Tomorrowland

[Kevie]

I've been seeing all these photos of TL going white/blue. And I'm starting to wonder if (please DONT get too mad @ me for saying this) maybe the 1998 scheme was pretty cool.

I mean, if it had been more gold instead of rust colored paint, it would've been fantastic.

Anyways, what does everyone think of the TL changes?

[grvtydefy]

I liked the idea of the 98 scheme- I think that the way Paris does it works really well. I thought that the end product was okay, nothing fabulous. I think that budget cuts really decimated the project. If everything just had a little more WOW to it, it would have been great. But like you said, the paint became kind of rust-colored. It needed to be more clean, shiny, and sleek. I think that the white will reallt refresh TL.

[ah schucks]

I've been seeing all these photos of TL going white/blue. And I'm starting to wonder if (please DONT get too mad @ me for saying this) maybe the 1998 scheme was pretty cool.

I mean, if it had been more gold instead of rust colored paint, it would've been fantastic.

Anyways, what does everyone think of the TL changes?

You are in fact not alone. I for one was excited because I truly believed that when they announced the overhaul for Space Mountain we might see a similar version of the Paris coaster and that Tommorrowland would have in fact become more like Discovery Bay, focusing on what the future could have been, which will never change as opposed to what we think the future will be, which will change every 10 years.
http://www.miceage.com/guest/gu033105a.htm
There is an amazing thread on the look and feel of Paris and if you look closly you will see how the retro 1998 look was somewhat inspired but failed miserably to achieve. In order to complete this sort of overhaul several changes would have been required.
1.) Remove Star Tours- move to DCA
2.) Not Rocket Rods- too futuristic, should have come up with a Julies Verne inspired People Mover car
3.) No Buzz- instead but the time traveling circlevision attraction from Florida in this building.
4.) Space Mountain overhauled to look more like Paris retro Man on the Moon feel.
5.) Autopia removed or retrofitted to look like old automobiles
6.) Submarines replaced with 20,000 Leagues adventure.

all this at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars to the company. So instead they half assed the overhaul in 1998 and produced nothing and it will cost them as much to retrofit it now and again in 10 years to keep up with the Tommorrow promise of visions fantastic from the future...Too bad.

[The Mad Hatter]

I like the new colors. The old colers were very dark and drab looking.

[Disneykat]

I remember when TL went from the blue and white to the rusty gross color. I also remember being very disappointed in the fact that the rockets were moved from above Peoplemover to the entrance of Tomorrowland.

Ok I digress....I'm happy to see the colors going back to the old blue and white days again!!! And seeing SM back to its original white color is so nice!!! I was highly disappointed when they painted it brown!!!!!

[Kevie]

While Space Mtn certainly looked DISGUSTING after its metallics had faded, it looks kinda boring in white.

I wish Rocket Rods, would return. I'm sorry, Peoplemover is cool, but it was VERY slow, like 5mph. It could be 10mph and add more motion. Plus, the cars were white along with the track, and they didn't stick out enough. Rocket Rods, if done properly, would still be there now, and it'd be cool. Their noises added alot of Atmosphere to Tomorrowland.

[ah schucks]

While Space Mtn certainly looked DISGUSTING after its metallics had faded, it looks kinda boring in white.

I wish Rocket Rods, would return. I'm sorry, Peoplemover is cool, but it was VERY slow, like 5mph. It could be 10mph and add more motion. Plus, the cars were white along with the track, and they didn't stick out enough. Rocket Rods, if done properly, would still be there now, and it'd be cool. Their noises added alot of Atmosphere to Tomorrowland.

I wouldn't call the noise "atmopshere" but yes they added kinetic motion to Tommorrowland, a much needed element. However do not look for the Rocket Rods to return anytime soon or at all. They were costly (ate through tires) and caused structual damage to the People Mover's track.

[Eric Dean]

focusing on what the future could have been, which will never change as opposed to what we think the future will be, which will change every 10 years.

Ah, but even before the 1998 travesty I think everyone was resigned to the fact that Tomorrowland would never and should never predict the actual future, though this was Walt's original intent. Rather, the land had already stepped into its role as custodian of a static past vision of the future before the Imagineers started flinging rust-colored paint about and cooking up that "Future That Never Was" (or however the heck it went) slogan.

