Will Time Stand Still in Tomorrowland?

So many rumors abound that D23 will announce an total and much needed revamp to Disneyland's tired Tomorrowland. It's not that Imagineering's Tony Baxter and team didn't create something with potential. It's that even the fun but short-lived Rocket Rods was budget engineered. Bargain Basement Imagineering, actually. Much like Disney's California Adventure was at the time. (That's an entirely different multi-part story I've already told here. Just search for it. But let's not even talk about Tokyo Disneysea which opened the same year as the disaster that was DCA!)

But look at what Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom got in the 90s! A brand new sparkling Tomorrowland with the epic Alien Encounter, the Timekeeper, which also debuted at Euro Disney/ Disneyland Paris, and a whole slew of beautiful design pieces. Like this sweet entrance marquee. The fanciful approach to the land stayed fresh for years.

Unfortunately, we can't say that at Disneyland!  With the corpse of the Peoplemover there for over 20 years now and acres of unused space, the place is a thematic mess. Walt would be rightfully embarrassed. Is MiceChat correct? Is a new Tomorrowland on the way? We shall see.

(Photograph copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

A Look at Tokyo Disneyland's Proposed Tomorowland Version of Tower of Terror

Is it the original Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney's Hollywood Studios that's the best version of the drop ride? Maybe it's California Adventure's reworked Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout? Could it be the one at Disneysea? Well, how about the version at Tokyo Disneyland? No, not the one at Tokyo Disneysea, but the one at the first Disney park in Japan.

The TDS version concept art is one of my favorite pieces ever!

At the top is the concept art for the sure to be incredible Tomorrowland version. While we know the stories of the other attractions, what would the tale be for this drop tower experience? My bet is on some version of Alien Encounter. Imagine discovering a creepy hidden lair of a creature that would terrorize whoever discovered him. Whatever it would have been, of course, it would be incredible- it's in Tokyo! They do it all very, very well. 

What they did choose is to put the Tower of Terror in the American Waterfront section of Tokyo Disneysea. With a very different theme from the other parks, the story and special effects are top-notch. It's story is like Mystic Manor but with an evil, terrifying twist riders never forget.

In contrast, the California Adventure concept is one of my least favorite pieces.

When it comes to the Tokyo Disney Resort, the Disney Imagineers are given full freedom to dream. The Oriental Land Company chooses the best of the best to guarantee their parks remain the premier destination it is- and it certainly is!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.) 

The King of Disney's Fright-Filled Attractions

Vintage Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. (And I bet you expected something about the Haunted Mansion today, right?) It's a Disneyland favorite, and now the only ride with this theme in the Disney park empire. With the double tracked version of the ride in Florida's Magic Kingdom now long gone (R.I.P.), Mr. Toad also makes his home in Disneyland Paris, but only as the master of Fantasyland's fish and chips restaurant. 

From the GREAT Yesterland site.

This vintage photograph shows Disneyland's Fantasyland in its early charm. Even though the top photo's black, we know and can see the colorful buildings, and tournament banners, and pennants created a fun medieval environment to celebrate the joys of childhood.  Like large swaths of the park, the land has gone through so many changes and additions over time. The entire revamp of this fantasy world debuted in 1983, replacing the original theme into the European village we all know and love.

While a ride that ends in Hell is a very odd choice for a Fantasyland favorite, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride creates fun and thrills as it sends its riders on a crash course to the devil's final home of eternal torment. Unlike the ride, in reality when Jesus returns to rule and reign, the devil is not the master but instead the prisoner- and there is not an ounce of fun to be had. The last book of the Bible, Revelation, Chapter 20 tells us:

 "...and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."

Disneyland's Toad poster

is a bit of false advertising!

After reading this, the Bible's very famous words about Jesus make sense- "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him." (John 3:16-17)

In a sense, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride may be the most frightful of Disney Imagineering's scary attractions. It rightfully takes its place among the Haunted Mansion, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Phantom Manor, and the defunct Cinderella Castle Mystery Tour in Tokyo, and equally dead and missed Alien Encounter. You can find out more about each of these on the Insights blog- if you dare.

