Tom’s Top 7: Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom
Tomorrowland is my favorite land in Magic Kingdom. It’s the place we spend the most time during our Walt Disney World vacations (largely thanks to two attractions), and I have a lot of nostalgia and genuine enthusiasm for it. I know this is uncommon sentiment for what is regularly derided as Magic Kingdom’s “worst” land, but I love Tomorrowland. (Note: I most definitely do not have these same feelings about Disneyland’s version.)
Think of this post as a cut rate version of the Top 7 Must Sees, but with me instead of Stacey, and the random things I like instead of useful suggestions. I’ll share some of the reasons why I feel so strongly about Tomorrowland at Walt Disney World. These are not the greatest things about Tomorrowland (well, except the ones that are). Rather, these are the details over which I obsess. They’re the aspects of Tomorrowland that help give it character, and what has made me become enamored with this admittedly flawed land.
Even though this is not a helpful post, I thought it’d be worth sharing these details on a “just for fun” basis. First, for the sake of commiserating. I’m certainly not the only obsessive Walt Disney World fan, so if I’ve grown attached to particular details, chances are many others have, as well. With Tomorrowland likely transforming over the next few years as TRON Lightcycle Power Run is added, there’s a good chance we’ll lose some of these details in the process and I think it’d be nice to document some of this as a “tribute” of sorts.
Second, perhaps you haven’t noticed one of these details, and the list will give you something to look for on your next trip. I guess to that end, this post is potentially helpful. On the other hand, falling deeper down the rabbit hole of ‘obsessing about Disney details’ is not something I’d necessarily recommend if you’re interested in being “cool.” (On the other other hand, we think few things are as truly cool as random knowledge about Disney details.)
Moving along, maybe you’ll find this list fascinating and fun, maybe you’ll can’t believe you wasted your time reading about random minutiae that matters to me. After the positive response to the “All About Epcot’s Norway” post (thanks for the feedback on that, by the way), I thought I’d test out another idea I’ve had for a while. Let us know if you’d like to see this as a series…
7. Space Mountain Star Tunnel Music – To the shock and confusion of many people, my favorite Space Mountain is Walt Disney World’s. I think the whole experience–from the moment you enter the queue until you exit back into Tomorrowland–is the best in Florida. Since the ride is, essentially, a glorified wild mouse coaster in the dark in every park, all of that “other stuff” matters in making this a Disney attraction rather than an amusement park ride.
You already know I’m a complete dork, so I don’t feel too embarrassed to share this: when entering Space Mountain, I have some odd “rules.” I try to only do the attraction late at night, attempting to time our FastPass arrival after any large groups and with adequate room behind us. My goal is to walk through the queue in solitude, briefly closing my eyes to absorb the Star Tunnel music, feeling like I’m at an actual StarPort. I’m no expert on the art of zen, but I’m absolutely positive the true key to finding inner peace is listening to this 4-hour Star Tunnel loop.
6. Palms of Tomorrow – While Elon Musk dumps billions of his personal fortune into follies like Tesla, SpaceX, and the Boring Company, the answer to all of humanity’s energy and transportation woes is hiding in plain sight: the Palms of Tomorrow. Now, I don’t know exactly how these are the answer, but I’m pretty certain they are it.
Beyond just looking cool, these palm trees have an interesting albeit arcane backstory. These “Power Palms” are yet another effort by the Tomorrowland Light & Power Co. (Arcade) to find alternative energy supplies, which they accomplish by harvesting the coconut-like globes around the trunk. When the globes fill with energy, they illuminate to indicate that they’re ready harvesting. (Keen eyes might notice that one of the palms has been harvested, and its leaves look different than the others.)
5. Carousel of Progress 21st Century House – I’ve told Sarah time and time again that my only requirement for our next home purchase is that its kitchen and living room be identical to the home in the last scene of Carousel of Progress. I mean, this should go without saying, but I think it’s a fairly minor and totally reasonable request.
I love everything about this home. The interesting character to the overhead beams. The skylight over the kitchen sink that would make even washing dishes enjoyable. The floor to ceiling windows in the dining room with a view into the city of (in my mind) Los Angeles. This home was an open concept before open concept was a thing (so futuristic!).
Since I’ve been advised that this is an “unreasonable demand” and “you need to be serious about what you actually want in a house” I’ve agreed to settle for a large re-creation of the abstract Sorcerer Mickey art. Sarah had better learn how to paint.
4. Background Music – This is one of the top 5 background music loops in all of Walt Disney World. In fact, it might be #1 overall. (The Innoventions BGM gives it a strong run for its money, as would the Reflections of Earth pre/post-show loop, if we count that.) It’s really strong, and fits the land perfectly.
