HIGHWAY IN THE SKY
THE HISTORY OF MAGIC KINGDOM’S PEOPLEMOVER
Guests have enjoyed grand circle tours of Tomorrowland from the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover since it opened at Magic Kingdom on July 1, 1975. This 10-minute trip around Tomorrowland allows you to see the land’s attractions from a different point of view and offers a glimpse into Walt Disney’s futuristic plans of the past. While this attraction has gone through a few name and theme changes throughout the decades, its importance within Tomorrowland has never wavered.
Of course, the WEDway PeopleMover wasn’t an opening-day attraction at Walt Disney World. It came a few years later. Understandably, a land dedicated to what’s coming tomorrow would constantly need to be changing. The mid ’70s ushered in a new era of Tomorrowland, with exciting new additions such as Space Mountain; a 1964 World’s Fair classic, Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress; and, of course, a new twist on Disneyland’s Tomorrowland transportation system, The WEDway PeopleMover.
THE PEOPLEMOVER COMES TO FLORIDA
While Magic Kingdom’s WEDway PeopleMover originally had the same name as its Disneyland counterpart, the two attractions’ operating systems were quite different. Disneyland’s PeopleMover used a system inspired by one created for another 1964 World’s Fair attraction, the Ford Magic Skyway. This system wasn’t powered by motors within the PeopleMover cars themselves but instead pushed by rotating tires along the track. Magic Kingdom’s PeopleMover system operates by a process called linear induction. Electricity flows through field coils embedded in the track to pull the vehicles forward. Except for the sliding doors and wheels, this WEDway PeopleMover system has no moving parts. In May 1976, Walt Disney World’s WEDway PeopleMover system met the requirements of the Urban Mass Transportation Administration and received certification as a downtown people mover.
In 1994, Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland received another theming update, including the WEDway PeopleMover. With a new name (Tomorrowland Transit Authority), the highway in the sky now operated on the “Blue Line.” Tomorrowland’s overhaul transformed the land from a showcase of futuristic technology to a working city of tomorrow. While the Tomorrowland Transit Authority was the Blue Line, the updated attraction narration also mentioned two additional lines, the Green and Red Lines.
After nearly two decades, Tomorrowland’s transportation system went through another name change, merging old with new. The Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover still serves as the attraction’s title today. Aside from a recent narration update acknowledging the land’s new coaster, TRON Lightcycle / Run, the current version of the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover has remained virtually unchanged for more than a decade.
PEOPLEMOVER IN DISNEYLAND
While the PeopleMover still circles Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom, Disneyland guests aren’t so lucky. Disneyland’s PeopleMover operated in Tomorrowland from July 2, 1967, to Aug. 21, 1995. A short-lived, high-speed thrill attraction (Rocket Rods) replaced the PeopleMover in 1998, operating on the same track. The existing track and infrastructure for the PeopleMover weren’t built for such speed, however, and ultimately, Disneyland closed Rocket Rods permanently after only two years.
The closure of the PeopleMover wasn’t only surprising to Disneyland guests, though. Disney Legend and Imagineer Bob Gurr, who originally worked on the attraction, was also “shocked!” as he told WDW Magazine.
“Walt knew how important it was for attractions that entire families could enjoy together,” Gurr said. “A great thing about a pleasant elevated attraction is to view an entire area, plus the pleasure of a breezy trip — babies to grandparents all together.”
Today, Disneyland guests can still spot the now abandoned PeopleMover track above their heads as they venture through Tomorrowland. After almost three decades, Disneyland fans still hold out hope that this classic Tomorrowland attraction will someday return.