The Tomorrowland of my youth was a magical place. I still love it, but I'd love to see it return to a place that gave me the feeling I had in my youth.
There were several versions of Alien Encounter in the Magic Kingdom featuring minor changes aimed at making the attraction more funny so less scary. They didn't work since people don't like being locked into a chair in the dark.
I remember going on this in elementary school and LOVING it. But I remember so many kids and adults being absolutely freaked out, screaming and even crying during the experience 😅
I remember my parents bringing me onto this ride when I was 7 years old because they thought everything was family friendly on our first trip to Magic Kingdom. It seemed like a cute alien type ride with the pre-show but then it wasn't so cute inside the actual ride. I was terrified but not traumatized, one of my fondest memories as an adult.
Great video, Jim! Your insightful narration and the wonderfully rich concept art really sell the discussion! I'd love to see you talk about the Florida Tomorrowland in the future as well
Our first trip to WDW was in 1998. Our three children are grown now and they STILL talk about Alien Encounters. I collect the trading pins from our visits over the years and finally put them all in a shadow box. My Alien Encounters pins is proudly in the center of the display. We miss being scared and feel the Aliens breath on the back of your neck!
I absolutely love your videos-they’re made with so much heart and always bring a smile to my face! 😊 I’m a former Disneyland Cast Member, and your content brings back so many wonderful memories from my time in the park. I hired in 1998, just as New Tomorrowland launched, and my first summer was spent working at the brand-new Star Trader. The land had such a cool story back then, from the Rocket Rods showcasing transportation of tomorrow to the edible vegetation scattered throughout Tomorrowland. I even miss the green and bronze Space Mountain and how the costumes matched that color scheme! Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port was a favorite of mine-Countdown Chicken Fusilli was always better with a cast member discount, of course! 🍝 I ended up spending 15 magical years at Disneyland, starting in Tomorrowland Stores, then moving to Critter Country/New Orleans Stores, and eventually coming full circle back to Tomorrowland to help reopen The Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage and learn Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters and the Monorail. The friendships I made and the magic I shared with guests will always hold a special place in my heart. ✨ Your thoughtful videos capture that nostalgia perfectly. Please keep them coming-they mean so much to us Disney fans and former CMs alike! ❤️
Thank you Jim! Another wonderful video. I recall experiencing one of those sound booths at Animal Kingdom in 1999...you sat in the dark and could hear animals prowling around you. It was easily one of the most memorable experiences I had at the park that day.
I got a biaural haircut during my first trip to Hollywood Studios around 1990 and found it to be an exciting experience. Unfortunately, I never got to experience Alien Encounter. I just read about it at WDW and wished that it had hopeed up at my home park, Disneyland.
I can't wait to see Jim's take on the Haunted Mansion gift shop. I saw something brief on social media about Jim's thoughts but I'm hoping to see more in a future video. The real shame ( aside from the fact this gift shop looks like a pre-fab shack from the parking lot of Home Depot ) is that they could have done something to honor Rolly Crump. That gift shop should have absolutely been "The Museum of the Weird", even if only in name. What an opportunity to have had a gift shop and maybe a couple of animated attractions inside, sort of like Shrunken Ned in Adventureland. Man eating plant, candle-man, talking chair, etc. They snatched defeat from the jaws of victory with that one.
I thought about pitching years ago building a "Museum of the Weird" that would be a retail location. My pitch would to think of it as a roadside attraction. Not part of the Mansion but next to the Mansion. Thanks for watching.
Tomorrowland has so much untapped potential - beyond the simulator ride in Star Tours - Why not lean into some simulator rides at capture the spirit of retired or unrealized attractions - I do see the definition of Tomorrowland being different based on their location and year of founding. Great video - I do remember going on Mission to Mars as a kid - it could be interesting to see SpaceX sponsoring a new Mission to Mars attraction.
Tomorrowland should be the land of optimism and hope but it is now focused around Disney film properties and generic space adventures. It's like the land doesn't know what it wants to be. Thanks for watching.
The one thing that I am surprised about is how elements of the flight to the moon carried over into Space 220, and yet futuristic table service dining isn’t a part of Tomorrowland’s DNA in either Florida or California. Any new Tomorrowland development needs to include more futuristic dining options.
