Tomorrowland: 2015

[Isaac]

So my friends working in Walt Disney Travel, my brother in the hotels, my text messages with imagineer Steve Davison, and my chat with George K. (DL Pres.) all imply that Tomorrowland will finally be updated in 2015. The Peoplemover (in a new form) will return and the 'rocket jets' will be restored to their former location. What is in the air is the future of Innoventions and Autopia. Innoventions makes money from it's sponsorships (even if no one visits) and reducing Autopia could mean using the former Motorboat Cruise area (w/ the former Fantasyland Autopia) to make room for a new ride.

Thoughts ?

[Alex]

If right, then bummer on Peoplemover, wash on jets (though mild bummer as it is another instance of moving backwards instead of risking failure forward), cool on new ride.

[Kevy Baby]

Well, this both kind of jives with and contradicts Al's update last week (http://miceage.micechat.com/allutz/al062612a.htm).

[RStar]

While I'd love to see some sort of people mover put back in, I'm not sure how feasable it is. I heard that the Rocket Rods did so much damage to the track that it might not be repairable. But having the old empty track is sad, but at least it's a little shade. I just hope they get rid of the walkway clogging rockwork!!

Did hourly capacity increase when they moved the rocket jets to the ground? That would be my concern with putting it back on the platform, unless they did something to the load area that was quicker than the elevator.

It would be sad to see the subs go again, but the amaount of real estate that could be gained by raizing half of autopia, the lagoon and it's show building, and innovetions is huge, and could hold 3 great new E Ticket attractions! Couple that with a new makeover for the land and the future could be as bright for DL as it is for DCA today!

[keith - SuPeR K!]

So excited! New shiny!!!

[Ghoulish Delight]

Did hourly capacity increase when they moved the rocket jets to the ground? That would be my concern with putting it back on the platform, unless they did something to the load area that was quicker than the elevator.The elevator, while cumbersome, was never a capacity bottleneck. There was always a line on top of the platform, after you got off the elevator. So even if the elevator were lightning fast it wouldn't have increased ride capacity.

[Moonliner]

In my mind, putting the rockets back up where they belong is right at the top of my wish list, even above making the Tea Cups spin correctly once again.

I never really had much love for Innovations, People mover, or the subs so by all means bring on the dozers and build me something shiny and new in their place, but I would be crushed if they removed Autopia. Letting kids drive their own cars is just to cool of a thing for the little ones.

Autopia does need a major overhaul however. Does Legoland still have their version? It was a mini-city and your cars were free to go wherever you wanted not just follow a pre-set track. That was cool.

I think Disney should talk with Google and get a custom mini-version of their self-driving cars that would allow kids the freedom to drive freely around a miniature city while using the Google auto-navigation smarts to prevent accidents. That would be a ride for the next generation.

[€uroMeinke]

Yeah, as much as I hate the autopia as an adult, it was one of the best rides as a kid. Too bad the couldn't figure out a way to port it across the Esplanade. Now there's a California themed attraction.

[Moonliner]

Yeah, as much as I hate the autopia as an adult, it was one of the best rides as a kid. Too bad the couldn't figure out a way to port it across the Esplanade. Now there's a California themed attraction.

Yeah! And you could dramatically upgrade the ride capacity by running cars bumper to bumper and calling it the 405.

[Chernabog]

Now there's a California themed attraction.

At least they got the Monorail theme of DCA right. Public transport that doesn't stop anywhere near where you actually want to go...

[Alex]

I actively avoid Tomorrowland right now because the Main Street entrance through to Tomorrowland Terrace is such a horrible experience of crushing humanity and strollers.

The Peoplemover track just makes it feel even more claustrophobic. So, I don't need new attractions or opening of the back of Tomorrowland, The changes I would look at making:

1. Remove the PeopleMover track in that area to visually open up the space.
2. Shave as many feet off the front of the Buzz Lightyear and Star Tours facades as possible without impacting the rights to widen the path.
3. Remove the rock walls at the entrance.
4. Remove the Tinker Bell meet and greet and rework that area into stroller parking/queue for Buzz Lighyear so that isn't in the walkway.
5. Remove some of the Tomorrowland-side seating for Plaza Inn so that the area over there could be reworked to include Star Tours queues or entrance to keep the blockage out of the main walkway.

Once they change it so that I'm actually willing to walk through the entrance:

1. Reroute the remaining PeopleMove track and turn it into the new Autopia. Let people drive themselves up there.
2. Remove the subs and most of the existing Autopia and if Innoventions is important use some of that space for a more open plan, series of pavilions approach to allow quick access and easy movement.
3. Tear out the Innoventions building and using that space and the remaining lagoon/Autopia space put in a new E ticket and 2 B ticket attractions.
4. Use all this change to introduce food that humans actually want to eat (instead of eating simply because it is in the park) to Disneyland.
5. Then move on to Adventureland and deal with its crowding problem so that I won't avoid that land too unless absolutely forced to go in.

[RStar]

As I understand it, for autopia there are three options:

1) Take it out completely (I hope not).

2) Reduce it back to the original size and location (removing the Tomorrowland side).

3) Move it to Cars Land. (Radiator Springs Midget Autopia!)

I vote for option 3.

[alphabassettgrrl]

Tomorrowland update: Yes, please. Peoplemover- never saw it, but people seem to have fond memories, so sure. Bring it back. Rocket Jets: meh. Just goes around in a circle but it could be fun for kids. Autopia can go. Innoventions could be fun if they reworked it- the Florida one looked like fun but I had limited time so I didn't explore it as much as I would have liked.

