Why Rocket Rods Failed

[@TheRickRatedShow]

The lack of kinetic energy in Tomorrowland today is just ... sad.

[@lohphat]

I lament the destruction of the Mary Blair murals in the Tomorrowland mall. They were classic. Instead of removing them, they had holes punched in them to mount the new Star Wars façades. How shortsighted.

[@jimhshull]

Some the tiles are saved (sort of) to become paving for the floor of a Fantasyland restaurant in Euro Disneyland.

[@lohphat]

@@jimhshull Somehow that still seems disrespectful of her work.

[@starlingwatch3921]

@@lohphat Not to step on your feelings for the lost murals, have you been to the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco? They honor Mary's artwork in many ways. -Frank

[@lohphat]

@@starlingwatch3921 Yes, I was there for the opening. They even brought in retired Coke Corner pianist Rod Miller to play. I was living in SF at the time and didn’t know they brought him up from his home in Anaheim. When the event was over I took him to the airport so we had time to catch up. I’ve known him since the early 80s before I was a cast member myself.

[@toshibavoodoo]

Faster is not always a good idea, this is one of them. PeopleMover slow, but admire your visit, time, and park should never have gone away.

[@jimhshull]

When I visit the Magic Kingdom at Disney World I find time to ride the People Mover in Tomorrowland and always enjoy the unique experience. Thanks for watching.

[@stphinkle]

Actually Peoplemover is consistent with Tomorrowland today. Manyof the green cities of the future envision people riding on trolleys and mass transit lines. Peoplemover represents a trolley system.

[@toshibavoodoo]

@stphinkle yes

[@concertino58]

I fell in love with Disneyland during this version of Tomorrowland so thank you for your contribution.

[@MatrixSJD]

I have a fond memory as a kid of waiting in for Rocket Rods during I believe the 1998 Cast Member Christmas Party and being in line so long that we missed the buses back to Burbank and had to be driven home by security in the middle of the night. Fun times. Will always have a fondness for that ride.

[@jimhshull]

Thanks to the security team for providing you a ride back to Burbank. A reminder of simple times. Thanks for watching.

[@WestinNReptar]

I for one liked Rocket Rods and the makeover Tomorrowland received along with it. I even liked the line queue featuring the old ride vehicles.

[@allanl.591]

I've loved coming to Disneyland for 40+ years. Of all the changes the park has gone through, the one I wish they'd rectify the most is bringing back the Peoplemover. It was an icon.

[@jimhshull]

People Mover is still a Disneyland icon. Closed for decades and we’re still talking about it. Thanks for watching, subscribing and sharing my channel.

[@allanl.591]

@jimhshull I always really liked The Rocket Jets original location above the Peoplemover. It had a great view of Tomorrowland. The current location of the Astro Orbiter feels like an afterthought. Do you see any scenario where DL might move that attraction back?

[@Gigaamped]

I remember looking up in awe as a kid when the satellites atop the peoplemover loading area would do their dance with the lights and music in the evening sometime after the 50th. It was a spectacle and cinematic from the second floor of Innoventions with the Matterhorn in the background. Thank you for that Mr. Shull 😊

[@Craig_Spurlock]

The Rocket Rods could have been AMAZING with the proper budget! The idea could be built in another park someday!

[@FreedomforHaiti]

At one point, long ago, a version of Rocket Rods was to have been added to Tokyo DL. Since there never was a PeopleMover there, this Rocket Rods would have had an all-new track, not a repurposed one.

[@samuelwitwicky3900]

As somebody who would loved to see the PeopleMover and Skyway revived at Disneyland, I think the best approach would be following through with the Project DisneylandForward proposal as resort transport like at WDW.

[@jimhshull]

The signs point to Disney Forward projects being constructed within the existing park borders. That is except for the new east side parking garage which is required for the Pandora construction to begin with the demo of the Hollywood Backlot area in DCA. With the opening of the east side garage the transportation hub moves freeing up land north of DCA. Thanks for watching and subscribing.

[@FreedomforHaiti]

I for one liked the theming for the Rocket Rods queue. While old ride vehicles were indeed reused, I loved the whole idea of blueprints in 3-D. I thought it was a pretty clever way of being resourceful on a limited budget. Plus, so much of Tomorrowland '98 was based on nostalgia. The ride itself was fun, IMO, but as you say, as soon as it got REALLY fun and sped up, it promptly slowed down.

[@scottcaldwell2786]

I loved the rocket rods. I got to ride it on the separate trips (was very lucky) . The queue, the sound of the motors, the movement. I was 9 years old and it was the best thing in the world .

[@calistogasteve3128]

Thank you for the great history lesson (and family photo)!

[@jimhshull]

Thank my Dad who took the photo. Thanks for watching.

[@judithcampo8822]

Thank you for a more in depth explanation of Rocket Rods and why it didn't survive. Also, thanks for slipping in a bit on how we got the Monorail.

[@jimhshull]

The episodes grown and evolve when I settle on the story I want to tell, so bits of other stories find their way into the episodes. I’ve come to a conclusion that either there are too many stories to tell or I’m the world’s worse KZbinr. Thanks for watching and your comment

[@judithcampo8822]

@@jimhshull You are not the world's worse KZbinr. You are sharing with a lot of people things that we would otherwise never know about.

[@frikitiki]

Wonder if they could put carts on the track that could move forward or backward, each with their own design that could shift around on themselves. Carts meet together and change elements so that it's kinetic artwork with multiple elements along the entire track.

[@jimt9245]

After passing through Space Mountain, the People Mover would make it in a room with two racing light cycles from Tron - a fun teaser for something to come. I'd say the two story Starcade also brought some life to the area - but why go to Disneyland to play video games. People Mover is missed just at the other multi-level kinetic elements like the Skyway and the Rocket Jets above the People Mover ... now its quiet above the ground plane other than the Monorail. But you are right about the changing of building codes, emergency egress and ADA will require a new version of a People Mover to appear quite different.

