tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post7762574392334671802..comments2024-02-08T07:33:49.907-08:00Comments on Re-Imagineering: Tomorrow Is Another DayMr Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12952506736745891323noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-21150172075944288622008-03-11T13:04:00.000-07:002008-03-11T13:04:00.000-07:00Tomorrowland has always been difficult. Even in th...Tomorrowland has always been difficult. Even in the stark white 70's, it seemed outdated.<BR/>the only one that gets it right is Paris Dland, who didn't do it as a future land, but took it as something from a Jules Vern novel. I think this is the only way to make it "future" and it not be out of date in 5 years...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-3686637104477455442008-03-06T01:11:00.000-08:002008-03-06T01:11:00.000-08:00Wow. I love...all of you. It's so nice to hear fro...Wow. I love...all of you. It's so nice to hear from other people who feel the same about the sadly declining park as I have - and foolishly thought I was alone in this - for years. All of your ideas are great. Maybe Disney should hire us (wouldn't we make it bad-ass?) to design their park-areas...<BR/><BR/> Since everyone had such great ideas on here, I'd like to throw in my two cents/pipe dreams:<BR/><BR/>1. Yes - let's turn Tomorrowland back into the blinding, white, futuristic Utopia it once was. I'm all for having it harken back, albeit in a self-referencing, ironic, if not kitschy style (much like the person who compared to the Encounters Theme-Restaurant at LAX). Yank off the hideous panelling and polish up the old Mary Blair mosaic (if it's stil under there, that is).<BR/><BR/>2. Bring back the Rocket Jets - just as they were - Waaay up high, on top of the People Mover platform, making it exciting and thrilling (you know - up high, like you're flying through the sky - not a mere twenty feet off the ground). And let's see that big, white rocket reaching up to the heavens - get rid of that piece of crap...whatever the f*ck the thing is, that just looks like rusty junk and never works.<BR/><BR/>3. Bring back the People Mover - Is there anything really wrong with a ride that goes slow, is relaxing, and has a nice view of (the newly-remodelled) Tomorrowland, the Sub Lagoon, the Matterhorn and isn't - just imagine it, if you can - a blindingly-fast, thrill-ride...Can the large percentage that might actually enjoy something like that...get to enjoy something like that?<BR/><BR/>4. SKYYYY-WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!! - Disney Company employees - most importantly, IMAGINEERS...if you're reading this...please, please, PLEASE - bring back the wonderful Skyway. For those of you too young to remember one of the best and most poignant attractions at Disneyland, the Skyway was such an amazing attraction, as it took you up and above the whole park, giving you an incredible vista of the entire park. Ever since I was a small child, I looked forward to the exciting trips up and over Fantasyland - through the Matterhorn Mountain - and over the Sub Lagoon and Tomorrowland - a thrilling and beautiful way to see the park from the air. Sadly, it was closed down permanently in the late 90's, due to "security issues". PLEASE, Disney - bring it back - I'm sure with all of the advances in modern Technology, there can be a way to keep people from trying to get out, swinging and jumping out of the Gondolas. Let future generations enjoy this great ride and create many memories for years to come.<BR/><BR/>5. In keeping with the original, optimistic vision of Walt Disney's fascination with Science and Space Exploration, how about another far-reaching, technologically-advanced attraction, much like "Adventure Through Inner Space" or "Mission to Mars" took guests on an exciting journey through...space...the atomic world...or maybe the human body (We never had Epcot our here - how 'bout "Body Wars"?)? I'd even be into another, more modern version of ATIS. <BR/><BR/>6. How about bringing back "America, the Beautiful", except in High-definition, 3-D circa-rama? New footage of the world so realistic, you'll have Jet-lag when you leave! Or maybe an Environmentally-oriented film that shows al the place in the world that are beautiful, yet are endangered...Just an idea...<BR/><BR/>7. And finally, yes - let's give Star Tours a little TLC. It's been the exact same film since 1985. How about a different tour, every time you ride it? (wouldn't it be cool to soar in between the legs of an AT-AT?). Make a new, CG-enhanced, HD film and give it some more cabin-interactive effects. Just please...NO characters from the prequels - ! Don't really want to ride into Hoth airspace with Jar-Jar...<BR/><BR/>8. How about...a Disneyland Museum? Where? Inside the Innoventions building. That huge waste of space would make a great place to see all of the Disneyland attractions of days past...and future. It could be a showcase of Disneyland...of Tomorrow.