Reading this weeks "In the Parks" article got me particularly riled up this weekend because of Norman's thoughts on Tomorrowland. While discussing this on the post's comment section I realized that not everyone in the forums necessarily goes through each article and some just pop on to forums alone, and some of the things Norman said should be discussed in greater depth. His thoughts on the franchise nature of the land versus it's innovation without regard to the rest of the park seems reckless.
First, the notion that Tomorrowland was ever anything other than science fiction in it's purist form is ridiculous. Yes, it was meant to be the future, but so is Space Mountain, so is EO (a horrible interplanetary future, but the future none the less), so is Nemo (using technology to understand the creatures of the sea), so is Star Tours (so much technology in the forms of games, computers, animatronics, robotics, space ships, and government programs {lasers in the sky anyone?} are based on the wealth of vision in this series). Buzz Lightyear is so hard to defend it's ridiculous, so I won't try on that one, because it's not the point anyway. I argue that Tomorrowland, while in disrepair visually and argued to be failing, is no less futuristic than it ever was. The technology used in Star Tours wows the young and the young at heart in the same way attractions of old did.
Second, Tony Stark. There hasn't been a better character in the last decade of film to better exemplify a current hope for future technology today than Tony Stark. To say he doesn't fit with Tomorrowland is like saying Snow White is too old a character for Fantasyland, or that cowboys are antiquated and no longer represent the frontier.
To the point of renaming Tomorrowland because of it's franchise nature, I take great umbridge. I decided to do a point by point percentage assessment of the other lands for their "franchise" percentage scores as follows (updated as I forgot a few attractions in the original posting). There was some disagreement about rides turned into franchises versus franchises turned into rides, but regardless of how they became franchises, they are franchises now and forever forward.
Main Street:
1. Moments with Lincoln - non franchise
2. Railroad - non franchise
Score: 0% franchise
Adventureland:
1. Tiki Room - non franchise
2. Jungle Cruise - in production film, will be franchise soon
3. Indiana Jones - non Disney franchise
4. Tarzan/Swiss Family Treehouse - book and film series turned into Disney film and cartoon series franchise / book turned into Disney franchise
Score: 50% franchise currently, 75% soon upon completion of the Jungle Cruise film
New Orleans:
1. Pirates - 4 film franchise based from the original ride now converted to reflect the franchise (for good or for bad)
2. Haunted Mansion/ Hauted Holiday - bad eddie murphy film based on the ride with a do-over in production from del torro based on the original ride/ Disney franchise holiday take over
Score: 100% franchise
Critter Country:
1. Splash Mountain - based off segments from racially charged Song of the South (I only say racially charged because that's the excuse I've always heard for the reason it's not released), franchise
Score: 100% franchise (possibly 66% franchise depending on the inclusion of Canoes as Critter Country or Tom Sawyer/Frontierland)
Frontierland/Tom Sawyer:
1. Big Thunder - non franchise
2. Columbia - non franchise
3. Mark Twain - non franchise
4. Canoes - non franchise
Score: 20% franchise (25% franchise if you put the Canoes with Critter Country)
Fantasyland:
1. Cinderella Castle - fairytale claimed by Disney (many incarnations before and after by others) franchise
3. Pinochio - fairytale claimed by Disney (many incarnations before and after by others) franchise
4. Dumbo - Disney original franchise (who else would think up a flying elephant and talking crows?)
5. Casey Jr - same Disney franchise (my family loves the monkey cage)
6. Storybook Canal - a miniature tour of many Disney franchises
8. Peter Pan - fairytale claimed by Disney (many incarnations before and after by others) franchise
10. Alice in Wonderland - fairytale claimed by Disney (many incarnations before and after by others) franchise
11. Teacups - based off single segment of the same franchise
Score: 84% franchise
Toontown:
1. Roger Rabbit - Disney original franchise
Score: 100% franchise
Tomorrowland:
This land, due to the changes proposed and being the focus this inquiry, requires multiple scores based on the possibilities.
