Tomorrowland (Disney Parks): Difference between revisions

Tomorrowland is one of the many themed lands featured at five

Walt Disney was known for his futurist views and, through his television programs, showed the American public how the world was moving into the future. Tomorrowland was the realized culmination of his views. In his own words: "Tomorrow can be a wonderful age. Our scientists today are opening the doors of the Space Age to achievements that will benefit our children and generations to come. The Tomorrowland attractions have been designed to give you an opportunity to participate in adventures that are a living blueprint of our future."

It is this movement into the future that has, on occasion, left Tomorrowland mired in the past. Disneyland's Tomorrowland is now in its third generation, and the Magic Kingdom's Tomorrowland is in its second. The Walt Disney Company has mentioned that it wanted to keep Tomorrowland from becoming "Yesterdayland". As a self-referential joke along this line, the 2007 Disney animated film Meet the Robinsons (which is set mainly in the year 2037) features an amusement park called Todayland, which has rides that look remarkably like Space Mountain and Disneyland's original Rocket Jets.

Disneyland Park, California

Dedication

A vista into a world of wondrous ideas, signifying Man's achievements... A step into the future, with predictions of constructed things to come. Tomorrow offers new frontiers in science, adventure and ideals. The Atomic Age, the challenge of Outer Space and the hope for a peaceful, unified world.

— Walter E. Disney, July 17, 1955^[2]

During the dedication, Walt Disney started speaking, was told that he wasn't yet on air, and then had to restart once the television viewers were watching.

History

Tomorrowland 1955–1966: The original Tomorrowland

The first Tomorrowland opened at

Since the park was on a strict budget, one cost-cutting idea was to reuse the sets of the Nautilus from Disney's 1954 movie 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea as a walkthrough attraction. This remained open until 1966. For the first four years, most of Tomorrowland was generally open space and considered to be very corporate-fueled. However, the area gained more attractions as time passed, many of which have since been removed.

When Disneyland opened, Tomorrowland represented the future in the year 1986.^[3]

Tomorrowland's showpiece was the TWA Moonliner, derived from Disney's "Man In Space" television episodes developed in the 1950s. The Moonliner was the tallest structure in the park at the time, even taller than the park icon Sleeping Beauty Castle. The Moonliner hosted Rocket To The Moon which was a ride to the moon. The entrance showpiece was the clock of the world showing the time anywhere on earth. The north show building hosted Circarama U.S.A. which showed movies on nine screens, and space station X-1 which showed a satellite view of America. The south show building showed the Monsanto Hall of Chemistry, which was a walk-through tour about chemistry. Autopia, an opening-day attraction, gave visitors a view of the National Interstate System that was to be built in the future. The attraction still remains open today, though it has been modified and rebuilt several times. This is the only attraction in Tomorrowland that has been open since opening day.

Several new attractions opened in 1955. Among them were Tomorrowland Boats, The World Beneath Us, which showed the Earth's geology, and the Aluminum Hall of Fame, sponsored by Kaiser Aluminum. The final Tomorrowland attraction to open in 1955 was The Flight Circle which demonstrated gasoline powered vehicles.

In 1956, Tomorrowland Boats were renamed Phantom Boats, and were closed later in the year. Dutch Boy Color Gallery opened in 1956, and sponsored Dutch Boy Paint. Two major attractions opened in 1956: the Astro Jets, where guests were able to fly their own rockets, and Skyway to Fantasyland, where guests rode "Buckets" over to Fantasyland.

In 1957, the Monsanto House of the Future, a plastic house with four wings cantilevered from a central plinth, was built. This was similar to precursors at previous World's Fairs, though those were simply homes furnished with modern conveniences and aimed at housewives. Disneyland's attraction displayed conveniences such as picture phones and television remote controls, and it introduced many people to their first microwave oven. The Viewliner also opened where guests could ride in "the fastest miniature train in the world." It closed the next year making it the shortest lived Disney attraction ever.