I'd like to see something in the Motorboat Cruise area.

[Alex]

Florida Innoventions is, in my experience, even worse than Disneyland's Innoventions. It just has the advantage of being easy to get in and out of.

[CoasterMatt]

For once, I agree with Alex- I kept hoping that the 'fire safety' exhibit would actually catch fire and burn the whole thing down.

[lashbear]

I still would like to see an Incredibles type peoplemover.

[Isaac]

Well, this both kind of jives with and contradicts Al's update last week (http://miceage.micechat.com/allutz/al062612a.htm).

Just read Al's update.
Sounds like Autopia and Subs might be on the chopping block. Kinda makes sense since they could possibly save on pollution credits by removing those 2, while freeing up space for new rides.

I guess Tomorrowland 2015 seems to be the next big project.

If I find more info, I'll let you know.

[SzczerbiakManiac]

I think it would fit the Tomorrowland theme well if they converted all the Autopia cars to electric.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I think it would fit the Tomorrowland theme well if they converted all the Autopia cars to electric.

Or flying. Or at least personal jetpacks.

[Gn2Dlnd]

Just read Al's update.
Sounds like Autopia and Subs might be on the chopping block. Kinda makes sense since they could possibly save on pollution credits by removing those 2, while freeing up space for new rides.

The subs are already green, they use the same magnetic induction powering system as the Red Car Trolleys. (Unfortunately, my internet search revealed little of the specifics, but the phrase "magnetic induction coil" kept popping up)

Count me as one who would be sad to see the Subs and the Carousel Building go. I'd love to see Innoventions leave, but I want a show in that building. Tomorrowland has lost its way, and not, as Imagineers love to lay the blame, because it's hard to keep up with the future, but because every shred of science and education has been removed. Whether it was shrinking to the smallness of an atom (and thereby learning that atoms are the building blocks of everything we see and touch), or flying to the moon (and learning about reduced gravity and the vacuum of space) (oh, and comets - COMETS!!!), Tomorrowland was the Great Hall of Science from the county fair, but on steroids. Now, it's "Spaceland," and suffers in comparison to its far more noble younger self. Give me back my Tomorrowland of Science, and "Optimistic Futurism". Don't get me wrong, I love Space Mountain and Star Tours (though Star Tours takes place A Long Time Ago, etc.), but would it kill the Imagineers to put some educational signage in the Nemo queue, telling us about the fish and the underwater geography we'll be seeing? Now that Chevron is out of the picture, how about ditching the gas engines and the speedway theming of Autopia, and putting some fun History of Transportation video on those ugly diamond-vision screens? You remember how to do it - how we got to here from there, and where we're going now? There is so much that could be done with the existing Tomorrowland, it's lazy to just give up and rip out some really valuable experiences because Imagineering has given up on trying to tell the story of a better tomorrow. I want a Better Tomorrow. Don't you?

[Alex]

The theme of Tomorrowland hasn't been "the future" for 40 years. Since then it has been tenuously "what we used to think about the future" with a little bit of "fantasy science fiction."

I wouldn't mind a better tomorrow, but honestly have little interest in hearing about it from Disney.

[Gn2Dlnd]

40 years ago I was 10, and Tomorrowland was perfect! ;)

[Kevy Baby]

40 years ago I was 10, and Tomorrowland was perfect! ;)There's the problem: you should have stopped growing up!

[RStar]

I don't want to grow up, I'm a Tomorrowland Kid!

[alphabassettgrrl]

Tomorrowland has lost its way, and not, as Imagineers love to lay the blame, because it's hard to keep up with the future, but because every shred of science and education has been removed. Whether it was shrinking to the smallness of an atom (and thereby learning that atoms are the building blocks of everything we see and touch), or flying to the moon (and learning about reduced gravity and the vacuum of space) (oh, and comets - COMETS!!!), Tomorrowland was the Great Hall of Science from the county fair, but on steroids. Now, it's "Spaceland," and suffers in comparison to its far more noble younger self. Give me back my Tomorrowland of Science, and "Optimistic Futurism".


Yes! That would be fantastic! Bits of education, fun facts, and an optimistic, better future. Idealized, I'm sure, but that's ok- an idealized future could be a lot of fun. Give us something to shoot for in the real world. Like Jules Verne did. Came up with implausible, impossible, wonderful things, and then we started working on how to make it happen for real.

[Kevy Baby]

I think they should paint everything copper and green and cover up those horrible Mary Blair murals

[Snowflake]

Well, I for one, always enjoyed the ride of the People Mover. At this point I do not see how feasible it would be to bring them back since the former show buildings/queues they traveled through have changed a lot? It would be nice to see movement like this in Tomorrowland. I'm with Cheeseman, the Tomorrowland I remember so fondly was filled with promise and cool things.

I'd be thrilled if they got rid of the rocks at the entrance and open it back up.

[RStar]

I don't want them to bring back the old stuff, I want new stuff! Kenetic movement of old, perhaps. Dead space put to good use, for sure. New "E" Ticket ride or two, even at the expense of Innoventions, Autopia, and Subs-YES!!!

[Ghoulish Delight]

I have just had a conversation with someone who talked directly with a very reliable source (as in Disney legend). According to said legend, any rumors of the subs going away are flat untrue.

[Moonliner]

I have just had a conversation with someone who talked directly with a very reliable source (as in Disney legend). According to said legend, any rumors of the subs going away are flat untrue.

Reliable source, clear denial....

If I was a sub fan I'd start planning my farewell rides now.