WALL•E Attraction Coming to Tomorrowland?

[Luke Manning]

Originally Posted by MiklCraw4d

I'm not sure how WALL-E would fit thematically into Tomorrowland...

It's a futuristic movie, hence Tomorrowland.

[Walt Jr.]

No. Please a non movie ride. Thank you. Try again later.

[Datameister]

Originally Posted by Luke Manning

It's a futuristic movie, hence Tomorrowland.

I'd imagine you're being partially tongue-in-cheek, but I think I'll repeat what I said earlier - there's more to theme than time period and/or geographical location. WALL·E says something very different from all the various incarnations of Tomorrowland that DL has seen. It require a lot of changes throughout the entire land for it to be consistent...or it'd have to sacrifice its own original intent and story.

[Luke Manning]

Originally Posted by Datameister

I'd imagine you're being partially tongue-in-cheek, but I think I'll repeat what I said earlier - there's more to theme than time period and/or geographical location. WALL·E says something very different from all the various incarnations of Tomorrowland that DL has seen. It require a lot of changes throughout the entire land for it to be consistent...or it'd have to sacrifice its own original intent and story.

What do you think about Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters & the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage then?

[Datameister]

Originally Posted by Luke Manning

What do you think about Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters & the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage then?

I think BLAB is, thematically speaking, an abomination. Outside of the context of Tomorrowland, its theme is a valid one, and it's even interesting in its own way - issues with the execution aside. But it makes zero sense in Tomorrowland in the same way that WALL•E would.

As for FNSV...I choose to consider it part of Fantasyland. Disney's site lists it as a Tomorrowland attraction located in the "Tomorrowland lagoon", but their map pushes the Fantasyland color all the way over to the lagoon...so I choose to go with the latter interpretation. It sorta fits in Fantasyland, since it features characters and plot elements from a non-live-action Disney movie, though it's certainly different. In any case, I haven't experienced FNSV for myself yet, so I can't say how much I'd enjoy it.

[BigThunder]

Regardless of what we think around here, recent park history certainly points to the likely inclusion of a WALL•E themed attraction somewhere in Tomorrowland. That said, I would argue that it is entirely possible to build an attraction that uses the characters and styles from the film without ever touching on the somewhat disturbing and not so optimistic premise of the movie.

Just as Jiminy Cricket was used in the past to sell health and safety films (I'm no fool, nosiree!) with zero reference to Pinocchio, WALL•E and friends could easily be used to host and promote a fascinating, science-based attraction about the universe with little or no reference to their larger context. In short, there is a way to eat our cake and have it too.

[Datameister]

But WALL•E him(it?)self is the embodiment of a future that Tomorrowland has never tried to be - a robot that was left behind on an abandoned Earth to clean up our trash. His design and functionality are geared - no pun intended - explicitly toward that. I'll be really disappointed if Disney decides to play dumb and pretend we don't know that. It'd compromise the integrity of the film and the integrity of Tomorrowland. No one wins except the bean counters, who might see a temporary boost in ticket sales. Just like they would if a more thematically appropriate attraction were created.

[BigThunder]

Originally Posted by Datameister

But WALL•E him(it?)self is the embodiment of a future that Tomorrowland has never tried to be - a robot that was left behind on an abandoned Earth to clean up our trash. His design and functionality are geared - no pun intended - explicitly toward that.

True. But like ET and R2D2 before him, he is a vastly entertaining and appealing character in his own right, regardless of his original function or the story points they were designed to serve. I believe that Disney will capitalize on that appeal and entertainment value whenever and wherever they can.

Will there be trash in the wolrd of Tomorrow? Of course there will, so there will be a need for trash compacting robots with oodles of personality. The scenario need be no more complicated than that.

[Datameister]

ET

Looks like an alien...

R2D2

Looks like a robot...

WALL•E

Looks like a very utilitarian (though very cute) trash compactor.

I'm not talking about what Disney will do - I'm talking about what they should do. And they should NOT pretend the stories of the films never happened. Theme park movie tie-ins usually need to occupy the rather thin region between scene-for-scene retelling and pretending the movie never happened. Star Tours and Indy do this well. (Minor Death Star chronology issues aside.) I see two possible scenarios for WALL•E's inclusion in Tomorrowland:

* The story of the film is incorporated in fairly obvious, explicit ways. The result is an attraction that may be very entertaining, yet acts as its own thematic microcosm that contradicts the larger, very different Tomorrowland it inhabits.

