If you were to ask me what one thing I like the most about Disneyland, you would be waiting a while. The answer would either take several minutes for me to formulate as I expanded and expounded, or we would both be sitting in silence as I hovered in a state of cogitation. In other words, locate a comfortable chair.
If you were to ask me to catalog the iconography of my childhood, however, one of the first items recalled would surely be the Disneyland Skyway.
The Skyway opened in late June of 1956, just 11 months after the park opened. Walt Disney envisioned it not as a “ride,” but as an example of how mankind would be traveling in the future. He described the Skyway as “a transportation system of the future for use in parking lots in huge shopping areas” before the attraction even opened. It actually predates both the Monorail and the Peoplemover (by 3 and 11 years, respectively) as a showcase of futuristic transport.
Only months after the Skyway opened, Walt was already looking for ways to improve upon it. The attraction was initially supported by four cross-braced towers, and Walt singled out its central suspension tower as a particular eyesore. Sitting atop a pile of dirt (then known as Holiday Hill) stood 85 feet of unattractive steel. It was on that hill one day in late 1956 that Walt turned to Admiral Joe Fowler (head of Disneyland construction) and asked, “Do you suppose we could get some snow and have a toboggan ride here?” Less than three years later, the Matterhorn was built around the ugly center tower. Two large openings were created on the east and west sides of the mountain, allowing Skyway riders to pass right through, and even catch a glimpse of the thrilling E-Ticket attraction.
Sometimes referred to as “buckets,” the cylindrical gondolas ferried up to two visitors at a time between Tomorrowland and Fantasyland. Departing their respective station every 12 seconds, they traveled along 1,200 feet of cable (one way) that was held taut by over 17 tons of ballast. The early cylindrical design—which contained two bolted-down fiberglass patio chairs—received an update for Disneyland’s 10th anniversary. Disney wanted to increase the ride capacity, but maintain a similar vehicle weight limit. Disney Legend Bob Gurr came up with a rectangular design that included bench seating for up to four passengers. Gurr also cleverly incorporated a safety cable that weaved throughout the vehicle’s framework, assuring the safety of each rider should the structure be compromised.
The vistas afforded by this attraction were unmatched for park guests. Whether they were looking down on the iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle, or gazing into the crisp blue water of the Submarine Lagoon, people unafraid of heights experienced views previously only available via aerial photographs. Thirty-eight years and 150 million passengers after its debut, the Skyway carried Mickey and Minnie Mouse on its final run over the happiest place on earth.
While my earliest memories of riding the Skyway don’t quite evoke “visions of the future,” I always remember them fondly as I picture them gliding across the skies of Disneyland.
Much thanks to Werner Weiss of Yesterland for photos and inspiration
Do you have treasured memories of the Skyway?
December 27, 2012 at 11:09 pm
Simply lovely! Thank you Keith for sharing this. I have some fond memories of Disneyland and some snippets include the Skyway. Sadly, they are just that — snippets — as this attractions was a bit much for my mother with two small children. (I don’t blame her!) I just wish I could ride it now and journey into the Matterhorn!
December 28, 2012 at 7:23 am
Thanks Kandace!
December 28, 2012 at 7:30 am
Thanks all for the comments so far. The Skyway is one of those attractions for me that I don’t see realistically working in Disneyland today, but absolutely cherish my memories of. I have lots of fun photos (and even some video) that I’ll probably post on The Disney Project someday. And I agree with Dusty. The abandoned Fantasyland Skyway station would make a lovely snack location, or even just an open seating area (like they’ve been using Aladdin’s Oasis as lately) to enjoy your Dole Whips or Turkey Legs. Maybe one day.
December 28, 2012 at 11:38 am
Thanks for the trip back in time. The Skyway helped create some of the most indelible memories from my childhood visits to Disneyland, and for me really added to the magic of Disneyland because that’s the kind of effect that riding a bucket through a mountain while searching for the monster can have on a child. As I grew up, I began to realize what an eyesore the ride was from the ground, but I was used to it and dreaded the day when I couldn’t simply hop on and soar over Disneyland. When that day finally came, sooner than I had expected, my next visit actually felt kind of weird–I felt bound to the ground as never before. It was just one old ride that was removed, but somehow it felt like a shift in perspective, no longer being able to float in the air like Peter Pan and view the park from above. Eventually that feeling faded, but my memories never will.
December 30, 2012 at 5:39 pm
I have very few memories of Disneyland as a child, as I really started going regularly as an adult. But this is one of them. I loved it and my sister and I used to point it out when we were in the back seat of our parents’ 1968 Ford Galaxie when we were on the freeway. Now you can barely see the Matterhorn from the freeway. I have also become a Disney history freak and just read Jeff’s book today and loved it!
January 3, 2013 at 1:32 pm
Having been a frequent guest at Disneyland since 1957 I remember the Skyway fondly. Every visit as a youngster had to include at least one ride!
In later years, however, it ceased to be an efficient method of transportation for me. As a teen I was too impatient to wait in line for a slow trip … I could walk from Fantasyland to Tomorrowland faster in my rush to get onto another E-ticket attraction.
But as I got older I once again enjoyed the leisurely pace of the buckets. A particularly enchanting time to ride the Skyway was during the “Main Street Electrical Parade” and to see this river of sparkling lights weaving its way through Disneyland.