At Least It's Not Captain EO

Over in Disneyland's Tomorrowland, the Magic Eye Theater (host for many years to Captain EO and Honey I Shrunk The Audience and most recently the preview of Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy) went under refurbishment once again and there was speculation that the badly outdated Captain EO 3D film would make its way back into Disneyland playing to mostly empty houses in the large state of the art theater.

A few days ago Disney put that rumor on hold and announced in Disney Parks Blog that the theater will, beginning September 26, host a special preview for it's latest animated film effort - Big Hero 6 which premieres in theaters November 7. At least it's not Captain EO showing when we arrive for our trip in November (though admittedly outside of seeing one preview - I know nothing about Big Hero 6).

And what of Captain EO? Maybe we have seen the last of the old film. 2015 brings a new episode of the massively successful Marvel's The Avengers as well as the latest installment of Star Wars. Disney could spend a year or more just showing previews of their 2015 sure fire blockbusters in the Magic Eye theater and it might not be a bad idea so long as the extended previews that are shown are high in quality and designed to be crowd pleasers for Disneyland guests. It beats seeing the tired old Captain EO.

Plenty Of Water For Finding Nemo But The Rest Of Us Get Hosed

Finding Nemo's Submarine Voyage stands ready to reopen after an extensive refurbishment. The gazillion gallons of water it takes to fill the attraction has taken place and the picturesque lagoon with their bright yellow subs will soon be taking on passengers for a ride that was once serious but has since become an animated cartoon.

I say all this as a backdrop to the fact that we out here in California are facing a serious drought and water shortages. Heck, my lawn and most of my neighbors lawns are dead from the drought and the fact serious penalties can incur if water restriction mandates are not taken seriously. So how does Disney get off filling a lagoon with massive amounts of water when the rest of us look at water as a pretty precious commodity? 

The answer has to do with something does quite well these days - recycling. When Disneyland first drained the lagoon, the water went into an underground storage reserve facility run by the local Orange County / Anaheim water department. When it came time to refill the attraction earlier this month bingo...... the water was there. Doesn't seem to help my lawn situation though. Disneyland seems to have plenty of water for all their attractions. For the rest of us, it's something that is in very short supply.

Disneyland Monorails: Still Cool After All These Years

What I remember from my first trip to Disneyland as a kid, other than that first drop on Pirates of the Caribbean (!), was my first ride on a monorail. As a kid, it was a pretty cool ride. Now here as an adult, and many (many) years later, I have to admit a ride on the monorail, even at my age, is still a pretty cool deal. It's one of those rides that make up the unique fabric of Disneyland. For many, it is the first ride in operation that is visible when you first see the park upon entering the Disneyland area.

The sleek, colorful Mark VII monorails make quite a first impression. Unlike their WDW counterparts, the Disneyland monorails still serve as an attraction as well as a mode of transportation. The two mile circle around Disneyland is still a must do attraction for Mrs. DisneylandTraveler and myself. Whizzing by the scenery, it's hard to believe the top speed isn't all that much. My only wish is their were a stop in DCA as well as its Downtown Disney stop.

For the kid in all of us, a ride on the monorail still represents what Disneyland is all about - imagination, innovation, uniqueness, and just plain fun. All aboard!

Is Innoventions A Waste Of Time Again?

ASIMO - still Innoventions best attraction

A reader made the comment that on their recent trip to Disneyland the biggest disappointment was a visit to the Innoventions Building. I can understand. As we look forward our upcoming trip the question is out there - Innoventions - Yes or No? I think this trip we are going to take a pass on visiting the venerable old building.

When the Iron Man suits moved in, I had hopes. Either the suits represented the first footprint of a Marvel based attraction in Disneyland (rumored) or the beginnings of Marvel based universe within the old and underutilized building. Neither have materialized and for most people, the place is a waste of time after an initial visit.

Yes, Captain America and Thor meet and greets have moved in but regular readers of this blog know my opinion of the now overuse of meet and greets. While popular with young kids, they represent a cheap windfall for Disney. Instead of developing real imaginative attractions, people wait for incredible lengths of time to meet a character in a costume. It's an easy way out to put something new in the park and attract throngs of people with little effort or imagination on Disney's part.

