PeopleMover Articles
Disney Top 10 Innovations Of All Time
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The Walt Disney Company is known for its creativity, innovative thinking and technological advances.
Who, but Walt Disney, could have given us a motion picture like "Snow White," the first full-length animated feature film which was a movie industry first?
Who, but the Walt Disney Company, could have given us Epcot, perhaps the most unique theme park experience in the world?
On a recent ...
How Futurist Bob Gurr Shaped Disneyland Past
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In his 27 years as a Disney Imagineer, Bob Gurr was known for doing the impossible: He designed a submarine fleet, the cars of Autopia, and the Monorail that soars above the park on a single beam. With the opening of Tomorrowland in 1955, Gurr shaped a vision of the future (1986 to be exact) that still feels out of reach. Six decades after Gurr began creating ride vehicles for the theme park, director Brad ...
Hollywood Home Movies Disneyland Is An E-Ticket To The Park Past
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Baby boomers with stardust memories of Disneyland often lament how the park has changed. Gone are the E-tickets, the Rocket to the Moon, the Skyway, the Submarine Voyage, the PeopleMover and the mule rides.
For a misty-eyed ride into that past, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is presenting "Hollywood Home Movies: Disneyland," a sold-out show Saturday night, Oct. 24, at the Linwood Dunn ...
10 Scary Legendary Ghost Tales Of Disneyland Haunts
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I recently interviewed a cast member who works inside the Haunted Mansion. She talked about the belief, among Disney employees, that the place is inhabited by more than the Disney-created 999 haunts.
She said female employees talk about ghosts that untie the ribbons in the cast members' hair. She said props move from one side of a room to the other. She said there are behind-the-scenes rooms in the ...
Rare Collecting Disneyland Exhibit And Auction
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Van Eaton Galleries, one of the world's premier animation artwork and collectibles galleries located in Sherman Oaks, California, has announced a rare exhibit and auction, "Collecting Disneyland." The auction will take place Saturday, November 21, 2015 at Van Eaton Galleries located at 13613 Ventura Blvd in Sherman Oaks, California. Collecting Disneyland is an extraordinary exhibit and auction devoted to ...
Disneylands 25 Million Dollar Job Started
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Construction of new facilities in the Tomorrowland area of Disneyland has been started by J.B. Allen & Co., Anaheim and Santa Barbara general Contractors following the company's demolition of practically all the old facilities.
J. B. Allen, president of the firm, noted that the total construction cost projected for work in Tomorrowland totals approximately $25 million.
Under way is construction ...
Disneyland Announces New Attractions For Fall
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Disneyland's fall schedule moves into October with three new adventures open, a fourth nearing completion special private nighttime parties for major groups and site preparations for a new Tomorrowland
During the fall, the relaxed time to see Disneyland following the summer rush, the "Magic Kingdom "is open Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 7 ...
Disneyland PeopleMover Car Sells At Auction For 471,500 Dollars
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A car from Disneyland's long-running PeopleMover has sold at a Los Angeles auction for $471,500.
The PeopleMover was an elevated tram that took visitors on a slow moving ride through the Tomorrowland attraction. It carried its first passengers in 1967 and ran until 1995.
The buyer was not identified.
Van Eaton Galleries says the auction over the weekend included hundreds of items of ...
Dangerous Disneyland Mental Fatigue Part 1
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Disneyland gets sued for injuries and deaths all of the time. Believe me, I get that accidents happen, but most of these tourists are simply victims of their own stupidity. Mild disclaimer: a few of these I've read about on only one site, so I'm not entirely sure they happened. Now, let's get down to business.
Matterhorn, Space, and Thunder Mountains are not most dangerous in that respect, ...
Dangerous Disneyland Mental Fatigue Part 2
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It wasn't until I was almost finished with the human stupidity portion of this "Dangerous Disney" article that I realized that this should be a two-parter, so that (in addition to keeping it from being too long) some might hopefully regain some faith in humanity. Here is that second part. Again, some of these I've only read about on one site.
I start with the PeopleMover, again. In 1968 a rainstorm ...
This Is How Disneyland Looked And Changed In The 1960s
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It was the '60s, a decade of change. And just like society, Disneyland would change too - in dramatic fashion.
