Okay, this time I'm gonna talk about the Astro Orbitor and the '98 Tland redo. The first incarnation of The Astro Orbitor ride was the Astro Jets. It was one of the first rides in Disneyland, opening only a year after the park did. Then, came the Rocket Jets in '66 on top of the people mover loading platform. It was essentially the same ride but with a different look and in a different location. I think it would have been pretty awesome. I mean the basic spinning ride with arms is used a lot (it's nearly identical to Dumbo) but to be on it so high up in the air, above all of Tland must have made it a lot cooler. It was there for 30 years! And then the uber idiots that ruined Tland with the '98 redo project killed it. They took down Rocket Jets and stuck some satellites on old arms and made it into "The Observatron," which was basically a useless thing there for decoration. Then, they built a new attraction, the Astro Orbiters. So, I've never been on the Astro Orbitor because they look really boring (which is why I've never been on Dumbo either.) I'll start with the few things I like about it. Firstly, I like how it has the look of an old model that Galileo or Copernicus would have used sort of like this. I also like the old world color scheme of it. What can I say, I'm a sucker for European history. The color scheme went with what the new colors of Tland were supposed to be. Like golds and old copper greens and burnt siena...basically metallic earth tones. I like that color scheme, but it doesn't go with the architecture of Tland. If all of the architecture in Tland was old world like the Astro Orbitor, it might be cool. But, it's not. It's what the future looked like to people in the 50s and 60s. It's got these really classic lines to it that look great...but only with a really basic color scheme. The white keeps up the cleanliness of the design. Here's a look at all the color changes that were done after the '98 redo. I was actually surprised at how much they changed. And since I never really went into Tland between '98 and 2003 (when stuff was painted differently again), I didn't ever get to see much of it. I couldn't believe they painted Space Mountain Green and Gold. I can't imagine it being anything other than it's classy white. But, there are some pics on this Daveland page if you scroll down to "New Tomorrowland: 1998" towards the bottom, that show concept art and I actually think it looks really good on paper. It just didn't really workout in the end though. And that one photograph of the land at twilight actually looks really awesome but it's been photoshopped a bit and it really didn't look that ideal in real life. Also, that page really demonstrates how many incarnations Tland has been through since the park opened. It's amazing. In 2003, Disney had some sense knocked into them and changed the color scheme back to whites and put some blues but kept some of the bronzes from the '98 revamp. Here's a pic of the Astro Orbiter that they just painted about a month ago...I don't know if I like it on the Orbitor but I like it for Tland. It's a nod to what it looked like before '98. So that's where the Tland colors lie today but who knows? A little mouse told me that after the current DCA projects, Disney is turning their attention BACK to Tland. I only hope they don't screw it up again. I'd also like to mention those poor Mary Blair murals (the woman behind the style of "It's a Small World) that are are still behind those cheap airbrushed murals that are there today. To tell you the truth, my favorite mural is the '98 one, which showed current and past attractions. But the Mary Blair mural, although it doesn't really fit in Tland, should be preserved and put on display somewhere. She is so iconic and it really would be worth a lot. Here's a great blog entry with pics of the Mary Blair being covered up for the new mural. I didn't know it was still under there! And it probably still is like a treasure hiding under there being under appreciated!
Okay, for pete's sake back to the Astro Orbiter. So I like the look of it but the placement sucks so badly! The pic above is what the entrance to Tland used to look like. You can see the Rocket Jets in the picture too. It was just so welcoming and open. And now look at it with the Astro Orbitor! (note that pic was taken with the '98 color scheme) Ugh...it's so congested, especially in the summer after the fireworks show. It's like being in a mob. CMs have to act like road workers and keep the flow moving. Also, Tland doesn't look nearly as welcoming and you can't see those awesome clean lines of the PM track. I really hate it. And what's up with the weird rock formations that just take up MORE space? I agree 100% with what Werner Weiss over at Yesterland said about the whole thing: "The Astro Orbitor looks great, but the ride’s location so close to the Hub of Disneyland isn’t so great. The Astro Orbitor is a bit overwhelming, compared to the entrances to Frontierland and Adventureland—especially at night, when it’s all lit up. From some angles, it even detracts from Sleeping Beauty Castle. Guests board the ride at ground level, so the ride no longer has the “high in the sky” thrill of the Rocket Jets. It’s too bad that Disneyland can’t have the best of both worlds—the visual exuberance of the Astro Orbitor, located high on the old elevated platform of the Rocket Jets."
I also noticed that it doesn't only crowd the hub, but it crowds Pixie Hollow too. I know that space used to be part of Tland with the Monsanto house so it would have been okay then. But that area has been part of Fantasyland ever since the Alpine Gardens were there so it's really awkward to have the huge Astro Orbitor looming over you at Pixie Hollow. Here's what I mean. I waited in line like those people in the picture and was totally immersed in the magic of Pixie Hollow until I looked to my right. Someone behind us in line was yelling at a member of their party who was riding it...and they could hear them. That's how close it is. It's just dumb.
So in my ideal dland, the Astro Orbitor would be moved to the top of the PM loading station where the Rocket Jets were. I think the experience of being that high in the air would have been really awesome. Also, it wouldn't be blocking the welcoming view, the streamlined PM tracks, causing crowd congestion, or encroaching upon Pixie Hollow. I'd also take away the astronomical design because it is a nod to the past, and although it looks cool, it is the opposite of what Tland is about. I know it would be really expensive or whatever but it is my ideal dland after all. As for the color scheme, keep it simple and classic.
Okay, that's it for this time. To be continued...
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