The Iron Man suits a great but only need one visit - been there done that.

My rule of thumb regarding Innoventions is that a visit every 5 years or so is good enough or place to get out of the rain. The single best attraction in the building remains ASIMO - Honda's amazing little robot. The rest of the place is just a corporate shill for Yamaha, HP, Microsoft, along with Disney's feeble efforts to show off its Marvel franchise. 

I do have a feeling that better days are coming for Innoventions, I just I don't think its coming any time soon which is too bad.

Thor movie props - more of these types of displays would be a nice touch.

Close The Subs: Save Some Bucks

So by now, the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage attraction is closed down and boarded up. "Closed for refurbishment" as the saying goes. Here we are in January and the ride is not scheduled to re-open until late September. But the speculation is that the Finding Nemo Submarine may never re-open even though there is Pixar Finding Nemo (Finding Dory) sequel movie somewhere in pre-production.

Now I have no doubts that the sub attraction is in need of some repair. It is by all accounts the most expensive attraction to operate and maintain in the park. So maybe it is just a "refurbishment". But everyday the ride doesn't operate, Disneyland is saving a boatload of money so to speak.

But it strikes be funny (and I'm just thinking out loud here) that Disney closes the expensive subs, eliminates an expensive act with Billy Hill and the Hillbillies, cuts down on the length of firework displays, well, all this seems to add up some belt tightening by Disney accountants and bean counters. Much cheaper to load up character meet and greets than having actual entertaining attractions for wider appeal of guest demographics. (Disney announced a new Captain America meet and greet coming soon earlier this week to go along with the more recent Thor and Frozen meet and greets).

But I'm willing to cut Disney a bit of slack here. If these cutbacks lead to a fully realized development of the Star Wars franchise (which is rumored but would be costly), then I'm all for Disney cutting back on some things temporally to put some park development money away to be used for a DCA type of makeover (except the Billy elimination, that was an outright mistake).

While I enjoyed taking pictures of the various vistas for the submarines and the surrounding lagoon, I was not a fan of ride itself. It the space utilized for Innoventions, the subs, and Autopia were allocated for Star Wars and a true Tomorrowland development, then I'm on board.

The Return Of The Tomorrowland Money Pit

Tomorrowland - Where the Future Is Now

So wherever MiceChat gets their information from (and its usually pretty good sources), their current report (rumor) now is that the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage attraction is closing for extended refurbishment after the first of the year.  And that refurbishment could possibly be indefinite.

The closure is not unexpected, as Al Lutz reported on its closure several months ago (even though the ride is still extremely popular).  The problem with the Nemo Subs is that it is also the most expensive attraction in the park to keep in running operation.  The decision a few years ago to convert the classic diesel propelled subs to environmentally friendly battery operated subs was met by green types with rousing appreciation. The only problem is that those expensive batteries have a notoriously short lifespan, and the batteries get very hot which causes them to occasionally, eh, - catch fire.  Yep, the photogenic subs are fraught with technical issues.

Al's bigger point is that the subs (most of which are in an underground show building) and Autopia running on top of it while residing next to the adjoining Innoventions building, occupies a massive amount of Disneyland Tomorrowland real estate.  The real estate was once thought to be the launching place of Marvel attractions, then Star Wars attractions, and finally, the no one really knows attractions.

The one thing that is known is whatever is done with Tomorrowland, (whether it be Marvel based, Star Wars based, or a combination of both franchises), the price tag will be very, very expensive. Expensive to the point that Disney seems content to continue to bring in Cars Land profits which is already paid for and turning a handsome profit.

The other thing that can cause Disney to wait things out is the construction of Shanghai Disneyland. This is one of those partnerships (similar to the Tokyo Disney Parks) where the Disney Company is only part owner. They license the rides, characters, and attractions (which they also build) but, the company is not on the hook for picking up the whole tab. Great arrangement here which is why people speak glowingly of Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney SEA.  Most of the development costs are funded by the Japanese owners.

Tomorrowland is a Disney money pit waiting to happen, but I'm not sure during whose lifetime it will take place. It's also Disneyland's right armpit if you count the poorly conceived Frontierland as the left armpit. There's work to be done here people!

