Friday, September 25, 2009

"Launching into the Future" Tomorrowland 1998

Eleven years later and I’m still in shock from the mess that was/is Tomorrowland '98. I’d like to say whoever Ok’d this should be fired, but we know who Ok’d it, he signed this letter inviting the cast to preview the new Tomorrowland, complete with that crowd pleaser "Honey I Shrunk the Attendance".






The artwork on these items doesn’t really match the final end result. Is it just me or are these renderings even worse than what we actually got? What were they thinking – Jules Verne meets Licorice Pizza? The center of this sheet is one of those 3D shifting things, but even it doesn’t work as it should, figures!






Here’s the envelope this mess came in, it's postmarked January 28, 1998, Anaheim. CA. The artwork is a little better without all those hideous colors.





Please excuse the less than upbeat tone of this post, can you tell how much I loved Tomorrowland ’98? Let me try and find something good to say: The paper is high quality and Paul has a nice signature?

8 comments:

TokyoMagic! said...

LOL! So the paper was the only "high quality" thing about it? Tomorrowland used to be my favorite area of the park. Now I just cringe when I walk through there. Bring back the PeopleMover! Put the Rocket Jets back where they belong! Get rid of that 3-D film....it's horrible! And how about putting an actual theater show into the Carousel Theater building?

Sereina Elwert said...

98' was my frist trip to Disneyland. I wish I could have seen Tomorwland back in the 60's...

Jason Schultz said...

I have so much New Tomorrowland press stuff. My favorite is the press kit from (I think) 1996 that I had signed by Paul, Bruce Gordon, Tony Baxter, and some others who were mentioned in the kit or worked on the project.

Major Pepperidge said...

Ha ha, Licorice Pizza. I can almost hear the radio ads for that place. Was it that store or music plus where you could buy pot smoking paraphernalia back in the old days??

Paul Pressler really didn't "get" Disneyland, although he sure made the accountants happy.

outsidetheberm said...

*sigh* -- I don't know, even the signature is pretty pedestrian. Thanks for the sad reminder, Tim.

Katella Gate said...

I remember seeing the *early* concepts for Tomorrowland. It actually had a lot of appeal. But by the time the Accountanteers got done doing their enchanted "Dance of the Red Pens" there was really very little left.

Months can go by and I don't even step in Tomorrowland.

Anonymous said...

The "new" Tomorrowland completely surrenders an optimistic dream of the future to some Victorian steam punk nightmare. I say it's spinach, and I say the hell with it.

Randy said...

My favorite aspect of this letter is that the cast members could experience the queue and station for Rocket Rods, but no mention of being able to ride it.

It's hilarious that even before the ride opened, they couldn't keep it running!