Tomorrowland, er um Pixarland

Croaker · Post by **Croaker** » Oct Wed 31, 2007 3:07 pm

I thought test track was built as an example of life. Just when you think your happy. (ie. World of Motion) Bam! life tosses a 60mph curve at you. haha!

remember change is good...especially when its quarters!

Jacca5660 · Post by **Jacca5660** » Oct Wed 31, 2007 3:21 pm

I think the most futuristic thing they have in Innoventions is the "House of the Future" section, but I haven't even seen that in two years. If I remember correctly last time I visited that display everything shown was going to be availbale withing the next year (back to the commercial analogy) except for a prototype smart-wheelchair.

I believe it's gone.

Cheshire Cat · Post by **Cheshire Cat** » Oct Wed 31, 2007 7:55 pm

I believe it's gone.
Quote:

I think the most futuristic thing they have in Innoventions is the "House of the Future" section, but I haven't even seen that in two years. If I remember correctly last time I visited that display everything shown was going to be availbale withing the next year (back to the commercial analogy) except for a prototype smart-wheelchair.

I believe it's gone.

wow... I was wondering about that. The signs for it are still up, but I couldn't seem to find the entrance to it... that's bad show...

Post by **js3901** » Oct Wed 31, 2007 11:25 pm

Cheshire Cat wrote:Innoventions has become an area full of games. Things in Innoventions are constantly changing, so I always stop in just to see what's new. Only a few exhibits from the millenium refurb still remain. (I think the video games were one of the first things to go)

I think the most futuristic thing they have in Innoventions is the "House of the Future" section

when we were there in December, the most futuristic thing I remember seeing is the Segways (we took the morning Segway tour, and we learned how to ride in the Innoventions building). Though, they are a product of today, they were the most advanced thing there...

DisBeamer · Post by **DisBeamer** » Oct Wed 31, 2007 11:48 pm

Cheshire Cat wrote:I think the most futuristic thing they have in Innoventions is the "House of the Future" section, but I haven't even seen that in two years. If I remember correctly last time I visited that display everything shown was going to be availbale withing the next year (back to the commercial analogy) except for a prototype smart-wheelchair.

I remember the last time I went through the 'House of the Future' (I'm gonna guess June 04) they had my -exact- computer desk from Ikea in one of the rooms. Kinda ruined the 'futuristic' aspect for me, though it did make us giggle a lot about my desk of the future.

Captain Schnemo wrote:It does lead one to question why sponsors are necessary at all. For the most part, the other parks don't have them.

I don't know if it explains the necessity (in fact, I don't think it does), but sponsors are traditional for Disney/WED creations. If you think back to the World's Fair stuff, all of those attractions were created 'for' sponsors, weren't they? (GE, Pepsi, .. state of Illinois?) It seems to the a pretty entrenched part of Disney operating procedure to bring in sponsors. I couldn't begin to guess whether they 'need' to do it, based on revenue or budgeting though - I don't know enough about the company's financial operations.

In general, though, I don't have a problem with sponsors in Epcot since that was supposed to be part of the original idea (a showcase of American industry, to paraphrase). I have always figured that's one of the reasons all the Epcot pavilions started out with sponsors, though - as a cannibalized part of the original vision. That said, I do think there should be/should have been more of a push from Disney to have them adhere to the 'showcase of new technology' part.

Cheshire Cat wrote:I don't know what I'm trying to say here, just rambling really... I hope someone is able to grasp the connection I'm trying to make. I guess the design of the future from MTR transcends words and just touches on emotions and feelings. Those emotions being optimism and fun, but still futuristic. After watching that movie I guess, it makes WDW's Tomorrowland seem cold and uninviting... more like Doris's version of the future.

I think we're on the same page here (at least I think I'm grasping right

). The warmer, pastel-y-er future I think fits better as what the future of Main Street USA would be, if that makes sense. It's warmer and more homey ... more inviting. I remember this quote of Walt's that said something to the effect of 'in the future, people will still want to live like human beings'. I think the MTR aesthetic flows better from that than the current, more antiseptic look. I still do like the Jules Verne-ish current look, though, but I agree there's something about the MTR look that seems like it would 'feel' better as an Magic Kingdom future.

Or maybe I just think it would be cool to have giant bubble machines lining the sides of the buildings in the Tomorrowland Causeway...

Yeah, failing the gentler, more welcoming future design, this'd make me happy too.

