How To Fix the Outdated Autopia

Originally Posted By SafariRob

<a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/05/27/google-new-self-driving-car-prototype/9651809/">http://www.usatoday.com/story/...9651809/</a>

How cool would that be?

 

Originally Posted By CuriousConstance

Eh.

 

Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt

I love technology like this. Sadly it only makes the Autopia seem more dated than ever.

 

Originally Posted By CuriousConstance

I can't think of any type of car that would get me excited. I don't have any interest in cars.

 

Originally Posted By ecdc

I strongly support any redesign of Autopia that does not include my children slamming into the guide rail. In twenty years when I get a knee replacement, my doctor will ask if I was a runner, and I will say, "No, I rode on Autopia with children half-a-dozen times" and he will instantly understand.

 

Originally Posted By oc_dean


How To Fix the Outdated Autopia:

<a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_EFVU5X_TwI/Ueb3IXeLgNI/AAAAAAAAEWs/f0I-ML7McKk/s1600/wreckingball.jpg">http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_EFV...ball.jpg</a>

 

Originally Posted By FerretAfros

How To Fix the Outdated Autopia:
<a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.shoewawa.com/miley-cyrus-wrecking-ball.jpg">http://www.shoewawa.com/miley-...ball.jpg</a>

 

Originally Posted By Dabob2

Love the idea of these cars, but the whole appeal of the autopia (for a kid) is that you DO drive it.

 

Originally Posted By TomSawyer

Make the cars electric. Use induction charging embedded in the road to keep them charged up.

Use trackless guidance to keep them on the correct path, with a little leeway like the current physical track has.

Use automatic braking to keep the cars from ramming each other.

Have one section like the storm in Tokyo's Pooh attraction, maybe an intersection where the cars are self-driving and going all over the place, barely missing each other. This one section can show the benefits of self-driving cars.

Get Google as a sponsor.

 

Originally Posted By Dabob2

Have you seen the "Solar freakin' roadways" thing?

<a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://sfglobe.com/?id=832&src=share_fb_new_832">http://sfglobe.com/?id=832&src..._new_832</a>

Lord knows if this is feasible for the whole country, but how cool would it be to have a prototype on the Autopia? Kids would still get to drive the cars, and it would do what TL used to do - showcase prototype transportation and be actually futuristic.

 

Originally Posted By phruby

The solar roadways is pretty cool. We could get the Tron ride yet with that.

What if all of Tomorrowland was covered with those solar panels/leds? The place would look amazing!

 

Originally Posted By SafariRob

Ha ha! Let's go with FerretAfros idea.

 

Originally Posted By SafariRob

Seriously, though, it looks as if self-driving technology is finally a reality and could very well be the future. What better place to showcase the technology (and sell kids on the idea) than Tomorrowland? They could even leave the original road and just tear out the track. Maybe put in a Goofy animatronic crossing the road to demonstrate how the cars automatically stop for pedestrians.

 

Originally Posted By phruby

For an interactive twist, they need to put machine guns or lasers on the cars. It could be renamed Carmageddon!

 

Originally Posted By Dabob2

Kids spend all day with a vehicle taking them somewhere at DL. The whole point of Autopia is to drive it yourself.

 

Originally Posted By SafariRob

I hear what you are saying, Dabab2, and I admit it's fun for kids to drive their own car...but that wasn't the only point of Autopia. Walt wanted to demonstrate the highway of tomorrow (freeways). Now that freeways are old news and you can drive your own car at any mini-golf place, I think it's time for a change.

I think kids would have fun riding in the vehicles of tomorrow...without mom and dad driving. It's different than a typical ride because there is no track. Just a road.

 

Originally Posted By TomSawyer

I don't think kids care about cars all that much, and if the Autopia is around in it's current form in 15-20 years they might as well put it in Frontierland. Cars don't represent the same thing to today's 9-year-old that they did in 1975.

 

Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt

"I don't think kids care about cars all that much, and if the Autopia is around in it's current form in 15-20 years they might as well put it in Frontierland. "

Good point. Autopia would make more sense in Hollywoodland than Tomorrowland TBH.

 

Originally Posted By FerretAfros

If kids today don't care much about cars, why has the Cars movie franchise been such a huge merchandise success?

 

Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt

I would say that the success of that franchise has just as much to do with the characters and the storyline as it does with the appeal of anthropomorphic cars.