In 1959, three major attractions, the park's first billed

The Disney crew was tired of Tomorrowland. Most of its attractions were only there to sponsor companies such as Monsanto, and not even the 1959 expansion helped very much. Instead of having another expansion, the crew decided to start from scratch, and made a new Tomorrowland. Walt Disney died in December 1966, almost seven months before the new Tomorrowland would open. In 1967, the area was completely rebuilt with new attractions and scenery. The original layout was demolished, and a new set of buildings were erected. The addition of the

In 1973, "The World On The Move" began to change. General Electric decided to close Carousel of Progress, which would later reopen at a new home in Walt Disney World in 1975 as part of its expansion. In 1974, with the American Bicentennial approaching, Disney designers seized the opportunity of the vacant carousel theater to present a large musical extravaganza called America Sings, which featured 114 Audio Animatronics. The following year, Flight to the Moon was updated into Mission to Mars, as actual flights to the moon had become a reality since the former's construction.^{[citation needed]}

In 1975, construction began on Walt Disney's proposed 1965 "Space Port". In May 1977, this project opened to the public as Space Mountain. The same year, the Super Speed Tunnel was added as part of the Peoplemover experience, as the Epcot model that was formerly in the building moved to Florida.^{[citation needed]}

In 1984, Circle-Vision 360 received a brand new travelogue of the United States, to replace the aging "America The Beautiful" film – American Journeys.^{[citation needed]}

In 1986, two new attractions found homes in Tomorrowland: Star Tours and Captain EO. Captain EO replaced the Space Stage in September 1986, and Star Tours replaced Adventure Thru Inner Space in January 1987. Aside from the Skyway closing in 1994,^[4] Tomorrowland remained largely unchanged for much of the following decade until it was again redesigned in 1998.^{[citation needed]}

In 1993, The Walt Disney Company planned a major refurbishment, "Tomorrowland 2055". This Tomorrowland was planned to have more of an extraterrestrial theme, and was going to replace

Tomorrowland reopened in 1998, loosely based on the retro-futurist concepts that Disneyland Paris's Discoveryland featured. The entire land was painted in bronzes, golds, and dark browns, with occasional green highlights. New landscaping featured apparent vegetable plots and made reference to "neo-agrarian" concepts. The flagship attraction of the makeover was the Rocket Rods, which attempted to run a fast-paced ride on the former slow-paced PeopleMover track; the ride would close three years later due to intractable mechanical problems.

Many of the attractions remained fundamentally the same, but Circle-Vision, Captain EO, and Mission to Mars were all removed. The space formerly occupied by Circle-Vision was partly used for the queue of the Rocket Rods, while Captain EO was replaced by

In February 2005, Walt Disney Imagineering approved a repaint of Tomorrowland for the "Happiest Homecoming on Earth" 50th anniversary celebration. This new paint scheme resembled the 1967 Tomorrowland with predominantly white, blue, and silver, although some of the former gold and bronze colors were kept. The largest remainder from the 1998 color scheme was the Astro Orbitor until mid-2009, when it was repainted to match the rest of the land, and mechanisms that once caused its top to rotate properly were repaired.^{[citation needed]}

Tomorrowland 2006–2015: Diamond Anniversary

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In 2007, as part of the Year of a Million Dreams, the Submarine Voyage reopened as Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, with the submarines fully refurbished and repowered with batteries rather than diesel engines and a theme based around the 2003 film Finding Nemo^{[citation needed]}

Also in 2007, the Disneyland Monorail began phasing out its Mark V fleet of monorails in order to reverse engineer^[

]

In January 2010,

Honey, I Shrunk the Audience closed to make way for a revived Captain EO, which "re-opened" due the large public backing the 3D film had received upon Michael Jackson's death in June 2009. It was a limited engagement (albeit with no set closing date), and eventually closed in July 2014 to use the theatre to present a preview of Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy. Later, starting on 26 September 2014, the Magic Eye theatre was used to present a preview of Walt Disney Animation Studios' Big Hero 6, set to have ended on 21 November 2014.^{[citation needed}

]

