Disneyland's Dirty Secret in 2026

Walt Disney's original kingdom holds a big dirty secret that they don't want let out to the public. It's one that's hidden in most all promotional materials but talked about within the halls of the Company's suits as well as in Imagineering. What is it? The park's Tomorrowland is an embarrassment and no longer worthy of the Disney name. Yes, the land of the future was barely finished in time at opening. Yes, the "new" Tomorrowland of 1998 was not an improvement over the 1967 version, and yes, Disney's been teasing a new entry is coming ever since, well, forever. 

Disneyland may be the original and the one with the most charming Fantasyland as well as a beautiful New Orleans Square and Rivers of America, but on the other side of the park, it's a mess.

The skeleton of the beloved Peoplemover hangs as a grim reminder of previous greatness and innovation. Or if you're younger, it's a reminder of the short lived Rocket Rods, a great attraction killed by budget cuts and short-sightedness. The useless Carousel of Progress building is a huge wasteland. Star Tours belongs somewhere else- if only they had a land dedicated to the Star Wars franchise. The centerpiece  Rocket Jets are uselessly grounded, making Dumbo more appealing. As beautiful as the land's lagoon is, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage has run its course.

Space Mountain is the land's only redeeming factor. It's time to get ride of everything else and start fresh. Imagineering could have some great ideas. Will we see something at the 2026 D23? I doubt it, but I'd love to be wrong.

(Top photograph from DocumentDisney.)

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.)

A Great Attraction Poster for Tomorrowland '98

Bright, colorful, and really well done! This attraction poster (of sorts) for Tomorrowland '98 at Disneyland was everything the actual land was not. Sure, there was Rocket Rods, a pretty thrilling attraction made dull because the money folks and Disneyland leadership under Cynthia Harriss (a pal of Paul Pressler, another Disney executive mistake), wouldn't fund the needed banked turns for the ride, leading to its early demise. (I got exactly one ride on it.) Being hamstrung by limited finances, Imagineering's Tony Baxter did the best he could. But he was stuck with existing buildings and derailed (read expensive) plans that never got approval. Anyway... the above poster by Larry Moore is quite nice! A beautiful reminder of a disaster of a Tomorrowland design that now exists in bits and pieces.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

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.)

My Ride on Disneyland's Long Lost Rocket Rods

Growing up in Orange County, California meant Disneyland was a part of my life for as long as I can remember. For better and for worse. I grew up a geek, anticipating every addition to Walt Disney's magic playground. Few construction projects were as highly anticipated as the brand New Tomorrowland of 1998. 

Rocket Rods was the one most everyone looked forward to. The name now represents one of Disney's most high profile failures, right alongside Light Magic, California Adventure 1.0, and Superstar Limo. Bargain Basement Imagineered and poorly engineered because of a minuscule budget, Rocket Rods was long long for this earth..  

Visiting the family at the right time, I was at Disneyland within the first few weeks of the opening. My first stop was to be expected. I happily jumped into the lengthy queue. The beautifully re purposed America the Beautiful building showcased blueprint type art and vintage Tomorrowland graphics. Getting to the old Peoplemover platform involved a bit of Disney engineering magic bringing guests upstairs in a very clever way. Soon enough, I was high above Tomorrowland waiting for my one and only ride on the attraction's futuristic sleds.

As everyone knows, the ride itself was a constant stop and go experience. At full speed, it was great fun! Cruising above the land was just so classic Disney with a twist. A roller coaster of sorts fully outdoors but also in theme. When we had to slow down for those pesky unbanked curves, it was a step backwards in what should have been another must-do in the park.

Imagineer Tony Baxter lead the Tomorrowland project and took a fair share of the blame for its failure. Of course, I debate that view. The suits and Michael Eisner's cold feet were the real culprits. I make my case for the excellence of Tony Baxter's work here in part one and part two of this very popular series of articles. 

As things worked out, it was my one and only ride. I planned to get back into line but there was still the rest of Tomorrowland '98 waiting  to see. My next trip out would be in 2001 for California Adventure, and the once promising Rocket Rods were now a piece of Disneyland history.

