New Urban Tomorrowland Ideas

[Bryce05]

So I’ve been thinking lately about a new direction for Tomorrowland, and thought I would post my ideas.
I’ll start off with the general theme I have in mind for the land, and the first of some new attractions to fill it with.

Before I start, I should mention that I have not been to Disneyland since 1999, so I do not know the park as well as most of you. Make sure to correct anything I have wrong.

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A complaint that I have read over and over is that Tomorrowland today is disjointed and muddled thematically.
Tomorrowland is the only land (aside from perhaps Critter Country) that lacks a thematic location. In Main Street or Frontierland one knows where they are supposed to be, but in Tomorrowland not really so.

I propose to take the land in a unified direction. Tomorrowland would become a bustling urban core of the future (perhaps the 2060’s), complete with business, residences, transportation, and entertainment and cultural venues.

The land would represent a positive, grounded view of the future, set in a time where the major concerns of today – the environment, energy, war – are largely resolved. There would, however, be much reference to ‘the past’ (today), and the lessons learnt from it.

Physically, the land would be dominated by the colour white, but not without colour, and with substantially more glass than currently present, and also more use of natural materials – wood, rock.

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TOMORROWLAND TRANSPORTATION CENTRE

The Transportation Centre is not an attraction per se, but the new gateway to Space Mountain, and a new attraction – ‘Speed Across America’.

The Transportation Centre is an all-glass atrium directly in front of Space Mountain, where [I believe] the HISTA theatre currently sits. Inside are the queue entrances for SM and Speed Across America (SAA).
The centre is themed to a transportation hub, servicing rocket and maglev train travellers. Think ultra-futuristic arrival/departure boards and the like.
There would also be internal access to the new restaurant to replace Pizza Planet.

SPEED ACROSS AMERICA

The first of Tomorrowland’s new attractions, this is a D-ticket that is as much about the technology of the future as it is about the ever-present beauty of the USA.

The attraction is located in the space west of SM currently occupied by the Starcade, Star Traders, and HISTA [I believe].

Entering the queue in the Transportation Centre, riders wind through to a platform where ultra-modern maglev trains are ready for cross-country service to the East Coast.
The ‘trains’ (simulators) are boarded from the rear, allowing expansive windows to both the front and the length of each side, essentially surrounding riders.

The ‘windows’ (monitors) proceed to play a film for the duration of the ride, and simulator movement adds realism.
This is not an intense Star Tours-style thrill ride, but more of a hybrid between that attraction and Soarin’.
Real landscapes footage is used, but digital effects too.

At the outset, the windows play an introductory video, detailing the cross-country path the train will be taking, and perhaps a brief ‘history’ of maglev implementation.

After the video, the windows clear, providing a view outside. The train is already travelling at high-speed, and outside of Tomorrowland.
From here the film resembles that of Soarin’ to some degree, as the train speeds through desert, mountain, and plains landscapes. Digitally superimposed on the landscapes are examples of future technology, and on-board narration highlights them.

For example, as the train speeds past a vast plain of wind turbines and solar panels the narration tells of how the USA is now almost entirely powered by renewable energy.
Modern agricultural technologies could be seen, perhaps even herds of bison (now flourishing rather than feared for)…
Moments in the dark, as the train speeds through mountain tunnels, provide light thrills (and scene transitions).
As the train nears the East Coast, futuristic city-scapes can be seen in the distance.

Upon nearing the destination, another video would play on the screen (this would avoid having to show an animated city in close-up).

As a simulator attraction Speed Across America is similar to Star Tours, but ST is no longer found in the new Tomorrowland.

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So that is the first attraction of a new urban-themed Tomorrowland. Hope you like it. Please post your thoughts (if you don't like it, please tell why)!
I will post more ideas sometime soon.

Thanks for reading.

[Datameister]

I like it thus far. I'm looking forward to seeing how you handle the issues of BLAB and FNSV...and Innoventions, for that matter...

[Eric5675]

I like it! I'd like to see a ride on the peoplmover tracks as the hub (since it really is). It sounds great.

[Bryce05]

Originally Posted by Datameister

I like it thus far. I'm looking forward to seeing how you handle the issues of BLAB and FNSV...and Innoventions, for that matter...

A true Tomorrowland is no place for Buzz Lightyear imo, and therefore it's gone in my plan. The replacement for that building will be my next post.

