The Disneyland Book of Secrets 2014: One Local's Unauthorized, Rapturous and Indispensable Guide to the Happiest Places on Earth (120 page)

Tommorow
landing

[
FastView:
 
Find your out-of-this-world hat here, and (in season) holiday goods.
]

The
Tomorrowlanding
shop isn’t anything incredible in and of itself.  It’s a small store that has sold
Disney
hats since 2006, when
Autopia Winner’s Circle
supplanted the
Hatmosphere
shop near
Autopia
.  The
Hatmosphere
was finished, but its hats moved over to brand new
Tomorrowlanding
.

There’s no room
at tiny
Tomorrowlanding
for a big selection.  You’ll find far more hats at
Mad Hatter
in
Fantasyland
or
The Mad Hatter Shop
on
Main Street
. 
Nemo
fans, though, will probably like popping in here for a plush clownfish hat after experiencing the
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
.  (Be prepared to plunk down over $20 for said clownfish cap–if they still have them in stock.)

Tomorrow
landing
also sells seasonal merchandise; during the Christmas holidays, Guests can purchase
Disney
ornaments, Santa hats, and
Disney Character
-themed holiday stockings here.

The i
nteresting thing about
Tomorrowlanding
isn’t what it sells, but its historic location, a three-tiered space that has seen many changes over the years, and once hosted the
PeopleMover
and the
Rocket Jets
.

Housed in the pediment of the
present
Observatron
,
Tomorrowlanding
fills the space once occupied by the
Radio Disney Broadcast Booth
.  If you can believe it, from 1999 to 2002, this tiny space was the official home of
Radio Disney
.  Guests could peer through a glass window and watch the DJs, but not hear them, due to the soundproof glass.

This was all part of the new
Tomorrowland
that rolled out in 1998.  The
Observatron
debuted atop the structure, the
Rocket Rods
’ loading area took over the former
PeopleMover
space beneath that, and in 1999,
Radio Disney
’s booth replaced the long-running
Lunching Pad
snack bar on the ground level.

Like new
Tomorrowland
as a whole, none of these changes lasted long.  The problematic
Rocket Rods
were defunct by 2001.  The
Radio Disney
booth cleared out in 2002.  Only the controversial
Observatron
remains today, atop the three-tier structure, controversial because it replaced the still-missed
Rocket Jets
, which allowed Guests to whirl giddily up to seven stories in the air from 1967 to 1997.

The
Radio Disney
booth
moved, but
Radio Disney
still thrives. 
Radio Disney
originally launched on
Mickey
’s birthday (November 18) in 1996.  This popular, youth-focused radio station is a distribution channel for wholesome entertainment and an influential outlet for
Disney
’s proven and fledgling talents.  Based in Burbank, California since 2008,
Radio Disney
broadcasts in the United States and countries that include Canada and Mexico.

Before
Radio Disney
broadcast from beneath the vacant
PeopleMover
loading zone, the
Lunching Pad
, a tiny snack bar selling hot dogs and popcorn, occupied the ground floor space from 1977 until 1998, when it became a casualty of the massive
Tomorrowland
overhaul.

The
Lunching Pad
itself was a replacement for the
Space Bar
, once a much larger snack shop that stood where the
Carousel of Progress
(now
Innoventions
) was built.  In 1967 the
Space Bar
was moved into the tiny base of the then-new
PeopleMover
.  The
Space Bar
gave way to the
Lunching Pad
in 1977, but upstairs the
PeopleMover
kept loading passengers until 1995.

Who can say what the future holds for
Tomorrowlanding
, the
Observatron
, or this three-level structure in general?  Only the
Imagineers
know!

An Example of Changing Times:  Occupancy History of One Tomorrowland Structure

Grub:

Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port
(L, D, S)

[
FastView:
 
This mid-priced buffeteria is sometimes disorganized and often crowded, but the tasty food (especially the pastas) outweighs any inconvenience.  Plentiful seating near the
Space Mountain
entrance queue.
]

From late morning through the park’s closing,
Tomorrowland
is one of the busiest and most crowded areas of the park.  Tens of thousands of people cycle through it every day, drawn by attractions like
Autopia
,
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
,
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
,
Space Mountain
, and
Star Tours
.  How busy is this land?  During peak seasons, three or four of its attractions are linked to the
FastPass
system to try to manage the incredibly long lines.  (
FastPass
attractions can include
Autopia
,
Buzz Lightyear
Astro Blasters
,
Space Mountain
,
and
Star Tours
.)

