In a galaxy long, long ago, long before Disneyland's disjointed Tomorrowland became the mess we know it to be, Tomorrowland '67 was an incredible place filled with forward thinking attractions. It was scientifically focused. It was not about cartoon characters that had an adventure in outer space. That's the way Walt Disney approached the Land of the Future, and that is what was on the boards for Disneyland right before he died.
Some of the most inspiring concept art comes from this period of Imagineering and of the concepts designed for EPCOT Center's forward looking Future World. Imagineer Herb Ryman led the charge, creating piece upon piece of beautiful designs for the second Disney park in Florida. But back to Disneyland...
Here's Adventure Thru Inner Space's art for the huge Mighty Microscope. When guests boarded "Atommobiles", they immediately ventured into the microscope on their way to being shrunk to the size of an atom- and beyond. The soundtrack for this attraction is worth digging up for a great combination of excitement and retro fun.
In the next chapter of "Disney Theme Park Disasters", we'll look at the Tomorrowland of now and how looking at the future from a realistic standpoint has disappeared for the Disney parks. Going forward, it's either Jules Verne retro, cartoon visions of the future, or a whole lot of Star Wars. Yes, the snowflake has melted...
(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)
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