Sound. The core sense that defines life as we know it. The ability to feel an emotion based solely on the rhythms and patterns of notes one can hear is astounding; a testament to the human experience.
When developing an immersive experience, it is crucial to capture and exploit a certain theme of sound in order to fill in the crevices that physical design cannot capture. It is true that no engineer can create a physical landscape that is immersive at first look, requiring that extra level of immersion to capture an audience, surrounding them in 360 degrees of intricate design.
The Disney Parks are often touted as the pinnacle of design success; with nearly every project encompassing complex themes, detailed structures, varying experiences that draw the audience into a world developed only in the mind of man. Guests return to the Disney Parks to be invigorated with a sense of wonder, removing the viewer from the world of reality, placing them in a world beyond imagination.
These revelations are realized not through intense research, nor studious action in pursuit of design standards, but through the first hand experience of such projects that change the perspective of the viewer from a tourist to a citizen of a new world.
Tomorrowland in Walt Disney World offers an experience unrivaled, using the auditory medium to catch the attention of the guest while developing an intricate world of kinetic energy and bustling commotion.
Plus, the music is extremely catchy.
The Music
The history of Tomorrowland is one of complexity, with many changes and refurbishments defining the often variable history of the themed area. From one change to another, Tomorrowland lacked a central identity for a majority of its life.
What we can do, however, is classify the eras of Tomorrowland by their music. Given that our job is to point out the Tomorrowland of Today, the era we must question is the modern era.
Dan Foilart is the composer in question, having an entertainment background on Television, such as the title themes of 1988’s Rosanne and 1991’s Home Improvement. An experimental writer, Foilart was contacted by Disney in the early 2000’s to develop a new background loop for the recently refurbished Tomorrowland, capturing the “alien/robot” aesthetic that Disney had envisioned in the themed area.
Arranging a soundtrack of both remastered classics and brand-new takes on the Tomorrowland theme, Dan Foilart developed one of the most iconic and diverse background loops in Disney Parks History.
Hidden within each song are “bleeps-and-bloops,” giving character to an already superb soundtrack. Not only are the main melodies complex in their own right, but the sound effects that are peppered in the background add new depth; characteristics that broaden the universe of Tomorrow.
The track that best exemplifies this is “Space Kitchen,” containing both a pleasant synth/bell melody and and the underlying chorus of assorted sounds, developing the feeling an orchestral performance on the bustling streets of a futuristic metropolis. Every sound, no matter how random, is placed with a unique purpose —to develop the theme that is Tomorrowland.
Dan Foilart manages to pronounce the themes of Tomorrow in ways that feel experimental yet safe. Not a second of this loop lacks intricacy, and the emotions garnered from such a glorious compilation defines Tomorrowland itself.
The Experience
A good friend of mine covered this extremely well here, so I’ll keep it short.
The experience of spending time in Tomorrowland is a fantasy for many different reasons. Surrounded by towering structures of futuristic design, sleek, yet inviting due to the vast array of colors that tower above the viewer.
Such an experience is almost movie-like in nature, with the guest playing a particular role in the story of the area. Unlike Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge, the guest doesn’t need to be told that they are part of the story, rather, their experiences feel so realistic that the story is built around themselves.
Those aforementioned “bleeps-and-bloops” and the subtle reference to a futuristic city they develop add to the immersion of the area, where the city feels kinetic in nature exclusively because of its soundtrack.
The PeopleMover offers the optimal vessel for this experience, giving guests the kinetic energy implied in the soundtrack while directly under a constant line of speakers blasting the catchy soundtrack I continue to gush over (see the article above for more on this landmark attraction).
Walking through Tomorrowland is a majestic experience, entering the world of science fiction brought to reality. The towering cityscape and bombastic music develops an impression on the audience, one that defines the wonder that is Disney Imagineering.
The Sounds
At the end of our journey into the auditory world of the future, I now implore you to discover it for yourself. It’s quite something, and I’m sure that guests young and old will understand the depth of the soundtrack as it was meant to be seen.
By clicking play, you, the reader, will be transported to the world of Tomorrow. In the palm of your hands is the highest standard of sound engineering in a themed environment; memories of your last trip to the future, and the sounds of the future.
Included here are the timestamps of a few of my favorite tracks:
The medium of sound is one that is both simple and complex, easy to understand but difficult to develop upon. It’s one thing to develop catchy music that revolves around a certain theme (I.E. EPCOT Center), but to create a soundtrack that is retained by the viewer and acts as a key aspect of creative immersion in a themed area is a feat in its own.
Tomorrowland as a whole represents the ideal future of a world gripped by the fiction of science fiction. Every spaceship roar, technological buzz or beep, speeding car, and synth progression aids in the immersion of the guests looking to experience the dreams they had as children.
Walking through Tomorrowland with the iconic musical score defining every step you take is an experience that defines the thematic expertise that Walt Disney Imagineering exhibits, the physical manifestation of a dream.
A dream that deserves the perfect soundtrack.
Ryan Dorman is a Columnist and Content Director for the Boardwalk Times. He can be found on Twitter at @OpentheDorman, and on the Boardwalk Talk podcast on iTunes or YouTube
