Let's
not lose perspective: the Tomorrowland Problem is old.
You could make a case for it being as old as Disneyland itself—we
all know that Tomorrowland was the one area that was severely skimped
on back in 1955 due to time and budget shortfalls, and what was there
was so immediately dated that the land received a major upgrade
before the park turned five. What we don't acknowledge as often is
that said major upgrade already
represented a partial departure from the themes of science,
technology, and realistic futurism in favor of a dose of pure
fantasy. The Submarine Voyage—a celebration of technological
achievements allowing humanity to explore parts of the world that
were previously completely inaccessible—was also a veritable
showcase of popular myths about the ocean, presented as though they
were as real as the coral reefs.
And
honestly...I have trouble figuring out why.
This early in the game, the Imagineers could hardly have been running
short of futuristic inspiration. Did they think a realistic undersea
voyage was too boring? If so, why create the Submarine Voyage to
begin with? If, on the the other hand, the fantasy material was
included due to the attraction's location on the boundary between
Tomorrowland and Fantasyland, why don't we see more crossover content
in other boundary attractions that debuted in this era?
Moreover,
several years down the line, the “World on the Move” Tomorrowland
makeover would have been the perfect opportunity to refine the
Submarine Voyage into something more on-point. But instead, the
Imagineers doubled down on the fantasy by adding live
mermaid performers to the Lagoon. That experiment didn't last, for
reasons that vary depending upon who's telling the story,* but the
overall point is that this ride has been part of Tomorrowland almost
since the beginning, and its most fantastic aspect was immediately
established as its most iconic.
They've
never really known
what to do with Tomorrowland.
The mythical aquatic singing sirens...of the future!
