7 old-school Disneyland rides that we wish still existed
Once upon a time, Disneyland was a very different place. Employees climbed up the side of Matterhorn mountain, the submarine ride had nothing to do with Finding Nemo, and nothing was branded with Star Wars. Over the years, rides break down, people get bored, and technology improves — so naturally, the park changes.
Even though the current version of Disneyland is as perfect as it can be, we still pine a little for the following old-school Disneyland rides that went extinct over the years.
1People Mover
The People Mover was basically an open-air monorail that took you on a 15-minute loop of Tomorrowland. A version of this does exist at Disneyworld in Florida, but this is one of the most-missed Disneyland attractions. The rails for the ride still stand in the park, currently not in use, so hey, you never know if it could come back.
2Phantom Boats
The attraction only lasted a year after the park’s opening in 1955. People would float around the lagoon in little boats, but they would always get stuck far from the dock. We still think it looked cool.
3Actual Mules
People rode on actual live mules through the ‘”Painted Desert’” which simulated frontier lands and deserts. Surprisingly, this ride lasted for over twenty years, despite the use of live animals.
4Flying Saucers
The Flying Saucers were like bumper cars that “floated” due to air being blasted out of the ground. However, they tended to malfunction when adult riders hopped onboard. According to the Disney Parks blog, they were built where Space Mountain is now.
5Skyway
There were a lot of vintage Disney rides that were just slow-moving transportation on a closed loop. These gondolas were referred to as the Skyway and transported guests from Tomorrowland to Fantasyland. They closed in the ’90s.
6House of Tomorrow
This 1300-square-feet house was basically just a futuristic home that featured technologically advanced appliances like a, wait for it, DISHWASHER.
7The Original Autopia
Unlike the current incarnation, this original version of Autopia didn’t have those rails on the tracks like the modern version does. It literally seemed as if you were just zipping around a race track.
Bonus: Rocket Rods
This barely counts as ~old-school~, but this rollercoaster opened in 1998 and closed two years later because it was constantly breaking down. The Rocket Rods ride consisted of fast moving cars that raced on the tracks once used by the People Mover ride.
