Harrison A. Price | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1921-05-17)May 17, 1921 Oregon City, Oregon |
| Died | August 15, 2010(2010-08-15) (aged 89) Pomona, California |
| Occupation | Economist |
| Known for | Feasibility Studies for Amusement/Theme Parks |
Harrison Alan "Buzz"Price (May 17, 1921 – August 15, 2010) was an American research economist specializing in how people spend their leisure time and resources. Price guidedWalt Disney in the siting and development ofDisneyland in Southern California and ofWalt Disney World in Central Florida.
Price was born inOregon City, Oregon on May 17, 1921, and moved with his family toSan Diego in 1930.[1] Price earned his undergraduate degree in 1942 from theCalifornia Institute of Technology, where he majored inmechanical engineering. He served in theUnited States Army duringWorld War II and then spent three years as a sales engineer in South America before returning to the United States to attendStanford University, where he earned aMaster of Business Administration degree in 1951.[2][3]
Price's method of leisure-time economic analysis combined aspects of architecture and planning, along with economics and sociology.While with the Stanford Research Institute (nowSRI International), Price worked for Walt Disney starting in 1953, producing 150 studies regarding the development of potential theme parks. Price considered several locations in Southern California for the company's first theme park, suggesting that Disneyland be located inAnaheim after considering accessibility, climate and projected profitability.[4][5] Price performed research in the 1960s for a Disney park to be located on theEast Coast, Price considered prospective locations in Florida,New York City andWashington, D.C. before deciding that theOrlando, Florida area would be the preferable site for Walt Disney World given its mild winters. He also helped in the selection ofChiba,Japan for the site ofTokyo Disneyland.[2]Michael Eisner credited Price with being "as much responsible for the success of theWalt Disney Co. as anybody except Walt Disney himself".[3]
Price went into business for himself and formed Economics Research Associates in 1958, which he sold off in 1969. In 1978, he established theHarrison Price Company. As a consultant, Price advised the developers of the1964 New York World's Fair in New York and the1984 Louisiana World Exposition, as well as for theme parks such asBusch Gardens,Knott's Berry Farm,SeaWorld andSix Flags. He was one of the founders of theCalifornia Institute of the Arts, created based on a concept of Walt Disney that became the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the United States created specifically for students of both the visual and the performing arts.[2]
In 2004, Price published an autobiography titledWalt's Revolution!: By the Numbers.[6]
His brother-in-law was conductorRobert Shaw.[citation needed]
A resident ofPomona, California, Price died there at age 89 on August 15, 2010, due toanemia. He was survived by his wife, the former Ann Shaw, as well as by two daughters, two sons, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.[2][7]
| Award | Title | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Lifetime Achievement | Themed Entertainment Association | 1994[8] |
| Hall of Fame | International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions | 1995[9] |
| Disney Legend | Walt Disney Company | 2003[1][7] |
After Disney turned to Price in 1953 for advice on where to build his first theme park, the engineer analyzed population trends, land prices, accessibility and climate — and zeroed in on a 160-acre orange grove in Anaheim.
| International | |
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| National | |