Marvel Takes Over Innoventions Real Estate

Does this guy really look like the movie Thor?
A Disney Parks Blog photo

Last week Disney Parks Blog posted a couple of preliminary photos of the new Thor: Treasures of Asgard exhibit that will open in Tomrrowland's Innoventions building beginning November 1 ahead of the films general release on November 8 (link here). The exhibit shows off a few of the actual movie props then you cross over to an actual Thor meet and greet area. Now the Thor we see in the above picture doesn't look like Chris Hemsworth who plays Thor in the movie - but then again, who does? And while we are at it - can we get a Natalie Portman? But I digress....

The thought was that when Thor moved in, the current Iron Man exhibit would move out. Apparently this isn't the plan. Thor movies in, Iron Man stays, and I'm suspecting the when the new Captain America movie opens next year, a spot will be found in Innoventions for him as well. Exhibits are far cheaper than any kind of ride or attraction and what Disney has found is that the Marvel exhibits provide Innoventions something that the old building hasn't had in years - foot traffic. People are actually going inside.

I'm sure that Disney will get around to doing something with the building eventually but for now, showing off Marvel stuff seems to work out just fine.

Thor: The Dark World movie props
A Disney Parks Blog photo

Iron Man Flies East

Iron Man Experience - Disney Artwork

While Disneyland's Tomorrowland continues to flounder with good rides surrounded by theming that is all over the map and the massive Innoventions building is by far the largest waster of space in the park, Disney Parks Chairman Tom Staggs announced plans the plans for building the first Iron Man attraction in a Disney Park. The only problem is you have to go to Hong Kong so see it. Thanks Tom.....  Check out Tom's comments in Disney Parks Blog

And Now Space Mountain Goes Down For The Holidays.

And MousePlanet is reporting that Space Mountain will be down for refurbishment beginning Nov 4 and staying closed until Jan 17, 2014. So Space Mountain and Thunder Mountain Railroad will be closed for the holidays if all this reporting is true. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.....

Space Mountain - The Ride Where There Is No Middle Ground

There's a certain demographic of Disneyland park guests who tell you that Space Mountain is the best ride in Disneyland. These are people who are probably 13 -35 and have put the venerable mountain ahead of Indiana Jones Adventure, often regarded as their second favorite ride.

And then there is a certain segment of park guests who would not get on Space Mountain if they were getting poked by a cattle prod. Space Mountain = No Way Man. I think one of the reasons Mrs. DisneylandTrveler and I have yet to eat at Red Rockets Pizza Port is the entrance to the dining facility takes you right by the Space Mountain entrance, at which point Mrs. DLT will be bend over in convulsions and come up with the sever case of the heebee-jeebees. "It messes with my head" will be a standard excuse for not going on. I've heard this for close to 15 years. No sense in even asking anymore about the possibility of a ride on Space Mountain.

But she's not alone. Of all my fellow Disneyland Travelers at work, they are divided about 50 - 50 in whether they ride space mountain or won't go near the place. There is no middle ground with the ride. You love it or hate it. There is never a "eh....it's just alright comment" about the ride.

And that's alright too because it leads to an aura of mystery about the ride. Always fun to hang around the exit corridor and hear the "never again" comments with the guests pouring off the ride. So what's the big deal? Space Mountain is not especially large or especially fast. As for as coaster types, I believe it is labeled as a wild mouse ride. But the thing about Space Mountain is that for a few carefully placed scenes of light, the coaster is almost completely ridden in the dark. Now a space mountain veteran who knows every twist and every turn can have a lot of fun flinging their way through the dark, but a first time ride may find this quite unsettling to downright frightening.

Count me as a Space Mountain fan. On a hot day, its rather refreshing to have that cool air blowing against your face (which increases the illusion of speed.). My only objection is I always get to ride early before the crowds show up if I ride by myself. But like Indiana Jones - that's really is a long, lonesome walk going by yourself. It's well worth the walk as Space Mountain truly is one of Disneyland's great attractions.

The altered Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy
Starts in Mid September through Halloween.

