If the Skyway still existed ........

mergatroid

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Do you think people would be complaining about the 'bad show' that was the view of the 'not so wonderful' roofs of the various MK show buildings etc on display? Also for instance at 3:06 on here you can see the cars parked behind IASW.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UISN7xUngU

To be honest I don't remember it ever bothering me when I used to ride it, if anything it gave me a chance to see the buildings that housed the shows I loved so much. I also always thought that the MK looked much bigger from up there and at times it was a nice way to travel from SM to the HM without much walking. It's one of those rides that we miss, but in reality wasn't the exciting thing that we all looked forward to when thinking about our trips and planning ahead. It would however have been a great vantage point to see the new expansion :animwink: Anyhow a great video and another chance to see the horrendously 'decorated' castle.
 

Thrill Seeker

Well-Known Member
Do you think people would be complaining about the 'bad show' that was the view of the 'not so wonderful' roofs of the various MK show buildings etc on display? Also for instance at 3:06 on here you can see the cars parked behind IASW.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UISN7xUngU

To be honest I don't remember it ever bothering me when I used to ride it, if anything it gave me a chance to see the buildings that housed the shows I loved so much. I also always thought that the MK looked much bigger from up there and at times it was a nice way to travel from SM to the HM without much walking. It's one of those rides that we miss, but in reality wasn't the exciting thing that we all looked forward to when thinking about our trips and planning ahead. It would however have been a great vantage point to see the new expansion :animwink: Anyhow a great video and another chance to see the horrendously 'decorated' castle.

Never bugged me as a kid. I use to love the skyway and still wish it was working... Oh well, at least the Skyride at Busch Gardens is still running...
 

DznyGrlSD

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
I'd be more concerned about people spitting/throwing things from the skyway. People's manners have NOT improved.
 

Edeyore

New Member
The skyway was always my most loved/hated ride. I have never been good with heights and often rode, firmly hanging on to the center pole. (as if that would help.) The photos that my wife took from there were great, and ones you just can't get today, unless you have a plane. The roofs were not beautiful, and I am sure some people would complain, but the view of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, from above was really really cool.
 

LilSuzy

Member
I miss the Skyway:cry: I got BEAUTIFUL pics of the view when I rode it...THANKFULLY that's my memory of this precious ride. :animwink:
 

Spike-in-Berlin

Well-Known Member
The Skyway was actually quite a violation of one of the most important rules for imagineering Disney parks, avoidoptical instrusions and the possibility to look from one land into other lands of the park. On ground level you cannot see the castle from Adventureland e.g. and imagineers try to avoid anything that disturbs the immerive qualities. So it is not exactly surprising that they finally removed the skyway, because you could see behind the facades and although the spitting and other antisocial behaviour from some morons that was the real reason why the sykway was demolished.
 

mergatroid

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
The Skyway was actually quite a violation of one of the most important rules for imagineering Disney parks, avoidoptical instrusions and the possibility to look from one land into other lands of the park. On ground level you cannot see the castle from Adventureland e.g. and imagineers try to avoid anything that disturbs the immerive qualities. So it is not exactly surprising that they finally removed the skyway, because you could see behind the facades and although the spitting and other antisocial behaviour from some morons that was the real reason why the sykway was demolished.

I thought it was because of the fact that people using wheelchairs couldn't access the ride easily enough was the reason :shrug:
 

Spike-in-Berlin

Well-Known Member
I thought it was because of the fact that people using wheelchairs couldn't access the ride easily enough was the reason :shrug:

There seem to be different versions, some also say it was due to the spitting and throwing. We still have rides today that are not accessable for wheelchaired guests and no one plans to demolish them. Perhaps it was a combination (just like at 20.000 LutS):
1) The wheelchair-problem
2) Antisocial guest behaviour
3) Problems with the imagineering.
 
Sky bucket style rides have been removed from most amusement parks nowdays, so I think there were a variety of reasons, one that hasn't really been mentioned were the low capacity and long lines and how heavily involved the CM's had to be, opening and closing every single bucket that came through.
I was always surprised at the lack of theming involved. You wouldn't expect Disney to have such a basic ride concept with no extra theming.
 

JIMINYCR

Well-Known Member
Unfortunately I never got to ride the Skyway. I think it would have been fun to just view the throngs of guests passing beneath on their way to other things. I could see the dangers of people throwing things and doing other things, down on those below. The CM's would have limited ability to control such things. Unless the ride vehicles were totally enclosed. There are other viewing places that people can see building tops and don't seem to be bothered by it. How many people go on Google Earth and Bing and view building tops and to see whats behind the ride fronts.
 

Spike-in-Berlin

Well-Known Member
Sky bucket style rides have been removed from most amusement parks nowdays, so I think there were a variety of reasons, one that hasn't really been mentioned were the low capacity and long lines and how heavily involved the CM's had to be, opening and closing every single bucket that came through.
I was always surprised at the lack of theming involved. You wouldn't expect Disney to have such a basic ride concept with no extra theming.

I think it was a Disneyland tradition. When the MK was built there was still the skyway in DL through the Matterhorn and the MK of course was a larger version of DL basically.
And in DL it was included because in the first 10 years or so DL was not that perfect designed, at least partially it had some typical amusement park attractions and to perfectionize imagineering took a decade or two.
 

muteki

Well-Known Member
There seem to be different versions, some also say it was due to the spitting and throwing. We still have rides today that are not accessable for wheelchaired guests and no one plans to demolish them. Perhaps it was a combination (just like at 20.000 LutS):
1) The wheelchair-problem
2) Antisocial guest behaviour
3) Problems with the imagineering.

Plus the injuries and a death that resulted from falling from the attraction. While I think that could have been remedied with alterations to the station and ride control systems, I think that was the last straw.
 

mergatroid

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Plus the injuries and a death that resulted from falling from the attraction. While I think that could have been remedied with alterations to the station and ride control systems, I think that was the last straw.

I never heard of that, is this true :eek:
 

muteki

Well-Known Member
I have read of two cases in a few places, but recently was reading Koenig's book Realityland and it had a few details. In both cases it was a CM who was standing in the wrong place at the wrong time, and was pushed off the edge of the station by a Skyway bucket. Their first instinct was to grab hold of the edge of the bucket in lieu of falling from the station. They hung on as long as they could, but both fell. One in 1982 from the FL station (injury), one in 1999 in the exact same fashion, only this time was fatal.

Nowadays with more intelligent ride systems you could keep this from happening, but it was one of many issues with the ride. Realityland is a good read btw, and goes into great detail about the history and day-to-day stuff involving with constructing and operating the parks.
 

mergatroid

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I have read of two cases in a few places, but recently was reading Koenig's book Realityland and it had a few details. In both cases it was a CM who was standing in the wrong place at the wrong time, and was pushed off the edge of the station by a Skyway bucket. Their first instinct was to grab hold of the edge of the bucket in lieu of falling from the station. They hung on as long as they could, but both fell. One in 1982 from the FL station (injury), one in 1999 in the exact same fashion, only this time was fatal.

Nowadays with more intelligent ride systems you could keep this from happening, but it was one of many issues with the ride. Realityland is a good read btw, and goes into great detail about the history and day-to-day stuff involving with constructing and operating the parks.

Thanks I'd never heard that, what a terrible thing to happen!
 


Write your reply...

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom