People mover not coming back, Subs staying?

[theswillmerchant]

Apparently, at the Pacific Northwest Mouse Meet, Tony Baxter said that the People Mover is most likely never coming back to Disneyland. It is as some of us feared that the ride is not up to modern safety standards and is not grandfathered in because of the Rocket Rods. He also said that the Subs are not scheduled for removal.

I'm getting this information mostly through twitter and facebook from people at the event, including Lou Mongello (WDW Radio). I was wondering if anyone watched his live stream (or was there) and has more information on this. This sounds pretty concrete to me though.

[doppio]

Both need to be removed.

[NineteenTwenty8]

Both need to be removed.

I agree, MOVE FORWARD! I am so sick of people clinging on to these old relics of the past. They were great in their day, but its time to imagineer something new and innovative for the next generation of Disney guests.

Walt did not want Disneyland to be a museum, if he were still alive I bet most of these older attractions would have been bulldozed and replaced long ago.

[lnsemsf]

Lets demolish Sleeping Beauty castle. It's so small compared to the Florida, Tokyo, Paris, and Shanghai castles. Time to finally make Disneyland impressive to visitors who have seen the other parks! Thats the least modern and impressive thing in the park and it should be leveled and a new much more impressive one in it's place! Heck it's not even unique anymore because Hong Kong has it. If the subs have to go because they're a bygone era, the castle should too!

[doppio]

Leave the castle alone. It's on scale with the rest of the park. The castle
shouldn't be taller than Matterhorn.
But Tomorrowland? Bring in the wrecking ball.

[disneylandfan95]

He, most likely, said the original PeopleMover will never be coming back. There are plans for the tracks, but the former attraction will not be coming back.

As for the subs, they aren't going anywhere. Al is 100% totally off the mark with that rumor.

[SpectroMan]

I'll accept that. Of course we can't have the original style cars back - too many idiots who don't take responsibility for themselves these days - but the tracks in use? Now we're talking

[SparkChaser]

I agree, the ORIGINAL won't come back but that doesn't mean a similar ride can't be in its place I just want to see the track in use anyway. However the Rocket Rods brings in a question in mind, "Why didn't WDI consider the integrity on the track before slapping on a track and ride system it was not meant for, surely they would have known"? There has to be a reason other than price.

See ya walkin' right down the middle of o'l Main Street USA

[MarkTwain]

I've heard similar things from an insider on a different forum. He said that he didn't know where Al got his information on the subs, but none of the plans he's heard involve them going anywhere. He also said there are a variety of plans being considered as replacement for the PeopleMover.

[JerrodDRagon]

I agree, MOVE FORWARD! I am so sick of people clinging on to these old relics of the past. They were great in their day, but its time to imagineer something new and innovative for the next generation of Disney guests.

Walt did not want Disneyland to be a museum, if he were still alive I bet most of these older attractions would have been bulldozed and replaced long ago.

While I agree sometimes things need to go....but rides like Pirates and HM...I don't even want to see go....some rides are just too good to replace

As for the Subs....I can go either way I'd be more excited to see something besides Nemo....as for the PM....I want it to come back...just because honestly the Q would take up almost NO room and the ride just brings life into the land but as much as I want it back...I can see why they would not care to

[Melonballer]

I was there for Tony Baxter's presentation and here is some of what he said and showed us. Tinkermonkey can back me up on this.

Princess Fantasy Faire has some cute little details, like a Figaro animatronic that sits up on a window sil, napping, but then wakes up and watches a bird in a bird cage.

The Submarine Voyage is not going anywhere (at least for now) as they just spent a lot of money on it. He was saying that the sub show building goes back almost all the way to where Small World is. That is part of the reason that they have never developed the old Motorboat dock area.

Alice in Wonderland's ugly tarp and rails will be removed to rails that can retract when they are not needed.

The Peoplemover.
He said that it will not be back in ANY form and asked us to get this information out there. There are a couple reasons why.
1. The track has badly deteriorated in several spots.
2. OSHA regulations would require a TON of changes. First they would have to add railings to the entire track. Second they would have to add stairways and other means to get down all along the track in case of evacuation. Third they would need to enclose the track so that people could not reach out to touch the side of the buildings as you travel along the track.

Tony said that they have tired many different ideas to try to get a ride that worked there, but nothing really worked. He really wants it there. Unfortunately, no one thought to ask when is the track was going to come down.