Things I Thought I Would Never See In Disneyland

Before we get to our friend and hero Iron Man now prominently displayed in Tomorrowland, my first real Disneyland surprise occurred when I first walked through the turnstiles last Sunday morning. The nice young man who scanned my annual pass wore a neatly cropped beard. That's right, he had a beard as did several other cast members I encountered throughout my week's stay. Beards were forbidden by Walt Disney from the get-go. I had heard there was a change in grooming policy but this was the first chance I had to see young men with beards and goatees working in the park. To me, it was quite noticeable but I also have no problem with it. It's just a different look from your male cast members.

Ever since Disney bought Marvel a few years ago, some of the larger gift shops have carried a few Marvel toys and consumer products, but barely enough to be noticeable as the first presence of Marvel in Disneyland. The display of Iron Man Suits currently in Innoventions is something of a game changer. While the display of suits is not large, and if you spend more than 10 or 15 minutes looking at the display, you probably need to work on your life.  The Iron Man display is Disney's first chance to gauge the acceptance of a Marvel presence in Walt's park. While I have no issue with anything related to Marvel from displays right up to a Marvel based E-Ticket attraction, in Disneyland I do understand the position of those who think Marvel superheros in Disneyland is a bit of a stretch from the original park concept.

To me, the Iron Man display is kind of irrelevant. What is important is that for the first time in years, there was a reason for Mrs. DisneylandTraveler and me to walk into the Innoventions building other than to get out of the rain. The building is huge and cavernous and used to show off things that people have little interest in seeing inside of a major (and expensive) theme park. The Innoventions building now represents a giant waste of a space in a park that is space challenged. (Not to mention the place is badly in need of a coat or two of paint). But with the display of Iron Man suits, even as minor as it is, people line up once again to get into Innoventions, something that hasn't been done for years. An Iron Man attraction? An Avengers attraction? A TRON attraction? Bring any of them on - just put the space to a use that will absorb some of the crowds rather than sit there rotting away. (Granted: Since Innoventions is primarily corporate sponsored by Yamaha, HP, MicroSoft, Honda, etc., the place makes Disney money even if no one goes in).

As for Marvel in Disneyland, in a few years someone is going to have to do battle with that Harry Potter kid up the road at Universal Studios Hollywood. Why not Iron Man?



Marvel In Disneyland - It Was Never 'If' But 'When'

Marvel's Iron Man Display

So Disney Parks Blog has now put all the rumors and speculation to rest. In a post today (link), the land of Mickey, and Dumbo, and the Princesses, now gives way to Marvel's Iron Man. Beginning April 13, a display of Iron Man suits (versions I-VII) takes center stage inside Innoventions presented by Stark Industries. Also included is a virtual Iron Man suit where guests can simuate suiting up in the Iron Man get up. Trust me. The highly under utilized Innoventions will have lines out the wazoo to check this out.

 

Disneyland traditionalists have been dreading this day but it was always bound to happen. Disney invested over 4 billion dollars in purchasing Marvel and its an investment already paying huge dividends with last years "The Avengers". If they can get a few more people through the turnstiles by featuring Marvel displays (and an eventual Marvel E-Ticket attraction) they are going to run with it.

 

By contractual arrangement, a Marvel presence is not permitted in WDW (since Universal holds the Marvel character license for Islands of Adventure). Yep, a Marvel presence in a Disney Park in the U.S. is restricted to the west coast. Get ready Disneyland fans, there's an Iron Man in you midst. Everyone needs to just get along and share.

Captain EO's Limited Run Is Now 3 Years Old

Shortly after pop star Michael Jackson passed away in 2009, Disney executives began to debate among themselves whether to bring back Captain EO, the Michael Jackson 3D short film produced by George Lucas and directed by Francis Ford Coppola for exclusive showings in Disney Parks. Disneyland's Captain EO had closed in 1997 from Tomorrowland's Magic Eye Theater after about a 10 year run. By the time EO closed in 1997, it was dated and silly and few people bothered to fill up the large theater.

When the Disney executives settled the debate (the debate was basically Disney profiting from Jackson's tragic death at age 50) it was decided to bring back a Michael Jackson Captain EO "Tribute" for a limited engagement in 2010. That "limited engagement" is now 3 years old, a forgotten fact that was brought up by the Orange Counter Register this past week. The dollar signs won out once again. For the first month or two, people once again began flock Disneyland for the chance to see the self proclaimed "king of pop" dance and sing and try to act with the return of Captain EO. Oh yes, we can't forget about the whole new line of EO merchandise that was brought out to sell. But as anticipated as the return of Captain EO was at the time, one viewing of the film had even Michael Jackson fans (my sister for one) racing for the exit by the time the 17 minute film ended. In the end, in the second decade of the the 21st century, Captain EO is dated and silly and now plays to small crowds in the large theater.

