Tron in the Disney Parks: What Was, What Could Have Been, and What Will Be

All this talk about the new Tron Light Cycles Power Run going into Shanghai Disneyland got me thinking about what the Imagineers had planned long ago. What was built and what wasn't. 

Disneyland in Anaheim was the first to give a small taste of Tron to its guests. Back then, if you found yourself riding the Peoplemover in Tomorrowland, the Superspeed Tunnel gave way to the "Amazing World of Tron". Was it amazing? No. 

Basically, think of the speed tunnel used in EPCOT Center's World of Motion. A bit shorter in length and most definitely lacking in execution. It was filler designed to play up the Tron name and not much more.

Another advertisement of things that never 

got built- only at EPCOT.

The next time the film was set to be placed in a theme park was in EPCOT- but it was not meant to be. The Imagineers' plans were to use the look and theme of the film and turn a slice of Communicore into the Game Grid. The concept art, seen at top in full color, looked enticing, but for reasons never given directly, the project was not brought to reality.

California Adventure's Tron "attraction".

Years later after the mind-line success of Tron:Legacy in 2010, the Walt Disney Company once again tossed about ideas in how to bring this franchise into the parks. 

California Adventure was in the very beginning stages of a large transformation, and the park certainly needed something to draw in guests while Cars Land was in the wings. The night time dance party, elecTRONica was a minor success. Premiering a couple of months before the film's release, it did bring guests into a fairly ignored part of the park for booze filled evenings. In a pretty smart move, the suits brought in  recreation of Flynn's Arcade and a whole host of vintage video games. 

Disneyland itself was also under consideration for a major Tron addition: The Carousel Theater and the surrounding area was rumored to be the home of the first version of Shanghai's Light Cycles. Had this happened, Space Mountain would have had a serious contender for the early morning rush to "E Ticket" attractions. Unfortunately, that plug was also pulled, leaving the original Magic Kingdom's Tomorrowland looking like the mess it currently is. 

A similar rumor came across for Florida's Magic Kingdom as well. It, too, was passed over. 

First shot at the Light Cycles in a brand new Shanghai Tomorrowland.

Thrilling concept! Will it mean a thrilling execution?

Along came Shanghai Disneyland. In an effort to woo the Chinese government and give them the premier theme park they required in order to do business, Disney suits and Imagineers gave Mainland China the Tron effect.

Another idea for the Land of the Future.

Final presentation of Tomorrowland

and the main Tron building.

Make no mistake, Tron Light Cycles Power Run will be the smash in a brand new park. Much like Mystic Manor is for Hong Kong Disneyland, and all of Tokyo Disney Sea for Japan, the incredible new coaster will have theme park fans all over the world green with envy. 

In 2012, Disney married two properties that at first seemed to have no connection: Test Track at Epcot was remodeled to bring it into the future. What it really accomplished was bringing the look of Tron into the attraction without using the name of the film in its marketing. However, if you watch the video below, you'll see clearly what the intent was of the Imagineers and suits. 

As close to Tron as we Americans can get for now.

The countdown clock for Shanghai Disneyland is running. June 16, 2016, this attraction will open to the world. If I were a betting man, I'd also say that the day begins the countdown to the end of an exclusivity contract- and one day, we will see Tron Light Cycles in an American park. That day cannot come soon enough!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

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.)

The Future Returns to Epcot?

Test Track 2.0 makes its debut at Epcot this month, and from looking at the photos, all I can say is "WOW!"

If the experience holds true to what is presented, Walt Disney World's most original and interesting theme park could be headed back to the future.

Above, thanks to Alain Littaye of the wonderful Disney and More blog, is concept art depicting the new vehicles. I'll let you go to his site to see the rest of the pieces. Suffice it to say, I was impressed.

The actual photographs that can be found everywhere depict a very futuristic Tron like experience. Not a bad thing! But its the sleek exterior that matches the experience inside that excites me. Let's be honest, Mission:Space aside, the ring of pavilions that surround the stunning Spaceship Earth leave much to be desired. Boring. Dated. Left to rot ungracefully. This redo by the Imagineers and Chevrolet bring something fresh to the table.

Reminds me of the grand and gorgeous EPCOT Center at opening. Walt's Imagineers not only carried on without him, they created something they cannot repeat. A World's Fair environment as pleasing to the eye as the experiences and adventures it contained. Back at debut, the buildings were instant icons. And who didn't love what they found once they darkened the pavilion doors?

World of Motion, Journey into Imagination, The Land, Spaceship Earth, and Universe of Energy surrounded Communicore to create a sparkling new tomorrow. A hopeful, beautiful, inspiring place to explore. (And go ahead and sing the songs! You know you want to...) 

So, perhaps, just possibly, this is the beginning of a new stage, a new era. I'm skeptical, but I have to remember, this remake is coming from the same company that just designed Cars Land at a gorgeously remade California Adventure.  Here's hoping I'm right.

(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.)

A Mad T Party, You Say?

