Disneyland will look to the past in hopes of keeping up with the future when Walt Disney Imagineering creates a Tomorrowland 4.0 that promises to stay true to the land’s original vision of an imaginative, wondrous and optimistic future.
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Disneyland announced a reimagined Tomorrowland will feature new attractions and open spaces full of attention to detail, immersive storytelling and emotional experiences during the D23 fan expo in Anaheim.
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Imagineering has already begun imagining what Tomorrowland could be at Disneyland using Walt Disney’s original vision for the 1955 opening day land, according to Imagineering Executive Creative Producer Emo O’Brien.
“We really looked back to Walt’s opening day speech that he gave and we were inspired by his vision of Tomorrowland being a vista into wondrous worlds,” said O’Brien, who will oversee the project. “I understand the gravitas and the responsibility that I have with our teams to guide us through this journey of reimagining the only Tomorrowland that Walt actually envisioned, designed and walked in.”
Disneyland has not yet announced a timeline for the Tomorrowland makeover or what attractions will be added or removed.
This time around, Imagineering is expected to lean heavily into Disney, Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel intellectual properties, utilize existing rides at other Disney parks for inspiration and take a sci-fi rather than futuristic approach to the land’s overall theme.
Embracing Walt’s original vision will allow Imagineering to respect Tomorrowland’s heritage and legacy while continuing to evolve the forward-looking land for new generations.
Let’s play Armchair Imagineer and take a closer look at the possibilities for the third major overhaul in Tomorrowland’s 71-year history.
Virtually everything in Tomorrowland will be in play during the latest overhaul — including the previously untouchable Space Mountain, Star Tours and Disneyland Monorail.
Disneyland could bulldoze all of Tomorrowland and completely start over — a once blasphemous and unthinkable idea. While that’s unlikely, Disneyland is expected to demolish several long-standing buildings and structures to pave the way for the New, New, New Tomorrowland.
A complete reboot of an entire themed land at Disneyland is not unprecedented. Disney Legend Tony Baxter famously stood amid the bulldozed rubble of the 1982-83 Fantasyland makeover and muttered, “My God, what have we done?”
Disneyland is expected to roll out the latest Tomorrowland makeover in phases to avoid completely closing the land for several years of construction.
What’s Known
A litany of empty or idle attractions dot Disneyland’s Tomorrowland.
Demolishing Star Wars Launch Bay would free up tremendous space in Tomorrowland — unless Imagineering plans to reuse the rotating theater space.
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The short-lived Rocket Rods were never able to perform to designed show standards on the PeopleMover’s unbanked track — leaving the elevated infrastructure standing abandoned above Tomorrowland since 2000.
More underused space hides behind the frequently closed doors of the Tomorrowland Theater that once housed “Captain EO” and “Honey, I Shrunk the Audience” and the former Starcade video arcade.
Electrifying Autopia
Disneyland is designing, engineering and testing a fully electric Autopia ride vehicle prototype that will replace the gas-engined cars that have powered the Tomorrowland race track attraction since 1955.
Disneyland faces a state-mandated deadline to retire the gas-powered cars on Autopia by Feb. 1, 2027, or shut down the attraction.
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The electrified Autopia is expected to be the first phase of Tomorrowland 4.0 to debut at Disneyland — likely in late 2027 or early 2028.
The last major remodel of Autopia took nine months to complete a quarter century ago when the track and vehicles were redesigned, and Chevron became the title sponsor.
Fantastic Four Overlay
The aesthetic design of Marvel‘s “Fantastic Four: First Steps” film was heavily influenced by the look of Disneyland’s Tomorrowland and drew inspiration from its optimistic, mid-century modern vision of the future.
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The Marvel Studios design team used the architecture of the 1964 World’s Fair to create a retro-future for the new “Fantastic Four” film set in a 1960s alternate universe that never existed.
The Fantastic Four took over Tomorrowland when “First Steps” debuted in 2025.
The Space Mountain facade was bathed in Fantastic Four projection lighting effects at night; Tomorrowland restaurants sold movie-themed food and Mr. Fantastic, The Invisible Woman, The Human Torch, The Thing and Herbie the robot assistant made meet-and-greet appearances.
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said during the D23 “Disney Worldbuilders” panel that he hopes the mid-century modern aesthetic of “Fantastic Four: First Steps” inspires future refreshes of Disneyland’s Tomorrowland.
A Fantastic Four overlay of Tomorrowland would offer a nod to Walt’s mid-century modern vision of Tomorrowland and tie the land to a major Marvel intellectual property.
The challenge of any Fantastication of Tomorrowland would be getting non-Marvel attractions to fit into the new backstory of the land.
Star Wars Launch Bay
The underused rotating theater at the eastern end of Tomorrowland has housed the Carousel of Progress, America Sings, Innoventions and Star Wars Launch Bay over the past seven decades. Today, it serves as Tomorrowland’s White Elephant and a constant reminder of the land’s lost and forgotten promise.
Imagineering could repurpose the building or tear it down for a major new attraction during the Tomorrowland makeover. The potential options for the location include a return of the Carousel of Progress or a major roller coaster themed to Tron or Monsters Inc.
Disneyland’s Tomorrowland 2.0 expansion debuted in 1967 with the Carousel of Progress from the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair along with the PeopleMover, Adventure Thru Inner Space and “America the Beautiful” film in CircleVision 360.
