Disney Could Be Moving to Michigan

in Disneyland Resort

sleeping beauty castle decorated for the walt disney company's 100th anniversary at disneyland

Credit: Disney

A recent mechanical failure in Tomorrowland at Disneyland Park led Disney Park fans to speculate about the Southern California Disney Resort’s future. Many fear the worst as ride breakdowns and increasing prices worsen the guest experience.

Walt Disney Imagineers created versions of Tomorrowland worldwide, located in Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort, Tokyo Disneyland at Tokyo Disney Resort, Shanghai Disneyland, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Disneyland Park at Disneyland Paris Resort. But the original struggles to keep up with its companions.

Tomorrowland is a core part of Walt Disney’s World of Yesterday, Tomorrow, and Fantasy. The futuristic theme park land is home to Space Mountain, Autopia, Star Tours, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, and Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. Despite Tomorrowland’s popularity, many fans feel it’s been neglected in the years following the abandonment of the PeopleMover and other attractions.

In a recent Reddit post, u/RideTheLightning331 shared a photo of a broken Tomorrowland sign, joking that “even the signs in Tomorrowland aren’t working.” To many fans, the sign was emblematic of the ongoing problems in the Disneyland Park land.

Even the signs in tomorrowland aren’t working 😭
byu/RideTheLightning331 inDisneyland

“It’s really gone downhill,” said u/lostandalong. “Star Tours is out of place now that there’s a Star Wars land, the Astro Blasters should be in California Land. The way technology has advanced, they will never be able to make it truly a land of tomorrow. There would need to be actual robots walking around. I think they should make it a retro tomorrow land. Go back to what we thought the future would be in the 60’s.”

“Show Quality Services budget rerouted to executive bonuses,” said u/Ultimate_Mango.

space mountain at disneyland
Credit: Disney

One Disney Parks fan, u/mattnotis, quipped that Disneyland Park must’ve moved to Michigan.

“Tomorrowland is the Detroit of Disneyland,” they wrote, referencing the Midwestern city’s economic turmoil after the automotive industry boom. To this day, many buildings in Detroit lay empty and abandoned.

“Why am I paying more for the parks but there is a near abandoned land?” u/Mysterious_Today_245 echoed. “…Depressing.”

Tomorrowland entrance reimagining at disneyland
Credit: Inside the Magic

Disneyland Resort reconstructed the Tomorrowland entrance in 2021, making it more accessible to guests. In 2019, a secret Walt Dinsey Imagineering plan called “Project Stardust” promised more modernization… Then, 2020 brought the COVID-19 pandemic, and the project went dark.

“They’re DEFINITELY gonna get around to updating that land… starting tomorrow,” u/JellyBeansonToast wrote.

“That sun-faded concept art sign from 2019 (repurposed from 1998) at the land entrance is proof of this,” u/itsmleonard agreed.

Tomorrowland entrance reimagining at disneyland
Credit: Inside the Magic

“And the work walls out front from where they removed the French fry rocks and forgot that they were covering a maintenance/access room,” u/rosariobono agreed.

Rumors about a Tomorrowland refurbishment abound, but Disneyland Resort hasn’t announced anything official. For now, buildings sit closed, paint chips away, and guests wonder if this is really the “future” they dreamed of.

Have you noticed declining maintenance at Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure Park? Share your experience with Inside the Magic in the comments. 

Please note that the story outlined in this article is based on personal Disney Parks guest experiences. No two guest experiences are alike, and this article does not necessarily align with Inside the Magic’s personal views on Disney Park operations.

View Comments (25)