Last week, I shared a piece of concept art that displayed the influence of Disneyland Paris' Discoveryland on the remodel of Disneyland's dated Tomorrowland. Here's the California side of the design equation.
The Imagineering team working on the Anaheim project under the direction of master Imagineer Tony Baxter was tasked by Michael Eisner with a fairly minimal budget (which became the derailment of the short lived Peoplemover replacement Rocket Rods) as well as an odd concept of an "agricultural futuristic" view for the land. When tossed in with attractions with seemingly no connection in theme (Star Wars to the old America Sings / Carousel of Progress), it seemed to be an impossible task. The Autopia (above) would get a quick remodel of the buildings to fit in as best as possible. The kid favorite would not be on the chopping block for various reasons.
By comparing this piece with the one for Discoveryland, it's easy to see where one strongly influenced the other. If you view images of the copper tinged Space Mountain of Disneyland circa 1998 with the beautiful Jules Verne styled one in Paris, the similarities are even more noticeable.
Count me in as one who would like to see a total start over for the Land of the Future. Scrap it all and build new. But if Mickey's Toontown really does become the rumored location for Star Wars Land, two lands themed to outer space (one strongly, one vaguely) may be too much.
(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)
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