[@jimhshull]

What is amazing about Tomorrowland is that the two buildings at the front of the land just off the hub are original. 70 year old buildings still in use.

[@jimt9245]

@@jimhshull Interesting to think that the Disney Structures some sense of historic significance or at least a shared culture one. In a age of tearing down if easier, Disney is posed with preservation efforts in some ways as the park has accumulated layers of history and the the ghosts of it's past. I may enjoy walking through the queue of Star Tours now days as it is a reuse of the one from Adventure Thru Inner Space.

[@kejingjing1870]

As a teenager Tomorrowland was my favorite land. I loved Space Mountain and Star Tours. I also remember going to the Honey I Shrunk the Kids attraction. I did ride Rocket Rods and my friends and I were underwhelmed. It wasn't that fun. It didn't feel like it was going very fast and I think having it on a level surface without any dips made it so it wasn't thrilling.

[@jimhshull]

Rocket Rods used the existing flat track build for the slow moving People Mover. Imagine trying to race a narrowboat - the results will be disappointing. Thanks for watching and subscribing.

[@toshibavoodoo]

Disneyland was built in a year. Could imagine if Disneyland put in that type of effort today? Peoplemover and Skyway returning would bring back the magic to Tomorrow land.

[@chuckdillingham]

Modern building codes and permitting/approvals processes are what make the construction so slow today. In 1955 there was no “theme park industry”, there were no real “standards” to speak of, it was literally the “Wild West” and if you wanted to build something like Disneyland, you just went and figured it out and did it. Nowadays there are way too many lawyers and accountants and codes administrators and other such people who get to have an opinion.

[@toshibavoodoo]

@@chuckdillingham agree!!

[@kboostmobile6580]

Everything about wanting to put in cars Land in that spot of Tom Sawyer Island at wdw is so out of place. Theming to transition to the looks... What where they thinking.... They already ruined Epcot planter looks really nice in the middle of broken led lights....

[@toshibavoodoo]

@@kboostmobile6580 Agree! Disneyland lives and breaths on Nestagia.

[@jimhshull]

Disneyland opened one year later construction started however Disneyland phase one wasn’t completed until 1959. From 1955-59 fixes were made, rides were added and services built. It’s nice to think the park was built in a year but it really took 5 years which is even today a typical standard construction schedule. Thanks for watching and subscribing.

[@toshibavoodoo]

People Mover, best ride EVER!!!

[@kevinwilt5496]

Here's another reason it will never come back. What IP can you attach to it and where do you put the People Mover gift shop? Also who wants to buy People Mover merch?

[@VegasSavageKing]

As a 90s baby I loved this attraction even tho I only got to ride it twice and had to que for at least 2 hours. Disney's lack of enthusiasm for Tomorrowland might not only come from the bad 90s redu as well as the millions they pored into the Tomorrowland film they had hoped to tie into the land years later. I always thought they should just tie in smart IP. Like Zenon being a character meet and greet in the space mountain que.

[@jimhshull]

If you were a 1990s baby you make as old as dirt. And we're talking dinosaurs roaming the earth sort of old. Thanks for watching.

[@VegasSavageKing]

@@jimhshull Thanks for making my childhood great ! Your a hero !!

[@clinttaylor8730]

The shredding tires! I remember working autopia after it re-opened and every morning we had to dust the cars off of thick tire dust from the rocket rod track above. 😅

[@jimhshull]

Love your story thanks for sharing.

[@RyanCameron]

I loved the Peoplemover, it was always a favorite. The kinetic energy it gave the whole land, the beautiful scenic views, and loved the peeks into all the other attractions and shops of the land. The Tron speedtunnel was fun scene as well. I never got to experience the Rocket Rods as my first visit back to the park following my Grad Nite '93 event wasn't until 2004 when DCA was all new to me. I miss the Peoplemover and hope that a variation of it comes back whenever Tomorrowland eventally gets a major revision. I suppose the brilliant stacking of attractions as a blessing of fitting in so much into a small amount of space feels a bit like a curse on the other end when it becomes time to figure out changes when not everything has the same lifespan in the park.

[@WindowtotheMagic]

At 9:35, you say that the old circle vision building is where America Sings was presented. Did you, by any chance, mean that is where America the Beautiful was presented?

[@WindowtotheMagic]

At 6:00, you say the the problem with the original peoplemover design was “that there was NO LACK of restraint.” Did you, by chance, mean that there WAS a lack of restraint?

[@jimhshull]

And that is the reason I started a correction section in my show notes. Thanks for watching.

[@royceferguson]

I heard an interesting story about the Observatron delivery to Disneyland. The story goes that when the main antenna and arms were completed inside a warehouse, a truck was loaded up to ship it over to the park and only once loaded onto the flatbed and ready to go was it discovered that there was no possible way it would be able to clear the top of the huge main door to get out of the building. Because there was an expensive crew waiting onsite to install the Observatron, the choice was made to quickly cut a hole in the top of the building's exit to make it work and deliver the Observatron to the waiting crew. True? Also, I agree, the Observatron was a super impressive sight to behold when it would blossom and spin every 20 minutes or so. I must admit however that it made me miss the days when one could take the "launch" elevator up and ride the rockets up there. The view and feeling while spinning at that height was simply spectacular. Thanks for sharing these terrific videos, Jim!

[@jimhshull]

Maybe someday the Rocket Jets will return to the platform. Thanks for watching.

[@newlexness]

Seeing all the empty ride shells of the Peoplemover, Carousel of progress, Captain EO, the old Rockets platform, and the missing Skyway to Fantasyland gives me an empty and sad feeling when in Tomorrowland. I avoid the area accept for food. With all their money and expertise, Disney just can't seem to figure this one out.