In July 2010, Disneyland's

Star Tours—The Adventures Continue. The new ride, which featured other Star Wars destinations in 3-D, opened on June 3, 2011.^{[citation needed}

]

On March 21, 2015 Innoventions closed to become transformed into the Tomorrowland Expo Center. The building is currently being converted and will reopen to guests on November 16, 2015. The first floor of the building will host "Star Wars Launch Bay", a new Star Wars exhibit featuring peeks behind the scenes and character meet and greets with Darth Vader and Chewbacca, while the second floor will host "Super Hero HQ", featuring meet and greets with Marvel characters Iron Man, Thor and Spider-Man.

Current status 2016-present day: Season of the Force

At the 2015

Hyperspace Mountain as part of the park's "Season of the Force" event. Guests are able to join an X-Wing Starfighter battle. Hyperspace Mountain opened on November 16, 2015.^[6]

In 2016, the theme park area was closed temporarily due to maintenance.

Attractions and entertainment

• Astro Orbiter
• Autopia
• Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters
• Disneyland Monorail
• Star Wars Land
  construction)
• Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
• Jedi Training Academy
• Space Mountain (currently themed as Hyperspace Mountain)
• Star Tours—The Adventures Continue
• Star Wars Launch Bay (closing in 2017)
• Super Hero HQ
• Star Wars: Path of the Jedi

Former attractions and entertainment

• Phantom Boats (1955–1958)
• The World Beneath Us
  (1955–1960)
• Art Corner (1955–1966)
• Rocket to the Moon (1955–1966)
• Monsanto Hall Of Chemistry (1955–1966)
• Circle-Vision 360°(1955–1997, re-themed for Rocket Rods Queue)
• A Tour of the West (1955–1960)
• America the Beautiful (Disney)
  (1960–1984) and (1996–1997)
• Wonders of China (1984–1994)
• Skyway to Fantasyland (1956–1994)
• Astro Jets (1956–1964)
• The Viewliner
  (1957–1958)
• Monsanto House of the Future (1957–1967)
• Submarine Voyage (1959–1998)
• Flying Saucers (1961–1966)
• Carousel of Progress
  (1967–1973)
• Flight to the Moon (1967–1974)
• Adventure Thru Inner Space (1967–1985)
• PeopleMover
  (1967–1995)
• Rocket Jets (1967–1997)
• America Sings (1974–1988)
• Mission to Mars (1975–1992)
• Magic Journeys (1984–1986)
• Star Tours (1987–2010)
• Toy Story Funhouse and Hamm’s All-Doll Revue (1996)
• Rocket Rods (1998–2001)
• Honey, I Shrunk the Audience
  (1998–2010)
• Innoventions (1998–2015)
• The Art of Animation
• Starcade (?-2015)
• Captain EO Tribute
  (2010-2015)

Restaurants

• Redd Rockett's Pizza Port
• The Spirit of Refreshment
• Tomorrowland Terrace

Shops

• Little Green Men Store Command
• Autopia Winner's Circle
• The Star Trader
• Tomorrowlanding

Arts

• Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters Mural
• Star Tours Mural

Former Arts

• South Mary Blair Mural (1967–1986)
• North Mary Blair Mural (1967–1997)
• Rocket Rods Mural (1998–2005)

Walt Disney World (Florida)

See also:

Magic Kingdom attraction and entertainment history § Tomorrowland

History

Second Tomorrowland: 1971–1994

The second Tomorrowland opened on October 1, 1971 at the

Walt Disney World Resort, Florida

, and, like at Disneyland, was opened unfinished. On opening day, only two attractions opened: the Grand Prix Raceway, and the Skyway to Fantasyland.

Tomorrowland was noted for being very barren and sterile at this time, due to the land being very flat and undetailed. A large orange wall was located past the two large show buildings, and blocked guests from walking further than the Skyway building. The wall had a small stage built into it, and a large outdoor food court sat adjacent to it to compensate for a lack of food venues at the time.It was removed within two years and the Carousel of Progress would take its place.

