Clamoring for an updated version of Tomorrowland at Disneyland Park? As a longtime guest, I’m not so sure the “outdated” land actually needs a modern refresh.

Ask frequent Disneyland guests and Southern California locals what big changes they’re hoping come to Disneyland Resort, and odds are the majority will say the same thing: a refreshed, reimagined Tomorrowland, brought back to life with groundbreaking technology, futuristic attractions, and new magic.

It’s no secret that it’s been quite a long time since Disneyland’s Tomorrowland got any love. The land, which originally opened alongside the park itself back in 1955, has gone through two major renovations in the last 70 years. But it really hasn’t been touched in a significant way since 1998. As a result, it’s not really a land of the future any longer it’s more of a sore spot for many fans.

But, as both a local and a Disneyland expert myself, I’m not clamoring for a third Tomorrowland reimagining. In fact, I’d argue that Tomorrowland is fine the way it is. Sure, it’s showing its age. However, there’s still plenty of magic to be found here, along with touches that do speak to the original intent behind this integral land.

Even in Its Early Days, Tomorrowland Wasn’t Futuristic

When Walt Disney first imagined Tomorrowland, it was truly supposed to be a peek into tomorrow’s world. It was designed with futuristic possibilities and sneak peeks of the high-tech life ahead (and plenty of space travel) in mind. But, as Walt himself said, “Tomorrow is a heck of a thing to keep up with.”

While Walt and his team certainly had big dreams for Tomorrowland, it’s important to acknowledge that this land never really lived up to its potential. Walt did a lot of seemingly impossible things, but the earliest version of Tomorrowland was… well, a hot mess.

After running behind schedule, there was a lot of pressure on this particular land ahead of Disneyland’s opening day. And when July 17, 1955 rolled around, it wasn’t exactly a step into the future. Tomorrowland’s earliest attractions were fun, but nothing new. Guests could drive on the Autopia, race around a lagoon on the Tomorrowland Boats (later called the Phantom Boats), or enjoy a walk-through version of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

It was, simply put, nothing futuristic. Rather, early Tomorrowland was pretty much a showcase of Disneyland’s corporate sponsors (the plastic-filled House of the Future perhaps being the most obvious).

Tomorrowland Can Never Really Be About Tomorrow

As the first incarnation of Disneyland’s Tomorrowland tried to find its footing in the 1950s, it encountered its inherent problem for the very first time: It’s incredibly hard to create a land about tomorrow when tomorrow does ultimately arrive.

Just a decade after opening, Tomorrowland found itself outdated and in need of change. Originally meant to reflect the not-so-distant future of 1986 when it first opened, the land was plagued by corporate advertisements. So, by 1966, it was ready for its first reimagining. The land was completely revamped, and exciting new “futuristic” attractions like the Carousel of Progress, Flight to the Moon, and the PeopleMover arrived. It transformed in all the right ways, focusing on a future on the move versus a specific future date.

But the same problem reared its head again in the 1990s as Tomorrowland once again began to feel outdated. Tomorrow had, once again, shown up. And it looked nothing like Disneyland had predicted.

So, the land was slated for another reimagining and another attempt at capturing tomorrow. Now, more than 30 years later, Tomorrowland is at the same crossroads. Tomorrow arrived some time ago, plenty of Disney fans would argue and the land hasn’t kept pace.

But I’d argue that isn’t such a big problem. After all, Walt said it himself: “Disneyland will be the essence of America as we know it: the nostalgia of the past with exciting glimpses into the future.”

Tomorrowland, and Disneyland at large, is really not about looking ahead. It’s all about nostalgia. As a result, Tomorrowland was always destined to become outdated. And that doesn’t mean the land is decrepit, boring, or subpar. Rather, it’s a moment in time.

In my opinion, Tomorrowland is actually filled with nostalgia because it encapsulates Disneyland’s ideas about the future at very particular moments in its history.

Autopia, which is as old as the park itself, reflects the 1950s. The submarines? They kicked off the 1960s. Space Mountain is obviously a love letter from the 1970s, while Star Tours encapsulates the 1980s. The Astro Orbitor, which welcomes guests into the land, is a nod to the 1990s. And when I walk through the land, I can’t help but see a place where all of Disneyland’s history coalesces in one place, melding different visions of tomorrow into one kind of quirky place to explore how the park has transformed.

