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About LinkBacksAs I said, the Phantom Boats were long gone by late '56. As the original post dictates, as well.
As I said, the Phantom Boats were long gone by late '56. As the original post dictates, as well.
OK, there seems to be a lot of confusion. Let me summarize the original post:
- The Tomorrowland Boats opened in July, 1955 and closed in August, 1955.
- The Phantom Boats opened in August 1955 and closed sometime later in 1955. They came back briefly in the summer of 1956.
That being said, did anyone here experience the boats that were around in 1955/1956? (Not the Motor Boat Cruise that was still around into the early 90s.)
The Phantom Boats were also called the "Tomorrowland Boats" for some stupid reason.
EDIT - They were given the name "Tomorrowland Boats" when it debuted in August '55. When they rolled them out again for one more summer season ('56) .. the fin-shaped boats were given the "Phantom Boats" name.
Last edited by Tomorrowland_1967; 03-20-2011 at 03:52 PM.
They didn't work; that was the problem. They had air cooled outboard motors completely enclosed in the boat's body. I know less about motors than.....anyone. But even I can see that's crazy. So they'd conk out in the middle of the lake, and wait to be rescued. CM pilots were later added so that when they conked out, there would be someone in the boat that knew what to do. They had no track at all. Never rode myself, but was just reading about them in The Nickle Tour yesterday.Originally Posted by readandburn
A bientot.
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You've read it; you can't unread it!
Oops. Then, no, I didn't. lol
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Wow! What a deal! Thank you for that wonderful explanation. You must have great memories of those times. Thanks again for sharing this with us.
One of the first properties purchased by Disney was the property that Viking Trailer Mfg was located on. [Blue] However, Viking was leasing the property and was allowed a couple of years before leaving.
Disneyland housed the animals for Fronter Land behind DL. [Yellow]
My Avitar was taken on the far left (west) corner of Viking.
On Saturdays my father would take me to the plant. Early in the morning they would open the back gate to move the animals into the park. Orange Circle There was no public access to this gate so they would leave it open, I could just walk through.
How funny that people keep talking about the Motor Boat Cruise, instead of the Phantom Boats.
You're not going to get many confirming here that they went on the Phantom Boats for several reasons:
First - Many adults that went on it back then are dead or are in retirement homes
Second - It wasn't a popular ride and it was only opened at most 2 years
Third - Anyone that was alive and rode it as a child are probably still too old to use the internet to such a degree that they would be on this board, like my parents.
Fourth - Any Disney Purist that rode the Phantom Boats and loved Disneyland through the early years, likely hasn't cared one iota about the Disney Company since Eisner took over and tried to replace Mickey Mouse with Roger Rabbit. I know several people that stopped going or paying attention because the Disney Company stopped adhering to any of Walt's values.
SMA94
Last edited by SpaceMtnAlum94; 03-21-2011 at 02:34 PM.
Very few have had the privilege of operating Space Mountain. Fewer still have pushed the A-lift stop. I am one of those few.
That is just incredible to me...that they'd let guests drive boats around without any supervision. Can you imagine that today?
heres some more info on them and sorry i confused everyone with my post and pics haha
Daveland Disneyland Motor Boat Cruise Photo Page
I rode the Tomorrowland / Phantom Boats in 1955. They were not on tracks.
I was VERY VERY Disappointed because with the big fins I thought they would go 200mph. I could not drive, ate up my candy money, and they were kinda slow, so I lost interest.
I do not believe I was allowed to go by myself and drive. (I was 10)
What I really wish I had spent my money on were the Original Disney Animation Cells that they sold on Main Street. I think they were $10 - $25 and included Snow White.
Thank you!!
The Daveland website is fantastic! Though .. on first glance .. the page reads - Motor Boat Cruise, with a picture of the Phantom Boats. They were two different attractions, altogether. One had nothing to do with the other. So, therefore .. should be given two different pages. (1 - Phantom Boat history, 2- Motor Boat Cruise history).
And Regions .. that photo is great, isn't it?!! Funny though ... here's Art Linkletter .. on what has to be when the ride was new, yet .. look at the paint chipping on the edges. A ride destined to Yesterland - AKA Rocket Rods. ;D
Great post, DL1951! I was seven in '55 and didn't go on 'em, but my folks did. All I wanted to spend tickets on were the Autopia and Rocket to the Moon, followed by the Autopia and Rocket to the Moon, followed by the Autopia. And another ride on the Rocket to the Moon. And another... nah, had to save something for Toad & Peter Pan.
Sure, the fins looked cool, but let's get serious: a real You Drive It Car and real Fly To The Moon Rocket = goodness. A slow boat that you can't drive = worse than having nothing to watch on TV but those sucky 1920's Farmer Alfalfa cartoons.
Today I asked my mom if she remembered ever riding them again after our first visit. She said she didn't remember riding them on our first visit!
She did say she remembered being puzzled by the number of kids in the Rocket to the Moon who, like myself, would always grab the skin on their faces and pull it back during the liftoff and landing -- flattening their noses, cheeks and chin, while pushing themselves back into the chair as if being squashed. She asked me what the heck that was all about.
I said, "Immersion."
You want buyer's remorse? I remember saving my allowance money to spend on original Lady & the Tramp cels at the Art Corner in Tomorrowland -- a pricey $2.50 each. Not knowing any better, we'd paint on them with Testor's model paint, or cut out the characters and paste them in scrapbooks.
And we raised a stink when the price went up to an outrageous $4 -- and later an astronomical $10.
Last edited by Mr Wiggins; 03-21-2011 at 11:18 PM.
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imagination or art. All you need is a brand."
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yep thats one of the reasons i got so confused on my pics and thinking that this was all the same attraction. in a way it was but another it wasnt.
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