The largest counter service restaurant in the Magic kingdom was the Tomorrowland Terrace.America the Beautiful opened in November, and Flight to the Moon opened late on Christmas Eve, 1971, due to technical problems. The south show building received an expansion in 1972, which would house If You Had Wings. The south building would be further expanded in 1973, opening the Plaza Pavilion, which was an open air restaurant, and would serve of a convenient way of getting from Main Street to Tomorrowland quickly.

In 1973, the plans for Tomorrowland were finalized; and for about two years, construction was a common sight. In 1974, Star Jets, a spinner attraction sat on the WEDWay Peoplemover station. It resembled a Saturn V Rocket like its Disneyland cousin, the Rocket Jets. The ride vehicles between the two had some differences. The Disneyland Rockets were more narrow and resembled the central Saturn V rocket more, while the Magic Kingdom's vehicles look more like jets, hence the name "Star Jets".The Space Bar, another restaurant opened below the Peoplemover station.

The next year, Space Mountain and The Carousel of Progress opened on January 15. This would be the first Space Mountain to open. It was the first totally indoor roller coaster in Florida and was the first roller coaster to have computer aided designs and use zoning to have 8 trains on the track at a time. Another Railroad station was planned to be built next to the entrance and exit to Space Mountain, but due to crowds in this area, it was never built. Carousel of Progress opened on the same day, and was similar to Disneyland's version except it rotated in the opposite direction. It also had a different song. Instead of "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow", the song "The Best Time of Your Life." In June, the second version of the WEDWay Peoplemover would open. This Peoplemover bore resemblance to Disneyland's, but was different, in that it used linear induction motors. This means that guests could not get stuck to the tracks as they could at Disneyland if they happened to fall out of the vehicle. The only moving parts of the vehicles were the wheels and the sliding doors. The track was similar but instead of it being open air and the vehicles having roofs, the opposite is true here. Unlike Disneylands, the Peoplemover here never changed height.

This Tomorrowland somewhat resembled Disneyland's Tomorrowland at the time, with large white buildings, and clean geometric shapes. The triangular buildings at Disneyland were fully realized, and the opening of the Tomorrowland here had two enormous pylons which would cascade water down into the castle moat. Complimenting the Pylons were two large blue triangular walls which also released water into the moat. These waterfalls would be often shut off as the slightest change of wind could spray water all over guests. In the early 80's the Waterfalls would be turned off for good, and a large mosaic would be painted on the blue walls, and some blue stripes were painted on the two pylons.

The colours of Tomorrowland were mainly whites complimented with ochre on the outside. The interior of the buildings were accented with reds, oranges,yellows,and browns. In Old Tomorrowland's later years, the outside colours would be cheapened to pinks, and blues around the Peoplemover tracks.

New Tomorrowland: 1994–present

Tomorrowland went through a drastic change in 1994. It now resembles Tomorrowland Disneyland in California slightly, but with more color. Many of the attractions changed. Some classic Tomorrowland attractions that have closed in Disneyland still live on at the Magic Kingdom Park include the

Tomorrowland Transit Authority

.

For most of its history, Tomorrowland's color scheme was predominantly white with soft blues, creating a retro-modernist landscape. Huge monolithic towers, spires, and clean lines completed the futuristic look. In 1994, using inspiration from

Discoveryland at Disneyland Paris, Tomorrowland was completely re-built and altered to resemble a galactic spaceport as it would have been envisioned by the science-fiction comic strips of the early 20th century, like Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers

. Tomorrowland has since been given a much more metallic look, along with new darker blues and purples, especially along its main concourse leading from the central hub.

