Disney and Me

Tomorrowland, Anaheim - My Way

I have no experience of the Rocket Rods. My Tomorrowland is filled with buildings with random holes in them, with architecture leading up to them, but no use to them. I played on the Cosmic Waves outside Space Mountain. Autopia is Green and Purple. Astro Orbitor is at the front in Gold and Red. Space Mountain is white. This brand new ride, Astro Blasters takes up the left side of Tomorrowland. There's a lagoon that is kinda neat, eventually a Finding Nemo ride is there. Tomorrowland 1998 has become a mess. There is no tomorrow in Tomorrowland now. Here's how I would change things to make it better. Let's go clockwise from Astro Orbitor for the fourth New Tomorrowland, Tomorrowland Padsquad2010.

I'm not a Disney traditionalist. I think Astro Orbitor is in a perfectly fine location. The rock work is weird and should be removed. It has no assistance in the theming. I wish they'd go back to gold because those colors feel right to me. They could retheme it much in the same way that Magic Kingdom has and place planets and ornate decorations on the structure, but I like the way it was in 1998.

Next, we hit an unused Rocket Rods track. We hit this now because it has to get covered eventually. My idea is that if they redo Tomorrowland, they can achieve the thrill ride idea. My idea: Tron Lightcycle Power Run. The Lightcycle feels so futuristic that its actual futuristic status is unnecessary given where Tomorrowland is headed. The Peoplemover track can be rebuilt, allowing this to succeed where Rocket Rods failed. The loading platform can be expanded to accommodate a faster guest cyclethrough. The launch pad can be covered to allow for the cool launch used in the Shanghai ride to be felt. Tron theming can be placed prominently in Innoventions and Space Mountain. I think this idea could work if they don't ultimately restore the PeopleMover. I write more about this later in the chapter.

Astro Blasters is next, and completely unnecessary in Tomorrowland Padsquad2010. What can fill the void? A dark ride could definitely work, preferably Marvel-based. There's a lot of Marvel talk related to Hollywood Land, so I'm hesitant to bring it to Tomorrowland. That's why my proposal is a dark ride based on Lilo and Stitch. It's not the fun Hawaiian stuff. This one would go along similar themes to Stitch's Great Escape at Magic Kingdom. The interactive shooter can even be maintained by allowing you to shoot the aliens who try to stop you from helping Stitch escape the ship. As long as kids don't think "I'm shooting aliens!", but rather, "I'm shooting Z's!", then not much of the ride itself needs changing, just the theming. The store switches from Buzz Lightyear Star Command to a Galactic Federation theme.

Up next: Tomorrowland Terrace. It's actually pretty fine. Just it needs a theme. Give it a space-y name and you're good.

Next we see the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. I propose something that seems very simple. Make it part of Fantasyland. It belongs there now. It's a beautiful ride that does not deserve to die. I propose moving the load dock to the Fantasyland side, and working the decorations in at the end as a new story. Instead of seeing all the cool, but pointless decorations first and setting up the dive down, you dive down very quickly. The speaker talks about how we have the new technology to understand what fish say and how we are excited to use it during the descent. When you ascend, you've found ruins and divers looking for it. That stuff's filler now, and it will stay filler through this.

Next is Autopia, which should also be Fantasyland. This ride would fit easily into Fantasyland. You fill in the Motor Boat Cruise, expand the course, move the loading station, and now you have yourself a Fantasyland Autopia. It can be rethemed to any car you want. However, I doubt Autopia will survive. I do not want Autopia in Tomorrowland. I'd rather lose it entirely than have it in Tomorrowland. It is a major slap to the face that we have a ride about cars in Tomorrowland. We can't even make the case that because they're electric, they're futuristic now. I think the space could also be used as a Test Track-like ride if we want to keep it in Tomorrowland, but that would mean messing with the Monorail. I'm not messing with the Monorail beyond this. Either way, Autopia does not belong in Tomorrowland

Next is Innoventions. I literally cheered when I found out this was gone. I also used the word literally properly. I went to Innoventions once. It was complete garbage. I actually think this would be great for the Tron ride mentioned earlier. You expand the loading area back quite a ways. The bottom floor becomes the queue. The top becomes the loading area and some dark ride elements. You can also see the light cycles fly around the back of the building on the Rods track. The building loses its rotating elements to accommodate a thrill ride. Most of this ride was discussed earlier.

Next is Redd Rockett's Pizza Port. It needs a retheming to fit with Tomorrowland Padsquad2010. The Moonliner can stay, but the gaudy red and green nineties design needs to be rethemed. It can even be called the Pizza Port, just it needs to be repainted basically.

Next is Space Mountain. First of all, it loses the Hyperspace Mountain. They have Star Wars Land being built for a reason. Secondly, the section between Magic Eye, Pizza Port, and Space Mountain needs to flow more smoothly. The Pizza Port should encapsulate all of its seating area in there. The Fastpass booth should be moved to where Star Traders is today, and the line for Space Mountain should extend to the front of the building. Thirdly, there can be some projections a la Disneyland Paris. I know, blasphemous, right?

Next is the Magic Eye Theater. Ever since Captain EO left, the theater has honestly sucked. Put EO back. Despite being horribly dated, it fits the theme perfectly. It's something I love, and it left a huge impact on me as a young child that I still feel today. This is my Tomorrowland. I don't care what you think. I want EO.

Next is the Star Traders and Starcade. Starcade should become extra EO seating, a Fastpass booth for Space Mountain, and an extension of the Mountain and EO lines should be made to the left of it. Star Traders is fine, but should be redesigned to feel less like the 80's and more modern.

Next is Star Tours - The Adventures Continue. This ride will simply be shipped to Star Wars Land. In its place is Mission: Space. We clone the Epcot ride and put it in Tomorrowland.

So our New Tomorrowland has the following:
Astro Orbitor
Stitch's Space Escape
Federation HQ
Tomorrowland Terrace
Tron Lightcycle Power Run
Disneyland Alweg Monorail
Pizza Port
Space Mountain
Captain EO
Mission: Space
Star Traders

Fantasyland expands to include:
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
Autopia

Star Wars Land gains:
Star Tours - The Adventures Continue