The TTA

DisneyMusician2

Well-Known Member
I also love this ride. Relaxing, long and uniquely Disney. A classic ride which made Disney, (along with a few others). Don't mess with it.
DLs version is also great. I like the way it weaves in and round the lagoon, monorail and other tomorrowland attractions. More scenic than WDWs.

I love the TTA, it is one of my favorite experiences. But DL's has been closed for years...who can forget that Rocket Rods catastrophe..now their track simply lies dormant. What a waste!
 

csaguy

Member
We love TTA, we call it "The People Mover" too.
DL looks strange with sections of the TTA missing. We walked all around DL to see if we could find an entrance. Hopefully they sent the parts to MK for spares.
 

DisneyMusician2

Well-Known Member
We love TTA, we call it "The People Mover" too.
DL looks strange with sections of the TTA missing. We walked all around DL to see if we could find an entrance. Hopefully they sent the parts to MK for spares.

I fi'm not mistaken the DL PeopleMover used different technology than the one present in the TTA. Maybe Martin can pick up this thread and let me know for sure...
 

Passport

Member
I ride the TTA ( I call it the PeopleMover) a couple times a week when I am out there and I can't remember ever having a stopping problem with it. The loading area might need a little paint but everything else runs smoothly and beautifully.
 

MeTa

Member
I don't think this would go anywhere, I know alot of people like to use it after a long morning of walking around...doing rides. I myself love it.

Besides I know Disney can come up with a million ideas, but what would they actually do with it, its not like its taking up prime real estate.
 

marni1971

Park History nut
Premium Member
:D

Yep, DLCs and WDWs People Movers are the same in name only. The original was based on the 1964 Worlds Fair Ford Magic Skyway Pavilion; using technology itself found whilst researching the ride at Fords plant. 1,236 rubber tires were set into the track bed every 9ft, facing upwards. Each had a motor, and so each span, at variable speeds. The spinning rubber wheel connected with the underside of each Peoplemover car to propel it. Interestingly, circa 1966, the Californian version was called the `Wed-Way`, though it opened as the PeopleMover in 1967.

Come 1973, and the WDW version had it`s layout (finally) decided upon and technology to use. In Orlando, to this day, the cars are powered by Linear Induction; instead of wheels in the trackbed, magnets are there instead. The underside of each car has a magnetic plate which the magnet in the track attracts to it, thus pulling it along. As the plate passes the magnet, the magnetic polarity is reversed and thus the plate, and car, is given a `push` away. To keep with the electricity theme, the attraction opened July 1st 1975, Sponsored by thr Edison Electrical Institute.

Though planned to connect the Contemporary to a never built shopping center, the WEDWay was destined to first be built en masse in E.P.C.O.T., then at Lake Buena Vista, then in EPCOT Centers Futureworld through the Communicore buildings. The only WEDWay Peoplemover to actually be built was installed at Houston Airport in 1981. Aside from how the electricity for the magnets is generated, the WEDway is a non polluting vehicle with ultra high reliability; 40% of the field coil magnets can be out of action and the ride can still run at 100%, and the only moving parts on the cars are the whels and a sliding door.

The original Calafornian entracnce was like WDWs, under the Star Jets - though with 2 sets of Speedramps. This was oblitereated in the 1995-8 revamp to Rocket Rods, which used the CircleVision building as it`s entrance and queue, then descended into a maintainence tunnel under Tomorrowland to the Star Jets platform where an enclosed staircase took the queue to the loading platform. The actual area the speedramps were accessed from had a `dj` booth placed infront of it. However, due to incompetence at the highest levels, Rocket Rods literally tore itself apart and the adapted 1967 Peoplemover track still stands empty, with the Rods guidebar and busbar rusting away.
 

k.hunter30

New Member
I would say TTA is on a lot of people "must-ride" list - I know it's on mine! I could see a bit of rennovation being done - especially if it's breaking down as often as the OP suggested. However, I would really not like to see a character put into this ride (some posters have suggested The Incredibles or Buzz Light Year for example).

Question - I remember when I was younger riding a ride like this (could have been the one in California) and seeing part of "Tron" as we were leaving a building...? Was that the People Mover?



"Now approaching..." and
"Paging Mr. Orrow, Mr. Tom Orrow."
I always got a special kick out of this b/c my neighbor as I was growing up was named Tom Morrow.
 

DisneyMusician2

Well-Known Member
:D

Yep, DLCs and WDWs People Movers are the same in name only. The original was based on the 1964 Worlds Fair Ford Magic Skyway Pavilion; using technology itself found whilst researching the ride at Fords plant. 1,236 rubber tires were set into the track bed every 9ft, facing upwards. Each had a motor, and so each span, at variable speeds. The spinning rubber wheel connected with the underside of each Peoplemover car to propel it. Interestingly, circa 1966, the Californian version was called the `Wed-Way`, though it opened as the PeopleMover in 1967.

