Disneyland's Worst Mistake? Heartbreaking Truth About the Skyway!
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- Опубліковано 15 лис 2024
- The Disneyland Skyway Tragedy: The untold story behind the removal of Disneyland's beloved Skyway. Was it a necessary update or one of the park's biggest mistakes? Dive into the history, the decisions, and the truth about why this iconic attraction disappeared, leaving fans with unanswered questions and lasting memories.
I miss Skyway and PEOPLEMOVER so much
The transit authority is not as great as it used to be in Florida
my sonloved the people mover at disney world he didn't know what the other op attractions where
@@jonnym4670be nice if they bring it back n capitan eo 😊
Problem with people mover is young teens made it a game to hop out of the carts and ...whatever..
Anyways, they have a handful of fatalities of people not adhering to safety... and other acts of negligence causing such.
The biggest advantages of the Skyway and Peoplemover is that they were rides that after walking and standing for ages, you could just sit back on and relax. Take in the views, rest your legs, and just enjoy a much more soothing attraction than most of those in the park. I had a season pass for years, and I would still regularly take both of them just for the relaxation. And I was saddened when they removed both of them and never replaced them with anything worthy of what had been there before.
And they were not unique in removing such attractions. At around the same time Magic Mountain removed both their bucket car system and their monorail.
40 years later, the WDW Skyway exists and LA City is just approving a bucket ride from Union Station to Chavez Ravine. I suppose WEDway's transportation ideas are proven correct and integrated, but it took 3 generations for the cities to wake up.
There's still one at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. They put in up in the 1960s.
@@goldenpacificmedia Well, that is more a high speed gondola system like in ski areas, not like the one that used to be at Disneyland.
And to be honest, I doubt this will ever be built. Construction was supposed to start this year, and still seems no closer to shovel ready than it was a year ago when it was announced.
And like many, I'm not sure if that is a good use of over half a billion dollars. Especially for a system that will largely only operate when there are games and events at the stadium. Then you have the economics, where if a person has a ticket to the game the trip is free. If this is built, I see it being a huge money pit. One of the reasons why LA is so attractive for Olympic Games is because they have to build very little because they have kept most of the venues from past Olympics. However, this would be a first, and likely at the end of the games if it is built eventually be abandoned because it would not be economically viable to keep it operational.
What a big mistake to remove the Skyway and the Peoplemover
I totally agree, two great rides now long gone.
So destroying the Matterhorn to fix a low capacity and other problems attraction?
But yeah, the Peoplemover should have stayed and been modernized
Kids kept SPITTING on guests below on the Skyway.
@@saitomanrebuild the matterhorn better using modern materials. Going to have to at some point, they are just dragging their feet. Like congress they are kicking it down the road.
What these park managers don't understand is the memory we have as kids is what keeps us coming back generation after generation to relive our memories with our children and grandchildren.
When you take away our memories, you take away our joy and love of returning and sharing our memories with our children.
The kind of trash that rule the world now are too disgusting to even imagine why such things are true.
They see people as PROBLEMS that they need to manage, and crush if there is any profit in it.
Evil, in other words.
So true, the pencil pushers would rather destroy a Beloved movie like Snow White than do something new and unique!
My dad was there on the grand opening day and went every year of his life until he passed in 2014.
I worked for Disney when Paul Pressler was in charge. Boy did we hate him. He was all about retail. Every shop in the park had the exact same merchandise instead of the unique finds that you had to choose from. I remember riding the skyway before the inside of the mountain was finished. Bring back Matt Ouimet he was a real dreamer
So HE was the moron responsible for taking away the porcelain dolls, cool kitchen items, etc. He put Mickey's head on EVERYTHING. 😒😒
I never had the enlightenment of meeting Paul but heard the horror stories of him in Florida.
Kind of whats happening now. How I wish to see the Main Street shops reverted back into themed buildings rather than a long corridor of tshirts and plushies.
