Slimmer Kimmers wrote:I have a few questions that I hope all you Disneyland experts can help me out on.
1. Why did they take out the Peoplemover in the first place?
2. When they removed it, did they initially take down the track as well? (I vaguely remember the track being completely gone during one visit)
3. Why was the Rocket Rod ride so short lived? One year it was there and the next it was gone.
4. When the hay are they going to bring the Peoplemover back?? (Yes, I have signed the petition.
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I apologize if there is already a thread addressing these questions. I have always wanted to know, though! Thanks!
I'll take a stab at these:
1. They thought it was boring and wanted to replace it with a thrill ride to go along with the 1998 redesign of Tomorrowland.
2. The track has never been removed.
3. Many reasons, most of which surround the physics of the ride. The Peoplemover track is not a banked track, it is essentially flat through turns. Not a problem for the slow-moving Peoplemover, major problem for the speedy Rocket Rods. The would have to brake so hard into turns that the vehicles burned through tires and brakes far, far too fast for Maintenance to keep up.
4. They can never bring back the Peoplemover in its original, open-air design. There are California state laws on the books that came into existence after the Peoplemover opened regarding distances between tunnels/walls/etc. and open-air vehicles. The Peoplemover used to be ok, because having existed before the pertinent laws, it was "grandfathered in"... once the ride closed, the grandfather clause no longer applied. There are rumors that Disney wants to do an Incredibles-themed ride on the old Peoplemover track, using the enclosed pod vehicles from that film.
