Why no love for the Speedway?

[MrMorrowTom]

It's funny that it's based in Tomorrowland but the cars look like they are right out of the 1970's...which they are! Also, you can't even steer the damned things. Worst ride in the MK IMO. How hard would it be to just change the vehicles to quiet, clean, electric powered vehicles featuring the
Cars characters? No brainer.:brick:

Yea because we need another ride with no originality that is just based off a film. SGE anyone? Tiki room new management?
And as for Tomorrowland placement it was originally suppose to be in between the lands will a sort of no land theme, but Walt wanted everything themed but also loved the idea of the ride that he made a last minute decision to theme it there. Of course this was Disneyland though. but Magic Kingdom is the east coast Disneyland.

 

[Texas84]

Replace the cars with electric, put a building over it and make it a themed dark ride for the kids. Maybe a 'Cars the Movie' theme if we're not getting Carsland.

 

[rct247]

Wow I can't believe how many people are hating on Speedway. This a Disney classic from the great mind of Walt himself. When he was promoting Disneyland he would say how Tomorrowland Speedway is a place where children can drive cars by themselves.

When the Autopia was created in Disneyland, it was at the height of car culture and talk about the new interstate highway system. It was futuristic to envision a large scale interstate highway system that differed from the often two-laned U.S. Route system. See references in the movie Cars or in the Goofy cartoon about highway motoring. Walt being a futurist thought it would be neat to have an attraction that revolved around this vision, but it would allow the kids to drive.

When it was brought to the Magic Kingdom, it was easily already outdated, but it was a popular classic at Disneyland, so for attraction numbers they added it here.

I think most people don't want to see it removed because it is a classic, but most people want to see it updated to...
1. Run on electric power / solar power / or some other futuristic power.
2. Not take up so much room
3. Have a much fresher/ futuristic look with new car body styles and removal of a speedway feel to more of a alien - planet highway system.
4. Perhaps feature new technology that replaces such a primitive present day system

Otherwise, as it stands now, it is old, smelly, out of date, and takes up a lot of room.

 

[Jrn14]

Wow I can't believe how many people are hating on Speedway. This a Disney classic from the great mind of Walt himself. When he was promoting Disneyland he would say how Tomorrowland Speedway is a place where children can drive cars by themselves.

These forums are taking the true spirit of Disneyland and Magic Kingdom away. Everyone is saying how you want to take out all the lower class ticket rides and put in E tickets all around the park. This is going to take away from all children rides and family fun and just make it into a thrill park. I say keep Speedway cause there is nothing more exciting than seeing a 8 year old steer a car for the first time and them having control.

Again hate to sound negative, but there were car rides in amusement parks before 1955. I don't think everything has to be an E ticket... I think things like Dumbo, Peoplemover, Mad Tea Party all have their place... but Speedway is just soooo big.. loud.. smelly and it doesn't fit well (I feel the others I mentioned are better themed and fit the area better and none of them take up that much space.. I would be really upset if something like COP was taken out because I believe that is a true Walt Disney attraction... The speedway is just a car ride to me... which is probably in 85% of amusement parks around the country.

 

[loveofamouse]

Wow I can't believe how many people are hating on Speedway. This a Disney classic from the great mind of Walt himself. When he was promoting Disneyland he would say how Tomorrowland Speedway is a place where children can drive cars by themselves.

These forums are taking the true spirit of Disneyland and Magic Kingdom away. Everyone is saying how you want to take out all the lower class ticket rides and put in E tickets all around the park. This is going to take away from all children rides and family fun and just make it into a thrill park. I say keep Speedway cause there is nothing more exciting than seeing a 8 year old steer a car for the first time and them having control.

I think you are being a little dramatic.

Other than one post about Tron replacement, most have said it just needed to be improved

*It's way LOUD. When you're in that area, you can hardly TALK to people in your party.

*Diesel should definitely be out. With all of the oil problems, enviro concerns, and new tech, those cars should run off solar or batteries.

*the area STINKS because of all of the diesel.

* While some can say the appeal is that the kids can drive, lets be for real. There's a hhuge guide rail and it cant go faster than a couple mph. Kids would have more fun in bumper cars

*The area is completely unthemed. They could put up some awesome driveby sets to make it look like you're driving across the U.S.

 

[Thrill]

Replace the cars with electric, put a building over it and make it a themed dark ride for the kids. Maybe a 'Cars the Movie' theme if we're not getting Carsland.

That would definitely not work. Cars is an even worse fit than the current Speedway in Tomorrowland, reason being, one can interpret the smell of the Speedway as, "Be more environmentally friendly or this will happen." XD

My belief is still that, if the Speedway must stay, it has to go electric and get some scenery. Ultimately, the ride is kind of generic and doesn't belong in Tomorrowland, and the space would be better used by a Tron attraction. I was thinking a queue and exit through Flynn's Arcade, with either a light cycle or light jet coaster inside. Or both.

 

[mharrington]

They could probably expand the track. If it becomes necessary, which it probably will, they can always expand beyond the train tracks which are right close by. And while they're at it, why not give it a new name? Like, say, the Tomorrowland Highway or something? Sorry, it was the best I could do on short notice.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

It stinks, literally.

 

[Disney Dawg88]

Wow I can't believe how many people are hating on Speedway. This a Disney classic from the great mind of Walt himself. When he was promoting Disneyland he would say how Tomorrowland Speedway is a place where children can drive cars by themselves.

These forums are taking the true spirit of Disneyland and Magic Kingdom away. Everyone is saying how you want to take out all the lower class ticket rides and put in E tickets all around the park. This is going to take away from all children rides and family fun and just make it into a thrill park. I say keep Speedway cause there is nothing more exciting than seeing a 8 year old steer a car for the first time and them having control.

