The Future That Never Was
So, the four Tomorrowland styles currently spread across Disney Parks are very, very different. As the parks diverged and took on new and unique styles, they grew and expanded. As with any Disney Parks project, there were quite a few ideas that simply didn't make it off the table. Here are four more Tomorrowlands, but these aren't designs that you'll actually see in the real world. At least, not yet...
Which of these four never-built concepts would you like to see next time Tomorrowland readies for a re-build?
1. Sci-Fi City
Proposed For: Tokyo Disneyland
As mentioned, Tokyo Disneyland still has the relatively simple Tomorrowland style that it and Magic Kingdom opened with. It never got a full, “timeless” re-do like the rest, but that doesn’t mean one wasn’t planned. In fact, Tokyo had ambitious plans for a re-build of their Tomorrowland that they called Sci-Fi City. Perhaps the easiest way to describe the eclectic land is Magic Kingdom’s comic book Tomorrowland meets gritty industrial anime meets Fox's Futurama.
The pop culture land would’ve been bright, fantastic, and loud with searchlights, hover cars, planetarium domes, rocket ships, and giant robots. The idea is practically perfect for the Japanese park. The land would’ve included rides like the Flying Saucers, a Sci-Fi Zoo, and new racing speeder bikes on Space Mountain’s exterior. As well, Space Mountain would've become Hyperspace Mountain, a completely upgraded take on the classic. In the end, the Oriental Land Company who owns and operates the resort decided instead to build Tokyo DisneySea, a second gate. Ultimately a good choice.
2. Tomorrowland 2055
Proposed For: Disneyland Park
When Disneyland Paris hit a wall of financial disaster, plans across the Disney Parks were reduced as budgets were cut. The unfortunate result was the much-maligned "Tomorrowland 1998" we chronicled on the last page, which tried to emulate Paris' golden, European fantasy future in California. The look floundered, of course, at today the land is a mish-mash of styles that make little sense together.
If those budgets hadn't been cut, Disneyland would've ended up with Tomorrowland 2055, a very ambitious and groundbreaking timeless take on the area. The unique land would've been an technological, streamlined spaceport connected by skywalks and lit by cloud-scanning searchlights.
The key attraction, surprisingly, would've been a version of Magic Kingdom's ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter, with the circular theatre already set aside. The Carousel Theatre (formerly home to Carousel of Progress and America Sings) was due for another magnificent musical animatronic show: Plectu's Intergalactic Revue. Instead, Alien Encounter's theatre became a pizza restaurant, and the Carousel Theatre became a West Coast version of Epcot's Innoventions. Tomorrowland 2055 would've been a sight to see, for sure, and one of the coolest Tomorrowland concepts around.
3. Star Wars Universe
Proposed For: Disneyland Park
Disneyland's ill-fated New Tomorrowland opened 16 years ago. For that entire time, the park has slowly backed away from the style, covering copper and gold paint with silver and white once again, and trying to lean away from the fantasy style that contradicted the land's Space Age architecture and rides. It's now 2014, and rumors suggest that it's time for a New New Tomorrowland - another full, floor-to-ceiling rebuild. Can you imagine a future set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away?
For a while, rumors have swirled that New Tomorrowland is on its way and that it will be firmly rooted in the Star Wars mythos. Especially with Disney having purchased LucasFilm and taking control of upcoming Star Wars sequels, it seems assured that the Star Wars Universe will find its way into Disney Parks in a big way, and the aging and disliked Tomorrowland in California could be one place to start.
That said, even insiders say that Imagineers and executives change plans by the day, and it increasingly seems that while Star Wars will be huge in Disney Parks by the end of the decade, Tomorrowland might not be the target anymore... Instead, an original, from-scratch Star Wars land might hit Disneyland in the next few years. Let's just hope that a New Tomorrowland happens, too, even if it's separate.
If you're hoping for a Star Wars overlay to Disneyland's Tomorrowland, be sure to read our complete feature on the concept by clicking here.
4. Tomorrowland Shanghai
When Shanghai Disneyland opens, it’ll be quite a departure from your local Disney Park. For one, Disney has completely shuffled the park’s lands and layout. In each successive Disneyland-style park, lands have been tweaked, but never has Adventureland been to your right when standing at the Hub. Likewise, Tomorrowland will be to the left.
Truthfully, there’s still not a whole lot that we know about this new Tomorrowland. Artist’s renderings of the whole park are intentionally abstract or light on detail. Disney did release concept art of Tomorrowland, but the angle doesn’t give a great sense of its style. For one, it makes Tomorrowland appear like an airport plaza alongside a golf course. If that’s true, maybe this Tomorrowland won’t have a grand entry avenue leading to a futuristic city like all the rest.
One thing we do know is the lineup of attractions it’ll house. Replacing the spinning Astro Orbitor rockets will be a new Jet Packs ride. Likewise, the typical Buzz Lightyear dark ride present at other parks will get a new lease on life in a new form, as Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue. Most surprising, the park won’t have a Space Mountain at all. Instead, it’ll feature a double dueling coaster called TRON: Lightcycles Power Run based on the sci-fi motorcycle-esque sequences from the TRON films. It’s a whole new world of sci-fi adventures.
A glimpse into tomorrow
Tomorrow is a funny thing, because it can take a lot of forms. It's interesting and ultimately compelling that Disney's Parks purposefully diverge and represent different styles of the future, and it's great to watch those visions change and grow. It's also good to know what could have been. They say good ideas never die at Disney, so just because you haven't seen some of these concepts come to life yet, it doesn't mean they won't.
If you're interested in the many never-built lands at Disney Parks, be sure to check out our countdown of nine lost concepts for theme park lands. As for Tomorrowland, which of the current four styles is your favorite? Which of the never-built ideas would you be most excited to see brought to life?
Comments
A great idea for an inside change would to change Carousel of Progress. Offer the current animanotronic show for only a few hours of the day to maintain its constant oldest running status. For the rest of the time use the theatre seating for theatre elements including similar interacting as the DCA wheel at the nighttime water show, videos of past and current Disney technology, and 'sneak-peak' videos not found elsewhere of proposed projects. And the kicker for Disney corp is to include voting/feedback on projects that haven't event been funded yet while you have the captive audience. (The tech crossover with the original show can easily be something as simple as remotely operating a stage item or perhaps playing the game grandma keeps winning.)
Past rides and shows can be featured, except for the quietly (cover your eyes, there is no way around it) farting seats, Mission to Mars can be played as well as a wide range of antique training videos.