The pastime of predicting the future became a fascination with mainstream America during that post war period when Disneyland came into being. A true reflection of this new future forward outlook took on a physical form in Tomorrowland. The public loved to see just what Uncle Walt had in store for them in their future lives, and his land of the yet to come became a popular subject for many TV segments and theatrical releases.

Disneyland, the television series, had a rotating format that presented episodes tied to the themed realms located within the physical Disneyland. The episodes presented from Tomorrowland promoted the forward advancement of science and technology. Walt Disney felt it was vital to further explore our universe, and enlisted the most regarded scientific experts of the day for this groundbreaking series of TV documentaries.

The Walt Disney Oscar award winning classic, "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," was the box office hit of late 1954. Less than a year later, Disneyland guests could tour the movie sets and view many of the actual props used in the making of this sci-fi adventure, including the animated giant squid that attacked the submarine Nautilus, and Captain Nemo's iconic pipe organ, prominently displayed in the grand Victorian salon deck.

Presented by American Motors, Circarama was an amazing film process that encircled the audience a complete 360 degrees. This afforded breathtaking panoramic views as never before captured in any motion picture medium. The original presentation took audiences on a "Tour of the West." This was followed by "America the Beautiful," which premiered in 1958, taking guests on a scenic tour of the entire United States.

Beginning in 1957, Monsanto sponsored an amazing, all-plastic, model house of the future where America was first introduced to many of the technologies that will fill our homes in the decades to come, including microwave ovens, Tupperware, and newly developed synthetic fibers such as polyester and rayon. Highlights also included a height adjustable bathroom sink, an intercom system and a wall mounted TV monitor.

The iconic landmark of the original Tomorrowland was its towering TWA Moonliner, poised for blast off. Positioned in front of a spaceport of the future, guests could board the passenger cabin of this model rocket ship to experience a simulated flight into the upper stratosphere; destination... moon. The sensation of space travel was achieved through vibrating seats and projected images located on the floor and the ceiling.

Originally there were only two stations along the Disneyland Railroad. Later, another station was added to Tomorrowland in anticipation of The Grand Canyon Diorama, which would premiere in 1958 as a new scenic element between Tomorrowland and Main Street. In 1966, a second diorama became a new climactic conclusion, featuring the prehistoric creatures originally created for the 1964 New York World's Fair.

The Disneyland submarines fleet first took sail in the summer of '59 as one of the park's very first 'E' ticket experiences. Passengers of this deep sea adventure sailed past coral reefs, a graveyard of lost ships, beneath the North Pole, through the ruins of the lost city of Atlantis and precariously close to an underwater volcano, encountering schools of fish, giant clams, sharks, playful mermaids, a giant squid and a silly sea serpent.

When the Monorail premiered at Disneyland in 1959, it was the first daily operating system of its kind built in the western hemisphere. It served as a prototype for future transportation, providing an efficient answer to the ever-increasing problem of traffic congestion in America's growing urban communities. The beamways that carried the sleek monorail trains soon became known as Disneyland's "highway in the sky."