Production began around 2004 under the working title A Day with Wilbur Robinson . It was a time of internal shifts at Walt Disney Animation Studios. The film's aesthetic is heavily influenced by the "Googie" architecture style of the 1950s—a futuristic, optimistic take on the world of tomorrow, featuring bubble-shaped homes, flying cars, and vibrant colors.

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Based on William Joyce’s beloved children’s book A Day with Wilbur Robinson , the film had a notoriously troubled production. Originally developed under the title A Day with Wilbur Robinson , the project went through multiple directors and creative overhauls before landing with first-time feature director Stephen J. Anderson (who also voiced the villain, Bowler Hat Guy).

: Wilbur takes Lewis to the future in a time machine to prove his identity and enlist Lewis’s help to stop the villainous Bowler Hat Guy The Discovery