Difference between revisions of "Tomorrowland Speedway"

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The Tomorrowland Speedway is an attraction located in Tomorrowland.
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{{Infobox Disney ride |
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| image=Speedway.jpg
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| caption='''The Entrance to the Tomorrowland Speedway'''
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| opened=October 1st, 1971
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| duration=3:50
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| number_of_vehicles=146
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| park= Magic Kingdom
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| land=Tomorrowland
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| vehicle_type=Mark VII
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| based_on=Indianapolis Motor Speedway
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| custom_label_1= Track Length
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| custom_value_1= .4 miles
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| height_requirement= 52
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|custom_label_2    = Previous Name
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|custom_value_2    = Grand Prix Raceway (1971-1996)
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Tomorrowland Indy Speedway (1996-2009)
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|custom_label_2=  Disney Genie +
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|custom_value_2= Yes
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}}
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The Tomorrowland Speedway is an attraction located in [[Tomorrowland]].
  
 
==Attraction History==
 
==Attraction History==
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Like many early Magic Kingdom attractions, what would eventually be known as the Tomorrowland Speedway actually traces its origin back to Disneyland. The Tomorrowland Speedway’s predecessor was an attraction known as Autopia. Located in Disneyland’s Tomorrowland, Autopia allowed guests to board cars and travel on the highway of the future (Disneyland’s Autopia opened before President Eisenhower signed Interstate Highway legislation into law). The attraction proved to be extremely popular in California, and thus it was an obvious choice for addition in Walt Disney World <ref>http://www.wdwradio.com/2007/09/tomorrowland-indy-speedway/ </ref>.
  
The Tomorrowland Speedway opened with the Magic Kingdom in 1971, as the Grand Prix Raceway. The attraction was similar to Disneyland's Autopia, in that it allowed guests to drive motor cars around a track, however instead of being based on futuristic travel (as Autopia was) the Grand Prix Raceway was themed to look like an international race track. Like Autopia, the Grand Prix Raceway is located in Tomorrowland and Mark  VII ride vehicles. The Grand Prix Raceway was originally sponsored by Goodyear, who supplied tires for all of the attraction vehicles.
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The Magic Kingdom’s version of Autopia opened as the Grand Prix Raceway, with the rest of the park, on October 1, 1971. Unlike the Disneyland version of the ride, which was themed to look like a futuristic highway, the Grand Prix Raceway was instead designed to look like an international car race. The Grand Prix Raceway was originally sponsored by Goodyear, who supplied tires for all of the attraction vehicles <ref name= "Jack"> http://land.allears.net/blogs/jackspence/2012/09/tomorrowland_speedway_1.html </ref>.
 
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Although the basic idea of the Grand Prix Raceway has not changed since it's opening, the name and theming of the attraction have. The first change to the Grand Prix Raceway came in 1973, when the track was expanded. By 1987 however, the track was shortened to make room for Mickey's Birthdayland. Then, in 1996 the attraction was renamed the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway and it was given new futuristic theming to coincide with with the "New Tomorrowland".  
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In 1999 Disney and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced that they would partner to change the theme of the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway. Famous items from the Indianapolis Speedway were added to the attraction including:
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Although the basic idea of the Grand Prix Raceway has not changed since its opening, the name and theming of the attraction have. The first change to the Grand Prix Raceway came in 1973, when the track was expanded<ref name= "Jack"/>. This was followed by a shortening of the track in 1974 as part of the construction of [[Space Mountain]] <ref name= "Lou"/> In 1987 the track was again shortened, this time to make room for Mickey's Birthdayland <ref name= "Jack"/>. In 1996 the attraction was renamed the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway, and it was given new futuristic theming to coincide with the "New Tomorrowland".
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In 1999 Disney and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced that they would partner together to change the theme of the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway <ref> http://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/tomorrowland-indy-speedway/news/03nov1999-press-release---tomorrowland-indy-speedway.htm </ref>. Famous items from the Indianapolis Speedway were added to the attraction at this time, including:
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[[Image:CarsTomorrowland3.jpg|thumb|400px|The view from aboard the Tomorrowland Speedway|alt= Tomorrowland Speedway Magic Kingdom]]
 
*The Yard of Bricks
 
*The Yard of Bricks
  
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*Gasoline Alley
 
*Gasoline Alley
  
*The "Wheels and Wings" logo
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*The "Wheels and Wings" logo  
  
Also, panels of the Indy 500, Brickyard 400 and the Grand Prix Raceway were added to the loading area.   
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*Panels of the Indy 500, Brickyard 400 and the Grand Prix Raceway were added to the loading area.   
  
