The results are in, and The PeopleMover is the most missed attraction at Disneyland in Anaheim. My guess was that Adventure Thru Inner Space of The Skyway would have taken the honors, but the people have spoken! So...today will be PeopleMover Day at Daveland, beginning with the original poster for this attraction. Unfortunately, The PeopleMover has not become the transportation of today just yet. It started out as the WEDway at the New York World's Fair of 1964/65, and morphed into what we now know as a form of transportation in Tomorrowland from 1967–1995. Goodyear was the sponsor for the entire 28 year run, which is purty darn good! Here are a selection of some of my favorite images that I own of the Peoplemover:
So what happened to the PeopleMover? In 1998, they were replaced by the mechanically troubled Rocket Rods, which (when actually running) were “high-speed” vehicles that zipped through Tomorrowland on the PeopleMover track. When working properly, the Rocket Rods were a 3 minute attraction, as opposed to the 16 minutes it took the PeopleMover to complete the same course. Rocket Rods broke down frequently, as the PeopleMover track was not designed for a high-speed attraction, and finally closed in September 2000. Rumors have continued to be posted about the PeopleMover coming back in some form or another; so far, nothing concrete (no pun intended ) has materialized.
See more Disneyland PeopleMover photos at my regular website.
15 comments:
Although not a high speed ride to say the least. The peoplemover created action in TL. And make it looked like a busy place. It was a ride that you could take a few minutes off to sit down and relax Greatly missed.
I did love the Peoplemover; I have vivid memories of enjoying the view of Tomorrowland, including inside the queue of "Inner Space" (my MOST missed attraction!), some shops, and even Space Mountain. Wow, you have some really great pics too!
When you recreate the posters in Illustrator, do you do the distinctive fonts by hand? (If so, great job, since that can be tricky!).
I do miss the PeopleMover oh so bad (just like Major ATIS is my most missed, the PeopleMover is 2nd).
Great set of photos, I love the original colors of the cars (trains?) however, I could deal with the later mostly white version as long as I could have them back!
I don't understand why they don't just put a newer version of he PeopleMover back? It's not that complicated or really that expensive. I am sure it could be done for a fraction of what the Nemo Sub refurb cost, just my ¢2
Your first four POV shots are really nice. Like stepping back in time and riding the attraction once more.
Dave:
Great photos! I have a pretty extensive collection of PeopleMover related items in my collection --including an actual PeopleMover car (red, train 12, car B ) however it is in it's final color scheme of the light gray with white stripe. I also have some rare signs and other artifacts for this favorite attraction of mine. When my blog is ready to go I will post many pictures from the 3 hours I watched (most) of the PeopleMover cars get striped -chopped-and DUMPED. I watched -- holding back a few tears -- along with a property control manager and a fire Marshall as the vehicles were destroyed!! Anyway, GOODYEAR only sponsored the attraction from 1967-1982. At that point during the attractions rehab, the famed "Goodyear Moving Sign Pods" -all 12 were removed along with any ticket signage and Goodyear logos (EXCEPT: Go, Go, Goodyear theme music continued to play in the loading station, and the three planters in the center of the Tomorrowland corridor -in the Goodyear corporate shape) The Super Speed Tunnels was replaced with the TRON segment. Oddly, a 1967 PropleMover poster w/ Goodyear remained in Carnation Gardens for years, and a Goddyear PeopleMover Super Speed Tunnel poster remained in the Skyway Station. A new PeopleMover Thru The Amazing World of TRON poster was made and hung in the exit of Inner Space, Penny Arcade and two in the Main Street Entry Tunnels. This poster uses the exact film poster artwork with park graphics and logos. I'll show a picture of the rare poster on my Tomorrowlounge Blog and my Disney Attraction History Poster Blog coming up! -Mike Cozart, WEDWAY67@yahoo.cm
Fantastic photos, Dave! (As usual.)
Mike--can't wait to see your blog up and running!
please, please, please bring it back.....please!
Wow, I never made the connection about those planters in the central corridor of Tomorrowland being shaped like the Goodyear logo! I would LOVE to see close up shots of those animated Goodyear ads that were next to the speedramps. I have only seen pics of the backs of them.