[@jimhshull]

Working at Imagineering in the Creative group for decades I discovered that the Walt Disney Company has the money if they don’t have the will

[@FreedomforHaiti]

I miss the kinetic sculpture that utilized the mechanics of the 1967 Rocket Jets. I remember lights coming out of it (sometimes I jokingly thought it looked like Ronald Reagan's SDI shooting lasers up into space) and onto it with music. I never heard why it stopped moving. I hope something more can be done done with it in the future.

[@jimhshull]

So do I.

[@nukunuku29]

Your best video yet! Thanks Jim!

[@jimhshull]

The videos get better only due to the comments and support of my viewers. If you’re a new viewer I invite you to subscribe, and if you’re a subscriber then I invited you to share my channel. Thanks.

[@nukunuku29]

@@jimhshullWill absolutely share!

[@mskrisclark684]

1998 Tomorrowland...I just hated that big marble ball with the water jets that blocked a way to walk without the unnecessary getting wet.

[@jimhshull]

Those water jets didn’t last long which is a shame since I know the programmer of the fountains and he spent months on the programming. There is a similar ball on Pixar Pier at DCA. Thanks for watching.

[@mskrisclark684]

@@jimhshull I remember having to walk around those summer of 1998 & 1999 Pain in the neck :)

[@2fatjs]

I do miss the peoplemover but I was a fan for the rocket rods.. sure the slow downs weren't the greatest but it was a fun ride still. I just hope when the day comes whether completely rebuilt or not, they will find a way to bring back the peoplemover in some form.

[@jlafunk]

FYI: America Sings was not in the Circle Vision Theater. It was in the old Carousel of Progress where Star wars Launch Bay is today. (But on the first floor). Thank you for such an informative and interesting ride through the history of Tomorrowland.

[@Gigaamped]

I would like to know more about the Tomorrowland Terrace theater and when the underground portion was added

[@jimhshull]

The underground tunnel runs from the Carrousel building (where it has a back stage entrance) to the stage. Thanks for your question. Keep asking questions and share my channel.

[@Bnkl-f2h]

It’s a shame that there are so many amazing Disney park ideas from the 90s that just couldn’t be built to their full potential. Imagine if we got westcot instead of California adventure

[@WindowtotheMagic]

At 11:50, you say that the Rocket Rods was going through a lot of wheels. Did you, by chance, mean that it went through a lot of TIRES, due to the lack of a differential causing excessive tire wear?

[@jimhshull]

Both tires and wheels. The Rocket Rods design was - well let’s just say that IMHO the design had design issues.

[@bbarber1974]

The Peoplemover was a reflection of a time that’s long gone. Charming, slow, relaxing, timely music, not tied to an IP. The Disney of today sadly isn’t capable of creating an attraction with these traits. If there is a new PM, it will be a far cry from the one we knew and loved.

[@briandavis6898]

I do hope they bring back the people mover. My vision is to have the tunnels fitted with movie screens showing the progression of the land one scene at a time m first showing orange groves, then construction, then 1955, 1960s, 1980s and finally a futuristic visiting if what the land might look like in 2055. Make the screens look like windows showing the perspective you would see from that angle. A peek into the past and the future.

[@MrPants3000]

Do you know why Horizons was closed?

[@eabcool]

looking at video from the early 90s it seemed the people mover was already moving slowly and the track a bit noisy.

[@fifthrider]

Tomorrowland = We'll get it dialed in "tomorrow". At least Tomorrowland DID succeed in creating "hope for tomorrow" as planned. I've spent six decades with the hope that one day it will be fixed.

[@michaelschroeck2254]

I’m a wdw die hard and I have friendly rivalries with my Anaheim friends. But they have let me know all about the history and changes to Disneyland. Rocket rods comes up. Was the people mover not popular? At wdw people still queue up for that ride. It did management “ feel” that they needed more thrill to bring in teenagers or something. Then on top of it, engineers not saying “ this can’t work on the track we have?”

[@jimhshull]

I believe we still talk about Rocket Rods because the ride seemed so important a part of New Tomorrowland of the 1990s and yet it closed quickly. People want to know why and hopefully my video answered that question. For further information check out my episode of the People Mover.

[@GeoTactics]

Loved the video and insights. Growing up in SoCal I always wanted to work at D-Land, but in the early 80s it seemed too far to drive for work from the South Bay area. LOL. I had a visit in 1992 where I ran into my first manager I'd had (at Karl's Toys) and he worked there and got me and my date into the "club" where we had a great time watching the Fantasmic water/light show.

[@jimhshull]

Thanks for sharing your memories. As a life long resident of Southern California I recall when the drive from the San Fernando Valley to Disneyland was 45 minutes tops. Today the same drive can be over 2 hours.

[@Snooziac]

Rocket Rods weakened the support beams so now they can't put ANYTHING on the track.

[@jimhshull]

A structural analysis would confirm your assumption. Concrete is good stuff for building so it’s unknown if anything could be on the beam way. Thanks for watching.

[@marginalentertainmentvalue2930]

The two main things I remember hearing from Imagineers at the time were (and please set me straight if I'm incorrect): 1. As you alluded to, though I don't know if you made it crystal-clear, the overall FLATNESS of the PeopleMover track made it wholly unsuited to anything approaching a thrill ride. The lack of banking in the track at directional changes--which would have cost too much to add--meant that, as everyone who went on it knows, anytime the ride was able to accelerate on a straightaway, it would immediately have to slow to a crawl as it entered the turns. 2. A lot of the funding was meant to come from corporate sponsorship. It was SUPPOSED to be a companion to Test Track, but with an emphasis on vehicle design and aesthetics instead of road-testing. Which was why the ride units themselves were very minimal... essentially, riders would be able to "customize" the look of their prototype vehicles in a virtual space (just using touch screens or something, I'm sure), and then be given a printout image of their customized prototype vehicle after the ride. I don't know any of the sponsorship details, but I guess all of that proved to be too expensive in the end.