<BR/><BR/>What made Disney's Tomorrowland (namely, the 1960's - 1970's, gleaming vision)and it's projection of the future so compelling was it's naive yet optimistic planning of a possible time in which mankind could reach the Stars, explore oceans and live in a world so perfect and safe and convenient - That - at this point - is a complete and total fantasy - let's make it back into the fantasy it was for us then - forever. I say, Kitsch all the way. Bring back the pointy spires, the Brightly-colored, Fiberglass cars, the spotless, white, angled surfaces. <BR/><BR/>"Remain seated, please. Permanecer Sentados, Por favor".ickymousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05418505343827543515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-78171489840730122492008-01-10T23:24:00.000-08:002008-01-10T23:24:00.000-08:00Yes..It's the "Blog of a million Dreams"Yes..It's the "Blog of a million Dreams"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-43415361304455847992008-01-09T12:26:00.000-08:002008-01-09T12:26:00.000-08:00"No doubt about it. Re-Imagineering has gotten con..."No doubt about it. Re-Imagineering has gotten considerably quieter these past few days. The reason is simple; so much has been going right at Imagineering that the temptation to rain on anyone's parade seems counter productive."<BR/><BR/>You're allowed to be positive as well. ;)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-71000669730522643332008-01-04T10:16:00.000-08:002008-01-04T10:16:00.000-08:00Oh how I wish it were you all making decisions the...Oh how I wish it were you all making decisions these days. It's exciting and terrifying all at once.<BR/><BR/>Seeing your ideas come to fruition would make my little heart sing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-80340419225571412122007-12-25T12:04:00.000-08:002007-12-25T12:04:00.000-08:00One of the big issues for me is that Walt Disney t...One of the big issues for me is that Walt Disney the man was into bringing a better future to the world. Walt was building Tomorrowland 1967 as a demo for real cities to be fueled by the public outcry.He wanted to sell Wedway systems to Airports, see monorails in cities. There was a sincere effort to prototype the future to get the public behind Walt's agenda. Tomorrowland inspired us kids because it was real enough for us to buy into. We looked at these thngs and said "Hey, why don't we have this in my town?" 1967 had REAL solutions you could sample and hope for because they made sense, not financial, but common sense for the future. ATIS explained where product development was headed, even predicts nano technology to a degree. We now look to engineer the micro world. We do that today with computer chips and bio engineering. The Disney Company has no passion for the future beyond altruistic environmentality or healthy snacks on a kids menu. The last mission of Walt Disney from "Man in Space" to the EPCOT that is a model of future living, was serious and wanted to leave a lasting, positive legacy. Uncle Walt was going to make it all better. This to me is why Tomorrowland will never be as good as the 1967 version. It has to come from a CEO level of commitment to really present and live the future by example. 1967 T'land was sincere and even in it's faults was driven by passion and intelligence, not just popular mechanics and churros. I say, with Steve Jobs on the board the time has never been better to redo Tomorrowland in a way that projects a sense of hope, not hype.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-92109899534828914402007-12-21T06:34:00.000-08:002007-12-21T06:34:00.000-08:00The original Tomorrowland 2055 project team began ...The original Tomorrowland 2055 project team began concepts back in 1989, of which only a few concepts ever saw light of day. This was back when we were still going to work with George Lucas for a follow-up attraction adjacent to the new at the time Star Tours. That partnership disappeared rather quickly. The original team had the intent to design an area that would be as updateable as possible, without the "dated" look that always occurred. Quite difficult in execution. This was way before Pressler and Rocket Rods, etc. It was at this time that the project took the unfortunate turn discussed previously that resulted in stagnation for several years and the eventual resulting sad look we have today. I believe that from '89 until about '98, there were no fewer than 6 lead producers with their fingers in the TLand pie. A scattered approach usually leads to scattered results. I guess we will see what the future holds...