The Sparkle of Disneyland's Tomorrowland 1967

The Submarine Voyage and the Peoplemover. What more can you say? Plenty! Add in the Carousel of Progress, the late and great Adventure Thru Inner Space and a refreshed entrance to Tomorrowland.  The year 1967 would remain one for the books in the annals of Disneyland history. 

Walt's park seemed better than ever under the guidance of those first generation Imagineers. And, boy, they were on a roll! It's a Small World was first, then Pirates of the Caribbean in the Spring of '67 and the Haunted Mansion a couple of years later. Let's not forget Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln coming hot off the World's Fair. 

Things would slow down for awhile, but as this photograph from the late and great Vintage Disneyland Tickets shows, the future was also moving at Disneyland- unless you look at Tomorrowland. That revision in 1998 was a dud- Rocket Rods aside-, and it was the last time that area of the park had even the slightest bit of cohesion. Will the Imagineering team bring a great new person of the future for the park's 75th Anniversary? Your guess is as good as mine!

(Photograph copyright Vintage Disneyland Tickets.)

There's A Great Big Beautiful Yesterday

Sing along with me, "There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of every day..." Those simply wonderful lines from long time Disney songwriters Robert and Richard Sherman convey the optimism and hope of the 1960's Disneyland. Walt Disney knew what he was doing to get these brothers involved in creating memorable tunes for his stellar attractions! 

The Carousel of Progress was one such incredible fan favorite. Found in the brand New Tomorrowland of 1967, the attraction's cast grew the Audio-Animatronic family at Walt's park.  With the Peoplemover and the great Adventures Thru Inner Space, this land of the future just had to be experienced. For those who came shortly before, Pirates of the Caribbean had just debuted and the Haunted Mansion would come in 1969. 

It was a season when the park's expanded because of the love of the art and not the love of the dollar. But the dollars came in quantities unexpected, because Walt respected his guests and treated them well. What today's Disney leadership could learn by looking backwards!

(Photograph copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Stunning and Sleek Tomorrowland

When Disney Imagineers are at the top of their game, they can be pretty tough to beat. In the early days of Disneyland, Imagineering pulled out all the stops, and their pieces of concept art for the new park certainly pleased Walt Disney. They were forward thinking when it came to the land of the future. In 1955, Tomorrowland was full of corporate exhibits and not much else. That changed when a 1967 version was revealed. The Carousel of Progress, right from the 1964 World's Fair, an amazing Adventure Thru Inner Space attraction, and of course, the fan favorite Peoplemover made their debut. The thrills were still to come. Space Mountain took a bit longer, but it was well worth the wait. 

Just for fun, here's a pretty rare piece of art for Walt Disney World's Space Mountain, before Tron's Lightcycles came in.

I might have more concept art on the world wide Tomorrowlands than any other parts of the parks. Explore on! You've only scratched the surface with this post, but this article might be the best place to start...

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

When Tomorrowland Was Cool!

It's hard to imagine, but one day in the distant long ago, the Land of Tomorrowland was cool! Yes, Disneyland's Tomorrowland was once forward looking- the original DisneylandForward. Thanks to the Imagineers and the great Walt Disney. Want to this all this retro/vintage vive in its Black and White glory? Watch a nine minute video (without sound) here.

There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow: Carousel of Progress Comes Home

Walt Disney and the New York World's Fair. What a combination! The success of the four Disney shows impacted the future of the Company in big ways. It's success paved the way for Walt Disney World, proving that regardless of the naysayers, East Coast audiences were not immune to the charms of Disney attractions. 

The World's Fair was also a boon to Disneyland as Walt and company had procured agreement with attraction sponsors that these experiences would find their way back to California once the fair was over. 

Imagineer Colin Campbell's beautiful concept art for this theater in the round Audio-Animatronic show represents the grand finale: a modern family living with all the latest technologies created by General Electric. (I've included this art in the biggest form possible- just click on it.) The attraction was so popular that it became the centerpiece of a brand new Tomorrowland. The beloved 1967 version that remains the best ever created for California. Along with the Peoplemover and Adventure Thru Inner Space, Disneyland's home of the future became a fresh and inspiring look at what life could be- something far beyond the disjointed, character-filled mess it is today.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

The Disneyland Tomorrowland We Almost Got

I've never seen this piece of concept art for Disneyland before! A brand New Tomorrowland of EPCOT Center influence. It's one with smooth wide walkways of glistening white, multiple flags, elegant fountains, and streamlined curved wing roofs. Imagine a land on the move where the chain of cars in the Peoplemover are a variety of different colors instead of one individual color per train. Instead of a glowing Spaceship Earth, the Rocket Jets take center stage high above it all. Although I love her work, there wasn't a Mary Blair mural in sight. Very different than what was built, but both versions looked inviting. 