Post by **spaulo** » Nov Thu 01, 2007 11:50 am

DisBeamer wrote:If you think back to the World's Fair stuff, all of those attractions were created 'for' sponsors, weren't they? (GE, Pepsi, .. state of Illinois?)

And Ford.

Magic Skyway (dinosaur diorama in Disneyland's Railroad attraction) => Ford
It's A Small World => Pepsi
Great Moments w/Mr. Lincoln => State of Illinois
Progressland (Carousel of Progress) => General Electric

Carry on.

Captain Schnemo · Post by **Captain Schnemo** » Nov Thu 01, 2007 3:27 pm

DisBeamer wrote:...sponsors are traditional for Disney/WED creations.

True, but typically not for attractions built specifically for the parks (except the early "free" ones). Now and then some were sponsored...WDW's Space Mountain was sponsored by RCA (which is the explanation for all the televisions at the end) and then the Fed Ex reformat resulted in the whole space-shipping concept.

I don't oppose sponsorship in general, especially when it's something like the Horizons model, or when it's a small world was sponsored by Mattel. In those cases, they'd show you the whole attraction, and then a little logo at the end. That's perfectly fine.

It only starts getting into dangerous territory when GM and Exxon are pretending to show you a fair view of the real world. If you listen to the early drafts of the Carousel of Progress script on subsonic, you can see that originally they were far too overtly shilling for GE appliances. CoP is a beloved attraction, but it's kind of funny how it's more of a Carousel of Appliances than progress...not that appliances aren't interesting.

I was thinking the other day that Future World is really more about the concept of progress than the future itself. That's why so many of the attractions took a running start at the future, with an explanation of the past and the present. They were about the journey.

I couldn't begin to guess whether they 'need' to do it, based on revenue or budgeting though...

Given how little attraction-specific sponsorship was in the original Magic Kingdom and considering how much of the Disney profits come from the theme park division, I'm pretty confident that they aren't necessary. Of course, if there's free money out there, there's no reason to take it as long as it doesn't result in compromising your values.

Jacca5660 · Post by **Jacca5660** » Nov Thu 01, 2007 3:46 pm

when we were there in December, the most futuristic thing I remember seeing is the Segways (we took the morning Segway tour, and we learned how to ride in the Innoventions building). Though, they are a product of today, they were the most advanced thing there...

A buddy of mine owns a Segway. It's a cool toy. I don't know if it's worth $5K, but it is cool!

yodiwan1 · Post by **yodiwan1** » Nov Thu 01, 2007 4:05 pm

I would say by now the Segway is not futuristic either. If our beloved President can fall off of one a few years ago already, then it's not for the future! lol. We have guys in our neighberhood that go door to door on them to advertise their real estate busines.

DisBeamer · Post by **DisBeamer** » Nov Thu 01, 2007 7:46 pm

spaulo wrote:And Ford.

Magic Skyway (dinosaur diorama in Disneyland's Railroad attraction) => Ford
It's A Small World => Pepsi
Great Moments w/Mr. Lincoln => State of Illinois
Progressland (Carousel of Progress) => General Electric

Carry on.

I knew I was forgetting someone. Much obliged. ^^

Captain Schnemo wrote:It only starts getting into dangerous territory when GM and Exxon are pretending to show you a fair view of the real world. If you listen to the early drafts of the Carousel of Progress script on subsonic, you can see that originally they were far too overtly shilling for GE appliances. CoP is a beloved attraction, but it's kind of funny how it's more of a Carousel of Appliances than progress...not that appliances aren't interesting.

Those early scripts, especially the 'original' one (not the rough draft with 'Saturday Bathtime', but the one where he admonishes the dog not to bark at the guy who 'may be a good customer of General Electric') are actually from the World's Fair though, aren't they? Where the point of the attraction was to entertain people while shilling for GE? Or did that early version actually run in one (both?) of the parks in the beginning?

If that's the case (and maybe I'm wrong - I wasn't alive to see the original CoP anywhere), then I'd give that more of a pass than something like having Exxon sponsor the Universe of Energy.