[@DrStarlander]

To your point about the track not having banking, I wonder if a swinging-cradle type vehicle such as used on Seven Dwarfs Mine Train could have solved that. If the carriage was able to follow the flat track at "high" speed (mechanically) then the riders would "bank" due to the cradle vehicle swinging out.

[@alextirrellRI]

@@DrStarlander I didn't realize Seven Dwarves Mine Train did that. When I last rode it I remember remarking on how extremely smooth the ride was.

[@jimhshull]

I can’t address your comment about corporate sponsorship of Rocket Rods because of … reasons (and I will leave it at that). Thanks for watching.

[@RetraCarteR]

From what I've heard, the reason why Rocket Rods was unable to secure a sponsorship is because Test Track's development was very publicly plagued with issues that forced a massive rework to its design (it was supposed to open in May of 1997 and didn't end up opening until March of 1999). When potential sponsors heard that Rocket Rods was using the same ride technology, they wanted nothing to do with it.

[@DrStarlander]

Thank you so much Jim. I've been going to Disneyland for over fifty years and never rode the Rocket Rods, maybe the only attraction I missed! In another comment you mentioned something to the effect that it could cost a billion dollars or more to redevelop the Autopia, PeopleMover, Monorail, Submarine area. It is quite a tangle! There seems to be a "gut feeling" by many that even though there are at least three active attractions using this space, that it is underutilized. I wonder if TWDC feels the same way, or if there's even any consensus? It's about 10 acres and we've seen new lands like Galaxy's Edge, Pandora, possibly upcoming Villains Land at MK, larger than that with only two attractions...but it's not apples to apples as those new land's attractions drive park marketing/visitation. It seems like replacing all this would require a very big IP/marketing "win" such as adding Frozen to the Disneyland Resort...or maybe Pandora could have gone here instead of DCA. I love the comment you've made here about returning Tomorrowland to the 1955 version -- though the 1970s was my prime time visiting Tomorrowland so the 1967 version would be great too! Unfortunately society is not as optimistic about the future as in those past eras, and society is also more sarcastic and irreverent. I think all those changes in sensibility could be reflected in a "retro Tomorrowland" that poked fun at our past optimism. It's a way of paying homage to the original Tomorrowland while recognizing the original earnestness and optimism is not going to resonate with modern audiences and could make Disney feel "out of touch." A cheeky, laugh-at-ourselves version could make Disney seem more culturally relevant, especially to tweens and teens. Specifically, I think a "yeah, turns out we got a lot wrong..." surface message could be coupled with a "...but never stop dreaming, the future is in your hands" supporting message could be the best approach. If the land was more overtly themed as a (retro) world's fair, and had fun animated billboards for ridiculous futuristic products, it could really bring the land to life. And the entrance "hallway" could have retro-futuristic midway games on either side to bring in a lot of silly themes and kinetic energy. I know midway games are divisive at Disney Parks but if they are very creative and created a lot of buzzy activity, I think it would be a lot more enticing than murals and stroller parking right as you enter the land! The midway games themselves could be a "wink wink" way to pay tribute to the many great Tomorrowland attractions of the past like Adventure Thru Inner Space, Mission to Mars, Carousel of Progress, PeopleMover, SkyWay as these themes, names, vehicle designs, and key props could be incorporated into the games.

[@WindowtotheMagic]

At 4:00 you said that “Walt created The Magic Carpet.” Do you, by chance, mean “The Magic Skyway?”

[@pittpirate1818]

Interesting land, never really lived up to its potential. In many ways feels out of place for Disneyland and more akin to EPCOT. Which also has not lived up to its potential. Really good glad this showed up in my feed. Looking forward to the next episode.

[@jimhshull]

Glad your feed set my channel your way. Hope you find my next episode to be of your interest.

[@AmyDunham-q5s]

Seeing empty tracks sitting there for so long makes Disney look neglectful. They need to figure it out. Hopefully put the money into putting it back somehow. Put seatbelts on it for safety. Have the entrance be in the building where America sings is. The DVC lounge in the middle of tomorrow land makes most visitors feel like they are not appreciated because we can barely afford just the park tickets anymore let alone be DVC members. Let’s get that energy back in the land if that was Walt’s vision. After all he was a pretty smart guy. He was smart without fancy marketing studies. Great video. People mover was the best.

[@jimhshull]

Thanks for your comments. In an earlier reply to a comment I wrote about the issues with fixing Tomorrowland. The costs would be huge.

[@cameronlemmer791]

Fascinating trip through time there. So much change I didn’t know about. Are there any areas that haven’t changed? Like some of the coin machines in the shops look really old. Tap dancing Pinocchio and a mechanical band machine were a good find, hopefully from the old days as I’m interested in the history of the park

[@eighthave]

Bear in mind that I don’t know how feasible it would be, I admit there could be challenges, BUT if you want Tomorrowland vibes and put another failed attraction’s remnants to good use, figure out how to use Luigi’s flying tires on that track so you float around the track. Just re-theme the tires to Jetsons-like car/spaceship style. It would be like the highway in the sky we’ve imagined from the ground and a fun way to relax and enjoy. Plus, if the cars crash, they just bump into each other and everyone laughs. That should be the future we work toward.

[@jimhshull]

Your idea is one I’ve never heard of before (and I heard many inside the walls of WDI). Thanks for watching and subscribing.

[@mushieslushie]

Tomorrowland needs help. I wish it would be completely overhauled, but if they do bring back old tomorrowland, they need to bring peoplemover back. They can move the station elsewhere, the old station can be enclosed and put a big progress city model in the middle.