Thanks for the great photos, Dave. Like everyone else, I miss the Peoplemover very much. I voted for Carousel of Progress, but tied for my second choice would have been ATIS and the Peoplemover. Notice how all three are former Tomorrowland attractions....I always thought Tomorrowland had the best attractions and the best design of all the lands. Now it's just plain ugly!
Mike:
Looking forward to seeing your blog for this justly loved and much missed attraction.
Those Goodyear moving signs were designed by Disney artist/Imagineer, T.(Terrance) Hee. T. Hee also did the Monsanto "pop-up" people vignettes at the end of Adventure Thru Inner Space. Disneyland marketing -in conjunction with WDI/WED- had done a series of polls
shortly after EPCOT Center opened, and Disneyland guests really missed the Carousel of Progress. In the late 80's General Electric felt it's sponsorship of HORIZONS was complete, and was going to let the sponsorship end of Carousel of Progress. Concept plans, script and even a new song were done to bring the COP back to Disneyland under the name "The Century of Progress" featuring the attraction's 3rd incarnation of its' theme song called "Here comes Tomorrow". I don't know who wrote the new song, but the approved script for the possible new sponsor (Edison Electric Institute) was done by WDI's Tom Fitzgerald. The end scene included a future family's home looking out at San Fransisco Bay on New Years eve.....at their entire living room seating area could rotate to take in different vista from their (apartment??) a rendering of this scene appears (mistakenly) in the WDW Imagineering field guide. -Mike Cozart, WEDWAY67@yahoo.com
... So T. Hee did the secondary art for ATIS and Peoplemover? It was very impressive, and the proof of that is we're still discussing it decades after the art was removed from public display.
Thanks for the info.
If you miss the PeopleMover, just come on down to Orlando. Ain't much changed down here at the Magic Kingdom since the 1970s. It's retro-rifific!
There is a facebook page called BRING THE PEOPLEMOVER BACK TO DISNEYLAND. Please join it and sign the petition posted on it! And tell your friends.
Here is the link:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bring-the-People-Mover-back-to-Disney-Land/334387117905
On our last trip to Walt Disney World, we really enjoyed going on the PeopleMover. :)
P.S. Please excuse that Disneyland is spelled Disney Land on the page. Facebook will not allow you to create pages with copyrighted names so we had to work around it. :)
There is a facebook page called BRING THE PEOPLEMOVER BACK TO DISNEYLAND. Please join it and sign the petition posted on it! And tell your friends.
Here is the link:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bring-the-People-Mover-back-to-Disney-Land/334387117905
On our last trip to Walt Disney World, we really enjoyed going on the PeopleMover. :)
P.S. Please excuse that Disneyland is spelled Disney Land on the page. Facebook will not allow you to create pages with copyrighted names so we had to work around it.
Thank you Dave and all the people mover fans for the comments! I was a huge fan of the peoplemover, it was my favorite ride and I rode it everytime I been to Disneyland. I was born in 1965 and I grew up in Orange County. I been to the park so many times growing up I lost count. When the park came out with the annual passes in the late 80’s I purchased one for my nieces and nephew and took them to the park alot just before the peoplemover and skyway closed. One day the PM stopped just as we were around Star Tours so we had to exit the ride and walk on the track. The exit there leads you to the exit ramp of star tours. I have so many memories of my favorite rides and watching them being closed down for really no reason at all they just do it. Motor boats was taken, no replacement ride, skyway had no reason to close, Country Bear Jamboree, America Sings which they closed to put characters un splash mountain. Splash mountain changing to the princess and the frog of which we know its a bad political move, just like how pirates changed. I truly miss the park I knew from the 60’s to the 90’s. I even miss the Swiss Family Treehouse. Changes to the park are not for the better evolvement of the park when you discontinue rides that were well loved. Disneyland could have grown outward if they wanted new land but they didn’t. Alot of rides were failures when they took others away and as I said some were taken without reason and no replacement. Today the park has gotten way too expensive to take a family there that I dont want to file for bankruptcy everytime I go there. I miss the old rides and the values the park engineers had and Walt for his love of people and families. It should of stayed in the Disney family. If any care to write me feel free: Perry.n.Coleman @gmail.com . Much love to all of you and take care!
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