Why doesn't Disney end the "limited run"? They have now gone on record to say there are no immediate plans to do so. It comes down to, "we got nothing else to put in there right now so Captain EO serves a purpose". A couple of thousand people a day wander in to see it even if they do leave the attraction shaking their heads. Eventually, Disney will replace the film with something else but when it comes to the priority list of things to do, it just isn't really high up there right now. Unfortunately. I've seen Captain EO twice since its return. I have no intention to see it again.

Mickey Mouse Meet Iron Man

"Hey Mickey, gather your Disneyland friends together and come over here. I want you to meet someone. Yes, get Donald, Goofy, Snow White, Grumpy, Belle, and anyone else you can think of - this is important."

"Disney friends, this is Tony Stark. He is coming to join you here in the Happiest Place on Earth. He's a bit of an egomaniac, a wise guy, maybe even a bit of alcoholic but he's incredibly smart and incredibly rich. He built this metal suit in which he can actually fly. Occasionally, he is called upon to save the world. He is Iron Man."

******

Well, if you believe in the rumors of MiceAge's Al Lutz, Tony Stark and Iron Man are coming to Disneyland with a big time E-Ticket attraction to be primarily built on the site of the poorly utilized but massive Innoventions attraction in Tomorrowland. And the forums and chat rooms have been buzzing ever since Al made his proclamation  Marvel superhero characters in Disneyland? Get used to it. Disney CEO Bob Iger spent 4 billion dollars buying Marvel characters. He's already pocketed a substantial amount of cash from The Avengers movie and now he gets a chance to move the popular characters, sometimes with dubious backgrounds, into his California theme park (and other Disney properties around the world) . Sorry WDW, you will be spared a visit from Marvel since Universal has the character licenses locked up in Florida for years.

So on what side does The Disneyland Traveler fall on the great Marvel character in Disneyland debate? If done smartly and the Iron Man attraction delivers the goods, well then, I'm all for it. It is time to shake things up a bit. Disney fans threw fits when George Lucas brought in his Star Wars and Indiana Jones characters into Walt's park, but those attractions are hugely popular and keep guests delighted, entertained, and best of all - returning again and again. You don't see Darth Vader or Indiana Jones in parades or places where they would appear out of place. So I would think the same for Marvel characters. Give them their piece of real estate in the park without trying to overrun the place and all will be fine.

What about the further convolution of Walt's Tomorrowland theme since, while Iron Man is high tech for sure, he is a character of the present? Well, Walt's Tomorroland is basically shot. It may be a thematic mess but couple of the rides in there are some of the most popular in the park as I'm sure Iron Man the ride will be. Iron Man replacing Innoventions isn't going to make the place any worse than it already is if you are one of the those who believes that everything must fit to a Walt Disney theme.

"Welcome Tony Stark. Now put on the suit and let's fly....."

Disneyland Resort - A to Z - Disneyland Monorail

So there I was, laying in bed last night, thinking about what Disneyland Resort attraction or restaurant actually started with the letter 'D'. The only thing I could come up with was the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes - a boat ride around the Rivers of America that I have never been on (I think) or have any plans to ever go on. No interest in it whatsoever. Sorry, it looks like work. I don't go to Disneyland to work (though some days it feels like hard work).

And then while looking into it a bit more this morning it came to me. You knucklehead - it's not called "the train" or "the monorail". It's officially called the Disneyland Railroad and the Disneyland Monorail. Now, if you are a regular reader of this blog, you know my unending affection for the Disneyland Railroad. As a ride, as a transportation system, as a vehicle to just sit back and take in the grandeur of the park, the Disneyland Railroad is fantastic. So rather than posting about the Disneyland Railroad again I'll move over the other way and talk about the Disneyland Monorail for  a paragraph or two.

