Skyline?

[ABigBrassBand]

Need some help on the history of the Skyline at MK...why was it taken down? Have they used the buildings in Fantasyland/Tomorrowland for anything ever since?

Cheers!

 

[Monty]

The building in Tommorowland was recently renovated to remove everything except the washrooms. The other end looms over a very large stroller parking area.

I think it was removed because of safety/liability issues.

 

[SeaCastle]

I know in Disneyland it closed in part due to a "open one-close one" policy in which management would shutter another ride after a new one was built. In this case, Indiana Jones opened and the Skyway was shut down.

 

[ABigBrassBand]

The building in Tommorowland was recently renovated to remove everything except the washrooms. The other end looms over a very large stroller parking area.

I think it was removed because of safety/liability issues.

Hmm, I see. It's very sad, because that building in Fantasyland just looks so...empty.

Ah, that makes sense. I thought it was because of that, but then didn't know if a specific event happened that caused them to realize that, because then wouldn't they have never opened it in the first place? :shrug:

And about that remove-one-ride rule, does that apply for WDW?

 

[Monty]

Hmm, I see. It's very sad, because that building in Fantasyland just looks so...empty.

Ah, that makes sense. I thought it was because of that, but then didn't know if a specific event happened that caused them to realize that, because then wouldn't they have never opened it in the first place? :shrug:

And about that remove-one-ride rule, does that apply for WDW?

WDW's Skyway was closed a few months after a custodial worker was killed, but they never associated the closure to the death.

I don't think WDW ever had the one-for-one rule, but I could be wrong.

 

[SeaCastle]

Hmm, I see. It's very sad, because that building in Fantasyland just looks so...empty.

Ah, that makes sense. I thought it was because of that, but then didn't know if a specific event happened that caused them to realize that, because then wouldn't they have never opened it in the first place? :shrug:

And about that remove-one-ride rule, does that apply for WDW?

I don't really think it applies to WDW. Most of the "new" things we've gotten have directly replaced older rides (Tiki Room, Stitch's Great Escape, Test Track, Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, Mission: Space, Ellen's Energy Adventure, Journey into Imagination.) We've only really "lost" rides like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (which went down for "refurb" a short while after Splash Mountain opened, but really turned out to be a permanent closure), the Skyway, the Swan Boats, Main Street Vehicles, and Wonders of Life (which closed a bit after Soarin' opened.) '

2012-2013 marks the first time new rides have been actually constructed in the Magic Kingdom since Splash Mountain in 1992, which will supposedly make up for the capacity lost by closing the Skyway and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Perhaps they will close a ride in anticipation of this, but I hope not.

 

[unkadug]

Monty's right, they never gave a specific reason and I think it was a combination of things that led to it's demise. Including un-flattering views of the parks, people throwing/spitting from the buckets, safety issues, liability issues, ect.

 

[RonAnnArbor]

Unkadug, you got that right. It was unsafe and caused more than one death. There's a great photo in the book "Realityland" showing a ride operator dangling from a car before falling. You can go back and read the public domain union grievance for a pretty good history of the dangerous conditions for ride ops.

Teens started spitting on people below, swinging the cars, and making it unsafe. And the view from up top was horrendous -- looking out at rusty air conditioner units on top of buildings and ruining the "magic" that was "onstage".

And it was basically a ride to nowhere. You can walk the same distance in under five minutes. This was an attraction that was popular (sometime waits of over an hour!!) when things like the train, the Skyride, the Paddlewheel were considered major rides.

Couple safety issues (more than one employee death) with the other reasons listed above, and you can see why it (and all similar rides across the world) have been removed.

ALmost all amusement parks have gotten rid of these for similar reasons. Cedar Point in Sandusky OH is one of the few parks that retains one of the two that they had, and rumor has it its days are also numbered.

 

[ABigBrassBand]

Unkadug, you got that right. It was unsafe and caused more than one death. There's a great photo in the book "Realityland" showing a ride operator dangling from a car before falling. You can go back and read the public domain union grievance for a pretty good history of the dangerous conditions for ride ops.

Teens started spitting on people below, swinging the cars, and making it unsafe. And the view from up top was horrendous -- looking out at rusty air conditioner units on top of buildings and ruining the "magic" that was "onstage".

And it was basically a ride to nowhere. You can walk the same distance in under five minutes. This was an attraction that was popular (sometime waits of over an hour!!) when things like the train, the Skyride, the Paddlewheel were considered major rides.

Couple safety issues (more than one employee death) with the other reasons listed above, and you can see why it (and all similar rides across the world) have been removed.

ALmost all amusement parks have gotten rid of these for similar reasons. Cedar Point in Sandusky OH is one of the few parks that retains one of the two that they had, and rumor has it its days are also numbered.

Hmm, I'll have to check it out...surely they could improve safety somehow and revamp the tops of buildings to make a new version, but for some reason I could never see them doing that due to the obvious safety flaws...would be nice, though.

 

[timeman]

ALmost all amusement parks have gotten rid of these for similar reasons. Cedar Point in Sandusky OH is one of the few parks that retains one of the two that they had, and rumor has it its days are also numbered.

Both Busch Gardens parks still have the skyride. The Busch Gardens in Tampa one is a great way to get a really good view of the animals and it goes from one end of the park to the other. The Busch Gardens in Williamsburg skyride has stops in England, France & Germany. It is a great way to get some amazing views of the park and some of the coasters. Kings Dominion in Virginia use to have a skyride, but they got rid of it aa couple of decades ago.

 

[wdwmagic]

Lack of capacity, problems with accessibility for wheelchair guests, aging ride system, and probably something that ultimately they felt was out of place in a top tier theme park.

 

[KDM31091]

I think it's sad that it was removed (without replacement) because it added some kinetics to Fantasyland. the colored buckets looked nice gliding through the air above the buildings.

 

[worldfanatic]

It looked good from the ground. But the negative issues (spitting, pot smoking, etc., etc.) were too much.
I'm surprised the skyways at both DL and MK lasted as long as they did.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

ALmost all amusement parks have gotten rid of these for similar reasons. Cedar Point in Sandusky OH is one of the few parks that retains one of the two that they had, and rumor has it its days are also numbered.

Both Busch Gardens parks still have the skyride.

Six Flags over Georgia still runs theirs, too.

I think it's sad that it was removed (without replacement) because it added some kinetics to Fantasyland. the colored buckets looked nice gliding through the air above the buildings.

I agree 200%. I'm a strong believer that a theme park needs visible motion to feel alive, and the Skyway added that. Things like the train and the riverboat might seem hokey to some people, but I think they make the park feel like a place "on the move." Pirates and Haunted Mansion might be great rides, but you can't see them as you're passing by.

 

[Walt Disney1955]

I liked the Skyway. My memories of it are traced back to 1991 when as a kid I spoke fluent French (was really good at it in school) and took up a conversation with an elderly couple while in line for the ride who were from France. They claimed a "new" Disney park would be opening in 1992. Sure, I thought, lol.

But anyway, it is a shame that the actions of a few ruined it for everyone. The skyway was a nice ride. I still love the one at Cedar Point. Don't get me wrong though, I tend to look up at the cable holding the thing up and I often wonder how it doesn't collapse by now but obviously they are safe. Of course if anyone ever did want to jump to their death......