Okay, this might be my new favorite land I've designed for the park. Westernland and Adventureland were close, but Discoveryland might take the cake. As always, post thoughts below. Enjoy this trip thru another time and space. Also, this will probably be the last update for a few days. I start management training tonight! Fingers crossed for a good day.
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Discoveryland
“Science, my lad, is made up of mistakes, but they are mistakes which it is useful to make, because they lead little by little to the truth.” - Jules Verne
Discoveryland recalls the belief in a near-nonsensical world where the realities of science and today blend with the mysteries of yesterday and tomorrow. Imagine, if you will, a vision of the future with its roots in the past… In this kinetic metropolis of tomorrow, the great thinkers and dreamers of the 19th Century have seamlessly clashed with the color and imagination of Buck Rogers or Flash Gordon. Amidst landed spacecrafts, whirring contraptions, and bizarre creatures from the darkest reaches of known space, the “future that never was” is finally here.
“Discoveryland is the future that never was - or could be. The past, present and future coexist among the kinetic towers, soaring rockets, and alien creatures of this thriving galactic community. The imagination of Jules Verne, Leonardo Da Vinci, Buck Rogers, and other such ‘futurists’ have built this shimmering spaceport of gold, silver, neon and bronze, where a trip to Mars is as simple as a trip to the Magic Kingdom… This is Discoveryland, gateway to Infinity and Beyond.”
Volcanic rock formations mark the entrance to Discoveryland, hissing steam from leagues beneath the earth… Misshapen rocks and sparkling crystals protrude from the waters below, undulating with an ethereal, almost alien glow. As a rusted placard decrees, these supernatural formations were uncovered just centuries before, the last relics of a vanished sentient race. The crystals have only begun to glow as of late, a supposed beacon for the return of their creators to Earth. Clocks of every shape, size, style and era lay strewn among the rock-work, their hands rapidly spinning backward and forward. As always, we enter the land via bridge; only, our bridge here is built from the half-submerged wreckage of a flying saucer crashed into Timeless River…
Once a burnished starport of patinated hues of bronze, copper, silver and gold, this immense metropolis has recently begun an extensive “restructuring phase” into an advanced, “modernized” spaceport of the 24th Century, as made clear by the seamless blend of “old” and new architecture - not to mention video advertisements produced by the city to describe their “reinvention,” as hosted "live" by Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. Outlandish, ominous, and wholeheartedly bizarre, Discoveryland blends the gritty aesthetic of yesterday’s steampunk with the color, neon and imagination of tomorrow’s utopia. Here, everyday living is improved thru curious science, oddball invention and intergalactic travel… Robots, space aliens, and human inventors - fictional or otherwise - work, live, and play under the prevailing influence of H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, and Leonardo Da Vinci, all three being residents of Discoveryland themselves. For die hard Disney Fans at least, imagine a seamless cross of design between the Tomorrowland of Walt Disney World and the Discoveryland of Disneyland Paris, with a small dash of Tony Baxter’s unrealized Discovery Bay thrown in.
Beneath the soaring highways of the Tomorrowland PeopleMover and the towering arches of this bustling community, we venture down Cosmic Way, the “Main Street” of science fiction. Kinetic sculptures, video walls, and electronic advertisements portray the innovation and mystique of “tomorrow,” with nonsensical gadgets to save on human labor. Storefront windows display robots performing household chores, a la Horizons. In the vast promenade at the end of Cosmic Way, a sleek, streamlined rocket, The Explorer points to the stars, readied for a launch into some far-off system beyond sight and sound. The narrow “mall” of Cosmic Way features an attraction on either side; to the north (left), The Visionarium: Soarin' Thru Time, to the south (right), ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter.
Reichelt Hangar, named for Franz Reichelt, the ill-fated pioneer of the parachute, is home to the fabled Hyperion, a mighty zeppelin. Inside: the Astronomer’s Club. Here, a magnificent observatory looks to the heavens thru an antique telescope. As we dine beneath preserved charts and maps of the “final frontier,” we are introduced in-person to such familiar thinkers as Galileo, Newton, and Da Vinci, all spinning tales of the stars and discovery. It seems only fitting that the Astronomer’s Club shares Reichelt Hangar with The Visionarium: Soarin’ Thru Time.
