17 Years Ago: We Did Have Wings

[Expo_Seeker40]

I thought it would be more appropraite to place this in "General Discussion".

17 years ago today, on June 1st 1987, "If You Had Wings" presented by Eastern Air Lines closed for good. The new CEO was nervous about a 15 year contract, and decided to end their relationship with the Disney Co. for good. Eastern was also going through the start of its financial troubles.

If You Could Fly opened soon as a temporary fix.

All the remaining sets were demolished to be fit into one's hands EXCEPT for the outline of the entrance and exit que, track, omnimover vehicles, and speed tunnels.

Dream Flight presented by Delta Air Lines then opened.

Take Flight took over and became the temporary fix. It too was then demolished, and converted into Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin.

The omnimover vehicles, though with an extansive make over, are still the original vehicles from "If You Had Wings", the track is still the same, and outline of the exit, and entrance ques are the same. Everything is still in its overall same layout, except with new sets. The jet engine from dream flight/ take flight was saved, and the speed tunnel as survived all up to today.

"If You Had Wings" was actually one of the least most advertised rides, but still a favorite by so many. I could only wish so many more could ahve experienced it, but in a way we all can through some legacies through Buzz Lightyear, and El Rio Del Tiempo, which is more or less the boat ride version of "If You Had Wings".

Long live this beloved attraction! :sohappy:

June 5th 1972-June 1st 1987

 

[StevenT]

If you had wings closed before I was born, but I remember Dreamflight distincly. Whenever I ride Buzz Lightyear and I'm in the tunnel with the robot projection I am always reminded of the scene that used to be there from Dreamflight. I loved that ride as a kid .

 

[Pioneer Hall]

Dreamflight was good, but Buzz was an improvement. It brings a little more excitement to the area. We also know that it is very popular. I also like that Buzz followed the Dark Ride idea, and wasn't just all for thrills (although sometimes that isn't bad).

 

[StevenT]

Oh yeah, I think Buzz is infinately better than Dreamflight. You just can't help but get a little nostalgic at time though

 

[HennieBogan1966]

i couldn't agree more that "If You Had Wings" was one of the best rides at WDW. Although I can understand the situation with Eastern due to financial woes, I can't understand the decision to change the ride. Just think, today it could have been something along the lines of taking a ride on the Concord, or the Space Shuttle. While I understand that Mission Space accomplishes the Space Shuttle experience, I just really believe that the basic idea of this ride was priceless. It gave families an opportunity to journey to other countries in just a few minutes. And I have to admit that I didn't realize that we were riding in the original cars from the ride when on Buzz. Don't get me wrong, I like the Buzz ride and all, but I'm sure Disney would have found space for it somewhere in Tomorrowland. I would love to start a petition to Disney to bring back this ride, as it was a classic, along the lines of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, or Snow White, etc. etc.

Thanks for bringing back some fond memories.

P.S. Have you seen the website dedicated to the 30th Anniversary of IYHW?

 

[Woody13]

I thought this thread was going to be about the 17-Year Cicada (Magicicada), which lives only in the United States. After 17 years of dormancy underground, this species emerges for 5 weeks of activity in the sunlight, and then dies. With the exception of the termite queen, this cicada is probably the longest living insect. The 17-year Cicada is often incorrectly called the 17-year Locust. True locusts are grasshoppers.


P.S. Eastern Air Lines had major money problems long before 1987.

 

[DarkMeasures]

If you Had Wings was before my Time but Dream Flight Wasn't. Infact, I thought Dreamflight was severly out of place in Tommorowland surrounded by Time Keeper and Alien Encounter. But I did have 3 things I loved about Dream Flight.

1 was the Jet Engine Tunnel
2 was the cloud room
3 was the pop-up book nature of the attraction.

I was really happen that Buzz lightyear kept the Jet Engine and Cloud room and I don't feel any regret of its loss due to this. (plus I love rides where you shoot things)

 

[Pixie Duster]

As much as I loved Dreamflight as a kid, it was my favorite right under Horizons, Buzz is a good ride. It has one of the highest reride ratings, meaning many people ride it more than once during the same trip.

 

[aimster]

I totally remember If You Had WIngs. I remember going on it several times in a row back one visit in the day because there was literally no line. I too liked the kind of cheezy pop-iup book style of the ride. It made it more fun than alot of people would think.

 

[MichRX7]

ya know...the only problem with reading this forum is I usually do it while taking a "mind relelase" break at work. And every time I read an attraction thread I spend the rest of the day singing the rides them song. Now I've got "If you had Wings (had wings had wings had wings)" stuck in my head.

I'd better hurry up and read a IaSW or SM thread quick so I can sing that instead.

Actually, I have a theory on why it was such a popular attraction during the ticket era...

1) IT WAS FREE! Yep, no ticket required to ride.
2) It had great air-conditioning.
3) Ride queue always seemed quick.
4) Cool Starwarsish flight arrival/departure board at entrance

We used to ride repeatedly, especially when we were saving our E-tickets for later in the day. :lol: :sohappy:

 

[martinthesparta]

All I remember of IYHW is the globe at the beginning, I do have a sense that I liked it though

The last time I was at WDW, I rode dreamflight like 6 times. It helped that literally no one was in line. I loved the scene in Paris where you looked down on the people dining outside.

