Disney has confirmed that Autopia, the basic want success attraction that enables children to drive automobiles, shall be electrified in some unspecified time in the future sooner or later. This publish shares the main points of the information, Disney Legend Bob Gurr’s response, and our ideas on what needs to be performed with each this journey at Disneyland and Tomorrowland Speedway at Magic Kingdom.
Let’s begin with the announcement itself, which comes not directly through a long-winded piece from the local weather columnist for the Los Angeles Occasions. The article reads as if it had been a predetermined op-ed arguing that Disney ought to ditch oil and go electrical at Autopia, a place with which I agree. The writer mentions “a number of weeks of my prodding the corporate for solutions on the way forward for Autopia” earlier than publication. Lastly, he acquired the next assertion from Disney:
“Since opening with Disneyland park in 1955, Autopia has remained a guest-favorite hottest with younger children experiencing driving for the primary time,” spokesperson Jessica Good stated in an e mail. “Because the trade strikes towards different gas sources, now we have developed a roadmap to impress this attraction and are evaluating expertise that may allow us to transform from gasoline engines within the subsequent few years.”
I point out the prodding and the op-ed angle for a few causes. First, this isn’t an unique that Disney gave to the LAT; they didn’t even affirm whether or not the alternative shall be electrical autos or hybrids. Second, Disney supplied no timeline or different particulars–solely a imprecise assertion that they’ve developed a roadmap, are evaluating expertise, and it’ll allow them to transform from gasoline engines within the subsequent few years. To me, this reads much less like a concrete plan by Disney and extra a strategy to assuage the writer’s considerations whereas nonetheless being pretty non-committal to something.
In fact, I might be misreading this. However I’m skeptical that this evinces a agency plan and even constitutes an precise announcement. Disney makes use of a variety of wiggle phrases that recommend they’re nonetheless wanting into it. None of that’s obligatory, as Imagineering has already performed precisely this at Hong Kong Disneyland, which had (previous tense) a model of Autopia that used electrical autos! So it’s not as if Disney would actually need to reinvent the wheel on this one…simply do what they already did again in 2006.
Again when it was introduced that Tomorrowland Speedway could be closing forward of TRON Lightcycle Run building in 2018-2019, our hope was that Imagineering would take the chance to transform the attraction to electrical and use the HKDL Autopia fleet and different props that had been salvaged from that extinct attraction. Clearly, that didn’t happen.
Disney Legend Bob Gurr is the unique designer of the Autopia automobiles, and maybe essentially the most prolific dwelling Imagineer. (Gurr is principally a rockstar, and you must make each effort to listen to him talk about…something…when you have the chance to attend one of many many occasions he does.) Gurr was fairly blunt about what Disney ought to do with Autopia: “Eliminate these God-awful gasoline fumes.”
In talking with the LA Occasions, Gurr additionally expressed a grander imaginative and prescient for Tomorrowland as a hub for tales about renewable power, public transit and different sustainable applied sciences that may assist us create a greater tomorrow. He says it’s time for an Autopia the place company “don’t odor the fumes, don’t hear that racket of the little motor going putt-putt-putt.”
Gurr contends that company would take pleasure in a Tomorrowland with brighter colours and extra kinetic power, the place they may “hear these whirring feels like little tiny jets and generators everywhere.” Gurr added that he’d “like to have actually sexy-sounding electrical automobiles.” None of that is in the slightest degree shocking in case you’ve ever talked to Gurr and even heard him converse. Even right now, he’s very forward-thinking with eyes on the longer term quite than the previous.
Turning to commentary, I’m absolutely on board with changing to EVs in Autopia and Tomorrowland Speedway and have been since first using the far superior attraction at Hong Kong Disneyland over a decade in the past. Even then, it appeared so apparent that the variations of the journey at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom had been caught previously. Not essentially from an environmentalist perspective (though that too), however by way of the expertise. Autopia was really pleasing!