In this video at 7:25 , you state that the TWA Rocket was brought to the site a year before Disneyland opened. Was it REALLY brought to Tomorrowland after only a single day of construction? Disneyland was opened 1 year and 1 day after construction began, so... if your fact is accurate... they brought this rocket out before anything else was built on property.
Alien Terrorestrial Encounter was a great Alien rip off attraction done very well and together with the original ToT the best the Disney produced. Unfortunately MK wasn't the right park for it but the Studios would have been great.
At this point it would be a real challenge with considerable costs to transform the existing land into a land with a cohesive story. It can be done with an idea and a little money to rub onto the land.
Hey Jim , do you feel Disney is behind Universal now with Epic Universe opening and does this excite you for the future of disney ... as disney does its best work when under pressure and against opposition.
I think they should have kept the original moonliner theaters and just come up with different storylines and live actors/aliens that would have interacted with the guests. The big problem I had as a kid with mission to mars and such was it was always the same, and mission to mars was essentially just to see a bunch of lifeless rocks, there was no drama at all! They could have done different stories just like Star Tours. That would have been so cool, and cost way less. My opinion is that because of star tours the moonliner attraction was sort of the same thing. I would guess that was more of a killer than anything. I think Star Wars killed off so much original or book to screen Disney scifi. The execs and decision makers seemed to all be like, "we have Star Wars now, forget anything original". This was a direct quote of one of them with regard to John Carter when they acquired it. It's such a shame cause Star Wars isn't even really related to futurism that Walt loved, it's fantasy, and doesn't fit in Walt's Tomorrowland at all, but the execs just didn't see it that way I guess. Anyway Star Wars imo should get out of Tomorrowland and let it be its own thing.
Tomorrowland in 1955 was based on fact while the Tomorrowland of 2024 is based on fantasy which I've noting against, except that the other lands have been injected with stories of fantasy (looking at you Indiana Jones in Adventureland). Returning Tomorrowland to a fact based land would make it different and special from every other land in Disneyland. Thanks for watching.
@@jimhshull I don't think it has to be one or the other, it can have near future fact base stuff that's known quantities, and more far out stuff. I really loved the whole idea of tomorrowland 2055 and the story surrounding it where aliens contacted earth and we became a space station essentially for them. Star wars is intentionally not set in a scifi universe though and set in a fantastical world of the past where the tech is all of the past but they somehow figured out spaceflight. I don't think it belongs there at all. The key thing and difference being though Earth isn't in Star Wars at all, it's completely separated from Earth intentionally, it has nothing to do with tomorrow of Earth.
@@jimhshull Also I loved that tomorrowland 2055 had potential to connect all the Disney lands, and there was a real back story to it. In these days of SEA, there's so much potential in that story to really make a great level 3 and 4 connected story for all the locals and Disney fans, and really could be a beacon and lead us into the future as the original tomorrowland did, but it seems Disney is just happy to have a bunch of ruins representing the future. Honestly if it's still like it is in the real 2055 I think it's a massive f u to Walt and everyone that loves Disney.
@@jimhshull yeah most people go for the pasta. lol I'm vegetarian and the choices are pretty small there. They had a vegetarian pizza but I think they even stopped serving that.
I don't remember it, but my mom told me that as a young child on my first visit to Disneyland, I screamed "I DON"T WANT TO GO TO THE MOON!!!" at the top of my lungs as we "took off". 🤣
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The Tomorrowland of my youth was a magical place. I still love it, but I'd love to see it return to a place that gave me the feeling I had in my youth.
I remember the WDW version. Unfortunately I only got to experience it a couple times before it was re-themed to Stitch’s Great Escape.
There were several versions of Alien Encounter in the Magic Kingdom featuring minor changes aimed at making the attraction more funny so less scary. They didn't work since people don't like being locked into a chair in the dark.
I remember going on this in elementary school and LOVING it. But I remember so many kids and adults being absolutely freaked out, screaming and even crying during the experience 😅
I remember my parents bringing me onto this ride when I was 7 years old because they thought everything was family friendly on our first trip to Magic Kingdom. It seemed like a cute alien type ride with the pre-show but then it wasn't so cute inside the actual ride. I was terrified but not traumatized, one of my fondest memories as an adult.
