Tomorrowland

After visiting Main Street USA, we're going to turn right at most Disney theme parks, and take a trip into the future of Tomorrowland (or Discoveryland in Disneyland Paris).

Outside of my Disney love, I'm a huge science fiction fan but Tomorrowland is not one of my favourite areas.  The theming, for me, is a little bland due to it's stark lines and abundance of silver and blue.

That said, though, there are a number of great attractions in this area that I will look at in future posts: Astro Orbiter, Carousel of Progress, The Laugh Floor, Star Tours, Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters and that most iconic of rides, Space Mountain.

Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom has seen various attractions come and go and has also had it's theming reimagined to improve the outdated future vision to something a little more timeless - going for a 20s/30s vision of a future world.  This change was partly inspired by the steampunk theming of Discoveryland in Paris.

Themed to resemble a spaceport city, attractions included Alien Encounter, Tomorrowland Speedway and the Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover.

Before the Tomorrowland at Disney World opened, of course, there was the original Tomorrowland at Disneyland in California.  This too has been reimagined in later years to better reflect a 'timeless' future.  At one point, it resembled the steampunk colourings of Disneyland Paris, but has now returned to a blue and silver look.  Although never having visited it, I am familiar with the land from playing the Disneyland Adventures computer game.

Many of the past and present attractions at Disneyland have been the same or similar to those in Florida.

Tokyo Disneyland's Tomorrowland has a more science fiction feel in both theming and attractions and retains more or less the same rides as found in the American and Parisian theme parks.  Tomorrowland at Hong Kong Disneyland also follows the blue theming, with elements of purple.  Some attractions are the same, although there is a leaning towards a greater number of Marvel properties such as Ant Man and Iron Man.

Shanghai Disneyland bucks the Tomorrowland trend as it is situated on the opposite side of the park to the land in other parks.  This partk doesn't have a version of Space Mountain but instead showcases the Tron lightcycle rollercoaster (which is soon to be brought to the Magic Kingdom).  It also has more unique variations of the Orbiter and Buzz Lightyear's rides common to the other parks.

Although sharing similar attractions such as Space Mountain and Star Tours, Discoveryland at Disneyland Paris has a steampunk, Jules Verne-esque theming which continues through to the inclusion of a 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea walkthrough attraction.  For me, personally, the theming of Discoveryland is more appealing than the theming at most of the other parks.