Come 1973, and the WDW version had it`s layout (finally) decided upon and technology to use. In Orlando, to this day, the cars are powered by Linear Induction; instead of wheels in the trackbed, magnets are there instead. The underside of each car has a magnetic plate which the magnet in the track attracts to it, thus pulling it along. As the plate passes the magnet, the magnetic polarity is reversed and thus the plate, and car, is given a `push` away. To keep with the electricity theme, the attraction opened July 1st 1975, Sponsored by thr Edison Electrical Institute.

Though planned to connect the Contemporary to a never built shopping center, the WEDWay was destined to first be built en masse in E.P.C.O.T., then at Lake Buena Vista, then in EPCOT Centers Futureworld through the Communicore buildings. The only WEDWay Peoplemover to actually be built was installed at Houston Airport in 1981. Aside from how the electricity for the magnets is generated, the WEDway is a non polluting vehicle with ultra high reliability; 40% of the field coil magnets can be out of action and the ride can still run at 100%, and the only moving parts on the cars are the whels and a sliding door.

The original Calafornian entracnce was like WDWs, under the Star Jets - though with 2 sets of Speedramps. This was oblitereated in the 1995-8 revamp to Rocket Rods, which used the CircleVision building as it`s entrance and queue, then descended into a maintainence tunnel under Tomorrowland to the Star Jets platform where an enclosed staircase took the queue to the loading platform. The actual area the speedramps were accessed from had a `dj` booth placed infront of it. However, due to incompetence at the highest levels, Rocket Rods literally tore itself apart and the adapted 1967 Peoplemover track still stands empty, with the Rods guidebar and busbar rusting away.

Thanks Martin! I still wish they put it back in DL..I miss that attraction!!
 

marni1971

Park History nut
Premium Member
Question - I remember when I was younger riding a ride like this (could have been the one in California) and seeing part of "Tron" as we were leaving a building...? Was that the People Mover?
Yep, the Californian version. The Super Speed Tunnel was added in 1982 using the same footage prepared for World of Motions finale speed tunnel, itself using TRON footage.

Thanks Martin! I still wish they put it back in DL..I miss that attraction!!
You`re welcome. I have a feeling Californias highway in the sky won`t be empty for too long. Especially once Lasseter is finished with The Subs ;)
 

ThumperDude

New Member
I love the TTA, it is one of my favorite experiences. But DL's has been closed for years...who can forget that Rocket Rods catastrophe..now their track simply lies dormant. What a waste!
I had forgotten they did this. I just remember riding TTA 30 years ago as a kid.
On a side note: Why did the Rocket Rods fail? It me it seemed like an interesting ride. A unique idea. But not as a replacement for TTA. It might have succeeded as a whole new ride on its own turf.
 

PigletIsMyCat

Well-Known Member
Also one of our faves. We usually ride twice in a row without exiting (at least, during slower seasons), the CM on duty is usually more than happy to close our door and leave us in. EXCEPT that one time... :cry: even though there was practically no line (maybe people in every third car) he told us rather nastily that we had to exit. I remember being surprised by the burst of speed after you leave the loading area the first time I rode it. It didn't seem like it would go that fast! I was also surprised that it went through Space Mountain - that is awesome!
 

tirian

Well-Known Member
Alamo Rent-a-Car recently sponsored the TTA, so it's not going anywhere...

Disney just doesn't seem to refurbish anything in Tomorrowland! It's my favorite part of the MK at night, but during the day, TL looks trashed out.
 

marni1971

Park History nut
Premium Member
On a side note: Why did the Rocket Rods fail? It me it seemed like an interesting ride. A unique idea..
It should have been a great attraction, but it beats even Light Magic in the flawed concept stakes. Briefly, General Motors were to sponsor it, but pulled out due to the Test Track farce (RR and TT shared ride technology). With no sponsor, the budget was set around the $50-60m mark. WDI wanted the major turns to be banked to reduce strain on the vehicles and to stop having to slow to a snails pace to turn a corner. They estimated this would add about 10% to the budget. Cynthia Harris said no. Sure enough, within weeks of opening the ride vehicles began to fracture from the strain of cornering, the motors would burn out from all the accellerating and decellerating, and then the (original Peoplemover) track and supports showed signs of stress.

All for the sake of $5m.
 

Lightyear

Member
Great place for a recharge in the summer months. It will always be the Wedway People Mover to most of the family. My daughter has always called it the "blue roller coaster" hey when you are little it must seem like one. It is so funny when people over hear her and try to explain that it is not a roller coaster.
 

KDM31091

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
You would think the Rocket Rods would've done better at WDW because the WDW track is flatter and less curvy. Then again I'm SO GLAD they didn't do it.

I may just be weird, but I love the little "space" music inside Space Mountain. It's not "music", but it's that space sound effects. Kinda cosmic sounding. Really, really cool.
 

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