the meticulous planning by the Disney team, the Mineral King project ultimately faced significant opposition from environmental groups, including the Sierra Club. An ensuing legal battle stalled the project’s momentum, and the area eventually became part of the Sequoia National Park, and downhill ski resorts were banned in the area, according to the L.A. Times.
Walt Disney’s Ski Legacy
Although the Mineral King project never came to fruition, Disney’s legacy in the skiing world lives on at the Sugar Bowl Ski Resort, about a seven-hour drive north of Mineral King. Remember that friendship with Hannes Schroll? It led Disney to assist in the development of Sugar Bowl after Schroll purchased the land in 1938 for $6,750. Disney, the mountain explained, invested $2,500, and in return, “Schroll renamed Hemlock Peak ‘Mt. Disney,'” which also became the location of the resort’s first chairlift—The Disney Lift—and the first chairlift in California. At the time, a lift ticket cost $0.25 for a ride up or “$2.00 if you wanted to ski down,” about the equivalent of $44 today. As Sugar Bowl shared with Travel + Leisure, “We’re not telling where, but to this day, we occasionally hide a pair of Mickey Mouse ears in paintings or printed materials for the resort.
Disney’s love for winter sports extended into his animated films like “The Art of Skiing” (1941), which follows Goofy’s adventures (and misadventures) on the slopes. And if you look closely, you can spot the original Sugar Bowl Village Lodge in animated form.