1960
Just like previous years, Walt Disney was constantly tinkering with Disneyland as the decade started. The first year of the decade, he added more scenes to the Rainbow Ridge Mine Train, and changed its name to the Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland. The mules got a new name, ...
This Is How Disneyland Changed In The 1990s
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It was a "Fantasmic!" start for Disneyland in the 1990s, and the decade ended with a new Tomorrowland and the disappearance of the parking lot.
1990-92
Not much happened for the first two years in terms of changes or additions of new attractions until 1992. Mission to Mars had its last flight and was grounded. In New Orleans Square, something new was coming to the waterfront of the Rivers of ...
Todays Future
During the rush of getting the Park constructed, "Tomorrowland" was the last land finished. Budget cuts didn't allow all of its attractions to be opened that first day. One of those cuts was to use the "Nautilus" sets from "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" as a walk-through. When it closed in 1966, the organ belonging to Captain Nemo was moved to the ballroom of the "Haunted Mansion." For the first four ...
9 Extinct Disneyland Attractions You Probably Never Knew Existed
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Over 60 years ago, Disneyland opened in Anaheim, California. In the decades since, Walt Disney's original theme park vision has undergone changes both big and small. Rides, attractions, and entire swaths of land have sometimes been overhauled or torn down to make way for modern amusements.
But thanks to documentaries and numerous Disney bloggers, we can still look back at some of the most iconic rides ...
How To Solve Disneyland Stroller Problem
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If Disneyland is correct, the most popular thing in tomorrow's world will be, wait for it, strollers.
That's what you see most days when you enter Disneyland's Tomorrowland from the central hub: rows upon rows of strollers, clogging the pathway between Star Tours and Buzz Lightyear. Disney's cast members seem to be trying their best to keep the strollers organized and the crowds moving past them, but ...
George Mcginnis Last Imagineer Hired By Walt Disney Dies
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George McGinnis, the last Imagineer hired by Walt Disney, has died. He was 87.
McGinnis was the show designer on a variety of projects while at Walt Disney Imagineering including Space Mountain at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
McGinnis' senior project while attending the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles was for a high-speed train that caught the eye of Disney.
Upon ...
Automated Transportation PeopleMover
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Cars that don't have motors, and roads that do, are features of an automated transportation system introduced at Disneyland in a preview of a future without traffic jams. The system, named the Goodyear PeopleMover for its ability to carry large numbers of passengers in continuous motion is operating in the new Tomorrowland.
It was hailed by Russell DeYoung, chairman and chief executive officer of the ...
Goodyears Peoplemover Whisked Disney Guests To Tomorrowland
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The future of transportation arrived 50 years ago on a revolving platform where gleaming tram cars whisked passengers away on a fantastic voyage.
The cars didn't have motors, but the roads did.
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. of Akron ushered in a new mode of travel June 28, 1967, when it unveiled the PeopleÂMover at Disneyland's newly rebuilt Tomorrowland in Anaheim, Calif.
The transit system ...
How Did Walt Disney Vision Of A Futuristic Metropolis Become A Quaint Symbol Of A Bygone Era
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When Disneyland opened its doors in Anaheim, California, on July 17, 1955, the word astronaut was not yet a household term. But a bright white rocketship towered over Tomorrowland (and, in fact, the entire park), poised to blast off into soon-to-be explored galaxies. Behind it stood a geometric space station, red letters over the entrance labeling it "Rocket To The Moon," with two large spherical theatres ...
8 Things From Disneyland’s Past That Need To Come Back
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With Disneyland kicking off its retro-inspired "After Dark" event this week, here are eight things from Disneyland's past that I wish I could see return to the park someday.
Helicopter rides from the airport - Yes, you once could fly in a helicopter from LAX straight to the Disneyland Hotel, soaring above Southern California's notoriously traffic-choked freeways. Sure, a one-way helicopter trip to the ...
Space Mountain 87 Year Old Designer Rides Roller Coaster One Last Time
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For so long, his life was about speed, or, more precisely, the rate at which he could thrill people by moving them quickly forward.
Now, his life is all about slowing down.