With the majestic Hyperion floating above, we enter the colorful lab of the Timekeeper, an esteemed robot-scientist and pioneer of time-travel. The various oddball experiments of Timekeeper can be found throughout the queue, leading to a briefing with the charismatic contraption himself. Voiced by Nathan Lane, Timekeeper details that we, being his “lucky” volunteers, will be sent aboard the 9-Eye 3000, his latest time-machine prototype for its maiden voyage. Of course none of his time-machines have proven successful...yet. Once on board the hang glider-esque 9-Eye 3000, we launch on an unforgettable, 3D ride thru both time and space; the Crusades - Ancient Egypt - the Great Wall of China’s construction - the Exposition Universelle in Paris of 1889 - the land of the mighty mammoth - a view of the Earth from the Moon. These are just a small few of the eras and dreams explored aboard the 9-Eye 3000. The only question now is… Will we make it back to the 24th Century in one piece?
In the south building of Cosmic Way, the Discoveryland Interplanetary Convention Center welcomes visitors to experience the latest in scientific innovation and design from the various corporate leagues of the known universe. In an Art Deco facade carved with the likes of demoralized humans holding the crippling weight of powerful deities, a colored fountain points our path into a holding area, where we are soon introduced to the genius, alien minds behind X-S Tech. Once again, we serve as “lucky volunteers” to “seize the future” with X-S and catch glimpse at their latest invention: the X-S 2000 Teleportation System. One awry presentation after another results in an unforgettable encounter…
A botched transmission results in the accidental arrival of a bloodthirsty creature from another planet… Angered, hungry, and confused, the alien monster breaks loose from the teleportation tube, causing horrific chaos in the now-darkened viewing chamber. Gnashing fangs, warm breath, hot drool, shattering glass, splattering blood, and a slimy, foreign tongue are among the extrasensory thrills encountered in this ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter. The scariest and decidedly “most adult” attraction in our Magic Kingdom, Alien Encounter derives in origin, name and story from the original, extinct attraction in Florida. Fine-tuning, additional warnings, a rewritten plot, and a subtly revised experience result in a revival of the legendary E-Ticket that, unlike its predecessor, is here to scare… I mean, “stay.”
The Interplanetary Convention Center hosting Alien Encounter exits into the iconic Star Trader, a retro-futuristic bazaar in which aliens, humans and robots alike are invited to trade, sell and offer their wares from across the universe. In-store murals depict a side of Discoveryland not seen to us - soaring skyscrapers, bustling highways, and floating suburbs. The atmospheric music of Discoveryland - electro-synthetic musical impressions mostly - carries into the Star Trader and beyond, even while waiting at the station of the Tomorrowland PeopleMover.
The Tomorrowland PeopleMover never stops moving, even while passengers board and disembark from a rotating platform. With no motor of their own, the PeopleMover cars are powered by magnetic motors embedded within the track. The PeopleMover soars through the second story of Tomorrowland and Discoveryland alike, traveling through the various attractions and pavilions. Aboard the PeopleMover, we can preview almost every attraction in either land, then come back later to see the whole show. As such, the PeopleMover has two stations: the first in Tomorrowland, the second in Discoveryland, not far from the Interplanetary Convention Center, in fact.
The magnificent Orbitron stands proudly in the heart of Discovery Plaza, the aforementioned promenade at the end of Cosmic Way, the aptly titled “Civic Centre of Interstellar Citizenship.” Seeming to have been borrowed from the pages of a Da Vinci sketchbook, the Orbitron is our chance to maneuver a personal jetpack on an airborne series of revolutions held high above the streets of Discoveryland from an elevated platform. The streamlined craft of The Explorer sits adjacent to the planets, cogs and contraptions of the Orbitron, acting as a secondary “weenie” to the fantastical Orbitron. Jetpack pilots are invited to dance, float and sail thru the air in conjunction with the Orbitron via 16 mechanical arms. On the ground-level below, Da Vinci’s Workshop poses an age-old question: “What would it be like to step into the workshop of this fearless inventor?” Well, wonder no more…
In this quiet bounty of Renaissance-era trinkets, gadgets, back corners, hidden nooks, and otherworldly contraptions held in the space beneath the towering Orbitron, Da Vinci still lives, having been quietly hiding here for centuries… Only recently has the famed inventor reopened the doors to his fabled workshop. Interactive elements are portrayed in the form of inventions and bits of medieval machinery, all from the marvelous mind of Da Vinci. Erector sets, science kits, and other such technological toys are for sale among the great inventor’s wild ideas and scattered blueprints.
