Tomorrowland - Disneyland vs Disney World

Disneyland Park in California, and Walt Disney World in Florida are both very similar – but at the same time, very different! There are a number of obvious differences. For starters, Disneyland is much smaller and has only two parks as opposed to four in Florida. Disney World has a Dining Plan option – Disneyland does not. Disney World embraces the Magic Band system, whereas Disneyland uses MaxPass…you see where I’m going with this, right?

As far as attractions go, Disneyland Park and the Magic Kingdom are very similar to each other. I’ve taken a deeper look in to the differences and similarities of the two Fantasylands, and today I bring you another comparison post – today we’re looking at Tomorrowland!

Confession – Tomorrowland is my favorite part of the Magic Kingdom/Disneyland parks. I love the music, and sometimes will even listen to the loop music when I’m cleaning or driving! Let’s take a look at what you can expect as you venture into the land of tomorrow at each of the parks!

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Magic Kingdom

Like pretty much everything in the Florida theme park, the Tomorrowland section of the Magic Kingdom is larger than at Disneyland. There are also a few attractions that cannot be found in California that have their home in Tomorrowland. The Tomorrowland Transit Authority People Mover is a cult classic (and my sister’s personal favorite ride). The Transit Authority cars take you on a relaxing ride through the skies of Tomorrowland. The whole ride itself is just a couple of minutes, but since you can literally walk right on it, many people ride it multiple times. It’s especially charming at night! You cruise by all of the Tomorrowland attractions and even get a glimpse inside Space Mountain as you ride!

Near the entrance of the People Mover, you’ll find the entrance to the Carousel of Progress. The Carousel of Progress is an underrated attraction that is an absolute MUST see when you’re at the parks. This show follows the typical American family as they encounter new technology as the 20th century passes by. This is another show I love to listen to when I’m missing the parks!

In addition to being home to galactic creatures, Tomorrowland is also home to monsters – the monsters of Monstropolis, that is! The Monsters Inc Laugh Floor, inspired by the Pixar movie, is a newer attraction that is really an interactive show. Kids have the option to text in jokes as they’re waiting in the queue. It’s usually only about a 10-20 minute wait. Mike and friends may actually use the jokes during the show! As you fill up the Laugh Canister, the monsters will interact with the audience! How do they do it? That’s some Disney magic! 😉

The Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland will be undergoing some serious changes soon. The polarizing Stitch’s Great Escape! attraction recently closed and will likely be replaced by something more cutting edge in the near future. The magic of TRON is going to make it’s way to the parks as well! The TRON coaster, which is already a fan favorite at Shanghai Disneyland, will be opening in a few years in the Florida park.

Disneyland

Along the West coast, Disneyland Park boasts it’s own Tomorrowland. This version is very different from it’s Florida counterpart – mostly due to the fact that Star Wars has made it’s own there! Because Disneyland doesn’t have it’s own version of Hollywood Studios, Star Wars themed rides and attractions were placed in Tomorrowland instead.

Star Tours – The Adventure Continues is a motion simulator ride that takes you on your own journey to a galaxy far, far away. If you’re a bit sensitive to motion, this may not be the best ride for you (at least not without some anti-nausea wristbands!). However, if you can stomach the ups and downs this journey will take you on, it’s a great attraction. The best part? It’s a different ride every time! Your Star Tour vehicle visits numerous planets and has many cameos from different Star Wars characters in the ride sequence – so there are literally dozens of combinations. The last time I rode, we ended up in Naboo with Jar Jar Binks and ended with a show down between Darth Vader and our tour! Just watch out for the rebel spy – it might even be you!

If motion simulators are a bit intimidating, head over to the Star Wars Launch Bay where you can meet Chewbacca and Kylo Ren. Sometimes you run in to other characters as well – I’ve even run in to Boba Fett, and I was of course dressed in head to toe Rebel gear. How embarrassing.

There’s a lot of awesome memorabilia from the movies in the bay as well. Take a few moments to relax and check out all the fun movie props on display!

The Finding Nemo Submarine Ride can be found right at the edge of Tomorrowland near Fantasyland. The old submarine voyage ride was repurposed after it’s closure in the early 90’s and given new life based on this Pixar classic. It’s a cute ride and a very interesting concept – it’s definitely the closest I’ll ever get to being on a real submarine! – but the wait is long due it to being very slow loading.

Finally, the monorail disembarks from Downtown Disney in Tomorrowland! Some people even treat this as a ride, getting on and going for a round trip before getting back off and re-entering the park.