MK question for someone with a long memory

[Musky]

Marty Joe, I think you're talking about Flight to the Moon/Mission to Mars in Tomorrowland, which I believe is now Alien Encounter. But as far as I know, Big Thunder Mountain has always been Big Thunder Mountain, I remember riding it in 1974 (or was it 1981?) and it is essentially the same now as the first time I rode it - whatever year that was!



Musky

 

[goofyernmost]

Isn't it funny how our memories work. I liked 20K but I still thought it was lame. (i.e. plastic fish) Regardless, it was still a very unique theme park ride. The bubbles going past the portals to give the impression that the sub was diving, the jolting around, the dialog that played while you rode it. Not realistic but great fun. You can buy the seats and portals from the subs on e-bay.

>>I also remember a ride, not too far from the Leagues that was in a round building. Inside there was three or four tiers of seating all the way around. The theme of the ride was that you were in a flying saucer. The seats would move/tilt/vibrate and you had lift-off type sound effects<<

That was Mission to Mars but it wasn't a flying saucer, it was a rocket ship. When you think about it except for the massive change in technology it really is the parent of Mission Space, Almost the same story line.

Here is a link to see most of that stuff....

http://waltdatedworld.bravepages.com/

 

[aesalsa]

Originally posted by AimeeM
Cant you still see some track from the ride at the bottom of that lagoon??

I'd like to know the answer to this also! Anybody know?

 

[Poohbear123]

Yes, the track is still there, I have Pictures of it.

 

[aesalsa]

COOL! I'll have to look for the track the next time I go!

goofyernmost -- I absolutely LOVED the link you posted: I was reading through it for the past hour and a half ! Thanks for that! Now I have to bath Pooh (my chihuahua baby)!

 

[Marty Joe]

Being in my early 20's in the mid to late 70's, I'm suprised I remember going to WDW at all! Anywhoo, does anyone remember a guy in a silver spacesuit playing many keyboards/synthasizers, maybe in the spot where Cosmic Ray's is?

 

[eeyore0062]

The attraction was not wheelchair accessible, and all attractions must be accessible to all disabled guests, if they choose to ride.

I don't miss it, I found it hot and clausterphobic. I hope they can come up with a better use for the lagoon, however!

 

[SueM in MN]

Originally posted by eeyore0062
The attraction was not wheelchair accessible, and all attractions must be accessible to all disabled guests, if they choose to ride.

I don't miss it, I found it hot and clausterphobic. I hope they can come up with a better use for the lagoon, however!

The ADA rules that require accesibility only apply to newly constructed or renovated rides, so they would not apply to the subs even if they were still open.
It's true that the subs were not wheelchair accessible, but that is not why it went away. There are lots of rides/attractions still in existance at WDW that are not wheelchair accessible. There are many in each park that require a transfer from a wheelchair to the ride vehicle (like Spaceship Earth, Maelstrom, Haunted Mansion, Mission Space, Tomorrowland Speedway). Some of those are pretty easy transfers (like Test Track) some are very difficult to almost impossible (like Peter Pan, Pirates of the Carribean and Splash Mountain). There are some that are not wheelchair accessible at all (TTA, Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, Tom Sawyer's Island).

 

[ehagerty]

Saw him in March 1980. Bought his LP album, made a cassette tape which I played until it wore out. When I went to make another copy (probably 10 years later), the ex-boyfriend had lost track of it. Don't remember the musician's name, but he played very creative and interesting versions of Disney tunes on his synthesizer. Wish I still had the music. The closest sound I heard after that was Spectromagic - often wondered if he had a hand in it - although his Cosmic Ray routine was much more space-sounding (sort of spage-age jazz-riffing)

 

[pintrader]

You would be referring to Sonny Eclipse playing nightly at the Cosmic Ray

 

[rwodonnell]

Originally posted by pintrader
You would be referring to Sonny Eclipse playing nightly at the Cosmic Ray

Actually, I think they are referring to Michael Iceberg (not to be confused with Michael Eisner!) He was an honest to goodness real live person who also happens to have performed the soundtrack to the Main Street Electrical Parade (or at least he did on the tape, not sure if that was what was used in the actual parade music).

 

[rwodonnell]

I recognize this is getting even further off-topic for this thread, but I just wanted to correct what I just wrote regarding Michael Iceberg and the parade music. After looking it up, I discovered the following about the Main Street Electrical Parade from AllEars.net:

The main musical theme used throughout the parade was adapted from a synthesizer piece known as “Baroque Hoedown,” written in 1967 by Gershon Kingsley and Jean-Jacques Perrey. It was discovered by Disney entertainment creators, who produced a recording of the main tune interwoven with Disney themes suitable for the various parade segments.

Here's the URL: http://allearsnet.com/tp/mk/msep.htm

It's possible he performed the music, but it appears he did not write it.

And just for kicks, here's a link to his website: http://www.michaeliceberg.com/

His show really was terrific. It's a huge step down to Sonny Eclipse.

 

[Karl C]

As I recall Disneyland in the late 60's it was called something like "Submarine Voyage" 20,000 Leagues under the Sea. Then it was a pretty good ride, given the technology of the day.
B or C ticket I think. That was a pretty good indicator of what kind of a ride you could expect.
Then it was just a ordinary submarine as apposed to the Nautilus of movie fame. The Disneyland fleet was also one of the largest submarine fleets in the world. Even though they were not real, who cared. The United States, The USSR and Fleet Disney. What a concept, anyways.
The best part of the ride was the boarding itself. One got to climb down this porthole and latter setup, the scamper forward too find your seat. Then when the "clunk" of the hatch being shut could be heard you knew you were soon to be on your way.
Shortly after a recorded speech from the Captain the sub started to move, all nose's were pressed to their porthole's, the klaxon sounded, bubbles bubbled into view and down you went. A sunken ship, treasure chest, eel's that pooped out of hole's in the rock's, a mermaid, though it was not Ariel, all drifted past as your voyage as you progressed.
Yeah it was cheesy to be sure but it was entertainment. For a few moment's you were in another world. Plastic fish, phony coins I didn't care because this was Disneyland.

Rocket to the Moon was a high tech ride then also. A ship with seats that sank down during liftoff, then lifted you up when the rocket motors cut out to give you the "Effect" of weightlessness. There was a view screen below you showing where you were coming from and another above you giving you a view of where you were headed as your flight played out. Someware in the middle of the flight, your ship narrowly missed being turned into space rubble by a meteor "Storm".
This ride also, in hind site was cheesy, but in it's day was a top notch deal. The Apollo moon shots were going on. Space flight was a new experience for everyone. At that point in time TV was black and white, ( as was the screen in the ride ) it took 10 minutes to warm up "the set" and the test pattern was broadcast from 12am to 7am everyday on "all" 3 channel's, but that was only if you had good rabbit ears.
So yes considering today's standards both these rides could not hold their weight against anything Disney now offers but taken against the context of the era they were active and popular in, for those who remember "way back then".......They were cool rides.

In my humble opinion, The Corporate Disney is eliminating it's beginning's as far as classic rides go. Not that I am complaining they have some great stuff now. However if they "Delete" all their original classic rides their deleting their own history. I wish there could and feel there should be some kind of compromise here.

Oh well....................

 

[ehagerty]

Where else can you find people who remember The Synthesizer Guy - AND SUPPLY A LINK!!!

Thank you!!

 

[StaceyA]

Originally posted by ehagerty
Where else can you find people who remember The Synthesizer Guy - AND SUPPLY A LINK!!!

Thank you!!

Seriously, isn't it amazing??