[@kingdoo21]

If the decision was made that the Autopia footprint is just too large for an attraction with that capacity, but that there needed to be *an* Autopia attraction in the park, what would you propose as a solution? Relatedly, if you were asked to revamp Tomorrowland, what would you do?

[@jimhshull]

Second question first. If it were up to me I would rebuild Tomorrowland along the lines of the original 1955 version. The story was set in 1984 (which was the future back then) but change it up to suit the present day. The Autopia site is large for something but the downside is that any big change affects the monorail, the subs in addition to Autopia. A project that would have meaningful impact would cost in the range of $1 billion plus. At the last D23 no mention of fixing Tomorrowland was made and it is unlikely that any meaningful fixes will occur this decade. Thanks for watching.

[@kingdoo21]

@@jimhshull Thanks for the response! I've wondered if the PeopleMover track could be converted to Autopia or if an electric Autopia could go indoor into a multi-level space like some of the modern go-kart tracks that have been built.

[@NealHunterHyde]

What was the PeopleMover queue like, prior to being re-worked through Circle-Vision and the connecting tunnel?

[@clinttaylor8730]

There were two speed ramps, (inclined moving walkways) that were connected to the people mover station

[@maddercat]

The capacity was crazy think of the Grizzly river, or the same in wdw, a rotating platform, that just kept gobbling up guests so there wasnt a huge queu needed.

[@LloydAntonyLB]

The same as Disney World , you entered by a moving ramp. You entered the Rocket Jets on an elevator 🛗 located on the opposite side of the moving ramp. Disneyland local since 1967 😊

[@jimhshull]

Did anyone stand on the edge of the speed rails to get a fee foot massage? Inside tip from someone who used that unintentionally feature during every People Mover ride.

[@ryanvera4957]

What I don’t get is how there can be a people mover that works fine in Walt Disney world, but they can’t bring it back to DL?

[@jimhshull]

Well, there are many answers to your question, but this is one. Walt Disney World and Disneyland are separate companies with separate management who run their parks according to their wants and needs. Anaheim is willing to let the old People Mover track alone while WDW MK continues to operate their version. Thanks for your question.

[@nikolausepp8093]

I liked the retro/Jules Verne look. I thought it looked cool. As for the Rocket Rods, it was okay. I didn't care for it as much as the PeopleMover, but that's because I'd go on the PeopleMover as a "refresher"...sitting in the Park is limited, so riding the PeopleMover was a good place to chill.

[@WhichKnee]

I was hoping to hear some more about why Rocket Rods was or wasn’t designed such that it was required to slow down at each of the curves. Seems like it could, with the right equipment, speed through those curves instead of slowing down. I’ve heard unconfirmed stories about budget being the reason why the rocket rods had to slow at each curve. And their “cost savings” there resulted in worn out tires and constant purchase of new tires. Resulting in a lost cost where they ended up paying more for replacement tires than they would have paid for the equipment to speed through the turns at the outset of the ride’s development. Not sure of this is true or not, however.

[@eth39232]

I wonder if perhaps all of Tomorrowland, except Space Mountain, should be torn down and replaced with a Tron ride. If I had my way, Tomorrowland 1967 would still exist, with updates, but I am old, and young people want thrill rides.

[@jimhshull]

When it opened Space Mountain was state of the art in coaster construction. People want interesting rides - not necessarily thrill rides. Thrill rides tend to be ‘one and done’, whereas interesting rides with thrilling elements are evergreen. Given the choice between a Pirates or a Tron I’ll pick Pirates anytime. Thanks for watching and please subscribe. And share my channel.

[@abraxishalliwell9645]

Can you tell us why the observatron doesn’t move anymore?

[@jimhshull]

It all comes down to money and will. Thanks for watching.

[@bexfieldimmersiveconcepts4812]

I love the ideas for the people movers and RocketRods, but they seem to fall into the "new today, old tomorrow" trap. Unlike Paris, which integrated Tomorrowland into the 19th century, Anaheim quickly feels dated. Since you where involved in the redesign: what was the brief, and how much freedom did you have to interpret the execs' vision for Tomorrowland? I have a lot more questions, but let's keep it at this for now.

[@abraxishalliwell9645]

I wonder what the tunnels look like today

[@jimhshull]

Likely the same and smell the same.

[@BatWayne6]

All these years and you still believe the rocket rods had some intrinsic merit. It was NEVER a good idea

[@A_A610]

The concept itself wasn't inherently terrible, but its poor execution was what doomed it.

[@jimhshull]

I continue to believe that Rocket Rods was a good idea that was poorly executed. Personally my wish is that the classic People Mover will returned to Tomorrowland. Thanks for watching and for your comment.

[@maddercat]

Fixing the peoplemover would be an easy win for today's imagineers imo. If I was an imagineer today that would be my number 1 priority. You could make use of the bottom floor of innoventions as a queu and create a walkway over from it, the codes and stuff are nothing, you could replace/augment the entire track with roller coaster construction and stengthen it. I also had the idea of tieing the autopia's track into it and creating one giant awesome attraction. One of Walts favorite lines was "do what you can with what you have", the peoplemover has been ignored for decades while Disney leadership works on entirely new parks and lets it rot. It's actually disgusting. I've been thinking about how to fix it for many many years. Do you know anything about the lightkeeper parade by chance? That's my biggest interest and sadness of 2055 that never came to be cause it seemed to tie a lot of the park together and part of Tony's ideas for a grand theme of Disney.

[@sillyolryan]

As a fan, I agree that People Mover should be brought back. But I get why no executive has been willing to sign off on that plan. Because the ride passes over or through every other ride in Tomorrowland, it would require shutting down the entire land. I just can’t imagine Disneyland going without that capacity for a long period of time.

[@maddercat]

@@sillyolryan No it wouldn't, and half of Tomorrowland buildings that it goes through are already shut off or closed down anyway.

