There were, however, attempts to make Tomorrowland feel more substantial and spacious. Having two high-capacity Disneyland attractions (Circle-Vision 360 and Peoplemover) combined into one low-capacity attraction experience was not the wisest decision, but one that followed management’s logic in the late ’90s. This resulted in crowding the once-intimate Disneyland paths. While the crowd levels were lower than modern-day Disneyland, this period of Disneyland’s history was right when facilities were being shut down throughout the park, and outdoor vending carts were growing in numbers. With Submarine Voyage and Autopia both closed, park guests were frustrated with the “updated, fresh Tomorrowland.” Disney had marketed something completely different.
This was right after the Fourth of July in 1998, during the height of the summer season. Within six weeks of its grand opening, Rocket Rods had to be shut down for maintenance. To make things worse, when Rocket Rods opened, Disneyland shut down the two of the three remaining Tomorrowland attractions that had not seen any updates Submarine Voyage and Autopia. The ride vehicles had four rows, singular seats in the first three rows, and then two seats in the last row. It was also tricky having a system like this to run reliably as the land’s new anchor attraction. This made the pre-FastPass 75-120 minute wait times not worth it. The result for Rocket Rods was a ride system that was too heavy for the Peoplemover track, too slow of a ride for thrill-seekers, too fast of a journey for guests who enjoyed the Peoplemover, and far too low capacity. General Motors was originally going to be the sponsor of the new attraction, but decided against it.
#ORBITER RIDE UPDATE#
Ironically, a Tomorrowland update inspired by Imagineering’s recent work in Europe ended up being one of the many reasons for Disneyland Paris’ financial failures. Examples include reusing the Tomorrowland Theater (which previously showed Captain EO) for Honey I Shrunk the Audience, turning the Circle-Vision 360 theater into the Rocket Rods queue, and adapting the already problematic Test Track ride system by placing it on the existing Peoplemover support structure. Meanwhile, they found ways to skimp on costs. These were all deemed to be unnecessary expenses.
Other issues include rebuilding the entire Carousel Building, introducing an additional restaurant at Mission to Mars, and repainting the land bronze (including all of Space Mountain). Removing the Rocket Jets attraction on top of the Peoplemover platform in 1997 and installing a new Euro Disney-inspired Astro Orbiter ride system at the front of the land by the Central Plaza is one of them. While this did influence their visions, the project did have some issues of its own. The Team’s PlanĪs Walt Disney World’s updated Tomorrowland opened and Test Track’s original installation continued to be delayed at Epcot, Tony Baxter and the Imagineering team continued to find their Disneyland Tomorrowland project getting pushed to the back burner. This leads us to Rocket Rods, which opened on May 22, 1998. The Carousel building was closed in 1988, Mission to Mars in 1992, and the Skyway and Peoplemover in 1995. Magic Kingdom’s 1994 Tomorrowland took a different direction in tone and theme however, it received two attractions that were either reused from Disneyland Paris or meant for Disneyland’s Tomorrowland 2055 (Timekeeper and Alien Encounter.)īy the time Tomorrowland’s construction had started, many show facilities had already been closed. Coming off the heels of Euro Disney’s opening in Paris, Imagineers looked at both domestic parks’ Tomorrowlands as areas in need of attention.
The 1998 update of Tomorrowland had been in design for six years, going through several concepts, most notably Tomorrowland 2055. The 1998 update was the first real update since 1967, with Space Mountain, Captain EO, and Star Tours all being significant additions in the time between.
Rocket Rods was the new anchor attraction for Disneyland’s infamous Tomorrowland relaunch in 1998. When looking back, one of the most prominent failed projects, Rocket Rods, sits pretty close to the top. Disneyland Park has experienced its ups and downs when it comes to attractions throughout the years.
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