On Saturday, February 22, The Disney Gallery at Disneyland debuted a new exhibit called “Mechanized Kingdoms – Steam-Driven Visions of a Victorian Future.”
You may be asking yourself “what is steampunk?” I had the same question and here’s the definition according to dictionary.com. “Steampunk is a sub genre of science fiction and fantasy featuring advanced machines and other technology based on steam power of the 19th century and taking place in a recognizable historical period or a fantasy world.” The historical period being featured in this exhibit is Victorian, which seems to be one of the most popular eras for steampunk.
I kind of knew what to expect thanks to a post on the Disney Parks Blog, but at the same time, I’m not a fan of steampunk. Boy did this exhibit help change my mind. I’m not a huge fan now, but it definitely sparked my interest.
It was great to see ride vehicle models, concept art and more, especially from the international Disney Parks. It seems that the focus of this exhibit was Tokyo Disney Sea with some Disneyland Paris thrown into the mix. Those who see the exhibit and who have been to the Tokyo Parks will definitely let you know how great it was to see those concepts come to life.
Also in the exhibit were some concepts for Disneyland, including Discovery Bay, which Imagineer Tony Baxter was a big proponent of. When you see the concepts, you may think to yourself “This looks cool, but where would it go?” At the time, Discovery Bay was going to be near Frontierland where Big Thunder Ranch and the Festival Arena are today.
So whether you are a steampunk fan or not, be sure to check out the Mechanized Kingdoms exhibit at The Disney Gallery at Disneyland. It’ll definitely open your mind to a somewhat new art genre you may or may not be familiar with.
