Old rides in WDW

[ougrad86]

Anybody recall an old ride at WDW that was called I believe the Skyway? It was a cable car ride that my DH and I vaguely recall, and thought it connected Epcot with MK. We haven't been to WDW for over 20 years, so our memories are a little fuzzy, but we both seem to remember that ride. Was there ever such a ride ? My DH says he remembers the monorail, but that it just went around the MK.
Guess we'll have to start going back regular after this trip, to be able to keep everything straight!

 

[tmt martins]

I thought the skyway was just in MK and took you from one side of the park to the other but I was very small at the time.

 

[Horizons16]

It was called the Skyway and it did connect tomorrowland and fantasyland. Its since been removed however. I believe it was in 94 but im not completely sure of that. The Disneyland skyway was also removed during the remodeling.
I too loved this ride. It was such a great time. Probablly would not step foot near it though because it was so high. Heights give me the wibbly wobbles. Ahh.

 

[ougrad86]

Knew our memory was a little shaky . Epcot seemed a little far away to be connected that way. It's hard to keep everything straight after so long, and we each remember things the other doesn't...I just remember how we could walk into any resturant we wanted and get a seat...now I have to make ADR's!
Thanks for the answer!

 

[cmaelltt1]

We were there in 1997 and 1999 and rode it both times. I have pictures of us on it. It just went through the Magic Kingdom. I didn't realize it was gone. I told my 5 yo we would ride it when we go in December. She loves those things but I hate them.

Carrie

 

[AJKMOM]

You can take the monorail from the Transportation Center near the MK parking lot to EPCOT. No skyway ride, though.

 

[SueM in MN]

The monorail has 3 routes.
The first route goes between MK and the MK resorts.
The second route goes between the MK and the TTC (Ticket and Transportation Center).
The last route goes between the TTC and Epcot.

The skyway was a ride in MK that went between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. The Fantasyland Station was near to Small World (up a hill, on the right side as you left Fantasyland to go toward Liberty Square). The Tomorrowland station was near Space Mountain.

It closed in Nov of 1999, but before that, it was frequently closed when we were at WDW. It had to close during rainstorms, thunderstorms and when it was too windy. Each car only held a few passengers and the ride took a lot of staff to run (they had to be strong too, because the ride required CMs to give the cars pushes at specific points along the run to keep them going.)
Here's a link to a page about the skyway.
and another page.

 

[java]

Yes alas it is gone. I am lol thinking how long it would take to get to Epcot from MK that way. The last time we were on it 2 memorable things happened to us- First as was common we got stuck for about 30 minutes in mid air(thankfully we did not have children yet and were stuck alone for 30 minutes )But the other involved the people in front of us. It was a big guy and a flashy girl making out on line...then on the ride... but that was not the strange thing- there was a guy with a camera snapping away following them- He was a PI!!! The guy was married! I found all this out when we exited the ride and I bumped into flashy girl in the bathroom and mentioned the guy following them and she told me that her man was married. Well there you go I was so shocked that she was so matter of fact about it that I just said "well good luck with that" and that was it.
My question is what are they going to do with that cute alpine area that just sits there begging for a ride.

 

[Pixiedust34]

Yes, I remember riding The Skyway over Fantasyland when I was a kid.

I miss Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. And, Horizons in Epcot. They had a transportation ride (at least I think it was at Horizons) that was interesting.

I also remember 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, but it wasn't one of my favorite rides.

I still call that ride in Tomorrowland "The People Mover." I don't even know what its real name it, because it's "The People Mover" in my mind!

Oh, and there were swan boats that were in the castle area! My dad liked those.

 

[tmt martins]

Yea loved 20,000 LUtS was at DL in JUNE they are redoing their's in a NEMO theme so I hope they follow suit at MK.
I think the TPM is tomorrowland tranportion athuority or TTA
We just got back and must have brought the weather with us very nice day here in MD HON

 

[joshsmom]

I was scared to death of the Skyway!! It offered such a cool perspective, but I was afraid to look!!!

