New Autopia Ideas

[Scary Scott]

Well I remember my dad telling me that the vision was for a nation wide freeway but the reson why it stuck around after freeways were comon place was because freeways were filthy (his famly and others thought it better to thow garbage out the window rather than keep it in the car.)
And traffic was (is) bumper to bumper in real life. But here the freeway is shown clean and free of traffic jams and wrecks. ( an image of a cheveron car flying off track an smacking a sub comes to mind as funny but not happening.) The way id fix it would be to make it go about half the path its on now but with all paved roads im sorry but in the future perfect I dont have dirt roads on the freeway. It Starts with a left turn followd by a short straightish path that goes around the outer most berm towards IASW to a show building to demonstrate how these new vehicles help "Space Explorrers" on Mars get around different collonys all this is like an off road test track then after turning around inside it comes out of the show room and then shows how vehicle tech and road tech makes life on the roads closer to home safer and more comfortable to ride on than ever before. this would use some of the current paths and eliminate some to free up space for something...
I hope I made sence. O.o

[25delta]

Think teacups (or Roger Rabbit) on cars, one driver controls the forward speed while a second controls horizontal spin (not a fast a teacups but 360 degree spin to allow you to ride sideways, or even backwards. Or if solo, one hand turns the steering wheel and the second the spin.

Let me expand, in homage of the past fantasyland tomorrowland autopias, it is a trip through automotive transportation. Each car is controlled by the driver or driver/passenger combo as above. You load in your car outside and drive through a short tunnel. Long enough to look to the sides and see your reflection in an early model T, then back outside for a bumpy ride. Next a short tunel with a 1950's hotrod reflection when you look in the mirror, back outside, smoother ride but quick starts, then the 1990's tunnel with the reflection of SUV's and sensation of driving from 2 feet off the ground. And finally the Tunnel of tomorrow, with the reflection of you in a hover craft or personal plane like car and a very smooth gliding like ride.

[Peoplemover Priit]

Mars rovers, hover cars, and moon buggies. And of course, electricity powered.

[Scary Scott]

Originally Posted by 25delta

Think teacups (or Roger Rabbit) on cars, one driver controls the forward speed while a second controls horizontal spin (not a fast a teacups but 360 degree spin to allow you to ride sideways, or even backwards. Or if solo, one hand turns the steering wheel and the second the spin.

Let me expand, in homage of the past fantasyland tomorrowland autopias, it is a trip through automotive transportation. Each car is controlled by the driver or driver/passenger combo as above. You load in your car outside and drive through a short tunnel. Long enough to look to the sides and see your reflection in an early model T, then back outside for a bumpy ride. Next a short tunel with a 1950's hotrod reflection when you look in the mirror, back outside, smoother ride but quick starts, then the 1990's tunnel with the reflection of SUV's and sensation of driving from 2 feet off the ground. And finally the Tunnel of tomorrow, with the reflection of you in a hover craft or personal plane like car and a very smooth gliding like ride.

Pretty good but I wouldent do the whole spinny thing it would be to hard on the real driver.
How would you make the cars look anyhow if it was to spin?
if you do the spining you cant steer the car too easy..

[ICe101]

Ahh! Finaly thought of an idea today in science. Autopia could be very futuristic, you just need futuristic technology. First I would rip out the metal guides on the current track. I would keep the cement road itself just pull out guide rails. Then I would add new magnetic strips that would control the car to go at a contiunous speed. Therefore children who have trouble with their cars will no longer have that problem. However this continuous speeed would just have a flat rate. Drivers could make the cars go faster however only if they were far enough away from the driver ahead of you. Come to close to the car in front of you and the car automatically slows down. Also, I would like to paint over these magnetic guides so guest feel as if they are on the open road with no boundries then I would want to add a radio system. Where you could listen to talk shows about Tomorrowland expansions, old Tomorrowland songs (ala "Miracles from Molecules" and "The Monorail Song"), one that talks about Space Travel, another about futureistic disney characters like Stitch, Wall-E, Buzz Lightyear, and finally one that talks about what you are passing on your ride through the highways of tomorrow. The last option would be what you hear as you leave the station then guest have their choice. This eliminates the amount of CM's scattered through the track having to assist drivers as well as make the whole process far more enjoyable with less bumps. This very well could speed up the loading process too. Then in the line, the system can be described giving it a truly futuristic feel.