One of Eisner's worst decisions was giving Pressler, a career retail guy, to be put in charge of a Disney theme park. Literally tried to turn Disneyland into a shopping mall and made cost cutting moves everywhere in the park.
makes sense. i wondered why the retail at disneyland seemed to repetitive. same stuff over and over. it's like a huge mall with some rides.
Disney has still never learned their lesson on keeping Walt's Vision alive
Your channel is why UA-cam is so special. Best Disneyland content out there!
Truth! Nobody does Disneyland History better than Brickey!
My girlfriend and I were there the last day of operation, but we didn't know it was Skyway's last day. We came back the next day and it was GONE! I mean even the footings for the towers were gone, no trace at all. Like it never existed. If we had known we would've ridden it one last time, but to the best of our knowledge there was no announcement whatsoever. We were APs back then and used to frequent the park several times a week. Skyway was wonderful, I will forever miss that amazing aerial view of my favorite place.
No way. I actually remember Ernie at the Fantasyland skyway. Wow, what a throwback. It was amazingly sad time when they shut it down.
Oh man, for sure, checking out your channel looks interesting!
@@HeyBrickey Thanks man. I appreciate that. I met some of the guys from Lincoln out at the Creative South conf a few months ago. I'd love to have you on my show sometime.
When they showed him, I immediately had the same thought! Always a friendly, happy guy!
Same here. It was like seeing an old friend every time I rode.
What a wonderful vlog! All of the vintage film footage! A rare shot of the little junior autopia. So cute. This was fabulous. A nostalgic look back. Thanks so much.
Absolutely awesome Brickey!!!!
Boy you sure did your homework. I was lucky enough to be able to ride the skyway back in the 70’s and 80’s.
The San Diego Zoo still has an overhead tram that gives a so much nostalgia for the Disneyland Skyway.
The San Diego Zoo Skyfari . Built By Von Roll in 1969. A Von Roll VR 101, uses parts to this day off the Disneyland Skyway. Same ride model.
SeaWorld San Diego has one as well. Built by same company.
There's also one in Ohio at Cedar Point.
@@AquariumThoughts I know where all the Von Roll VR 101s are at. My family dates back to 1807 . Von Roll
@@vonrollskyway1awesome! How about a list?
1962 Cedar Point
1962 Pywallup Fairgrounds from the 62 Worlds Fair
1964 Minnesota State Fair
1967 Sea World San Diego
1969 San Diego Zoo uses parts off the Disneyland Skyway
1974 Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
1974 / 1964 Six Flags Great Adventure From the 64 Worlds Fair
1975 Busch Gardens Williamsburg
1976 Great America California
At one time there was 40 Von Roll VR 101s in the USA.
Excellent video Brickey! I hope we see the skyway return one day! Disney cannot close attractions without replacing what was closed, especially for the sake of short-term cost savings. It’s amazing only 10 cast members were needed to operate an attraction with such a large capacity!
It won't return unless they can find a way to allow it to move a dozen people at a time in each bucket. Moving people through attractions as quickly as possible so they can get more into the park is all they care about now. Slow rides like the skyway and People mover were doomed from the start.
Dear Brickey, I was one of those guest to ride this back in the day, I was always hoping they would bring this ride back. I was one of the first memories I have of my mom while we were at Disneyland. This is a great video and i e that really hit home for me. And it also shows just how people change things that should ha e been left alone. You can see the pain when he hit the button to turn the ride off.
Rides that are also transportation, and are relaxing should never be removed. They should have improved it and left it in place. Now Walt Disney world has the skyliners, and also still has the people mover. I happen to love both of those.
Growing up, no trip to Disneyland was complete without a run on the Skyway. Was sad to see it go, but glad I at least got to enjoy it while it was here.
I sure do miss the skyway. Great video BTW. I heard a rumor that one issue they had was there was essentially a version of the "mile high club" where people would try and do the dirty while riding. All the rumors were crazy, and honestly stuff that could be dealt with instead of removing the ride.
Bric…your work is getting even better every day. Thanks. I’ve always said that Disneyland lost an entire Dimension in closing the Skyway; it was awesome in many wonderful ways, ie FLYING…over DISNEYLAND.