(Top photo from Yesterland. Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

A Disneyland Break from Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

Here you go: a mock Rocket Rods attraction poster. Long may the Tomorrowland attraction live in our memories!

The Cool Blues of a New Tomorrowland

Let's be honest here. After Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge opens up in 2019, the poor little area known as Tomorrowland is going to be woefully outdated. Oh, wait! It already is! 

It's Disneyland's  biggest embarrassment. The suits can stuff it with Star Wars themed odds and ends, toss in a Halloween layover for Space Mountain, act as if the Peoplemover track is really there only to support banners, and stick all the characters in it they can imagine, but the fact is, they can't- and won't- attempt to keep up with the future. If Walt Disney was truly frozen, he'd be coming back and yelling "What did you do to my beautiful future?" 

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

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.)

Observatron Me

Disneyland's Tomorrowland 1998. Supposedly, the new and improved version. Rocket Rods racing high above the ground on an elevated "highway in the sky" (of sorts- it ran on the former Peoplemover track, not the Monorail re: reference I just made) while the "interesting" Observatron presents an evening show against the backdrop of iconic Space Mountain. This was a slice of Imagineer Tony Baxter's vision for a brand new land of the future. 

Naturally, the project was truncated by the suits who doomed it to disaster. By robbing it of funds needed to bank those curves in the track, the Rocket Rods were difficult to maintain, and more importantly, financially impossible to keep running. The Observatron never functioned as planned- nor was it fixed. Problem upon problem. And by placing a retread of Honey, I Shrunk the Audience in the former Captain Eo space along with other budget cutting decisions, the brand new bronze hued Tomorrowland of 1998 became a major disappointment. It was almost as big of a disappointment as the California Adventure park that made its debut a few years later. Almost.

(Thanks to "phruby" on the WDWMagic boards.  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.)

Sunday Special: Disneyland's Tomorrowland 1998

Just to remind the Disney suits as they plan out what to do with Star Wars, Marvel, Avatar, and Frozen...What could have been and should have been incredible- but what instead happens when the budgeteers get their way: Disneyland's Tomorrowland 1998.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

D23 Imagineering Art

D23 is one of the best (or worst) endeavors ever pulled off by the Walt Disney Company. On the plus side, it's usually full of one of a kind Disney related events filled with- the down side- mostly B grade celebrities. On the plus side, it can also be home to some of the most enjoyable presentations that are guaranteed fan pleasers. Models of coming attractions and those from the past, artwork, Imagineers speaking about beloved and lost projects and more. 

Here on the D23 website is a large scale piece of concept art for Tokyo Disneyland and its re-imagined Tomorrowland, Sci-Fi City. The always wonderful Space Mountain appears in its hybrid Star Wars meets Discoveryland from Disneyland Paris form, the Rocket Rods zoom by, and the new crowd pleaser, The Flying Saucers, returns from the past to a settle in on a brand new continent.

My suggestion for finding great pieces: keep cruising by their website, and keep your eyes open on the official Disney Parks Blog too.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Tomorrowland 1966 Map

This is an absolute kick! Picture if you will what Disneyland's world of the future looked like prior to the grand opening of the incredible 1967 revisioning. Tomorrowland was quite a spectacular blend of the "now" and the future that would be. The beloved and often malfunctioning Flying Saucers was found here, as was the Matterhorn Bobsleds, which flipped back and forth over the years between being in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. 

A closer look reveals two Autopias, the Douglas Rocket to the Moon, plus a few free exhibits. It is interesting to note that ticket designations are not found on this page. It's something they would add later, making even easier for guests to use the guidebook land by land and decide how to spend those precious coupons.

The most interesting fact of all to be noticed is that the buildings which form the basic entrance of Tomorrowland have remained in place since the opening in 1955. From Monsanto's original Hall of Chemistry on to Adventure Thru Inner Space to Star Tours v1 and v2, the building structures have endured. Same story across the way with the space moving from its early use onto America the Beautiful to the entry for Rocket Rods and now Buzz Lightyear's home. 

Count me in the group that says it's time to totally re-Imagineer the land. What would you design for it?