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-45665526244247899972007-12-20T00:18:00.000-08:002007-12-20T00:18:00.000-08:00This is probably just my own particular sensibilit...This is probably just my own particular sensibilities talking, but I actually thought the idea of Tomorrowland '98 was fundamentally sound. It was just the execution that was hampered by too many pinched pennies, resulting in botched ride after botched ride. If Rocket Rods worked, if the submarines were included in the make-over, if Innoventions were better, maybe it would have been a different story.<BR/><BR/>All the talk goes around about the future, but Tomorrowland never was about the future... It was always about the present day, whether 1955, 1967 or 1998. Our ideas about the future always reflect the hopes and anxieties of the present. There's so far you can take the technology, but ultimately it's not up to the technology. It's up to the society.<BR/><BR/>That's why I'd pretty much scrap the whole idea of making Tomorrowland a testament to futurism, since futurism is just a testament to ourselves. Make it Sci-Fi land, mix up Science Fact and Science Fiction in the same sort of entertaining way that other lands mix up Nature Fact and Fiction or Historical Fact and Fiction.<BR/><BR/>If I had my druthers, what I would do I put the Astro-Orbiter (which I quite like) back on the People-Mover station and replace it with a new kinetic sculpture version of the World Clock. Bring the People-Mover back, and whenever it goes inside, have it descend into Tron 2.0 graphics and story. Either freshen up Star Tours or replace it with a new sim-ride like Treasure Planet, Meet the Robinsons or Rocket to the Moon. Gut HISTA and the lower level of the plaza there and install a time travel dinosaur ride that incorporates Primeval World. Freshen up a new Starcade for the second floor. Make a new Carousel of Progress show that walks through past Sci-Fi visions (1800's, 1930's, 1960's, 1980's, today) and shows how they have come true today. Replace the Autopia cars with a variety of alternative fuel cars and put that Rocket Rods video reel around there. Take out the Finding Nemo overlay and replace it with a 19th c. overlay with alternating Nautilus and Ulysses subs, with suitable respective narration. And while I can't stand Pixar, I suppose I'm not entirely opposed to keeping Buzz Lightyear. However, I wouldn't mind exchanging it for a new Adventures Through Inner Space. Bring back the NASA exhibit. Aesthetically make it a zoned but still flowing amalgam of Googie, Victorian and Cyber influences... Reference the aesthetics of everything from <I>20,000 Leagues</I> to <I>Sky Captain</I> to <I>Blade Runner</I> to <I>Meet the Robinsons</I>. <BR/><BR/>Accept Tomorrowland as the Sci-Fi equivalent of Fantasyland or Adventureland, and built a really strong suite of rides, shows and exhibits to go in it.Cory Grosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12141983255020503557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-36199355923418138112007-12-16T11:08:00.000-08:002007-12-16T11:08:00.000-08:00sorry if I offended your sensiblities regarding co...sorry if I offended your sensiblities regarding comments made about Bruce Gordon's T-Land 2055 project. There was no intent to "bash" him now that he has passed...I personally bashed him to his face when he was alive and vice versa. As far as tributes go, I'm sure that there will eventually be many tributes garnished upon our current President...The bashing intent was directed at the project, and watching his team take over a good project start, and then take the whole project down a sad rabbit hole to nowhere. plausible storyline can be an aide towards developing the intent, and can give guests a grounding in why things are as they become more immersed. The project was shut down because there was no focus, there were conflicting themes, it was visually garish, and on, and on...Eisner occassionally got things right, and this was one of those occassions. The blaming of specific individuals on this blog is probably due more to the fact that this particular blog was created by Imagineers both past and present, and we are not a particularly shy lot. I will say no more...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-61488453868903485292007-12-12T07:42:00.000-08:002007-12-12T07:42:00.000-08:00Good to see you guys back at it -Yes, Tomorrowland...Good to see you guys back at it -<BR/><BR/>Yes, Tomorrowlands the world over are in dire shape, none worse than Disneyland's. The creeping toonification of tomorrow - especially when the theme doesn't even fit, like Monster's Inc. - is the main threat.<BR/><BR/>Disneyland's TL needs a complete overhaul, starting with returning the Starjets to their original position and revitalizing the WedWay. Even WDW's TL has a greater thematic unity than Disneyland, although there's still a great deal of wasted space and toon-creep.<BR/><BR/>Lots to do... it's good to see you guys back at it.