Attractions and entertainment

• Astro Orbiter
• Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
• Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor
• Space Mountain
• Stitch's Great Escape!
• Tomorrowland Speedway
• Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
• Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress
• The Incredibles Dance Party

Former attractions and entertainment

• Flight to the Moon (1971–1975)
• Skyway to Fantasyland (1971–1999)
• Circle-Vision 360° (1971–2006)
• America the Beautiful (1971–1974, 1975–1979)
• Magic Carpet 'Round The World (1974–1975)
• American Journeys (1984–1994)
• The Timekeeper (1994–2006)
• If You Had Wings (1972–1987)
• Mission to Mars (1975–1993)
• Delta Dreamflight (1989–1996)
• ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter (1995–2003)
• Push the Talking Trash Can (1995–2014)
• Tomorrowland Light & Power Co Arcade (1995–2015)

Restaurants

• Auntie Gravity's Galactic Goodies
• Cool Ship
• Cosmic Ray's Starlight Café
• The Lunching Pad at Rockettower Plaza
• Tomorrowland Terrace Cafe

Former Restaurants

• The Lunching Pad (Different Location) (1971–1994)
• Tomorrowland Terrace (Different Location) (1971–1994)
• Plaza Pavilion (1973–1994)
• Space Bar (1974–1994)

Shops

• Buzz's Star Command
• Merchant of Venus
• Mickey's StarTraders
• Space Mountain Shop (Tomorrowland Power & Light)

Tokyo Disneyland

See also:

Tokyo Disneyland attraction and entertainment history

History

PeopleMover

-type attraction, whose tracks and ride vehicles have been conspicuous features of other Tomorrowland landscapes.

Although Walt Disney intended the original Tomorrowland in California to be a "living blueprint" of the future, Tokyo Disneyland's Tomorrowland never directly showcased future technology, instead opting for more of a science fiction theme. Prominent attractions supporting this theme include

Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters and Monsters, Inc. Ride & Go Seek

are two examples.

In October 2014, the Oriental Land Company announced a large expansion of New Fantasyland. The expansion includes closing

It's A Small World

. making Tomorrowland significantly smaller.

Attractions and entertainment

• Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters
• Grand Circuit Raceway (until 2016)
• Monsters, Inc. Ride & Go Seek
• One Man's Dream II: The Magic Lives On
• Space Mountain
• Star Jets (until 2016)
• Star Tours—The Adventures Continue
• Stitch Encounter

Former attractions and entertainment

• Circle-Vision 360° (1983–2002)
  • The Timekeeper (1993–2002)
• Skyway to Fantasyland (1983–1998)
• Meet the World (1983–2002)
• Magic Journeys (1985–1987)
• Captain EO (1987–2014, re-themed as Stitch Encounter)
• Star Tours (1989–2012)
• MicroAdventure!
  (1997–2010)
• Eternal Seas
• Starcade
• Tomorrowland Arcade (1995 - 2015)

Restaurants

• Lite Bite Satellite
• Pan Galactic Pizza Port
• Plaza Restaurant
• Soft Landing
• Space Place FoodPort
• The Popping Pod
• Tomorrowland Terrace

Shops

• Planet M
• Monsters, Inc. Company Store
• Cosmic Encounter
• ImageWorks
• Solar Ray's Light Supplies
• Stellar Sweets

Disneyland Park (Paris)

Disneyland Park in Paris has a Tomorrowland with an entirely new concept, Discoveryland. European culture was used distinctively in the park and Discoveryland uses the ideas of famed European thinkers and explorers such as Leonardo da Vinci or H. G. Wells, with Jules Verne featured most prominently. This land was heavily inspired by the abandoned Disneyland concept Discovery Bay, which would have sat at the north end of the park's Rivers of America.

Architecturally designed using Jules Verne's vision of the future as inspiration, the land is laid out very differently from its predecessors. Many Tomorrowland classics exist here, such as

Clockpunk

History

Originally conceived as

Horizons from Epcot, a larger Nautilus walk-through complete with a restaurant and a free-fall ride based on Journey to the Center of the Earth. But due to budget cuts, it opened in 1995 as Space Mountain: De la Terre à la Lune (From the Earth to the Moon). Beside the Space Mountain show building is the Nautilus Lagoon, with a walk-through recreation of the Nautilus submarine from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

.