When those iconic Disney Imagineers of old began to dream up what could replace the pennant filled early and temporary land of the future, the final result was just astounding. It's true Disney park fans still speak of Adventure Thru Inner Space fondly, but it is so much more than nostalgia. This was a land of optimism and discovery! A living Carousel fo Progress. Under the watchful eye of Walt Disney who never got to see it open, the land was executed to perfection. How the Company that bears his name needs someone that visionary more than ever!

Tomorrowland 1967 at Disneyland remains the best version of the Land of the Future ever built in California! 

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Imagineer John Hench's Concept Art for Disneyland's Peoplemover and Rocket Jets

The title says it all! This rare piece of Tomorrowland concept art by Imagineer John Hench perfectly captures the energy and movement of the new attractions that premiered at Disneyland in 1967. With the innovative Peoplemover, eye candy filled Adventure Thru Inner Space, and a brand new version of Carousel of Progress coming from the World's Fair, Tomorrowland was the place to be. Pirates of the Caribbean had recently debuted and the Haunted Mansion was on its way. Walt's magical little park continued to expand and proved itself a beloved theme park year after year after year. All while offering groundbreaking family entertainment at prices everyone could afford. What an incredible thought!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

A Golden Tomorrowland and a Revamped Space Mountain

Tomorrowland 1967- an iconic, much beloved, incarnation of the Land of the Future. And Disneyland was all the richer for it! This piece of concept art by the Imagineers reveals a new profile for Space Mountain than we've seen, a look at the Peoplemover and the Carousel of Progress, and a view of the entrance to Mission to Mars. 

The plan oozed ambition and a determination to give guests more than just an experience they deserved. It was to be an immersive journey into the future- and beyond. It worked...until it didn't. And then the land had to be revamped to keep up with an ever growing future. Then we mourned the loss of Adventure Thru Inner Space and the innocence of the age. Never to be seen again.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Rare Concept Art for Disneyland's 1967 Tomorrowland?

It took a visit to the Walt Disney Family Museum to see this piece of concept art! I had never seen this before, which was kind of a surprise as I am just a huge fan of the work created for Disneyland's 1967 re-envisioned Tomorrowland. The best of Disneyland's Land of the Future. Adventure Thru Inner Space? Check. Peoplemover? Check. Carousel of Progress? Check again. What a line up! 

This blog is stuffed with some of Imagineering's best renderings of it all. Say what you will about the newer attractions like Rise of the Resistance. They may be great, but they lack the charm, optimism, and innocence of an era where the future was seen as a great, big, beautiful, tomorrow.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company. Photograph by Mark Taft.)

Disneyland Without Space Mountain?

Disneyland without Space Mountain? Don't be so sure it could not happen. Shanghai Disneyland opened with Tron Lightcycle Run in its place- and not a single person seems to have expressed outrage they did not get to ride one of Imagineering's iconic attractions. But that is exactly what happened in 1967. The plans were clearly in the works to add Space Mountain to the brand New Tomorrowland, and you can see it in this page from the Disneyland Guide book. The concept art is right there front and center. When the revision of the land did open, Adventure Thru Inner Space made its debut and Carousel of Progress opened up on the West Coast after a great response to the show at the World's Fair. The Peoplemover covered the land in style. There was excitement everywhere! Except Space Mountain would not make its debut. That had to come later. Much later. A decade in fact.

Love Space Mountain and want to learn more about its history? Check out this mega-post with all the history and concept art you could want!

Entirely Different Tomorrowland Entrance for Disneyland

Full confession mode: I used to love Disneyland's incredible Tomorrowland. Not so much anymore. Now, it's nice to look at (the Matterhorn Bobsleds against the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage Lagoon), but aside from Space Mountain, I just kind of move on. My favorite era was the 1967 version of the land, fresh with Adventure Thru Inner Space, PeopleMover, and the Carousel of Progress. 

At opening, Imagineer Herb Ryman created several different pieces of concept art for the entrance to the Land of the Future. The one above was not chosen, but it still has value as a piece representing a Disney History when looking to the future was still in vogue. 

Now that Epcot Center is fully abandoning its origins of a forward thinking Future World, and the castle parks' Tomorrowland has become an excuse for attractions based on animated movies which took place in the future, these renderings provide a look back to what once was. A time when Disneyland was more than just a theme park, when it also highlighted a hopeful future for mankind and a world where we would truly see progress. Unfortunately, as politics and human nature proves, this hopeful future on earth is a thing of the past. We are selfish and broken at our core (this author included), and we need a savior- one to forgive us, set us free from an awful eternity apart from God, and one to give us hope.  Even Walt Disney couldn't create that!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Video of Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle!