[@jimhshull]

The choice comes down to TWDC deciding to either invest in a short term fix, or to invest in a long term plan. The indecision is exhibited by looking no further than the wood walls near Tomorrowland’s entrance that have been in place for years.

[@disneyfan8178]

"America the Beautiful" and "American Journeys" were at the Circlevision theatre. "America Sings" was in the Carousel Theatre. Please get you facts straight.

[@jimhshull]

Ahh, and I thought I caught my errors in the show notes. Thanks for catching my mistake and keep checking.

[@zosometalgod]

It wasn't the tires that Disney shut down the rocket rods it was the rocket rods we're putting too much stress on the track that's why they couldn't continue!

[@jimhshull]

The track was stressed but the replacement cost of the tires was huge. The gear box was used as the braking mechanism which wore through the tires. Thanks for watching.

[@mr.disney4740]

Good video..thanks for sharing, but people mover had its own que..and could still be used . New SUBSCRIBER !

[@jimhshull]

Thanks for subscribing and please share my channel. People Mover queue was wrapped around the base of the station at the ground level. Tomorrowland operators wanted to free up the area for pathways and circulation. The expensive underground tunnel connecting the CircleVision building to the tower solved the problem.

[@disneyguy3116]

Because of Budget cuts and Euro Disneyland failure!

[@jimhshull]

Euro Disneyland wasn’t a failure. The failure was the decision to open the EDL resort with 5,000 hotel rooms, in combination with borrowing the construction money at the same time when the reunification of Germany occurred. The combination of bad timing and a poor decision burdened the project, but the park itself was not a failure. Thanks for watching and subscribing.

[@disneyguy3116]

@@jimhshullthe park should of never been built in Paris it should of gone to Spain 🇪🇸 then the park would of been a hit and all the parks all over wouldn’t have suffered with budget cuts! The Disneyland park itself is great but the whole project as resort failed!

[@DT2again]

Thank you for your insight on this unfortunately disappointing attraction. One would hope Disney and its team will have learned a valuable lesson from it.

[@jimhshull]

Oh, we can only hope. Thanks for watching and hopefully subscribing.

[@rosariobono438]

Can you do a video on the chamber of destiny on Indiana Jones adventure?

[@jimhshull]

Ohh. The three chambers that featured doors that would move so ride vehicles got a different door to go through each time? Or the version of Indy at Tokyo Disney Sea with just the one door? Let me think on that. Thanks for watching.

[@rosariobono438]

@@jimhshull the version at Disneyland, where it would appear that you entered a different door each time. I really want to know why it doesn’t move anymore

[@joncarlos716]

they clearly need more money and it wasn’t going to happen. The boss chose appearance over functionality.

[@kenpearce3269]

❤❤❤

[@patrickperalta59]

I'm sorry I know you guys tried...but replaceing the People Mover with the Rocket Rods was not a good idea.....while I'm glad Disney World in Florida still has the People Mover...I wish it could come back to Disneyland.........the People Mover and Asvwnture thru Inner space were two of my favorite rides to relax.after a day walking all over the park..........

[@jimhshull]

If there was the will the classic People Mover could return. The issues returning the ride can all be fixed. Disney would gain ride capacity plus good will from guests and the general public if they returned the ride.

[@briansieve]

THE most unforgivable sin of the Eisner era.

[@briandavis6898]

The failure, or rather the expectations of euro Disneyland destroyed the budget.

[@briansieve]

@briandavis6898 agree. The 5000 empty beds of hotels sure wrecked the budget.

[@kboostmobile6580]

Thoughts on good old Disney wanting to pave over river country .... ?????Igor is losing it he needs to go.

[@jimhshull]

You must be wanting me to serve up a good old fashion rant. I think cutting the forrest in River Country to build a common 10 story hotel tower standard to the industry is a terrible idea. The water and forrest are unique which people enjoy. Building a standard common tower removes a reason to travel to Disney World. I believe Disney is selling a modern hotel with current room designs and a great view (for some), but long term this is a poor decision. Thanks for watching and please share my channel with others.

[@NoelsterSF]

I'm confused by a couple things in this video. You say that the circlevision theatre was home to America Sings? America Sings took over in the Carousel theatre after Carousel of Progress decamped to Florida due to GE's sponsorship demands. Also, you state that the reason the Rocket Rods were shuttered was because the braking system went through too many tires to quickly and was thus too costly? This goes against the narrative that the track, which was built to support the much lighter vehicles of the PeopleMover, was deteriorating under the strain of the weight and forced braking of the much heavier Rocket rod cars. Cracks were beginning to show in the supports because the ride track had not been re-profiled to accommodate the speed of turns of the Rods and the vibrations of the braking and weight were too much for the track, according to accounts from Tony Baxter. Did the ride fail because of the track or because of the tires?

[@jimhshull]

I caught my recorded error and made note in my show notes in the episode description. Thanks for watching.

[@NoelsterSF]

@@jimhshull Thanks for clearing that up! Really enjoying your series.

[@jons2614]

I was actually one of the lucky (or unlucky depending on your viewpoint) ones to ride Rocket Rods in 1998. Overall it was......................ok. Not really a thrill ride, a little too intense to be classified as "family friendly" - it was in between the two. It had decent acceleration down the long straight sections above the main pathway of Tomorrowland, but because of all the turns in the People Mover track it was disappointingly slow most of the time. I MUCH preferred the People Mover, it was a 15 minute ride, a great way to get off your tired feet and relax for a few minutes and had wonderful elevated views of Tomorrowland - and the SuperSpeed tunnel was a nice addition in the 1980's! Could Rocket Rods have been a success? I think so.............if they had built a all new track that could've taken advantage of the capabilities of the cars and been sturdy enough to withstand the speed and turns the cars were capable of. It was a sad example of cost cutting by Disney - trying to create a new thrill ride while attempting to use existing infrastructure never designed to support a thrill ride.