<BR/><BR/>cheers<BR/>michael crawfordMichaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02465912785343019825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-82003040562194764652007-12-11T22:58:00.000-08:002007-12-11T22:58:00.000-08:00It should be noted that unlike other blogs, Re-Ima...It should be noted that unlike other blogs, Re-Imagineers rarely blames individual Imagineers for the mistakes the company makes. In fact, I can’t remember a single instance where any of the contributors to the blog has singled-out a specific Imagineer by name except when offering a compliment. Anyone who has worked on a collaborative creative effort knows that the overall company culture has much more influence over the outcome of a project than any single contributor. Of course, I have personally blamed Michael Eisner, Paul Pressler and Michael Mendenhall for poor decisions. But I believe individuals at that level should be held accountable as they shape the company culture.Tongaroahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01456743904698992536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-62704157195084384042007-12-11T22:53:00.000-08:002007-12-11T22:53:00.000-08:00I have to say the Bruce bashing here is in very ba...I have to say the Bruce bashing here is in very bad taste. The man has only recently passed away, and his family and friends are still mourning him. If anyone reading this would like to know a little about Bruce, please check out the wonderful tribute by Walter Miller (Walt’s Grandson).<BR/><BR/>http://disney.go.com/disneyatoz/familymuseum/exhibits/familyfriends/brucegordon/index.html<BR/><BR/>...and if anyone thinks that the lack of a “plausible storyline” is an excuse to shut down an idea, please read the post “The Myth of Story.”<BR/><BR/>http://imagineerebirth.blogspot.com/2006/11/myth-of-story.html <BR/><BR/>...and since when is Michael Eisner the paragon of good taste?Tongaroahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01456743904698992536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-32398930018614618012007-12-11T08:29:00.000-08:002007-12-11T08:29:00.000-08:00Regarding the comment of Bruce Gordon's Tomorrowla...Regarding the comment of Bruce Gordon's Tomorrowland 2055...did you actually SEE that model? Bruce took that project over and it became a stomach-turning ode to bad taste. Eisner walked it, left before seeing all of it, and shut it down without a backward glance. Too many designers with too many ideas, and not a single one with a thought towards a plausible storyline.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-45957473925440329572007-12-09T23:12:00.000-08:002007-12-09T23:12:00.000-08:00/bsdb said:>>>Lasseter is the Chief Creative Offic...<B>/bsdb said:</B><BR/>>>><I>Lasseter is the Chief Creative Officer for animation, but not for Imagineering. John is the Principle Creative </I>Advisor<I> at WDI. He's not an Imagineering Officer. He has no ability to hire or fire WDI personnel. He's simply dispensing creative wisdom regarding future attractions and refurbishments.</I><<<<BR/><BR/>Baby steps. No sickness gets cured with the first dose of medicine. A long while back I believe I stated that if we couldn't get a new visionary leader, that I would settle for "key" visionaries in key places. <BR/><BR/>Looking at Disney the way it is now and the political funhouse it has become, then an <I>influence</I> of creativity is far more plausible for creative change then the alternative, which is mass layoffs of every manager who doesn't "get it". <BR/><BR/>Real magic doesn't happen overnight. We have to be patient and hope that smart decision making and creative talent can seep in and take over slowly, much the same way that MBA and Accountaneer thinking seeped in before it. To expect it to happen any other way, even to a foaming fool like me, seems far-fetched, or at least, impractical. <BR/><BR/>>>><I>Why would anyone expect otherwise? John's field is animation. He's spent the past 28 years doing nothing but animation. His experience with the parks has been minimal since Pixar worked with TPP on "Tough to be a Bug" for DAK. He's a huge fanboy of DL, but why should that automatically translate to business sensibilities?</I><<<<BR/><BR/>I believe Walt Disney had even fewer credentials when he <I>invented</I> the Theme Park. Besides, who wants good business sense anyway? We want <I>creative</I> business sense, which Lasseter has proven he has. Things have been a bit Pixar heavy, but I can live with that if, again, the influence is one of creativity on those around him. In time we may find there is a method behind the Pixar Madness, which would reveal itself in time.