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Frozen at DisneySea..and more

Aside from the incredible and original Mystic Manor at Hong Kong Disneyland, the stunning Cars Land at California Adventure, and all that is to come to Shanghai Disneyland, it does seem as if the Tokyo Disney Resort consistently gets the best attractions to come out of Disney Imagineering. Maybe they will wow fans with all the additions and changes in Central Florida, but that remains to be seen... and hasn't been seen for at Walt Disney World for at least a decade.

The unbelievable Tokyo DisneySea is proof enough. You can take a glance at videos for Pooh's Hunny Hunt at the first international Magic Kingdom, track down a Journey to the Center of the Earth or check out the Hotel Mira Costa in all its glory to decide for yourself . Tokyo Disney Resort is currently where Disney creativity hits its peak- at least in this century!

Tower of Terror in Tokyo presents a great story even without

the Twilight Zone tie-in.

Everyone in the theme park blogsphere understands cloning popular attractions from one park to another is commonplace. Disney does it. Universal does it. Seems everyone does it. So when it came time to enhance Tokyo DisneySea with a version of The groundbreaking Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, the Imagineers bravely gave the attraction a brand new story with a unique  exterior, spellbinding effects and a clever connection to the rest of the park. (What did the Tokyo budgeteers -a new breed of accountants unfortunately gaining momentum- do? Strap the attraction with the cheaper to built and easier to maintain version, the one found in California and Paris.) Yet, the new story is so good, it almost makes up for the accountants' error in judgment.

Let's look a little deeper. Can Disney Imagineers hit home runs by turning the very popular Pixar movies into headliner attractions? Absolutely- when they are given the funds and freedom to do so! To see these adventures, guests must travel to Tokyo since the American parks are left with smaller, less impressive attractions that what is found overseas. Notice a pattern? Here's Tokyo Disneyland's splashy Monsters Inc. Ride and Go Seek! Trust me, after viewing this video, you'll look at the Monsters ride at California Adventure in a whole new way.

Turning Pooh into a must see adventure.

But what can the Suits and Imagineers do with an older and less edgy property? Here's a great little video of Pooh's Hunny Hunt from Theme Park Review. Can a cute story without a roller coaster track or even a traditional thrill element be turned into an "E Ticket Plus" by today's crop of Imagineers? The answer is "yes" when a story is matched with great technology and the right finances to do the attraction concept justice. This is a Fantasyland Dark Ride elevated to the next level, even if the entrance design does seem relatively unimpressive. Certainly, its of a different scale than what you'll find in Critter Country at Disneyland.

Tokyo Disneyland in all its variations of quality.

There's the other side of the coin as well. Tokyo Disneyland is meticulously maintained, yet there are areas that look tired even if well cared for. Why? Well, the older designs duplicated from Florida or Anaheim have run its course, leaving parts of the park to look dated. Take a look at the video tour of the kingdom (above). Tomorrowland is the worst of the bunch, and even the Japanese seem to have given up on a land of the future. Regardless of the quality of what has been added, the toons have arrived. 

Fantasyland is in equally poor shape, strapped with the look of Florida's Magic Kingdom circa 1971, prior to the beautiful to view but substance lacking New Fantasyland. Unfortunately, its a concrete kingdom save for a nice paint job on the castle to differentiate it from the others and a beautiful Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall. Let me be the first to say- Having Dumbo just outside the Haunted Mansion is lazy design work. Word on the street is a New Fantasyland may be one of the things coming with that next big influx of cash.

The suits of the Oriental Land Company clearly understand the park needs upgrades badly to keep it fresh as the one next door. You can rest assured plans are on the table to do exactly that. I do wish they would dust off this project: Sci-Fi City. Here's the concept art for the beautiful redo of Tomorrowland:

Never built Sci-Fi City to replace Tomorrowland.

Imagineer Eddie Sotto, responsible for the beautiful rendition of Main Street U.S.A. in Disneyland Paris, turns the land of the future upside down, giving it a retro comic book feel. A land of 40s space heroes and villains.  Space Mountain gets reimagined including a new piece of exterior track. Disneyland's beloved Flying Saucers return in a new form. Plus more. The entire project just gleams with a bright sheen.

Disney Sea from the air. Lots of room for Frozen to show up!

The second Tokyo park is not being overlooked. As the suits have chosen to pour billions of dollars into their two parks and the resort at large in the next decade. (Yes, billions). 

Here's DisneySea from the air. Mermaid Lagoon is at the left top with the park entrance to the right. If the estimated $500 million plans are approved, you can count on Frozen's land of Arendelle to become the next port built. Perhaps it will go right across from the American Waterfront. The South American themed Lost River Delta would separate Ariel's kingdom from Elsa's, giving guests a chance to explore ancient ruins with Indiana Jones in between princess focused attractions.

If the suits in Japan go all in, I can see Imagineers creating an Arendelle that may favorably compare in substance to the Pirate themed land being built in Shanghai Disneyland. Can't you just picture a Norwegian style village on the shore with Elsa's first  magnificent castle (below) forming an entry point to a Frozen adventure or two? 

Princess dining and more inside.

Without a doubt Frozen has joined the Disney canon of classic animated films. It's popular worldwide and absolutely a cultural phenomena in Japan. The guests have embraced Mermaid Lagoon as the first Disney land dedicated to one movie property. They will definitely take the newest addition to heart, especially when the port will contain a state of the art attraction using a brand new technology to tell the story. Add to it a few more smaller scale attractions, unique shopping and dining. Another theme park smash. Conversely, we lucky Americans are getting a cheap Maelstrom remodel in Florida to represent one of Disney's most popular and profitable franchises... and in a park where its does not belong.

For now, I am waiting to be wowed in Florida. It's been almost six years since my last trip to Walt Disney World, and at the rate in which Disney builds new attractions, it will at least be another 5 or so years before I finally book another trip. Maybe I'll go to Tokyo instead. And maybe you should too.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Disneyland Paris Influences Disneyland California II

Last week, I shared a piece of concept art that displayed the influence of Disneyland Paris' Discoveryland on the remodel of Disneyland's dated Tomorrowland. Here's the California side of the design equation.

The Imagineering team working on the Anaheim project under the direction of master Imagineer Tony Baxter was tasked by Michael Eisner with a fairly minimal budget (which became the derailment of the short lived Peoplemover replacement Rocket Rods) as well as an odd concept of an "agricultural futuristic" view for the land. When tossed in with attractions with seemingly no connection in theme (Star Wars to the old America Sings / Carousel of Progress),  it seemed to be an impossible task. The Autopia (above) would get a quick remodel of the buildings to fit in as best as possible. The kid favorite would not be on the chopping block for various reasons. 

By comparing this piece with the one for Discoveryland, it's easy to see where one strongly influenced the other. If you view images of the copper tinged Space Mountain of Disneyland circa 1998 with the beautiful Jules Verne styled one in Paris, the similarities are even more noticeable.

Count me in as one who would like to see a total start over for the Land of the Future. Scrap it all and build new. But if Mickey's Toontown really does become the rumored location for Star Wars Land, two lands themed to outer space (one strongly, one vaguely) may be too much.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Disneyland Paris Influences the Original Magic Kingdom

At Disney Imagineering, no concept ever seems to truly go to waste. The piece of art above is an interesting one indeed. In many ways, it is clearly a look at the Autopia at Disneyland Paris. Nestled within the beautiful, Jules Verne styled Discoveryland, the neon rings glow clearly on the often grey and cloudy skies of Paris.

On the other hand, there are certainly elements of this piece that strongly remind me of Tony Baxter's redesign for Tomorrowland '98 at Disneyland. That redo, the first one done to Tomorrowland since the epic 1967 version, included the infamous and short-lived Rocket Rods. The California Autopia remained a perennial favorite and was also scheduled for a revamping in look. The Chevron oil sponsored attraction there includes a building that has very similar flourishes in style to what was found on opening day in the Paris park in 1992.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Disneyland's Rocket Rods

Rocket Rods. The name conjures up so many reactions. Failure. Short-lived. Poorly engineered. Perhaps all these descriptions are true. But there is another adjective I apply to this now defunct attraction from Tomorrowland '98: fun.

