Time for the Autopia To Go?

It's been a part of the park since the very beginning. It's provided the thrill to millions and millions of kids not yet old enough to drive of what it's like to actually take the wheel and hit the road. In fact, for many of us, it's probably the first time we sat in the driver's seat of an actual gas powered vehicle and hit the accelerator. But considering all of that...is it perhaps time for Autopia to go?

I know, I'm proposing the removal of a signature Disneyland attraction. And I would definitely miss Autopia if it were to be replaced with something new. Still, one of the realities -- one of Walt Disney's directives -- is that Disneyland not be completed. Ever. That being said, let's take a look at the prospect of this change with the most objective view we can muster.

The very first consideration that led me to this notion is the fact that Autopia doesn't really fit any longer in Tomorrowland. I mean, they're not even hybrids! Talk about being behind the curve. Seriously, though, the truth is that most anything automotive-related would struggle to be relevant to Tomorrowland. Back in 1955 Autopia was introduced as a journey across the highways of tomorrow -- it was kind of a stretch even then. I assume that the highway of tomorrow was something akin to the Interstate Highway system that Eisenhower engineered with the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956. At the time, yes, it was a new and exciting idea that there be this consistent and superior network of roads connecting the entire country. Freeways in general were in their infancy. Not so any longer.

The Autopia also encompasses a large area (needless to say that it has to) in Tomorrowland that could be devoted to more than one attraction and might also open up an additional path between Tomorrowland and Fantasyland. Let's face it, space at Disneyland is at a premium. You can't really make any more of it and the way you use what you've got is fundamental to how far you can push the park's potential. Think about a new incarnation of Tomorrowland in which all of the area currently occupied by the Autopia was freed to become anything Imagineers could dream of to enhance the 'future-looking' end of the park.

Also keep in mind the fact that Disney's California Adventure, in its renovations, will include an area devoted to the Pixar movie, "Cars". Sure, the marquee attraction there will be much closer to EPCOT's Test Track than Autopia, but it is still a nod to automotive-based thrills and fun.

Now, I have no illusions about the likelihood of Autopia actually being removed from Tomorrowland. In fact, I would be very surprised if anything like that occurred in the next fifteen to twenty years. Disney is too cost-conscious and probably feels as though it's too big a risk to take, given the popularity of Autopia. And let me say once more: I do not dislike Autopia at all. I have many fond memories of it from childhood and brand new memories of taking my daughter on there and seeing her climb behind the wheel. Still and all, if we look objectively at the long-term benefits for the park, isn't the replacement of Autopia something that makes sense?