Tomorrowland

Tomorrowland is Dad's favorite land. It's the place where our family starts our day. THE PLAN for the Magic Kingdom always starts with a race for Space Mountain and Buzz Lightyear. (Buzz is Dad's favorite ride.)

The best rides in the Magic Kingdom are here, also the worst is here. Yes, I said it. Stitch's Great Escape is the worst ride in all of Disney World. There are some absolute gems here. Tomorrowland Transit Authority may be the most underrated ride anywhere.

The future that never was and always will be - Photo by Jeff_B

History

1972 - Photo by Jeff B

When the Magic Kingdom opened in 1971 this was one of the main attractions. It is also the Magic Kingdom land that has evolved the most through the years. Uncle Walt's original plan envisioned an area where guests would be able to take a peek into the future.

The land was filled with rides like Mission to Mars, Astro Oribitor, Dream Flight and WedWay People Mover (now Tomorrowland Transit Authority). These rides all showcased the technology of tomorrow. Unfortunately tomorrow has a bad habit of becoming today.

So Disney, in a unusually adaptive move, changed the theme of the are to "the future that never was."

Over the years some of the old favorites have been upgraded, WedWay became TTA, and some have been replace by better attractions, Dream Flight became Buzz Lightyears Ranger Spin and some have just gone away, Mission to Mars.

See Dad's Tribute to yesteryear

Attractions

• Stitch's Great Escape - See Stitch before he becomes a movie star. Be warned this ride is not cuddly and cute. When Disney replaced Alien Encounter (the previous show here) with Stitch, they didn't actually change the show much.
• Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor - Come and be part of a pretty cool comedy show based on the movie. It's a riot.
• Buzz Lightyear's Ranger Spin - Taken from the Movie Buzz Lightyear, compete with your partner shooting battery stealing aliens. May the best cheater win (how to score points on Buzz Lightyear).
• Tomorrowland Transit Authority - Take a ride on one of Uncle Walt's most fascinating inventions. Linear induction motor transportation. Just slightly ahead of his time.
• Astro Orbiter - Is Dumbo up in the air. Get a good look at all of Tomorrowland.
• Carousel of Progress - See the progress civilization has made over the last 100 years. It's amazing to see how fast we are progressing.
• Space Mountain - Take a cheap, cheesy, roller coaster, put it inside a building and turn out the lights. Now project some stars and some chocolate chip cookies onto the ceiling and what do you have? One of the best rides in the Magic Kingdom.
• Tomorrowland Speedway - Drive like the pros, not really. Let the little ones try their hands at being Jeff Gordon. You can reach a whopping 5 mph on this winding track.

Shopping

Shopping in this area is an afterthought. Still, there are some pretty neat stores here.

• Mickey's Star Traders - Souvenirs, clothing and stuff with a futuristic touch.
• Merchant of Venus - Stitch merchandise and much more
• Racing Specialties Cart - Racing gear
• Tomorrowland Video Arcade - A video arcade at the exit to Space Mountain
• Ursa's Major Minor Mart

Dining

The dining, if you can call it that, in Tomorrowland has gotten better over the years. The addition of the Noodle Station is a welcome change to the hamburgers and hot dogs that are the main menu item at most of the restaurants.

• Auntie Gravity's Galactic Goodies - Ice cream treats
• Tomorrowland Terrace Noodle Station - Asian food featuring noodle bowls and stir fry. (Open seasonally.)
• Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe - Enjoy some out of this world entertainment while you dine on hamburgers and such.
• Lunching Pad at Rockettower Plaza - Drinks and snacks including turkey legs. (Just love that name)

Entertainment

On selected days you might see high school bands performing, or special groups doing special things. Check out the daily activity schedule on the park maps.

• Talking Trash Can - If you see this little guy, stick around he's a hoot
• Galaxy Palace Theater - Seasonal entertainment

Dad's Bottom Line

This is Dad's favorite part of the Magic Kingdom. Even the "old" rides are incredible. The ride around the park on the Transit Authority is the best view of this part of the park you can get (since they tore down the Skyway.) There's something here for all ages. Buzz Lightyear's Ranger Spin is one of the best rides anywhere especially if you have competitive kids. I just love beating them!

Not to be missed!

Trust me.

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