Disney Paleo-Future Muxtape

The Paleo-Future Muxtape is currently featuring 12 tracks of Disney paleo-futurism. Listen while they're hot because this will be a constantly changing mix of audio. For a less paleofuture-focused Disney audio adventure check out the Epcot Muxtape.

See also:
EPCOT's Horizons
EPCOT Publicity Materials (1981)
Mickey Futurism (1980s)
The Simpsons go to EPCOT
Astuter Computer Revue
Rebuilding Tomorrowland (1966)
Disney Calls Future a Thing of the Past (1997)
Tomorrowland, Disneyland Opening Day (1955)
Space Station X-1 (circa 1955)

Disneyland Jetpack (1966)

The Disneyland TV program aired Disneyland Around the Seasons on December 18, 1966. The episode contained this great clip of a man wearing a jetpack (or rocketbelt), flying around Disneyland. The entire program can be found on the DVD Disneyland: Secrets, Stories & Magic.

See also:
Jet Pack Video (1966)
Rebuilding Tomorrowland (1966)
Bell Aviation's Rocket Pack (1964)
Jet Flying Belt is Devised to Carry Man for Miles (New York Times, 1968)
Where's My Jetpack? (2007)
Tomorrowland, Disneyland Opening Day (1955)
How Do You Like Them Apples?
The Tomorrowland That Never Was (1965)
Rocket to the Moon (1967)

Monsanto House of the Future Brochure (1961)

The excellent Disney blog Stuff from the Park has scans of a 1960s brochure for the Monsanto House of the Future.

The piece explains that, "The erection of the Monsanto 'Plastics Home of the Future' at Disneyland in the summer of 1957 provided a practical demonstration of the almost limitless potential of plastics in structural applications." Much like the article on the future of glass we looked at last week, this piece centers around selling consumers goods which are positioned as "futuristic." Insert reference to The Graduate here.

Some of the "outstanding equipment of advanced design on display in the 'plastics home of the future'' are listed below:

"Atoms for Living Kitchen" featuring micro-wave cooking and ultra-sonic dishwashing.

Telephones with preset and push-button dialing, "hands-free" speakers and transmitters, and viewing screen to see the person who is calling.

Modular bathrooms with lavoratory, tub, walls and floor molded in units.

Foamed-in-place rigid urethane plastic foam for insulation and structural strength and flexible urethane foam for cushioning furniture and rugs.

Climate control center which filters, cools, heats and scents the air in each room independently.

Foam-backed plastic floor covering with controlled resiliency and noise-reducing properties.

"Acrillan" acrylic fiber and Chemsbrand nylon for upholstery, draperies and carpeting.

See also:
Monsanto House of the Future (1957-1967)
Monsanto House of the Future (1957)

Rocket to the Moon (1967)

This concept drawing of the Disneyland ride Rocket to the Moon was featured in the exhibition Behind the Magic - 50 Years of Disneyland and can be found in the book of the same name. The caption appears below.

First opened in 1955 as "Rocket to the Moon," this attraction was totally re-designed for the new Tomorrowland in 1967. Unfortunately, because the real moon landing occurred in 1969, it soon lost its popularity and was eventually changed to "Mission to Mars."

See also:
Space Station X-1 (circa 1955)
The Tomorrowland That Never Was (1965)
Rebuilding Tomorrowland (1966)
Tomorrowland, Disneyland Opening Day (1955)
Mars and Beyond (1957)
Man and the Moon (1955)
Animal Life on Mars (1957)
Plant Life on Mars (1957)

The Tomorrowland That Never Was (1965)

This 1965 concept sketch depicts a hypothetical New Tomorrowland in Disneyland. The drawing is featured in the book Designing Disney's Theme Parks by Karal Ann Marling.

Space Station X-1 (circa 1955)

The image above is from an insert in the Walt Disney Treasures - Tomorrowland: Disney in Space and Beyond DVD set. The image was used in Disneyland as the poster for the Space Station X-1 attraction.

Space Station X-1 invited Disneyland guests to circle the earth from fifty miles up for a satellite view of America.

See also:
Tomorrowland, Disneyland Opening Day (1955)
Walt Disney Explaining the Carousel of Progress to General Electric (1964)

Tomorrowland, Disneyland Opening Day (1955)

Yes, this is Tomorrowland. And it's not a stylized dream of the future but a scientifically planned projection of future techniques by leading space experts in science.

This clip from Tomorrowland during the 1955 live broadcast of Disneyland's opening day shows the same brand of optimism we often see in 1950's predictions of the future.

You can see the entire broadcast of the opening of Disneyland on the DVD Walt Disney Treasures - Disneyland USA.

See also:
Walt Disney and City Planning

Monsanto House of the Future (1957-1967)

Lately, there have been a lot of posts on different blogs about the Monsanto House of the Future. The house of the future featured the great conveniences of 1986. Opened in 1957 in Disneyland and closed ten years later it has become the house of the paleo-future. Above, I've linked to video of this incredible, paleo-futuristic house.

Check out what people have to say at Disney Blog, Stuff From the Park, Yesterland, Daveland's construction post and a comprehensive year-by-year page from Daveland.

See also:
The Road Ahead: Future Homes (1995) 15 March 2007

Monorails at Disneyland (1959 and 1960)

Stuff From the Park has some great vintage Disneyland photos including the one pictured above of the Monorails traveling over Submarine Lagoon from 1959. Gorillas Don't Blog also has some great old Disneyland pictures including the one below from 1960. I still wonder if all the Monorails in the respective Disney parks are considered by the general public to be transportation or a novelty attraction.