Wednesday, September 24, 2008

A September Night In Tomorrowland, 40 Years Ago

Tomorrowland was still a novel and interesting land in 1968. These two evening images show how crowded and vibrant the land could be, filled with people, lights and action. The first image shows the crowd in front of the Rocket to the Moon ride. Of course when the new Tomorrowland was built in 1998, instead of replacing an attraction with an attraction, there needed to be a revenue stream and the location was changed to a pizza place. Have to love '60's fashion as the lady in the center looks like she has escaped from prison.

The second image shows the stage that was located where Space Mountain eventually landed. In the center is the Rolly Crump designed ticket booth, immortalized by Kevin and Jody in miniature.

8 comments:

Yendorb said...

40 years old and still looks more futuristic than what we have now.

Great pics as always.

Major Pepperidge said...

BEAUTIES. So nice, and taken at that perfect time of day.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps we as a society had a better shared perception as to what we thought Tomorrow would be back then (even despite the political upheaval of that time). Now the future looks blurred and cloudy and today's version simply reflects that lack of vision.

CoxPilot said...

The trouble is that nobody gives a damn about "tomorrow". We have all the gadgets, goodies, cars, houses, sex, etc., etc., than any society can absorb. The future is now, and it doesn't really come off all that great, so why try to project a future future. The past is more intriguing, and maybe "tomorrow" land should be rebuilt back to the way it was in 1965, and call it The Land of the Lost. We had a lot more fun then.

TokyoMagic! said...

I would like to see Tomorrowland restored to it's 1967 glory....Mary Blair murals and all. I don't have any faith that Disney could ever to do a better version than that. Oh yeah, and they can leave Space Mountain....but everything else must go back to the way it was! Bring back Adventure Thru Inner Space and the Carousel of Progress! Put the People Mover and Rocket Jets back where they belong!

TokyoMagic! said...

P.S. Absolutely incredible photos...thank you! But I wonder why the Country Music Jubilee was on the Tomorrowland stage?

Anonymous said...

I second the "1967+Space Mountain" redo! Inner Space, PeopleMover and the Rocket Jets (even the Skyway) are all SORELY missed. I'd even accept keeping an updated Star Tours -- only if an updated Inner Space came back.

Westcot2000 said...

Thanks for sharing. The Space Stage (1977 version) was not demolished--only covered up to build the Magic Eye Theater! The procenium (sp?) and other parts are still there behind the movie screen.