Unhappy about tommorowland...

[Todd_stockley]

After recently hearing that one of my absolute favourites 'The Timekeeper' had been closed permantly I am starting to get worried about the direction of were Disney are taking tommorowland. I always thought tommorowland was easily the best land in the magic Kingdom because I love anything futuristic (i'm also a big epcot fan) and it represented what the name stood for. The fact it has got rid of two first class 'futuristic rides' (alien encounter and timekeeper) and replaced it with the god awful 'Stiches greatest escape' and Buzz lightyears shooting thing (although it is quite entertaining). I agree with the buzz lightyear ride being in tommorowland because you need at least 2 kids rides for the younger customers (astro orbiter being the other) but the whole land has become a second fantasyland (barring space mountain) rather then an exciting land of tommorow. Disney desperatly need to install some new scary and futuristic rides into tommorowland or risk losing teenage customers who enjoy those sort of rides. Its just really frustating because the timekeeper was one of magic kingdoms best underated attraction. The majority of disney fans will probably disagree with me on this issue but IMP I think tommorowland needs to became abit more teens and young adults based rather then for young children.

Cheers, Todd

 

[Robo]

Welcome to the DISboards, Todd.

I really liked Timekeeper as well.
Tomorrowland has always been the toughest to "keep in the future" as technology and science "fact" keep catching up.
Walt Disney even had these kind of problems, from the very beginning at Disneyland, with his ideas for Tomorrowland.

I like that in the current "version" of TL they chose a "retro-futuristic" look (sort of looking back at what folks used to think the furture would look like).
Timekeeper fit with this very well. It had humor, "heart", and a great story-line. What it did NOT have was GUESTS. It seemed that "nobody' would bother seeing this attraction. It may have been the "we have to STAND UP through the WHOLE THING" kind of problem or even that it was (mostly) "just a movie". It was designed and installed along with its counterpart in Disneyland Paris. And the Paris version, as I understand, was closed quite a while back.

Very sad, I'll miss it.
My hope (not gonna happen, I'll bet) is that they move Timekeeper (and Nine-Eye) over to Epcot... a nice "bridge" between Future World and World Showcase.

As to Stitch, its very similar to AE which, when it was OPEN, was considered the "most-HATED" attraction at WDW.
(If you think the "hate posts" for Stitch are bad now, you should have been reading when AE was open).
I liked AE, and I like Stitch.
No biggie. But that's just me.

 

[bicker]

Different strokes for different folks. I though The Timekeeper was "just okay" and surely didn't warrant a repeat visit. I wasn't sad to see it go, since that makes budget available for other things in the parks, and opens up the possibility that they'll someday put a better attraction in that space. Alien Encounter was another "good for one ride" attraction, which had very limited appeal to start with. I wasn't sad to see it go either.

Buzz Lightyear is a great attraction. The look in my niece's and nephew's eyes when they rode it (six? times) was worth the entire trip. Even my brother loved it. It's a winner and a great additional to Tomorrowland.

I think there is a great challenge with respect to Tomorrowland: The theme no longer appeals to as many people as it once did. Perhaps it is a reflection of how incredibly cynical Americans have become about the future. Perhaps, as a result, Tomorrowland itself will be able to improve again once we guests change our perspective.

 

[DukeStreetKing]

This doesn't really address the Timekeeper issue, but Disney knew they could never keep up with technology to maintain Tomorrowland's futuristic theme so they decided to theme it as the future that never was.

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

Buzz really did not replace Timekeeper. It was only recently that Timekeeper was closed permanently. Too bad, because I really loved the attraction, too (although my feet would have appreciated a place to sit during the show). I have every confidence that Disney will be replacing it with another retro-futeristic attraction.

Now, CoP is another story and I wish that they would re-open it during less crowded times. It's such a disappointment to see Walt's "fingerprint" on the MK sitting idle.

 

[DisDarling]

Welcome Todd!! I LOVED Timekeeper too, its a shame Disney doesnt leave the best ones ALONE
D.D.

 

[Mariposa]

I just went at the beginning of February, pretty empty and CoP was open. I wasn't aware they were leaving it closed at all anymore??

 

[Kick Save]

Now, CoP is another story and I wish that they would re-open it during less crowded times. It's such a disappointment to see Walt's "fingerprint" on the MK sitting idle.

That's my fear for tomorrowland, that they get the urge to remove CoP, and in doing so remove one of the last great links to Walt.

On the plus side, we were there in November and they were doing some rennovations to CoP. Wouldn't be a good move to rennovate only to remove it. (I hope.)

 

[johnvree]

Timekeeper has been closed my last three trips. I really liked that attraction and I'm disappointed to see it go.

I do like the "future that never was" theme. Not sure how Buzz and Stitch fit in, but I have to admit, my kids love Buzz and I suspect they will love Stitch. Overall, I am OK with weaving Disney's characters into the attractions. But it would have been nice if Disney had brought more of an HG Well'ish type attraction.

