Tomorrow, Science, and the Future at Disneyland

While I am taking my dear sweet time finishing up my series on Disneyland Attraction Posters and the last ones, (a look at the posters for Tomorrowland),  I thought I'd give you a little taste of the future circa the 1960s.

Above is a wonderful piece of Imagineering artwork for a new attraction, Adventures in Science. Pretty cool, huh? What's every bit as cool- and certainly equally retro in approach- is the attraction's proposed entrance, seen below. (Sorry for the minute size.)

Perhaps fittingly, the concept never really appeared as originally planned, and instead transformed into the beloved Adventure Thru Inner Space, where guests were miniaturized. (Your spelling may vary!)

(Artwork copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Iron Man or Tron?

What's it gonna be? Tron Light Cycles from Shanghai Disneyland or a brand new Marvel Iron Man based thrill ride? Disneyland's Tomorrowland has long been in need of a revamp. The problem is the place is a thematic mess as it stands now. Nemo, Buzz, Star Wars, and on and on.

Imagineers are hard at work on prepping the spot which will take over Innoventions. An announcement should be forthcoming. Disney has got to make some quick decisions to battle the new Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Los Angeles, and the upcoming 60th anniversary of Walt's original kingdom will give the suits a perfect excuse to say it is not because of Harry. After all, Disney can't admit they are playing catch up.

In a perfect world, both attractions would make its way to California. If a third theme park at the Disneyland Resort is gong to be Marvel themed, give us Tron now, Iron Man later. Regardless, I have a soft spot for Frontierland, and I'm hoping Tony Baxter's new project isn't cut back because of the expense to bring something fresh to Tomorrowland. Gosh, just think. Disneyland may need those new Main Street back alleys after all!

(Photograph copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

New Shanghai Disneyland Artwork

Straight from Alain at the excellent Disney and More blog, here is new artwork from Shanghai Disneyland. And it is gorgeous! You're looking at the main entrance to the park. After heading through the complex and into the gardens, you'll see the gorgeous castle ahead... and the entrances to lands you know a love. Adventureland on the right, will present the newest Johnny Depp Captain Jack Sparrow version of Pirates of the Caribbean. To your right, Tomorrowland and the Tron LightCycles.

I may just have to go to Shanghai!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Now is the Time, Now is the Best Time

Now is the time, now is the best time for a refreshed and Re-Imagined Tomorrowland at Disneyland. Come June 15, California Adventure's grand reopening will signal in an emphasis on the resort that will be more powerful (and hopefully, more successful) than the launch of the park in 2001. Radiator Springs Racers will be the guest eater at the new Cars Land, families will happily wait in line for Luigi's Flying Tires, and the shops and restaurants of Buena Vista Street will fill with folks exploring the park for the first or fiftieth time. Shouldn't the beautiful and now beloved Blue Sky Cellar house an exhibit of what's next for the resort? Of course! Especially with the 60th Anniversary of Disneyland just around the corner!

Aside from the increasingly pretty Paradise Pier, there is not a single area in the resort that needs more work than Disneyland's disjointed, tired, and pitiful Tomorrowland. Perhaps in the history of the park.

I won't go into all the reasons why the land is in such a sorry state. See it for yourself. You would think that alone would be the motivation for improvement. The abandoned PeopleMover / Rocket Rod tracks and all... make this park lover cringe. And the area at large just lacks energy. It's dull, pedestrian, dated. Clearly, park management and planners gave up on the future long ago.

The unused concept above for Plectu's Intergalatic Revue presents a picture of past plans that never came to fruition. Truthfully, I am glad. The park did not need one more character based musical review. Yet, at least this represented an attempt at something unique and fresh instead of another excuse for a character overload or film tie-in.

Shanghai Disneyland's Tomorrowland seems to have Tron's Light Cycles on the way. I'm hopeful this will push the Imagineers to bring them to California. We know how much the current Company management loves to clone attractions, so this could be something of a no brainer. It will take some creative imagineering to find the right design and location, but the same folks that seemed to successfully rebuild the mess of California Adventure 1.0 into something cohesive should be able to figure this out as well.

Beyond the redo of the resort's second park and the coming 60th Anniversary, there's one more big reason Disney should jump on getting Tomorrowland into Project Sparkle mode: a very, very beloved little wizard named Harry Potter is becoming a nearby competitor. His Forbidden Journey is certain to drive traffic up the freeway with hoards of tourists and their pocketfuls of cash. The new kid on the block in Florida is changing the game in Orlando, and he's about to do the same in California!

