What does "Tomorrowland" mean to you?

[Florida_is_hot]

"Tomorrow can be a wonderful age. Our scientists today are opening the doors of the Space Age to achievements that will benefit our children and generations to come. The Tomorrowland attractions have been designed to give you an opportunity to participate in adventures that are a living blueprint of our future."


Many people have a bleak view on "Tomorrow" today.

Global Warming.
Population explosion.
Pollution
Intrusive Technology.
Cut Nasa budget, got to reduce debit.
Does anybody really believe people will go to Mars anytime soon?

I like a fantasy element in Tomorrowland, I am on a vacation and I really do not need to feel guilty or depressed.

Tomorrowland Speedway, replace the cars, with spaceships. Let the kids pretend they are in space.

Carousel of progress how about changing the scenes the last scene a "Fantasy" vision of Tomorrow. Horizons was "Carousel of Progress II" can you imagine Disney brings back and updates the first scene put it in Carousel of Progress?

Space Mountain, Stitch and Buzz Lightyear are fine.
Monsters Inc not really future in any sense just fantasy, but fun.

They can remove the new "Parking Lot" and build something new.


Want technology of the near future, keep it in Epcot.

 

[Vader2112]

Just what I think I read somewhere but when Tomorrowland was first opened, it was supposed to represent the future. Then, as its attractions aged, it was re-themed to be the "Future that Never Was". Sort of a view of the future as seen from the 1930s or 1940s.

That would still be cool but it is not represented. It is now Space Mountain Astro Orbiter and all movie tie ins and the Speedway. Buzz, Monsters Stitch... I like Buzz but move it and Monsters to HWS as pasrt of an expanded Pixar Place. Shut Down Stich and the Speedway...Plenty of room to let the Imagineers do their handy work. Since the rest of the park is Themed essentially 1400-1920 they can really play with the concept of the future.
I beleive Patricia mentioned on one of her posts to incorrporate a Steampunk like element into the design.

 

[lebeau]

Something that would be better than a politically charged infomercial like wall-e would be Treasure Planet. Why Disney doesn't do more with that property I have no clue.

Your copy of Wall-e must differ from mine. Mine is a charming animated film with a few unobtrusive elements of social satire. Maybe you should return that infomercial you picked up for a copy of the movie Disney released.

 

[dopeylover]

Here is how I view Tomorrowland. I base it off the slogan on the poster that I see when I walk under the Main Street Station. It reads "The future that never was.. is finally here!" That's what I feel the true tomorrowland theme should focus on. The hypothetical, the imaginative, and the inventive future that people dream of. And I think for the most part, the current tomorrowland addresses a lot of these concepts, but some attractions do not. Stitch's Great Escape, Monster's Inc Laugh Floor are the two main examples I'm going to focus on. Alien Encounter with it's X-S technology and grasping the future was a much better fit in the Tomorrowland concept than Stitch's Escape is today.

Stitch to me is just a cop out for little kids, with no real relevance to the serious themes of Tomorrowland
Monster's Inc to me also is the same cop out, to a lesser extent because I actually think it's funny.

Tomorrowland Indy Speedway I know is a personal preference. Some want the land used for other attractions, and some want the nostalgia to stay. So I won't really focus on that persay because I already know I wouldn't want to take it down just because of what it means to me. Also I really admire the fact that they have an actual brick from the real Indy Speedway in Indianapolis embeded in the pavement of the track. To me that's awesome, but moving on.

Other than those two attractions, I feel the rest of Tomorrowland really fits into that theme of "the future that never was." The metal palm trees is a nice touch. Rockettower Plaza, a subtle reference to Rockefeller Plaza in NYC. And being from the NYC area I always appreciate that reference. The gift shop Merchant of Venus, a nice shoutout to William Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice. The Tom Morrow Character on the People Mover. The design of Walt's original Epcot that you also see on the people mover. The garbage can that talks. And much more little gems that truly make Tomorrowland "the future that never was"

And the attractions follow with that theme.
Carrousel of Progress - "There's a great big beautiful tomorrow" ..."Just a dream away!"
Buzz Lightyear - "To infinity and beyond"
Space Mountain - "Futuristic rocketship ride through space"
Peoplemover - Walt Disney's idea of future city transportation

So what would I do to make Tomorrowland even better?

1.) Remove Stitch's Great Escape. Please put back Alien Encounter. Please!
2.) Remove Monster's Inc Laugh Floor. If you want to stick with animation for that slot then do something with Wall-E instead.
3.) A Tron simulator ride where the Galaxy Palace Theater used to be. D or E Ticket, but prefer the later.

Anyway that is what think of Tomorrowland.

Totally agree!!! I think it's the truest form of what Walt imagined for it, and I love the mix of nostalgia/future that has always been there, but is quickly being replaced. I wish it really was the future!

 

[Redsky89]

Tomorrowland to me should represent life way into the future. Space ships, tall chrome buildings, aliens and space exploration. I think the things they have now are actually fine and depict the future/ sci-fi theme very well. A refurb could be amazing though. It needs to be over the top or else its gonna have the same feel Future World in Epcot has. I love Future World but aside from Mission Space it to me depicts more of the technology we'll see in our lifetime and not the dramatic sci-fi future you dream about as a kid. Which is what Tomorrowland to me is all about.

 

[MKCP 1985]

Tomorrowland to me means Space Mountain, people mover and Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin. That plus really beautiful lights at night. Tomorrowland is my favorite place to be after the sun goes down.