I was never upset that they decided officially to freeze Tomorrowland in time. I just thought they picked the wrong time. For me, and I suspect for many others, the 1960s American vision of the future remains the most seductive future vision that ever was. It's such a clean and optimistic projection. The farther we get into the real future, the more of a let-down much of it turns out to be. The future was supposed to be big: jet packs and cities covered by giant transparent domes. Instead it turned out small: genetic manipulation and microprocessors. Not to mention that real technology has often sparked serious arguments about morals and ethics that simply didn't enter into the popular future vision of the '60s.

So to my way of thinking, we already had a wonderful focus on what the future could have been, and the Imagineers traded it for a vision that didn't speak as nearly strongly to many Americans' imaginations and senses of nostalgia.

But to each his own, eh?

[Disneykat]

I wouldn't call the noise "atmopshere" but yes they added kinetic motion to Tommorrowland, a much needed element. However do not look for the Rocket Rods to return anytime soon or at all. They were costly (ate through tires) and caused structual damage to the People Mover's track.

Besides that...the Peoplemover music was the best. (yea I think I'll have it stuck in my head all day now)

Seriously I miss the Peoplemover!!!! A friend of mine surprised me and took me to DL one time and I went home with one of those door stickers from PM....I wish I still had that thing!!!! :devil:

[ah schucks]

So to my way of thinking, we already had a wonderful focus on what the future could have been, and the Imagineers traded it for a vision that didn't speak as nearly strongly to many Americans' imaginations and senses of nostalgia.

But to each his own, eh?

I won't debate the 1950's/1960's view of the Nuclear future with robots who wash dishes and remote controls and flying cars wasn't impressive. It was a great view and if promoted properly in Tommorrowland, would have been or could be a great theme.

However I do not think the retro vision of Tommorrowland failed because it didn't speak as strongly to American's imagination but because it simply was half assed. Look at the approach taken in Paris and try to deny the beauty, imagination and feel of it? Its just different than what ours is or was. the 98 version was like a transgendered area stradling modern technology, futuristic sci-fi themes and rides with nostalgic looks at the way the future was envisioned so long ago...it was a failure to execute just one of those themes and mutlated all of them.

The current repaint white and blue look works because its undoing the damage of too many cooks in the kitchen. Tommorrowland is returning to a more centeral theme and is less confussed about itself.

[JoeCool]

Tomorrowland is in bad shape. Space Mountain gets a paint job and the same track while Disneyland Paris gets a new track and the track is faster and has a loop in it. Why does the Paris version get new updates while DL gets the same thing. It took WDI over 2 years to build a new track based on the old exisiting track. Disneyland should have gotten a new track.

Star Tours is outdated....Maybe if George Lucas and Disney came up with a new version based on the latest movie installments it would be better.

Autopia is a kiddie ride and a favorite of Walt Disney as well as being subject to the 10 year contract with Chervon so it is going to stay.

Buzz is a great addition to Tomorrowland.

[DoppelV]

The New Tomorrowland of 98 could have been cool. The 1997 Birnbaum Disneyland guidebook presented the look of things to come in a small section at the end of the Tomorrowland section. In 97, I was younger and I thought that the new look of tomorrowland would be awesome, I had been to WDW and loved the new tomorrowland there. I also had begun looking at Paris, and seeing their stuff. I am a big fan of Verne and Wells, and I think the retro-future look, a world that replenishes itself, was very optimistic, but where the concept went awry was with the presentation. The concepts were unmet, the plans that were completed were gaudy, cheap deformities of what could've been. Tomorrowland reached it's low point when WDComp decided to abandon failed attractions without replacement, which is about where we are now. I think the idea was there, but it just didn't come out.

[SomeSayImGoofy]

...I'm sorry, Peoplemover is cool, but it was VERY slow, like 5mph. It could be 10mph and add more motion. Plus, the cars were white along with the track, and they didn't stick out enough....

Ummmm...the Peoplemover cars were always MULTI-COLORED...very cool!

http://www.yesterland.com/images-tom...oplemover.jpeg

Thanks to Yesterland.com for the link...

Monorail Man: Inline image removed, please read the FAQ!

[Kevie]

They were ORIGINALLY multi colored, but went all white (with a blue stripe) in the 1980's.

[nish221]

Well... for the 50th, I'm happy that TL is in it's white (and blue).

One minor correction, my understanding is that track for Space is new, not the
old one redone. No loop that I've heard of.

[Tom Chaney]

I was never upset that they decided officially to freeze Tomorrowland in time. I just thought they picked the wrong time. For me, and I suspect for many others, the 1960s American vision of the future remains the most seductive future vision that ever was. It's such a clean and optimistic projection.