The sweeping Civic Centre of Interstellar Citizenship, Discovery Plaza is a “Hub” all its own, almost borrowing directly from the footprint of the Tomorrowland in Walt Disney World - of course, the changes here border from the drastic to hugely drastic. Past the elevated platform of the Orbitron and Da Vinci’s Workshop, we look toward a vast complex of attractions and entertainment. The continuity of this fully-inhabited community is brilliantly carried from one location to the next. Neon signs written in alien tongue imply a new universal language, perhaps pegging English to a secondary speak. Video walls and vibrant, digital posters hint at an ongoing nightlife in the bustling metropolis. In Discovery Plaza, we are introduced to the founders of Discoveryland: Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, and Leonardo Da Vinci, all alive and well. Bronze statues built in their honor find their dedication in varied points of the plaza. The Discovery Balloon Ascent of neighboring Fantasyland soars by overhead as we continue our tour de Discoveryland…
A landed alien spacecraft - all-too-familiar with Close Encounters of the Third Kind - attracts our attention with its wandering searchlights, flowing electric current, and ethereal, phosphorescent glow. Inside, we discover the traveling circus of P.T. Quantum: Plectu’s Fantastic Intergalactic Revue. Seemingly a hundred different aliens, robots and other such fauna inhabit P.T. Quantum's magnificent ship, from the operatic swamp beasts of the Everglade System to the legendary Sonny Eclipse! Intergalactic puns, parodies, and more are all apart of the show in this otherworldly throwback to the beloved Kitchen Kabaret.
P.T. Quantum's Kitchen Kabaret (see what I did there?) is the resident tie-into Plectu's Revue, a restaurant built right in the side of the magnificent traveling "theatre-ship." Electronic posters and displayed artifacts depict the storied history of the traveling musical troupe, including several well-deserved Grammy Awards (the trophy portrays an alien creature with multiple heads).
Discovery Mountain, an industrial contrast to the retro-futurist cityscape, stands tall above the entirety of Discoveryland, a multi-leveled complex of copper rivets and bronze panels, kept in place by turning cogs, giant screws, and a network of bizarre pipes. As night falls, an eerie glow escapes from within… Inside: an undiscovered realm of exploration and discovery.
The atmospheric Discovery Mountain Complex is almost an entire sub-land dedicated to the writings and imagination of Jules Verne. Once inside, we discover a rocky oceanfront looking to the waters of a bubbling, primordial lagoon, all sheltered beneath the familiar glass dome of Discovery Mountain itself. Jules Verne can be seen floating in a capsule high above us (a la Horizons), occasionally shouting a friendly hello in his native French. The iconic Nautilus has docked in the indoor-lagoon, the gallant submarine of the infamous Captain Nemo.
Once thru the inner-chambers and quarters of Captain Nemo’s homeport (aptly found inside Discovery Mountain), we find ourselves suddenly beneath the earth and geared toward the waters of the mysterious lagoon, readied to board not the Nautilus, but instead a miniature submarine of our own. Equipped with flashlight-like inventions of Captain Nemo, we dive fathoms below to investigate an underwater volcano, only to sail thru a graveyard of lost ships, have a chance encounter with a giant squid, and ultimately experience a run-in with a googly-eyed sea serpent amid the benevolent humanoids in the lost continent of Atlantis. These fish-like sentients help us make an emergency return to the surface when all seems lost.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a unique attraction. Similar to the attraction of the same name in Tokyo DisneySea, “20k” is set in a “dry-for-wet” environment, meaning all the undersea locations and creatures are held in a dry show building; the submarine portholes are double-paned, filled with liquid. Bubbles are blown into the liquid to simulate the illusion of a deep-sea descent. For those who wish to truly submerge beneath the surface, a visit to Nemo’s Grand Salon inside the actual Nautilus is a lavish dining experience quite unlike any other in Discoveryland. Windows look to the vast world beneath the surface, with schools of fish, coral reefs, medieval shipwrecks, and the ominous silhouette of a giant squid lurking in the aquatic world beyond...
The true star of Discovery Mountain is an E-Ticket in the spirit and style of the classic Space Mountain: From the Earth to the Moon. Launched from the huge Columbiad cannon - as seen from the exterior of Discovery Mountain - we are sent spiraling thru the stars and landing upon the Moon, seen and heard stories above the lagoon of the Nautilus. A Victorian space station awaits as we careen, turn and corkscrew around the craters and hills of the far-off celestial body in an “out-of-this-world” roller coaster ride. The glowing shape of the Earth looms on the horizon, while a second-level viewing deck allows passers-by to view the ongoing excitement. The space station itself is accessible to both passengers and patrons alike. Starport 1865, named for the debut year of From the Earth to the Moon, is our chance to explore what a space station might have been like, were it to exist in the Victorian 19th Century. Viewing ports look out to the stars and planets, offering glimpse at peculiar shapes and objects typically unfamiliar with outer space.
