New Tomorrowland @ Disneyland? Is this the year it finally gets announced? No, and that’s OK

[NobodyElse]

Welp.... it's the Spring of 2026 now. When does the rehab start? Where's the electric Autopia?

Sammy clarified "by 2026", so I guess last December at the latest.

 

[TP2000]

Sammy clarified "by 2026", so I guess last December at the latest.

I've had a totally lazy day today around the house and was online a lot, so I've seen some truly horrendous examples of the English language and its modern American version; stuff like "for intense and purposes" and other various crimes against communication.

So I'm willing to bet that Mr. Roth, who passed for a "journalist" in 2024, may have thought he was communicating via the once great Los Angeles Times that the change to an electric Autopia would take place sometime during calendar year 2026. Of which there are 8 months left to do something.

I'll just give him the benefit of the doubt on that. He meant by the end of calendar year 2026, not by the start of it. Of course, you and I and quite a few others here are a cut above the average "journalist" or daily reader of the once great Los Angeles Times, so we know what his language in 2024 actually meant.

He was laid off from the LA Times since then (they've practically collapsed), but according to his X profile he still has a Disneyland AP. I bet the smell of Honda 4-stroke engines in the back of Tomorrowland in '26 must sting a bit for him.

 

[TP2000]

This can't be helping the cause to get an electric Autopia... Honda suffers first loss since World War II and takes a $15 Billion loss on their EV program, cancelling 3 EV models they were planning for America.

Was Honda going to stick around as sponsor for this switch to EV's for Autopia? Or was WDI just going to go sponsorless and build their own fleet of EV cars?

God help this forum if Tesla were to sponsor an all-electric Autopia! Some folks would never recover.

 

[AJFireman]

Scott Gustin had a little fun with the walled off area

 

[coffeefan]

This can't be helping the cause to get an electric Autopia... Honda suffers first loss since World War II and takes a $15 Billion loss on their EV program, cancelling 3 EV models they were planning for America.

Was Honda going to stick around as sponsor for this switch to EV's for Autopia? Or was WDI just going to go sponsorless and build their own fleet of EV cars?

God help this forum if Tesla were to sponsor an all-electric Autopia! Some folks would never recover.

From Yahoo Finance

Legendary Japanese carmaker Honda has fallen on some EV-driven hard times: The company reported its first annual loss since it went public in the 1950s, according to the FT.

Honda said it expects to take a nearly $16 billion loss over two years as it pivots away from its electric vehicle strategy. The stock fell nearly 6% on Thursday, and is down over 13% and counting this year.

The reasons are multifaceted. Cheaper Chineses EVs have eaten into Honda's global margins, and it's struggling to compete. President Trump's tariffs, though mired in court battles, have raised input costs and stifled U.S. consumer demand. Plus, the rollback of EV incentives in the U.S. has, in no uncertain terms, nearly destroyed the market that Honda and other international automakers spent heavily to capture.

Honda's official statement blamed "an inability to respond flexibly to changes in the business environment" — which is corporate-speak for getting caught between rising costs and softening consumer demand.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/honda-breaks-70-streak-first-182319960.html

Get BYD to sponsor Autopia then. Are ya'll tired of winning yet?

 

[TP2000]

From Yahoo Finance

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/honda-breaks-70-streak-first-182319960.html

Get BYD to sponser Autopia then. Are ya'll tired of winning yet?

Yeah, once you stopped giving upper-middle class white folks in Villa Park and Laguna Niguel a $7,500 tax credit to buy an expensive luxury car, the EV market crashed fast in '25.

But there's still a market for EV's, it's just that the government will no longer subsidize relatively wealthy people to buy them. The #1 selling car in California currently is the Tesla Model Y, so there's still a healthy market for EV's, even without government subsidies.

I just wonder if Honda was supposed to renew their Autopia sponsorship and tout their new EV cars in '26? Because they are cancelling the EV's they had planned to sell this year, and just lost a ton of money on EV's in America so they aren't going to be in the best mood to sign up for another expensive Disneyland sponsorship.

What's the plan for Autopia if they don't have Honda, and don't have electric cars? Back to Chevron?

 

[ToEarthandback]

From Yahoo Finance

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/honda-breaks-70-streak-first-182319960.html

Get BYD to sponsor Autopia then. Are ya'll tired of winning yet?

LOL !