I agree with you on this point totally. Disneyland is all a little retro. Theming Tomorrowland to a pseudo-Victorian view of a "Future That Never Was" was an interesting idea, but the execution turned out dark, uninspiring and unfocused. And...to be honest, the only substantive changes that were made were in paint schemes and decoration. There was little change in rides and attractions to match the theme. Star Tours, Space Mountain, etc. stayed the same. The Rocket Jets were merely moved and repainted. Innoventions has nothing to do with a "Jules Verne" vision of the future. Nor did the short-lived Rocket Rods. TL became a disconnected mish-mash.

Frankly, predicting the future is a tricky business...and the future has a bad habit of catching up with you over time. So let's find a theme that works as best it can and is fun. How much more fun and crazy were the "Atomic Age" visions of the 50's and 60's when cars sprouted fins to mimic jet planes and were decorated with emblems evoking rockets. We were all taken with the notion of space travel. "Modernistic" Nutra-designed homes sprouted up and were decorated with starburst clocks on the walls, flying-saucer-shaped hanging lamps and other "ring-a-ding" furnishings. OK...maybe I'm just an old guy stuck in Nostalgialand, but Tomorrowland worked just fine for me before it was "improved" in the 90's. To those who opine that the younger generation can't identify with a Tomorrowland stuck in the 60's, I would counter that they seem to have a fun time in a Main Street stuck in 1902, Frontierland stuck in 1870 and Adventureland (more or less) stuck in the 30's.

Travel over to LAX sometime and enjoy dinner at Encounter, you'll see what I mean. (For those of you not familiar with this establishment...it's the restaurant that looks like a giant flying saucer. The decor is pure "Jetsons." The bartenders' dispensers are shaped like rockets and when they push a button to dispense a beverage, spacey sound effects come out of speakers over the bar. In fact, it's my understanding that the theming and renovation of Encounter was done by Disney!) :lol:

[Club 33]

I think the new color scheme is awesome! I hate that old rusted look, it really just looked sort of decrepyt.

[dramaqueen]

What are some good ideas for what the peoplemover track could be used for? It's been proven that the track is not good as a thrill ride (althought I love the rockets rods, I thought they were really fun to ride) What about some idea about "mass transit" in the future? I know that the monorail is supposed to be kind of like this. But I am really curious to hear some ideas for this area- it is a logical area for expansion and I think its cool how the tracks wind throughout tomorrowland (even more so if the subs come back and something is put in the lagoon.

So what can be done with the track????

[VWSpawn]

Anyways, what does everyone think of the TL changes?

I think it is a good start. I hope that they decide to do more than just paint and Buzz Blasters though.

What are some good ideas for what the peoplemover track could be used for? It's been proven that the track is not good as a thrill ride (althought I love the rockets rods, I thought they were really fun to ride) What about some idea about "mass transit" in the future? I know that the monorail is supposed to be kind of like this. But I am really curious to hear some ideas for this area- it is a logical area for expansion and I think its cool how the tracks wind throughout tomorrowland (even more so if the subs come back and something is put in the lagoon.

So what can be done with the track????

I think any kind of motion ride that isn't based on a movie or TV show would work well. Take out the PM track and Maybe install on of those smaller floorless coasters where your feet dangle. Not a monster coaster but a small slow version that can be designed as a jet craft of some sort with no floor. I have the picture in my head but I can't think of a good way to describe it.

[figment1986]

Tomorrowland is in bad shape. Space Mountain gets a paint job and the same track while Disneyland Paris gets a new track and the track is faster and has a loop in it. Why does the Paris version get new updates while DL gets the same thing. It took WDI over 2 years to build a new track based on the old exisiting track. Disneyland should have gotten a new track.

Um... They have an original track from like 93.... they just did a DL upgrade wuithout chanigng out the track.... fix the cars and give it a new theme...

Star Tours is outdated....Maybe if George Lucas and Disney came up with a new version based on the latest movie installments it would be better.

I Agree... however what i heard is tht since they dont want to "upgrade" the simulators with new technology they wont get a new movie from him....

However it could be something else...

Autopia is a kiddie ride and a favorite of Walt Disney as well as being subject to the 10 year contract with Chervon so it is going to stay.

Thats correct... it will stay... (remember.. you can't built moderately thrill rides without thrills for younger kids..)

Buzz is a great addition to Tomorrowland.

Buzz is a great adition to the park....