Rocket Rods Articles
California vs. Paris: The Lands of The Future - Part One
This month and next, I shall be comparing the Lands of The Future found in the two Disneyland parks closest to my heart (California and Paris). In California, as per Florida, Tokyo and Hong Kong, this land is called Tomorrowland; in Paris this is called Discoveryland. For the benefit of these articles, when I say Tomorrowland, I am only referring to the California one; I am also only writing about the ...
Failed Ugly 90s Ride That Still Looms Over Guests
Disneyland is a kingdom of illusions. Forced perspective makes small buildings appear grander. Special paint colors hide eyesores in plain sight. Disney Imagineers company lingo for theme park creatives are the best in the business at keeping reality from creeping into guests ' consciousness.
But there is a glaring exception: a ride, dead now for nearly 25 years, that still looms large ...
Disneyland Designers Face Pressure To Ensure Star Wars Land Doesn't Flop
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As Disneyland engineers tinker on top-secret designs for the park's new Star Wars Land, a mothballed attraction at nearby Disney California Adventure provides a stark reminder that even the most creative ride ideas can land with a thud, costing park operators lots of money and frustrating visitors.. Luigi's Flying Tires was an ambitious effort that lofted visitors in tire-shaped bumper cars floating ...
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 ...
This Is How Disneyland Changed In The 2000s
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The new century started out with few changes inside Disneyland, as the company was focused on big changes outside the park, but things would liven up as the century progressed. 2000 Parking at Disneyland changed with the opening of the Mickey & Friends parking structure on the land that was a strawberry farm for decades. The more than 10,000-space structure was the largest one when it started ...
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 ...
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 ...
So, What's New?
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[*This article has been edited non-Disneyland Info removed--MMP*] More light, more action at Disneyland Disneyland has retired its decades-old Main Street Electrical Parade and is replacing it with a state-of-the-art light show/parade. "Light Magic: A Spectacular Journey" will begin Friday night. Eighty-foot stages will roll along the traditional parade route, with Disney characters bathed in ...
Disneyland Opens Expanded, Refurbished Tomorrowland
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Disneyland of Southern California's refurbished Tomorrowland opened on May 22, 1998. Many of the area's classic attractions have been updated, and new attractions have been added. The new attractions include a simulated rocket ride, an interactive technology/imagination pavilion, and a 3-D experience. The Rocket Rods ride provide Disneyland's fastest, longest ...
Disneyland After Dark
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It's a typical scene in Anaheim: 18-wheelers shake up Fantasyland, the boats of the Jungle Cruise run the river backwards, and the Main Street sound system blares tunes by the Wallflowers. Disneyland in a parallel universe? Not exactly. More like the overnight flip side of the theme park when crews tweak, polish, paint, scrub, and fine-tune the place to perfection. It's a job for an army that includes ...
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 ...
With The Future Set In 1986, Tomorrowland Had To Change
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In announcing a renovation of Disneyland's Tomorrowland, Walt Disney Co. imagineers acknowledged that men on the moon, home computers and time had caught up to the land, one of the five original areas in the 42-year-old-park. When Disneyland opened, "1986 sounded very futuristic," said Tony Baxter, senior vice president-creative development for Disney's imagineering unit. Among the rides and ...
Imagine This If You Can.
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From Glendale Disneyland's new Tomorrowland won't open until May 1998, but in a drab gray and beige industrial building in Glendale the project already is mostly complete. The building is part of Walt Disney Co.'s Imagineering complex, where ideas are put to paper and then crafted into models of the company's future endeavors. The model for the rebuilt Tomorrowland nearly fills a cordoned, windowless ...
All Our Yesterdays
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The future isn't what it used to be. Take Tomorrowland. When it opened in 1955 as one of the five original sections of Disneyland, Walt Disney himself appeared on the live opening-day telecast and promised "a step into the future with constructive predictions about things to come." He may have been a dull public speaker, but in envisioning "the world of 1987," as it was at one point conceived, he did ...
Disneyland Remains Forever Young
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The last time I went to Disneyland I got to drive the jeep in the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom ride. Unfortunately, my family disobeyed instructions and looked into the eye of the idol, so we were condemned to a terrifying adventure before finally returning safely to the loading dock. The sense of triumph I derived from what was a predictable outcome far exceeded its intrinsic worth and makes ...
Disneyland In One Day
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The First Hint that my mission will be daunting: I tell the cast member in Guest Relations the title of the article I'm researching, and she starts to giggle. Disneyland in a day? Who am I kidding? "It might be a little hard," she says, handing me my tickets, "to do it all in a day." Disneyland has its own special feel, and nostalgia is only part of it. Yes, it's the only park Walt Disney lived to ...
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 ...