(My father called holiday hill, ‘makeout mountain’, but…I lIke Rolly’s story.)
You called it early in this episode, “stacking”, or layering designs.
What a touching tribute! This was a thorough history lesson in Disneyland’s past with plenty of research provided. Thank you Brickey! I’ll have to watch again just to read those highlighted articles!
We’re hoping this history doesn’t repeat itself in NJ. The Von Roll Skyway has sat unused this year on the 50th anniversary at the park. With its shared history alongside It’s A Small World, Carousel of Progress and Moments with Mr Lincoln at the ‘64 NY Worlds Fair, we hope the Skyway makes its return with the debut of the new Six Flags next year.
Great B-Roll! I don't know how you have time to produce 3 videos a week. Great job, as always!
When I was in junior high school, we had a school trip to Disneyland. We had some morons in my class who had taken flour that they wrapped up in toilet paper for throwing off the Skyway; they called them "flour bombs." I laughed my butt off when Disneyland security made them sit for the rest of the day while the rest of us enjoyed the day. I really liked that we passed right through the Matterhorn.
I really appreciated this video. First time on the channel and I got to say well done on the production. I truly miss this ride, I vaguely remember it (I was like 8-9) but it still makes me sad not seeing it there.
I was a ride operator on the Skyway from 1977 to 1980, seasonally. We called it "The Hook", because of the way you had to swing the cabs around after guests got off. I worked both sides, Tomorrowland and Fantasy Land. I can't begin to tell you the shenanigans folks got up to on that ride. People thought that because it was high up, and mostly out of sight, they could get away with a lot, but we had a clear view, and gosh, did we sometimes get an eyeful!
I remember those stories very well. From people having sex to smoking pot, lol. The SkyWay was great, but it certainly had its disadvantages. 😅
Your comment is so wholesome love it
Such a great perspective on the early Disneyland experience ... very well done
Thanks for posting the old footage of Disneyland, I love the Skyway and have many fond memories of riding it. Especially with dates. Great place to make out during the evening rides.
This was one of my favorite rides and I was so bummed (and still am) that Disney took it down. I can still remember riding this as a kid in the 80s and the view point of Fantasyland from that high up.
I was there at Disneyland with my Mom on the final day of the Skyway in 1994. My family had annual passes at the time, & had family working at the park during construction up to even today. We made sure we were the last guests to ride from Fantasyland to Tomorrowland. We waited until the path was closed to guests, & waited until we were the last in line. We have pictures somewhere that were taken during this final ride. When we got off in Tomorrowland, Ernie was waiting to open the door when we arrived. I still remember Ernie was always happy, but that day he seened sad like he was loosing a friend. I shook his hand, & exited the attraction. I am happy they gave the public time to say goodbye to the Skyway, unlike the Peoplemover they just closed it after a breakdown on August 21st, 1995. Like Brickey suggested, maybe they can build a Skyliner & Peoplemover as part of Disneyland Forward. We can always dream!
Hello From Phoenix Arizona 🌡 🔥
1995 not 2005
@@andrewscasualmtb - I just noticed that, thanks it has been fixed!
Great video Brickey! One of my favorites you've ever done! Thank you!
Excellent video Brickey! I loved loved loved it! Skyway was a Disneyland treasure. I miss it to this day.
Great job, Brickey on this vlog. Loved it, keep up the great work!
This ride added so much to the kinetic energy and skyline of the park, in a way that no other could. Its wild to see so many people obsessed with the peoplemover yet could care less that this no longer exists. This was just so much better to me
I still remember riding skyway in 1965 when I was onlyn9 years old, and when zi was able to return in 1973 and other years. Lots of great facts , including the increase of capacity to 4 passengers in 1965.
Closed due to metal fatigue. Stress cracks in the Matterhorn tower battery supports. ADA had no bearing on the Skyway being closed as it was Grandfathered into ANSI code B77.1. Von Roll did a inspection on the Skyway in June 1994 and found hairline stress fractures in the Matterhorn tower battery supports . Found by NDT . I have the reports from Von Roll stating metal fatigue.
