WALL•E Attraction Coming to Tomorrowland?

[BigThunder]

No, this is not about the PeopleMover.

I just stumbled across the September 14, 2008 podcast from Pixar Planet and they mention that on the upcoming November 18th DVD release of WALL•E there will be a bonus short film feature called 'WALL•E's Tour of the Universe'. The short is listed as a 'preview' and the comentator speculates that this might be a new attraction film for the Parks. The film is described as a classic bit of Disney 'Edutainment'. I have no idea if this is true but it does sound logical.

My guess - and this is only a guess - is that a WALL•E show might be in the works to replace HISTA in the Magic Eye Theater. Regardless of how anyone feels about more film-based attractions or the 'Pixarization' of Disneyland, such a move could only be an improvement on the existing attraction.

Has anyone else heard rumors of this kind?

[Dateline Disneyland]

Originally Posted by BigThunder

No, this is not about the PeopleMover.

I just stumbled across the September 14, 2008 podcast from Pixar Planet and they mention that on the upcoming November DVD release of WALL•E there will be a bonus short film feature called 'WALL•E's Tour of the Universe'. The short is listed as a 'preview' and the comentator speculates that this might be a new attraction film for the Parks. The film is described as a classic bit of Disney 'Edutainment'. I have no idea if this is true but it does sound logical.

My guess - and this is only a guess - is that a WALL•E show might be in the works to replace HISTA in the Magic Eye Theater. Regardless of how anyone feels about more film-based attractions or the 'Pixarization' of Disneyland, such a move could only be an improvement on the existing attraction.

Has anyone else heard rumors of this kind?

I've heard rumors of a WALL-E E-ticket replacing Innoventions in a few years... and I've heard Armchair Imagineering about a WALL-E HISTA replacement.

Who knows, though.

As for the Pixarization of Disneyland, I don't mind it as long as the attractions are thematically relevant to their location. Unfortunately, this hasn't been the case with any of the Pixar additions at Disneyland, and the only Pixar attraction at DCA that somewhat makes sense is "It's Tough To Be A Bug!"

Ultimately, I have no qualms with a WALL-E attraction in Tomorrowland. It would make sense. The WALL-E story takes place in the future through and through and the story itself is quite optimistic at its core. If we must endure feature film-based attractions at Disneyland, WALL-E is one that actually makes sense.



(Whoops! This is MasterGracey, by the way. I forgot I was logged in with my Dateline Disneyland column account. Sorry!)

[dlandjimmy]

I haven't heard anything about this, but I like the idea. HISTA is no good anymore. Most kids probably don't even know what HISTK's is. I doubt most have seen any of those movies.

PS. I think I'm the only active person on the boards right now.

[BigThunder]

From what I understand the new short has little or nothing to do with the broader themes of the WALL•E film, but uses the character as host and MC much like the previous use of Jiminy Cricket for many of the Disney Edutainmnet films of the 50s and 60s.

This, I think, is a very good idea if this 'preview' is indeed going into someplace like Tomorrowland with its traditionally optimistic and upbeat view of the future.

[stitchon]

Well, I'm Hoping Wall-E gets the HISTA theater and Tron gets the Peoplemover track.

[BigThunder]

Well, I just listened to the entire podcast again and have to admit that I may have misheard a couple of things the first time around. The 'WALL•E's Tour of the Universe' feature is not referred to as a short film but as a 'sneak peak'. Guess I just assumed it was a film. Of course this begs the question: a sneak peak of what? Another movie? A theme park attraction? What? They say it is narrated by Auto-Pilot and is meant to be educational but beyond that facts are sparse. Maybe it is an E-ticket replacement for Innoventions. Perhaps something that even brings back the old revolving theater. Who knows?

I've pre-ordered my copy on Amazon and I can't wait to find out.

[girrrtacos]

Originally Posted by BigThunder

They say it is narrated by Auto-Pilot

Heh. I guess they didn't want to spend any money on a real narrator, so they're just using MacInTalk for "Auto".

[chadb14]

I have no problem whatsoever with a Wall-e attaraction taking over either of the locations mentioned above. HISTA was cute to see one time 5 years ago or so, but now it's just old and boring.
I have never cared for Innoventions and rarely go into that building. To me it is a huge waste of precious Tomorrowland space.

[stitchon]

I'd love to see a reimagined Mission to Mars where Innoventions is, maybe involving a different planet that hasn't been visited yet?

I'm still opposed to having Pixar take over three of the most valuable portions of Tomorrowland, however. While it isn't Fantasyland East yet, I don't want it all to be movie themed. If only management thought like that.

[Sy-]

No....... Bring back Captain EO!

[MiklCraw4d]

I'm not sure how WALL-E would fit thematically into Tomorrowland... I know a lot of people are positing a "Buy N Large" layover for the DL TL makeover or the Shanghai Disneyland Tomorrowland but that doesn't exactly speak to me of the themes for which Tomorrowland was intended. Perhaps a 3-D adventure through space with WALL-E would be OK, but I don't want Buy-N-Large everywhere and I want at least something in the land that actually has real-world scientific relevance...

[Datameister]

I enjoyed WALL·E, and I thought the visual styles Pixar developed for that vision of the future were wonderful, as expected...but I wouldn't want that world to be part of Tomorrowland. Not because it's not valid or not fun or not marketable or not viable in three-dimensions...but simply because it's fundamentally a not-entirely-optimistic view of the future. It's (debatably) grimly semi-realistic, in fact, in a way Tomorrowland is not supposed to be.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again...Tomorrowland needs to find an identity that is more specific than just "tomorrow." In the same way that Adventureland does not merely cover all "adventures", Tomorrowland cannot try to cover every take on the idea of tomorrow. It needs unity. A real theme is more than just a time period and/or geographic location. Theme means a lot more than that.

[Baloo]

Wall-e ------------- Yep

[Legacy]

No. Please... no.

I'm not against movie-based attractions entirely, but practically every new attraction introduced to Disneyland for the last twenty years has had some sort of movie tie-in. Let's let Imagineering get a little creative and give us something completely original. Y'know, restore Disneyland (and particularly Tomorrowland) to its former glory.

Yeah, I know the suits probably wouldn't go for a non-movie ride, but if I was in charge that's what I would do.

[Athlonacon]

Originally Posted by Legacy

No. Please... no.

I'm not against movie-based attractions entirely, but practically every new attraction introduced to Disneyland for the last twenty years has had some sort of movie tie-in. Let's let Imagineering get a little creative and give us something completely original. Y'know, restore Disneyland (and particularly Tomorrowland) to its former glory.

Yeah, I know the suits probably wouldn't go for a non-movie ride, but if I was in charge that's what I would do.

Truer words have never been spoken. You'd have my vote for being in charge of Disneyland any day.