Attractions like Monsters Inc and Stitch's Great Escape may come and go as did the Timekeeper and the Circlevision 360 as well as Alien Encounter and Mission to Mars - as long as the people mover and Space Mountain are around, plus Buzz, I'll keep going back time and time again!

 

[MissMorrow]

For me, Tomorrowland should remain retro-futuristic. The fun, quirky, Jetson's-esqe future that never happened but you wish had.

For the moment, all that needs to be done to the MK's version is to pull out the weeds, so to speak. Replace SGE with a simple, charming Wall-E attraction, update Buzz to be more like Disneyland's, and update the final scene in CoP, which really should be done every 10 years anyway. If that's all they did, I would consider it a huge improvement.

I'd want to do some more major things also, but other areas of WDW need more immediate attention, IMO.

ETA: Is anyone else reminded of Star Trek when they look at the old Tomorrowland with the pillars? I was too young to remember that Tomorrowland, so all I see is Vulcan Spock M&G anyone?

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

all

 

[MansionGoer13z]

Tomorrowland to me means its time for a long overdo OVERHAUL!

 

[acishere]

I'd like it to be a retro vision of the future. That would at least hold up over time. If they keep trying to make it look like current visions of the future, it is going to keep looking out of date over time. Because tomorrow is just a future yesterday. And now I have the Craig Ferguson theme song stuck in my head.

 

[Patricia Melton]

Tomorrowland, in my opinion, the future we all imagine in our heads. Obviously it won't ever look all shiny and sleek like we imagine but that should be the one place we can feel like it's going to happen in a matter of days.

I think the rides (except space mountain and astro blasters) should all be taken out and replaced with attractions that show off new technologies. WDW has epcot, so there is no need for exhibitions or pavillion type attractions like the original DL Tomorrowland.

I think a new 3d show using stuff never seen before could be good. Rebuild the original flying saucer ride since DL has flying tires. But use all the negatives from that (slow cars) and enhance it.

I like the Flying Saucer Ride idea. I think that would be a fun thing to have.

 

[Patricia Melton]

Treasure Planet was a huge disappointment at the box office; it lost money. Lilo & Stitch was a financial success, with a follow-up tv series. Lilo & Stitch was generally well-received by movie critics, Treasure Planet's reviews were weaker. On a more personal note, my children were of the target age group when both movies came out. They liked L&S but were bored by TP. TP's story was too complicated for small children with limited appeal to other age groups. (Shrek is an example of a movie with appeal across demographics.)

I've read (so this is unconfirmed) that Eisner was a big proponent of Stitch which is why we got so much of it, perhaps more than deserved by its box office performance.

I'm no Stitch fan but understand why Disney spent more money pushing Stitch than TP at the theme parks.

You know what? I love Lilo & Stitch but I think of it as Disney's "Hawaiian Movie". I love how it looks like it's painted in water color and I love the Elvis music. Lilo is adorable.

To me, it's a Hawaii movie and not a space movie, even though Stitch is an alien. Disney seems to completely ignore the Hawaii aspect of the movie these days and wants it to be a space movie in terms of its presence everywhere.

I think the best place for anything Lilo & Stitch related is at the Polynesian Resort...or they could have redone the Tahitian Terrace with Lilo since both are South Pacific themed.

 

[bethymouse]

Tomorrow (the future) is moving by at a too fast pace! You but 1 I Pad and the next year it's updated! You buy 1 smart phone, and then the next year it's updated! HDTV, Blue Ray, computers (laptops are now replaced w/ tablets). Technology is an amazing thing, but I have a love/hate relationship w/ it!
That being said, Tomorrowland to me is Space related, so Astro Orbiter, Space Mountain, and Buzz fits, also Stitch ( but I don't really like it). The speedway is not "futuristic", but there are possibilities- and I don't understand why Disney hasn't capitalized on that! Carousel of Progress is more history- related to me ( doesn't really belong IMHO)- although I suppose the circular moving theater could be considered "futuristic".
So yes, Tomorrowland needs some love.

 

[Patricia Melton]

Tomorrow (the future) is moving by at a too fast pace! You but 1 I Pad and the next year it's updated! You buy 1 smart phone, and then the next year it's updated! HDTV, Blue Ray, computers (laptops are now replaced w/ tablets). Technology is an amazing thing, but I have a love/hate relationship w/ it!
That being said, Tomorrowland to me is Space related, so Astro Orbiter, Space Mountain, and Buzz fits, also Stitch ( but I don't really like it). The speedway is not "futuristic", but there are possibilities- and I don't understand why Disney hasn't capitalized on that! Carousel of Progress is more history- related to me ( doesn't really belong IMHO)- although I suppose the circular moving theater could be considered "futuristic".
So yes, Tomorrowland needs some love.

I think a space focus for Tomorrowland is the best move.

Then you'd have:
* Adventureland = jungle and exotic characters
* Frontierland = cowboys/old west characters
* Fantasyland = fairytale characters
* Tomorrowland = space characters

That would be fun for kids and adults alike.

I don't like Stitch's attraction but he does fit a space theme.

If the Speedway has to stay, then the Go-Karts should be upgraded to look like little space ships and the entire course should be remodeled so it looks like you are zooming through space on different planets or something. If they really ran with the space theme, then Tomorrowland could have a cohesive feel to it.

I think the biggest problem with Tomorrowland is that it feels so disjointed.