Fix the supports! Duh.
And why did they close the one in the Florida? There was no Matterhorn there and all the structure was newer.
@marcoantoniogarcia38 That one was closed due to budget. Haul rope needed to be replaced, tower batterys needed service work,grips needed to be ndt . Alot of work needed to be done on the Von Roll
@@vonrollskyway1 same reason the Six Flags St. Louis Sky-way closed. needed rollers rotated and new cable.
@@vonrollskyway1YET NOW THEY INSTALLED THE SKY WAY GONDOLAS AT THE RESORTS AT WDW
Prof. Brickey I’m late to this history lesson but what a thorough deep dive into this classic attraction. I remember this one from childhood to early adulthood and have fond memories of gliding over Walt’s domain and feeling like I was looking at a diorama of my favorite place. Thanks for keeping the flame burning on this missed gem.
It's true - I blame always blame Blossom when we can't have nice things!
Great video as always! I miss the skyway!
Bring back the Disneyland skyway
Such a sad time and your video was spot on, thanks!! At least Disney World still has its Skyway!
Brickey, thank you for this video! While it’s still maddening that the Skyway is gone, it’s good to finally get the full story.
Ironically, those ten cast members were moved in vain because Indiana Jones ALWAYS breaks down even after 30 years.
I like this new content form, keep it coming! I only got to ride the skyway a few times and was super bummed when it closed down. But those memories remain and this helps keep em alive
Skyway and the people mover were great ways to get off your feet and cool off without having to get "It's a Small World" stuck in your head for the rest of your visit. I miss them, both!
Fantastic video Brickey, so much great vintage video and research!
Thank you for not posting D23 content. It’s been a flood of repetitive information. Thanks bro
This may be your best video yet. I was so sad to see the Skyway close. It was a great way to take a cool break from walking and see the park from a different, and awesome, perspective.
Great job on this one!
The only time I ever visited Disneyland was 1979. I was five. Not too long ago, I watched a video on this fine website, where someone filmed the entire Matterhorn ride and as I watched, I said "This isn't right. I remember going by the yeti where he was slightly below me and to the left."
Well YOUR video just showed me why I thought that.... That memory was of me on the Skyway instead! The video footage you use, shows the exact perspective and memory I had.
Thanks for the sanity check!
There is another possibility. The Matterhorn is actually TWO tracks that run their own courses. Perhaps you ran on the other track. There are POV videos here of all of the attractions you have a way to check. Take a ride on the Matterhorn again, but on UA-cam! For FREE!
@@AirDOGGe Thanks! But I think this is indeed what I'm recalling because I had plenty of time to look at the yeti. Either track, and you whizz by much faster. I saw one video of one track, and I recall that feeling from my childhood as well. 👍
@@MikeLevak Understood. Have a better one. Glad you got to enjoy it before they gutted the ride.
Thanks!
I used to ride the Skyway first thing every time I went to Disneyland (3 afternoons a week and some weekends back when I lived close by). It got you into the mood!
Very interesting. Thanks for sharing. I remember riding the Disney World version and was sad when it went away.
What a great video. I cannot even imagine the time you put into sourcing all of the clips and putting it all together. Fantastic job. Such a shame that Disney were so shortsighted.
My quintessential memory of Disneyland as a kid is riding the skyway, getting in at Fantasy Land, through the Matterhorn, and disembarking in Tomorrowland. Miss it so much. The place just isn't the same without the skyway, and the people mover.
Do PeopleMover next please, Brickey! Especially if Yo ucan score some sweet video of looking into the darkness (and hearing the creams of) of Space Mountain -- One of my favorite "lost" childhood memories there. I remember being 5 and thinking how crazy people were to actually be in there flying around in the dark like sci-fi astronauts. Haha!
I remember riding thru the Matterhorn tunnel and seeing the yeti as a child many decades ago. Walt's vision, creative integration, and attention to detail were legendary and he truly created a magical place. Current Disney management will not be so fondly remembered.
That was awesome! This should be regular viewing for every citizen of Disneyland.
