Disney designed each land in Disneyland so that guests knew instantly they were stepping into a distinct world. Tomorrowland, the land of the future, was no exception. This land’s center courtyard was the gateway to the future, ushering guests into the world of 1985. And this courtyard had a special hidden gem as its centerpiece: the Clock of the World.
The Clock of the World functioned in two ways. First, it was a circular world map showing the lines for each time zone. Second, it was a live world clock. The clock told any time in the world to the nearest minute, and the moon and sun structures on top indicated whether it was day or night in each time zone.
But by the mid-1960s, Tomorrowland started changing. Disney needed to update the now ageing land so that it stayed futuristic and innovative. As part of this transformation, several attractions switched locations and the entryway completely transformed. The Clock was a beautiful sculpture, but it didn’t do much to draw crowds or offer new and exciting visuals for guests. So the Clock of the World disappeared from Tomorrowland by the land’s reopening in 1967, and the Astro Orbitor moved front and center.
Kinda hilarious that something showing time zones amazed people so much in the 50s
I suspect people today would not care much about it, haha!