A big part of its strength comes from the fact that its self-referential, but in a way that’s on-theme. This background music contains music from Carousel of Progress, Adventures through Inner Space, Alien Encounter, and other attractions. Rather than presenting these as a generic medley like is done at the park entrance, these versions have a billowy sound evoking a sci fi vibe. The only thing that would make Tomorrowland’s BGM better? If we got a Christmas version of the music and accompanying light show on Space Mountain, a la Tokyo Disneyland.
3. Sonny Eclipse – Our very first Walt Disney World obsession as a couple was Sonny Eclipse. During our annual summer visits, we spent many a late night in the booths at Cosmic Ray’s watching Sonny perform his full sets, and at home we’d “relive” those moments by playing an mp3 of his full show. There may have been a time in college when I was in charge of our playlist curation for a party, and I slipped “Bright Little Star” into the mix. (Which didn’t raise nearly as many eyebrows as when we had an around the world party and I “themed” my room to Iceland…by playing Sólstafir, a black metal band, at full blast.)
Despite Cosmic Ray’s being busier than ever, our love for Sonny Eclipse endures. His backstory is cleverly told via his songs and his set has a hybrid comedy/musical quality reminiscent of Country Bear Jamboree. Thanks to his mix of humor, personality, catchy songs, and look, Sonny Eclipse ranked #4 on our list of Top 10 (Original) Disney Parks Characters.
2. Factory Pomo Design – I had never even heard this term until a Twitter thread about the design of Tomorrowland was retweeted into my timeline. Take a minute to read through that. I don’t agree with everything in that thread (particularly the judgment that Tomorrowland’s original style aged poorly), but its discussion of the stylization and details of Tomorrowland ’94 is particularly fascinating.
One thing I’ve always loved about the current incarnation of Tomorrowland is the font choices, the science fiction/futurism flourishes, and the ornamentation that established Tomorrowland as a specific place. This incarnation of Tomorrowland will always hold a special place in my heart since it gave us Alien Encounter and Timekeeper (two brilliant attractions), and it’s been slightly painful to watch Tomorrowland transform for the worse, have its details stripped away, and have band-aid replacements added that don’t congeal with the theme.
With that said, I do think that the original vision for Tomorrowland ’94 has faded. Even if it had not, the style has definitely not aged well, and has a distinct mid-1990s look. I’m ready to see a new vision for Tomorrowland realized, but I really hope it’s a wholesale rethink of the aesthetics, and not just continuing the current patchwork trajectory, with TRON cloned directly from Shanghai without it and its surroundings having a cohesive theme.
For such an overhaul, I think it’d be interesting to see Imagineering iterate on Shanghai’s organic style, softening up its vaguely dystopian vibe a bit and integrating that with a melange of Googie/Modern/Streamline design (a lot of which is still underneath the Tomorrowland ’94 artifice).
1. TTA PeopleMover at Night – Imagine a long day in Magic Kingdom spent racing from attraction to attraction, all in the sweltering Florida heat and humidity. You’ve already logged over 15,000 steps for the day and you’re at your breaking point. Yet it’s only 7:30 p.m., and Magic Kingdom is open for another 3.5 hours. Without knowing what kind of newfangled transportation it is, you line up for the PeopleMover.
You board the attraction, getting off your feet. You pass by a picture-perfect aerial view of Cinderella Castle with the setting sun behind it, glide through a beautiful model of Walt Disney’s Progress City, and emerge out the other end to the crisp evening air. You gaze down at the neon lights of Tomorrowland awash with neon that seems particularly vibrant against the blue hour sky. The wonderful background music fills your ears. Your senses feel heightened, and you are reinvigorated.
You realize Ponce de Leon was simply ahead of his time, as you’ve found the fountain of youth in Florida, and it’s in the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover. If this isn’t one of the greatest experiences in Tomorrowland, nay, in all of Walt Disney World, I don’t know what is.
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Your Thoughts
Any thoughts on my sentimental favorites in Tomorrowland? Do you agree or disagree with any of these? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Great post Tom! So many great moments in Carousel of Progress and PeopleMover to chose from. Some honorable mentions on the PeopleMove for Disney Park History Buffs: “Paging Mr. Tom Morrow” or Progress City exhibit.
Fun, awesome post, Tom. You should definitely do more! I think you’re nuts, as Tomorrowland is my least fave land, but it’s nice to hear what you like about it. Maybe I’ll appreciate more the next visit. After all, I’ve never even seen Sonny Eclipse!