Great episode Brickey! Excellent narration, more like this please, one of your best 😊
Hey Brickey great content, great to see the footage of the cast members who bring Disneyland and all the parks attractions to life. Let’s hope Disneyland forward brings more kinetic energy to the parks. I loved this video and the people mover one. 👏
Brickey, I can remember riding the skyway when I was a kid. Another great history lesson. Thank you for your knowledge and for sharing this great ride. Greatly missed.
Thanks a lot Blossom! 😂 I was not a fan of the ride as a child because of my fear of heights but I still enjoyed having it as an option. I would love to ride it as an adult. What a shame that it’s gone.
Bricky - Great video and history! I rode the Skyway many times, going back to when we called them (and they looked like” The Buckets. The view and as you said “kinetic” energy it brought was wonderful - Especially at night. I have to admit, I - or rather my dad - threw water balloons off the Skyway as we rode through the Matterhorn (his idea!).
I also rode these at Magic Kingdom which was interesting because from Tomorrowland it went up then down, made a turn to the left at a sub-station then back up over Fantasyland and ended where the Repunzel restrooms are now (and as the Skyliner does now!).
Interesting at point 1:02 in your video there is the interview with John McClintock who was my main media contact for years during the 2000’s before he retired and I end ed that job.
As for those Pack Mules….. They actually lasted until the early 1970’s but over the years had different names (Rainbow Ridge Pack Mules, etc.). I rode those as well as a kid.
Brickey!! My guy Iv watched you from the beginning this is a Great video/ documentary you have done well sir. These videos are the ones I love to watch thank you !!! Looking forward to more like this and future rides as well. Your narration, knowledge, videos and pictures you have done your homework. Hard work pays off.. 17 k views only 1000 likes come on people hit that like button!!!
Great content! The Skyway was magical and I have always missed it. Not only that ride, yet the Matterhorn seems to have something missing as well. Very sad, all those who never got the chance to experience the originality as it was created by Mr Disney himself. Oh my, wish they could bring the SKYWAY back! 😢 Now that would be a special imagination. Sadly, I find they no longer produce much good family fun, without agenda's, any longer.
Wow amazing work on this documentary. I was a Entertainment CM from 1991-1995. When we would sign in as a guest there were 2 rides we ALWAYS went on; Peoplemover and Skyway!
Im an 80s baby and LOVED riding the skyway as the sun went down and Disneylands night lights were coming on and the park transformed. To this day, Disneyland at night is one of my favorite things ever. Its absolutely engrossing, and transports me to another world. Never gets old
I remember the interior of the Matterhorn being wide open with the rollercoaster fully visible from the Skyway bucket. Years later they enclosed the pass through to make it more attractive. I like the idea of a 3 station Skyway.
I remember that! They must have filled it in after my trip on 1976, because it was definitely filled in "Glacial Grotto" by the time I returned in the 80's.
@@AdamConusThe Matterhorn was open until the skyway cabled were removed in 1994 or 1995.
Always love the content. Thanks for bringing us these wonderful stories!
Hey Brickey, as much as I love your channel I really think you should publish a book of all these stories. It would outlast UA-cam and be a great supplement to your creative spirit. I’m kind of envisioning something like the classic book The Imagineering Way. Keep up the great content.
I believe I once again have a new favorite Hey Brickey! video! Amazing!
Wow, this brings back memories, I worked there the summers and holidays of 1974-1975, and was assigned to the “buckets” on the Fantasyland side. It was a hoot. We all had nicknames as ride operators , mine was Winkles and our lead was Rich “Cheeks” Williams, I think he was from Long Beach. Great guy! Definitely enjoyed the Fantasyland side over the Tomorrowland side for sure. Yep it was a “D” ticket or Golden Ticket. On a side note we placed third in the canoe races!!😮
I remember when my friends and I used to ditch school. And we would sneak into the park. Hop on the skyway and would drink jungle juice and get tipsy. Luckily our high school was a few blocks away. This was late 80's early 90's. 😅 Bring back a lot of memories.😥
Great video, and a great history lesson. How many of hours did you put in to make this video?
