Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Disneyland - Tomorrowland Is Filthy!

I was at the Park quite recently and stood on the elevated Tomorrowland Monorail Station for a brief look around. Sadly, I had no digital camera with me, so you'll have to use your imagination for this post.

What I saw was a decaying Tomorrowland infrastructure and hideous paint choices galore.

The Peoplemover (Rocket Rods) track has its railing painted a goldy/rusty color that looks dilapidated. The tracks themselves have been left to rot as they wait for some type of attraction to be reinstalled (one can only hope). The trees near the Subs and Autopia are actually growing over the old Peoplemover track.

The paint choices for the Monorail station (dark blue and purple) and the buildings around Tomorrowland contribute to a dark depression.

Give me the bright white future of yesterday. (What the hell did I just say?).
"The bright white future of yesterday."
Wow. Sounds like bad beat poetry, but it's true.

When Coke Terrace and America Sings and the Rocket Jets were all painted with primary colors (lots of white, red, blue), and the Tomorrowland Stage glowed white as well, the whole area seemed to glow with optimism.

If today's Tomorrowland represents "Tomorrow," then please get me back to Yesterday ASAP.

Anyway, even the Monorail train was beaten up and ready for the trashbin. I guess they are letting it go because of the newer version that has debuted (several times, actually). But the Monorail track and supporting pylons are sure beat up and look terrible. How about a little rehab love here, huh?

As I was riding on the Monorail on the way into Tomorrowland, we cruised over the Disneyland Railroad as it was pulling into the station. The train's canopy was FILTHY. It looks like it has not seen a high pressure washer since I worked there in the 1980s! The roof of the rear car of the train (I hope it wasn't the Lily Belle--I couldn't tell) was dirty, cracked, and its paint was faded. It was like one of those old converted cabooses on a desert highway that someone turned into a tourist-trap restaurant.

Walt is absolutely SPINNING somewhere---with Ward Kimball joing in, I'm sure! Letting the Disneyland Railroad go to pot is tantamount to urinating on the graves of these two gentlemen. For shame, Disneyland.

Here's a hint: buy some paint---or at least a pressure washer from Sears. Step two: USE THEM---and use them often. In my day, we had a crew of painters who repainted stuff EVERY NIGHT. They were damn good at it, too.

To conclude today's mini-tirade, allow me to add that the Autopia cars are simply hideous. Viewed from above, I saw them parade by, sporting their bizarre colors. Purple-ish. Brown-ish. Beige-ish. What the heck?? And can we raze that stupid cylindrical building in the middle (along with the vast awning structure thingy)? Worthless. These dark colored structures completely obstruct the view of the attraction and make Tomorrowland feel claustrophobic---a neat architectural trick, in and of itself.

I'm telling you, Disney, get some white paint, apply it liberally in Tomorrowland, and you'll amaze yourselves at the improvement!! Lose the dark blues and rusts and golds and beiges and whatever.

Lose Innoventions while you're at it. Wait, have I mentioned that one before????