Oddly enough, the Kingdom Railway makes its scheduled stop inside Discovery Mountain at the Discoveryland Junction. The Tomorrowland PeopleMover travels past as we approach the dark landing of the Flying Saucers. A long-lost remnant of classic Disneyana, the Flying Saucers have finally landed in Discovery Mountain, now controlled and sheltered from the elements. An extraterrestrial training facility for would-be saucer pilots, we are invited to slide, zip, bump and "soar" beneath a menagerie of miniature stars and planets. The Discovery Landing is our chance to visit a gift shop quite unlike any other - 80 individual boutiques hearken to 80 different countries, a subtle nod to Verne's Around the World in 80 Days.
The sweeping score of John Williams’ Star Wars can be heard lingering on the horizon as we approach the Kingdom Railway and the Discoveryland Junction. From within Discovery Mountain, a path seems to trail downward - beneath the railroad tracks - and below the earth, bringing us out of Discoveryland and into Mos Eisley Spaceport. But strangely, we have not yet laid foot in the desert outpost of Tatooine. Instead, we have entered the Star Tours Tatooine Terminal. But we'll explore this fantastic journey thru the cosmos at a later time...
Back outside in Discovery Plaza, we find that night has fallen on our day at the Magic Kingdom. Discoveryland is perhaps the most striking of all lands in the Magic Kingdom after dark - the city is awash in hues of neon and color reflecting off the metallic spires, twisted arches and jagged rocks. Bizarre, near-Avatar-like plant-life is aglow in fluorescent light. The landed spacecrafts, varied robots and techno-rhythms emulate an omnipresent sense of living, breathing energy throughout the land. In a way, the ominous yet romantic lights of this retro-futuristic world recall not the far-off future of our own imagination, but instead the far-off future of the 19th and early 20th Century. Suddenly, the earth begins to shake... A dim rumble comes from below the ground... An earthquake, perhaps?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZewmkCetnwo
Past the landing of the Discovery Balloon Ascent and far from the promenade of Discovery Plaza, we look toward the foreboding sight of Mount Prometheus, an active volcano. The primeval mountain can be counted on to erupt without warning, spewing smoke and fire into the heavens above, a truly spectacular sight when viewed after dark. The massive volcano can be seen from almost anywhere in the Magic Kingdom, standing at roughly the same towering height as Castle Disney. 750,000 square feet of rock were used to construct Discoveryland’s monstrous icon, easily dwarfing Discovery Mountain with its gargantuan shadow.
Captain Nemo and his men have set up camp in the storied supervolcano, wishing to collect the precious gems and minerals found within the mountain’s core. An enormous drilling machine bored deep into the side of Mount Prometheus is our entrance into a subterranean network of secrets and designs in Nemo’s foreboding hideaway. Boarding a “subterranean vehicle” of Nemo’s invention, we descend deep underground on a spectacular Journey to the Center of the Earth. A labyrinth of tunnels and caves showcase the supernatural wonders found within Mount Prometheus; giant mushrooms, glowing crystals, strange creatures.
A sudden earthquake causes an unforeseen cave-in, forcing our vehicle off-route and into the volcanic nest of some large creature… A freak lightning storm from electrified gas clouds is our transition into the lair of a horrific, stories-high lava monster. A volcanic eruption sends our vehicle speeding thru a spiraling lava tube down the side of Mount Prometheus and toward the surface. At the top of the mountain, we are temporarily “airborne” as we submerge into a thick cloud of residual steam before our incredible journey comes to an end.
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The red-rock canyons and fissures of Mount Prometheus mark an all-too-thematic transition into Mos Eisley Spaceport, just under and across the railroad tracks, not far from the landing of the Discovery Balloon Ascent following its magnificent cross thru Mount Prometheus. But we’ll visit that galaxy far, far away some other time. For now, we explore the remainder of the fantastical Discoveryland.
