You will enjoy this area of the park if…
- You’re a fan of sci-fi, technology, and anything futuristic
- You need Star Wars in your life, and you need it now
- You love thrill rides, especially when they’re in the dark
You will NOT enjoy this area of the park if…
- You don’t dream of going to the moon or meeting an alien
- You’re so over Star Wars
- You prefer milder rides
Keep reading or click the links below to jump to a section of your choice.
- History of Tomorrowland
- Tomorrowland Theming
- Tomorrowland Hidden Mickeys and Fun Facts
- Tomorrowland Attractions Guide
- Astro Orbiter
- Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
- Star Tours
- Star Wars Path of the Jedi
- Space Mountain
- Star Wars Launch Bay
- Autopia
- Disneyland Monorail
- Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
- Disneyland Railroad
- Tomorrowland Shopping, Dining, and Entertainment
- Shopping in Tomorrowland
- Disney Character Meet and Greets
- Places to Eat in Tomorrowland
- Disneyland Trip Planning: Suggested Itineraries for Tomorrowland
History of Tomorrowland
Tomorrowland Theming
Tomorrowland Hidden Mickeys and Fun Facts
Perhaps because Tomorrowland has seen so many iterations, there are many traditional Hidden Mickeys and nods to rides gone by throughout this area of the park.
Innoventions Hidden Mickey
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage Hidden Mickey
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters Hidden Mickey
Before Astro Orbiter, there were The Rocket Jets. This was my favorite attraction as a child, and I vividly remember racing to Tomorrowland upon park opening to ride it with my dad. The Rocket Jets were like Astro Orbiter, but elevated one floor so you had to ride a level up. As you can imagine, the flying experience was way cooler than today’s attraction.
The Rocket Jets are still remembered today, in the shop outside of the Buzz Lightyear queue. The rocket display shelves are actually the old ride vehicles! Talk about embracing the land’s commitment to sustainability – reuse, recycle, reduce.
Tomorrowland Attractions Guide
Astro Orbiter
This ride sits at the entrance to the land, so it’s hard to miss. It’s also hard for me to get enthusiastic about this attraction, since it replaced my childhood favorite and is objectively a poorer ride experience (see above section).
However, if you like to feel like you’re flying, this is a fun ride for that. Fans of the Dumbo ride in Fantasyland from wjmf will also enjoy this ride since it’s essentially the same exact ride: you and a friend ride in rocket jets that fly around at various speeds, and you can control the height of the ride vehicle. (The Imagineers seemed to be lacking in the creativity and innovation departments when it came to creating the 1998 Tomorrowland).
Is it worth the typically 20-30 minute wait time? Not in my opinion, as it’s a duplicate of another ride in the park, and it’s a ride you can find at many carnivals or theme parks. Unless you absolutely love these kinds of rides, I would skip it and go on something you can only experience at Disneyland.
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
This ride, like its counterpart at DCA, Toy Story Midway Mania, is pure fun, no matter your age. You and a friend share a ride vehicle where you’re taken through various scenes of an arcade-like game that ends in a climatic battle between Buzz and Zurg. You have laser guns and your goal is to rack up as many points as possible by the end of the ride by shooting at geometric targets placed throughout the ride.
Pro tip #1: Triangles are worth the most points, followed by diamonds. Also, the targets are worth even more whenever they’re lit up.
Pro tip #2: This ride is much more fun if you and your friend scream “TRIANGLE” or “DIAMOND” at the top of your lungs whenever you spot one.
Pro tip #3: Midway through the ride, you’ll go through a dark tunnel. Look up and at the sides: you’ll be able to make out targets in the darkness. Shoot away!
Pro tip #4: Whenever a person in a wheelchair or with special needs boards the ride, the Cast Members have to stop the conveyor belt to ensure they can safely board. This is a prime opportunity for you to score extra points!
What makes this ride even more spectacular is that it’s one of the few places in Disneyland where you get something for free! (I know, I can hardly believe it either.) As you exit the ride, you’ll get the chance to browse several computer monitors for your ride photo, which you can email to yourself for free.
This is a must-ride for my friend and I whenever we visit the park. I highly recommend it!
Star Tours
Star Wars Path of the Jedi
Space Mountain
Star Wars Launch Bay
Autopia
Ah, the sweet smell of gasoline-powered engines…
Autopia (a play on the words “auto” and “utopia”) is a fun ride for anyone under the age of sixteen. Once you’re driving your own car, the ride loses its appeal, but can still be fun on a slow day or if you’re with an excitable child.
When Walt first dreamt of creating his own theme park, it was while he sat on a bench, watching his two daughters ride the merry-go-round in Griffith Park, Los Angeles. He sighed and thought, wouldn’t it be nice if there was a theme park where children and adults of all ages could enjoy rides together?
Autopia is an embodiment of that dream. No matter your age or the licensing restrictions in your state, you can ride your own car in Disney’s Tomorrowland. The cars are on a track so you can’t go too haywire, but feel free to speed up or coast to your heart’s content!
Disneyland Monorail
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
Now this is a cool ride. Enjoy a 15-minute immersive under-the-sea experience where you travel underwater in a yellow submarine! (Cue The Beatles song…)
As a child, this ride is on par with Peter Pan’s flight for the magic factor. In Fantasyland, you’re flying on a pirate ship; in Tomorrowland, you imagine you’re exploring the depths of the ocean. Even better, your travel companions are Dory, Marlin, and the gang!
Note: While the subs are air-conditioned, this ride can be uncomfortable for those who get claustrophobic.
Disneyland Railroad
Tomorrowland Shopping, Dining, and Entertainment
Shopping in Tomorrowland
When it comes to shopping, Tomorrowland is a prime example of what Disney does best: helping you spend money on their merchandise. Two of the rides, Star Tours and Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, have exits that lead directly into gifts shops that sell related merchandise (Star Wars and Toy Story-themed, respectively). Autopia’s exit is right by a small gift shop, too. There are also various souvenir stands throughout this area.
Located between Space Mountain and Star Tours, The Star Trader has the largest selection of Star Wars, Tomorrowland, space-themed, and general Disney merchandise.
Disney Character Meet and Greets
Disney has decided that Tomorrowland is the home to their newly acquired properties, Star Wars and Marvel. You can meet and pose with your favorite characters from the Marvel universe, including Captain America, Thor, and Spider-man.
As Disneyland ramps up excitement for the new Star Wars films and Star Wars land, they’ve allowed Star Wars to virtually take over much of Tomorrowland. Storm Troopers stalk the area throughout the day, Kylo Ren and Chewbacca are available for photo ops in the Star Wars Launch Bay, and young kids can battle Darth Vader in Jedi training.
Places to Eat in Tomorrowland
There are two restaurants in Tomorrowland: Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port and Galactic Grill.
Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port is located to the left of the Space Mountain entrance. It serves Italian dishes, including pastas, pizza slices, and salads. The space that houses the restaurant was home to two former Tomorrowland attractions, Rocket to the Moon in 1955 and Mission to Mars from the mid-sixties to the nineties. The rocket atop the drink stand outside the restaurant is an homage to the ride vehicle from the original attraction. Inside the restaurant you’ll find former attraction posters and other tributes to older versions of Tomorrowland.
Galactic Grill is located across from the entrances to Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage and Autopia. The Star Wars-themed restaurant offers your standard fast food fare of hamburgers with “healthy” salad options.