Rating: 
Summary: Blast from my past
Review: I was only 2 or so when many of the features on this disk were made in 1957. However, I saw "Our Friend the Atom" in school as well as some of the other pieces.
For those looking for pure entertainment, it may not be the set for you. For those of the Baby Boom generation looking to view again some of those films you saw in 4th grade science class, it is GREAT!
Rating: 
Summary: OK, but not great
Review: I'm 46, not quite old enough to remember most of these the first time around. They're quaint, somewhat dated, only occasionally funny. Not a set I'll watch over and over. I'd really like to see another set of shows on Disneyland from the 50's and 60's...
Rating:
Summary: A total joy. A must-have for all Baby Boomers.
Review: This package was originally scheduled for release last December. I drooled in anticipation of buying it, and then was disheartened to see its release had been pushed back six months. As soon as it was available on 18 May, 2004, I ordered it, and Amazon.com's standard delivery was lightning fast. My mailman handed it to me two days later. When these shows originally aired in Black and White on the weekly Disneyland series in the mid 50s, I was just a little kid, and now only had faint memories of them. To see them in all their glory today, unedited, in beautiful Technicolor, is simply a joy. It's tough to find the words to express how absolutely stunning this set of films is. Enough has been said about what's on this Double-DVD set. A million words have been written about what a genius Walt Disney was. An artist. A visionary. An entertainment wizard. A futurist. He was one of a kind. What you have here is over four hours of some of the best work ever to come out of the Disney studios. Some of it, such as the "Mars and Beyond" episode, is simply mind-boggling in its artistic beauty and haunting imagery. Some of its animation compares well with, and even exceeds "Fantasia", and I was even drawing some comparisons with Kubrick's "2001" as I watched the huge Mars-bound spaceships quietly marching off in a row towards the Red Planet. That segment alone is worth the price of this set. Walt's never-before-seen full promotional film of EPCOT, as he originally planned it (which is almost nothing like it ended up being built) is startling. I knew he had planned EPCOT to be an entire city. I had no idea just how well-planned his conception of it was. The Monorail (opened in 1959) and the People Mover (opened in 1967) at Disneyland were simply test beds for the planned EPCOT City transportation system. There is a LOT of vintage Disneyland footage in this set too, especially in the EPCOT segment where Walt pitches the whole concept to investors. Baby Boomers will get teary-eyed when they see the clips of a bygone Disneyland, so many wonderful attractions that now no longer exist. In these films, Walt Disney showed such enthusiasm you can't help but smile and at the same time be saddemed that he passed away before seeing his massive Florida dream realized. At least he lived long enough to see Disneyland celebrate its 11th anniversary. He was taken from us way too soon. Walt Disney had an innate gift of making complicated science fun, and understandable, not just to kids, but to anyone. Here, his immensely talented Imagineering studios whip up some of the most memorable, and often whimsical films ever made about space travel, astrophysics, weather, and Atomic engegy. While much of what his films forecast in the 1950s never happened, quite that way, such as controlling the path of hurricanes, you watch these films and wish that it had. The extended interviews with Ray Bradbury and Marty Sklar are wonderful, and reveal a lot of things you might never have known, or even guessed, about Walt Disney and his miraculous mind. Leonard Maltin intros each film and conducts the interviews. He's enthusiastic, and his intros don't drag on forever. You'll hear the voice of the late Paul Frees narrating some of the films. One of the best film and radio voices who ever faced a mic, you can still hear his unforgettable voice at Disneyland as you ride the Doom Buggies through The Haunted Mansion. Of all the Disney Treasures tin can DVDs, this is, IMHO, easily the best. This is a must-have for your collection if you are even a devotee of 50s futurism, Disney animation, Disneyland, space exploration, and if you're a Baby Boomer and remember some of these shows from the 50s, don't even hesitate for a second ordering it. Since it's a limited edition, jump on it while you have the chance. It's worth every cent. This is not a DVD you'll watch once and throw in a pile. You'll want to see it over and over and play it for your friends. It is simply a masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: Some of the Greatest Animation Ever Created, etc.
