What is your favorite memory of a Disneyland ride no longer with us?

[eduk8r26]

I liked the Rocket Rods, too, even though only rode a couple of times. I also liked the pirate ship that had the restaurant inside. I loved the tuna sandwiches.

 

[tinkermell]

Weeeeeelll, I hate to show my age this way, but my favorite ride was one that lasted, I think, about a year and debuted around 1965. It was a flying saucer bumper car thing. The saucer held 1-2 people, was lifted on a cushion of air and you could zoom around crashing into other saucers by leaning this way and that. Totally cool. Of course, I was just a baby so I'm only passing along what I heard from my parents...

I also miss the Sky Buckets. I was never a People Mover fan (BO-ring), so have no great urge to see the ride return, although I have one memorable moment from it etched in my mind (which I will never tell as it is too mature in nature and might get back to my husband ).

Some of the things I loved as a kid would be too hard to do in today's world with the volume of people DL sees and possibly wouldn't be appreciated now the way it was then. I'm thinking of the motor boats, mule ride, and free showing of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea at Main St Cinema (I think that's the name of it). Ok, so I didn't actually like going in to see the movie, but I liked the idea of going in to see a free movie.

Did you see the article on the attractions coming to DCA? Well, they are putting in a ride that is simular to the Flying Saucers. Only this time they are bumper hubcaps suspended on air. It will be featured in Carsland. I can't wait for that one!

 

[DizMe]

Oooooo!!! I'm excited to hear about the new flying saucers!! I went and checked it out. They say it's going to utilize the same cushion of air as the old one but with today's technology, it will be less prone to difficulties. YAHOO!! I just hope I'm not too old for it now. It would be embarrassing to end up in traction or something after telling everyone how great it is.

 

[PigletGurl]

i loved the rocket rods! to bad they are gone..

 

[ACDSNY]

I have several...Skyway buckets, Adventures through Inner Space, Peoplemover, COP and Country Bears.

 

[myleftfoot]

My best memory of a Disney ride that is no longer there is Journey Through Inner Space! This was the wide where you “shrank” in a microscope and then traveled through cells. Well My Aunt and I rode together (she is about the same age as me) and after the ride she made my brother and sister believe that her shoes shrank because she was wearing them kind of off where the heal part is not on your foot but you are walking on it instead. They were like 10 and 8 and they believed her for that trip and the next one! It was so funny. But I would have to say that the best memory ever was on Haunted (I know, I know still there). I was like 10 and I was crying because the ride freaked me out and my Aunt was riding with me and complaining that there was nothing to be scared of to stop crying and then the ride broke down. Well we were stuck at the knocking doors part and she was laughing at me freaking out when the suit of armor came around the corner behind us and put is hand on her and said “the ride will start in a moment.” Well needless to say SHE jumped five feet in the air and I got to laugh at her ever since! hehe

 

[Lou-Ann]

Definately Country Bears..........

 

[Vanvmom]

Journey Thru Inner Space ... a bit hokey, certainly, but as a kid I really thought Disney made me shrink.

I also like the Skyway. My DH tells me that as a teen he got "removed" from the park for spitting out of one of the buckets while it passed over a crowd of visitors below. Gosh he sounds like he was a pest as a kid - glad our boys did not inherit his antics.

 

[nurse.darcy]

Wow, some great memories here. . .Monsanto sponsored the "Adventure through Inner Space" ride and the Skyway was one that lost its sponsorship soon after the first year DL was open. Skyway was removed because Disney did not want to spend the money to "upgrade" to today's safety standards. I vaguely remember the flying saucer ride. I still to this day LOVE LOVE LOVE people mover (I have heard that it may come back. . .) Country Bear Jamboree was fine but not an original in my opinion. I totally miss America Sings. Before they built the 3D theater and showed Captain EO, there was a beautiful stage there where you could go watch a great stage show. I miss the "Can Can Girls" at the Golden Horseshoe Review, and I miss the boats that used to sit behind the submarine voyage when the Autopia had a Fantasyland entrance and a Tomorrowland entrance. I also miss Mission to Mars, a "simulator-type" ride that made it feel as if you really were traveling into space. "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln comes and goes from time to time so sometimes you can actually see it still. I miss the old Carnation Gardens burger area and the Dole fruit juice stand (where they had the orange shaped and grape shaped mugs) that was just inside Fantasyland.

