News People mover now reopened!

[Brian]

I believe some people in this thread predicted it would never reopen.....

Ok, but they let Rocket Rods sit there vacant to this day because they were too cheap to fix the ride, and that was prior to their COVID-related cost cutting and decline in revenue. It's not that outrageous of an idea, even in hindsight.

 

[aladdin2007]

it does look like show scene lighting has been improved and the tunnels cleaned up with a new coat of black paint etc, progress city especially looks really good....will the lights on the outside track still glow different colors at night or has that been gone since before covid and its just white lights?....they still didnt fix the space mountain exit tunnel glow effects at all over head.,,and I still yearn for the prior better narration instead of the the current bland boring one....but its open so I guess we should be happy. Now lets get something done with the main tomorrowland walkway of shuttered attractions...

 

[TrojanUSC]

Ok, but they let Rocket Rods sit there vacant to this day because they were too cheap to fix the ride, and that was prior to their COVID-related cost cutting and decline in revenue. It's not that outrageous of an idea, even in hindsight.

That wasn't the issue with Rocket Rods. The issue there was that it was unsustainable because of a budget-conscious decision to use the PeopleMover track and not rebuild it with banked curves. This caused the vehicles to have to accelerate very fast then almost immediately come to a sudden stop. "Fixing the ride" would have been demolishing the track and rebuilding. Yes it was possible but it would have been like building a whole new ride.

 

[Brian]

That wasn't the issue with Rocket Rods. The issue there was that it was unsustainable because of a budget-conscious decision to use the PeopleMover track and not rebuild it with banked curves. This caused the vehicles to have to accelerate very fast then almost immediately come to a sudden stop. "Fixing the ride" would have been demolishing the track and rebuilding. Yes it was possible but it would have been like building a whole new ride.

But that's what I'm getting at. A similar ride faced issues and they chose not to fix them. They could have also gone back to PeopleMover and they chose not to do that either.

 

[Disney Analyst]

 

[donsullivan]

But that's what I'm getting at. A similar ride faced issues and they chose not to fix them. They could have also gone back to PeopleMover and they chose not to do that either.

After the damage that was done to the structure of the ride track in Disneyland by Rocket Rods, going 'back' to Peoplemover isn't an option. The structure was deemed unsafe for any ride system to be installed on it so it was just abandoned in place.

Besides, independent of the structural damage which was a show stopper all by itself, it's not as simple as just 'going back'. That would have required removing the ride system installed for Rocket Rods, designing and re-building a whole new version of the ride system that drove the PeopleMover and then recreating the ride vehicles since most of those were no longer in Disney's possession or in existence by the time Rocket Rods was abandoned for good.

It's great to just flippantly say "go back to what it was", but doing so would require building and entirely new attraction on a structurally unstable platform which wasn't practical.

 

[CastAStone]

It's great to just flippantly say "go back to what it was", but doing so would require building and entirely new attraction on a structurally unstable platform which wasn't practical.

Those are all reasons they didn’t do it, not reasons they couldn’t do it. Unstable things can be stabilized (or replaced). Vehicles can be replaced. It’s a choice they made and that’s their prerogative. But while Disneyland is my favorite park on the continent, its Tomorrowland feels empty and listless without the PeopleMover.

 

[Brer Panther]

For the record 3 IPs were considered for inclusion for a 50th upgrade.

Which IPs are we talking about here?

 

[CastAStone]

Narration and show scene replacement.

It will need narration updates soon. I enjoy the current narration (which I imagine is what those flailing blow up tube-people in front of car dealerships would sound like if they could talk) but it doesn’t fit the new/retro aesthetic and of course it doesn’t reference TRON Lightcycle / Run (is that really the final name? Where’s the colon?)

 

[donsullivan]

Those are all reasons they didn’t do it, not reasons they couldn’t do it. Unstable things can be stabilized (or replaced). Vehicles can be replaced. It’s a choice they made and that’s their prerogative. But while Disneyland is my favorite park on the continent, it’s Tomorrowland feels empty and listless without the PeopleMover.

I don't disagree that having the PeopleMover back would be a wonderful experience and add some kinetic energy to Tomorrowland at DL, but given the current state of the physical infrastructure, it's simply not economically practical. And, since Peoplemovers haven't been built in a Disney park since the installation at Magic Kingdom (1975) I would not expect them to be added (or replaced) at any Disney park.

 

[mergatroid]

Looks nice and clean

 

[dreday3]

I think the narration cadence and tone of People Mover is perfect for Tomorrowland. It reminds of the episodes from Tom and Jerry where they would talk about the "kitchen of the future" or the "car of the future" - very retro futuristic. Obviously they'd have to add a spiel about Tron.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Which IPs are we talking about here?

It was going to become PeopleMover and the Last Dragon or LucaMover. Synergy.

 

[disneygeek90]

It was going to become PeopleMover and the Last Dragon or LucaMover. Synergy.

What about Zootopia It’s pretty futuristic

 

[ToTBellHop]

What about Zootopia It’s pretty futuristic

Too old.

Once Raya and Luca lost their theatrical releases, Bob decreed they would dust the existing ride and call it a job well-done.

 

[Sharon&Susan]

What about Zootopia It’s pretty futuristic

It'd fit considering it's placement in the Pixar Theory.

 

[dreday3]

I think the narration cadence and tone of People Mover is perfect for Tomorrowland. It reminds of the episodes from Tom and Jerry where they would talk about the "kitchen of the future" or the "car of the future" - very retro futuristic. Obviously they'd have to add a spiel about Tron.

Quoting myself! It was it's own cartoon - House of Tomorrow (I do think there was a car of tomorrow one also) by Tex Avery. I think it was on during the Tom and Jerry hour. This is exactly what I think of when riding People Mover and listening to narration.

 

[ᗩLᘿᑕ ✨ ᗩζᗩᗰ]

Quoting myself! It was it's own cartoon - House of Tomorrow (I do think there was a car of tomorrow one also) by Tex Avery. I think it was on during the Tom and Jerry hour. This is exactly what I think of when riding People Mover and listening to narration.

The voice actor was Frank Graham. His radio personality voice lent itself well to Tex Avery's infomercial-like "World of Tomorrow" cartoon satires. The streamlined appliances featured in the cartoon are also very "Tomorrowlandish" in appearance. Streamlining was the future! Similarities can definitely be made to Frank's voice and the Peoplemover narration. Funnily enough, even the "House of Tomorrow" cartoon somewhat resembles the Carousel of Progress or vice versa. Tex's Tomorrowland!? Here's hoping Peoplemover regains some of it's satire with an updated VO script and more scene vignettes. Looking Good Disney! Keep it going!

 

[larryz]

@davis_unoxx

Maybe update the thread title with a "Now Open"...?

 

[HauntedPirate]

I wouldn’t have been disappointed with a new spiel that had an ounce of life and an iota of enthusiasm instead of the current lifeless talking map. This is the first iteration that I remember that’s as boring as stale, dry toast. Just saying.

*Goes to watch Martin’s WEDWay/TTA/Peoplemover video*