I happened to be at Disneyland within the first few weeks of the opening. Without hesitation, I gladly endured the lengthy queue for a chance to cruise the Land of the Future aboard the sleds of Tomorrow. The saving grace of it all was a beautifully re purposed America the Beautiful building showcasing blueprint type art and vintage Tomorrowland graphics and memorabilia in a cool, dimly lit environment. Getting to the old Peoplemover platform involved a bit of Disney engineering magic!

The ride itself was a stop and go affair. At full speed, it was a blast cruising above the land with the wind in my hair and a smile on my face. When it had to slow down for those pesky unbanked curves, it was a bit jerky, to say the least. Yet, the views were terrific even if the duration much too short.

I planned to get back into line for another ride, but after the lengthy wait, there was still the rest of Imagineer Tony Baxter's Tomorrowland '98 to explore. (Count me in as one who loved the copper version of Space Mountain!) Unfortunately, time got the better of me. My next trip out would be in 2001 for California Adventure, and the dazzling Rocket Rods were history.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Disneyland Attraction Posters: The Tomorrowland Collection

Continuing on to the last post of the Disneyland Attraction Posters series, it's time to present Tomorrowland!

Back in 1955 when Disneyland opened, it was pretty evident that Walt's park would set aside space for a land devoted to the future. His ABC Television show included a segment, many actually, piquing viewer's interest, readying them for a visit to the world of the future.

In contrast to the incredible mashup of architecture and themes found in Disneyland's Tomorrowland right now, at opening it was more unified in spirit but still quite the mess.

There just wasn't enough money to truly finish this part of the park, so the Imagineers made due with corporate exhibits and decorated buildings with a variety of banners and bunting to make up for what no money couldn't buy. It worked for awhile because the idea of a theme park seemed so groundbreaking... and because Walt's enthusiasm for and skill in marketing the park made a powerful one-two punch.

Although it was quite tame by today's thrill-seeking standards, TransWorldAirlines' (TWA) Rocket to the Moon was considered one of the high tech successes of the park and the centerpiece of Tomorrowland.  The giant, iconic, rocket ship stood tall in the sky, promising and delivering an out of this world experience.

Space StationX-1 gave guests a chance to see America from a satellite view, something quite uncommon even for today. It was a simple exhibit, but the attention to detail in theme and a smart presentation created another Tomorrowland attraction worth visiting. It was one of the smaller attractions that contributed to giving the park its charm, but it was groundbreaking in thought. Decades before the premier of Google Earth!

The only original attraction still remaining in the land, and an all-time favorite of the younger set of guests, Autopia, was a breakout smash. Who could resist driving their own car on the freeways of tomorrow? Every kid and swinging dad (shown above) just had to get in on the action! 

In 2016, Honda took over sponsorship of Autopia.

Photo from Mint Crocodile at Magic Eye.
Clean up from yours truly.

It became so popular that a mini-version (Jr. Autopia) was built and eventually one for the Fantasyland area as well. I still find it great fun when I do take the time to ride during an off season visit when the kiddos are back in school.

1966 Tomorrowland poster.

To fill out the smaller opening day attraction roster, a precursor to CircleVision 360 was developed, featuring nine instead of twelve screens. Finally, the Imagineers mined the giant sea monster from the very popular Disney film, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, to create a walk through exhibit. The poster (first image) bears some resemblance to the one designed for a walk through Nautilus attraction designed for Disneyland Paris almost 40 years later. (the attraction in the French park is a must-do for any fan of the film or Jules Verne! In a small lagoon right next to Space Mountain, it's a pretty special gem, though often overlooked as just a set piece.)

Later in 1955, once the park became famous and a mecca for tourists, smaller attractions came to the land of the future to help with crowds. These were not headliners, like the Flight Circle, the House of the Future, and the Tomorrowland Boats.  None of them warranted an attraction poster for more publicity.

Within the next year, Walt began to fulfill has promise that "Disneyland would never be completed", and a couple of new and instantly beloved attractions were added to Tomorrowland.  

The Skyway debuted, provided scenic views for guests going to and from Tomorrowland into Fantasyland. From opening day to 1994, this attraction pleased crowds, and the management was rewarded with long lines at both stations. 

As the park grew, the skyway provided everything from a safe look at the thrill ride (Matterhorn Bobsleds) to advertising for the New Fantasyland of 1983. Due to changing times, guest manners, and legal eagles, the attraction ultimately displeased the corporate lawyers always on a lookout for whatever disaster could happen. It's loss created a void never met in any other attraction.

