Friday, August 22, 2014

Tomorrowland, August 1970

Here are a few groovy photos from Tomorrowland, circa 1970. My favorite!

Check out this neat, moody (and rare) view of the Mighty Microscope, from the wonderful "Adventure Thru Inner Space". Boy, did I love this ride. It was just about perfect, although I can't help wondering what they could have done with some slightly higher-tech effects. From what I've read, the Star Speeder in "Star Tours" sits right where the Microscope was.


I decided to go in and lighten the picture up, even though it looks weird now. But at least you can see a few more details!


Meanwhile, outdoors…! There's the Carousel of Progress, and the Tomorrowland Stage (where the Entertainment Committee is rockin' out!), and even the Tomorrowland Terrace.

Happy tears!


15 comments:

Nanook said...

Major-

M-A-G-N-I-F-I-C-A-T-I-O-N-! It's definitely the best.

And do I spy The Entertainment Committee performing on the Tomorrowland Terrace Stage-?? I believe I do. Such mellifluous tones. Rock on, kids.

Thanks, Major.

TokyoMagic! said...

I am trying to figure out where the photographer was located for that first pic. It couldn't have been taken from a PeopleMover car because the PeopleMover went behind (and above) the microscope. Interesting!

Chuck said...

That's the only part of Adventure Thru Inner Space I ever got to see. I was afraid of POTC for years after a terrifying ride when I was 2 and a half, so my parents wouldn't take me on any dark ride with a potential terror factor.

I can remember waiting in the lobby and trying to pick out my parents going by after they'd been miniaturized. Never did see them.

Alonzo P Hawk said...

It happens Major. Often people tell me to "lighten up" and when I do I look (and feel) weird. Some things are better left sullen and grey (like my lungs).

Great shot of the Entertainment Committee. If we ask maybe they will play "Miracles from Molecules" from the end of ATIS.

The shot of tomorrowland is uber nostalgic. Thanks for a great friday post.

K. Martinez said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
K. Martinez said...

As a kid I never fell for the shrinking tube containing little Atomobiles full of miniature guests, but that "eye" have me believin' in miracles from molecules.

I like the varying shades of muted blues on of the Carousel of Progress building perfectly accented with it's blue and white GE sign. Beautiful. Thanks, Major.

Melissa said...

Holy MAGNIFICATION, Major P.! That's got to be the best shot of the Mighty Microscope I've ever seen! A real archival treasure you've got there.

AtIS is on my top five for the time achine trip, and I still say a revamped version would be a hit today. I guess EPCOT's Body Wars was its successor, and was popular at first. But it suffered from comparison to Star Tours (which had the same ride system), complaints of motion sickness, and a story premise/film that got kind of old. The Imagineers could learn from the strengths and weaknesses of both rides to come up with something truly fun.

So much to see in the Tomorrowland panorama! I'll always be a sucker for that white, airy, negative-space-infused "City in the Sky" look that both Tomorrowlands had in this era. No babushkas in sight, but I spot several super-groovy print summer dresses I'd love to have myself.

Chuck said...

Melissa's got me thinking about what a revamped ATIS in one of the Parks today would look like. I'm kind of excited about the possibilities, but I'm having a hard time shoehorning princesses or pirates into it.

JG said...

@Chuck, I believe that the trans-uranic induced miniaturization process renders people's features somewhat blurred due to quantum effects. I was never able to recognize anyone after first stage miniaturization for this reason.

However, further imagineering research will undoubtedly determine that Johnny Depp's features will remain identifiable at molecular scale.

I think the vantage for photo 1 is somewhere from the load queue, I seem to recall it ramping up and then back down a bit to the speedramp boarding area.

I firmly believe that my high school self is "somewhere" in that outdoor picture, not realizing I am having the best time of my life. Oh well, age has it's compensations. For example, now I am wise enough to know that's probably as happy as I would ever be, in Disneyland in the 1970's.

Thank you Major.

JG

JG said...

@K Martinez, your comment about color made me do some inventory.

Many of the corporate sponsor logos of that era were blue or mostly so.

GE, as you mentioned, (COP)
Goodyear (Peoplemover)
AT&T (Circlevision)
Atlantic Richfield (Autopia)
Bank of America (IASW)

I think Monsanto's logo had a red accent at that time...

JG

PsySocDisney said...

Ooooh I'll take any ATIS picture, murky or weird! Bring on the shrinking bodies and expanding minds! :D Also, much love for the Tomorrowland picture. Happy tears is right.

Major Pepperidge said...

Nanook, I do mention The Entertainment Committee in my text!

TokyoMagic!, I thought the exact same thing… I know the queue moved downward, but I didn't think it was to this degree.

Chuck, I don't recall being scared of ATIS, but with the darkness and strange sounds, I can see how it could freak kids out.

Alonzo, gray lungs?! Hmmm, not sure what to make of that. Meanwhile, I'll bet you a zillion dollars that the Entertainment Committee would have looked at you with blank, confused stares if you had requested "Miracles From Molecules"!

K. Martinez, I'm not sure I totally believed it either, but I still found myself looking for people who had just boarded their Atomobiles. So I must have *sort of* believed it!

Melissa, strangely I believe that early concepts for ATIS involved going into the human body, or into a cell, or something like that. I've heard that Body Wars wasn't that great, but I'm sure it depends on who you ask. The fact that it was a simulator ride takes away points. If you had been on a vehicle traveling through giants sets representing mitochondria or blood cells or DNA (or whatever) I would have SERIOUSLY wanted to ride it.

Chuck, I have often wondered what they could do with that ride today, but one thing is sure… it would involve lots of inexpensive projections.

JG, "trans-uranic", that's a new one on me. They should just build an "Adventure Thru Johnny Depp" and be done with it! I agree that the photo must have been taken from the ramp, since Mr. X (my friend who took the photo) would have had no special access to off-limits areas. And I agree, probably 90% of the reason I do this blog is because of my amazing memories of those days at Disneyland. Will kids of today feel the same way 20 or 30 years from now? My guess is that they will. The power of childhood memories!

JG again, I'm sure there are many reasons why logos were (are) often blue. It "reads" well, for one thing, and feels "classy".

PsySocDisney, I wish I had 100 more pictures of this ride. Sadly, I might only have one or two more.

outsidetheberm said...

This is a very nice interior view! And I'm pretty sure the photo was taken from the Peoplemover as it made the round curve behind the loading area. Thanks. Major!

Alonzo P Hawk said...

Major,
Growing up in the 1970's in the San Fernando Valley (air you can see and taste)plus the occasional Ceegar=Doc Holiday gray lungs.

Melissa said...

If they did make a new version of ATIS, maybe they could use the same facial-capture technology they use on WDW's Spaceship Earth and Haunted Mansion to make the "shrunken" guests look more like their real-life counterparts.