[ICe101]

Anyone else feel that this ride could easily be enhanced with out enclosing it like I said above?

[Coheteboy]

Originally Posted by ICe101

Anyone else feel that this ride could easily be enhanced with out enclosing it like I said above?

I have no idea you mentioned anything about enclosing or not enclosing the ride.

But then again, paragraphs might help others to read your description a bit easier.

[Hilsbro]

Originally Posted by ICe101

Ahh! Finaly thought of an idea today in science. Autopia could be very futuristic, you just need futuristic technology. First I would rip out the metal guides on the current track. I would keep the cement road itself just pull out guide rails. Then I would add new magnetic strips that would control the car to go at a contiunous speed. Therefore children who have trouble with their cars will no longer have that problem. However this continuous speeed would just have a flat rate. Drivers could make the cars go faster however only if they were far enough away from the driver ahead of you. Come to close to the car in front of you and the car automatically slows down. Also, I would like to paint over these magnetic guides so guest feel as if they are on the open road with no boundries then I would want to add a radio system. Where you could listen to talk shows about Tomorrowland expansions, old Tomorrowland songs (ala "Miracles from Molecules" and "The Monorail Song"), one that talks about Space Travel, another about futureistic disney characters like Stitch, Wall-E, Buzz Lightyear, and finally one that talks about what you are passing on your ride through the highways of tomorrow. The last option would be what you hear as you leave the station then guest have their choice. This eliminates the amount of CM's scattered through the track having to assist drivers as well as make the whole process far more enjoyable with less bumps. This very well could speed up the loading process too. Then in the line, the system can be described giving it a truly futuristic feel.

Because 1 stationary cast member and one roaming is TOO MUCH...I do like the radio station idea and well....Magnetic systems have a larger fail rate than the guide rails....and well....safety is number one...plus...most kids cannot see the guide rails....have you seen the eyes of the children that go on the ride...they enjoy it...

[DLFreak71]

Originally Posted by Tomorrowland_1967

Well .. Disney's latest public campaign .. is to go GREEN. Hybrid, is only "half green". So, if Autopia stays - they need to be all-electric.

Personally .. I want the Autopia to go! The name of the land is TOMORROWland ..........

Autopia .. is about as "Tomorrow" as the mid 20th Century.

The automobile was invented about 1888. The 19th Century folks!
The freeway was invented in 1940 - The "Pasadena 110" freeway - Worlds first freeway. First freeway into Orange County - The Santa Ana I-5. Opened in 1954. One year before "Walt's mini freeway" opened. It was doomed into a "yesterland" attraction from the start!

Now .... cars are in the millions just outside Disneyland, as well are hundreds of miles worth of California freeways - I don't see the point in keeping it .. other than to play up to some people's nostalgia .. and don't want to see the land continue to be updated - as it is the "land of the future" and needs updating all the time. The automobile is common place today .. and since when should Disneyland be about "common place" experiences?

Holding on to Autopia ... is not "good business" for a land struggling to be about the future.

This whole quadrant of Disneyland is more "aquatic" than anything else .. with the Submarine Voyage, the nearby waters of the former "Motor Boat Cruise" - I would like to see the area totally re-christianed into a separate "Aquatic"-land ... the lanes of the Autopia converted into variation of the DisneySea "Aquatopia". Essentially ... piloting your own "Aquatopia" vehicle through a series of narrow streams .. and drive through some "water" type gags to make it interesting.

I'm not usually one for ripping out rides.
But this one is not in it's orignal state anymore and it's sucks as a ride.
It belongs on main street now (please don't do it, but it just reminds me of that time period).
They could do so much better (ok, we could probably debate the idea if they could do better since some of the newer ideas haven't really been up to Walt quality lately).

[DLFreak71]

Originally Posted by WJNM

They would only do this if it tied-in with something popular.

I just had horrid visions of Hannah Montana and the Jonas Brothers blasting their way though Autopia...

if that would happen, it would be an even bigger reason to get rid of the ride.
Besides, the talentless Miley is becoming a handful for Disney and if not mistaken she wants to be a big girl now and do big girl songs.

[lakewood]

Originally Posted by dogtherock

It is very clear that Autopia (and the rest of Tomorrowland for that matter) is in need of major renovations! My question is what are YOUR ideas to make Autopia represent the future? The cars, the track, the scenery! I think we would all love to here!