Hong Kong Disneyland finally opened its long awaited Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle today. Here is some exclusive video, an entire ride through:

Our heroes make an appearance off the television screens as well! Photo below:

Does it include a small tribute to Disneyland's classic Adventure Thru Inner Space? Watch and decide for yourselves. 

Heroes are doing it for themselves- and you're invited along!

Either way, it looks like a solid next step revision of Buzz Lightyear into a Marvel themed attraction. By 2023, the big E Ticket is next to come.

Thanks to Wonderland912.com!

The 1960's: The True Disney Decade at Disneyland

Disneyland's Tomorrowland 1967 was a world on the move, and this very rare and stunning piece of concept art for the Peoplemover shows exactly what the Imagineers planned. Noticeably missing is the Rocket Jets, but the rendering was meant to highlight the new mode of transportation. Even if the Peoplemover train was once only two cars long.

It's difficult to admit as a Disney theme park fan, but the 1960's were the ultimate peak decade for Walt Disney's original Magic Kingdom. That's 50 plus years ago! There were projects both small such as adding Snow White's grotto to those groundbreaking new technologies such as Audio-Animatronics first debuting in Adventureland's The Enchanted Tiki Room. This was only the beginning of a wonderfully fruitful and innovative season!

Then toss in It's a Small World into Fantasyland straight from the 1964 World's Fair, a fan favorite that's still delighting kids of all ages. Next up was New Orleans Square, quickly followed by what park fans still refer to as the best example of Disney Imagineering: Pirates of the Caribbean. 

A brand new Tomorrowland followed, updating the land and bringing it into the future: Adventure Thru Inner Space took us into the atom while the legendary Carousel of Progress gave us a humorous look backward and forward. The Monorail and Skyway had new competition with the super popular Wedway Peoplemover providing yet another way for guests to get an overview of the land and its attractions.

The Real Disney Decade ended in 1969 with the long awaited Haunted Mansion on the banks of the Rivers of America. So many iconic attractions first came into being during the real Disney Decade. All under Walt's direction and leadership- when giving guests more than they expected was the mantra. 

Never again would Disney leadership give guests such an amazing decade for Disneyland Park. As good as it will be, I sincerely doubt the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is the beginning of another amazing decade, even 50 years later.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

A Colorful House of the Future at Disneyland

Ah, the plastic wonder that was Monsanto's House of the Future. If you look at this image up close, you can see a bit of the castle off to the left, and this should give you an idea of where it was placed. The small sliver of land between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, is most recently the home to Pixie Hollow.

Walt Disney was an innovator in most every area of his life, and his "magical little park", Disneyland, reflected its creator. This piece of concept art is pretty rare. Think about it. Blogs, books, websites and even the Disney Gallery, have only shown photographs of this one of a kind attraction. But the piece above is rarely seen. Here's another artistic look at the home of the future, this one from InvisibleThemePark.com:

From InvisibleThemePark.com

And now the full page magazine article from which it came:

From Expo67Lounge.com

Monsanto was not tossed aside when the house was removed and the New Tomorrowland made it's debut in 1967. It was the sponsor for the much loved, brand new, Adventure Thru Inner Space. The trip through the Mighty Microscope was even more popular than the House of the Future. In shiny new Atommobiles, guests were able to ride two by two through inky darkness while entering the world of a melting snowflake. It was the perfect place for deeper "exploration".

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Miracles from Molecules Indeed

Isn't this a beauty? Perhaps you've seen this in person or maybe you weren't fortunate enough to personally ride Disneyland's iconic attraction Adventure Thru Inner Space. And this great piece of concept art is only a look at the exit platform of the journey. Yes, the exit. Hard to believe. (Click on it in order to see it in a very, very large size.)

With no question, Tomorrowland 1967 was the best incarnation of the land. 

Everything before- and certainly everything after- pales in comparison to what Walt Disney and his Imagineers put together. As with Pirates of the Caribbean, the genius didn't get to see this at opening. Individual attractions may have been terrific since, thinking Space Mountain here, but the sum of the whole was never better than what guests found in the Spring of '67. Toss in the eye catching Peoplemover and the Carousel of Progress, and you've got the core of an incredible land on the move. 

Perhaps when Star Tours goes by the wayside after Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge opens, the suits can let the space it occupies revert to something far better- by looking backward as they look forward.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.) 

Disneyland Time Machine: Music to My Ears

America the Beautiful. Mine Train Thru Nature's Wonderland. Adventure Thru Inner Space, America Sings, and more. Much more. What a way to visit vintage Disneyland in your mind! It's one thing to daydream about a visit to the park, but it's another thing entirely if you're adequately prepared. 

And I am. Listening now to the excellent Musical History of Disneyland, the perfect 50th anniversary gift for Disney park fans. Starting with Walt Disney's dedication, the collection takes you through each land of the park, bringing atmospheric music, deluxe attraction soundtracks, and evening and holiday performances and parades. It's a time machine journey that never gets old.