On every one of our Disneyland trips, Mrs. DisneylandTraveler and I will make a round trip on the Disneyland Monorail leaving from the Tomorrowland station. Occasionaly we will use it as transportation to Downtown Disney or for the times we have stayed at the Disneyland Hotel. But mostly we just sit back and make the round trip on the sleek looking trains. The latest versions of the monorail, the Mark VII's, are indeed impressive to look at from many vistas around the resort.

Mrs. DLT and I usually try and get the very back car (the tail). Why? Well, the front compartment with the driver (the nose) is very high in demand for families and you have a better luck getting on in the rear of the train. The other reason is that the front and rear compartments are the only train cars that actually have air conditioning since they do not have windows that open like the cars in the middle sections of the train. Air conditioning is important to Mrs. DLT. Air conditioning is important in January to Mrs. DLT.

The ride itself is kind of, well, ..... meh .... It's smooth, it's quiet but you get to see a lot of the backstage areas of Disneyland and DCA that are not all that impressive to see. Perhaps the ride highlights come when the monorail shoots through the Grand Californian Hotel property and the minute or two when it actually wraps around Fantasyland and Tomorrowand in Disneyland. It's certainly not anything to get excited about, just something nice to do. If the monorail wasn't running on one of our trips (which has been known to happen since it seems to frequently have issues of some sort or other) it would not be missed.

But lest we forget, if you are a boy (and maybe even a girl) of age 5 or 6, the Disneyland Monorail may simply be the greatest thing ever, a true highlight of a Disneyland trip for most young children. And for adults, the Disneyland Monorail is just a beautiful thing to marvel at often allowing you to recapture that moment of youth when you made that first trip. You know, for adults, a ride on the monorail may not be the greatest thing in the world but at one time, it probably was.

Here is a YouTube video that quietly gives a you round trip ride on the Disneyland Monorail.....

Disneyland Resort - A to Z - Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters

In my look at the Disneyland Resort by alphabet, for the B's, I really wanted to write about the Blue Bayou. But other than being a bit overpriced, you are not going to have a lot of negative things to say about the Blue Bayou. Maybe I'll write about it in my second pass through the alphabet :-)

For today, I'm contemplating Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters, an interactive ride in Disneyland's Tomorrowland, and a favorite of myself and Mrs. DisneylandTraveler. But the Buzz ride gets its share of flack from Disneyland hardliners. Why, you might ask? You see Buzz Lightyear has nothing to do with Walt Disney's original vision for Tomorrowland. Yes, Buzz might be something of a spaceman but he has absolutely nothing to do with the tomorrow of the future. When it comes down to it, Buzz is a child's toy. You can buy one in the gift shop as you exit the ride. Why is he in Tomorrowland?

Well, for Mrs. DLT and I, phooey on all that. We love the ride. It brings out the competitive juices in us and my personal never ending quest to beat her in the interactive shoot-em-up game part of the ride. As mentioned before, the good Lord pulled a trick on me and gave me a bit of a tremor in my hands. Yes, I am Don Knotts playing Barney Fife with any sort of a weapon in my hand. But I try (and try, and try) and to this day, I have never beaten my wife in Buzz Lightyear scoring. Some day.

The ride itself is fun, colorful, and makes for a great experience as an attraction. Since it is an omni-mover type ride vehicle system (cars run on a constantly moving conveyor belt) it is a fast loader and seldom has a lengthy wait. For Disney, Buzz is a people eater taking in huge numbers of guests each day.

Some people have complained that the ride can use a refurbishment pointing to peeling paint and some fading in the colors. Maybe so but I tend to be so focused on my scoring that I can overlook something that might need some touch up work.

For Mrs. DLT and I (and our friends and co-workers) Buzz Lightyear is a must-do, can't miss ride. In the top 10? Heck, it may be in the top 5 of our favorite attractions in the park.

Don't forget to email your photo and scores back home. Serves as motivation to return and finally beat her.

The Ups and Downs of Being a Disneyland Insider

The Disneyland Traveler is not a Disneyland insider or prognosticator nor do I claim to be in any way, shape, or form. I live far too away to from the park to have any sort inside knowledge from word on the street. But I do follow those that are considered park insiders and prognosticators with my main source being MiceAge's Al Lutz, an insider that even other media sources go to when they want the Disneyland inside scoop. Al is more often right than wrong with his crystal ball but over the last month or so, he has missed a few.

