Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Tomorrowland redux, anniversaries and oranges

At the suggestion of reader "WalterWorld," I've republished last week's circa 1969 photo of Tomorrowland at Disneyland (second photo) and posted an additional "after" photo (taken yesterday).
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A comparison really points out how much Tomorrowland has suffered since its late-1960s makeover. A few of notable changes follow:
  • Today, much of the previously open area is now filled with trash cans, huge banks of strollers, and a sea of decidedly un-futuristic umbrella tables.
  • The Skyway is gone.
  • A tower was added near the Submarines and the Monorail track.
  • The foliage is much larger. (I particularly like the now-large stand of palm trees at the entrance to the Submarines.)
  • The ticket booths are gone.
  • The "speed ramps" to the Monorail are gone. (What kind of future doesn't have speed ramps?!?)
  • The top of the Tomorrowland Terrace stage mimics but does not truly replicate Rolly Crump's original design.
As always, feel free to add your own comments.
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Today, the Register includes articles about the 125th anniversary of Santa Ana's Episcopal Church of the Messiah and the 100th anniversary of the Huntington Beach Woman's Club.
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Yes, you know that tomorrow is Valentines Day, but did you know that it also marks 122 years since the first trainload of oranges from California was sent east via transcontinental railroad?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I liked it better when it was a parking lot. Oh wait, that was another location. OK then, I liked it better when it looked like Tomorrowland and not an outside food court.

ItsNotAPlace said...

The current shot looks more like "Todayland"... outdoor dining and movie promotions" (Finding Nemo)

walterworld said...

Thanks for humoring me Chris :)

Good job on the shot from today--- You lined it up nicely!

Sad to see what's been lost.

Hopefully they'll bring back the Peoplemover to get some more action back in our former "world-on-the-move"...

Steve Johnson said...

The Skyway and the Peoplemover, my two favorite Disneyland rides, now both gone.

Daveland said...

Hopefully the rumors are true that the PeopleMover will be coming back in some form...which can be scary, considering the form that the House of the Future is returning in. Thanks for the Before and After - love those!