Thanks for the detail on that! Several facts I didn't know and I'm a big fan of tomorrowland 2055. Thanks a bunch!
Thanks for watching. More episodes are in the pipeline.
Alien Encounter is needed in the Parks...specifically in Hollywood Studios or DCA
Thank you Jim!
Thank you for the memory of the binaural sound booths. It was a lot of fun.
One of the hidden delights that most people walked right past!
Great video, Jim! Your insightful narration and the wonderfully rich concept art really sell the discussion! I'd love to see you talk about the Florida Tomorrowland in the future as well
Thanks! Will do!
I remember the moonlight I loved it. You juggle my memory for. I’ve been totally forgot about it. Thanks for great video.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching.
Our first trip to WDW was in 1998. Our three children are grown now and they STILL talk about Alien Encounters. I collect the trading pins from our visits over the years and finally put them all in a shadow box. My Alien Encounters pins is proudly in the center of the display. We miss being scared and feel the Aliens breath on the back of your neck!
I absolutely love your videos-they’re made with so much heart and always bring a smile to my face! 😊 I’m a former Disneyland Cast Member, and your content brings back so many wonderful memories from my time in the park. I hired in 1998, just as New Tomorrowland launched, and my first summer was spent working at the brand-new Star Trader.
The land had such a cool story back then, from the Rocket Rods showcasing transportation of tomorrow to the edible vegetation scattered throughout Tomorrowland. I even miss the green and bronze Space Mountain and how the costumes matched that color scheme! Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port was a favorite of mine-Countdown Chicken Fusilli was always better with a cast member discount, of course! 🍝
I ended up spending 15 magical years at Disneyland, starting in Tomorrowland Stores, then moving to Critter Country/New Orleans Stores, and eventually coming full circle back to Tomorrowland to help reopen The Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage and learn Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters and the Monorail. The friendships I made and the magic I shared with guests will always hold a special place in my heart. ✨
Your thoughtful videos capture that nostalgia perfectly. Please keep them coming-they mean so much to us Disney fans and former CMs alike! ❤️
Thank you Jim! Another wonderful video. I recall experiencing one of those sound booths at Animal Kingdom in 1999...you sat in the dark and could hear animals prowling around you. It was easily one of the most memorable experiences I had at the park that day.
I got a biaural haircut during my first trip to Hollywood Studios around 1990 and found it to be an exciting experience. Unfortunately, I never got to experience Alien Encounter. I just read about it at WDW and wished that it had hopeed up at my home park, Disneyland.
I can't wait to see Jim's take on the Haunted Mansion gift shop. I saw something brief on social media about Jim's thoughts but I'm hoping to see more in a future video. The real shame ( aside from the fact this gift shop looks like a pre-fab shack from the parking lot of Home Depot ) is that they could have done something to honor Rolly Crump.
That gift shop should have absolutely been "The Museum of the Weird", even if only in name. What an opportunity to have had a gift shop and maybe a couple of animated attractions inside, sort of like Shrunken Ned in Adventureland. Man eating plant, candle-man, talking chair, etc. They snatched defeat from the jaws of victory with that one.
I thought about pitching years ago building a "Museum of the Weird" that would be a retail location. My pitch would to think of it as a roadside attraction. Not part of the Mansion but next to the Mansion. Thanks for watching.
I really wish some love and thought would go into Tomorrowland. It just feels empty and uninteresting.
Tomorrowland has so much untapped potential - beyond the simulator ride in Star Tours - Why not lean into some simulator rides at capture the spirit of retired or unrealized attractions - I do see the definition of Tomorrowland being different based on their location and year of founding.
Great video - I do remember going on Mission to Mars as a kid - it could be interesting to see SpaceX sponsoring a new Mission to Mars attraction.
Tomorrowland should be the land of optimism and hope but it is now focused around Disney film properties and generic space adventures. It's like the land doesn't know what it wants to be. Thanks for watching.
Fun fact about colonel bleep
He is in the public domain
They need to bring this attraction back, it’s got a diehard fanbase
The Disneyland Alien Encounter, that this video is about, was never built.