In 2009 Indianapolis Motor Speedway ended their sponsorship of the attraction and the the "Indy" was dropped from the name of the attraction, although the theming remained the same.
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In 2009 the Indianapolis Motor Speedway ended their sponsorship of the attraction and the "Indy" was dropped from the name of the attraction. Although now sponsorless, the theming of the Speedway remained the same. <ref> http://allears.net/tp/mk/mk_speed.htm </ref> In 2012 the Tomorrowland Speedway was shortened by about 400 ft in order to make room for the relocated [[Dumbo]] attraction in Storybook Circus <ref name= "Lou">  Tomorrowland: Walt Disney World Walking Tour by Lou Mongello </ref>.
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On January 3, 2019, the Tomorrowland Speedway closed for refurbishment. At this time, the attraction's track is to be rerouted to make room for Tomorrowland's upcoming Tron attraction <ref> https://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/tomorrowland-indy-speedway/news/04oct2018-tomorrowland-speedway-closing-for-5-months-to-re-route-track-around-tron.htm </ref>. A shorter Tomorrowland Speedway reopened on May 19, 2019.
  
 
==Attraction Plot==
 
==Attraction Plot==
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The Tomorrowland Speedway allows guests to drive their own "race cars" around a 4/10 mile, four lane track. A guide rail keeps each guest in his or her lane, but can lead to a sometimes bumpy ride. The attraction is especially popular among younger guests who cannot yet drive a real car. The Tomorrowland Speedway is themed to resemble the famous Indianapolis Speedway. To add to the illusion, environmental sounds from a race track are actually pumped in through speakers in each car. The cars are also equipped with an acceleration pedal and a steering wheel (the cars reach top speeds of 7.5 mph). Famous announcer Tom Carnegie can be heard announcing the "race" as cars travel around the track, which takes minutes to complete. At the end of the race, a checkered flag waves for every rider.
  
The Tomorrowland Speedway allows guests to drive their own "race cars" around a 4/10 mile, four lane track. A guide rail keeps each guests in his or her lane, but can lead to a sometimes bumpy rid.  The  The attraction is especially popular among younger guests who can not yet drive a real car. The Tomorrowland Speedway is themed to resemble the famous Indianapolis Speedway. To add the to illusion, environmental sounds from a race track are actually pumped in through speakers on each car. Each car is equipped with an acceleration pedal and a steering wheel, and the Cars reach top speeds of 7.5 mph. Famous announcer Tom Carnegie can be heard announcing the "race" as cars travel around the track. The entire course takes about 5 minutes to complete, although times obviously vary. At the end of the race, a checkered flag waves for every rider that finished the race.
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==See The Attraction!==
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To see the Tomorrowland Speedway click play below.
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{{#ev:youtube|bymAroy02hQ|420}}
  
 
==Fun Facts and Trivia==
 
==Fun Facts and Trivia==
  
* From 1994-2009 when guests rode the Tomorrowland Transit Authority over the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway, Mr. Johnson would give a traffic report. He would always say: "Hi there Tomorrowland travellers. This is Mr. Johnson in Skyview Hovercraft One, bringing you the latest Tomorrowland traffic report. As usual, everything is perfect on Tommorowland's Super Highways"
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* From 1994-2009 when guests rode the Tomorrowland Transit Authority over the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway, Mr. Johnson would give a traffic report. He would always say: "Hi there Tomorrowland travelers. This is Mr. Johnson in Skyview Hovercraft One, bringing you the latest Tomorrowland traffic report. As usual, everything is perfect on Tommorowland’s  Super Highways"
  
*Mr. Johnson is actually a reference to Mission to Mars, a former Tomorrowland attraction.
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* Mr. Johnson is actually a reference to a character from Mission to Mars, a former Tomorrowland attraction.
  
 
* There is a sponsor lounge in the control tower, near the front of the attraction.
 
* There is a sponsor lounge in the control tower, near the front of the attraction.
  
*Al Unserbot is the official host of the Tomorrowland Indy 500.
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* Al Unserbot is the official host of the Tomorrowland Indy 500.
 
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*Al Unserbot Jr. us the 4 time winner of the Constellation Cup
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* Al Unserbot Jr. is the 4 time winner of the Constellation Cup <ref> http://www.wdwradio.com/2007/09/tomorrowland-indy-speedway/ </ref>.
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
 
http://allears.net/tp/mk/mk_speed.htm
 
 
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/magic-kingdom/attractions/tomorrowland-speedway/
 
 
http://www.wdwradio.com/2007/09/tomorrowland-indy-speedway/
 

Latest revision as of 13:33, 7 January 2023

Tomorrowland Speedway
Speedway.jpg
The Entrance to the Tomorrowland Speedway
Magic Kingdom
Land Tomorrowland
Opening date October 1st, 1971
Vehicle type Mark VII
Number of vehicles 146
Ride duration 3:50 minutes
Height requirements 52" (132 cm)
Track Length .4 miles
Disney Genie + Yes
Based on Indianapolis Motor Speedway

The Tomorrowland Speedway is an attraction located in Tomorrowland.

