PeopleMover

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PeopleMover
The PeopleMover Poster
Disneyland
Land	Tomorrowland
Designer	WED Enterprises
Manufacturer	WED Enterprises
Theme	Transportation
Propulsion method	Motorized wheels embedded in track
Opening date	July 2, 1967
Closing date	August 21, 1995
Vehicle capacity	16
Cars per vehicle	4
Guests per car	4
Ride duration	Approx 16:00 minutes
Maximum speed	2 mph (3.2 km/h)
Sponsored by	Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company

The PeopleMover, sometimes referred to as the WEDWay PeopleMover, was a transport attraction that operated from July 2, 1967 to August 21, 1995 in Tomorrowland at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Guests boarded small trains that ran on elevated tracks for a "grand circle tour" above Tomorrowland. A second PeopleMover, known as the WEDway PeopleMover, and of a slightly different design, opened at the Magic Kingdom in Lake Buena Vista, Florida in 1975, and has operated since 1994 as the Tomorrowland Transit Authority.

The term "people mover," now in wider use to describe many forms of normally automated public transport, was first coined as the name for this attraction. PeopleMover was originally only a working title but became attached to the project over time. Originally the attraction was seen as a serious prototype for inter-city public transport^[1].

Operation

The attraction's vehicles were always moving. Passengers boarded and alighted by a large speed-matched rotating platform inside the station. The trains were not powered by motors within themselves, but rather by being pushed by rotating tires each with its own electric motor, embedded in the track once every nine feet.^[1]

Each car included its own sound system which broadcast a continuous audio commentary and soundtrack, relative to the train's location. The commentary pointed out Disneyland's attractions along the way as well as announcing promotional items. ^[2]

The tour continued from the center of Tomorrowland through a few of Tomorrowland's buildings, for a look inside, and over Disneyland's Submarine Lagoon and Autopia areas, before returning to Tomorrowland.

Sponsorship

The attraction used an updated WEDway system based on the WEDway used for the Ford Magic Skyway at the 1964-65 New York World's Fair.^[1] When Disney asked Ford Motor Company to continue sponsorship by sponsoring Disneyland's new PeopleMover, they declined, because Ford were reluctant to support technology that appeared to replace the automobile.^{[citation needed]} Goodyear was then approached to sponsor it, and accepted. The wheels used in the WEDway system were replaced by Goodyear's tires. The PeopleMover's logo was then fashioned after Goodyear's logo, sharing a similar type face. Goodyear sponsored the attraction for more than 28 years, which was one of the longest-lasting sponsorships in Disneyland's history.

History

The PeopleMover opened as part of New Tomorrowland in 1967. Originally, each four-car train was colored either red, blue, yellow, or green with white roofs. They were repainted all white with colored stripes in 1987.

SuperSpeed Tunnel

In 1977, the SuperSpeed Tunnel was added to the PeopleMover. It was located in the upper level of the Carousel Building, which then housed America Sings. Race cars were projected on the walls of the tunnel all around the trains. In 1982, the projections were changed to scenes from the movie Tron and the tunnel was announced as the Game Grid of Tron by the on-board audio guide.

Deaths

During the attraction's 28-year run, two separate incidents of guests trying to jump between the moving vehicles led to their deaths. This led many cast members to refer to the attraction as the 'People Re-Mover'.^{[citation needed]}

Closure

The PeopleMover closed in August 1995, and was replaced by Rocket Rods in 1998.^[3]

A few of the retired PeopleMover cars were used in other parts of the resort after its closing. Three cars from train #45 used to sit outside the Team Disney Anaheim building, but they were removed in 2007. One of the cars from train #45 is now in display at the cast members cafe called the Eat Ticket. Another car from train #45 is now in the hands of a local resident. Two cars were repainted with a blue and orange grid to resemble a blueprint (along with Rocket Jets vehicles and the front of a Mark III Disneyland-ALWEG monorail train) and placed in the queue display for Rocket Rods. These were later sold on Disney Auctions after Rocket Rods closed.

Further modified PeopleMover cars^{[citation needed]} are used as checkout counters at the Little Green Men Store Command in Tomorrowland, which also has former Rocket Jets vehicles retrofitted as merchandise shelves and also had Skyway buckets hanging from the ceiling when the store was the Premiere Shop.

A grass roots movement has existed ever since calling for the attraction's return. ^[3] The ride track infrastructure which served both the PeopleMover and Rocket Rods still stands unused in Tomorrowland.

Pop culture references

• A homage to the PeopleMover appears in the 2008 Disney/Pixar film, WALL•E, depicting a transportation system with the name "PEOPLEMOVER" and the ride's signature circular boarding station. ^[4]

See also

• Tomorrowland Transit Authority, the Magic Kingdom's version of the old PeopleMover, formerly known as the WEDWay PeopleMover

References