News Tomorrowland love

[Brad Bishop]

I don’t see them holding back now since they put up new towers at Coronado, Caribbean...Cove hotel, Star Wars hotel. I think they know people get bored of the same old stuff like food booths every year.

If those people are going to come, anyway, and will not only pay for, but defend, the prices, why add anything?

I really think what they're adding now is more about the capacity for the 50th than anything else. They basically need a place to put all of the visitors which should peak during 2021-2022. After that, it should ease off and there's really no justification for spending another $1B+ on Epcot especially when you can make the argument: It just got 3 new rides! (Frozen, Rat, and GotG) + the front entrance.

Walt was a risk-taker, much to the chagrin of Roy.

Eisner was a risk-taker up until Paris failed and then he became quite tepid.

Iger, and the current management, is all about the bottom line. Does spending $1B AFTER the 50th at Epcot make any sort of difference to those who will come, pay the high cover, and then pay for expensive drinks (at the festivals which are year round now). No. $1B in spending makes no sense there. They'll come and spend their money anyway (and defend it).

Until that changes (people spending their money.. AND defending it I suppose) there's no reason to spend $1B+ on Epcot especially after 3 rides at Epcot + what is essentially DHS makeover (really it's a completion from 25+ years back where they just stopped) + Tron and some paint at TL at MK. They'll be done spending money for a good long while after the 50th starts (they're not going to start new, large projects during the 50th because of the crowds and I can't imagine them starting new, large projects for the next decade or two after the 50th).

 

[memethyst]

this new paint is awful. the teal and the coral color on star traders look absolutely horrible together.
the speedway logo on the track looks faded even though it's new paint.
cosmic ray's doesn't look as bad as everything else but i wish they would've done purple or blue instead of yellow...

 

[smallworld_boy]

 

[Bocabear]

And the teal and coral do not relate to the stark silver, white, and blue of the new Tron attraction...if indeed it is exactly like the Shanghai version

 

[gustaftp]

I would greatly have preferred to see a modernized version of the original color palate there. It looked so much better. I'd also much rather have the 1994 steampunk stuff over this creamsicle crap. Granted, I DO like the COP color scheme. And I even low-key like the purple wall. But NO THANK YOU to what they are doing to Star Traders.

This new color scheme reminds me of when Tomorrowland had those teal and pink accents added in the late (?) 1980s.

 

[larryz]

I would greatly have preferred to see a modernized version of the original color palate there. It looked so much better. I'd also much rather have the 1994 steampunk stuff over this creamsicle crap. Granted, I DO like the COP color scheme. And I even low-key like the purple wall. But NO THANK YOU to what they are doing to Star Traders.

This new color scheme reminds me of when Tomorrowland had those teal and pink accents added in the late (?) 1980s.

More proof of the adage, "Be careful what you ask for..."

 

[WDWTank]

Challenge here being that WDW's tomorrowland was in an identity crisis anyways. It didn't feel like a cohesive theme anymore. The corridor from the hub bridge, the carousel of progress, and the area near the speedway felt like 3 distinct zones. With the speedway area feeling the most disconnected and lacking in appeal. Current futuristic design is at a complete dichotomy of what the 90's painted it as. In the 90's neon and chrome ruled the roost. Today, modern design focuses on a mixture of natural and man made materials in more muted tones with pops of color. I see what they are trying to channel, and given the bones they have to work with, it's not bad.

I don't even think the zone is being built around Tron, I foresee Tron being a bit of a weird sight in the current iteration with it's use of glass. My only thought is they are focusing on nighttime views and planning to use LEDs and maybe projections to alter the area and create cohesion.

When DL’s and WDW’s Tomorrowland was first built and fully conceived, the design was based on real-life predictions of the future from that era.
Fast forward 20 years and it becomes outdated. Why? Because it was rooted in a real-life, at the time, future. Disney now has a “problem” that needs to be addressed. The solution? Discoveryland. A romanticized vision of the future grounded in the past. Fantasy. Sci-fi. Jules Verne. H.G. Wells. Fiction. Not real life.