<BR/><BR/>Things do seem to be changing for the better. Slowly and subtly, but changing nonetheless. But in any large business entity where the majority's thoughts and ideas reign supreme, you need key people in key places to effect change of those thoughts. At this point, what we need is not a new leader, but creative people <I>leading the way</I>. From all reports, Lasseter seems to be one of those people. But because of his venue, the effects will take time.Digital Jedihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02374739586203788564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-5909246228359226352007-12-09T07:59:00.000-08:002007-12-09T07:59:00.000-08:00While Baxter appears to have regained some of his ...<I>While Baxter appears to have regained some of his creative support since Lasseter was brought in, I don’t see any real significant changes within Imagineering that will allow that talent to be taken advantage of.</I><BR/><BR/>Agreed. Why bother rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic? Once the iceberg has been struck, doesn't really matter what song the band is playing, or who's in charge on the bridge.<BR/><BR/>Very little of Glendale's upper management has changed. While Fitzgerald has lost <I>some</I> of his power, he still retains the Exec VP/Senior Creative Exec titles, and all of the compensatory advantages that go along with them. <BR/><BR/>Bruce Vaughn now heads up Creative instead of Sklar, but so what? The previous regime's flying monkeys remain strong, at least strong enough to influence final design decisions.<BR/><BR/>As much as I respect John's creativity and experience, I'm fed up with the fanboys like Honor who equate the Pixar acquisition with Arthur pulling the sword out of the Imagineering stone. <BR/><BR/>John and Dr Ed are definitely reshaping Disney's animation landscape, which was the primary motivation for the acquisition. But to believe that John has the same level of power and influence within Imagineering is wishful thinking at best.<BR/><BR/>Lasseter is the Chief Creative Officer for <I>animation</I>, but not for Imagineering. John is the Principle Creative <I>Advisor</I> at WDI. He's not an Imagineering Officer. He has no ability to hire or fire WDI personnel. He's simply dispensing creative wisdom regarding future attractions and refurbishments.<BR/><BR/><BR/><I>While Lasseter has the utmost respect for creativity, he is apparently deficient in his ability to understand the complexities of what’s actually best for the parks.</I><BR/><BR/>Why would anyone expect otherwise? John's field is animation. He's spent the past 28 years doing nothing but animation. His experience with the parks has been minimal since Pixar worked with TPP on "Tough to be a Bug" for DAK. He's a huge fanboy of DL, but why should that automatically translate to business sensibilities?<BR/><BR/>I'm glad that someone had the foresight to roll the Principle Creative Advisor position into the acquisition and John's contract. But at the end of the day, what does that really mean, for leadership changes needed within Glendale? Basically, nothing. <BR/><BR/>Rasulo is still in charge of P&R. Rasulo makes the leadership decisions, not John. If John truly possessed the power to make those changes, they would have been made by now. It doesn't take a decade to issue pink slips and redraw the org chart.<BR/><BR/>As long as the parks and resorts continue to generate attendance growth and profitability, no massive overhauls in WDI's leadership will be implemented. Animation was the troubled long-suffering business unit, in terms of bottom line. Not P&R. And in Iger's CorporateDisneyWorld, that's all that matters.judihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15415067631504911897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-90344722212411422352007-12-08T06:46:00.000-08:002007-12-08T06:46:00.000-08:00Paris Tomorrowland (or Discoveryland) theme is als...Paris Tomorrowland (or Discoveryland) theme is also being destroyed.<BR/><BR/>Buzz replaced the Visionarium, the Lion King show is in the Hyperion building (!!!!) and even the beautiful Space Mountain has been damaged with a ridiculous "Nova" story...<BR/><BR/>Before, you had a fantastic and beautifully themed land based on Jules Verne vision of the future (Star Tours and Captain Eo were hidden behind Space). Why didn't they deliver new rides within the Jules Verne and H-G Wells realm (like they did in Tokyo)? <BR/><BR/>It is sad, sad, sad because with a past vision of the the future, they resolved the problem of Tomorrowland (which will always appear dated because technology moves so fast).<BR/><BR/>It is a sad tribute to the lack of imagination and/or lack of money from a company which use to be at the forefront of everything.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-61887232117946658682007-12-06T22:54:00.000-08:002007-12-06T22:54:00.000-08:00“Please remember one thing, a good attraction is g...“Please remember one thing, a good attraction is good whether it costs over $100 million, or only $10 million.”