 

[ZippyDooDah]

We started going to WDW as married adults in 98 and rode the skyway. But I remember a short time after that, and not too long after one of our WDW trips, that there was an accident on the Skyway. Can't remember if anyone fell and died or just fell and got hurt or if it just got stuck for a long time and the riders had to be rescued. Doess anyone recall this? If cmaelltt1 rode it in 99 and it closed in Nov.99, it must have happened that year.

 

[Maverick]

We started going to WDW as married adults in 98 and rode the skyway. But I remember a short time after that, and not too long after one of our WDW trips, that there was an accident on the Skyway. Can't remember if anyone fell and died or just fell and got hurt or if it just got stuck for a long time and the riders had to be rescued. Doess anyone recall this? If cmaelltt1 rode it in 99 and it closed in Nov.99, it must have happened that year.

In 1998 or 1999, there was a maintenance cast member that was killed on the ride as he was preparing the ride to open for the day. Released details were sketchy, so I don't know if he fell, was run over by a bucket in the loading house or by some other cause.

The ride was closed forever not too long after that. I don't know if the cast member's death contributed to the reason for the permanent ride closure.

Mav

 

[Maverick]

In 1998 or 1999, there was a maintenance cast member that was killed on the ride as he was preparing the ride to open for the day. Released details were sketchy, so I don't know if he fell, was run over by a bucket in the loading house or by some other cause.

The ride was closed forever not too long after that. I don't know if the cast member's death contributed to the reason for the permanent ride closure.

Mav

Ok... Here is some additional info related to my post above.

http://www.snopes.com/disney/parks/skyway.htm

In February 1999, a park custodian at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom was killed when the skyway started up unexpectedly while he was cleaning one of its platforms. Raymond Barlow, 65, was sweeping off a narrow skyway platform inaccessible to park guests an hour after the park's 9:00 A.M. opening when other cast members, unaware of his presence, started up the ride. Barlow, startled by the approaching gondola, grabbed onto it and tried to climb inside; he fell 40 feet into a flower bed, hitting a tree on the way down, and died. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration later ruled that the area in which Barlow had been working violated federal safety codes and fined Walt Disney World $4,500 for a "serious" violation of safety standards. Several months later, in November 1999, the Magic Kingdom's skyway was also permanently closed. Once again, the decision to close the attraction was based on factors other than its being involved in a recent accidental death.

 

[ZippyDooDah]

Thanks for the update Mav. I don't mean to change the subject here, but has there been any other info released on the unfortunate death of the 4 yr old on Mission Space earlier this year? I always felt he was maybe suffering from heat exhaustion and the ride just contributed. I heard from a DVC CM that his father had previously been a UN Ambassador from some foreign country.

 

[mattsdragon]

I miss 20000 Leagues. A great ride and a movie that deserves better treatment at WDW.

I refuse to ride those Skyway type rides, although I remember it, and that hill needs something now in it's absence. I saw someone fall off of a similar ride at Busch Gardens Williamsburg years ago and won't go on them to this day.

 

[LightBurnsBlue]

I really wish they still had this ride, or had another "people mover" type ride to replace it. I love rides like that..they are so relaxing and they can really cool you off on a hot day. Plus, it beats walking!

 

[MrsHeg]

We were actually in the park when the accident happened, but didn't hear about until we were back in our room, it was on the news. He actually fell near Dumbo, they had the area closed off the next day.

 

[edk35]

But had never heard that tragic story. We were on the skyway one time during fireworks. IT was soooooooooooooo neat. We loved Horizons ride to. I did the submarine ride once too. WOW......this really takes you back. I also love the People Mover and that is what I still call it too.

 

[Horizons16]

But had never heard that tragic story. We were on the skyway one time during fireworks. IT was soooooooooooooo neat. We loved Horizons ride to. I did the submarine ride once too. WOW......this really takes you back. I also love the People Mover and that is what I still call it too.

I still call it the People Mover too!
You know, I really like If you had wings. Not to mention the ORIGINAL Figment.