In my opinion, Disney should finish what they started in ‘94-‘95. They should continue with the timeless Tomorrowland grounded in sci-fi, H.G. Wells, and partial steampunk and Discovery. It would cost less money than completely reimagining the land from the ground up, and would prevent another “Tomorrowland Problem” from happening again.

 

[Brad Bishop]

When DL’s and WDW’s Tomorrowland was first built and fully conceived, the design was based on real-life predictions of the future from that era.
Fast forward 20 years and it becomes outdated. Why? Because it was rooted in a real-life, at the time, future. Disney now has a “problem” that needs to be addressed. The solution? Discoveryland. A romanticized vision of the future grounded in the past. Fantasy. Sci-fi. Jules Verne. H.G. Wells. Fiction. Not real life.

I almost posted the exact same thing. Every other land is based around a genre for books and moves. Tomorrowland is based around future technology. Why not just switch it to "Science Fiction Land"?

At the same time, I wish they'd just tell their Imagineers: "Here's Tomorrowland - do whatever you want with it," and then just let them fix it (SciFi Land, Discoveryland, whatever else the Imagineers dream up).

I tend to think that they're mostly stuck with the marketing/bean counters wanting everything IP because that's, in their mind, a guaranteed return on investment. At the same time, the IP has to do extremely well (see Moana) to be used. Non-IP rides are risky even though it's shown that many of them really do stand the test of time.

Walt rebuilt Tomorrowland
Eisner remodeled it
Iger repaints it.

 

[Bocabear]

non IP rides are not risky at all... People come to theme parks for rides and experiences...
There is no risk whatsoever.... Does the ride sell more merchandise? Well that is the question, but not having an IP attached is not going to make the difference between someone liking or hating a ride... The parks need more attractions...IP or not... Speedway, Haunted Mansion, Small World, Space Mountain, the original Pirates of The Caribbean, Enchanted Tiki Room, Astor Jets, Big Thunder Mountain...none of these attractions had IP and all of them attracted crowds to the parks... There really is no risk to non IP attractions as long as they are well done...
Expedition Everest...was that a risk? Heck no...

 

[ImperfectPixie]

non IP rides are not risky at all... People come to theme parks for rides and experiences...
There is no risk whatsoever.... Does the ride sell more merchandise? Well that is the question, but not having an IP attached is not going to make the difference between someone liking or hating a ride... The parks need more attractions...IP or not... Speedway, Haunted Mansion, Small World, Space Mountain, the original Pirates of The Caribbean, Enchanted Tiki Room, Astor Jets, Big Thunder Mountain...none of these attractions had IP and all of them attracted crowds to the parks... There really is no risk to non IP attractions as long as they are well done...
Expedition Everest...was that a risk? Heck no...

What I miss is the merch that was land and attraction specific...it seems like every gift shop now has mostly the same exact stuff.

 

[Brad Bishop]

non IP rides are not risky at all... People come to theme parks for rides and experiences...
There is no risk whatsoever.... Does the ride sell more merchandise? Well that is the question, but not having an IP attached is not going to make the difference between someone liking or hating a ride... The parks need more attractions...IP or not... Speedway, Haunted Mansion, Small World, Space Mountain, the original Pirates of The Caribbean, Enchanted Tiki Room, Astor Jets, Big Thunder Mountain...none of these attractions had IP and all of them attracted crowds to the parks... There really is no risk to non IP attractions as long as they are well done...
Expedition Everest...was that a risk? Heck no...

I agree with you completely. I'm saying that from the current management's view:
- non-IP is an unknown quantity
- Popular IP (Frozen) has numbers to back it up. Build a Frozen Attraction/M&G/merch/cupcake parties/etc.

 

[Bocabear]

What I miss is the merch that was land and attraction specific...it seems like every gift shop now has mostly the same exact stuff.

I agree completely...Part of the fun of souvenir shopping is to have merchandise specific to the lands and attraction...instead of just generic character stuff.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

I agree completely...Part of the fun of souvenir shopping is to have merchandise specific to the lands and attraction...instead of just generic character stuff.

I remember being blown away by the shops at the end of PotC and Splash during our honeymoon in 2000...I could have spent THOUSANDS in just those two shops.