Even the Messy Parts of Tomorrowland Are Magical

As someone who’s been visiting Disneyland for over 30 years, I also appreciate the parts of Tomorrowland that drive many others crazy. Sure, there are pieces of Tomorrowland that have become somewhat sad over the years I so wish something could be done to the Innoventions building. But every time I walk the land, I’m taken back through my own history with it.

Yes, the PeopleMover and Rocket Rods track sits bare today. But I remember circling the land with my grandparents in the early 1990s, enjoying the slow cruise through the “future.” I was also a massive Rocket Rods fan, and I rode it countless times in its two years of operation (and I had the good luck to never wind up stuck on it).

Similarly, I’m always nostalgic for the innovative future showcased at Innoventions. Sure, it was a bit of an odd, EPCOT-inspired place, but I still can’t believe those touchscreen refrigerators that allow you to look inside from the door did come to life. ASIMO was always a treat, too, showing off his stair-climbing skills. And even when it began to get a little weird, welcoming things like the Iron Man experience in the 2010s, it was still filled with memorable experiences.

All of the exciting, odd, and actually innovative things that have appeared in Tomorrowland are still there. You can see their ghosts all around the land. And I love that.

Sure, it’s strange that the footprints of former attractions are so prominent here. But they’re like little Easter eggs, tucked away to bring your buried memories of years past to the forefront as you get behind the wheel of a tiny Autopia car or descend into a submarine. And that’s not something you’ll find in more modern, recently reimagined lands.

Yes, Tomorrowland Does Need New, Futuristic Attractions

While I’m not wishing for a complete overhaul of Tomorrowland, I do see why so many fans and longtime guests are critical of this land. In the last few decades, its landscape has changed and there’s quite a lot that sits empty or underutilized here.

The attractions, I’d argue, are where Tomorrowland has a lot of room to grow.

Since its last reimagining in 1998, Tomorrowland’s attractions have become a mashup of Star Wars experiences, classic attractions, and empty buildings. The Innoventions building, which has gone through many different transformations over the years, sits mostly empty. Star Wars Launch Bay is still around, but it’s a shell of its former self, home now to just a Darth Vader meet and greet. The old Rocket Rods queue is walled off, hidden from sight but still present, just like the track it and its predecessor, the PeopleMover, used.

While Space Mountain and Star Tours The Adventures Continue are undeniably popular, interest is mixed across the rest of the land. Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters is very popular with Toy Story fans young and old. Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage is moderately popular, particularly with the under-10 age group, and it can command a long wait.

Autopia, meanwhile, rarely sees its massive queue fill up. As someone who remembers the days when the reimagined attraction commanded an hours-long wait, all that wasted queue space is a bit depressing.

Tomorrowland’s attractions could certainly use an injection of the futuristic thinking that make staples like Star Tours and Space Mountain so popular. Sure, these rides are old. But they still have plenty of magic. And it would be wonderful to see that same immersion and excitement take over the empty spaces in Tomorrowland.

But here’s where the Tomorrowland hopefuls have a strong point: You can’t quite bring innovative new attractions in unless you reimagine the land. After all, that old PeopleMover track runs through just about every inch of the land.

Could the DisneylandForward Project Revitalize Tomorrowland?

Bad news, Disneyland fans: If you’re hoping that Tomorrowland will see a third reimaging as part of the planned DisneylandForward project, odds aren’t looking good.

That’s because the DisneylandForward project is primarily focused on expanding the current footprint of the Disneyland Resort. Though we don’t yet know exactly what’s in store for this massive project, we do know that the theme parks will likely expand into new areas, adding lands to both Disneyland Park and California Adventure.

But Disney hasn’t said a single word about changing the existing lands of either park once plans become firmer for DisneylandForward. Instead, based on early concept art and proposed maps, we know that immersive lands are likely to surround the resort’s existing three hotels.

And there isn’t anything proposed or drawn up for Tomorrowland.

As Disneyland goes all in on DisneylandForward and related projects, like the addition of an Avatar-inspired experience at California Adventure that will reshape the resort’s main entrance while also creating a new parking hub, existing spaces within both theme parks will take a backseat. So, while smaller experiences may come to Tomorrowland in the years ahead, it’s unlikely that the land will see the overhaul many are hoping for.