Strangely enough, someone in the construction of Discoveryland had the wild idea to preserve and transport a small collection of shops and homes from the Gold Rush era of San Francisco... Of course, the architecture has since been restored with the visible assistance of mechanical parts, cogs and wires. Just near the path toward Storybook Circus in Fantasyland, Eureka Lane is a steampunk-enthusiast's dream; static animals built from cogs, pipes, and other materials appear throughout the quiet neighborhood as subtle decor. The Wells Tonsorial Parlour is an authentic barbershop, with straight-razor shaves, facial massages, and haircuts with the finest precision around, all set to the musical stylings of a robotic barbershop quartet. K.A. Bhume’s TNT & Joke Shop hearkens to the Gold Rush, having once belonged to a grizzled miner and noted big game hunter - black-and-white photographs depict a safari in the jungles of Paradise Springs. The inventory here is wholeheartedly bizarre: false limbs, pop-guns, chattering teeth, gag gifts, and ventriloquist dummies.
The most unique attraction in Eureka Lane is Menlo Park: An Exhibition. A walk-through the mind and invention of Thomas Edison, we are transported back to New England at the turn-of-the-century, where Audio-Animatronic and digital tableaus depict the progress and achievement brought by Edison. A further exhibition explores how Edison’s original ideas and thoughts might go on to build our future, ending with a full-blown Buffalo Nickel Theater. A robotic ticket-taker is our host as we view a series of silent classics: The Great Train Robbery (1903), A Trip to the Moon (1902), Frankenstein (1910), Fantasmagorie (1908), and Plane Crazy (1928).
The Teddy Roosevelt Lounge stands for another romanticized thought of the 19th Century: adventure. Amid the trophy heads and wood-carved animals of this warm tavern, we enjoy cocktails and appetizers with a fantastic view of Discovery Plaza, with Discovery Mountain and Mount Prometheus towering overhead. Last in Discovery Lane - and Discoveryland for that matter - is Close Encounters, the only meet 'n' greet location in Discoveryland.
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Stitch and his oddball “Cousins” are among the many intergalactic and otherworldly friends found at Close Encounters. Other such visitors include Buzz Lightyear, Astronaut Mickey, and on rare occasion, Milo Thatch and Kida of Atlantis: The Lost Empire. Perhaps even more bizarre: the world’s first meet ‘n’ greet encounter with the Invisible Man of H.G. Wells’ creation. Even stranger: he seems to actually be invisible.
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@spacemt354, the big thing to remember here is that Discoveryland borrows a lot from the blueprint of Florida's Tomorrowland. Alien Encounter and Soarin' Thru Time would be where Stitch's Great Escape and Laugh Floor would be were we in Florida, only Alien Encounter is in the south show building as compared to where it would be in Florida. Plectu is where the Carousel of Progress would be. Etc. Obviously, there are differences here and there, but you can easily figure those out. I can't wait to see what your brilliant art skills produce for this land!
To clarify any confusion, the Orbitron and the Explorer spacecraft are the land's elevated weenie, just as the Astro Orbitor is in Florida. I'm envisioning a secondary elevated platform connected to the Orbitron's platform to host the Explorer. I'm not sure if you have any input on that. Also, the Discovery Balloon Ascent will probably warrant a reroute to fly over Discovery Plaza, descend thru the middle of Mount Prometheus, and end somewhere near the Kingdom Railway Station. Obviously, Discovery Mountain is a huge complex with much inside of it, including 20,000 Leagues, From the Earth to the Moon, Discovery Landing, a small portion of the PeopleMover, and anything else mentioned before a paragraph starts with "Back outside in Discovery Plaza." The Astronomer's Club and Visionarium (aka Soarin') share a building along Cosmic Way. P.T. Quantum's Kitchen Kabaret is obviously in the same building as Plectu's Revue. Star Trader shares a building with Alien Encounter. Discovery Mountain will host a secret entrance to Star Tours in Mos Eisley Spaceport beyond the berm, so we'll both have to remember that when we get to that portion of the project.
It isn't mentioned in the write-up, but the PeopleMover will share its Discoveryland station in the space between Da Vinci's Workshop and the Orbitron, just how the Tomorrowland Transit Authority boards in Florida. Da Vinci is on the ground level, PeopleMover is on the mid-section, Orbitron is on the top section.
The Discovery Balloon Ascent will travel thru Mount Prometheus (a la the Matterhorn) and land near the railroad tracks. This will also be near the under-the-berm entrance to Mos Eisley Spaceport.
If you have any other questions, please let me know. Feedback as always, is appreciated! Thank you so much to my amazing readers!
Just wanted to say: @spacemt354, awesome job on the maps, by the way. I think they don't get enough praise, so this is my contribution haha 