[@jimhshull]

Rocket Rods was built during the era when Paul Pressler was in charge of Disney Parks and Resorts (as the division when know then). Pressler went from Disney to The Gap and is the chair of the board of directors of eBay. He was in charge of DCA and brought a cost cutting focus to the Disney Parks which was shown in the construction of New Tomorrowland. The money spent to build that version of Tomorrowland proved a poor investment and Tomorrowland decades later continues to suffer from poor decisions. Thanks for watching and reading my little rant.

[@jons2614]

@@jimhshull - Hey Jim, I truly enjoy your channel and all your wonderful content - in fact I enjoy it so much I'm now a subscriber! Keep up the great work, thanks so much!

[@michaelhband]

👍👍👍❤❤❤

[@4everpee]

Can you speak aobut journey into imagination next Why they dont make a slow people mover with whewls grabbing the center rail put for rocket rods.

[@jimhshull]

Good idea for a future episode. As to the People Mover one issue to solve before it could reopen would be to bring the ride and surrounding buildings up to current day standards. Old rides are grandfathered allowing them to stay running when they would not be allowed to run if they were built that way today.

[@chuckoneill2023]

I did get to ride Rocket Rods. It was interesting, but it was a terribly long wait. And not as good as the People Mover.

[@jimhshull]

Rocket Rods had 2 strikes against it. 1. The constant braking and 2. The lack of interesting show elements. This is entirely my opinion but I believe if 1 and 2 had been solved then Rocket Rods might have survived. Thanks for watching.

[@kevinwilt5496]

The Rocket Rods are Eisner's folly just as Tiana's Bayou Adventure in Iger's. Disney can bring the People Mover back. They just have to do what needs to be done. Completely demolish Tomorrowland to the dirt and completely rebuild it. Tomorrowland is a eyesore a compilation of IPs, vacant storefronts, compromises, and half measures. It really should be called Six Flags land. Alas this would be a enormous short term cost even though in the long run it would be profitable. This is Igreland now where short term gains are everything if it's not making money it's losing money and every attraction is attached to a IP what IP could possibly be attached to a renewed People Mover? A little side note everything Eisner did made money even if it took 15 years to do so. I don't think Iger can claim that.

[@jimhshull]

Two questions need to be answered for what you propose to happen. The first is ‘what is Tomorrowland and what is the story vision for the land’. The second is if TWDC is willing to invested capital to deliver on the vision. The jury is out on both questions. Thanks for watching.

[@michaelsmiley15]

The imagineer who thought it up did not understand the ride it was built for one type of ride vehicle You have to restrict the speed again that's the speed it was designed for You can't just take a new ride vehicle and put it on the people mover track and make it work Ride specific attractions means the vehicle was made for the track that the track was designed for It was never going to work It was a stupid concept and there lucky no one got hurt

[@willrontani5894]

I have a confession to make, Jim. I am extremely disappointed in Disney over the entire issue and current state of tomorrowland. I don’t know whether or not me unloading all of my grips over the issue is something that you want to listen to. But I do have a lot to say about it. It is a travesty. It is also unfathomable to me that it’s left in the current state that it’s in and that no one is willing to pony up any amount of money in order to fix all the issues with tomorrowland as it stands today, I don’t even think Walt would have let the company simply ignore the problems with tomorrowland as long as the current leadership of the company has allowed. I still don’t understand everything that happened even when it’s explained to me in the most minute detail. It goes against every principle of design that Walt stood for. The thought and implication that WDI, at that point in time under Michael Eisner, simply did not do their job and the company did not fund it enough for that job to be done. The design problems needed to be fixed and they were not. They’re simply mothballed. So it tells our kids that there is no future, it is all dystopian mothballs. I am so angry over this, Jim I get so emotional about it. And I’m sorry I have to vent, but you kind of pressed the shiny red button with this video.

[@jimhshull]

What today’s Tomorrowland lacks is its original purpose as a showcase of a possible hopeful future (ignoring the man eating squid in the 20K walkthrough). The exhibits were cheesy but they were sincere. Autopia showed a future of freeways which was a big deal at a time when the only roads in Southern California had stoplights. Challenge today is how to show the future when the future is a iPhone or mini computer. Branding Tomorrowland with Pixar or Disney I P doesn’t address the underlying problem. The problem can be answered when we asked ourself the question, ‘what do we want the future to be’? Thanks for watching and sharing my channel.

[@willrontani5894]

@@jimhshull “Challenge today is how to show the future when the future is an iPhone or mini computer.” This is so frustrating, Innoventions was a worse showcase for this than a Best Buy where the technology was demoed and sold directly to customers. Now all that consumer electronics are not the future. The future has always been dealing with climate change, technological convergence, next generation logistics (moving people and products without petroleum based power). It is high speed rail and high speed boats because airplane technology can’t keep up to the changing power systems. It is integrated solar. It is why WDI should pitch to Rivian in Irvine to redo Autopia. Spaces need to be filled. Star Wars needs to move to Galaxy’s Edge. Use prior themes to fuel the next generation imagination. Ant-man’s journey into quantum space is a missed opportunity. We could leverage IP to do this job, but we don’t want to spend the money unless we have to, because there is never enough incentive to create the opportunity until someone in Burbank sticks their creative neck out in the ghost town that is the Studio. Seriously “Organizational Behavior” has failed and is failing TWDC.

[@robertcousins2274]

Lost respect for you defending this plan. Someone of your generation must have played with those slot cars and know how speed can be a problem on a flat track, even before considering the issues of additional weight. Also there's people that do not like heights and are fearful of wild mouse coasters (which Imagineering put into DCA). I have not done Tron or Remy or rides in other countries, but I am not seeing recently the innovation that is happening at Universal!