Fly Me to the Moon

Tomorrowland really was once a "World on the Move". At least it was during the first re-Imagineering of the land in 1967. Walt Disney had to cut some corners due to budget restrictions during the planning and execution of Disneyland. But he's to be forgiven for that decision because what he did had never been accomplished before. Not so with todays suits who have had the audacity to pass off the original Disney-MGM Studios, the Walt Disney Studios Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland as full day Disney quality theme parks. Never before was the arrogance of the suits more obvious as when Michael Eisner, Robert Iger and company debuted California Adventure 1.0, opening the same year while giving the Japanese Tokyo Disney Sea.  But I digress.

Imagineering concept art has been a long time favorite of this blog. If you look at the piece above, not only will you see the People Mover, Carousel of Progress, and Rocket to the Moon, but you'll notice a shiny new Space Mountain part of the image. Yes, it had been in the planning stages for that long before it came to be in the 70s. 

With the glistening submarines, the skyway buckets, and even the train running through the land, Tomorrowland was once a place of action. Nowadays, it's really just disjointed, a pathetic shell of its former self. Perhaps the opening of Star Wars Land / Experience - or whatever it will be named- will give the suits the guts they need to totally reimagine, even demolish, large sections of the land, and create something stunning. Aside from die-hard Disney park fans, it's a pretty well kept secret that the original magic kingdom now has the dullest and worst Tomorrowland of them all. 

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Eating in Mars at Tomorrowland

Any guest to the Disneyland Resort (or any reader of internet sites) understands almost immediately that the last Tomorrowland revamp was poorly done. It's a victim of severe budget cuts from the get go. The ill-executed Rocket Rods should have been a smash, but the suits cut the budget to the point of making it an ongoing operational nightmare. Point being, when the budgeteers slash the funds beyond something reasonable, this makes it impossible for even the most gifted Imagineers- such as Tony Baxter - to turn out an excellent product. (Full confession: I know I'm in the minority, but I thought the copper Space Mountain was beautiful!)

Back to Tomorrowland. The retro / vintage vibe did not age well. Add to this a hodge lodge of attractions disconnected in theme, and it's a real mess. The entire area badly needs a fresh focus and look. Hopefully that is coming once Star Wars Land opens. Here's a piece of concept art for the idea to have guests eat inside the old Mission to Mars building. An entirely different result than what stands there now.

It should have been a better experience than what we find currently. And, may I ask, what is that? Honestly, the existing restaurant with old attraction posters is a not so subtle reminder of the great Tomorrowland revisioning of the late 60's. A fantastic look at the future, an era when the Peoplemover sailed above the land, guests could Adventure Thru Inner Space and spin on a fully functioning and forward-looking Carousel of Progress. Bluntly, this restaurant is a constant reminder to guests of the greatness that came out of Imagineering under Walt's first generation artists... and one that hasn't been seen in Disneyland proper since the Indiana Jones Adventure decades ago.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

The End of Adventure Thru Inner Space

Long before Star Tours made its debut at Disneyland, the deepest, darkest, most mysterious attraction to be found at the brand new Tomorrowland 1967 was a corporate sponsored presentation, Adventure Thru Inner Space. The Monsanto company was on the leading edge of bringing science into everyday life making them a great choice for sponsorship. 

Notice the Peoplemover overhead 

and the same general building shape as the current Star Tours. 

Due to the fact it was at the entrance to Tomorrowland, crowds were instantly drawn to it. Peeking inside the building, the display of a larger than life snowflake made for a compelling piece of eye candy, while the giant microscope at the end of the queue seemed to devour guests. 

Actually, it really did devour guests! The reason Inner Space had great numbers of riders was due to its innovative, continuously moving vehicles. Guests journeyed into the world of a snowflake in the Atommobile, the first use of the Omnimover, a vehicle designed by Disney Imagineers.  It not only kept the crowds moving, it was also used to direct the sightless of visitors as the car itself turned to specific show scenes. 

Nice piece of WED concept art.

This thrilling journey into the world of an atom was a fan favorite for a variety of reasons- including the opportunity to travel with the one you loved to a cool, dark, and relatively private place. All under the view of the Mighty Microscope, of course! 

The actual ending of the attraction is shown in the top rendering. On the right side, drops of oil flowed down hundreds of strands of Monsanto fibers creating a striking piece of art. Smaller exhibits surrounded guests exiting the attraction in an area much smaller than but similar to EPCOT Center's Communicore / Inventions.

Crowds packed out Inner Space for about 15 years. By then, it seemed to be time for a change. Disney Imagineers and George Lucas joined together to bring the Star Wars universe to Disney. It was the end of the beloved attraction.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Tomorrowland's Mighty Microscope

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.)