Ditch the cartooney looking cars. The old cars were great. I know that sponsorship is huge at D Land, heck I hear the Matterhorn will be sponsored by Ricola next year. But I don't like the talking cars and corporate logos everywhere on the ride. I do like the "midget" autopia car that was left behind.

The track is cool, I like the "off road" section. And for the love of god and all things holy and sacred (beer) don't make it a Cars themed attraction, wait they are doing that at DCA.

[MarkTwain]

Okay, now I'll do what design students do best: steal other ideas, combine them all and pass them off as my own

But seriously, based on what I've read so far, here's what I think could be a reasonable solution.

The New Autopia features futuristic vehicles, like this, this (without the lid), or even the famous Aptera, in various colors. The queue is essentially the same, but now the screens and window displays describe the advanced transportation system of Tomorrowland, and the ride the guests are about to experience. Once guests board the car, they immediately start moving forward slowly, because the cars now have a slow base speed so the traffic stays in motion even if the pedal is stuck, or whatever the problem may be. Pressing the pedal accelerates, but no longer burns gas: these cars are 100% electric. Cars can enter and leave the track to recharge, when necessary. The guiderail is now gone, and cars are guided invisibly by a track underground - not magnetic, but rather like Pooh's Hunny Hunt, without the random ride sequences. Some steering would be allowed, but not enough that would allow you to collide into an adjacent vehicle. The tracks are also programmed to not allow a car to collide into the car in front. The cars now make a soft whirring sound, which gets louder when you accelerate, and still makes that put-put sound when you leave the queue.

However, new to the track are showbuildings which portray the history of transportation by land. Scenes might include the advent of the chariot, a stagecoach robbery, the train craze out West, and a Ford Model T sale. [EDIT: The last and largest showbuilding would include a glimpse of how the future of transportation might look, with monorails, Skyways, the "family car" of the future, and a speed tunnel you accelerate through depicting you speeding down a road centuries from now.] These scenes might be like something like those from the now-gone World of Motion at Epcot. You might also see a few dormant cars from Autopia past, or even a PeopleMover pod along your way. Since there isn't much room for showbuildings and they would have to be spaced out, between them would be exotic outdoor scenery - your car might drive through the desert, jungle, alpine mountains, Mars, etc., while passing landscaping such as waterfalls, and driving through plexiglass tunnels. This suggests a sense of travel of great and interplanetary distances, greater than any dated concept of a freeway would provide.

The car would also have a radio function which has two settings: on and off. The radio, while on, would welcome you to the Tomorrowland Autopia, and would narrate the show scenes as you pass through them. Between show scenes, nostalgic TL songs like "It's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" and "Miracles from Molecules" would play. Some random signals from "around the world" (China, France) and around Disneyland (Main Street, Adventureland) might interject occasionally with static. Should you prefer a nice, quiet ride, you can simply turn the radio off.

Hopefully, this would bring the relevance of Autopia to Tomorrowland ideals, and might also raise the attraction's status from a B- or C- ticket to a good D-ticket, hopefully. It would also bring back some of that good ol' edutainment to the park.

Well, that's my* Autopia idea. I'm hoping to someday write my own "MarkTwain's Tomorrowland" thread, based entirely off of "original" ideas.

* with some inspiration from ICe101 and CoheteBoy

[Coheteboy]

Originally Posted by MarkTwain

Okay, now I'll do what design students do best: steal other ideas, combine them all and pass them off as my own

But seriously, based on what I've read so far, here's what I think could be a reasonable solution.

The New Autopia features futuristic vehicles, like this, this (without the lid), or even the famous Aptera, in various colors. The queue is essentially the same, but now the screens and window displays describe the advanced transportation system of Tomorrowland, and the ride the guests are about to experience. Once guests board the car, they immediately start moving forward slowly, because the cars now have a slow base speed so the traffic stays in motion even if the pedal is stuck, or whatever the problem may be. Pressing the pedal accelerates, but no longer burns gas: these cars are 100% electric. Cars can enter and leave the track to recharge, when necessary. The guiderail is now gone, and cars are guided invisibly by a track underground - not magnetic, but rather like Pooh's Hunny Hunt, without the random ride sequences. Some steering would be allowed, but not enough that would allow you to collide into an adjacent vehicle. The tracks are also programmed to not allow a car to collide into the car in front. The cars now make a soft whirring sound, which gets louder when you accelerate, and still makes that put-put sound when you leave the queue.

