TOMORROWLAND Once you touch down in the Tomorrowland of yesterday , you ’ ll notice that 1971 is missing one very big part of this land … no Space Mountain ! Guests would wait over three years for this scary space ride to open on January 15 , 1975 , alongside The Carousel of Progress . Yes , that Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow had shuttered at Disneyland just a couple of years prior in anticipation of finding its forever home at Magic Kingdom .
The Grand Prix Raceway is a familiar sight in 1971 , looking much like today ’ s Tomorrowland Speedway , but with a longer track and different facade . The track would be truncated to make way for Mickey ’ s Birthdayland in 1988 . America the Beautiful , a majestic Circle-Vision film that had great success at Disneyland , played in a big theater to your right as you entered Tomorrowland from the hub . Fifty years later , this is the home to a not-somajestic attraction , Monsters , Inc . Laugh Floor .
Flight to the Moon was just across the path , a spot that turned out to be like that one cursed nail salon / pizza place / insurance adjuster in a strip mall . The ride was retooled and renamed in 1975 as Mission to Mars , then turned into ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter in 1995 , then as Stitch ’ s Great Escape in 2004 . What is it now ? A fantastic spot to eat a pretzel in the shade .
Time traveling to opening day at Magic Kingdom would certainly mean leaving some high-tech rides behind , but it was full of former curiosities that would enchant even us space-age humans with Disney Genies at our beck and call . If only for Mr . Toad and a canoe ride , it would be nice to go back for just a day .
100 MAGICAL ISSUES