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

Wizard of Oz Meets Tomorrowland

Is this Tomorrowland? Is it really?

This piece of Imagineering art from an unknown Disney artist, is a proposed entrance and look for the park's first version of Tomorrowland. Quite a difference from what was first seen in Disneyland! Is it just me or does it seem as if the Emerald City from The Wizard of Oz was the inspiration here?

Of course, many versions of this area of the park have now been realized with, hopefully, another to come one day. Tony Baxter and company gave it it's best shot in 1998, but we all know how cut budgets and shortsightedness killed the Rocket Rods, creating one of the biggest disappointments in recent years.

Perhaps Tron's light cycles will one day race around the area. Might take the work of some real Imagineering wizards.

(Concept art copyright The Walt Disney Company)

Light Cycles on Their Way to Shanghai

Honor Hunter (love the name!) over at Blue Sky Disney must have some of the best connections to the Walt Disney Company, particularly in Imagineering! In his latest post, Honor spills some of the beans on the attraction roster for Shanghai Disneyland. As expected, there is a great line up, but it is the Light Cycles attraction from the movie Tron: Legacy that has me most excited!Sure, it looks like it is coming at the expense of the classic Space Mountain, but it could be a worthwhile tradeoff. Want to read more of Honor's headline worthy news for the Disney fans? Go here.

Tron's Legacy: Why Tomorrow(land) Will Matter Again

Let me state this up front: I am not, nor have I ever been, a fan of science fiction. Star Wars was a very creative and groundbreaking film, but it didn't rock my world. I'll even skip Disneyland's Star Tours most every visit, only riding when the queue is short or if I have first time guests with me. Even though I am a big fan of writer Jules Verne, its his earthbound stories that entice me, not those in outer space. I am not a techno fiend. I do not have to own the latest and greatest technology. Nor am I, by and large, a fan of house music, although some has crept into my library over the years.

With all that information as a lead in, I did not expect to be dazzled by Tron: Legacy, but was I ever! The acting is better than adequate but certainly not Oscar worthy. Jeff Bridges does the best he can with a limited script. The same can be said for Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde. Yet, all of them are attractive and somewhat compelling characters by nature of their circumstances.

So, what is it that pulled me into the story and kept my interest? Two words: Light Cycle. Give me one now and let me ride! I am sure Disney's Imagineers have designed the ultimate in Tron experiences for Disneyland. Hear this- If you build it, we will come! Whether it is something akin to DisneyQuest's virtual reality helmets, a new spin on Test Track, or a fresh take on Tomorrowland's now defunct Rocket Rods, riding a light cycle will have me queueing for hours. My bet is I won't be alone, as fans would swarm to the attraction and even more so for a Tron themed remake of Tomorrowland. The redemption of the land of the future could be near.

Not every film can be held together by great visuals and action, however. And just when I thought that is all Tron would be, the movie surprised me by offering a twist: the clear and not so subtle context of what goes wrong when someone attempts to build a Utopian world without a clear understanding of the nature of man and his need for his creator. Man minus God and his moral standards are the surest recipe for disaster. Flynn's immaculate library was filled with the world's greatest books. He himself had the greatest of intentions. Yet it all fell apart eventually until, well... no spoilers here. Go see the film and follow the storyline for yourself.

Sonically, the music of Daft Punk perfectly underscored the pulsation of the movie. It breathed life into the slowest of scenes and elevated the ones with high energy. This combination felt right, unlike so many other ideas where Disney tries to be hip and edgy. In this regard, Tron could be seen by music fans as a two hour long form video for the band- and they would be right. There was a nice retro touch early on. Hearing Eurythmics' Sweet Dreams and the classy touch of Annie Lennox's voice- perfectly positioned in the film. Also thinking Donna Summer's amazing "I Feel Love" could have fit in here, too.

Will Tron:Legacy be an Oscar contender next year? Not for Best Picture. It should get some nods for the artistic elements in the film, but it will be another "pretty" picture as was Avatar. Is it worth your time at the theater? Absolutely- go now and see it on the bog screen to get the full effect. Would it be worth a good portion of your day at Disneyland if made into a major attraction? Without a doubt. The potential for a classic, iconic attraction is that good.

As for me, I'm counting the days until Tron the Attraction debuts- and I'll see you there on opening day.