Attraction History

Like many early Magic Kingdom attractions, what would eventually be known as the Tomorrowland Speedway actually traces its origin back to Disneyland. The Tomorrowland Speedway’s predecessor was an attraction known as Autopia. Located in Disneyland’s Tomorrowland, Autopia allowed guests to board cars and travel on the highway of the future (Disneyland’s Autopia opened before President Eisenhower signed Interstate Highway legislation into law). The attraction proved to be extremely popular in California, and thus it was an obvious choice for addition in Walt Disney World [1].

The Magic Kingdom’s version of Autopia opened as the Grand Prix Raceway, with the rest of the park, on October 1, 1971. Unlike the Disneyland version of the ride, which was themed to look like a futuristic highway, the Grand Prix Raceway was instead designed to look like an international car race. The Grand Prix Raceway was originally sponsored by Goodyear, who supplied tires for all of the attraction vehicles [2].

Although the basic idea of the Grand Prix Raceway has not changed since its opening, the name and theming of the attraction have. The first change to the Grand Prix Raceway came in 1973, when the track was expanded[2]. This was followed by a shortening of the track in 1974 as part of the construction of Space Mountain [3] In 1987 the track was again shortened, this time to make room for Mickey's Birthdayland [2]. In 1996 the attraction was renamed the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway, and it was given new futuristic theming to coincide with the "New Tomorrowland".

In 1999 Disney and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced that they would partner together to change the theme of the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway [4]. Famous items from the Indianapolis Speedway were added to the attraction at this time, including:

 Tomorrowland Speedway Magic Kingdom
The view from aboard the Tomorrowland Speedway
  • The Yard of Bricks
  • The Scoring Pylon
  • Gasoline Alley
  • The "Wheels and Wings" logo
  • Panels of the Indy 500, Brickyard 400 and the Grand Prix Raceway were added to the loading area.

In 2009 the Indianapolis Motor Speedway ended their sponsorship of the attraction and the "Indy" was dropped from the name of the attraction. Although now sponsorless, the theming of the Speedway remained the same. [5] In 2012 the Tomorrowland Speedway was shortened by about 400 ft in order to make room for the relocated Dumbo attraction in Storybook Circus [3].

On January 3, 2019, the Tomorrowland Speedway closed for refurbishment. At this time, the attraction's track is to be rerouted to make room for Tomorrowland's upcoming Tron attraction [6]. A shorter Tomorrowland Speedway reopened on May 19, 2019.

Attraction Plot

The Tomorrowland Speedway allows guests to drive their own "race cars" around a 4/10 mile, four lane track. A guide rail keeps each guest in his or her lane, but can lead to a sometimes bumpy ride. The attraction is especially popular among younger guests who cannot yet drive a real car. The Tomorrowland Speedway is themed to resemble the famous Indianapolis Speedway. To add to the illusion, environmental sounds from a race track are actually pumped in through speakers in each car. The cars are also equipped with an acceleration pedal and a steering wheel (the cars reach top speeds of 7.5 mph). Famous announcer Tom Carnegie can be heard announcing the "race" as cars travel around the track, which takes minutes to complete. At the end of the race, a checkered flag waves for every rider.

See The Attraction!

To see the Tomorrowland Speedway click play below.

Fun Facts and Trivia

  • From 1994-2009 when guests rode the Tomorrowland Transit Authority over the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway, Mr. Johnson would give a traffic report. He would always say: "Hi there Tomorrowland travelers. This is Mr. Johnson in Skyview Hovercraft One, bringing you the latest Tomorrowland traffic report. As usual, everything is perfect on Tommorowland’s Super Highways"
  • Mr. Johnson is actually a reference to a character from Mission to Mars, a former Tomorrowland attraction.
  • There is a sponsor lounge in the control tower, near the front of the attraction.
  • Al Unserbot is the official host of the Tomorrowland Indy 500.
  • Al Unserbot Jr. is the 4 time winner of the Constellation Cup [7].

References

  1. http://www.wdwradio.com/2007/09/tomorrowland-indy-speedway/
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 http://land.allears.net/blogs/jackspence/2012/09/tomorrowland_speedway_1.html
  3. 3.0 3.1 Tomorrowland: Walt Disney World Walking Tour by Lou Mongello
  4. http://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/tomorrowland-indy-speedway/news/03nov1999-press-release---tomorrowland-indy-speedway.htm
  5. http://allears.net/tp/mk/mk_speed.htm
  6. https://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/tomorrowland-indy-speedway/news/04oct2018-tomorrowland-speedway-closing-for-5-months-to-re-route-track-around-tron.htm
  7. http://www.wdwradio.com/2007/09/tomorrowland-indy-speedway/