Will Autopia Become Redundant?

[AliKzam]

Just asking. Now that DCA will be getting "Carsland" (as per Al's recent article), will Autopia become redundant, and face potential removal? I know that the ride is a classic and practically an original (I would say "original", but we clearly haven't had the original Autopia for decades). Granted, they're going to put in a Test Track-type attraction as the main thing in Carsland. And granted, Autopia will always fit into Tomorrowland simply because children have driving to look forward to in their future. Also, I'm aware that they rebuilt the attraction not ten years ago. But could Autopia potentially be removed from Disneyland? Perhaps put in DCA?
That certainly is some prime real estate Autopia is sitting on. Imagine putting in a large (hopefully not character-themed) attraction in it's place?

[Pressler69]

Re: Will Autopia Become Redundant?

That certainly is some prime real estate Autopia is sitting on. Imagine putting in a large (hopefully not character-themed) attraction in it's place?

I don't think we're sure that the area could physically support anything bigger than Autopia. I mean, that whole area has been Autopia since forever. Who knows if you could even build large show buildings on top of it. Surely the Subs would have to close for a long time during the construction of anything on top of it.

[MasterGracey]

Re: Will Autopia Become Redundant?

Autopia came first, so Carland would be the redundancy, if it even was redundant.

I think the attractions will be different enough, however, to avoid the redundancy issue.

As for removing Autopia, much of it resides on top ofthe Subs show building, which limits possibilties for new projects in the place of Autopia. Not to mention, its an original attraction and a staple of Tomorrowland ... its not goin' anywhere.

[Pressler69]

Re: Will Autopia Become Redundant?

... its not goin' anywhere.

I hope it goes. The exhaust fumes give me headaches and I'm not even riding it. The fumes travel into the monorail platform and the Tomorrowland Train Station area. It's funny to see people complain about smokers in open-air non-smoking areas when the Autopia is emitting all kinds of fumes into the surrounding attractions.

I hope there is a major refurb that changes them to electric cars. Whether they have electric motors or receive their power directly from the track a la monorail, I don't care.

[aashee]

Re: Will Autopia Become Redundant?

If Carsland is going to use upgraded technology from Test Track, it will be nothing like Autopia.

[codelyokorox]

Re: Will Autopia Become Redundant?

I hope it goes. The exhaust fumes give me headaches and I'm not even riding it. The fumes travel into the monorail platform and the Tomorrowland Train Station area. It's funny to see people complain about smokers in open-air non-smoking areas when the Autopia is emitting all kinds of fumes into the surrounding attractions.

I hope there is a major refurb that changes them to electric cars. Whether they have electric motors or receive their power directly from the track a la monorail, I don't care.

wow. I never noticed. Then again, my family smokes (on one side) so I tend to ignore yucky smells (no offence!).

Ooh Electric cars would be futuristicly spiffy.

I highly doubt Autopia is going anywhere. I just can't imagine Tomorrowland without it, really. And I'm sure many millions are with me. (Of course I have no idea, though!)

[animagusurreal]

Re: Will Autopia Become Redundant?

Whenever I catch a whiff of exaust in the air, I think of Autopia and get all nostalgic for my childhood .

[disneyfan07]

Re: Will Autopia Become Redundant?

It wont to me. I am still going to ride the autopia, before and after carsland goes in.

[idreamofjeani]

Re: Will Autopia Become Redundant?

It's time for Autopia to retire to Yesterland. It's so unfuturistic, it's pathetic. It was *hardly* futuristic in '55 (There was already quite a bit of freeway infrastucture in place in CA).

Are we saying that gasoline powered cars that don't even fly are our future? How depressingly backwards. Tomorrowland is supposed to be optimistically progressive.

How about as a replacement for Autopia, we get Autopia 2.0:
- Cars are electronic
- Cars eventually transform into speed capsules and go onto the new banked PeopleMover track at high speed, a'la Minority Report
- Cars are on semi-autopilot, but trackless... they use computers and magnets in the street, etc.
- Riders can make decisions at forks in the road, but the driving is done by computer ulimately.
- Paths split at forks, then rejoin before getting to the PeopleMover tracks.
- Cars enter a showbuilding North of the subs, which is an underutilized area of the park, currently housing Agriculture. In the show building can be some great future scenes.

[DLandFansAZ]

Re: Will Autopia Become Redundant?

However there is already redundancy in the parks. The most obvious being the carousel.

[flynnibus]

Re: Will Autopia Become Redundant?

Just asking. Now that DCA will be getting "Carsland" (as per Al's recent article), will Autopia become redundant, and face potential removal?

very different types of rides. In Test Track, you ride in a car, but you don't drive it yourself... autopia you do.

Autopia came first, so Carland would be the redundancy, if it even was redundant.

Which comes first does not define which is redudant... which is no longer NEEDED would be the redudant one. If you introduce a newer one that is better.. the older one is no longer needed (see River Country)

[SnowflakeSparks]

Re: Will Autopia Become Redundant?

It's time for Autopia to retire to Yesterland. It's so unfuturistic, it's pathetic. It was *hardly* futuristic in '55 (There was already quite a bit of freeway infrastucture in place in CA).

Are we saying that gasoline powered cars that don't even fly are our future? How depressingly backwards. Tomorrowland is supposed to be optimistically progressive.