Thank you, Mr. Brickey, for your wonderful tribute to one of my favorite attractions at Disneyland. Your essay was very well researched and presented. It is unfortunate that even the Disney Company was infected by the same scourge that affected most corporations in the 80s and 90s: pion-level managers with add-on MBAs from University of Phoenix.
I Rode That IN .. 1964 .. WOW ! .. It Was My First Time .. And Hit It Every Time .. I Visited The .. Mouse House ! -- Bob Gurr .. "Mr. Matterhorn" .. Thank You For This .. AND The Many Other Things You Designed To Make Our Visits .. "Special" !!!!!
I miss the Skyway so much.
I'm old enough to remember the skyway and the peoplemover. I took my little son up to where the old skyway boarding station was before they sealed it up forever, you can't walk up those stairs anymore.
First rode the Disneyland Skyway in 1964, last time was 1990. Rode it a number of times in-between. Now I ride the Skyfari at the San Diego Zoo. It even has parts from Disneyland on it. Sure miss riding it at Disneyland.
Yes it does. The 1st Von Roll VR 101 in the USA, it's parts are alive and well at the San Diego Zoo. They are in the Drive station. Same industrial green as the Skyway
Try the palm springs aerial tram after a small winter storm. So pretty in the mountains with the snow & up above the desert!
@@cagal1066 Palm Springs tramway is also a Von Roll
@@vonrollskyway1 that explains the old car design! The new cars that rotate are way cool too!
Bravo sir! You've once again taken pains to research an interesting facet of the park and Walt's early vision for a great big beautiful tomorrow. The Skyway was my mother's favorite attraction, and I loved riding with her and sailing over the Pirate Ship and Dumbo as a child. It was, in a word, magical. (Skull Rock was so cool!) Flying through the Matterhorn was fascinating to me as a youngster, Getting an overview of its guts and watching people whiz by shrieking with glee, in some ways broke the illusion, but was mostly weird-science fun. As an oldster, I miss the ability to relax and enjoy the view and cool breezes. Yes - today it'd require an enclosed Pixar Pal-A-Round type mesh to protect people from themselves, and us from their unwanted umm... moisture... but, it'd be worth it to once again feel like Peter Pan flying. We lose so much in the name of progress and we would all benefit from more Bob Gurr innovations and fewer pencil-pusher admonitions. Thank you for this most excellent trip down memory lane.
Sad when bean counters come into play - cost cutting at the expense of guest experience. Thankful to have a Von Roll up at this end of the state (Great America in Santa Clara) that's still very popular, and hopefully it can continue to keep operating for many more years to come.
When I visited Disneyland as a kid, the skyway was still up, but non operational. It was super frustrating for a kid to see a ride you couldn't get on.
Excellent job, as always. One rumor as to why the skyway closed that you did not mention is that the skyway broke immersion. I remember hearing somewhere (can't remember where, sorry) that because you could see the tops of the buildings they felt it was bad show and that is why it was removed. Don't get me wrong, I completely agree with your assessment that it was Penny pinching middle managers who destroyed the skyway.
An amazing video... thanks for your work!
I was there the day the Skyway closed and the day after as well. I still miss it. I still remember the day after it closed and seeing the towers gone. I get somewhat maudlin every time I stand in the queue of Mr. Toad and reminisce of the tower that stood in the flower bed within the queue.
This is Brickey storytelling at its best. Paul Pressler was the absolute “worst” president ever at DL. He lived by cost cutting. Lots of bad decisions during that time. He failed up to the GAP and want very successful there either. A true dark period for the parks.
Great work as always Brickey. Some outstanding finds of historical video.
The story we were told was the support tower in the Matterhorn has stress fractures and to repair it would be very costly since the tower was integral to the mountain construction.
I miss this ride. I was born in the early 80s. I used to call it the sky ride because I don't remember my parents telling me the actual name, lol.. I remember when it closed. 12 year old me was pretty bummed.