I loved this post and would love to see more like this! When I first went to Walt Disney World, I thought that Tomorrowland would be the most boring land (I don’t know what I was thinking). It just so happened to be the land that made me fall in love with Disney. I’d love to see a ranking of all the Tomorrowlands. Mine would be:
6. Disneyland (worst theming at the moment)
5. Hong Kong (not super unique, but Marvel could bring it to life)
4. Discoveryland ( very unique theme, but a little ruined by Buzz and Star Wars)
3. Shanghai (very unique approach and concept)
2. Magic Kingdom (for all the reasons you just said)
1. Tokyo (coolest theming, awesome Monsters Inc. ride)
Tom, Enjoy the post and the blog in general. I agree with many of your assertions, especially the musical choices. The Tomorrowland loop is one the best to listen to both as background as well as intentional reading. One note about the Space Mountain music: I particularly enjoy the melody when you first get indoors facing the StarPort 75 sign. It has the great vintage 70’s strings instrumentation and the solo trumpet and then it transitions into the Star Tunnel music and you round the corner into the corridor itself. I believe I read one time that those particular musical combinations have been playing since the attraction opened so I find that link with the park’s past amazing.
Further, nothing arouses nostalgia for a historical Magic Kingdom experience like the Peoplemover and Carousel of Progress. They are timeless and make Tomorrowland (along with Adventureland) as the places I spend the most time in the Park.
This was such a fun post! Tomorrowland is my favorite too–I work from home and have a few MyPod playlists of Disney Parks music. Love asking Alexa to play music from Tomorrowland!
I love it! Carousel of Progress is my favorite ride at Disney World. I would personally add THAT GUY from Monsters Inc Laugh Floor to this list. I don’t know why, but THAT GUY gets me every time.
I’m sensing a top-7 background music post in the near future- maybe one for attractions and another for lands? (hopeful!)
Time to throw myself down a youtube parks’ music hole. My boss thanks you
Loved this post, hope to see it continue as a series!
Completely agree, very fun to read!
in the twilight zone episode of your life you’d end up becoming one of the animatronic figures in the final carousel scene, consigned to spend eternity looking out at a rotating audience mute to your wish come true.
I don’t think your request for the kitchen/living/dining room is unreasonable. I love that scene too! And I did very much enjoy the People Mover when we went to WDW in 2016. I miss it in Disneyland. And I will definitely pay more attention to the Palms of Tomorrow next trip! Enjoyed the post. Please keep it up! 🙂
Great post, love the idea of this as a series and the World Showcase series idea too!
Nice post. It is nice to see a Disney fan simply talking about what they love about the parks. It’s easy to nitpick things that one is passionate about, and so it becomes common. It’s refreshing to just share in some enthusiasm and possibly consider new perspectives, and/or details we were not aware of. Am I excited to ride the PeopleMover now? I just might be. Thanks Tom.
Great Post Tom!
I say you should keep up these offbeat posts! As You attract both die hards and newbies items like this either reminds us of unique items or opens our eyes to stuff we miss! I think as these parks grow and eveolve which include larger crowds we need to appreciate stuff like this. I agree the people mover is top on my list! It is an ode to the many layers of Tomorrowland! I feel both the good and the bad make each Tomorrowland unique. The imagineers are always conflicted on what to do which to me is what I want. Not everything needs to be perfect and I think this land held Walt’s imagination most captive ifdeas! If anything at least we still have the People Mover not a small price of unused Rocket Rods Track!
Love this and its potential series. Can’t wait to see what land is next!
I so wish you could have seen Disneyland’s Tomorrowland before it was destroyed in the 90’s. The original Peoplemover was a favorite and after encountering the article on it on Yesterland, I realized just how much “America Sings” influenced me growing up. (My childhood Tomorrowland was that brief era after Star Tours opened, but before AS closed)
The kinetic energy in that Tomorrowland between the Peoplemover, Submarine Voyage, Autopia, Monorail, the rotating theater, the Skyway and even the generally forgotten old Motor Boat Cruise was truly a sight to behold. I miss it so much.
Great list! I love the PeopleMover too, and always manage to ride it multiple times on each day in the Magic Kingdom. Especially late in the day when my feet are sore!
We will have matching houses someday because I have the same demands! WDW background music has a LOT of emotional impact on me. In fact, all of the music in our wedding ceremony was music played somewhere in Epcot. I walked down the aisle to the music in Impressions de France where you get to the Eiffel tower–the stirring and powerful finale piece that gives me goosebumps every single time I hear it. The finale of IllumiNations is what we used for our recessional music. We head for Carousel of Progress and the Peoplemover when we first enter the park. I don’t know how many hundreds of times I have been on those attractions, but they never get old.
Great post! I vote for a series!
The kid Dance party is good fun too…plus who can forget the Astro orbiter “get you sick while trying to take pictures why is thing still going this fast when landing…I wish for dumbo” ride
Wonderful article! I’ve been going to Disney World for 20+ years and never knew about Sonny. Should I even admit that?
Well – Sonny is on my must do list when I visit Disney World again in November.
Sonny IS the best! And, Cosmic Ray’s is a great place for some AC when it gets miserable outside.
We finally saw Sonny last year for the first time. “Let’s never do this again.” was my daughter’s comment, I believe. So, reasonable minds can differ on the quality of that. 🙂
Agreed 100% about the TTA PeopleMover. That is my happy place.
Great blog. Love to see more.