Credit: DisneyWalt Disney once said, “Tomorrow is a heck of a thing to keep up with.” And truer words couldn’t be spoken.
Disney had a vision — a vision for “the promise of the future,” which is exactly what inspired the futuristic area of the original Disneyland park, Tomorrowland.
The wonderful world of Tomorrowland is located at Magic Kingdom-style Disney theme parks around the world, each unique in its own way, with different attractions (or even a different name altogether), but all still depicting the one main theme — the vision of the future.
But for the purpose of this article, let’s focus on the Tomorrowland located inside Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World — home of The Tomorrowland Transit Authority, Carousel of Progress, the Tomorrowland Speedway, Space Mountain, and more.
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Is Tomorrowland Outdated?
“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths,” — Walt’s wise words, which the Disney Imagineers today still hold onto. The Disney Parks are constantly evolving, bringing in newer attractions and “opening new doors.”
With this in mind, many are suggesting Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom is outdated, especially with attractions such as Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress and the Tomorrowland Speedway (once called Grand Prix Raceway).
Though these attractions are older and yes, some aspects are very outdated, these attractions are important to Tomorrowland and its purpose.
The Attractions Are Crucial Components of Disney History
These two attractions specifically are very crucial components of Disney’s history. Not only are these attractions from around the time of when the park first opened up, but they help Magic Kingdom remain true to its roots.
For example, Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress was originally used in the 1964 New York World’s Fair. Once the New York World’s Fair ended, it was moved into Disneyland park in California before it found its permanent home in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. It is safe to say that Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress is a part of history and it helps Tomorrowland stay true to its roots. It was one of Walt’s prized creations and he was so very proud of this attraction. And the same can be said for the Tomorrowland Speedway.
The Tomorrowland Speedway, which is very similar to the original Autopia attraction located at Disneyland park, also goes back to the beginning with Walt Disney. Though this attraction is simple and may seem outdated, it holds true to Disney’s roots and the history of Tomorrowland.
Tomorrowland is “The Promise of the Future”
Now, Disney has made no indication of replacing or revamping Tomorrowland, though they did recently replace the famous Tomorrowland sign with something more updated. However, with the talk from so many people saying Tomorrowland is outdated, and if the Disney Parks did decide to revamp the entire Tomorrowland area, instead of just updating the sign, or even replace some of these attractions, I believe it would be taking away from Walt’s history and the “true roots” of the land.
Personally, Tomorrowland is my all-time favorite land inside Magic Kingdom. I could sit there for hours, with a root beer float, listening to the Tomorrowland loop, and taking in the lights and atmosphere surrounding me.
Disney can learn from these older attractions. Without removing and replacing them, the parks can instead learn from them and continue to build around them. Tomorrowland is “the promise of the future.”
So what do you think? Is Tomorrowland “outdated” or do you love the older elements, such as Carousel of Progress, that still hold true to Walt and his dreams? Let us know in the comments below.
If you want to visit Walt Disney World and check out Tomorrowland on your next vacation but need help planning — don’t hesitate to reach out to our friends over at Academy Travel. Click here to learn more about the Authorized Disney Vacation Planners at Academy Travel and to get a free quote today!
Editor’s Note: The opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Inside the Magic overall.