[@jimhshull]

You touch on an important point which is that not every ride in Disneyland is for every guest. I live today a short 20 drive from Six Flags Magic Mountain yet haven’t visited in over a decade because the majority of the rides in that park are roller coasters. That park lacks balance and so doesn’t interest me. Good parks feature a variety of rides so there is something for every member of the family.

[@robertcousins2274]

@@jimhshull I appreciate the reply. But I wish you commented on the first part. Why wasn't the issues going to be recognized earlier? The first version of Luigi didn't work, but I imagine that maybe the tires started off lighter and faster, and reliability or safety came into play, but the company was already "pot-committed" (to use a poker term) that they were forced to proceed with it. Seeing an old flat course with weird turns should have been a red flag. My only thought was that it sounded like such a cool possibility that people had blinders to it. I disagree that a park needs everything. We just spent time at LEGOLand and although those rides are different, the family had fun. I'll go to a coaster park another time for those thrills. I am glad Horror Nights exists, but I'll avoid those parks at this time of year with my family, and I'll visit Universal another time. Though I am sure Star Tours was a risk and some may have doubted that, and that changed people's expectations. So I appreciate the risks; but this failure of a fast car on an old existing narrow flat track should not be excused. Slinky Dog is a fun coaster. Is it popular because that park lacks other stuff? I can get a Slinky experience in other parks. Only Disney can provide a Tower of Terror. Besides Rise, what has worked recently to the standard Disney proports to be? And that ride is unpredictable at working.

[@avebeno]

FYI - Your narration is about half the volume of your intro.

[@jimhshull]

Audio is the bane of my existence. Your note is duly recorded and is something that I will look at during the production of my next episode. Keep sending notes.

[@avebeno]

@@jimhshull - I'd be honored to help or give advice along the way!

[@Kodachrome40]

The 1960’s Tomorrowland was very inspiring. The 1990’s Tomorrowland was just a space age carnival.

[@jimhshull]

I’d add that the 1990s Tomorrowland doesn’t have an identity. Frontierland is about the 1880s old west, Fantasyland is about the characters in classic Disney animated films, but Tomorrowland is such a mix that it doesn’t have a clear identity. Space flight, animated spacemen and Star Wars mixed together is the current menu. Thanks for watching.

[@robertbdesmond]

WDI failed miserably with Rocket Rods!!!!! Who the hell thought that a high speed vehicle would work on an OLD low speed under-designed structure??? I am an "Honorary" Imagineer. Jack Blitch, Senior VP of WDI Orlando called me into his office one day during the construction of Disney's Animal Kingdom and handed me a Sorcerer Mickey hard helmet and he made me an Honorary Imagineer. Big deal, right? Well, to me it was a big deal. I worked for Jack on several WDI projects spanning about 30 years. I worked with Imagineers all the time and they are quite brilliant!!! They can also be eccentric and conceited! So, which Imagineer thought that Rocket Rods on an existing OLD ride structure was a good idea??? It was destined to fail, and it did fail! In closing...Guests LOVE the PeopleMover!!! Why not re-design one that will meet all of the codes and build it??? You don't have to take a human being to the edge of death on a thrill ride for them to enjoy an attraction. At WDW, guests really LOVE the Tomorrowland Transit Authority (PeopleMover). We love the fact that it's elevated and that it's a preview of Tomorrowland. And it's a longer ride than 3 minutes! It won’t give you a heart attack either! And electro magnets work way better than individual electric motors with rubber tires! Lately, WDI has missed the mark on design. They ruined EPCOT's Fountain of Nations area and replaced it with pure crap in my opinion. And so on and so on. I could write a book on how Disney has failed miserably lately building attractions that only healthy people free of physical limitations can ride, like say EPCOT's Guardians of the Galaxy ride or Magic Kingdom’s TRON. Anyway, WDI Has also created some winners as well, like Beacons of Magic and Flight of Passage! In the end, WDI folks are a strange bunch of creative and eccentric minds. Somebody needs to babysit them so they don't stray too far from their cribs. Rocket Rods was such a disappointment.

[@jimhshull]

Rocket Rods and new Tomorrowland are case studies of big ideas coupled with limited investment. Note here that WDI is a project based company and their client is the Walt Disney Company. WDI will compile with requests of TWDC but the limited are real. Without adequate investment and time projects will disappoint and fail. Thanks for watching and subscribing.

[@ddc163264]

I liked both PeopleMover and Rocket Rods. I know that this keeps saying WDI because that's what people know, but back then it was called WED, not WDI. Never liked the Observatron. It was annoying. Especially when it had it's overly loud "activation" that did NOTHING. At least with Small World it showed a clock. The steampunk look worked in Paris, it NEVER worked in DL. It was dark and almost claustrophobic, making Tommorrowland seem smaller than it already is. Paris is more open so that the colors don't do that. Now you have an shell or shadow of its former self area. Peoplemover gone, nothing in that center area, Carousel (even Innoventions) closed, Honey I Shrunk/Capt EO gone, even the show stand doesn't get used like it used to. With no good people to do anything about it. The people there now bring shame to the name Imagineer, because 1) they don't have any original imagination, 2) Their engineering is sadly lacking as almost everything breaks down immediately and much more often 3) hiring Ginsler rejects won't get you far amd 4) lastly following that idiot Iger's decree that ONLY IP will be done, would've NEVER allowed things like the Peoplemover, Rocket Rods, Carousel, Innoventions, Space Mtn, Capt EO, Autopia, Inner space, etc to even be built at all.

[@jimhshull]

Some of us still call WDi ‘WED’. Thanks for watching.

[@cameronlemmer791]

Fascinating trip through time there. So much change I didn’t know about. Are there any areas that haven’t changed? Like some of the coin machines in the shops look really old. Tap dancing Pinocchio and a mechanical band machine were a good find, hopefully from the old days as I’m interested in the history of the park