Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover

The Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover is an attraction located in Tomorrowland.

History

Original Concept

Like many early Walt Disney World attractions, the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover was based on a Disneyland attraction. The ride takes guests on a leisurely tour around Tomorrowland. The trains that guests sit in follow a guided track, and made up of five cars, which each hold four passengers. The attraction uses "linear induction motors" to propel the trains along a track. Since the motors are powered magnetically, and use no fuel, the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover is 100% pollution free. When Walt Disney and his Imagineers originally created the concept for the PeopleMover, they saw it as the transportation of the future. The Disneyland Peoplemover used Goodyear tires, with their own motors to propel the trains along the tracks. Walt thought that one day, PeopleMover's would be the easiest and cleanest way of urban transportation. If fact, traveling by PeopleMover was going to be one of the main modes of transportation in his Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.

Although the technology never became as widespread as Walt might have hoped, in 1967 the WedWay PeopleMover opened in Disneyland. The attraction consisted of 62 trains which took guests on an elevated tour of Tomorrowland. Since the trains never stopped, guests stepped on and used a moving platform to align themselves with, and board the trains. Although the track was not covered, each of the individual cars were. Each of cars also head their own speakers, from which they could hear the rides narration. The attraction was often billed as the "future of transportation, here today!".

Creation in Walt Disney World

Although the attraction was not an opening day one, there were quickly plans for a PeopleMover attraction in Disney World. When the park opened in 1971 Tomorrowland was not yet complete. To help complete the land the a version of the PeopleMover was constructed along with Space Mountain. The Disney World version of the attraction was named the WEDway PeopleMover, and opened July 1, 1975. Instead of using GM tires as the Disneyland attraction, the attraction used linear induction motors. Because the attraction no longer used GM tires, General Motors decided not to sponsor the attraction. The WEDway PeopleMover was instead sponsored by the Edison Electric Institute. Another differences between the two attractions was that while the Disneyland PeopleMover featured covered cars with and uncovered track, the Disney World WEDway PeopleMover featured a covered track with unconvered cars.

The WEDway PeopleMover, like its Disneyland counterpart, took guests on a tour around Tomorrowland. The attraction was narrated by Disney voice artist, Jack Wagner, who pointed out the various Tomorrowland attractions to guests. When it opened, the WEDway PeopleMover originally passed through or by: The Carousel of Progress, If You Had Winds, the Circle-Vision 360 Theater, Flight to the Moon, and Space Mountain. The attraction also drove over the Tomorrowland Speedway and under the Star Jets, where the loading and unloading station is located.

Changes Since 1975

Although the track, and basic premise of the WEDway PeopleMover have remained pretty much the same, the narration and the attraction name have changed quite frequently. The original Jack Wagner narration was used from 1975 until 1985. During this time the only major change to the narration came when America the Beautiful closed, and Magic Carpet Around the World replaced it. In 1985, the rides narrator was changed to, ORAC-1 "The Commuter Computer". The new narration stuck mostly to the same script, however it was lighter in tone. While ORAC-1 was the narrator, Delta Dreamflight replaced If You Had Wings. Due to this change, the windows that once looked into If You Had Winds, no longer lined up with the attractions scenes. Because of this, the first window was replaced with panels depicting the attractions barnstormer scene. The second window looked into the Parisian Excursion scene, however the angle ruined the forced perspective that the attraction used. The third window (the left one) would have had guests looking directly into a bright light, so it was covered with black fabric. The only other major change to happen during ORAC-1's narration was the removal of the Magic Carpet Around the World 360 film, and the addition of it's replacement American Journeys.

In 1995, in order to correspond with the opening of the WEDway Peoplemover went under a significant refurbishment. The original track which was white and very smooth looking, was replaced with a more dark, metallic looking track. A new narration was also added to the attraction, this time done by Pete Renaday. The new narration focused on Tomorrowland's new backstory, and made references to the fact that Tomorrowland was an intergalactic meeting place. Additions and changes during Pete Renaday's time as the narrator include:

• The Carousel of Progress being renamed Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress.

• The addition of the Timekeeper narration in 1994. This narration was subsequently removed when the Timekeeper closed in 2006.

• The Carousel of Progress being renamed Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress.

• The addition of the Timekeeper narration in 1994. This narration was subsequently removed when the Timekeeper closed in 2006.

• A change in the narration so that the ride vehicle was referred to as the TTA Metroliner.

• A change in the narration when Delta Dreamflight became Take Flight! in 1996.

• A change in the narration when Take Flight! became Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. The windows that guests could once look in and see Delta Dreamflight were also changed. The first windows was covered by a diorama of a hair salon, the second window looked into the Robot Attack scene of the new attraction, and the third window remained covered.

• The removal of Federal Express as the sponsor of Space Mountain. The line that once went "Now arriving in Space Mountain, Tomorrowland's gateway to the Galaxy, Presented by Federal Express," was changed so that it ended right after the word "galaxy".

• A change in the narration so that when guest's past the EPCOT model, the narrator would inform them that it was sponsored by the fictional The Metro-Retro Historical Society.

• A change in narration renaming the Astro Orbiter, the League of Planets Astro Orbiter. This helped tie the attraction in with the "New Tomorrowland" backstory.

In 2009 in conjunction with the Space Mountain refurbishment the Tomorrowland Transit Authority was once again closed for refurbishment. Disney said that it was necessary to close the attraction, so that maintenance workers could work on Space Mountain. When the attractions reopened, the word PeopleMover was added to the end of Tomorrowland Transit Authority. Besides just getting a name change, the attraction also received a new narration. The narration eliminated the New Tomorrowland backstory, and many of the in-jokes and references that came with it. New attractions such as Stitch's Great Escape! and The Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor were added to the narration. The narration is now done by Mike Brassell, who narrates the attraction in a much quieter and emotionless way. During the time the Mike Brassell has narrated the attraction, the only major change has been the re-addition of the famous Tom Morrow line. Following the 2009 refurbishment of the attraction, almost all of the unique and creative lines from the narration were removed. After receiving many complaints the reference to Tom Morrow was added back inside Space Mountain. In the new narration the ride vehicle is referred to as Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover instead of the TTA Metroliner.