Innovations Closing in Feb 2013

[OswaldTheRabbit]

I know we will be finding out if this rumor is true soon. Last time I was in the park several CM's had told me that Microsoft as well as several other sponsors of Innoventions renewed their sponsorship contracts for two more years and that the "Iron Man" attraction footprint would envelop the Autopia and The Finding Nemo Subs. Take it with a grain of salt though.

[Esteban]

It is a little painful to see tomorrow land not be about tomorrow. I'm guessing that in the 60's it was easier to dream up something futuristic. I wish they would take this space back in time to make it something like it was originally. I'm already contradicting my self. I think the saddest thing about Walt's passing was the loss of EPCOT. Who knows if he could have never made it happen. It could have meant so much for all of us if it did pan out as the city of tomorrow. Maybe, it wouldn't have. Maybe it would have been another big risk he took but this time around it would have been a big enough failure to bankrupt the company. Even today, watching his presentation on it blows me away. I would love to see an attraction in side the world of that city.

[OswaldTheRabbit]

@Esteban Well your idea at it's heart is not a contradiction. As someone who is obsessed with Walt's original vision for EPCOT, and just recently got to talk to one of the Imagineers whose job it was to try reinterpreting it for what we know as Epcot, I think they could do something similar accept an updated version.

It could easily fit within the supposed "Iron Man" footprint as a side attraction. I know one of the main rumors is that part of Tommorowland would be themed as the "Stark Expo", and it would be interesting to see an updated version of EPCOT with proposed future technologies.

[Pizzapants]

The sad thing is, Innoventions was the closest thing we had to Walt's original vision of Tomorrowland, and I treated it like the the Elephant Graveyard. Every time I looked at it, James Earl Jones would pop up and say "You must never go there." And when I would go inside, I would just think, Crap! James was right!
I don't know what the answer is for Tomorrowland. I've just convinced myself that it's secretly called Sci-Fi Land, and then everything works, except for the freeway ride. But yeah, hopefully Innoventions gets the boot. Something better can stand in its place. Like Walt said, "Tomorrow is a heck of a thing to keep up with," and that's exponentially as relevant today as it was back when he said it.

[biggsworth]

I know we will be finding out if this rumor is true soon. Last time I was in the park several CM's had told me that Microsoft as well as several other sponsors of Innoventions renewed their sponsorship contracts for two more years and that the "Iron Man" attraction footprint would envelop the Autopia and The Finding Nemo Subs. Take it with a grain of salt though.

Sounds like mixed signals to the CMs like you said with a grain of salt. It would be horrible if they took out Innoventions, Autopia and the subs for one attraction but who knows what the plan really is. I know Al's update a while back told us about the Iron Man attraction that would replace innoventions.

[Hot Sauce 1]

I think the question should be, "If it closed tomorrow, would anyone even notice?"

[explodingboy]

The sad thing is, Innoventions was the closest thing we had to Walt's original vision of Tomorrowland, and I treated it like the the Elephant Graveyard. Every time I looked at it, James Earl Jones would pop up and say "You must never go there." And when I would go inside, I would just think, Crap! James was right!
I don't know what the answer is for Tomorrowland. I've just convinced myself that it's secretly called Sci-Fi Land, and then everything works, except for the freeway ride. But yeah, hopefully Innoventions gets the boot. Something better can stand in its place. Like Walt said, "Tomorrow is a heck of a thing to keep up with," and that's exponentially as relevant today as it was back when he said it.

My favorite post of the thread so far!

[biggsworth]

The sad thing is, Innoventions was the closest thing we had to Walt's original vision of Tomorrowland, and I treated it like the the Elephant Graveyard. Every time I looked at it, James Earl Jones would pop up and say "You must never go there." And when I would go inside, I would just think, Crap! James was right!
I don't know what the answer is for Tomorrowland. I've just convinced myself that it's secretly called Sci-Fi Land, and then everything works, except for the freeway ride. But yeah, hopefully Innoventions gets the boot. Something better can stand in its place. Like Walt said, "Tomorrow is a heck of a thing to keep up with," and that's exponentially as relevant today as it was back when he said it.

One thing I always wondered is why there is a negative tone about the sci-fi land aspect of the area. The actual defintion of Science fiction isn't bad for tomorrowland is it? Perhaps the way TL is presented to us we associate it with Nemo and Buzz Lightyear but those of use who love sci-fi probably do not see it this way. There isn't much futuristic about Buzz or Nemo, Autopia, Captain EO, Innoventions in it;s current state. Star Tours and Space Mountain, Astro orbitor, The monorail seem to fit the theme and they are sci-fi in theory aren't they? If we look at attractions that have closed I would think they fit the sci-fi mold as well. ATIS, rocket to the moon, mission to mars to name some.

Definition of science fiction
noun

[mass noun] fiction based on imagined future scientific or technological advances and major social or environmental changes, frequently portraying space or time travel and life on other planets.

[Pizzapants]

One thing I always wondered is why there is a negative tone about the sci-fi land aspect of the area. The actual defintion of Science fiction isn't bad for tomorrowland is it? Perhaps the way TL is presented to us we associate it with Nemo and Buzz Lightyear but those of use who love sci-fi probably do not see it this way. There isn't much futuristic about Buzz or Nemo, Autopia, Captain EO, Innoventions in it;s current state. Star Tours and Space Mountain, Astro orbitor, The monorail seem to fit the theme and they are sci-fi in theory aren't they? If we look at attractions that have closed I would think they fit the sci-fi mold as well. ATIS, rocket to the moon, mission to mars to name some.

Definition of science fiction
noun

[mass noun] fiction based on imagined future scientific or technological advances and major social or environmental changes, frequently portraying space or time travel and life on other planets.

I think you just made a breakthrough here. Tomorrowland is no longer OUR Tomorrow. But it can easily be based on fictional views of tomorrow. I always felt this way about WDW. Once Epcot was built and had a Future World, Magic Kingdom's Tomorrowland was off the hook for being based in reality. We don't have an Epcot here, but the thought can be the same. Rockets, space travel, alien worlds, talking fish, why not?

[Wren]

Its easier to keep it based on Science Fiction than actual Science fact.

See Discoveryland in DLP for an example.

[mondo]

I won't mind if TL gets a sci-fi theme, it already has Star Tour. But it should not get renamed to Sci-Fi land. I have mix feeling about getting rid of the Carousel Theater. It has it's history and I like how the bottom floor rotates. But I think it is time for new structures here and through out TL. I won't be okay if the Subs and Autopia are taken out completely. I'm okay if Nemo leaves and if the Autopia gets down-sized.

[calsig31]

Today's science fiction could be tomorrow's science fact.

[mratigan]

^so let the imagination soar

[Sambo]

The real reason Innoventions is closing...

...is so they can install a loop.

[Retrocool]

Science fiction for Tomorrowland is just fine, but there's science fiction, and space fantasy. Star Tours, being based on Star Wars, is space fantasy, not science fiction. Much the same with Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters, which is based on an animated toy's backstory. There are many different types of science fiction, but the type that best fits Tomorrowland is called "hard science fiction," which is characterized by an emphasis on scientific or technical detail, or on scientific accuracy, or on both. Arthur C. Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama, Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars Trilogy, and Ben Bova's Grand Tour series of novels are good examples of hard SF.

Why is hard SF the better fit for Tomorrowland? Well, because it's more plausible and realistic, and most of the ideas in it can more likely become reality in the future. In fact, many hard SF writers take their cues from futurists and scientists.