<BR/><BR/>This sounds very familiar. This was the kind of justification that was used over and over during the Pressler era. And then they insisted that Golden Dreams was a “good attraction.” And if you disagreed, you got laid off. Ahh, the good ol days.Tongaroahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01456743904698992536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-52390866540801861492007-12-06T21:46:00.000-08:002007-12-06T21:46:00.000-08:00“honor hunter said...Changes are coming, guys. Be ...“honor hunter said...<BR/>Changes are coming, guys. Be patient... I expect Tony has a little more clout to pull off something like TL 2055 than he did five or ten years ago. Lasster realizes this. Just don't expect it to be announced anytime soon.”<BR/><BR/><BR/>While Baxter appears to have regained some of his creative support since Lasseter was brought in, I don’t see any real significant changes within Imagineering that will allow that talent to be taken advantage of. While Lasseter has the utmost respect for creativity, he is apparently deficient in his ability to understand the complexities of what’s actually best for the parks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-23796113187775949312007-12-06T20:56:00.000-08:002007-12-06T20:56:00.000-08:00“vintage disneyland tickets said...All of these co...“vintage disneyland tickets said...<BR/>All of these comments on Tomorrowland are so true. It needs a major fix. Fix it with the Old but ad some new. How hard is that? Give me $200 million and I could get it all fixed up, so much that it would make Walt Happy. I love your site, keep up the great work!”<BR/><BR/><BR/>If they had provided a $200 million budget to start with, there probably wouldn’t be the issue with Tomorrowland now.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-50558594311416156942007-12-06T18:27:00.000-08:002007-12-06T18:27:00.000-08:00But Sci-Fi elements no longer really seem far off....But Sci-Fi elements no longer really seem far off. The future isn't bright and beautiful anymore. reality has unfortunately intruded. Perhaps it's a variation of PCness, but it is nonetheless here to stay. Sci-fi stuff, at least the technical, no longer amazes us. Look at Star Trek. We used to be so thrilled with all that new science magic. Today they put out a new prop, and we automatically think how to make it and how can we make money off of it. We have become jaded to the future.<BR/><BR/>Leave the technology to Epcot. Technology can still be amazing - science and learning still are exciting. They just aren't good story. Keep Tomorrowland with the story. Branch out into the fantasy elements as much as the technical elements. Science Fiction is one of the best selling categories. Take a lesson from many of those - stories which take place in fantastic worlds. Stories that stretch our imagination to new places. That's where Tomorrowland belongs.StrangeVoiceshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06461535206083562899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-21211222924581575772007-12-06T14:15:00.000-08:002007-12-06T14:15:00.000-08:00Looking back is not the problem. Tomorrow showing ...Looking back is not the problem. Tomorrow showing up before you know it is not the problem, either. <BR/><BR/>The problem is we're looking to shortsightedly into the future. We need to look farther then we've been looking. That's not to say there aren't some great gadgets coming down the pike and that they should be ignored. What it means is following a very simple thematic the old Tomorrowland followed. It envisioned, not so much demonstrated, a grand tomorrow. Concepts were more the thing, then actual technologies. Concepts that were still very much the product of Science Fiction<BR/><BR/>Of course, this doesn't mean that technology shouldn't be the palette for it all. But look at how they did it back in the day. They utilized some stuff that was basic technology back then and put a spin on it. They utilized them in ways we hadn't seen in real life before. Automated transportation, elevated transportation, missions to far off worlds, journeys through ideas and concepts to come. These were ideas that were far flung into the future, not static demonstrations of things that were already being developed by Sony.<BR/><BR/>They did it all with flare, not just with demonstrations or shows. One of the things that bugged me about the House of Innoventions is that I didn't have time to actually look at anything. It would have been more fun to either spend some actual time in the house, or have a ride vehicle take me through various visualizations of that house.