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.) 

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.)