Innoventions will live on in a way, but very different. As for Nemo, in reality there's no way Disney will entertain the cost of a thematic overhaul for many years, so can I just draw an imaginary line from Tomorrowland Terrace over to Autopia and pretend it's part of Fantasyland?

[Datameister]

Good man.

[ICe101]

I don't like the idea of removing Star Tours. It is a really good attraction that is more futuristic then flying over America.

[Bryce05]

Originally Posted by ICe101

I don't like the idea of removing Star Tours. It is a really good attraction that is more futuristic then flying over America.

Definitely a fair point; Star Tours is more explicitly 'futuristic', and a solid attraction (though in need of a 2.0), but it doesn't really mesh with my idea of taking Tomorrowland towards a more grounded, urban theme. That is why it is gone in my plan.

[ICe101]

I rather have a junction of themes then giving it one flat solid theme. More open, rounded themes have better options for future attractions. One grounded theme works for a second gate but not for Disneyland.

[Datameister]

Originally Posted by ICe101

I rather have a junction of themes then giving it one flat solid theme. More open, rounded themes have better options for future attractions. One grounded theme works for a second gate but not for Disneyland.

Just because you pick a cohesive theme for a land doesn't mean you don't have sufficient options for future attractions. It's possible to have a broad range of possibilities that all fit within a consistent thematic framework. Disneyland at its best does have cohesive themes for its lands - not overly specific, but cohesive. Adventureland is about adventures in exotic, jungle-y locales, with a particular emphasis on the early 20th century...Frontierland is about the Old West, with some leeway for slightly less specific interpretations of the word "frontier," too...Mickey's Toontown is about a fictional land built by and inhabited by Disney cartoons...you get the idea. There are many other amazing options for these lands that would fit their themes perfectly! Same goes for Tomorrowland. Limiting your options is not inherently a bad thing - if you let just any idea drift into the park, it'd be a disaster!

[Mojave]

You know, Speed Across America is a great idea! Well themed, showing actual future technology, but still grounded, still practical.

My questions: have you thought about ride capacity and length? And therefore, hourly capacity. How big would the ride units be, how many, etc.?

[Uncle Bob]

This is pretty much exactly the direction that I think they should take with TL.

[Bryce05]

Thanks for the feedback!

Originally Posted by Mojave

My questions: have you thought about ride capacity and length? And therefore, hourly capacity. How big would the ride units be, how many, etc.?

Hmm, let's say the film is around 4 1/2 minutes (like both Star Tours and Soarin')...
The vehicle would load from the back, not the sides, to allow the wrap-around screens. It could seat say 6 a row (3 on each side of the centre aisle), with 7 rows - that's 42 (Star Tours seats 40).
If the film runs 4 1/2 minutes, I guess you would have to allow 6 minutes per cycle. 10 cycles an hour. 420 riders an hour per vehicle?

I'm not sure how many vehicles ST uses, but if SAA had 4 that'd be 1,680 an hour, or with 5 2,100.

[pianoman13]

Great idea!

I do love Star Tours though. All the rumors of it's updates sound really good. 3D? in cabin effects? a new movie period? yes please. It's a little out there for an "urban" Tomorrowland but it's fun even now and could be even more fun with it's updates.

I'm definitely excited to hear your other ideas.

[Professortango]

I don't see how Star Tours doesn't mesh. If we are blue skying, it can be relocated to the Transportation Centre, seeing as it is basically an intergallatic airline. I think Buzz could also work is played realistically. Create a Star Command recruiting center with information of Zurg's latest attack. We are enlisted by a human Buzz Lightyear and sent on a mission to rescue POW's and stop Zurg's attack. You can even keep it a shooter. Disable robot guards, shoot open locked doors, blast Zurg's war machine.

[dogtherock]

Great idea! However I personally think that there should be two lines for this ride. One for a D-ticket attraction and one for an E-ticket attraction. The E-ticket could be more like ST and maybe the train takes "the long way" through the mountains making it very bumpy. Especialy if you want to get rid of ST. other than that great idea!

My idea is for the vacant PeopleMover track. In the pixar movie The Incredibles , Bob Part goes to Syndromes Secret island and there is a very cool "monorail" type PeopleMover. I think it is the perfect design to be flying over Tomorrowland to keep up the theme of urban 2060's. But saying that they would need to get rid of BLAB or FNSV to keep Tomorrowland from turning into Pixarland.