[Mr Wiggins]

...However the Rocket Rods brings in a question in mind, "Why didn't WDI consider the integrity on the track before slapping on a track and ride system it was not meant for, surely they would have known"?

WDI did. Disney management ignored WDI's warnings, nixed upgrading the track and pylons, and went with the cheap "fix" of slowing down the vehicles on the turns. Which, like the pylon stress issues, they were warned wouldn't work. And which, like the pylon stress warnings, they ignored.

There has to be a reason other than price.

Nope. Purely the institutional cheapness of the Eisner-led management team.

[chesirecat]

Apparently, at the Pacific Northwest Mouse Meet, Tony Baxter said that the People Mover is most likely never coming back to Disneyland. It is as some of us feared that the ride is not up to modern safety standards and is not grandfathered in because of the Rocket Rods. He also said that the Subs are not scheduled for removal.

I'm getting this information mostly through twitter and facebook from people at the event, including Lou Mongello (WDW Radio). I was wondering if anyone watched his live stream (or was there) and has more information on this. This sounds pretty concrete to me though.

The People Mover was perhaps the deadliest ride Disneyland ever had as guests were lulled into safety believing it was a slow-moving very safe ride, would get drunk or loopy, get out on the track and be crushed to death. They did weld in some wire cages, as I remember, but OSHA has legitimate concerns, IMHO, as Disney concerning long stretches of People Mover track and teenagers predilection for doing stupid things.

Rocket Rods were safer (issues regarding structural integrity of the track notwithstanding), as you couldn't just jump out. WDI could remove the People Mover track (or at least sections of it) and replace it with another track for another ride without having OSHA problems as you can have roller coaster type attractions in California that have long stretches of track without stairs, or they could build a track which has banked sides and rails (aesthetically pleasing of course), which would be its own emergency exit. They could make the rails out of a transparent plastic and filled with LED lights which pulsate like futuristic energy conduits or something, plenty of options with the rail issue in Tomorrowland.

I think that they should re-purpose, or build a new track as Tomorrowland's visual look works with a futuristic track system going down the entrance/main corridor of the land. There are a alot of different ideas for doing something like this.

As far as the Subs go . . . I had serious doubts about Al's information as it didn't make sense at all and I hadn't heard anything about the Subs being removed. And I kinda knew that Nemo 2 would eventually happen . . .

The general public loves Nemo and Pixar is doing Nemo 2, (don't forget Nemo 3-D coming out soon!) and the Nemo subs are popular with general guests, especially with kids. On some maps Nemo Subs almost look like they are in Fantasyland, which is where the 20,000 LUTS subs in MK were located. I was, and remain impressed with, how WDI repurposed the subs into a very solid attraction that has more warmth than the original Subs, though I guess this makes sense as it is more of a Fantasyland attraction now, but it works well as it is on the border of Fantasyland and Tomorrowland.

The money spent to do the Subs were very well spent as they recycled a classic Disneyland attraction for $50 to $70 million, it remains popular with guests, AND they've gotten SEVEN years of free advertising for Nemo 2 by keeping the characters relevant.

If they update the Nemo Subs with new stuff for Nemo 2, and do a refurbishment which is needed for the Angler fish, will they remove the Nemo Subs even within seven years? If you believe they will then I got a bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell ya'

Forget about it!

[NineteenTwenty8]

While I agree sometimes things need to go....but rides like Pirates and HM...I don't even want to see go....some rides are just too good to replace

As for the Subs....I can go either way I'd be more excited to see something besides Nemo....as for the PM....I want it to come back...just because honestly the Q would take up almost NO room and the ride just brings life into the land but as much as I want it back...I can see why they would not care to

Yea I can do without the Nemo Subs too, they just threw in that theme with little thought. Nemo and Submarines have nothing to do with the future. I wish they'd take the ride out and put something in there more in line with the future and sci-fi.

[choco choco]

Lets demolish Sleeping Beauty castle. It's so small compared to the Florida, Tokyo, Paris, and Shanghai castles. Time to finally make Disneyland impressive to visitors who have seen the other parks! Thats the least modern and impressive thing in the park and it should be leveled and a new much more impressive one in it's place! Heck it's not even unique anymore because Hong Kong has it. If the subs have to go because they're a bygone era, the castle should too!

One day, a castle like that will become representational of totalitarianism, monarchy, and dictatorship (if it isn't already) and Disney will have to tear it down to avoid the negative association. They will replace it with a more democratic symbol (a Roman Basilica or something). So have patience, my friend.