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.