(Art and photographs copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

The Tomorrowland 2055 Post that Started Insights and Sounds and the Missing Dinosaur from Hong Kong Disneyland

What a title, huh? It's worth the story that follows! I remember it so well: The year was 1990, and I was strolling Disneyland one afternoon with my young family. It was another perfect Disney day in Southern California. We had walked into Tomorrowland to take in the Autopia and let the kiddos try their hands behind the wheel. But something stopped me in my tracks.

Next to the Carousel Theater, once home of the Carousel of Progress and America Sings, was a billboard for a new attraction called Plectu's Intergalactic Revue showing the piece above. For some strange reason, I snapped this photo of the concept art, never expecting it to be anything but a photo of what was coming... and I held on to it for many years.

When I began the Insights and Sounds blog, I knew local Disneyland fans would find this piece of unbuilt history of interest, but I didn't expect anyone else to. I was so wrong! Fans of Walt Disney World found it of interest as well! Within days of first posting it in March of 2008, my humble photograph showed on on blogs and websites all over the world. And it's still being  reposted to this day. Glad I took the photo!

(Much like the same thing that happened with the art I unearthed for Dubai Disneyland! Even my late friend Alain Littaye from the Disney and More blog was surprised I'd finally hunted it down. ) 

Hong Kong Disneyland's Missing Dinosaur

Then, there was this piece of dinosaur concept art that caused quite a stir! Long, long, ago, around 2009, I was "gifted" with this piece of concept art for an attraction at the then soon to open Hong Kong Disneyland. But with a smaller mindset of what the park should be, the ride never materialized. This was the case with major portions of the small little park, earning it the poor reputation it deserved at opening.

Looking at the art closely, this was clearly a coaster or troop transport type attraction. With that thought came the questions. What exactly it was for? Was it intended for a hybrid of a couple of attractions that never made it past the drawing boards of the Imagineers? To my eyes, it seemed to be Raging Spirits from Tokyo DisneySea - which in itself is a remix on the Indiana Jones coaster at Disneyland Paris - meets the infamous ferocious Carnatour from Countdown to Extinction/ Dinosaur from Disney's Animal Kingdom.  

More questions. Was the attraction scheduled to go into the lush, dense outdoor jungles of Adventureland or was it meant for an indoor weather-proofed warehouse a la Indiana Jones Adventure? Maybe a combination like what was originally proposed for the dinosaur area at Animal Kingdom? (Found in my "Disney's Animal Kingdom: A True Life Adventure" series. Eight parts and growing!)

Was it just too expensive to build? Was it too ambitious? But what was it?

Then sharp eyed reader Randy Savage had the definitive answer. The art for this dinosaur was part of the original plan for Hong Kong Disneyland in an Adventureland that contained an outdoor attraction with Audio-Animatronic beasts. The image was eventually found on the concept art map for the park in the book "More Making the Magic Real", published mid-year 2010. 

As you can tell, I've been blessed with a lot of interesting images and stories to go with them! More to come- and I can't wait to unearth anything else as folks keep sending me concept art.

 

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company. Top photo copyright Mark Taft.)

The Darkest of Disney Rides

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride this is not! It's even much more evil than Walt Disney World's infamous (and missed) Alien Encounter. You think you might know what it is. Not the Haunted Mansion or even the more sinister Phantom Manor. No, it's not even a very, very, dark proposed meet and greet with Chernabog from an unbuilt attraction based on Fantasia. It's even more sinister! (And thanks to Alain Littaye at Disney and More for first showing us the above piece of concept art. May you Rest In Peace, Alain.)

The crown, the title, the clear winner, for the most evil, more terrifying, most certain-to-have-parents-complaining-to-management dark ride goes to Disneyland's the unbuilt Black Cauldron attraction. Hands down. No question.

The unbuilt Black Cauldron boat ride

As you can see, this boat ride into the pits of Hell itself would be terrifying at best. It'd be a perfect attraction for times like these when it's every man for himself, rebellion and destruction abound, and when it's easy to fight, argue, and destroy than it is to peaceably work together, discuss, and even protest. Proverbs 17 tells us "An evil man seeks rebellion". (Hell, itself, is the ultimate destination for the real devil, his demons, and those who choose to reject God's gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. His death on the cross was the payment for my sins and yours- and his resurrection from the dead proves he is who he says he is. God made man. You can read about the end of time and the judgment to come for yourself in chapter 20 of the Bible.) Anyway, I digress. The state of this world has me looking at what's to come, both good and bad, while I pray and ask God to show His mercy to us all.