* The story of the film is mostly ignored, utilizing WALL•E and friends as recognizable characters with unimportant backstories. The rather important message of the film is marginalized in favor of cutesy narration for a new PeopleMover or something.

[BigThunder]

Originally Posted by Datameister

* The story of the film is mostly ignored, utilizing WALL•E and friends as recognizable characters with unimportant backstories. The rather important message of the film is marginalized in favor of cutesy narration for a new PeopleMover or something.

Bingo. This is what will happen. I respect your arguments Data and I don't disagree. I just think that Disney will exploit the franchise however they can and if that requires ignoring or minimizing much of the story to make it fit, that's just what will happen. That doesn't mean that the resulting attraction wouldn't be vastly entertaining.

[Stromboli]

*** Possible movie spoiler I guess, although why haven't you seen Wall-E yet? ***


Maybe they could make an attraction more focused on the events after people have reinvaded, I mean, resettled on Earth. They could do it Haunted Mansion style. The first part is a walk-through briefly revisiting the Wall-E story, and the second part is a ride that takes you through a new story (hopefully with some newly imagineered characters) bringing you into the struggles and joys of a great big, beautiful tomorrow. Then they could have their Wall-E fix while still exploring something unique for Tomorrowland.

[Baloo]

Originally Posted by Datameister

Looks like an alien...



Looks like a robot...



Looks like a very utilitarian (though very cute) trash compactor.

I'm not talking about what Disney will do - I'm talking about what they should do. And they should NOT pretend the stories of the films never happened. Theme park movie tie-ins usually need to occupy the rather thin region between scene-for-scene retelling and pretending the movie never happened. Star Tours and Indy do this well. (Minor Death Star chronology issues aside.) I see two possible scenarios for WALL•E's inclusion in Tomorrowland:

* The story of the film is incorporated in fairly obvious, explicit ways. The result is an attraction that may be very entertaining, yet acts as its own thematic microcosm that contradicts the larger, very different Tomorrowland it inhabits.

* The story of the film is mostly ignored, utilizing WALL•E and friends as recognizable characters with unimportant backstories. The rather important message of the film is marginalized in favor of cutesy narration for a new PeopleMover or something.

but should we forget the ending of the movie?

The movie ends with humans and robots turning a new life in creating a brighter future. Why can that story not be continued a few thousand years later in a new tomrorowland where humans and robots have created a new world that is full of hramony with sits surrounding yet also technologically futuristic

That is what makes Disney characters so unique, when created they could easily be moved out of the original environment of the movie.

The tomorrowland had a signifcant influence in the movies development so why not take it a step forward and have the new tomorrowland be influenced by the movies future years.




EDIT, sorry i should have read post 26 first. its the same idea of what i just wrote

[Datameister]

The tomorrowland had a signifcant influence in the movies development so why not take it a step forward and have the new tomorrowland be influenced by the movies future years.

Sounds an awful lot like the overly commercial retconning that permeated the hit-and-miss POTC refurb. If something is good enough to inspire another, separate project, how is it bad enough to need the influence of that project after the fact?

The movie ends with humans and robots turning a new life in creating a brighter future. Why can that story not be continued a few thousand years later in a new tomrorowland where humans and robots have created a new world that is full of hramony with sits surrounding yet also technologically futuristic

A valid point...but by that time, WALL•E and friends will be vastly outdated, realistically speaking. It's a stretch, to say the least.

Forgive me, but overall, I'd just really like to see something original and substantial be added to DL. Hasn't happened since...what, Captain EO? (Not trying to suggest that EO should return. I've only seen it in the form of YouTube videos, and while it looks like it was great for its time, I'd much rather see something new.)

[Baloo]

well it will be new

seriously though

tomorrowland = big changes

and Wall-e = YEP

now if only we get that other new BIG attraction

[Ride Warrior]

WALL•E's Tour of the Universe could very well be a preview of a park attraction. The rumor that I had previously posted had been brought to my attention by a friend of an Imagineer at WDI. They told me the coming Disneyland attraction would be a ride, and that it would occupy the Innoventions building once the current contract is up for the current occupant. I'm thinking that they would revamp the entire building.

Momorail Man added the idea that the ride might also be the PeopleMover replacement we've all anxiously awaited. Thus, the ride would replace both Innoventions and the PM tracks. For our favorite little robot to simply become another film replacement in the HISTA building would be a rather cheap and uninteresting let down for the mega-hit. While HISTA needs to go in the worst of ways, let's hope it's replaced by something else.