However, new to the track are showbuildings which portray the history of transportation by land. Scenes might include the advent of the chariot, a stagecoach robbery, the train craze out West, and a Ford Model T sale. These scenes might be like something like those from the now-gone World of Motion at Epcot. You might also see a few dormant cars from Autopia past, or even a PeopleMover pod along your way. Since there isn't much room for showbuildings and they would have to be spaced out, between them would be exotic outdoor scenery - your car might drive through the desert, jungle, alpine mountains, Mars, etc., while passing landscaping such as waterfalls, and driving through plexiglass tunnels. This suggests a sense of travel of great and interplanetary distances, greater than any dated concept of a freeway would provide.

The car would also have a radio function which has two settings: on and off. The radio, while on, would welcome you to the Tomorrowland Autopia, and would narrate the show scenes as you pass through them. Between show scenes, nostalgic TL songs like "It's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" and "Miracles from Molecules" would play. Some random signals from "around the world" (China, France) and around Disneyland (Main Street, Adventureland) might interject occasionally with static. Should you prefer a nice, quiet ride, you can simply turn the radio off.

Hopefully, this would bring the relevance of Autopia to Tomorrowland ideals, and might also raise the attraction's status from a B- or C- ticket to a good D-ticket, hopefully. It would also bring back some of that good ol' edutainment to the park.

Well, that's my* Autopia idea. I'm hoping to someday write my own "MarkTwain's Tomorrowland" thread, based entirely off of "original" ideas.

* with some inspiration from ICe101 and CoheteBoy

I like it! But would prefer a new queue as well. The current one is an eye sore.

I picture something that would match the rest of Tomorrowland with some spires and cool building facades (ideally a new monorail station and submarine dock as well).

I would still like to see some sort of history of the autopia in the queue.

Good job!

[Danwii]

Originally Posted by Tomorrowland_1967

Well .. Disney's latest public campaign .. is to go GREEN. Hybrid, is only "half green". So, if Autopia stays - they need to be all-electric.

Personally .. I want the Autopia to go! The name of the land is TOMORROWland ..........

Autopia .. is about as "Tomorrow" as the mid 20th Century.

The automobile was invented about 1888. The 19th Century folks!
The freeway was invented in 1940 - The "Pasadena 110" freeway - Worlds first freeway. First freeway into Orange County - The Santa Ana I-5. Opened in 1954. One year before "Walt's mini freeway" opened. It was doomed into a "yesterland" attraction from the start!

Now .... cars are in the millions just outside Disneyland, as well are hundreds of miles worth of California freeways - I don't see the point in keeping it .. other than to play up to some people's nostalgia .. and don't want to see the land continue to be updated - as it is the "land of the future" and needs updating all the time. The automobile is common place today .. and since when should Disneyland be about "common place" experiences?

Holding on to Autopia ... is not "good business" for a land struggling to be about the future.

This whole quadrant of Disneyland is more "aquatic" than anything else .. with the Submarine Voyage, the nearby waters of the former "Motor Boat Cruise" - I would like to see the area totally re-christianed into a separate "Aquatic"-land ... the lanes of the Autopia converted into variation of the DisneySea "Aquatopia". Essentially ... piloting your own "Aquatopia" vehicle through a series of narrow streams .. and drive through some "water" type gags to make it interesting.

I think Autopia was made for kids, which makes sense since they will learn to drive in the FUTURE, which I think fits appropriately with Tomorrowland therefore I don't think changing it into an aquatic ride would be such a good idea.

I would like to see new scenery while driving on Autopia and an electric powered Autopia, and possibly an Autopia powered by hydrogen energy would be cool.

[WJNM]

Originally Posted by Danwii

I think Autopia was made for kids, which makes sense since they will learn to drive in the FUTURE, which I think fits appropriately with Tomorrowland therefore I don't think changing it into an aquatic ride would be such a good idea.

I would like to see new scenery while driving on Autopia and an electric powered Autopia, and possibly an Autopia powered by hydrogen energy would be cool.

Strangely, the ride was not originally intended for kids. And the theme was never "you will learn to drive in the future."

It was "futuristic" in the original concept that it was built long before the American Interstate was common ... such interstates were still being developed, and "futuristic" in concept, thus the theming. The Junior Autopia/Midget Autopia in FL was built for kids.

So, yes, the ride has outlasted its theming, by decades.