40 year anniversary of Eastern Airlines "If you had wings"

[crazy4wdw]

40 years ago, one of my favorite attractions at the Magic Kingdom opened, "If you had wings". It was one of the few attractions in the MK that were "free" meaning you didn't have to use one of your tickets from your ticket book. I can still hear the theme music from the attraction.

Disney Parks Blog has an article on the attraction:

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...f-you-had-wings-opened-at-magic-kingdom-park/

 

[minijeanie]

OMG I remember that as well! I can't believe it was 40 years ago

I remember carrying around your E ticket books and trying to use up all the little ones ...

Remember how nice Main Street Used to be. Putting pennies into the old picture show machines....aaaah.. Now all you have are the same stores over and over and over...

thanks for bringing me back to a nice memory.

 

[holden]

I loved that ride! I can feel the wind in my hair now...

 

[craiggers]

It was always one of my favorites as a kid.

 

[HappyGal]

I can't believe it was 40 years ago. Wasn't it sponsered by Eastern and then Delta? I loved it ,so much so that I became a Flight Atendant! : )

 

[Figment632]

So much better than Buzz!

 

[DCTooTall]

I can't believe it was 40 years ago. Wasn't it sponsered by Eastern and then Delta? I loved it ,so much so that I became a Flight Atendant! : )

If You had wings was sponsored by Eastern Airlines. When the sponsorship ended (Was it before or during/after the bankruptcy?) the Eastern references where stripped and it became the "If you could fly" version. Once Delta took over sponsorship, The ride was redone completely and turned into "Dreamflight". Once Delta's sponsorship ended, once again they stripped the Delta references from the ride and turned it into "Take Flight".

Then Buzz came.

 

[TavieP]

I miss IYHW, and Dreamflight, too. (I was young enough when it turned over - 8 or 9.)

There was that trippy thing during the end with the spinning blades of light, that made you feel you were traveling into a vortex. A similar effect was used in the old World of Motion ride, I think. Good times.

 

[DCTooTall]

I miss IYHW, and Dreamflight, too. (I was young enough when it turned over - 8 or 9.)

There was that trippy thing during the end with the spinning blades of light, that made you feel you were traveling into a vortex. A similar effect was used in the old World of Motion ride, I think. Good times.

It looked more like you were traveling into a Jet engine (In the Dreamflight Version). the sound at the time was similar to that of a jet getting ready to take off.

That Jet /light effect is still there in Buzz. They just changed the color from the old white light to a red light.

 

[TavieP]

It looked more like you were traveling into a Jet engine (In the Dreamflight Version). the sound at the time was similar to that of a jet getting ready to take off.

That Jet /light effect is still there in Buzz. They just changed the color from the old white light to a red light.

Oh, that's right. I guess I miss the white light... and with Buzz, I'm too keyed up cursing myself for missing all those targets to enjoy the dreamy, psychedelic feeling of falling into a jet engine!

 

[wishuponastarforever]

AHHHH thanks for the trip down memory lane. I worked for Eastern Airlines for many years. My family had so much pride in that ride until well you know the end of the story. Those were the days.

 

[Golf4food]

I loved whatever version was there in the early/mid 80s as a child. Always looked forward to it.

 

[AllieV]

Oh, wow, that was why we went on it so many times. It didn't require a ticket. Geez, I'd forgotten about that. I loved that ending tunnel, too. Didn't they take out the conveyor seats and have people standing in that big dome with all the stuff flying by you on the screens and ceiling screens? I preferred the double motion with the moving cars.

And the penny movies! Loved those.

 

[nuts]

OK, I am going to really date myself...trivial question: What ride existed in that space before IYHW?

 

[DCTooTall]

OK, I am going to really date myself...trivial question: What ride existed in that space before IYHW?

As far as I was aware.... Nothing.

IYHW opened in 1972 and was a relatively last-minute addition to the park that was put into the extra space in the Circlevision building.

 

[crazy4wdw]

As far as I was aware.... Nothing.

IYHW opened in 1972 and was a relatively last-minute addition to the park that was put into the extra space in the Circlevision building.

Yes, that's correct. "If you had wings" was the first attraction in that location. It opened in June 1972, 8 months after the Magic Kingdom opened.

 

[minijeanie]

I remember it being sponsored by Delta after Eastern.. It was not as good as the Eastern ride.

 

[wishuponastarforever]

Eastern Airlines was "The official airline of Floridas World Disney World" when WDW first opened. That is why it was a free attraction.
Eastern paid for this honor back in the day when corporations were tripping over each other to be associated with WDW. Poor management and money woes eventually took Eastern out of the picture and Delta took over for a while. Memories

 

[jlcw14]

"If you...had wings...had wings...had wings..."

Ahhh I loved that ride!

 

[ReganA]

Here's a video from the ride:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Vmfc8aVW-U