Bill Watkins, the guy who designed the ride at Space Mountain at Disneyland and was the first to take that ride, is 87. His routine these days consists of going to the grocery store, riding his bike around his Long Beach ...
Beloved Disneyland Rides And Attractions That No Longer Exist
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Since its opening in 1955, Disneyland has seen a number of rides and attractions come and go. And while some of the rides were replaced with newer and better thrills, some are sorely missed.
Up ahead, we take a look at some of the most beloved Disneyland attractions that no longer exist.
1. Submarine Voyage
In 1959, Disneyland introduced one of its first E ticket rides (aka, more advanced or ...
Disneyland Is Quietly Removing Seating And Planters For Star Wars Land Access
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Disneyland has been quietly removing fixed seating and planters to make room for massive crowds expected when the new Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge opens next summer, leaving some fans missing their favorite spots to rest their weary feet.
"It's getting harder and harder to sit down in the shade and relax," said Debbie Sinclair of Trabuco Canyon, an annual passholder who uses the social media handle ...
24 Surprising Things About Disneyland We Did Not Know But Should
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Disneyland is said to be the "Happiest Place on Earth." For one day (or several depending on your trip schedule) people of all ages from toddlers to seniors can have fun, let loose and become a kid again. It's a place filled with magic, music, your favourite characters and rides to fit whatever you're in the mood for.
It opened its doors on July 17, 1955, and was the masterpiece of Walt Disney's ...
Is Elvis In The Building?
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From a parade grand marshal who's a real turkey named Marshmallow to giant Christmas trees and Elvis sightings, both real and perhaps imagined, the holidays have arrived at The Merriest Place on Earth. And, along with nightly snow showers on Disneyland's Main Street USA has come a flurry of speculation as to what the future holds for Walt Disney's original Magic Kingdom.
What We Know
As the song ...
At Disney, Many Hits ... And A Few Misses
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Disneyland
Rocket Rods in Disneyland was the centerpiece of an overhaul of Tomorrowland in the late 1990s, but while the vehicles had a Buck Rogers feel, they had all the kick of Roy Rogers' horse.
The folks at WED Enterprises (now Walt Disney Imagineering) have come up with some pretty spectacular rides, attractions and innovations over the years at the Disney parks. But, sad to say, there have also ...
Five Ghostly Disneyland Urban Legends
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You know, being a ghost stuck at Disneyland doesn't sound all that bad. It's better than haunting some family in Texas, right?
Like any place with a rich history, Disneyland's got its fair share of urban legends and myths surrounding it--take the cryogenically frozen head of Unky Walt for an example--but cast members and guests alike have reported over the years certain encounters with certain ghouls ...
Innoventions
I 've never been on the Carousel of Progress, though goodness knows I get the theme song stuck in my head easily enough. In fact, I 've just done it to myself. I did go on America Sings, quite a few times in my childhood. I liked it and was disappointed when it closed. Then for years, that building stood mostly empty-except the Futuristic World of TRON in its upper story, of course. It was taking up ...
Disney Reinvents The Future
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For the third time in its history, Disneyland has opened a revamped Tomorrowland. Gone are the impersonal chrome and steel of the old structures,
along with the Mission to Mars ride, the PeopleMover and the Circle-Vision
theater. In their place, Disney has built a kinder, gentler tomorrow with
buildings decorated in lush jewel tones and gardens filled with fruit trees
and edible plants. Tomorrowland ...
Looking Back The Year In Tomorrow
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Was a time when Tomorrow was big. Back in the '60s and '70s, despite-or perhaps because of-Vietnam and nuclear missiles, Tomorrow was a good place to be. They even gave it a name: Tomorrowland. Unlike the rest of Disneyland's fluff, Tomorrowland had the feel of an exhibit, a place where we learned that the future would burst with helpful robots, time-saving products, efficient mass transit and commonplace ...
New Fun For The Whole Family At Disneyland
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Imagine it's 200 years ago and you're a passenger on a small boat picking its way carefully along a dark and treacherous stretch of coastline on the Spanish Main. Suddenly pandemonium breaks loose. The air resounds with the roar of cannons and the crack of muskets. A band of pirates is attacking a town and you're right in the middle! The rogues are everywhere-taunting the town council, auctioning off the ...
