The Rocket Rods zoom above through and around Tomorrowland in the fastest and longest attraction in Disneyland Park this thrilling experience puts guests behind the wheels of high-speed vehicles of the future as they tear along an elevated highway above Tomorrowland.So read the ambitious description of the Rocket Rods in Disneyland 2000 souvenir book. Ride The Road To Tomorrow was the hyperbole and ambitious concept proud boast at the attractions entrance. Unfortunately, the rocket rods disappointing reality never match the printed entrance making their failure all the more glaring.What should have been an exciting new 30 mile per hour thrill ride for the 21st century barely sputtered through the last year of the 20th even more embarrassingly the Rocket Rods were built to be high-profile showpiece attraction at Tomorrowland
In the spring of 1998 what had once been the Circarama theater open as the Rocket Rods spiraling queue area waiting guests learned about the history of transportation from numerous displays, which included vehicles from extinct Disneyland attractions. Guests also heard car theme music including a reworked version of Detroit from Disney the Happiest Millionaire the displays and music were fine, but the long wait wasn't often stretching to well over an hour. When they finally arrived at the old People Mover boarding area guests found sleek 5-passenger hot rods that looked suitably futuristic and were surprisingly loud.Once they headed off along the People Movers elevated tracks the cars lurch from acceleration on the straight-aways to sudden deceleration on the curves.
Part of a $100 million improvement to Tomorrowland, the $25-million ride was shut down almost immediately after opening and was closed its first summer for repairs.During design this attraction was called Rocket Rods XPR (Experimental Prototype Rocket) The ride takes 2 minutes and 40 seconds to travel the complete circuit. Press releases about the closing of Rocket Rods: This from the LA Times: Disneyland's misfiring Rocket Rods, a ride that was the brash new star of Tomorrowland when that aging fun zone got a $100-million face lift three years ago, was closed permanently Friday. The ride's demise was expected Despite efforts by designers and mechanics, the Rocket Rods had suffered increasingly serious breakdowns. Announcing a lengthy rehabilitation in September, Disney posted a sign saying the ride would reopen come spring. But the sign was removed recently.
From the Orange County Register: The zippy Rocket Rods ride at Disneyland, closed for repairs since last September, will not reopen. Friday's announcement confirmed rumors about the ride's closing that have circulated since it was shut down for repairs on Sept. 25th. Rocket Rods, a fast, spaceship-type ride that replaced the old PeopleMover in Tomorrowland, was difficult to repair and broke down often. Disneyland Resort President Cynthia Harriss said the complexities of keeping Rocket Rods in operation was a factor, and noted that the ride never was able to perform well. Part of the problem was that the high-speed attraction was retrofitted to the PeopleMover track. Harriss also said the ride produced exceptionally long waits for boarding. That's the problem with closing it, though people liked the ride. "I'm sorry to hear it won't be reopened.
