“Welcome back to Rockettower Plaza at the heart of Tomorrowland. Come now, re-join us, and believe in the promise of tomorrow!”
In 2009, the TTA was closed for several months due to a Space Mountain renovation project. When the TTA re-opened later that year, it was renamed the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover. Unfortunately, that was not the only change to the attraction. Inexplicably, the narration for the PeopleMover was again revised, this time removing much of the storytelling detail that explained both the attraction and Tomorrowland.
Storytelling Elements
The Attraction
The PeopleMover is located on the second floor of Rockettower Plaza. During busier times, guests wind through an un-themed switchback portion of the queue before stepping onto a moving walkway at the base of Rockettower Plaza near the Lunching Pad restaurant. This walkway transports guests to a rotating load platform on the second floor of Rockettower Plaza. This platform moves alongside the passing ride vehicles.
The attraction provides guests with a close-up view of many Tomorrowland attractions:
Stitch’s Great Escape: “Coming up: Stitch’s Great Escape, where you can report for duty as a security agent for the Galactic Federation. Your mission is to keep Experiment 626—the biggest little mischief-maker in the galaxy—under control.”
Tomorrowland Speedway: “At the Tomorrowland Speedway, put the pedal to the metal, and speed toward the checkered flag in your very own race car. Young or old, this is your chance to drive in the fast lane without worrying about getting a speeding ticket.”
Space Mountain: “We’re now entering one of the real wonders of our world: Space Mountain. Blast off on a high-speed outer space adventure, and careen through the cosmos!”
Astro Orbiter: “Pilot your own spacecraft as you take a spin around the planet, and ascend to other-worldly heights.”
Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress: “We’re now approaching Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress. Inside this rotating theatre, four families welcome you into their homes of yesterday and today, starting way back at the turn of the 20th century.”
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin: “As an honorary Space Ranger, you’ll use your own personal laser cannon to save the entire galaxy!”
Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor: “This time, it’s laughter they’re after at Monsters, Incorporated. So drop in and join Mike Wazowski and all his pals at Monsters, Incorporated Laugh Floor. Share the fun!”
During the attraction, guests actually ride through several Tomorrowland buildings and attractions, including Mickey’s Star Traders, Space Mountain, and Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. Perhaps most impressively, guests ride past a model of Walt Disney’s original vision for his Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.
The Progress City Model
In 1967, a dramatic and intricately detailed one-eighth inch to the foot model for Walt’s Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow was displayed on the second level of the Carousel of Progress in Disneyland. This model became known as the “Progress City” model. In Walt Disney and the Quest for Community (2002), Steve Mannheim described the enormity of the Progress City model:
It was incredibly detailed: it measured 6,900 square feet (115 feet wide), contained 22,000 miniature trees and shrubs, 4,500 buildings (lit from within), 1,400 street lights, a climate-controlled center city, amusement park rides in motion, sports stadiums, an airport, an atomic power plant, underground passageways, residential cul-de-sacs, retail establishments, monorails, electric sidewalks, schools, churches, electric trains, electric carts, and PeopleMovers.
In another definitive conceptual Epcot book, Walt Disney and the Promise of the Progress City (2014), Sam Gennawey quotes Imagineer Marty Sklar on the relationship of the Progress City model to Epcot:
That model almost exactly matched all our planning for EPCOT. I think Walt got a kick out of doing that model, without having to say that he was going to build this big city, but it was all there for anybody to see.
In 1975, Carousel of Progress changed homes, moving from Disneyland to the Magic Kingdom. A portion of the Progress City model also moved to Florida and can be seen, appropriately enough, on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover. Although the portion of the model that is visible by guests today is only a portion of the original model, it is still an amazing sight. The narration for the PeopleMover provides the following description of the Progress City model:
And now, Tomorrowland Transit Authority proudly presents Progress City—Walt Disney’s dream for the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. Progress City was the inspiration for Epcot, and many of its forward-thinking ideas have been realized throughout Walt Disney World.
Linear Induction Power
The true star of the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover is the innovative method by which it is powered. The PeopleMover ride vehicles are propelled by virtue of “linear induction” motors. These motors have no moving parts and emit no pollution. The transportation system utilizes 535 electromagnets that are embedded in the ride track and 629 linear induction motors. The attraction also includes proximity sensors that tell the motors when to power on and off. The proximity sensors can detect each approaching ride vehicle, signaling the linear induction motor to start, creating a magnetic field that pulls a steel plate under the ride vehicle. When the ride vehicles pass over an electromagnetic motor, that motor shuts off, and the vehicle continues to move forward by virtue of the next set of electromagnets and motors. In order to slow down a ride vehicle, or outright stop it, the magnetic field produced by the linear induction motor is reversed, which pushes against the plate attached to the ride vehicle rather than pulling it.