Anyway... Parkeology has one of the best articles on the Tokyo Disneyland's now defunct Cinderella Castle Mystery Tour, the first ever attraction to feature the Horned King. Go here to read it. 

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Is There Really An "Alien Faith"?

The very odd mail piece arrived, and before I could read the whole thing, I was caught by the phrase "Alien Faith". Thinking "What is this?", I tried to figure it out. 

Was this something from Walt Disney World's Alien Encounter or something more playful, along the lines of Jack Skellington and The Nightmare Before Christmas?

Being a man of faith myself, a follower of Jesus, I was very curious to read the description of this Alien Faith. I photographed the card front and back so you could read it yourself. Tell me what you think.

Is there an alien invasion? Is there really an alien faith? So, so very  interesting in this time and season...

Rare Look at Disneyland's Tomorrowland 2055

The Potter and Potter auction on line mentioned by Alain Littaye at the Disney and More blog yields some pretty fantastic pieces of concept art if you dig into its 31 pages. Above is a piece by Imagineer Dan Gooze for the proposed revision to Walt's kingdom, found on the auction site. Dan is also known for his very famous piece of Indiana Jones Adventure art. (Please note that other pieces below are not from that same site.)

Having been fascinated by the Land of the Future, I remained very interested into what it would become, particularly when the iconic and very stunning Tomorrowland 1967 would begin to change. A visit to the park several decades later would bring something unexpected...

The year was 1990, and I was exploring Disneyland one afternoon with my sweet young family. What a great day already! We decided to walk over to Tomorrowland to take in the Autopia and let the kiddos try their hands behind the wheel for the first time. Heading straight into the land, the carousel theater was ahead, but as we got closer, something looked different.

Next to it, once home of the famous Carousel of Progress and patriotic America Sings, was a billboard for a new attraction called Plectu's Intergalactic Revue. For some strange reason I wouldn't understand until much later, I snapped this photo of the concept art... and held on to it for many years.

Back in 2008, when I began the Insights blog, I knew Disney fans would find this piece of unbuilt history of interest. Boy, was I right! Within days of first posting it in March of that year, my humble photograph showed on on blogs and websites all over the world. And it's still be reposted to this day. Glad I took the photo!

The model for the new Carousel building.

Photographer unknown.

As I explored around the web myself, I discovered I was not the only one fascinated by Tomorrowland and especially the unbuilt 2055 version. I cannot tell you who did the artwork for the piece I photographed. I do not know to this day.  There was more concept art for this project floating around and more chem year after year. 

A different park, a different look?

Or was this for Disneyland as well?

Anyway, back to the plans. Much like the two shows before it- expertly designed by Imagineer Marc Davis- Plectu's was to be an Audio-Animatronic comedy musical show and a core but small part of a new alien infested Tomorrowland dubbed Tomorrowland 2055. 

The less friendly Alien Encounter.

In fact, the Magic Kingdom in Florida's beloved (or reviled) Alien Encounter was also planned for the redesign. (And is it just me, or does the top of the building look much like the centerpiece that replaced the Rockets Jets high in the sky in the 1998 version of the Land of the Future?)

Florida's Tomorrowland changed from this...

...to this.

Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom did get Alien Encounter and some new experiences, but not Plectu's. The fantasy inspired future was well received overall but lost steam over time, as most Tomorrowlands seem to do. (Read about it here.)

Disneyland's redo in 1998.

One of the Plectu characters.

Back to California. Around this time, CEO Michael Eisner and the suits took a very long, hard look at which attractions that were crowd pleasers (and people eaters) and which were not. As a result,  musical talking bears, tikis, and even Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters in Audio-Animatronic form were no longer a big draw. (Expanded history here.) 

Thanks to Mike Cozart from the Tomorrowland67 Lounge for this 2055 piece.

The plans were scrapped. Perhaps not a bad decision as theme park demographics were changing. So, Plectu's and the whole of Tomorrowland 2055 became a piece of Disney lore and history. Its art was delegated to table top books and blog articles. Disneyland's futuristic land remained mostly untouched until 1998 when Imagineer Tony Baxter tried the best he could with a limited budget to reimagine the future. In came the short lived Rocket Rods and some new aesthetics with a few Florida retreads. 