I could go on for HOURS but I have been a local Californian forever so I remember most of this stuff really well. . .hope you enjoy my reminiscence.

Oh, and someone mentioned HM. . .well, the beginning of that ride used to be a bit different. They never turned on the lights until you were in the hallway heading toward your "doombuggy". Also, the cast members would shut the front doors before you filed into the stretching room. . .

 

[NVDisMom]

I remember the oranges and grapes! I always thought those were Knott's...good to know it was DL! I miss the Skyway, it was so cool to go through the Matterhorn! And I miss the Subs and the motor boats that were on top. I know the subs are back, but I haven't been on it yet. I only remember it as going below the polar ice cap. My mom and dad liked the PM, never my fav, but they need to do something with that fabulous realestate above tomarrowland. I also miss how the que for SM would wind through airconditioned buildings, up an escalator that never worked...Ah, the good ol' days.

 

[mattb6565]

Here's a site that has a lot of the old attractions:
yesterland.com

 

[Brendella]

I remember those cups. And I think they also had grape drinks that came in a bunch of grapes. Haven't thought about those cups in forever.

me too me too! I had those cups until a few years ago when I told my Mom she should clean out her cupboards. Never mess with your mother, she always knows what she's doing...LOL

 

[kelmac284]

Well for me it wasn't necessarily that they were "great" rides it is just that they bring back GREAT memories for me. My first ever trip was in the 70's. Not sure exactly what year but I remember with much fondess Journey through inner space. Or as my mom calls it "the monsanto ride" LOL. And I remember the mine train ride that was where Big thunder mountain is now. All I remember was that it had yellow open train cars and it was in a desert with coyotes and cactus's and you went inside these caverns. I thought it was cool but hey I was 8. I also loved America Sings. Now I remember for years I hated the People Mover but it is my mom's FAV ride but now that I am a mom myself and in my 40's I would love if they brought it back. I remember when it had the motorcycles and Indy cars and then when it had Tron LOL. I liked how it went through the rides oh and I remember the circlevision theater with the movie about China.

I was there when they had the Pirate ship but I don't remember it for some reason.

I guess we all have fond memories from our childhood because it was "our childhood". I like the new stuff and even though some of the old stuff like Captain EO was corny I think we like it cuz it reminds of of the "old" days.

 

[noryglory]

My favorite memory of a ride no longer there is taking the Skyway when Fantasyland was closed for refurbishment...maybe 1981? 1982? Anyway, it was a roundtrip from Tomorrowland and it was really neat to ride over the construction and see the village being built.

I also liked going through the Matterhorn and seeing the scary guy and all the people screaming, before I was "ready" to ride it outright!!

 

[iheartdisney]

Another lover of the Skyway here!
I loved seeing them as soon as we came in the park, it gave a sense of "motion" to the park...anytime we wanted to go from fantasyland to tomorrowland, we always hopped on the skyway. Not that it was a "favotite" ride as a kid, but it was always on the "gotta do list" which is funny, becasue both times we went to SeaWorld, my kids HAD to do the sky buckets! (GIVE US BACK OUR SKYWAY!!!!! The building is still there, we can knock a hole in the MAtterhonr...PLEAAAAASE!!!!!)

This may be a false memory, but can someone tell me if there was ever a barbeque place? becasue I remember my uncle taking us to a barbeque resturaunt around frontierland. Again, i might be confusing it with something else, but its so vivid..would have been in the 80's.

 

[BillyFan]

Big Thunder BBQ was back in Big Thunder Ranch behind BTMRR. Now they do the Halloweend and Reindeer Roundups there, and you can decorate cookies, color coloring pages, etc. It was my husband's favorite lunch spot. After they closed it down, they moved some of the BBQ over to Rancho del Zocolo, but now it is back to only Mexican food.

 

[nurse.darcy]

They still do Big Thunder Mountain BBQ when there are no special things going on back there. Before BTM BBQ there was an actual petting zoo back there. . .oh am I ever dating myself. . .lol.