<BR/><BR/>I guess what I'm attempting to say is, giving the area meaning again has nothing to do with one technology or one ride. It's not about the paint brush or the palette or the canvas. It's about the painting. Put that promising new future together with concepts we hadn't thought of yet. Demonstrate it in ways that we haven't been demonstrated yet. Stick your neck out and think one step ahead of Sony or Microsoft or even Siemens. Risk some of those elements that today are merely Sci Fi. Stick to theme of a bright promising future, and the other things will fall into place.Digital Jedihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02374739586203788564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-39032479772184120232007-12-05T22:11:00.000-08:002007-12-05T22:11:00.000-08:00Innoventions, the Astro Orbitor and the lack of a ...Innoventions, the Astro Orbitor and the lack of a Peoplemover on it's track are all issues that need to be addressed, but one other one I feel is just important doesn't seem to come up as much.<BR/><BR/>I don't usually wait in the "Standby" line for Space Mountain; due to the Fastpass system the wait is usually 45-70 minutes long, and so ironically I use the Fastpass system to avoid it (so Fastpass is both the solution <I>and</I> the problem, but that's an issue for another discussion). However on my last trip I elected to use the Standby line since I already had a Fastpass for Haunted Mansion Holiday. As I waited in line to experience the rich (non movie-based) theming and excitement of Space Mountain, I couldn't help but notice the second floor of the Starcade.<BR/><BR/>No longer used, it still has up and down escalators that are operational but inactive (roughly blocked off with trash cans) and two entrances on the Space Mountain deck level.<BR/><BR/>Disneyland, as the first Disney park, is pretty small and space is always at a premium as the Imagineers attempt to shoehorn new rides in. And here sits all of this real estate in Tomorrowland, unused with the door simply shut? It reminds one of when they shut down the SeaCabs at the Living Seas at Epcot by simply shutting the door and diverting the line around them. Couldn't something go in this space? A table service restaurant, perhaps even with a lovely panoramic view of Tomorrowland? Or maybe even a ride?<BR/><BR/>And what about the entire deck which is used only for the Space Mountain switchbacks? Most of it is completely unused, as the line circles around it? Why not do something up here? Put the large staircase back up there, put something back in the second level of the Starcade, and turn this stagnant area of Tomorrowland back into the hive of energy it was in the 80s.C33https://www.blogger.com/profile/12890348480661125696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-24976471532678344712007-12-05T14:42:00.000-08:002007-12-05T14:42:00.000-08:00Just to comment on Strangevoice's post, "At the mi...Just to comment on Strangevoice's post, "At the mid century mark, tomorrow was associated with optimism and hope."<BR/><BR/>I don't really agree with this. During the middle of the last century, we were in a cold war, building bomb shelters, and "tomorrow" was associated with WWIII and nuclear annihilation. <BR/><BR/>Naturally people didn't enjoy thinking about the fact that science had created weapons of almost unimaginable power. And so they loved the message that science could bring us all kinds of good things to make our lives better. <BR/><BR/>And entertainment was happy to provide that message - that the future would be a wonderful place. (Assuming that we would survive to see it.)<BR/><BR/>Would something similar work today? I'm not sure.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-63243465335193691892007-12-05T13:42:00.000-08:002007-12-05T13:42:00.000-08:00"What is Tommorrowland" really is the key question..."What is Tommorrowland" really is the key question. <BR/><BR/>Any attempt to make it exactly what it was - the future of science and technology, overlaid with optimism/hope for that future - gets trapped by obsolescence . Things evolve so fast today, whatever is "futuristic" is not in only 5 - 10 years. <BR/><BR/>However flawed in execution and muddled since with changes and commercialism, the TL renovation meant to address this by "fixing" tomorrow in what was thought to be a classic Jules Verne "future". <BR/><BR/>One idea - go with classic '67 era type rides/attractions that are "soft-coded" as to content. So the building and ride concept might be Adventures in Inner Space, but the content can be changed every few years without huge expense.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-69360380435486915282007-12-05T11:59:00.000-08:002007-12-05T11:59:00.000-08:00Walking through Disney World's Tomorrowland feels ...Walking through Disney World's Tomorrowland feels odd. <BR/><BR/>When you make the transition from MLF and SGE to CoP and SM, it doesn't feel right. Tomorrowland is best summed up as "what the hell is this?"<BR/><BR/>I may not know everything about Disney or what is currently happening inside the company, but I feel a change. The future looks promising, but I'm afraid it could slip at any moment.Disneyana Worldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05127237908008447457noreply@blogger.com