On the other hand, as I said in the previous post, I believe they were trying to go at least a little with the idea that EPCOT was a showcase of tech of the near future. If we give them the benefit of the doubt that the early 80s Future World did this (and I do), then I think they needed a big energy company to sponsor UoE (and the other pavilions, but I'll just pick on Exxon for the moment). Looking back at it from today, it seems pretty obvious that a predominantly fossil-fuel-based company will give you a skewed look at the future of energy, but I don't know if I'd say that would have been as obvious in 1982. At the time of the Ellen redesign, there was less excuse for it, though by that point I think the 'showcase of future tech' theme was all but lost anyway. Sort of a sticky wicket there; I would like to see the sponsorship idea continue in the theme of the original 'purpose' of EPCOT, but I don't know where you'd find an energy company with deep enough pockets to be the sponsor that would focus on something other than 'we have enough fossil fuels left - it's all okay!'.

Captain Schnemo · Post by **Captain Schnemo** » Nov Thu 01, 2007 8:06 pm

DisBeamer wrote:Those early scripts, especially the 'original' one (not the rough draft with 'Saturday Bathtime', but the one where he admonishes the dog not to bark at the guy who 'may be a good customer of General Electric') are actually from the World's Fair though, aren't they?

Hmm. Not sure, but that would make sense. I always saw the WDW Carousel, which didn't have the "Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" song, but the much lamer "Now Is the Time" song. Actually, it's pretty catchy, but lacks imagination and theming.

Anyway, you're probably right. Shilling at the World's Fair is a completely different animal.

If we give them the benefit of the doubt that the early 80s Future World did this (and I do), then I think they needed a big energy company to sponsor UoE (and the other pavilions, but I'll just pick on Exxon for the moment).

I don't think Exxon lent any particular expertise to the attraction. I doubt they actually wrote the script, they probably just had a hand in directing it...and of course they had veto power, so there were probably rules about what could be said. We already knew oil companies were evil in 1982. It should have been fresh in our minds after the oil crisis of the 70s.

Anyway, I don't think you need an energy company involved in the process at all. All you need are some decent researchers willing to investigate the state of the art. If the show is dynamic enough, it shouldn't be too hard to find some company looking to build up a green reputation. You could maaaaybe get BP to own up to some truths, but getting them involved would probably just complicate the process.

For the longer term view, all you need are good ideas. If no one's doing them yet, maybe some kid will go to Epcot, be inspired, and make them happen.

Jacca5660 · Post by **Jacca5660** » Nov Thu 01, 2007 9:27 pm

DisBeamer wrote:
Those early scripts, especially the 'original' one (not the rough draft with 'Saturday Bathtime', but the one where he admonishes the dog not to bark at the guy who 'may be a good customer of General Electric') are actually from the World's Fair though, aren't they?

Hmm. Not sure, but that would make sense. I always saw the WDW Carousel, which didn't have the "Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" song, but the much lamer "Now Is the Time" song. Actually, it's pretty catchy, but lacks imagination and theming.

Anyway, you're probably right. Shilling at the World's Fair is a completely different animal.

The original is from the 1964 worlds fair in Queens. You know the one with the flying ships on the poles (bad movie reference). I never really thought of the Great big Beautiful tomorrow song being from there before. I just thought it was the first song from the ride. I was at the worlds fair, but I was barely five. I don't see how I could possible remember it.
Here's one you could maybe set me straight on. Who was the first company to sponsor Space Mountain?

Post by **rdeacon** » Nov Fri 02, 2007 7:55 am

Schnemo mentioned the original Space Mountain sponsor

Captain Schnemo wrote: Now and then some were sponsored...WDW's Space Mountain was sponsored by RCA (which is the explanation for all the televisions at the end)

As for sponsorship in general, Walt had to have sponsorship in order to build Disneyland. Without cooperate advertising money Disneyland would not have been built. So from the beginning sponsorship became ingrained in the building of the parks and the attractions. I don't have a huge issue with the sponsorship as long as its done tastefully. I do find it troubling that Disney will let an attraction or pavillion just waste away without corporate funding, ie Wonders of Life.

Rich

Jacca5660 · Post by **Jacca5660** » Nov Fri 02, 2007 8:16 am

Thank you! Sometimes I scan instead or read.

Post by **rdeacon** » Nov Fri 02, 2007 12:00 pm

Speaking of sponserships...

wdwmagic.com wrote:Hanes have signed a deal with the Walt Disney Company to become a sponsor for various parts of the Disney theme parks. As part of the deal, Hanes will become the sponsor the Disney-MGM Studios Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith and have a venue for personalizing apparel at the Disney Resort. Champion will receive naming rights to Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex.

How the heck does Hanes fit in with the Rock n Roll coaster!?!

Maybe the tag line can be... soiled your drawers on Rock n Roller coaster... buy some Hanes in the gift shop!!!

Rich