Yesterday the classic Autopia reopened in Tomorrowland breathing new life into the attraction and Tomorrowland itself! The renovation ultimately came as a result of a new sponsorship that looks like it was sorely needed so now the Autopia fits better in the 21st century. Expect slightly longer lines for the next couple of weeks as guests enjoy the change, but it looks like the Autopia isn't going anywhere anytime soon! |
The Autopia is the only remaining attraction in Tomorrowland that was around on the opening day of Disneyland Park back in 1955. It's probably received more overhauls, thematic changes and overall upgrades than any other attraction in the park and has also seen versions pop up in Fantasyland including the simple Fantasyland Autopia track near the Matterhorn and the Midget Autopia near "it's a small world".
The last major renovation on the Autopia took place in 2000 so the ride could finally match the rest of the "new" Tomorrowland of 1998 and present its new sponsor, Chevron. Disney utilized the Chevron animated cars as inspiration for the queue shows and the look of the cars themselves, so if you thought they looked a bit cartoony, that was the idea! The overall look of the attraction coupled with elements such as the outdated monitor in the loading area were screaming for an upgrade so Disney jumped at the opportunity to fix things when Honda agreed to sponsor the ride (fitting, since the cars already ran on Honda-designed engines) after losing the Asimo show in Innoventions once it closed.
With a new paint job to match the rest of Tomorrowland, new sporty looks for each of the cars and a fancy new monitor in the queue area, Disney has proved that they intend to keep the Autopia around as long as they can! No official word yet on the fate of the Autopia Fastpass, though it is rumoured to be reopening soon. It's always nice when things get spruced up like that!
The last major renovation on the Autopia took place in 2000 so the ride could finally match the rest of the "new" Tomorrowland of 1998 and present its new sponsor, Chevron. Disney utilized the Chevron animated cars as inspiration for the queue shows and the look of the cars themselves, so if you thought they looked a bit cartoony, that was the idea! The overall look of the attraction coupled with elements such as the outdated monitor in the loading area were screaming for an upgrade so Disney jumped at the opportunity to fix things when Honda agreed to sponsor the ride (fitting, since the cars already ran on Honda-designed engines) after losing the Asimo show in Innoventions once it closed.
With a new paint job to match the rest of Tomorrowland, new sporty looks for each of the cars and a fancy new monitor in the queue area, Disney has proved that they intend to keep the Autopia around as long as they can! No official word yet on the fate of the Autopia Fastpass, though it is rumoured to be reopening soon. It's always nice when things get spruced up like that!