DL Forum: Disneyland PeopleMover Ride To Be Re-Opened Based on Pixar "Up" Movie

[k5jm]

Omg!

this article was posted to the orange county register www.ocregister.com this morning. I miss the peoplemover and am so excited!

disneyland peoplemover ride to be re-opened based on pixar "up" movie

anaheim, california - yesterday john lasseter, principal creative advisor for walt disney imagineering and former creative director at pixar, announced expansion plans at the disneyland theme park. This long awaited announcement confirmed rumors that the former peoplemover ride will be re-themed based on the hit disney pixar movie “up”. Construction will begin in september and is expected to be completed by 2013.

According to mr. Lasseter, balloon shaped ride vehicles of different colors will travel along the former peoplemover track to give riders and guests below the sense that the ride vehicles are floating above tomorrowland. A house modeled after up movie characters carl and ellie’s house will be built above the track system on top of the innoventions building. Ride vehicles will pass through the house. Each morning helium-filled mickey mouse balloons will be attached by strings to the top of the house.

The cast member costumes have already been designed and will be based on the familiar tan-colored boy scout dress style.

Mr. Lasseter described one of the ride experiences which follows the paradise falls destination in the up movie. A waterfall will be constructed to discharge water over the monorail loading station and into the finding nemo submarine voyage lagoon. The balloon-shaped ride vehicles will pass under the waterfall.

To further build on movie elements, audio-animatronic dogs will be placed inside the dark portion of the ride near space mountain and will “chase” the balloon vehicles. In contrast to the original peoplemover ride, each ride vehicle will be equipped with a guest operated ride control system so guests can try to avoid and outrun the animatronic dogs. Guests can yell “squirrel!” to make the dogs run away.

Each guest will be given a “merit badge” when they exit the ride with a mickey mouse face on the badge. Merit badges can be exchanged for mickey mouse balloons on main street.
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[funhouse8]

As wonderful as this sounds I'm thinking it's an April Fools Joke.

 

[DisneyKevin]

I was buying this up until the last sentence.

"Each guest will be given a “merit badge” when they exit the ride with a mickey mouse face on the badge. Merit badges can be exchanged for mickey mouse balloons on main street."

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Last fall at Destination D, George Kalogridis, President of DLR, stated that under the current building/safety codes the Peoplemover could not be re-opened. It would require both increasing the width of the tack area, as well as requiring emergency stairway access in multiple locations, both of which which would greatly interfere with show.

 

[Cherinva]

That last sentence did it for me too.

 

[DSNY4ever]

I think it's a joke too, but it sounds fun! Disney giving away free balloons, that IS funny

I would like to see them do something with that spot though since Rocket Rods lasted maybe a year, if that? Up doesn't seem "Tomorrowland" related.

 

[BriarRosie]

I was buying this up until the last sentence.

"Each guest will be given a “merit badge” when they exit the ride with a mickey mouse face on the badge. Merit badges can be exchanged for mickey mouse balloons on main street."

It took you that long? This is the part that did it for me:

Each morning helium-filled mickey mouse balloons will be attached by strings to the top of the house.

But then again, the editor in me noticed some grammatical errors at the beginning, so I pretty much knew from the start.

 

[tink576]

Cute April Fools Joke...although I think the mug one was funnier