The PeopleMover, sometimes referred to as the Goodyear PeopleMover and WEDWay PeopleMover, was a transport attraction that opened on July 2, 1967, at Tomorrowland at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. Guests boarded small trains that ran on elevated tracks for a "grand circle tour" above Tomorrowland. Attraction type: Transportation Manufacturer: Walt Disney Imagineering Designer: Walt Disney Imagineering Speed: 7 mph Vehicle type: Propulsion Vehicles: 62 Riders per vehicle: 16 Rows: 2 (Per Car) Riders per row: 2 Duration: Approx 16:00 Propulsion: Motorized wheels embedded in track Host: Jack Wagner (1977-1982) B.J. Ward (safety voice) (1982-1995) Sponsor: Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company (1967-1981) The attraction's vehicles were always moving. Passengers boarded and alighted by a large speed-matched rotating platform inside the station. The trains were not powered by motors within themselves. Rather, they were pushed by rotating tires embedded in the track once every nine feet, each of which had its own electric motor. Each car included its own sound system which broadcast a continuous audio commentary and soundtrack, relative to the train's location. The commentary pointed out Disneyland's attractions along the way as well as announcing promotional items. The tour continued from the center of Tomorrowland through a few of Tomorrowland's buildings, for a look inside, and over Disneyland's Submarine Lagoon and Autopia areas, before returning to Tomorrowland. The attraction used an updated WEDway system based on the WEDway used for the Ford Magic Skyway at the 1964–65 New York World's Fair. When Disney asked Ford Motor Company to continue sponsorship by sponsoring Disneyland's new PeopleMover, they declined, because Ford was reluctant to support technology that appeared to replace the automobile. Goodyear was then approached to sponsor it, and accepted. The wheels used in the WEDway system were replaced by Goodyear's tires. The PeopleMover's logo was then fashioned after Goodyear's logo, sharing a similar typeface. Goodyear sponsored the PeopleMover from its opening until December 31, 1981. However, Goodyear's instrumental "Go Go Goodyear" advertising jingle still served as part of the attraction's soundtrack until at least 1990. The PeopleMover closed in August 1995 since Imagineers thought the ride was past its time and no longer a prototype, but rather a place to rest one's feet and also as part of Michael Eisner's program to save money by shutting down expensive and classic attractions. It was replaced by the short-lived Rocket Rods in 1998.
A few of the retired PeopleMover cars were used in other parts of the resort after its closing. Three cars from train #45 used to sit outside the Team Disney Anaheim building, but they were removed in 2007. One of the cars from train #45 is now in display at the cast members cafe called the Eat Ticket. Another car from train #45 is now in the hands of a local resident. Two cars were repainted with a blue and orange grid to resemble a blueprint (along with Rocket Jets vehicles and the front of a Mark III Disneyland-ALWEG monorail train) and placed in the queue display for Rocket Rods, which later closed in 2000. These were later sold on Disney Auctions after Rocket Rods closed. The checkout counters at the Little Green Men Store Command in Tomorrowland resemble PeopleMover cars and the store has former Rocket Jets vehicles retrofitted as merchandise shelves. The store also had Skyway buckets hanging from the ceiling when it was the Premiere Shop. In 2000, almost five years after the attraction's closure, an updated version of the Autopia attraction opened. The old on-board audio music from the PeopleMover served as the background area music in Autopia's queue from 2000 to 2017. The ride track infrastructure which served both the PeopleMover and Rocket Rods still stands unused in Tomorrowland. The track, however, is still being maintained, as it was repainted in 2005 along with the rest of Tomorrowland, and foliage over the Autopia area was trimmed away or removed from the track. In September 2010 at D23's "Destination D" event, then-president of Disneyland Resort George Kalogridis said that while there may be plans to bring back the ride, the park would not be able to return the attraction to its original form due to stricter regulations. Kalogridis stated "Everyone understands the passion everyone has for it." He additionally stated, "Hang in there. The Disneyland Monorail was the first daily operating monorail system in the Western Hemisphere. It is celebrated its 60th anniversary June 14, 2019. Enjoy incredible, one-of-a-kind views on this classic 2.5-mile, 13-minute round-trip journey. Fly over Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, past the majestic Matterhorn Bobsleds. Glide over Grizzly Peak, Buena Vista Street and Hollywood Land in Disney California Adventure Park. Zoom through Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa and the Downtown Disney District. Built at Disney Studios. Based on Alweg monorail systems and concepts.
Built by Walt Disney Imagineering/WED Enterprises
Built by Dynamic Structures
Catch a ride inside Disneyland Park at the Tomorrowland station right above Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. Guests with valid theme park admission can skip the Main Entrance by boarding the Monorail at the Downtown Disney District station—and travel straight to Tomorrowland! Trains run approximately every 10 minutes. The Disneyland Monorail track was expanded in 1961 to transport guests to and from the hotel, making it the only monorail in the country to cross a public street. FUN FACTS Attraction type: straddle-beam Monorail Designer: WED Enterprises Height: 41 ft Speed: 30 mph Vehicle type: Monorail Trains Vehicles: 3 Riders per vehicle: 120 Duration: 11 minutes Vehicle names: Monorail Red, Monorail Blue, Monorail Orange Track gauge: Single straddle-beam Fascinated by everything from steam-powered locomotives to Walt Disney’s love of trains, fans of the Disneyland Railroad are eager to hop aboard once again for a narrated tour of Disneyland Park. Leaving Main Street Station ----> heading to New Orleans Square station. Leaving New Orleans Station -----> heading to Toon Town Station Columbia Gorge section is the backdrop as guests enjoy their journey aboard the Disneyland Railroad, one of the original Disneyland attractions. Guests also enjoy this new landscape, including five spectacular waterfalls. Leaving Toon Train Station -----> heading to Tomorrowland Station. The Disneyland Railroad features five steam engines along with four open-air cars easily identified by their red steel frames and striped awnings. The cars seat passengers in two different styles. In one style, guests face forward, toward the engine. In the other style, guests face the park. The second style was designed by Walt Disney to allow guests a full view of the sights on the Disneyland tour. Engine 1, C.K. Holliday, and Engine 2, E.P. Ripley, were both built especially for Disneyland by WED Enterprises (now Walt Disney Imagineering) in Burbank, California, U.S.A.. The other engines, Fred Gurley, Ernest S. Marsh, and Ward Kimball, were later additions to the Disneyland Railroad. Along with the C.K. Holliday, the E.P. Ripley was present at the opening ceremonies of Disneyland in July 1955. Walt Disney occasionally took the throttle of both trains for excursions around his park. The Fred Gurley, the oldest of any engine on a Disney Park railroad, celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2019. |
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