Current Score: 33% franchise
HISTA replacing EO Score: 44% franchise
HISTA plus Iron man with no other subtractions: 55% franchise
As to the point that Marvel isn't Disney, I firmly disagree. They are as much Disney as Pinocchio, Mulan, the Muppets, and every single Pixar franchise from before the merger. Disney has made them their own, and I for one welcome them.
First, the notion that Tomorrowland was ever anything other than science fiction in it's purist form is ridiculous. Yes, it was meant to be the future, but so is Space Mountain, so is EO (a horrible interplanetary future, but the future none the less), so is Nemo (using technology to understand the creatures of the sea), so is Star Tours (so much technology in the forms of games, computers, animatronics, robotics, space ships, and government programs {lasers in the sky anyone?} are based on the wealth of vision in this series). Buzz Lightyear is so hard to defend it's ridiculous, so I won't try on that one, because it's not the point anyway. I argue that Tomorrowland, while in disrepair visually and argued to be failing, is no less futuristic than it ever was. The technology used in Star Tours wows the young and the young at heart in the same way attractions of old did.
Second, Tony Stark. There hasn't been a better character in the last decade of film to better exemplify a current hope for future technology today than Tony Stark. To say he doesn't fit with Tomorrowland is like saying Snow White is too old a character for Fantasyland, or that cowboys are antiquated and no longer represent the frontier.
To the point of renaming Tomorrowland because of it's franchise nature, I take great umbridge. I decided to do a point by point percentage assessment of the other lands for their "franchise" percentage scores as follows (updated as I forgot a few attractions in the original posting). There was some disagreement about rides turned into franchises versus franchises turned into rides, but regardless of how they became franchises, they are franchises now and forever forward.
Main Street:
1. Moments with Lincoln - non franchise
2. Railroad - non franchise
Score: 0% franchise
Adventureland:
1. Tiki Room - non franchise
2. Jungle Cruise - in production film, will be franchise soon
3. Indiana Jones - non Disney franchise
4. Tarzan/Swiss Family Treehouse - book and film series turned into Disney film and cartoon series franchise / book turned into Disney franchise
Score: 50% franchise currently, 75% soon upon completion of the Jungle Cruise film
New Orleans:
1. Pirates - 4 film franchise based from the original ride now converted to reflect the franchise (for good or for bad)
2. Haunted Mansion/ Hauted Holiday - bad eddie murphy film based on the ride with a do-over in production from del torro based on the original ride/ Disney franchise holiday take over
Score: 100% franchise
Critter Country:
1. Splash Mountain - based off segments from racially charged Song of the South (I only say racially charged because that's the excuse I've always heard for the reason it's not released), franchise
Score: 100% franchise (possibly 66% franchise depending on the inclusion of Canoes as Critter Country or Tom Sawyer/Frontierland)
Frontierland/Tom Sawyer:
1. Big Thunder - non franchise
2. Columbia - non franchise
3. Mark Twain - non franchise
4. Canoes - non franchise
Score: 20% franchise (25% franchise if you put the Canoes with Critter Country)
Fantasyland:
1. Cinderella Castle - fairytale claimed by Disney (many incarnations before and after by others) franchise
3. Pinochio - fairytale claimed by Disney (many incarnations before and after by others) franchise
4. Dumbo - Disney original franchise (who else would think up a flying elephant and talking crows?)
5. Casey Jr - same Disney franchise (my family loves the monkey cage)
6. Storybook Canal - a miniature tour of many Disney franchises
8. Peter Pan - fairytale claimed by Disney (many incarnations before and after by others) franchise
10. Alice in Wonderland - fairytale claimed by Disney (many incarnations before and after by others) franchise
11. Teacups - based off single segment of the same franchise
Score: 84% franchise
Toontown:
1. Roger Rabbit - Disney original franchise
Score: 100% franchise
Tomorrowland:
This land, due to the changes proposed and being the focus this inquiry, requires multiple scores based on the possibilities.
Current Score: 33% franchise
HISTA replacing EO Score: 44% franchise
HISTA plus Iron man with no other subtractions: 55% franchise
As to the point that Marvel isn't Disney, I firmly disagree. They are as much Disney as Pinocchio, Mulan, the Muppets, and every single Pixar franchise from before the merger. Disney has made them their own, and I for one welcome them.
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