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company. Top photo copyright Mark Taft.)

Back to the Future Again: Magic Kingdom's Tomorrowland 1994 Edition

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.

Early guidebook page of Tomorrowland-
after the opening of a couple more attractions. 

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.

An original attraction poster.

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 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)

Before the Magic Kingdom's New Fantasyland...

Yes, the sparkling waters of the Fantasyland lagoon hosted the iconic 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Right across from it was the beloved Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. Clearly, worlds apart, but still a draw. The Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World continues to change and grow, but what a wonder to explore upon opening! 

It wasn't until 1975 that I first got to see the place for myself, but I loved discovering all the changes that made Walt's second kingdom unique. Some, like the Crystal Palace and the Country Bear Jamboree, are still there today. Others, like the two rides mentioned above- along with If You Had Wings and The Mickey Mouse Musical Revue- have been long gone. Now only a memory in theme park history books and old photographs from long ago.

Much to the delight of many fans, the brand new Tron Light Cycles Power Run is coming from Shanghai Disneyland.  It will forever change the vista of Tomorrowland  as it's built next to Space Mountain. Smaller projects come and go. That land is slowly reverting to its 1971 look and leaving the 90's Sci-Fi future feel behind it. Stitch is thankfully disappearing and something new this ways comes. Glad to see it gone, but I do miss the creepy humor of the defunct Alien Encounter. I guess change is always a constant.

(Photograph found on Imagineer Tom Morris' twitter account.)

Colorful Alien Encounter Art

Let's start off the New Year with this very colorful version of the proposed Alien Encounter attraction for Disneyland. Lord knows, this dismal land needs some help! Tomorrowland is a shadow of its former glory, hitting its peak in the 1967 incarnation.

Imagine this version of Tomorrowland coming to Disneyland.

The Imagineers had plans to scrap at all in the late 80's and bring guests a version that immersed them into another world, an interplanetary version of the future that wasn't at all reliant on keeping up with trends in science and technology. This move toward science fiction fantasy would have been a good one in place of the cartoon version we now have.

I took this photo of the proposed

Plectu's Intergalactic Revue- 

and it's been all over the world.

The Carousel of Progress would have been transformed once again. This time America Sings, the Marc Davis musical classic, would have given way to Plectu's Intergalactic Revue. In reality, it was probably wise to scrap this idea as Audio-Animatronic musical attractions were losing popularity among the crowds. (More about that in this article. Will they ever make a resurgence? Possibly.)

The original black and white version.

Nonetheless, each area of Tomorrowland would have been rethought, reimagined to provide a better guest experience- and less need for constant updating. It was not a good plan. The next version of the Land of the Future would fall flat.

Copper Space Mountain and all.

The suits held off. Opting for the version of Tomorrowland 1998, a much cheaper and far less successful Discoveryland take on the future, it was a major misstep. Even the great Imagineer Tony Baxter couldn't pull it off with a reduced budget and incredibly short sighted engineering cuts on projects such as the Rocket Rods. 

What will they do next? It better be good with Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge coming soon, Tomorrowland will look even more out of touch than it does now. What would you suggest if you were in charge?

(Concept art copyright The Walt Disney Company. Color Alien Encounter art from the Dan Alexander collection.)

The Why Behind Nine Years of Insights and Sounds

Unintentionally, I breezed past a significant milestone for the blog. March 7 marked nine years that the Insights and Sounds blog has been around. How time flies!

The concept art above has its origins in a 1990 visit, but the blog itself became a constant thought in my mind in 2005. It was the year of Disneyland's 50th anniversary, and we found ourselves in California during the time. We hadn't planned to be there, but life happens.

I noticed people were purchasing birthday / anniversary souvenirs like crazy. Flying off the shelves as it were. The thought hit- "I have tons of vintage Disneyland stuff. I bet there's folks out there that would love to see it." And so the blog began- and it got more personal and well rounded as time progressed.

So, back to this piece of concept art for an unbuilt Tomorrowland attraction-

The year was 1990, and I was strolling Disneyland one afternoon with my young family. We had walked into Tomorrowland to take in the Autopia and let the kiddos try their hands behind the wheel.

