Autopia in Discoveryland at Disneyland Paris is retro futuristic in more ways than one. For starters, the attraction traces its roots all the way back to the beginning of Disneyland in 1955. In fact, the chassis of these cars are essentially the same as the ones designed by Bob Gurr for the original park.
Even though Autopia-style attractions can be found in all the Disneyland parks around the world, each one is a bit different. Here, in keeping with the theme of Discoveryland, Autopia's designers looked back at visions of the future predicted in "Popular Science" magazines of the 1930s, as well as Disney's 1958 TV featurette "Magic Highway USA."
The Art Deco style of the 1930s combines with the Googie influence of the '50s in the design of Autopia's queue and load structures, bridges and even the cars themselves. Each of the 60 Autopia vehicles deployed in Paris is unique, offering various combinations of body parts, accents and paint schemes. Young drivers can snap a picture behind the wheel of a car positioned out front, or buckle up and take one for a spin.
Autopia derives its name from the words "Auto" and "Utopia." It's the perfect world for motoring, where there's never any traffic and no one bumps the car ahead (okay, so it's almost perfect).
Along the highways of Discoveryland, Autopia drivers encounter a series of fantastic billboards, done very much in the style of "Popular Science." These ads help reinforce the story and create a sense of place, promoting everything from flying cars to the new city of Solaria, where it's always summer.
My favorite is the Robot Maid (above). The ad claims "Cleanliness at Your Fingertips." Check out "Today's Woman," operating her RoboPropre by remote control as she enjoys her coffee and some light reading. That's the life!
One of the best parts of Autopia is, just like the future, you never know where each turn may take you. It's a twisting, turning adventure full of plenty of retro fun!
TAND
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
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