We’ve usually “joked” that Tomorrowland Speedway is a good way to take pleasure in loud noise, car exhaust stench, and incur some gentle mind harm. I suppose that’s all a part of the enjoyable–everybody is aware of cognitive talents are overrated. (This weblog is proof constructive of that!) We barely even journey both model of the attraction anymore, save for the vacation overlay. I’m not precisely in a rush to get Megatron on it, both.
Autopia is certainly one of many sights that’s higher at Disneyland, due to its extra participating observe, lush surroundings and interconnectedness of Tomorrowland. It additionally acquired new life again in 2016, with the addition of ASIMO and Fowl–two characters who now seem in present scenes due to the Honda sponsorship. Even then, I bear in mind rumors/wishful considering that Autopia could be transformed to EVs.
At this level, my guess is that Autopia shall be due for one more replace round 2026-2027, which is probably going when the present Honda deal ends. Both they’ll reup and decide to funding an EV overhaul, or Disney will discover a completely different sponsor for the attraction. The most certainly end result is Honda returning as sponsor–the corporate has a protracted partnership with Disneyland and might be one of many resort’s greatest company alliance offers.
What I’d as an alternative prefer to see occur is Disneyland accomplice with an upstart EV maker. For the longest time, Tesla was the goal amongst followers; it was all wishful considering, no precise rumors. And that made sense, because the model was the darling of Southern Californians and there was a sea of Teslas in Burbank and Glendale tons. It’s secure to imagine there’s not any likelihood of that occuring given Elon Musk’s latest remarks (and many others.) about Disney.
Personally, I’d like to see a partnership with Rivian. This firm is predicated in close by Irvine and has a robust presence in Laguna Seashore, the place their flagship showroom is positioned. We’ve stopped in a number of occasions, and it’s actually cool–Rivian is actively concerned in the neighborhood, too. Extra to the purpose, Rivian has an attention-grabbing design. It’s an acquired style that isn’t for everybody, however it could translate rather well to Autopia automobiles that you just aren’t going to purchase and drive day by day.
Past that, what I prefer to see occur is Autopia shortened. The journey takes up a ton of precious actual property at Disneyland, and not less than a few of that might be put to higher use when the previous Innoventions constructing is inevitably demolished. I don’t know to what extent Autopia might be condensed because the monorail winds above it (and I wouldn’t need to lose any of that), however I’d think about its entrance might be moved to accommodate a bigger plot for growth.
On the subject of Walt Disney World, my dream is for Tomorrowland Speedway to chunk the mud solely. I do know this can be a controversial opinion or scorching take that’s usually criticized by dad and mom as overlooking how vital the journey is as a ceremony of passage for teenagers. Now that I’m a mother or father, I really feel like I’ve extra latitude to say that, whereas true, it’s additionally a large waste of house.
Simply have a look at what Tokyo Disneyland did, changing its Grand Circuit Raceway with Enchanted Story of Magnificence and the Beast and the Comfortable Journey with Baymax. In equity, these sights occupy extra than simply the previous speedway plot, however there’s additionally extra to that growth than simply these two rides. The purpose is that it’s a large quantity of actual property in Magic Kingdom that would not solely turn out to be a few sights, but additionally provide a greater transition from Tomorrowland to Fantasyland and open up extra pathways to TRON Lightcycle Run so it doesn’t really feel remoted from the remainder of the park.
Lastly, I’d love a modernization of each Tomorrowlands. For me, this merely appears like rolling the look again to the mid-century House Age design of previous. Usher in Googie structure, and add prospers of biomimicry and the tip result’s a design that’s retro-futuristic and timeless. I believe this might work nicely on each coasts, and handle the perpetual Tomorrowland drawback. This has been on my wishlist for the previous couple of D23 Expos…we’ll see if 2024 is the 12 months it lastly will get introduced! (I’m not holding my breath this time.)
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Your Ideas
What do you consider Disney retiring the Autopia gasoline automobiles for electrified autos? Hope that it’s only one piece of the puzzle with regards to Tomorrowland adjustments? Would you prefer to see Autopia or Tomorrowland Speedway changed solely, condensed, or stay untouched? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions? Listening to your suggestions—even once you disagree with us—is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