Found this rare poster on the Gorillas Don't Blog site.

With one of the briefest fully operating attractions ever to appear at Disneyland, the Viewliner was the predecessor to the monorail. It lasted about a year. Riding alongside the Disneyland Railroad at parts, it was futuristic looking but destined for the history books very quickly.

The rare and not fully completed 1956 version of the poster.

The other high flying ride was AstroJet, an instantly popular spinner attraction, its iconic shape and style piercing the Tomorrowland sky in one variation or another ever since. In its latest incarnation, the attraction has been grounded, thereby losing much of its appeal, becoming a ride for pre-schoolers versus thrill seekers.

All these smaller attractions lended charm to a formerly barren area, but in 1959, three major attractions stole the spotlight, becoming fan favorites that lasted for decades beyond their debut.

The Submarine Voyage launched a cult following- and many variations on this attraction exist or have existed in other Disney parks. A journey through "Liquid Space" was irresistible, proving so popular, another version Walt Disney World's 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, made the roster for opening day attractions at the Magic Kingdom in 1971. Naturally, it's also the centerpiece attraction of the Jules Verne themed Mysterious Island at Tokyo Disney Sea.

Also coming on line was the Disneyland-Alweg Monorail, which is still in operation to this day. At opening, the trains journeyed right to the Disneyland Hotel, but now due to the reconfiguration of the land around it, trains glides past California Adventure and into the  Downtown Disney station. The station location hasn't changed, it's just no longer part of the hotel.

As the poster above shows, the third major "E Ticket" attraction to be launched at the same time was the Matterhorn Bobsleds. Its location has fluctuated between Tomorrowland and Fantasyland. Park enthusiasts debate which of the two sides of the attraction provide the greatest thrill.  (To see the poster with a designation of Fantasyland, look here.)

A smaller attraction opened in 1960, and it only lasted a few years. The Art of Animation exhibit gave guests a chance to see for themselves what it took to create the beloved Disney characters. It would be a precursor to a more detailed attraction that would open at Disney-MGM Studios in 1989.  A special thanks to Gorillas Don't Blog website, where I found this poster and the one from the Viewliner.

The only Tomorrowland attraction to be revived in revised form in California Adventure first came to surface in 1961: The Flying Saucers. Operational problems derailed the long term life of the attraction, but it was beloved by a young John Lasseter. So enamored was he, that when it came to light that his Cars franchise would be the inspiration at the struggling park, John thought it a perfect fit as Luigi's Flying Tires. 

Tomorrowland mostly rested as is until the big redo of 1967.  And a big redo it was! Beginning a trend that still holds power today, the Imagineers redesigned the Land of the Future using much of the existing buildings and layout of space.

Fan favorite and the original Disneyland make out spot, Adventure Thru Inner Space drew crowds almost instantly- partially due to its location but mostly due to its imaginative plot and execution. This attraction holds the distinction of being the first ride to use the Omnimover system, a couple of years before its use in The Haunted Mansion. Even though it was a corporate promotional tool for Monsanto, the journey through the microscopic world of the snowflake was difficult to resist. It had it all: stunning atmosphere, incredible storyline, a mesmerizing musical soundtrack, and a great narration. All said, even its cutting edge replacement still left many fans wanting this old school attraction.

American Journeys played in the theater for as season as well!

Wonders of China from EPCOT Center

also played in Tomorrowland.

In the new Tomorrowland, a full Circle-Vision 360 film finally debuted, America the Beautiful. Honoring the States, guests were taken to far reaching locations and sights with action happening all around them. A different variation of this film came about later, American Journeys. As with a few of the attractions, new posters made their debut with the new incarnation of future lands. In the 80's, Wonders of China was next to fill the slot. The highly anticipated film came from the China showcase at EPCOT Center. 

Carousel of Progress. What is there to say about this iconic attraction? Doing a bit of research, I discovered two color versions of the attraction poster. My gut tells me that neither is in the original color scheme. Anyone have one in the right colors?