Next to the Carousel Theater, once home of the Carousel of Progress and America Sings, was a billboard for a new attraction called Plectu's Intergalactic Revue. For some strange reason, I snapped this photo of the concept art... and held on to it for many years.

When I began the Insights blog, I knew Disney fans would find this piece of unbuilt history of interest. Boy, was I right! Within days of first posting it in March of 2008, my humble photograph showed on on blogs and websites all over the world. And it's still being  reposted to this day. Glad I took the photo!

The model for the new Carousel building.

Photographer unknown.

I cannot tell you who did the artwork. I will say, I have enlarged it and attempted to fix some of the elements to be as close to the imagined piece of art I saw it in my mind to be. Click on it to enlarge it.

Much like the two shows before it- expertly designed by Imagineer Marc Davis- Plectu's was to be an Audio-Animatronic comedy musical show and a core but small part of a new alien infested Tomorrowland dubbed Tomorrowland 2055. 

The less friendly Alien Encounter.

In fact, the Magic Kingdom in Florida's beloved (or reviled) Alien Encounter was also planned for the redesign. (Is it just me, or does the top of the building look much like the centerpiece that replaced the Rockets Jets high in the sky in the 1998 version of the Land of the Future?)

Florida's Tomorrowland changed from this...

...to this.

Disneyland was not so fortunate with their redo in 1998,
when plans for the much more expensive 2055 version were tossed out in favor of this.

One of few pieces of artwork seen for the Plectu characters.

Around this time, Michael Eisner and company took at long, hard look at the attractions that were crowd pleasers, and sad to say, but musical talking bears, tikis, and even Disney characters in robotic form were no longer a big draw. (Expanded history here.) 

Thanks to Mike Cozart from the Tomorrowland67 Lounge for this 2055 piece.

The plans were scrapped. Plectu's became a piece of Disney lore and history, and Tomorrowland stayed as was for almost another full decade as the plans for the 2055 version were shelved.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company. Top photo copyright Mark Taft.)

The Disney Concept Art That Started It All

The year was 1990, and I was strolling Disneyland one afternoon with my young family. We had walked into Tomorrowland to take in the Autopia and let the kiddos try their hands behind the wheel.

Next to the Carousel Theater, once home of the Carousel of Progress and America Sings, was a billboard for a new attraction called Plectu's Intergalactic Revue. For some strange reason, I snapped this photo of the concept art... and held on to it for many years.

When I began the Insights blog, I knew Disney fans would find this piece of unbuilt history of interest. Boy, was I right! Within days of first posting it in March of 2008, my humble photograph showed on on blogs and websites all over the world. And it's still being  reposted to this day. Glad I took the photo!

The model for the new Carousel building.

Photographer unknown.

I cannot tell you who did the artwork. I will say, I have enlarged it and attempted to fix some of the elements to be as close to the imagined piece of art I saw it in my mind to be. Click on it to enlarge it.

Much like the two shows before it- expertly designed by Imagineer Marc Davis- Plectu's was to be an Audio-Animatronic comedy musical show and a core but small part of a new alien infested Tomorrowland dubbed Tomorrowland 2055. 

The less friendly Alien Encounter.

In fact, the Magic Kingdom in Florida's beloved (or reviled) Alien Encounter was also planned for the redesign. (And is it just me, or does the top of the building look much like the centerpiece that replaced the Rockets Jets high in the sky in the 1998 version of the Land of the Future?)

Florida's Tomorrowland changed from this...

...to this.

Disneyland was not so fortunate with their redo in 1998,
when plans for the much more expensive 2055 version were tossed out in favor of this.

One of few pieces of artwork seen for the Plectu characters.

Around this time, Michael Eisner and company took at long, hard look at the attractions that were crowd pleasers, and sad to say, but musical talking bears, tikis, and even Disney characters in robotic form were no longer a big draw. (Expanded history here.) 

Thanks to Mike Cozart from the Tomorrowland67 Lounge for this 2055 piece.

The plans were scrapped. Plectu's became a piece of Disney lore and history, and Tomorrowland stayed as was for almost another full decade as the plans for the 2055 version were shelved.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company. Top photo copyright Mark Taft.)