So Al did say (and I posted about it) that Thunder Mountain Railroad would close next month for a year long refurbishment (give or take). That does not turn out to be the case as reported by David Koenig who frequently contributes to the much smaller Disney website MousePlanet when compared to Al's MiceAge/MiceChat. Koenig appears to have the correct information when he reported that BTMRR will close down just after the first of the year for its lengthy refurbishment with Indiana Jones closing this fall for a major overhaul - something that Al missed completely.

Then there is that rampant Tomorrrowland speculation. Oh yes, something will be done. Al reported that Disney was eyeing the area that included Red Rocket's Pizza Port, the Innoventions building, Autopia, the remnants of the People Movier, and even Finding Nemo's Submarine Voyage as targets of demolition / renovation in a Tomorrowland makeover. Things are coming out now (with comments made by Tony Baxter and others) that this isn't really going to be the case - with the likely targets just being just the Innoventions building and the adjacent Pizza Port and Autopia queue line along with taking down what's left of the deteriorating People Mover.

What happens in Tomorroland is shear speculation at this point but something will definitely be known over the next year or so. They have to have something to talk about at next year's D23 Expo. But Al's prediction of ripping out the subs seems to be really Blue Sky territory, especially with a Pixar Finding Nemo sequel movie now in the pre-pre-production stage.

So Al may have missed a few. He has been very quiet this week in his comments, seemingly keeping a low profile. But Al Lutz is always Disneyland "must" reading because he really does have the pulse of the place. I'm sure his sources are giving him their version of the inside scoop but as always, Disney has a right to change their collective minds.

Taking The Hammer To Innoventions

Hmm......I went through my Disneyland photo collection this morning looking for an exterior shot of the massive Innoventions building in Tomorrowland. Guess what? Ten years of digital of photos and not one exterior shot of the Innoventions building. That should tell you something. In all of the Disneyland trips that we've made over ten years (which adds up to about 15 trips with each trip being several days long), can you guess how many times Mrs. DisneylandTraveler and I have been in Innoventions? Twice - that's it. Our last visit to Innoventions was in December 2008. On that day, there was an all-day driving rainstorm. It doesn't rain in Innoventions. So that's what the place is reduced to - a refuge to get out of the rain.

Disneyland insider/watchdog Al Lutz from MiceAge/MiceChat again writes last week that Innoventions days may be numbered. With Disneyland's 60th anniversary coming up, it would be nice to have a brand spanking new big-time attraction to feature in the celebration. Once again, the massive but poorly attended Innoventions is a prime target for real estate.  Al has further speculated that the adjoining Autopia and Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage might close with it creating a substantial piece of real estate for big-time development. 

Now the internet rumors are running wild with this. Level Innoventions to the ground and start from scratch or gut the thing and make use of the cavernous space that is inside. I don't know which is true, if anything (there are other places that can be developed in Disneyland beginning with the Festival Arena area in Frontierland) but I, for one wouldn't mind seeing the waste of space that is Innoventions get brought to the ground.

At one time, several years ago, on a Disney forum that no longer exists, I proposed the idea that the loathsome Innoventions could be assisted in its demise by Disneyland providing a couple of swings of a heavy mallet on one of Innoventions walls by fans who want to see the place leveled. They could charge $10 for 3 swings and after you take your whack, you could walk over and pick up a T-Shirt with a picture of Mickey swinging a mallet with some cleaver saying about giving you credit for participating in the destruction. T-Shirt, about $23.95.  It's the Disney way.

That's all a joke up there but Innoventions itself is a joke, an effort in shameless self-promotion by Yamaha, Microsoft, Honda, and HP who pay Disney handsomely for showing off some of their efforts. The only thing, and I mean the only thing, in Innoventions that adds any real value to Disneyland, is the short program that shows off the considerable talents of ASIMO, Honda's amazing robot with a creepy child-like voice.

I don't know if anyone will shed a tear if Innoventions is removed and promptly.  The tears were shed when the Carousel of Progress and America Sings attractions were taken out of the building years ago.

Is It The Beginning Of The End For Nemo's Subs?