It was 1967, and the first man to step on the Moon wouldn't accomplish the task until 1969, so the Imagineers felt there was life left in the original concept. The earlier Rocket to the Moon changed its name to Flight to the Moon, and eventually to Mission to Mars. New technology improved the attraction and a sleek new exterior replaced the landmark rocket, itself returning to the 1998 incarnation of the land.

Like your Peoplemover with Tron? 

It didn't last for too long but it did add a new element to the attraction.

Perhaps the attraction hard-core Disneyland fans most miss is the PeopleMover. And for good reason! What could be more enjoyable on a hot summer day than gliding above it all, watching the crowds below as well as viewing the sparkling Submarine lagoon? Not much, actually. The ill-fated replacement attraction, Rocket Rods had an element of fun, but it lasted on the roster for about 30 seconds. Pity- but glad I rode it while it was still around. 

High atop Rocket Tower Plaza lies the Rocket Jets. Oh yeah, that's in Florida's Magic Kingdom! In Disneyland, the AstroJet didn't just change names. In the '98 redo, the jets were grounded. While the design seemed to be an up to date improvement, the placement ruined something iconic and special. I've ridden once since its been misplaced, and I probably won't again until I have a small child in tow.

The "Freaky Friday" promotional poster.

Space Mountain- iconic. An American cultural touchstone for young teens imported to other Disney Parks around the world. Walt wanted this at Disneyland from the 60s, but it wasn't built until technology made it possible in 1977. So glad it did! 

Michael Jackson and Disney- a natural fit?! Well, the suits thought so under the reign of Michael Eisner, and this strange film came to the park in 1986. The music was good, however.

EO in a slightly richer color pallet.

It was part of an era that saw other companies' properties arrive at Disneyland. In Adventureland, that meant the excellent addition of the Indiana Jones Adventure, while in 1987, Tomorrowland received the ground-breaking Star Tours. 

Two versions for a new "E Ticket" attraction! Directly above, the original poster for  1987 version of Star Tours.  It was certainly groundbreaking then, George Lucas brought magic to the parks in a form that the current generation understood all too well! Disney was passé. Star Wars was anything but. Version two was promised but wouldn't come until too many years later.

Tomorrowland 1998 opened to mixed reviews, but this nice poster (above) communicated the fresh update- even if the Rocket Rods didn't last long.

The tooning of Tomorrowland continues. 

The next era of changes brought Pixar/Disney animated characters to the parks, changing the feel and focus of Tomorrowland even more. A little orange fish arrived to make a big splash.

What would Tomorrowland be without a little controversy? When Tony Baxter led a team of Imagineers to bring Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage to the long empty lagoon, some hailed it as a necessary move to save the submarines while others cried about the advancing infestation of animated characters into a land dedicated to the worlds of the future. Both points valid from this man's perspective! It may have been a necessary move to save the lagoon, but I think the end result is lacking. I've ridden twice. Both time, the kids on board were loving it- and I enjoyed it but missed what used to be. Filmed fish just didn't do it for me. In fact, I prefer the similar attraction to Epcot Center instead.

Here are the new posters for Star Tours ("2"), the Adventure Continues. After years of suggesting new destinations because it was an easy format to update, the suits finally delivered in the 2000's! All a great lead in to the proposed Star Wars changes coming to Tomorrowland in 2015 forward.

Photo taken on my 2018 visit to the park.

When Star Tours 2.0 (The Adventures Continue) arrived, so did a brand new attraction poster! This was a GREAT way to get guests to experience the attraction all over again- this time with multiple, varied destinations.

In 2017, the park premiered its 30th Anniversary attraction poster. It's quite striking in its simplicity and grayscale approach!

When the film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker opened at the end of 2019, a new attraction poster debuted to coincide with the ride adding new scenes from the latest film.

The August 2015 D23 announcement of Star Wars Land at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World also brings the Star Wars themed HyperSpace Mountain to California. The poster premiered at the exposition.

This post wraps up the look at Disneyland attraction posters. What comes next in this series? I just don't know, but stay tuned- and thanks for your patience on this last one.

Special thanks to Daveland and Yesterland for some of the images- and to Gorillas Don't Blog site for the rare Viewliner and Art of Animation ones.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)