 

[Bocabear]

I agree with you completely. I'm saying that from the current management's view:
- non-IP is an unknown quantity
- Popular IP (Frozen) has numbers to back it up. Build a Frozen Attraction/M&G/merch/cupcake parties/etc.

but it is a fallacy that there is any unknown with building an IP related attraction... People want rides..looks like specifically coasters... They could build any coaster with theming to anything no IP related, and it is going to be incredibly popular... 7 Dwarfs Mine Ride is popular because of the ride that it is...not necessarily because of Snow White...

 

[MisterPenguin]

Breaking News on the Tomorrowland update: A new name has been announced...

Instagramland

 

[aladdin2007]

What I miss is the merch that was land and attraction specific...it seems like every gift shop now has mostly the same exact stuff.

yeah up till a couple or few years ago things had gotten so much better with good merch options that correlated to the area. Now its one big giant mall. There isn't even any merch that says magic kingdom on it anymore....remember the melamine plate sets that had a plate for each land? or the orange bird house items, plates, glasses, figures, pillows etc? and the entire adventureland line.....and so on to name just a few...all of that would still be hugely popular and sell great,,, now its nothing but the same trendy/teen/hip line everywhere, which to me anyway is generic and unappealing.

 

[trainplane3]

yeah up till a couple or few years ago things had gotten so much better with good merch options that correlated to the area. Now its one big giant mall. There isn't even any merch that says magic kingdom on it anymore....remember the melamine plate sets that had a plate for each land? or the orange bird house items, plates, glasses, figures, pillows etc? and the entire adventureland line.....and so on to name just a few...all of that would still be hugely popular and sell great,,, now its nothing but the same trendy/teen/hip line everywhere, which to me anyway is generic and unappealing.

I've felt the same way with Mousegear. For some reason people love it so much (and are worried about it going away for the spine overhaul) but it's 90% of the same stuff found at every other store on property.

 

[aladdin2007]

I've felt the same way with Mousegear. For some reason people love it so much (and are worried about it going away for the spine overhaul) but it's 90% of the same stuff found at every other store on property.

true... same goes for the emporium and all the others. dumbos circus tent use to have different things (now just a preschool store), they took away the cool stores at the studios (cids, writers stop, the art shop in animation courtyard,, the movie memorabilia store at the end of the tram tour,,and replaced with either nothing or same generic merch as everywhere else.

 

[Brad Bishop]

but it is a fallacy that there is any unknown with building an IP related attraction... People want rides..looks like specifically coasters... They could build any coaster with theming to anything no IP related, and it is going to be incredibly popular... 7 Dwarfs Mine Ride is popular because of the ride that it is...not necessarily because of Snow White...

I'm 100% with you. I wish they'd let the Imagineers do what they want but I think those days are long gone. Everything now must be IP related (because of management, marketing, and synergy).

I think, long term, that these IPs will peter out LONG before the older non-IP attractions peter out but, management only sees: "Movie did great at the box office! Shoe-horn it in somewhere in the parks!"

I think 20-30 years out that Epcot will essentially evolve into MK+. They're not going to keep the FW/WS aspect of it as it has been and the countries will simply be pretty fronts for some popular, new IP-based ride - even if it doesn't quite fit (Frozen).

There used to be rules which kept the parks both distinct and unique. Those are gone.

 

[Brad Bishop]

yeah up till a couple or few years ago things had gotten so much better with good merch options that correlated to the area. Now its one big giant mall. There isn't even any merch that says magic kingdom on it anymore....remember the melamine plate sets that had a plate for each land? or the orange bird house items, plates, glasses, figures, pillows etc? and the entire adventureland line.....and so on to name just a few...all of that would still be hugely popular and sell great,,, now its nothing but the same trendy/teen/hip line everywhere, which to me anyway is generic and unappealing.

I think you have to go back to the 1970s and 1980s to get really unique merch at various locations (before the Emporium was built on Main St.). At one time they had a guy who specifically sought out unique items for each of the resorts, parks/lands.

Then the Emporium was built and, overall, it's T-shirts, hats, pins, and plush. There are a few little shops with some unique things left (or there were the last time I went a few years back) but, overall, you can find generic Disney merch everywhere.