How about as a replacement for Autopia, we get Autopia 2.0:
- Cars are electronic
- Cars eventually transform into speed capsules and go onto the new banked PeopleMover track at high speed, a'la Minority Report
- Cars are on semi-autopilot, but trackless... they use computers and magnets in the street, etc.
- Riders can make decisions at forks in the road, but the driving is done by computer ulimately.
- Paths split at forks, then rejoin before getting to the PeopleMover tracks.
- Cars enter a showbuilding North of the subs, which is an underutilized area of the park, currently housing Agriculture. In the show building can be some great future scenes.

If they banked the Peoplemover tracks, they could bring back the Rocket Rods!

[sir clinksalot]

Re: Will Autopia Become Redundant?

They have Indy Speedway and Test Track at WDW, they aren't redundant.

Granted, they are a few MILES apart instead of a few hunderd YARDS apart. But still.

That's like saying Space Mtn and Big Thunder Mtn are redundant because they are both coasters.

[Duffy]

Re: Will Autopia Become Redundant?

Its only redundant because you KNOW how to drive....

but its facinated by smaller kids who cant drive... so i think its a great attraction...

[yoyoflamingo]

Re: Will Autopia Become Redundant?

I would say the Astro Oribter and Dumbo are more redundant than these will be. If WDW has Test Track and the Indy Speedway, then DL and DCA can support these 2.

[sir clinksalot]

Re: Will Autopia Become Redundant?

^ Good point.

[IMAGINE]

Re: Will Autopia Become Redundant?

Autopia has a place in the hearts of those who aren't able to drive actual cars, at it could be futurisitic for the kids whoa ren't old enough to drive just yet. I do agree though that attraction could use an update by going green. It would look better, smell better, and of course save costs on fuel as the subs did. The issue of redundancy is a possibility in carsland not by the test track type of ride, but by something else...hopefully Al talks about it seeing how I can't....

[sir clinksalot]

Re: Will Autopia Become Redundant?

I would say the Astro Oribter and Dumbo are more redundant than these will be. If WDW has Test Track and the Indy Speedway, then DL and DCA can support these 2.

Another point on this:

Yet another reason for the Rockets to be moved. When the rockets were up high, not so redundant. But to have two (on the ground) spinners 100 yards apart ... quite redundant.

And even though MK has 3 spinner type rides, for some reason they don't strike me as redundant.

The rockets are on the roof. Dumbo is stationary on the ground. Carpets have the cool leaning thing.

[RenMan]

Re: Will Autopia Become Redundant?

It's time for Autopia to retire to Yesterland. It's so unfuturistic, it's pathetic. It was *hardly* futuristic in '55 (There was already quite a bit of freeway infrastucture in place in CA).

Are we saying that gasoline powered cars that don't even fly are our future? How depressingly backwards. Tomorrowland is supposed to be optimistically progressive.

How about as a replacement for Autopia, we get Autopia 2.0:
- Cars are electronic
- Cars eventually transform into speed capsules and go onto the new banked PeopleMover track at high speed, a'la Minority Report
- Cars are on semi-autopilot, but trackless... they use computers and magnets in the street, etc.
- Riders can make decisions at forks in the road, but the driving is done by computer ulimately.
- Paths split at forks, then rejoin before getting to the PeopleMover tracks.
- Cars enter a showbuilding North of the subs, which is an underutilized area of the park, currently housing Agriculture. In the show building can be some great future scenes.

I've said in another thread that I thought it might make a nice upgrade for Autopia for the means of locomotion to be updated, say, to some sort of mag-lev technology so that the cars would indeed be futuristic but that the kids could still have fun riding them.

Yesterday I had a new idea.

I was listening to the "Walk in the Park: A Guided Tour of Disneyland in 1955" CD that comes with Mouse Tales by David Koenig, and they describe how the original Autopia had wider lanes and no guide rails so that cars could pass each other or even turn around and collide intentionally with other cars. You can imagine that with all the damage done to the vehicles that they had to remedy that situation by limiting the speed of the cars and adding rails.

Then it hit me. There are attractions at Tokyo Disney that use trackless vehicles that are guided via GPS, as mentioned in this thread. If they could come up with a system that DOSH approves of, I think it would be fun for the track to be widened again and for the rails to be removed from Autopia vehicles, and for the collision problem to be handled by some remote control system which prevents the vehicles from colliding or which turns the collisions into softer ones. Then they could bump the speed back up to the original 11 mph and people could pass each other. I think the ride would be way more fun, and also more fitting to TL because of the way it demonstrates more advanced technology.

I would definitely couple this with a switch to electric or hybrid cars.

[yoyoflamingo]

Re: Will Autopia Become Redundant?

Another point on this:

Yet another reason for the Rockets to be moved. When the rockets were up high, not so redundant. But to have two (on the ground) spinners 100 yards apart ... quite redundant.

And even though MK has 3 spinner type rides, for some reason they don't strike me as redundant.

The rockets are on the roof. Dumbo is stationary on the ground. Carpets have the cool leaning thing.

Agreed to all. Was thinking of posting about MK too, but got lazy. And don't forget the Animal Kingdom has Triceratop Spin, which is the closest to Dumbo in my mind. Plus, I think the carpets is the nicest, with the water feature under it.