Rocket Rods

[Lost Boy]

In one of my conversations with Tony Baxter, I asked him about Alien Encounter coming to Disneyland. This was just after the "New Tomorrowland" opened and we were there for the Press Preview. He said that they had looked into it (he created the ride) and came to the unfortunate conclusion that to put Alien Encounter into Disneyland would have eaten up over 1/3 of the entire budget for the New Tomorrowland. And as if that wasn't bad enough, Pressler just kept cutting and cutting the budget until very little of the original plans were able to be completed. Rocket Rods didn't get any of the support work it should have, nor any of the special effects. General Motors was to have sponsered Rocket Rods, but after the all the problems with Test Track at EPCOT, they pulled out and left Disney high and dry with no one else willing to sponser RR. The Innoventions Building turned out really nice, but that is where the budget got eaten. Very few Corporatations were interested in paying the buck that Disney wanted to put displays up inside. So that got cut way back also. The fountain was a failure. They never could get the Observatron (former Astro Jets) to work the way they wanted, there just wasn't enough money left. Honey I Shrunk the Audience is the most complete and succesful thing in Tomorrowland and it already is getting old and in need of repair, but Pressler doesn't understand about upkeep so it is going to (you know where) in a handbasket.
What sums up all the failure at the New Tomorrowland at Disneyland is a lack of foresight in upper management and a lack of understanding about Theme Parks in general.

 

[DisneyWorld30th]

Originally posted by Lost Boy
They never could get the Observatron (former Astro Jets) to work the way they wanted, there just wasn't enough money left.

Let me ask you Disneyland folks a question. I have been to Disney World 13 times but I have only been to Disneyland once. My first and only visit was the year New Tommorowland opened. I was lucky enough to ride the Rocket Rods twice. I loved the Rocket Rods track...much longer than Disney World.

Here's my questions...The rocket rods que area...What used to be in that space? Was the underground tunnel new (to the Rocket Rods loading)? The Observatron used to be the Astro Jets. What are the Astro Jets when you walk into Tommorowland? Are those new? Why would they ever move them? Did I hear Space Mountain is getting new cars? Weren't they recently replaced when Tommorland opened?

 

[Lost Boy]

In the building that was the que area used to be the Circle Rama theater that showed travel type movies on a 360 degree screen. As the Rocket Rides Que area, it was used to show the films about transportation during the que line. The tunnel was new. The Astro Jets are now called Orbitron and are an exact copy of the same ride from Disneyland Paris. They had to be moved as the wieght would have been too much for the roof of the Rocket Rods loading area. They had to sink it several feet down as it was or it would have been taller that the Castle, and we can't have that right at the Entrance to Tomorrowland. I like the look of the Orbitron much better than the plain old Astro Jets anyway. Very Victorian, Jules Verne looking. I saw a picture today of the new cars. Low headrests, flat front (not at all streamlined). Why they are getting new cars, I have no idea unless it has something to do with the music sound track hardly working anymore on the old cars that were adapted for the new sound. I hope these work better.
I hope this answers your questions.

 

[jaylenofan86]

True, the track and pillers had cracks and it couldn't take the pressure. It broke down all the time is because the engines kept burning out! As you know, if one brakes down, the whole thing does! If Pressler only had a brain and heart! *sigh*

 

[jwbeck3]

Can someone please explain to me what Rocket Rods is?

 

[ToTBellHop]

they replaced the peoplemover and went very fast...but closed quickly thereafter leaving a naked track at Disneyland. Now a RocketRod is something lying in the living rooms of some poor saps who bought them on Ebay.

 

[Disneynutcase]

Rocket Rods was billed as the next great thrill ride added to DL in the much ballyhooed Tomorrowland revamp. As a result, the line for it was ridiculously long all day long. And the three times I was there when the ride was operating, it continually suffered from 20-45 minute shut downs so they could get it synched up again.

In general, to describe the ride: take the People Mover (aka Tomorrowland Transit Authority) and make it go faster, but not in a real exciting way, with the only added effect being a loud and annoying "zoom-zoom-whoosh" noise (which you could hear all over Tomorrowland) which did nothing for the ride. No banks. No walls to crash thru. Just a faster People Mover.

I rode it once and it was enough for me. A total waste of 75 minutes waiting in line for a ride that my wife declared, "less exciting than a ride on the L.A. freeways."

The "New Tomorrowland" revamp quite simply sucked major wads. The Astro Orbiter looks great. And I like what they eventually did in the referb of Autopia (which is 1000% better than the old car ride like they still have at MK)--more humor and you get to go off-roading! Also Fastpass!

For some reason, they put a pizza place into the old "Mission to Mars" theater thus killing any chance for Alien Encounter. And the old eatery that was behind it now is used for nothing.

I've heard rumors that they are contemplating putting Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin into the former Circlevision/Rocket Rods cue area, but I'll believe it when I actually begin to see construction.

Oh yeah, at one point rumor had it that the rehab of Tomorrowland had a second story planned to be built over both the old Circlevision building and over the Star Tours building. I'm not sure what they had envisioned being in there--shops, rides, restaurants. It's too bad that Pressler did his damage.

But hey, we were blessed by a nice Fantasyland rehab in the early '80's that kicks butt for both theming and overall ride variety (okay Matterhorn is still the only real thrill ride in FL).

Maybe for the '05 Fiftieth Anniversary celebration, they'll redo Tomorrowland (making a "New-new Tomorrowland") to give it the rehab it deserves. One can only wish!

 

[craziebabie1]

As a whole. Tomorrow land is looking pretty dull now. Hopefully eventually they come up with a plan. I haven't heard anything as of yet.