PeopleMover Narrators
Four different narrators have hosted the PeopleMover over the course of its 43 year history. Jack Wagner, a long-time Disney voice actor known as the “Voice of Disneyland,” provided the original narration for the PeopleMover from its opening day in 1975 through 1985. He is perhaps best known by Disney World fans for his famous monorail warning: “Please stand clear of the doors. Por favor manténgase alejado de las puertas.” The Wagner narration was similar in many respects to the attraction’s current narration.
Wagner was replaced in 1985 by ORAC-1, “The Commuter Computer.” The new narration by ORAC-1 was lighter in tone than the Wagner version, but largely stuck to the same script. However, that script was substantially revised in 1994 when Pete Renaday took over the narration duties. Now known as the Tomorrowland Transit Authority, the new narration discussed above corresponded to the new theme of Tomorrowland, and supported the story of a bustling intergalactic spaceport as viewed from the perspective of early 20th century science fiction visionaries. Renaday is famous for voicing many characters in Disney attractions, including Henry in the Country Bear Jamboree, Captain Nemo in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and the narrator of Disneyland’s Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.
Mike Brassell provides the PeopleMover’s narration today, which is more subdued than the Renaday version and similar to the original Jack Wagner version.
More Magical Secrets of the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
One of the most famous lines in any Disney attraction is: “Paging Mr. Morrow—Mr. Tom Morrow. Please contact Mr. Johnson in the control tower to confirm your flight to the Moon.” This simple line of narration, which goes unnoticed by many Disney guests, provides two wonderful nods to Disney nostalgia. “Mr. Tom Morrow” is a reference to the now extinct audio-animatronic “head of operations” for the Flight to the Moon attraction that opened in Tomorrowland on December 24, 1971. “Mr. Johnson” replaced “Mr. Morrow” when Flight to the Moon changed to Mission to Mars on June 7, 1975.
The PeopleMover travels on approx. 4,574 feet of track.
On the rare occasion when Space Mountain is closed, guests on the PeopleMover may get a shocking sight: what Space Mountain looks like when the lights are on!
The PeopleMover received a
commendation for “design achievement” by the National Endowment for the Arts and the United States Department of Transportation.
Disney did not intend for the development of the PeopleMover to be limited to the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. Far from it. Disney thought that the PeopleMover would provide advertising for a product that the company could market to municipalities across the country. Walt even set up a separate company, Community Transportation Services, to sell the systems. As it turned out, only one such PeopleMover system was sold in 1979 to the Houston Airport. The system opened in 1981 and remains in operation today.
The attraction cost approximately $10 million to build.
Real History
The Epcot Film
“Welcome to a little bit of Florida here in California.” Those are the words Walt Disney spoke on October 27, 1966, to begin the famous “Epcot Film,” a twenty-five minute piece of Disney nostalgia that provided an overview of the entire “Florida Project.” For many, the very thought of Walt Disney immediately conjures images of this classic piece of Disney history.
The film was played on February 2, 1967 (a few months after Walt’s death), to a group of Florida business executives and political leaders. It served as part marketing pitch and part educational presentation on the Florida Project, with primary emphasis placed on Epcot. Walt’s initial plans called for a cutting-edge metropolitan area that would have addressed many of the problems faced by urban environments during that time. Walt described his inspiration for Epcot as follows:
I don’t believe there’s a challenge anywhere in the world that’s more important to people everywhere than finding solutions to the problems of our cities. But where do we begin; how do we start answering this great challenge?
Well, we’re convinced we must start with the public need. And the need is not just for curing the old ills of old cities. We think the need is for starting from scratch on virgin land and building a special kind of new community.
We don’t presume to know all the answers. In fact, we’re counting on the cooperation of American industry to provide their best thinking during the planning and creation of our Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.
So that’s what Epcot is: an experimental prototype community that will always be in a state of becoming. It will never cease to be a living blueprint of the future…
In the Epcot film, an exceedingly upbeat and energetic Walt made clear that Epcot was indeed the “heart” of the Florida Project.
The Epcot Layout
Part of what made the Epcot Film so captivating is the amazing level of detail Walt provided about the Florida Project. Epcot would utilize a “radial plan” whereby a network of transportation spokes would radiate from a central urban hub. This was similar to the hub and spoke layout used in the conceptual design of Disneyland, but provided for concentric circles radiating out from the hub, with each circle designated for specific uses.
The initial plans for Epcot contemplated a layout of four concentric spheres. The innermost sphere would serve as Epcot’s business and commercial center. Included in this sphere was the marquee centerpiece for Epcot, a stunning 30-story cosmopolitan hotel towering above the development like a dramatic beacon of the future. The area immediately surrounding the hotel would include a wide variety of office buildings, theatres, restaurants and other entertainment options with an international theme spread across approximately 50 acres.
The next ring closest to the urban center would be high-density, multi-family (apartment) housing that would have provided residential living options for individuals working in the city.
The third ring from the center would consist of a broad “greenbelt” area featuring numerous social and recreation options including parks, schools, churches, and playgrounds. This would be the “rural” component of the otherwise futuristic city with tress, bushes, and other “green” landscaping features incorporated therein.
The outermost ring would have consisted of low-density, single-family residential housing options that would serve as the suburban center for Epcot.