Bringing IYHW back is so rediculous. There are reasons it's gone, and the reason so many liked it in it' day was because we didn't know any better.

Dreamflight would be nice to get back though, in an altered state. Would be nice in epcot in any form, but would definetly be a nice segway to world showcase.

Giving people some back round on the countries they'll visit will spark interest and maybe visit countries they wouldn't other wise.

And yo could call it the epcot travel agency and create a character to guide them through the ride.

 

[maxime29]

I really liked Dreamflight (the only version I went on). The queue of going into the airplane was pretty cool if you ask me. The music got to me too. At some of the scenes, you could see a Delta plane going by, and my mother would always say that is our plane. Good memories.

 

[Dayma]

Both the rides should have been at Epcot imo.

I think Buzz is a great ride and a perfect addition to this location. The only thing bad is the queue which is boring...

 

[Walter]

I never got to ride IYHW. It's a shame, it's the type of ride that I love. I got to ride Dreamflight, though, which I remember loving. It was my second favorite ride in MK, right under Mr. Toad (kind of ironic in a sad way if you think about it.) It's a shame we don't have more information about IYHW on the net.

 

[Laura]

What was the difference between IYHW and dreamflight? I can remember the Delta sponsored ride but I didn't realize it was something else before that. In 1987 I was only 6 years old so I was probably too young to notice a change.

I like both the Delta ride and the Buzz Lightyear ride.

 

[626]

Wow, 17 years! Doesn't seem like that long ago. I missed that attraction until Space Ranger Spin opened, then I realized it was for the better. Same thing happed with The Legend of the Lion King. I really missed it when it closed... Then I saw PhilharMagic!

 

[darkrose]

I have some very fond memories of If You Had Wings. I can distinctly remember being 4 or 5 years old and riding the ride with my parents because I think it was a "free" ride back in the days of tickets. I don't remember if there was park admission fees or anything, and I might be wrong, but I believe TTA was also a "free" ride. I can also remember wearing a bright orange ticket attached by a little white string to a golf shirt that was the first "all access" type pass that got us on the rides without the use of tickets. Man, I wish I still had one of those, I bet it's worth some money..

Anyway, I remember the birds at the beginning and the guy with the fish that kept getting big (who, incidentally looked exactly like my grandfather on my mom's side which led us to call the guy on the ride "Pop", after my grandfather), and of course, the speed tunnel. Good times.

 

[General Grizz]

Good ole If You Had Wings (had wings, had wings, had wings, had wings, etc.)

Although I admired this attraction, I wasn't torn by its closure. Dreamflight wasn't an improvement visually (in fact, some of the greatest scenes were replaced by simple screens), but Dreamflight quickly became a nostalgic-must.

Buzz Lightyear is a great ride, but nothing will replace Dreamflight.

We DO have wings (have wings, have wings, have wings. . . )

 

[MKCP 1985]

Never underestimate the value of a short queue and strong air conditioning during summer vacation/holiday - those two points have undoubtedly contributed significantly to people's fond memories of If You Had Wings. There was a reason there were no people waiting for that ride - let's just say "others were better!"

The scene in Dreamflight with the guy bolted to the biplane was classic. That sequence should be preserved and put somewhere that it can continue to be enjoyed.

Buzz Lightyear proved for the first time that people would wait in line for an attraction in that particular spot in Tomorrowland. Until Buzz, who knew?!

El Rio De Tiempo has a little taste of IYHW/Dreamflight, IMO. Aren't there some references to air travel to Mexico and some pop-up book like decor?

Wasn't Eastern Airlines infamous for making news just before its bankruptcy with the US DEA's finding of bricks of cocaine smuggled into the baggage compartment of some of its planes in Miami? How'd that get there? Maybe they were paying their operating costs with funds from other than passenger ticket fares! That sponsorship ended at just the right time!

 

[General Grizz]

El Rio doesn't have any pop-up book props, but the overall trip through Mexico (with the statues and the scenes after the children playing during Day of the Dead) is VERY reminiscent of IYHW.

The other Epcot Center attraction that pulled from If You Had Wings was the Mexico Pavilion's boat ride, El Rio del Tiempo. The ties here are multiple.

First, the boat ride incorporates a large early Mexican pyramid, as did If You Had Wings. Secondly, the floating gardens of Lake Xochilmilco are recreated in El Rio del Tiempo, albeit somewhat distinctly from the If You Had Wings version (in that there's some real water in the boat ride). Both rides contain depictions of downtown Mexico City. What really ties the two rides together, though, are some of the filmed scenes. Mexico's attraction has footage of people cavorting on beaches just as If You Had Wings did. Mexico has street merchants trying to pass off some handcrafted gems to guests passing by, just as If You Had Wings had merchants pushing for a sale in the Caribbean Straw Market. And If You Had Wings had a projection of cliff divers plunging in Acapulco, just as El Rio del Tiempo still does.

- from the BEST tribute EVER: http://home.cfl.rr.com/omniluxe/iyhw-main.htm

(Also: Wikipedia?! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_You_Had_Wings )