The one thing that I am surprised about is how elements of the flight to the moon carried over into Space 220, and yet futuristic table service dining isn’t a part of Tomorrowland’s DNA in either Florida or California. Any new Tomorrowland development needs to include more futuristic dining options.
In this video at 7:25 , you state that the TWA Rocket was brought to the site a year before Disneyland opened. Was it REALLY brought to Tomorrowland after only a single day of construction? Disneyland was opened 1 year and 1 day after construction began, so... if your fact is accurate... they brought this rocket out before anything else was built on property.
The audio should have been that the rocket was brought out during the construciton.
And why did new tomorrowland underperform?
Jim why you sittin’ behind a Lowe’s
Alien Terrorestrial Encounter was a great Alien rip off attraction done very well and together with the original ToT the best the Disney produced. Unfortunately MK wasn't the right park for it but the Studios would have been great.
Big fan of the ride. But it did scare unsuspecting riders
I disagree, Jim. We need a revamped Tomorrowland with a cohesive story. Badly!
At this point it would be a real challenge with considerable costs to transform the existing land into a land with a cohesive story. It can be done with an idea and a little money to rub onto the land.
Hey Jim , do you feel Disney is behind Universal now with Epic Universe opening and does this excite you for the future of disney ... as disney does its best work when under pressure and against opposition.
Epic
I think they should have kept the original moonliner theaters and just come up with different storylines and live actors/aliens that would have interacted with the guests. The big problem I had as a kid with mission to mars and such was it was always the same, and mission to mars was essentially just to see a bunch of lifeless rocks, there was no drama at all! They could have done different stories just like Star Tours. That would have been so cool, and cost way less.
My opinion is that because of star tours the moonliner attraction was sort of the same thing. I would guess that was more of a killer than anything. I think Star Wars killed off so much original or book to screen Disney scifi. The execs and decision makers seemed to all be like, "we have Star Wars now, forget anything original". This was a direct quote of one of them with regard to John Carter when they acquired it. It's such a shame cause Star Wars isn't even really related to futurism that Walt loved, it's fantasy, and doesn't fit in Walt's Tomorrowland at all, but the execs just didn't see it that way I guess. Anyway Star Wars imo should get out of Tomorrowland and let it be its own thing.
Tomorrowland in 1955 was based on fact while the Tomorrowland of 2024 is based on fantasy which I've noting against, except that the other lands have been injected with stories of fantasy (looking at you Indiana Jones in Adventureland). Returning Tomorrowland to a fact based land would make it different and special from every other land in Disneyland. Thanks for watching.
@@jimhshull I don't think it has to be one or the other, it can have near future fact base stuff that's known quantities, and more far out stuff. I really loved the whole idea of tomorrowland 2055 and the story surrounding it where aliens contacted earth and we became a space station essentially for them. Star wars is intentionally not set in a scifi universe though and set in a fantastical world of the past where the tech is all of the past but they somehow figured out spaceflight. I don't think it belongs there at all. The key thing and difference being though Earth isn't in Star Wars at all, it's completely separated from Earth intentionally, it has nothing to do with tomorrow of Earth.
@@jimhshull Also I loved that tomorrowland 2055 had potential to connect all the Disney lands, and there was a real back story to it. In these days of SEA, there's so much potential in that story to really make a great level 3 and 4 connected story for all the locals and Disney fans, and really could be a beacon and lead us into the future as the original tomorrowland did, but it seems Disney is just happy to have a bunch of ruins representing the future. Honestly if it's still like it is in the real 2055 I think it's a massive f u to Walt and everyone that loves Disney.
Then why did they build alien enciunter at disneyworld
Also the pizza and food in pizza planet is terrible and not worth the loss of those theaters. lol
I've eaten the pasta after passing on the pizza which looked tired and tasteless. Thanks for watching.
@@jimhshull yeah most people go for the pasta. lol I'm vegetarian and the choices are pretty small there. They had a vegetarian pizza but I think they even stopped serving that.
I don't remember it, but my mom told me that as a young child on my first visit to Disneyland, I screamed "I DON"T WANT TO GO TO THE MOON!!!" at the top of my lungs as we "took off". 🤣
We need a great big beautiful tomorrow we can look forward to. I wish Tomorrowland would show it to us!