I remember the original Tomorrowland Submarine Voyage or whatever they called it. As a kid, it was one of the coolest things ever. The TV series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea was one of my favorite shows on television growing up. My brother and I watched it religiously on Sunday nights. A trip to Disneyland and a chance to go on a real sub? Wow! How great is that. We'll ignore the facts that the subs, while looking like the real deal on a miniature scale decked out in official Navy gray, never actually went underwater, ran on a track, and well, there just wasn't a lot very interesting to look at down there through those port holes. The ride was still cool. A kid can pretend.

The old subs grew tiresome and the underwater scenes grew faded and in disrepair. Even the kid in me knew the subs were going down as the ride and me both grew older. By the end of their existence, the slow loading ride was pretty much a walk on and its only real interest was generated from the nostalgia aspect of the subs. Time killed the old submarine ride.

Finding Nemo still is Pixar's second highest grossing movie. I wasn't a particular fan of the movie but many were and Disney saw this as an opportunity to resurrect the old subs into a fancy new attraction based on the Finding Nemo movie. Kind of a win / win for Disney since the basic infrastructure of the ride still existed - subs, track, lagoon, and show building. Never mind that the ride was physically still in Tomorrowland and Finding Nemo has absolutely nothing to do with the world of Tomorrow. An opportunity to cash in is an opportunity to cash in for Disney. Up came Finding Nemo's Submarine Voyage back in 2007 and cool got replaced by cartoon. Gray Navy subs were now painted bright yellow, and digital animation projections told the Nemo story. People came, lines formed, Nemo was a hit and continues to be a very popular attraction with typical wait times into the 30 - 60 minute range. No way I'm waiting that long for it but people do (I much prefer the 7 minute wait I had in a driving rain storm a few years back).

So MiceAge's great Disneyland prophet, fortune teller, and rumor monger Al Lutz reports this week that with the success with the DCA expansion, Disney people are now turning their attention back to Disneyland itself and specifically Tomorrowland with its now patch work quilt of rides and attractions, popular for sure, but far from being anything remotely resembling a cohesively themed area. Everyone knows that Innoventions has got to go. A cavernous building that is sparsely attended tends to be a waste in a park that is real estate challenged. Forum posters have always had a bulls-eye on the adjoining Autopia ride as well since most forum posters know how to drive and have little interest in the ride ignoring the huge line of kids (and their parents) who can't wait to get behind the wheel of their first car. Knock out Innoventions and Autopia and all of a sudden, Disney imagineers now have a huge chunk of land to play with. But why stop there? 

According to Al, and he is right about a lot things, why not throw in the Nemo subs as a potential target of renovation, after all a large portion of Autopia runs over the top of the Nemo show building. It came as news to me that Nemo's Submarine Voyage is Disneyland's costliest ride to operate according to Al and expensive slow loading rides that occupy large chunks of land would seem to be a prime target to me as well. So with Innoventions, Autopia, and Nemo all the target of bulldozing, Disney park developers can get almost 20% of the real estate back into their creative hands and a real chance to set Tomorrowland straight once and for all.

This isn't going to happen anytime soon. Disney needs to see if the remarkable attendance for Disney California Adventure that has been occuring the past two weeks is sustainable before they get into any new billion dollar projects but all pointers seem to lead that something big is going to happen.

I'm good with the removal of Innoventions. It doesn't have a lot of supporters though ASIMO is a first rate minor attraction. I'm good with the submarine removal. I just don't care for the ride and real submarines haven't looked like the miniature Disneyland replicas in decades. And I'm good with removing Autopia because I know how to drive though an updated Autopia attraction in Cars Land would be a sensational idea. 

This is an rumor that has legs as they say and it may take several years to get it done but it seems like it would be time and money well spend, at least to me.

DHI Remembers Tomorrowland's Flying Saucers Ride

Cars Land's Luigi's Flying Tires is getting punished around the internet world. There are some who like the ride, but most find it slow and boring (those that can actually get the tires to move a bit that is). The other complaint is that the queue line moves extremely slow because of low ride capacity.

With that in mind, the Disney History Institute has just posted an excellent video giving us a look at the original Flying Saucers attraction in Tomorrowland that had a brief lifespan back in the early 60's. The ride was eventually shut down because of low capacity, constant breakdowns and a large staff to support its operation and maintenance. Luigi? Take a look in the mirror.