Disneyland Presents Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
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It's a little-known fact that Sombrero Grande's first job out of high school was working at Disneyland as a "captain" on the Submarine Voyage attraction in Tomorrowland. In 1998, I left the park's employ and the Subs were mysteriously closed down soon afterwards. Immediately rumors began swirling on the Internet theorizing that the Subs were closed due to "budget cuts" or "an upcoming replacement ...
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 ...
Disney's PeopleMover Gets A New Name
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The PeopleMover has always been among my favorite Disney attractions. It's quiet, relaxing and there's rarely a wait. It affords riders a panoramic view of Tomorrowland, as well as many other sections of the Magic Kingdom. When it was first introduced at Disneyland in 1967, the WEDway PeopleMover like the monorail was hailed as a mass transportation idea of the future. Although the ...
Classic Disneyland
There is a site called Yesterland and it details all attractions that have closed, from the PeopleMover to the House of the Future, Main Street Electrical Parade to Carnation Ice Cream Parlor, as well as the seasonal Explorer's Canoes. Of the aforementioned attractions, House of the Future closed twenty years before I was born and that's the main one I've wanted to see. The pictures posted ...
Fans Complain That Tomorrowland Is Stuck In The Past
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Disneyland fans who were hoping to hear about an upcoming renovation of Tomorrowland left last weekend 's D23 Expo disappointed, when no new improvements to the land were announced. Rumors had been flying for months that Bob Chapek, Disney 's Chairman of Parks, Experiences and Products, might announce a Tomorrowland revamp at the expo, which is the largest gathering of Disney fans in the world ...
Rocket Rods Disneys Rocket Powered Mistake
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Behind their veneer of magic, mascots, and overpriced souvenirs, the Disney theme parks are overflowing with interesting stories and history. Disneyland in particular is home to many tales of innovation, imagination, and more than a few infamous missteps. This is the story of one of those missteps, and of how one of Disneyland 's most legendary attractions was discarded in favor of cheap thrills. This is ...
Weird Reason The Peoplemover Left
Many Disney Park enthusiasts often have a hard time letting go of the past, especially when it comes to Disneyland 's historic PeopleMover attraction called the popular Disney theme park home for nearly three decades. The PeopleMover, sometimes called the Goodyear or WEDWay PeopleMover, was a popular transport attraction located in Disneyland 's Tomorrowland in Southern California. Officially ...
Future Flock
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With rocket ships zooming overhead, Marsha Berlo shaded her eyes from the midday sun and wondered how long she would have to wait to step into the future. “It won 't be the 21st century when we get to the front,” Berlo said from the rear of a three-hour line. “It 'll just feel like it.” The Las Vegas resident, with husband Bill, was one of thousands on hand Friday for the opening ...
23 Rides That Have Shut Down And The Surprising Reasons Why
Rocket to the Moon closed and inspired several futuristic flight rides were equally unsuccessful. Rocket to the Moon was a Disneyland opening day attraction in 1955 that placed guests in a giant rocket ship, or moonliner, standing in Tomorrowland. The futuristic simulation ride was sponsored by the now defunct airline TWA (Trans World Airline). Guests sat in a circle with screens ...
Disneyland May Bring Back A Favorite Walt Disney Ride
Walt Disney's genius imagination inspired numerous innovative attractions and rides at his theme parks that persevere long after his death over 55 years ago. The success of his first theme park, Disneyland, which opened in 1955, led Disney to plan what would become Disney World, which originally included a futuristic city he named Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, or Epcot. ...
Do You Remember These Phased Out Rides And Attractions
The Disneyland magic seems to stand the test of time even though the park has undergone several renovations since its opening on July 17, 1955. Since then, a few fan-favorite rides and attractions got a facelift or were cut by the big mouse himself. However, the internet and Disney 's ever-growing fanbase won 't let the rides ' memories fade, even if the park has tried to. Here ...
How Much Can You Afford We Asked Experts How To Fix Disneyland
When Disney CEO Bob Chapek was fired in November 2022, and previous CEO Bob Iger was reinstated for a temporary two-year term, fans were overjoyed. Iger was widely perceived as a beloved steward of the company 's - and Walt Disney 's - original vision. The cost-cutting, increased prices, sacrificing of quality and indefinable “loss of magic” that many complained about would come to an end. ...
The Great Big Beautiful History And Legacy Of Walt Disneys Carousel Of Progress 50 Years After It Left
As a West Coast resident, I have been to Disneyland far more times than I have been to Walt Disney World. As such, when I find myself in Magic Kingdom, while there are a lot of subtle differences between the two similar parks, I always find myself veering towards Tomorrowland first. The reasons are two special attractions you can find there that were once residents of Disneyland, but can no longer be found ...