Transportation would have played an integral part in Epcot and would have focused on efficiency, safety, and minimal environmental impact. Although the Epcot film declares that pedestrian traffic would be king, a variety of other transportation options would be available to residents and guests.
Directly below the hotel in the commercial hub of Epcot would be a massive, multi-level transportation lobby. Two separate electrical transportation systems would travel in and out of the transportation lobby. For long distance travel, a series of monorails would take guests from Epcot to and from the adjacent Magic Kingdom theme park and a proposed 1,000 acre industrial park.
For shorter distance commutes, WEDway PeopleMover trams would transport commuters to and from the urban center, residential living areas, and the green belt. The WEDway vehicles would travel via motors that were completely separate from the trams and embedded in the tracks. The WEDway trams would continuously run, resulting in no traffic lights or corresponding traffic jams. By focusing on these modes of transportation, Epcot could eliminate pollution, traffic problems, and unsightly parking lots and parking decks.
Walt Disney’s Death
In 1966, Walt Disney experienced a variety of health problems including pneumonia and kidney trouble. The people who worked closest with Walt noticed several changes in him. Most notably, they witnessed Walt’s previously unmatched energy fading. Unfortunately, there was a heartbreaking reason behind this. In November of 1966, Walt received the news that he had lung cancer. After having a lung removed, and only weeks from his initial diagnosis, Walt Disney passed away on December 15, 1966. This monumental loss cannot be understated. Walt’s death was felt not only within the Disney organization but also across the world. For the company, the loss of its creative leader was nothing short of devastating.
Walt’s older brother Roy, who had attempted to retire several times, once again postponed his retirement to move the “Florida Project” forward. Roy famously insisted that the project be renamed “Walt Disney World” to honor his younger brother.
Despite Roy’s loyal dedication to Walt, Roy was at heart a pragmatic realist. As the “businessman” of the Disney brother’s partnership, he understood that, at the end of the day, the Disney theme parks were businesses that needed to make money. Based on this view, Roy pulled many employees off of the Epcot research and development team following Walt’s death and focused on the “Phase One” plans for the Florida Project, most notably the Magic Kingdom.
Looking back from today’s perspective, we can see that Walt’s plans for Epcot died with him, for all practical purposes. In Walt Disney’s Imagineering Legends and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park (2008), Jeff Kurtti recounts a story of Imagineer Marvin Davis, who worked tirelessly with Walt in conceptualizing the Epcot project, about the significant impact of Walt’s death on Epcot:
When [Walt’s death] happened, there was a big meeting that included [WDP executive vice president and chief operating officer] Card Walker, [de facto Studio Head] Bill Anderson, and [CEO] Roy [O.]Disney. This meeting was in a big room, and to the best of my ability I presented Walt’s concepts for EPCOT. I got through, and sat down, and Roy turned around and looked at me and he said, “Marvin…Walt’s gone.”
As we know, Walt’s vision for EPCOT would never come to be. In fact, the Epcot that guests enjoy today is far from the living, working city of the future that Walt envisioned. Walt’s plans for a PeopleMover transportation system, however, would eventually find its way into the Disney theme parks.
Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom
The original PeopleMover attraction opened in Disneyland on July 2, 1967. Sponsored by Goodyear, the attraction transported guests on an elevated track through Disneyland’s Tomorrowland, which was substantially updated in 1966 and 1967. In the Disneyland version, the ride vehicles themselves included canopies while the track itself was not covered. Electric
motors embedded in the ride track turned Goodyear tires that were also embedded in the ride track. Those tires pushed a flat plate at the bottom of the ride vehicles, thereby propelling those vehicles forward. Notably, Disney developed this technique for the Ford’s Magic Skyway attraction at the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair.
Although the PeopleMover was not an opening day attraction for the Magic Kingdom, Disney planned to incorporate the PeopleMover into Tomorrowland soon thereafter. In the “1972 Annual Report of Walt Disney Productions,” Disney provided the below information to its shareholders:
This transportation system will take guests on an upper-level non-stop tour through Tomorrow-land’s major theme buildings, also passing above the Grand Prix Raceway and circling past the “20,000 Leagues” submarine lagoon. The PeopleMover will represent perhaps the world’s first major use of the linear motor, a non-polluting motor with no moving parts. Above the circular PeopleMover station will be the fast-spinning Tomorrowland jets. Both attractions will begin construction late in 1973, with completion planned during the following year.
In the “1973 Annual Report of Walt Disney Productions,” Disney provided more information about the PeopleMover:
Also scheduled for opening early in 1975 is the “WEDway PeopleMover.” This continuously moving system will transport guests along a 4,571-foot elevated guideway in 32 five-car “trains” powered by a new Disney-engineered and designed linear motor. This pollution-free propulsion system has no moving parts. Instead it creates a magnetic field which “pushes” the trains along their route. The system may easily be adapted for use in shopping centers and downtown areas.
Adventureland, Tomorrowland, and Fantasyland Page 17