Review: To say the least, this collection features some of the greatest animation ever produced for television, if not ever. Mind blowing, wildly inventive, and overwhelming. Ward Kimball, I would argue (with this set as evidence), was Disney's greatest animator, and, when you consider the starchy conservative reputation Disney had during the mid-50s, it's astonishing to consider how willing and trusting he was to both hand over creative control to Kimball, and to present this profoundly innovative and often extremely abstract animation to the common public. It goes a long way toward the potential for discussing Disney as being far more complex than the overly reductive dismissal of him as reactionary moralist in the cultural realm. In addition, this set encapsulates the bright-eyed utopianism of the era better than any other pop culture artifact, the mood and representation of which clearly informed Kubrick's 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (it also sheds light on the somewhat disturbing Germanic influence on the technology of the space age).
Rating:
Summary: The first treasure I have watched, and it didn't disappoint!
Review: Tomorrowland was one of the Treasures out of wave 3 I was looking forward to the most. This was not because I loved the content but rather I had never even seen any of the contained episodes and it all seemed very mysterious to me. The idea of 50's and 60's shows looking ahead to the possibilities the future held with regards to space travel interested me a lot. Needless to say, I wasn't let down in the least bit.This was the one with the lowest print run out of the whole set and I was a little worried about finding it on Tuesday morning. Everywhere I went it seemed like this surely might be a tough one for people to find later on. But sure enough I found my copy. The content here is truly amazing. The best parts to me were Man in Space and Mars and Beyond. They were fascinating, and the ideas presented there about space travel and what could be done were very innovative for that time period. A lot of what they discussed was right on, such as man's first voyage to the moon. Some of the ideas were far-fetched but I don't think they are impossible."Our Friend the Atom" is also a very good piece too. In the 1940's little was known in the way of atoms and their makeup compared to what we know today. Yet, it was very entertaining to see the animated bit with the genie to compare what atomic power is like and the idea behind harnessing that power. The animation and music that accompanies each of these shows was amazing to me simply because it was so new to me. Another highlight(well the entire set is) from the set is Epcot.Walt Disney discusses plans for Walt Disney World, and at the center is EPCOT(Experimental Protocol Community of Tomorrow). Personally, I love watching shows that Walt is a part of. He adds the Disney magic to it. Also if I am not mistaken this was the last appearance he made before his death two months later. So it is a real treat. His vision of EPCOT as a community of the future is nothing short of genius. I have never been to EPCOT so I dont know, but I dont think the EPCOT of today is quite like it was envisioned. That is okay though, I still recommend this segment just to see the great plan for it. Even still, even though I thoroughly enjoyed everything this treasure has to offer, I have to say the animated segment in Mars and beyond was the funniest to me. A young girl is kidnapped by a martian and taken to mars. Not to spoil it for anybody, but she is being chased at one point by a long line of martian monsters and one of them is Donald Duck(my fave Disney character!). That cracked me up. But overall I learned a lot from this about the culture and enthusiasm of exploring what was out there past Earth and also the possibilites of expanding our horizons into the depths of space. Don't forget to watch the extras too, because there are some good ones. One of those would be the Leonard Maltin interview with futurist author Ray Bradberry, who shared a lot of ideas with Walt about the future, and was a close friend of Walt's.
My closing thoughts on this are that if you are interested in seeing history and seeing some classic television with the purpose of exploring the opportunities the future held/holds, then you should definately pick this up, there are only 105,000 made. This is not for everyone though, as some may have the wrong impression upon first view of it. It does have some great Disney animation in it, but if you are more into the shorts(Mickey, Goofy, etc.)then I would somehow watch them before you decide to make a purchase. In my honest opinion, it would be hard for anybody to not find something that interests them on this set. I hope this helped you decide about seeing Tomorrowland, and if you want to own this great piece, dont wait too long because I don't think it will be available for long at all. And so my job here is done, I now have to check out the Chronological Donald set. I have a feeling it will be great too.
Rating: 
Summary: 50's Science. Still Entertaining if Slightly Outdated
Review: Walt Disney was a visionary. You need only look at his legacy in so many different fields to see that. This collection is a smaller example of that.
When it came time to fill the Tomorrowland episodes of his Disneyland TV show, Walt decided to use it to get the country excited about exploring space. Using scientists and some imagination, he did just that.
