Sol Invictus, sun worship and the Age of Aquarius/Leo

Tomorrowland 1995–1998: "Tomorrowland in Decline"

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Between the years of 1995 - 1998 several Tomorrowland attractions were slated to be closed or remodeled. The People Mover, The Rocket Jets, Mission to Mars, Circle-Vision 360, Captain EO and the Starcade were all permanently closed or planned for renovation. At this time, most of these attractions were left vacant or given sub-standard replacements (e.g. The classic "Captain EO," had been replaced by "Honey I Blew Up the Audience," and Circle-Vision 360 was replaced by "Innoventions").

In 1995, the cost of an adult day pass at Disneyland was $34.00, and a Disneyland Annual Pass was $99.00. There was only one type of annual pass—as opposed to the current tiered system—and most Southern California locals had passes. Tomorrowland quickly became a local hang out for many local junior high and high school teenagers residing in Southern California. Teenagers congregated near the Tomorrowland Terrace, which featured a live band every night.

Tomorrowland became so synonymous with Southern California teenagers at that time, popular bands began to reference the local scene in their music. New Wave/Ska group No Doubt, named their 1995 break through album "Tragic Kingdom," in which the titled track opens with the "remain seated" warning from Matterhorn Mountain. Ska band Jeffries Fan Club (1997) wrote a song called "12," about a high school boy who meets a 12 year old girl at Disneyland, and Pop-Punk band the Ataris (1998) "San Dimas High School Football Rules," was about the lead singer going to Disneyland with a girl he met and getting on all the rides.

This influx of teenagers did cause some negative consequences to the park. Disneyland had to employ more security because many of the teenagers were not respectful to the families visiting the park. To combat the issue of mischievous locals, Disneyland made minor changes, including an increase to both one-day and annual passes. Tomorrowland officially began its renovation in 1995. The three-year makeover started only two years after the park’s last major project: the construction of Mickey’s Toontown. The land was not completely closed off the entire time, but major sections were blocked off to guests, and the entrance was finally walled up in 1997. As construction waged on, rumors about possible new attractions went rampant. Guests wondered if Tomorrowland would start to phase out transportation and space travel (its second main focus after home technologies in the 50s) in favor of a brand new theme. By the first months of 1998, New Tomorrowland was at the forefront of every Disneyland fan’s mind, and the springtime opening drew major crowds. When Tomorrowland re-opened Disneyland had raised prices and many of the locals either moved on or aged out of using Tomorrowland as a "hang out."