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

[mickEblu]

I guess it depends on how extensive the PM redo would require. I imagine just bringing that back is a large factor in determining what to do with the rest of the land.

I like my theory (or wish) that Buzz will be used for PeopleMover show scenes and queue space. First of all because they wouldn’t bring it back without an IP tie in and that seems like the only way to add some IP in any meaningful way. Second, if the rumors are true that the PeopleMover would only circle TL proper now and not extend all the way out over Autopia etc then they will need to beef up the ride time. Third, the building was used as the Rocket Rods queue. They’ll have to put the queue somewhere.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

I like my theory (or wish) that Buzz will be used for PeopleMover show scenes and queue space. First of all because they wouldn’t bring it back without an IP tie in and that seems like the only way to add some IP in any meaningful way. Second, if the rumors are true that the PeopleMover would only circle TL proper now and not extend all the way out over Autopia etc then they will need to beef up the ride time. Third, the building was used as the Rocket Rods queue. They’ll have to put the queue somewhere.

I think they need to add some cranes to Tomorrowland, that's a winner for sure

 

[ProjectXBlog]

I was in the park on Sunday and noticed that the music loop by the Space Mountain restrooms was playing EPCOT music — is that new? I’ve never heard it before but I’ve also never paid much attention to the loop. Video for reference:

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

I was in the park on Sunday and noticed that the music loop by the Space Mountain restrooms was playing EPCOT music — is that new? I’ve never heard it before but I’ve also never paid much attention to the loop. Video for reference:

I don't recognize this...is it old-school Epcot or current?

 

[ProjectXBlog]

I don't recognize this...is it old-school Epcot or current?

Old-school, from Universe of Energy.

 

[el_super]

I was in the park on Sunday and noticed that the music loop by the Space Mountain restrooms was playing EPCOT music — is that new?

Kinda/sorta. That music loop was written/recorded for Disneyland some 30 years ago as part of a new Tomorrowland project called Tomorrowland 2055. That project never happened but the music loop was added to the Space Mountain Concourse area around 1996.

Where exactly it plays has been adjusted around quite a few times over the years though. It was limited to the bathrooms for a long time. Sometimes it is not there at all.

Sounds like it's back.

 

[ProjectXBlog]

Kinda/sorta. That music loop was written/recorded for Disneyland some 30 years ago as part of a new Tomorrowland project called Tomorrowland 2055. That project never happened but the music loop was added to the Space Mountain Concourse area around 1996.

Where exactly it plays has been adjusted around quite a few times over the years though. It was limited to the bathrooms for a long time. Sometimes it is not there at all.

Sounds like it's back.

Wow, that’s really cool! So they were going to use EPCOT music in the TL2055 loop. I see that they were also going to use music from Carousel of Progress in the loop, which I also definitely heard. Very neat little time capsule, thank you for the info!

 

[McMickeyWorld]

I don't recognize this...is it old-school Epcot or current?

Old-school, from Universe of Energy.

Specifically, the original background music of Communicore

 

[McMickeyWorld]

 

[chadwpalm]

Regarding how the rebel spies are selected on Star Tours, I'm sure many people know already, but here's a video of how/when they do it:

Spoiler: Not safe for magic

 

[Professortango1]

I like my theory (or wish) that Buzz will be used for PeopleMover show scenes and queue space. First of all because they wouldn’t bring it back without an IP tie in and that seems like the only way to add some IP in any meaningful way. Second, if the rumors are true that the PeopleMover would only circle TL proper now and not extend all the way out over Autopia etc then they will need to beef up the ride time. Third, the building was used as the Rocket Rods queue. They’ll have to put the queue somewhere.

They could utilize that space and/or the 2nd floor the Starcade and/or 2nd floor of Carousel Theatre. So many empty and underutilized areas of TL.

I don't believe the old PM had a queue other than right at the speedramp up to the loading area. The constant flow of vehicles meant that it was always a walk on.

 

[Professortango1]

Regarding how the rebel spies are selected on Star Tours, I'm sure many people know already, but here's a video of how/when they do it:

Spoiler: Not safe for magic

Ah, so they COULD see that my 3-D glasses were broken and did nothing to fix the issue. Just me bobbing around to a blurry screen. Well worth the 50-minute wait.

 

[Phroobar]

They could utilize that space and/or the 2nd floor the Starcade and/or 2nd floor of Carousel Theatre. So many empty and underutilized areas of TL.

I don't believe the old PM had a queue other than right at the speedramp up to the loading area. The constant flow of vehicles meant that it was always a walk on.

Does the Rocket Rod queue tunnel still exist?

 

[mickEblu]

They could utilize that space and/or the 2nd floor the Starcade and/or 2nd floor of Carousel Theatre. So many empty and underutilized areas of TL.

I don't believe the old PM had a queue other than right at the speedramp up to the loading area. The constant flow of vehicles meant that it was always a walk on.

They could but I’d rather they put a nice restaurant there. Either Space themed like the one at Epcot or with nice views of Tomorrowland.

The old PM didn’t have a queue but Rocket Rods did and the park is much more packed now than they used to be.