And those episodes make up the first disc of this two-disc set. Preserved here, we get three episodes of the show from 1955 slowly working our way outward from earth. "Man in Space" presents the basics of space travel. "Man and the Moon" presents some new equipment like space suits and a space station, as well as an idea of what our first trip around the moon might be like. Finally, "Mars and Beyond" talks about what it would take to visit our nearest neighbor.
The second disc continues the science theme, but stays a little closer to home. "Eyes in Outer Space" does talk about satellites and their future ability to predict and possibly even control the weather. "Our Friend the Atom" goes into great detail on the history of atomic science, how we get atomic power, and what we can gain from it. Finally, "EPCOT," filmed just two months before Disney's death, presents his initial concept for the city of EPCOT. If they ever do truly create this city, I want to live there!
With all the advancement we've had in science in the last 50 years, it's amazing how well some of this stuff holds up. Obviously, there were things Disney got wrong since we were still 14 years from Neil Armstrong and didn't yet know the horrid downside of atomic energy. Still, they manage to educate with some entertainment. There were times they felt a little dry and I found myself looking at the clock, but they are definitely better then a text book.
These DVD's are just as great as other Treasures sets have been. The picture and sound are fine. Nothing spectacular, but considering they're 50 years old, they hold up impressively well. The second disc bonus materials include an interview with Disney friend Ray Bradbury about Disney the "Optimistic Futurist." Next is an interview with Marty Sklar, an Imagineer who started his career in 1954. Finally, we get the usual galleries with come comments from Leonard Maltin. And look for the Easter egg. It's a fun find!
Like several of the other Disney Treasures sets, Disney fanatics or those with an interest in the subject will best appreciate it. Still, for those groups, this set is a gold mine.
Rating:
Summary: Grab This!
Review: We've been waiting for YEARS to see these films again. Sure they might be a bit outdated, but get your kids to watch these. Disney was the best teacher a kid could have, and films like this made me want to be a scientist.
The colors are beautiful, the artwork excellent as usual, and the films are educational and fun.
Top rate! Should be shown in schools instead of the global warming paranoia.
They should run these on the Science Channel!
Rating:
Summary: Immeasurably entertaining
Review: Well, I came along too late to have seen these programs on t.v. in the fifties. But I can't imagine I would have enjoyed them anymore than I did today! I don't think it's an exaggeration to say the "Tomorrowland" programs may be the BEST documentaries I have ever seen. Who else but Walt Disney (teaming up with space exploration pioneers like Willie Ley and Warner Von Braun) could make a series like this that ANYONE can enjoy, even 50 years after their release? Yes, some of the speculative material therein has been proven wrong over the years. That's part of their charm...the people who made these things seem certain that their ideas would become reality. And speaking of charm, anyone with even a passing interest in the history of animation simply MUST have this set. I don't think any other Disney production looks quite like this. The episode on Mars in particular contains some of the most bizarre images, animated or otherwise, to ever appear on screen. I would highly recommend this to anyone (1)like I said, with an interest in animation; (2)interested in the history of astronomy; (3)who likes 50's science-fiction or science-fact. And of course, anyone who likes classic Disney should have bought this one already. If I had the money I'd buy it FOR you. But I don't...so do yourself a favor and get this one before it's gone.
Rating:
Summary: Immeasurably entertaining
Review: Well, I came along too late to have seen these programs on t.v. in the fifties. But I can't imagine I would have enjoyed them anymore than I did today! I don't think it's an exaggeration to say the "Tomorrowland" programs may be the BEST documentaries I have ever seen. Who else but Walt Disney (teaming up with space exploration pioneers like Willie Ley and Warner Von Braun) could make a series like this that ANYONE can enjoy, even 50 years after their release? Yes, some of the speculative material therein has been proven wrong over the years. That's part of their charm...the people who made these things seem certain that their ideas would become reality. And speaking of charm, anyone with even a passing interest in the history of animation simply MUST have this set. I don't think any other Disney production looks quite like this. The episode on Mars in particular contains some of the most bizarre images, animated or otherwise, to ever appear on screen. I would highly recommend this to anyone (1)like I said, with an interest in animation; (2)interested in the history of astronomy; (3)who likes 50's science-fiction or science-fact. And of course, anyone who likes classic Disney should have bought this one already. If I had the money I'd buy it FOR you. But I don't...so do yourself a favor and get this one before it's gone.
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