 

[BrianLo]

It’s not lost on me that Tokyo and Florida are much more quietly and successfully getting their Tomorrowlands up to snuff. If they didn’t let it rot it wouldn’t need some grand redo.

 

[coffeefan]

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I never thought the boats would return but that was a fun quiet area that had some fun charm.

I used to love the sitting area in the old Swan boat dock in magic kingdom too.

 

[britain]

Wha…?

Well…. I guess they aren’t doing any new attractions in this corner of the park for another decade.

 

[DrStarlander]

Is this the area?

 

[PiratesMansion]

I was under the impression that they had already torn up enough of the old Motor Boat area that the return of the attraction was already a no-go.

At least a decade ago.

 

[britain]

I was under the impression that they had already torn up enough of the old Motor Boat area that the return of the attraction was already a no-go.

At least a decade ago.

Yes, I believe the last time they reworked the Autopia track paths (was it when Subs became Nemo Subs?) the Autopia took a bite out of the old motorboat path.

 

[Pizza Moon]

It’s not lost on me that Tokyo and Florida are much more quietly and successfully getting their Tomorrowlands up to snuff. If they didn’t let it rot it wouldn’t need some grand redo.

Whatever they do, the PeopleMover has to come back, or they failed.

I could totally see them cloning a Walle or Inside Out ride for DL, and like EPCOT.

And then part of the land's overall refresh you'd get a new high-capacity PeopleMover, but we'll see.

 

[𝐌𝖆𝖓 𝖎𝖓 𝐖𝖊𝖇]

Axiom PeopleMover

 

[Nirya]

Is this the area?
View attachment 911961

Opposite side, between the pier and the parade route. Theoretically, that water feature on the east side will remain. Would be nice to add a fountain of some kind there just to give something visually appealing.

 

[DLR92]

I’m not expecting the People Mover to ever return either. So much area of Tomorrowland needs an overhaul. I still expect a major overhaul of the land in long term run.

 

[TomorrowlandWall]

Space Mountain turns 50 at Disneyland next year. What are the chances we get some type of touch up or enhancement along with that anniversary? We have already seen added projections and queue enhancements but could there be more.

Will Disneyland’s Buzz lightyear continue to limp along out of date as the Walt Disney world and Tokyo counterparts have been replaced or upgraded?

I feel like the moment is arriving for a piece by piece transformation of the land. Not unlike what is happening in Tokyo and Magic Kingdom. But with those projects they started with a statement piece. TRON and the rebuild of Space Mountain. This is similar to what Rocket Rods was supposed to do for Tomorrowland 1998.

The longstanding rumor has been that some sort of Lightcycle attraction would one day return kinetic energy to the skies above Tomorrowland. Essentially Rocket Rods but done right this time. Assuming the Launch Bay building was torn down and utilized as a new load/unload, would an entirely outdoor family coaster in Tomorrowland be enough? Other attractions would be overhauled, aesthetics changed and an on overall optimistic glow returned.

Most fans would like to see the peoplemover back, but I think thats unrealistic given the infrastructure. While I have faith in Imagineering and D’amaro’s push for bigger and better things overall, I worry Tomorrowland will always end up with a patch job. I just hope the right team comes together to make this land sync up with the rest of the park.

 

[PiratesMansion]

Space Mountain turns 50 at Disneyland next year. What are the chances we get some type of touch up or enhancement along with that anniversary? We have already seen added projections and queue enhancements but could there be more.

They'll be like "great! Permanent Hyperspace Mountain!"

Will Disneyland’s Buzz lightyear continue to limp along out of date as the Walt Disney world and Tokyo counterparts have been replaced or upgraded?

Hong Kong's has been "upgraded" too.

I have to imagine this upgrade will happen. It's an easy win for a year where they don't have much else going on and/or they need to counterbalance the bigger additions going into DCA. And the ride is clearly less popular than it used to be, LL or not.

I feel like the moment is arriving for a piece by piece transformation of the land. Not unlike what is happening in Tokyo and Magic Kingdom. But with those projects they started with a statement piece. TRON and the rebuild of Space Mountain. This is similar to what Rocket Rods was supposed to do for Tomorrowland 1998.

Hopefully. I do worry, though, that the more intertwined nature of DL's Tomorrowland when compared to subsequent lands might make a full redo a bit more complicated than the other parks.