Great post Tommy, I completely agree. When I go to MK I often look at the area and just think of all of the different rides that they could put in it's place. Then I see all the kids driving and look back to when I was a kid and how much I loved it when my parents would take me on the Speedway over and over again. It's definitely a tough call what to do with it, but I definitely wish they would change to electric or battery powered cars to cut down on the noise and the pollution.

 

[MileLongBar]

Love the idea of flynns as the exit or entrance/show building idea. It has to be updated or changed! I hate change to the parks and despise when they TDO takes down original attractions or attractions built pre 1975 I should say, but this is the only one I could care less about. I mean Disney takes so much pride in theming, but why is this questionably the worst themed ride in Magic Kingdom. Also the land it takes up my god. Look at google earth, two space mountains could fit in the space!!!!!!!!!

 

[Walt Disney1955]

I'm all in agreement that it could be themed much better. Other than that I don't have a problem with them.

 

[CaptainWinter]

One other thing I don't think anyone mentioned yet...it's actually possible to have to wait to get *off* this ride. Last time I rode there was a big traffic jam at the end of the ride. Sitting still in choking fumes, noise, heat...that's just not up to par.

 

[Mansion Butler]

One other thing I don't think anyone mentioned yet...it's actually possible to have to wait to get *off* this ride. Last time I rode there was a big traffic jam at the end of the ride. Sitting still in choking fumes, noise, heat...that's just not up to par.

Also true.

And it's a pretty boring track layout. When you stand in that line and look at Autopia's twists and turns, it's depressing.

 

[Mansion Butler]

Not sure what all the complaints are about. It is what it is. It doesn't hide what it actually is because you can see it.

I'm not sure why that means people can't complain about it. I mean, the Magic Carpets of Aladdin doesn't hide what it's about, does that make the complaints about what it does to Adventureland unjustified?

I mean, you don't have to agree with people for not liking it. If you like it, go ahead and like it. But people have spelled out why they don't, and it makes sense. Whether or not it hides that fact is irrelevant. If anything, since people don't like the way it looks, it makes it worse.

Yes it takes up a lot of space but it has been there since 1971 and it always gets the crowds.

Just because it's been there since the dawn of the park doesn't mean it's inherently good. That's a fallacious argument.

That's the thing, the line up is huge everytime, obviously it's still a popular ride.

It's also very low capacity. Looking at the length of a line is not a good way to judge popularity. I'd have to see the numbers, which I'm sure I won't, to really know whether it is or is not. Regardless, popularity isn't particularly the strongest argument, either.

Besides, I have never been to Disneyland, but why do people hate the Speedway but love the Autopia (I think that's how you spell it)? It's the same ride, no?

Not sure if you've already been answered, but, no, it's not. Primarily, it's a more interesting track. Instead of just a figure eight, it weaves and winds around the environment. Also, it's less intrusive upon its surroundings and more efficient in its use of space.

That said, I don't love Autopia, either.

 

[Mansion Butler]

Wow I can't believe how many people are hating on Speedway. This a Disney classic from the great mind of Walt himself.

That's an appeal to authority. Just because Walt thought of something doesn't mean it's good and if it was good, that doesn't mean it can't outlive its welcome. You can and should like the Speedway if you want, but other people don't have to like it just because it was Walt's idea. The man wasn't infallible.

I say keep Speedway cause there is nothing more exciting than seeing a 8 year old steer a car for the first time and them having control.

As was discussed in the Eddie Sotto thread, that's the one redeeming value of the speedway. However, that same element could be achieved in an attraction that didn't guzzle gas in an area that's supposed to be about tomorrow, and wasn't a loud, smelly eyesore taking up a huge swath of space with nothing interesting during the trip.

I'd be all for something that showed a future of transportation and gave children an opportunity to drive that transportation. A Speedway 2.0 if you will. Afterall, the Magic Kingdom isn't a museum. . .

 

[MrMorrowTom]

I can agree with you guys for updating it making them electric or something along those lines.
Second how are you going to make a raceway more themed? they have the actually Indianapolis Speedway bricks in it with a stadium seating and the place pole (thing that says who is in first can't think of the name)I can't see much more. If any ideas but i guess I don't have a creative mind when it comes to raceways.
Can't scale it down much more because it already has been scaled down. If you scale it down again it will be a 2 second ride (not literally).
And the making it bumper car idea isn't very Disney either, more classic Coney Island midway. Keep the guide rails Cause I don't want a 8 year old running into me.

 

[Mansion Butler]

Second how are you going to make a raceway more themed? they have the actually Indianapolis Speedway bricks in it with a stadium seating and the place pole (thing that says who is in first can't think of the name)I can't see much more. If any ideas but i guess I don't have a creative mind when it comes to raceways.

Why does it have to be a raceway?

 

[ChrisFL]

I have several various thoughts about the speedway and what could be done to improve it.

1.) make it an alien UFO race where each of the "Spacecraft" can do a 360 degree turn during it, and theme the rest of it appropriately (possibly put it indoors)

2.) Update it with modern racecar sounds and effects, once they move to electric power, and make the cars light up at night with LED effects, you could do lots of cool things with that

3.) Remove the actual speedway entirely and instead create a super high-end video-game/speedway simulator with 360 panorama views in Tomorrowland instead that small kids can still ride, then put in a different attraction or attractions where the speedway was.

 

[Mansion Butler]

2.) Update it with modern racecar sounds and effects, once they move to electric power, and make the cars light up at night with LED effects, you could do lots of cool things with that

I really, really like this. Not stopping there, but going there.

 

[Mad Stitch]

Was anyone else thinking this thread was about the real speedway out in the TTC parking lot when they clicked on this thread? For what it's worth I hate that one more than the one in Tomorrowland.