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Coca-Cola Tomorrowland Terrace | ||
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Photo by Bill Nelson, 1969 “The upbeat sounds of today” at Tomorrowland Terrace |
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What’s that futuristic, white planter doing? It’s rising! There’s a bandshell under that planter, with a rock band playing on it. The planter is now on the roof of the bandshell. Cool! |
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Photo by Roger J. Runck, 1968, courtesy of Robin Runck Tables by day, dance floor at night |
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If it’s daytime, grab a Coca-Cola and a burger, and sit at a table in front of the bandshell. Nearby, the PeopleMover and Rocket Jets create a lively atmosphere. Come back at night, when the tables on the floor are gone, forming a dance floor. |
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Frank T. Taylor, courtesy of Chris Taylor Where else can you enjoy performances by the Entertainment Committee? |
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At Disneyland, Coca-Cola Tomorrowland Terrace and its amazing bandshell debuted as part of the 1967 “New Tomorrowland.” The space-age bandshell ascended to reveal bands and descended to turn back into a stylish planter with fresh flowers growing from huge bowls. The design by Disney Imagineering Legend Rolly Crump was Mid-Century Modernism at its finest. It managed to be playful, futuristic, and cool—yet somehow elegant. Perfect for this Tomorrowland with an optimistic view of the future! The bands that played there had names such as Sunshine Balloon, Lazer, Polo, Krash, Sound Castle Ltd., and Voyager. They were usually cover bands. Many were quite good—and they tended to be quite loud. The bandshell still ascends and descends, almost 50 years after the structure debuted. But the original Rolly Crump planter has long been gone. It began with special toppers for Disneyland anniversaries. |
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Photo by Chris Bales, 1990 Topper for Disneyland’s 35th Anniversary, 1990 |
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Photo by Chris Bales, 1995 Topper for Disneyland’s 40th Anniversary, 1995 |
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Photo by Chris Bales, 1996 Coca Cola Tomorrowland Terrace, 1996 |
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In the latter half of the 1990s, the executives who ran Disneyland decided it was time to move forward with long-delayed plans for a massive makeover of Tomorrowland. The real problem was that Tomorrowland had so many shuttered attractions—America Sings (closed 1988), Mission to Mars (closed 1992), the Skyway to Fantasyland (closed 1994), and the PeopleMover (closed 1995)—that had not been replaced. Unfortunately, the Tomorrowland 1998 makeover stressed style over substance—and the style involved decorating existing buildings in shades of brown, bronze, and gold, with dark color accents. The design was supposed to draw upon the visions of Jules Verne and Leonardo da Vinci, with a dose of Buck Rogers thrown in. Clearly, a gleaming, white Tomorrowland Terrace bandshell would not be welcome in a Tomorrowland dominated by dark, muddy shades. |
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Photo by Chris Bales, 1996 1998 version of the Tomorrowland Terrace bandshell in the “down” position |
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When the new “New Tomorrowland” opened in May 1998, Tomorrowland Terrace was still there. But the white walls of the Tomorrowland Terrace restaurant gave way to the 1998 Tomorrowland color scheme. The ascending bandshell survived, although its appearance changed substantially. A 19th-century, retro-futuristic sculpture replaced the space age planters on the roof. There was no room for white on the new color palette. Coca-Cola no longer sponsored Tomorrowland Terrace. The new focus for Coca-Cola was the Moonliner at “The Spirit of Refreshment hosted by Coca-Cola,” near Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port. The Moonliner looked like the old Moonliner at Rocket to the Moon, although the newer one was only about two thirds as tall. Below the Moonliner, guests could buy bottles of Coca-Cola, which were “launched” like a rocket and caught by a cast member. The 1998 version of the bandshell only lasted a few years. Then came Club Buzz. |
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Photo by Allen Huffman, 2001 Club Buzz bandshell in the “down” position, 2001 |
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Tomorrowland Terrace—the whole restaurant, not just the bandshell—became “Club Buzz - Lightyear’s Above the Rest.” Maybe Club Buzz looked good on paper. It even had an homage to the House of the Future. In reality, it had neither the elegance and style of the original Tomorrowland Terrace planters, nor the joy and charm of Toy Story and Toy Story 2—the Disney/Pixar features that insired Club Buzz. |
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Photo by Allen Huffman, 2004 Club Buzz stage rising |
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In addition to being a venue for cover bands and other musical acts, Club Buzz was the home of an interactive show for children, Calling All Space Scouts… A Buzz Lightyear Adventure. Toward the end of 2006, something amazing happened. Club Buzz once again became Tomorrowland Terrace; the Club Buzz decorations were removed from the bandshell; it received a new top that evoked the original 1967 design. It wasn’t the same as the original design, but there was a strong family resemblance. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2013 Tomorrowland Terrace again |
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In preparation for the 50th anniversary of Disneyland a couple of years earlier, much of Tomorrowland had already been redecorated in clean shades of white, blue, and silver. With the new stylish planters of late 2006, the magic of the Tomorrowland Terrace bandstand returned. |
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Photo by Chris Bales, 2015 Jedi Training Academy at Tomorrowland Terrace, March 2015 |
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Photo by Allen Huffman, 2017 Empty dance floor and lowered bandshell during the day |
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Photo by Chris Bales, 2015 Cool mid-century style |
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In November 2015, Tomorrowland Terrace became Galactic Grill with a Star Wars-themed menu. It seemed to be a temporary overlay for Disneyland’s “Season of the Force” promoting Star Wars: The Force Awakens. But when the promotion ended, the name stuck around. By the way, “Terrace” is a popular name for restaurants at Disneyland. There’s not just Tomorrowland Terrace. In Frontierland, you’ll find River Belle Terrace, which used to be called the Magnolia Tree Terrace. And the Tahitian Terrace was a popular spot for South Seas food and entertainment from 1962 until 1993. And let’s not forget Tangaroa Terrace at the Disneyland Hotel. |
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© 1999-2020 Werner Weiss — Disclaimers, Copyright, and Trademarks Updated November 27, 2020 Coca-Cola and Coke are registered trademarks of the Coca-Cola Company. |
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