In the old days, a Mad T Party was a Mad Tea Party! And there was no better place to capture it all than by taking a visit to Disneyland's Fantasyland! Here is a rare rending from Walt Disney Imagineering of the Alice in Wonderland attraction. This nice slice shows a few show scenes and a particularly good look at the innovative ride vehicle.

In a couple of months, California Adventure will host outs own Mad T Party, this time focused on the remake of the film made famous by Johnny Depp. I'm sure it will have its charms, but pretty soon, there may not be any childhood classics left to be remade by he and Tim Burton!

Thanks to this amazing Alice based blog for revealing the image. It's called Vintage Disney Alice, and it is truly worth the look!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

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)

D23- Much Ado About Nothing?

What a difference a couple of weeks makes!

While I was in the real world and away from the on line one, the Walt Disney Company held its 2011 D23 convention in Anaheim, California. Seems like it was full of surprises- especially in the Parks division- and maybe not in a good way.

For west coast parks, it was a showcase of what's to come soon for California Adventure with even a bit of surprising news for Disneyland thrown in. Special presentations on both Cars Land (who cannot get excited now?) and Buena Vista Street (ditto) delighted attenders of the sessions with detailed looks at the park's long desired frostings on the cake. But those were a given, weren't they?

So when I returned from an extended service project putting shoe leather to my deeply held conviction of Jesus Christ being the only perfect sacrifice given for the sins of mine and all men, I expected some news that would thrill and delight me. It wasn't to be.

My first reaction after browsing the internet sites brought a collective question best summed up as "...but what about...?" Fill in the blanks here: Walt Disney World, Disneyland Paris, and particularly Shanghai Disneyland.

The model of Shanghai Disneyland was certainly unimpressive from what I could tell, revealing nothing but the deep commitment to secrecy to prevent competitors from delivering cheap knock offs of the attractions. We fans should not be surprised by this, as the Chinese have been producing knock offs of famous brands for ages be it clothing, coffee shops, or even theme parks.

Aside from a fan pleasing virtual ride through of the classic unbuilt Western River Expedition, there was little to please those most looking forward to something, anything, on the east coast.

Animal Kingdom and Epcot need the most refreshing of the Orlando properties, so I did hope there would be something for these two given all the low (high?) profile visits to the Vacation Kingdom of the World by folks rumored to either be buying the place or investing deeply in it. The same could be said for Disneyland Paris and the Studios that creativity has forgotten about. The Ratatouille attraction seemed a given, but then again, I was astounded by no announcement.

In my slight disappointment, a more balanced thought pattern emerged. The Imagineering division of the Walt Disney Company had recently created some wonderful plans for many of the parks- and the budgeteers finally released the cash to bring some to life. The new Fantasyland will be a beauty and is quite the investment into the future of the Magic Kingdom. Again, Shanghai and the plethora of new attractions for Hong Kong Disneyland will do the same in securing the market in China.

Looking deeper, the remodel of theme for Disneyland's Carnation Gardens does create a large lot of available property back in Frontierland; while of course, any announcement for Tomorrowland and especially the Peoplemover tracks would be the icing to anything announced to us rabid fans at a future D23 convention. Instant crowd pleaser. In Florida, leaving room for later surprises almost guarantees another convention in the future as well.

Conclusion? It helped me put my expectations in check. The Company we love to love and sometimes hate has given us much recently. And there is more to come. Be patient with me because I believe another couple of years will produce another Carousel of Projects, a list of announcements that will be much to talk about for years.

(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.

First Look: Shanghai Disneyland Concept Art!

Feast your eyes! Click on each of the images to look at the new concept art for Shanghai Disneyland.

The piece at the top makes the castle look like the Walt Disney Pictures one at the opening of each film. Beautiful work by the Imagineers. Do I see a Tron ride here on the left side? And the original concept for a new Johnny Depp inspired Pirates of the Caribbean on the right?

Stunning work- perhaps the company has finally learned from their disasterous built-on-the-cheap parks from the past. Say goodbye to the days of California Adventure 1.0 and the embarrassing Walt Disney Studios Paris! The Shanghai park looks gorgeous, and if this is any indication of a new Disney park era, count me in as very excited! I'm sure there is more art to come!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

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.

Last Trip to Endor: Star Tours Headed to an Upgrade!

It was thrilling upon opening. (I was there!) Now, it is passe, with its ideas borrowed at shopping malls all over America. And it was borrowed by Disney itself when Body Wars opened at Epcot in Future World's Wonders of Life pavilion.

Star Tours at Disneyland finally closes tonight for a long deserved upgrade. Too many questions waiting to be answered!

Will it incorporate aspects of Tokyo DisneySea's Stormrider? Probably. Is Imagineering's Tom Fitzgerald the right guy to direct the work from Disney's end opposite George Lucas? Most likely. Film is his thing. Will the end result draw in the crowds? Yes, the effects should astound even in 3D. Will the revamp be the last thing for Disneyland for awhile? Only if Tron:Legacy bombs...

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)