The showcase attraction on opening day was a Circle-Vision 360 film, titled Le Visionarium. The attraction featured an eccentric time-traveling robot and his robotic assistant, who take Jules Verne into the world of today, which is pictured as the future he dreamed of. The attraction would later be exported to both the Magic Kingdom and to Tokyo Disneyland.

Space Mountain was completely refurbished in 2005 for the Happiest Celebration on Earth, with a new soundtrack and special effects.

Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast

opened April 8, 2006, in the former building of Le Visionarium, which closed in September 2004.

Attractions and entertainment

• Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast
• Orbitron – Machines Volantes
• Autopia
• Videopolis (Fast Food Restaurant with video shorts)
• Arcade Alpha & Arcade Bêta
• Les Mystères du Nautilus
• Space Mountain Mission 2
  (formerly Space Mountain: De la terre à la lune (1995-2005)')
• Star Tours
• L'Astroport Services Interstellaires
• Disneyland Railroad – Discoveryland Station

Former attractions and entertainment

• Le Visionarium (1992–2004)
• Space Mountain: De la Terre à la Lune
  (1995–2005)
• Honey, I Shrunk the Audience
  (1999–2010)
• Captain EO
• Le Café des Visionnaires
• Arcade Omega

Restaurants

• Cool Station
• Café Hyperion
• Rocket Café
• Pizza Planet Restaurant
• Hamburger Planet

Shops

• Constellations
• Light Speed Photography
• Star Traders

Hong Kong Disneyland

History

The newest Tomorrowland opened on September 12, 2005, at Hong Kong Disneyland. Like the newer generations of the American Tomorrowlands, Hong Kong's version features an emphasis on metallic trim, with lots of blue and purple hues.

In Summer 2006, three new attractions – Autopia, UFO Zone, and Stitch Encounter – opened.

Currently under construction outside the berm to the south of Autopia is

Tony Stark recruiting guests to fend off extraterrestrial beings from attacking Hong Kong.^[7]

Attractions and entertainment

• Autopia
• Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
• Orbitron
• Push the Talking Trash Can
• Space Mountain
• Stitch Encounter
• UFO Zone

Future attractions and entertainment

• Iron Man Experience (Opening in 2016)

Former attractions and entertainment

• Muppet Mobile Lab (2008–2013)

Restaurants

• Comet Café
• Flying Saucer Snacks
• Popcorn, Cotton Candy, Frozen Lollipops Cart
• Starliner Diner

Shops

• Merchandise Carts
• Space Traders
• Star Command Suppliers

In media

• The 2010 video game Epic Mickey features a Tomorrowland-esque area named Tomorrow City, which uses elements from the Tron franchise.
• The fourth season Mad Men episode "
  Megan Calvet plot out the Disneyland attractions they will take Draper's children to visit, including Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.^[8]
• The 2015 film Tomorrowland by director Brad Bird, screenwriter Damon Lindelof and starring George Clooney, features a place in another dimension called Tomorrowland that is patterned after the theme park as an eponymous location and plot point.^[9]

References

1. ^ "Disneyland Shanghai to open 2016". The Independent. independent.co.uk. 8 April 2011. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
2. ^ Official Dedication Plaque at Tomorrowland's Entrance
3. ISBN 0971746400
   .
4. ^ Verrier, Richard (November 10, 1999). "Disney Grounds Skyway Ride at Orlando, Fla., Park". Tribune Business News. Retrieved 2009-11-09.
5. ^ Yesterland.com
6. ^ Glover, Erin (September 24, 2015). "Details on Season of the Force, Coming November 16 to Disneyland Park in California". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
7. ^ Chu, Karen (8 October 2013). "Hong Kong Disneyland to Open 'Iron Man' Experience in 2016". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
8. ^ Alan Sepinall (Oct 18, 2010). "'Mad Men' – 'Tomorrowland': I spill your milkshake! Everyone's looking for a fresh start in the season finale". Hitfix.
9. ^ Breznican, Anthony (28 January 2013). "Disney's mysterious '1952' movie has a new name ... 'Tomorrowland' – EXCLUSIVE". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 29 January 2013.