One thing that has never seemed to fit - Indy Speedway. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, PLEASE REMOVE THAT ATTRACTION. It has nothing to do with the future or the future that never was. I know kids like it, but it is loud and smelly and taking up prime real estate that could house two new attractions. Check out the map and see how much space is taken up by the course. They could build one attraction facing Tomorrowland and another facing either Fantasyland or Toontown Fair.

 

[bicker]

That's my fear for tomorrowland, that they get the urge to remove CoP, and in doing so remove one of the last great links to Walt.

All that is necessary to avoid that is to keep the attraction heavily attended, all day, every day. The last two times I've visted CoP, that wasn't the case. Once my wife and I were in the theater ALONE!!!! The other time there was one other couple in the back. If the attraction operates practically empty, it will close eventually, and it should: If average guests don't care enough about the attraction, then the fact that a few of us old sentimentalists do doesn't amount to much.

 

[ddesousa323]

Can someone remind of what TimeKeeper was?

 

[bicker]

Hehe.... y'see? THAT'S the PROBLEM!!!

It was a stand-up Circlevision 360 presentation, narrated by Robin Williams. Ring a bell?

 

[jekajekalynn]

I like the theming of Tommorow Land.. Like the guys from UOG said, before the remodeling it looked more like 70's convention hotels instead of 'the future'. I admit they need SOMETHING more than just Buzz.. I like Buzz, but I'd also like to see more stuff put in this part of the park.

Word on the street is if the new "CARS" pixar movie does good, they are going to revamp Indie speedway.

 

[LuvTony0508]

I'm glad someone addressed this. I think Buzz is okay (although it doesn't compare to Alien attack Men In Black (Universal), but STITCH HAS TO GO, yikes what a waste of space. When I came out of that ride I was disgusted and wanted to tell everyone waiting in line to skip it. But of course, everyone has to try it for themselves and felt my warning would fall on deaf ears.

EVERYTHING ELSE ABOUT WDW TOTALLY AWESOME!!!

 

[grinningghost]

While I understand your frustration, I don't really agree. I thought Timekeeper was pretty lame and after I did it once, I never felt the need to do it again.

That said, I have my own issues with TL. Namely, COP. I love COP. Love it with all my heart and it saddens me to see it placed on the backburner for most of the year. But I am finally resigned to the fact that I'm in the minority as far as Disney is concerned. Bad for me, good for them if they get rid of it totally.

Haven't been on Stitch yet, but I don't think I'll even bother. AE was getting on my nerves in it's final days anyway.

I too would like to see some of the thrill put back into TL - but I really am a traditionalist and don't want them messing with Space Mountain.

 

[Twinprincesses]

I like Tomorrland and my kids (and I) love Buzz Lightyear. We are huge fans of the People Mover and COP too. I hope that whatever they put where TK used to be is still a family show and does not have height restricitions.

 

[dwaters]

So is "Timekeeper" officially closed?

What a shame! I really liked the whole thing. The preshow area and the pre-show banter by the robot Robin Williams are(were?) great.
It seems to be a crowded area of Tomorrowland and keeping this open would absorb some of the crowds -it would be a great air-conditioned thing to do while waiting for your Fastpass time . I'm glad I got a chance to see this while I could.

Funny how "unpopular" rides at Disney are still better and more technologically advanced than 90% of anything out there in the real world.

We keep getting stuck in Tomorrowland. By the time we wait for our Buzz and Space Mountain fastpass times and get lunch at the crowded Cosmic Ray's it is almost 2pm! Cosmic Ray's is always such a mob. Could they PLEASE make it so you can get hamburgers and chicken in the same line?

 

[palmtreegirl]

While I understand your frustration, I don't really agree. I thought Timekeeper was pretty lame and after I did it once, I never felt the need to do it again.

We went on Timekeeper for the first and last time this past December, we all thought it was a real snoozer.

 

[MosMom]

The Timekeeper made me sick so we just went once. I remember enjoying it but not enough to do it again.

 

[jswalker1981]

I liked Timekeeper, but you have to question why they never updated it. I'm not talking the screens/movie. I'm talking about the screen that had the present year on it. It changed as it went back in time, but when we got back to the PRESENT, it was 2000!!! I'm not asking for alot, but if you want to keep the magic of a ride, change the stinkin year! We got back to the "present" and it was five years ago! (last time I went in it was last year) I really can't stand the Speedway, please tell me this isn't the future. Please tell me that cars traveling on a track going 7.5 mph isn't the future, because if so, I'm investing in a bicycle company. I definitely agree that they should tear that down and do something different there. If they want to put a ride in there based on Cars, fine, split up the real estate, and have that ride towards toontown. Because nothing about Cars has to do with Tomorrowland. Not sure what futuristic ride they could put towards Tomorrowland, but do something! Tomorrowland needs something that is truly futuristic, something that breaks the technology of yesterday.