The Carousel of Progress at the Magic Kingdom in Florida is undergoing a major refurbishment that will update the timeline in the attraction and add the voices of Jamie Lee Curtis (Mother Sarah) and Brian Cranston (Father John) to the Audio-Animatronic characters.
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A clone of the Lightcycle Run roller coaster at Shanghai Disneyland and Florida’s Magic Kingdom has long been considered a likely centerpiece of any Tomorrowland makeover at Disneyland.
Disneyland dangled Tron as a potential expansion project in Anaheim as part of the $1.9 billion DisneylandForward plan.
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The new Monstropolis land under construction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will include a Monsters Inc. Vault Door suspended roller coaster.
The advanced interdimensional doors on the Monsters Inc. coaster would be a natural fit in a science fiction-centric Tomorrowland.
A clone of the Monsters Inc. coaster would serve as a major draw for Tomorrowland 4.0 and help offset the loss of the Monsters Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue dark ride that will be demolished to make room for the new Avatar-themed land coming to Disney California Adventure.
Space Mountain
Space Mountain was once thought of as an untouchable Disneyland ride — but not anymore.
The new Space Mountain: Earthrise with an undulating facade is set to debut in 2027 following a $400 million makeover of Tokyo’s Tomorrowland.
O’Brien, the Imagineer in charge of reimagining Disneyland’s Tomorrowland, served the same role on Tokyo’s Tomorrowland project.
Tokyo Disneyland demolished the original Space Mountain and built the new Earthrise directly behind it.
A new Space Mountain would be a tough sell to Disneyland loyalists — but not without precedent or upsides.
Star Tours
Star Tours is another once-untouchable Disneyland ride that became out of place in Tomorrowland once Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened in 2019.
There’s plenty of room in Galaxy’s Edge south of Rise of the Resistance to build a new and improved version of Star Tours.
Imagineering could repurpose the old motion-simulator ride as part of the Tomorrowland makeover and call it a new attraction.
The Iron Man Experience at Hong Kong Disneyland uses a Star Tours-style motion-simulator ride system.
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
The Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters interactive shooting gallery-style dark ride is another opportunity for Imagineering to make an old ride new again.
The new Wreck-It Ralph-themed Sugar Rush Sweet Rescue coming to Tokyo Disneyland and the Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle at Hong Kong Disneyland both use Omnimover ride vehicles like Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters.
Adventure Thru Inner Space is the true wild card in any reimagined Tomorrowland. An updated version of the Omnimover dark ride could pay tribute to Walt’s Tomorrowland in the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters attraction building or serve as inspiration for a new motion-simulator ride in the Star Tours building where it debuted in 1967.
Imagineering could open a new Buzz Lightyear attraction in Pixar Pier where he thematically belongs to appease fans of the space ranger.
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
Occupying seven acres, the two least futuristic attractions in Tomorrowland — Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage and Autopia — have long been rumored to be on the chopping block.
Swapping the Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure in Disney California Adventure for a Finding Nemo dark ride would be easy enough for Imagineering.
Nemo, Dory and the rest of the Tank Gang really belong in DCA’s Pixar Pier. The Seas with Nemo & Friends at Epcot and DCA’s Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure both use the same clamshell Omnimover ride vehicles.
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Imagineering has already developed concept art for a Pixar Pier expansion that wraps around Paradise Bay all the way to the Little Mermaid dark ride, with the Silly Symphony Swings converted into The Claw from “Toy Story” and the Golden Zephyr getting an Emperor Zurg theme.
Jumpin’ Jellyfish could become the Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop just like the existing Disney rides in France and Hong Kong. Goofy’s Sky School could be transformed into Crush’s Coaster similar to the one at Disney Adventure World.
Princess Ariel could find a new home in Disneyland if Imagineering ever demolished the Fantasyland Theatre to make room for a Fantasyland 3.0 expansion.
Disneyland Monorail
The Disneyland Monorail and Space Mountain were the only two Tomorrowland attractions featured on the concept art released during D23 when the makeover was announced — leading fans to believe the two rides were safe.
The expensive-to-maintain elevated train system is much more of a ride at Disneyland compared to the sprawling monorail transportation system at Disney World.
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Disney opted against a monorail stop at the Grand Californian hotel or DCA when the second gate was built in 2001.
Any removal of Autopia or the Nemo subs during the Tomorrowland 4.0 makeover would likely require Imagineering to reroute the Disneyland Monorail that makes a figure eight over the two interconnected attractions below.
Astro Orbitor
The Astro Orbitor spinning rocket ship ride has bounced around Tomorrowland over the years and would almost certainly not remain in its current location during any makeover.
Imagineering would have to remove the Orbitron kinetic planetary sculpture atop the ride that was introduced as a tie-in to the Jules Verne and H. G. Wells retro sci-fi theme of the 1998 Tomorrowland makeover.
PeopleMover
An updated version of the PeopleMover always remains a possibility if the Rocket Rods didn’t permanently damage the elevated track.
A DisneylandForward proposal floated the possibility of bringing back the PeopleMover as a way to move visitors between the theme parks and parking garages.
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The “themed ride systems” were envisioned as a complement or alternative to proposed pedestrian bridges across Harbor Boulevard and Disneyland Drive.
Disneyland’s PeopleMover track always seemed like a natural fit for the pod vehicles used on Syndrome’s island in Pixar’s 2004 “The Incredibles.”
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