 

[Nirya]

Honestly, if we're Blue Skying the People Mover return, I imagine they have to change where the load station is anyway so that they can build in some separate load spots for ADA compliance. Second floor of Starcade also makes a ton of sense in this regard, while also keeping the Carousel Theater space open for...something.

 

[truecoat]

Don't worry, you aren't missing much.

I had a neighbor with a Tesla power wall setup, with a roof full of solar panels. I had to dutifully go on the power wall tour several times over the years whenever they had me over, and it is an impressive technology. But on a statewide scale, the technology is just not there yet to store the solar power collected out in Palm Springs at 2pm and then transfer it to Anaheim or throughout California at 2am.

For the most part, California's electric grid transfers over almost exclusively to coal and natural gas plants (and some dams like Hoover, Shasta, etc.) once the sun starts to set. By Midnight, almost all of the electricity Anaheim's electric utility is distributing is coming from their natural gas plants in California, or the coal plant they still use in Utah.

Thus, if Autopia is converted to an EV system with the cars needing to charge up overnight for 12 to 16 hours of use for the next day, the new Autopia would be powered primarily by fossil fuels. You just don't pump it into the cars themselves, you pump it into the giant boilers at the gas plants feeding the SoCal grid overnight.

The technology to store that power is there and it's not really that advanced. The United States is chock full of abandoned mines ready for a new use, energy storage.

Gravity energy storage, also known as gravity batteries, stores gravitational potential energy by lifting mass to a certain height. The mass is then lowered back to its original height, causing a generator to spin and create electricity. The energy produced by a gravity battery is a sustainable energy source that can store large quantities of power for 6 to 14 hours.

 

[TP2000]

The technology to store that power is there and it's not really that advanced. The United States is chock full of abandoned mines ready for a new use, energy storage.

Gravity energy storage, also known as gravity batteries, stores gravitational potential energy by lifting mass to a certain height. The mass is then lowered back to its original height, causing a generator to spin and create electricity. The energy produced by a gravity battery is a sustainable energy source that can store large quantities of power for 6 to 14 hours.

I have never heard of this concept! That's fascinating.

Is the thought that you could use solar farms in the daytime to power motors to lift the weight up to the top of the mineshaft, and then allow the weight to descend once the sun goes down? The western US is full of many Federal lands and Indian tribal lands where the sun shines bright and there are mines, abandoned or otherwise. Fascinating!

 

[TP2000]

This is the part of the day where I say, yet again, wouldn't it be great if Tomorrowland used just one of its multiple abandoned buildings to set up exhibits and sponsored displays of emerging and future technology?!?

Have SoCal Edison or Westinghouse or whomever exhibit things like "gravity energy storage". Have SpaceX exhibit their rocket fleet that keeps flying over Disneyland, and their near-term plans to return us to the Moon and then head to Mars. Tesla can exhibit power walls and explain how a Tesla car works and why it can go so much faster than a gas powered car. Etc., etc.

So much of the excitement of Tomorrowland '67 was from the corporate attractions that had display areas for their wares; GE, Monsanto, Bell System, even just the goofy Goodyear signs with the animated scenes along the speedramps.

Instead, they're just happy to let these abandoned buildings and attractions sit there empty for years and years. No plan, no vision, no showmanship. Not even the courtesy to let their alleged "guests" go in and sit down in the shade for a bit.

 

[Parteecia]

I have never heard of this concept! That's fascinating.

Is the thought that you could use solar farms in the daytime to power motors to lift the weight up to the top of the mineshaft, and then allow the weight to descend once the sun goes down? The western US is full of many Federal lands and Indian tribal lands where the sun shines bright and there are mines, abandoned or otherwise. Fascinating!

..."During times of day when there’s extra power on the Western electric grid — maybe temperatures are moderate in Portland and Seattle, but Montana winds are blowing strong — the Gordon Butte project will use that extra juice to pump water uphill, from the lower reservoir to the upper reservoir. During times of day when the grid needs more power — maybe there’s a record heat wave, and not enough wind to go around — Gordon Butte will let water flow downhill, generating electricity.

"It’s called pumped storage, and it’s not a new concept. But compared with other proposals across the parched West, this one is almost miraculously noncontroversial."...

Red state coal towns still power the West Coast. We can't just let them die

Los Angeles, Portland and other progressive cities are still powered by faraway coal plants. We went to Montana to find out why.

www.latimes.com

ETA the author is Disney's Autopia nemesis. He's their all-purpose environmental reporter.

 

[PiratesMansion]

They could utilize that space and/or the 2nd floor the Starcade and/or 2nd floor of Carousel Theatre.

Isn't all of the Starcade's 2nd floor now Space Mountain queue? Or is there additional space left over?

Honestly, if they need to utilize a new loading area for a Peoplemover 2.0, perhaps the old Carousel theater is the most obvious location. Plenty of queue space on the first floor, then load on the second. Not the most optimal use for the space, but if it's coming back and going back to the original setup isn't practical, I could picture it.

This is the part of the day where I say, yet again, wouldn't it be great if Tomorrowland used just one of its multiple abandoned buildings to set up exhibits and sponsored displays of emerging and future technology?!?

Counterpoint: isn't that basically what Innoventions was, and then most people did nothing but complain about it the entire time it was around?