The year was 1994, and the mission seemed impossible: a full re-Imagineering of the Magic Kingdom's Tomorrowland. Could the Imagineers bring a fresh perspective to Florida's crowning jewel of a theme park? The challenge was on- but it always was a challenge creating a land of the future.
Upon the Magic Kingdom's opening in 1971, the park's original Tomorrowland had a pretty, crisp, clean white palette. But it was lacking in a significant attraction roster. The Skyway, Raceway, Flight to the Moon and Circle-Vision 360 film was about all there was.
Within the year after opening, the beloved If You Had Wings and the equally loved (and still missed in Disneyland) Wedway Peoplemover brought a new excitement to the land of the future. The contemporary feeling was clear- and still white, but the future was not.
One beautiful piece of art for the Magic Kingdom.
The land seemed to be a hit! My family and I couldn't wait for our next trip. We loved the new attractions, especially the encounter. At night, the place was even more beautiful with neon showing off all the new features. Great props, signs, and those cool palm trees set off the land as if it were in a galaxy far, far away.
Early guidebook page of Tomorrowland-
after the opening of a couple more attractions.
after the opening of a couple more attractions.
An original attraction poster.
One beautiful piece of art for the Magic Kingdom.
The mid-1970's opening of Space Mountain drove crowds to that side of the park. The land of the future was no flush with guests, and for the most part, the landscape stayed the same for the next decade or so. The iconic attraction had such an impact, that it was duplicated in various forms all over the world. (You can read about the historic impact here.)
Back to 1994, and the challenge made to the Imagineers. After much back and forth, it was decided that aliens would be invading the Florida Tomorrowland- and the future would never look as colorful!
A new poster for a dazzling new land!
The beautiful but old standard Circle-Vision film would be replaced by The Timekeeper, starring Robin Williams as a robot with a mission. But it was the replacement for Mission to Mars that would become the most controversial: Alien Encounter.
So not Disney but oh, so fun!
Scary and almost terrifying, guests would be trapped into an experiment gone bad. So unlike anything else in the Kingdom, it was loved and reviled at the same time. (Check out even more about Alien Encounter here.)
Above image from the amazing Vintage Disneyland Tickets
The land seemed to be a hit! My family and I couldn't wait for our next trip. We loved the new attractions, especially the encounter. At night, the place was even more beautiful with neon showing off all the new features. Great props, signs, and those cool palm trees set off the land as if it were in a galaxy far, far away.
My photo of the attraction poster.
Flash forward to today. As expected, time has caught up with the Magic Kingdom's land of the future. Alien Encounter and its child friendly replacement Stitch's Great Escape are gone. Timekeeper is now the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor. Tron is coming and not too soon- even if its placement is less than perfect.
The Imagineers are once again bringing change to the land. Can they pull it off once more? We will see.
(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company. Photograph of Timekeeper poster copyright Mark Taft)
The Imagineers are once again bringing change to the land. Can they pull it off once more? We will see.
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