To
help feed and refresh the thousands of Guests visiting
Tomorrowland
each day, in 1998, as part of the new
Tomorrowland
,
Disneyland
opened a high-capacity restaurant on the eastern edge of the district.  Located between
Innoventions
and the
Space Mountain
entrance ramp, the enormous
Redd Rockett’s
Pizza Port
restaurant provides an alternative to the land’s other anchor restaurant, the
Tomorrowland Terrace,
to the west.

In contrast to
Tomorrowland Terrace
’s outdoor dining, the
Pizza Port
has some outdoor seating but is predominantly an indoor venue, with multiple enormous rooms of tables, counters, and chairs.  At the
Tomorrowland Terrace
, Guests queue up at individual order windows; at the
Pizza Port
, Guests line up at different islands of pizza, pasta, salad, and beverage buffets.

One of the biggest differences between the two restaurants is the cuisine.  Both offer relatively inexpensive, family-friendly fare, but the
Terrace
focuses on classic American grub like burgers, fries, and sandwiches, the
Pizza Port
on eats like pizzas and pastas.

Depending on your priorities, the most important difference between the two behemoth restaurants
might be the service, which is relatively organized at the
Terrace
, and often confusing and slow at the
Pizza Port
.

At the
Tomorrowland Terrace
you order anything off the menu at any of the order windows.  By contrast, the multiple, slow-moving buffet lines at the
Pizza Port
are each devoted to specific entrées or desserts or beverages, and can make for a frustrating experience, which could further exacerbate your hunger or weariness.

If the
Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port
menu appeals to you and your group, start off on the right foot by being sure to grab a tray, napkins, etc. at the outset.  Then make a loop around the vast ordering room, noting which buffet islands have the foods and beverages that you and your party want.  Decide who will go to which islands and order what.  For example, if the kids want different entrées, the grown-ups might divvy up who orders what for which child, to make the ordering more efficient.

Before you queue at the register, check your trays.  Does everyone have their entrée, their side, their dessert, their beverage?  Does everyone have napkins, silverware, etc.?  You don’t want to have to go back later.  When you know you’ve got everything you need, get your
Annual Pass
ready so you can present it for a discount, and step into whatever appears to be the fastest and most efficient register line.

Unless it’s one of the most
crowded summer days, or the height of holiday season, you should be able to find a seat and table somewhere, even if you have to roam into one of the outer rooms.  The ambiance is pleasant, with vibrant colors and tables that are frequently cleaned.

On the down side, b
ecause the interior spaces are so large the acoustics aren’t the best; voices and laughter are magnified and resonate, creating a perpetual level of background din that can make conversation a challenge, especially if there are any hearing-impaired persons in your group.  There’s nothing wrong with the environment,
per se
, but it lacks the warmth and imaginative touches of most other dining venues at
Disneyland
.  It’s colorful, but it’s a big, rather barracks-like place to eat.

The redeeming feature of
Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port
is the food.  Not the beverages or the cookie and crispy treats, which you can find most anywhere in the park, but the tasty entrées. 
Haute cuisine
it’s not, but it’s delicious family fare and it won’t bankrupt you.

Don’t be put off by the some of the sci-fi-sounding dish names, which actually have nothing to do with the meals
, but reference the rocket attractions that used to be housed on the present
Pizza Port
site. 
Starfield of Greens
is just a salad ($4.39 side salad; $8 full salad). 
Asian Chicken Salad
,
Celestial Caesar Chicken Salad
, and
Planetary Pizza Salad
are filling salads at $9.50 each.  A
Caesar Salad
minus the chicken will run you $8.

Whole pizzas are a whopping $3
3 each, while individual slices range from $6.50 to $7.50.  Why so much?  The “mega slices” are monstrous, tasty, and filling.  Pizza choices are
Lunar Cheese
,
Mega Pepperoni
,
Orion Hawaiian
,
Supernova Pizza Special
, and
Venus Vegetarian
.

Given the “buffeteria” layout you’ll be surprised by how good the pastas are. 
Mars-inara
is spaghetti for $8.79, and
Mars-inara with Meteroic Meatballs
is spaghetti with two big meatballs for $9.50.  The vegetarian pasta choice is
Terra Nova Tomato Basil Pasta
for $8.79, penne pasta tossed with delicious ingredients that include tomatoes, pesto, and fresh Parmesan cheese.  The author’s personal favorite is the
Count Down Chicken Fusili
for $9.49, flavored with hints of garlic and basil and topped with a Parmesan cream sauce–it’s aromatic and satisfying.