However, the memories will never fade. Even all these years later, I haven't forgotten the clanging sound of the buckets coming into the station or the serene silence of floating above the park. It's also some of the few memories I have left of my father, who died in '95. We loved going to Disneyland during the summer when tickets for locals only cost $25 each, which was certainly expensive for the time considering how dirt cheap it was to get into the park during the first couple of decades. But my parents were able to afford it once a year. We still have old photos from the 80s of me and him at the park.
Tbh, I've long since gotten over its closure. Yes, it was a huge mistake to take it down, but oh well. Such is life. I'm glad it's been given a new life in DW. It's not entirely dead. Perhaps it'll be built again in Disneyland one day. Who knows. In my twenties, I learned that nostalgia can make a person insufferable to be around. I used to spout the same old "back in the day" nonsense with a slice of bitterness that it's not around anymore. But it was making me unable to enjoy anything new, so I stopped. Doing so created a balance of nostalgic fondness and a willingness to embrace change.
Sometimes we, as adults, need to remind ourselves that we absolutely loved new things when we were kids. Be it a new ride or attraction, we were excited about it. We wanted to do that first before going on the old favorites. It's sad that we tend to forget that as we age. We lose that youthful excitement for new things.
We were lucky enough to ride SkyWay. That should be enough, in my opinion. Embrace the new while also looking back fondly at childhood memories.
That was excellent Brickey! The gondolas, People mover and Adventure thru Inner space were so awesome. I can't believe the short sightedness of execs! A sad, sad state of affairs...
Another great video Brickey! Very informative. 👏👏👏🚡
Stunningly done Brickey!
Wow, I loved this video and the middle management optic you gave it. It's so sad to know 10 cast members made the difference. I was too young to ever know the skyway so it saddens I couldn't even ride it once. I'm hopeful that as the Pressler era passed and brought one with new attractions, this Iger cut-costing era will one day end and make way for a time where people mover and skyway return.
Glad to say I was able to enjoy this ride as a kid, and still tell my kids about it to this day when we do get a chance to revisit the park.
I enjoyed riding the skyway when they were redoing Fantasy land. It made it possible to see what was happening! I just loved it.
Great video would love to see one on the history of rock climbing t Disneyland Matterhorn
I have a memory of riding the sky buckets back in the 1980s. I remember thinking it was so cool to go right through the Matterhorn.
This video makes me wish that I had written an essay back in design school about Bob Gurr and his attention to design constraints. I'd love a deep dive video into other problem solving measures he solved.
It was always my impression, and the yearly maintenance of the Matterhorn makes me feel this is the truth, that the wear and tear on the central support for the skyway was tearing the Matterhorn apart. While throwing fingers at management is a long tradition, even between the brothers, I never really felt that the craziness of the 90’s developmental phase was the cause of the Skyways death. It was always doomed to come down eventually, and it always was going to hit in the solar plexus when it did.
I admit that Tomorrowland really could use this attraction to help bring it back to life, but I miss our moterboats more than the skyway. The memory of looking down the dark of the Matterhorn is something that I wish we could share, though.
As much as I loved your video, it left me sad. I worked at Disneyland in 1990. I loved looking up at all that kinetic energy as I walked through Tomorrowland where I worked. Transportation was always a big dream of Walt Disney. They had the Skyway, The People Mover, The Monorail, and even the Disneyland Railroad. Except the People Mover, which was could have been used to better effect, they all had a double benefit of being high capacity attractions as they served their purpose of getting people from here to there and save space in the walking areas of the park. The Monorail even doubled as an extra exit to the park, reducing the bottleneck at the main entrance. Removing the Skyway put that many people back on the ground. Sad on so many levels!
When MBAs make "creative" decisions, run. Run away quickly.
It's funny how these decisions are often attributed to MBA's by the general public when, actually, most cost-cutting decisions are driven by accountants.
Brilliant work Brickey!
The kinetic energy in Tomorrowland back then was unmatched. Skyway, people mover, monorail, subs, matterhorn, rockets and autopia. Just not the same anymore.
So many memories of going to Disneyland as a kid and teen two to three times a year. All those rides that no longer are there and the fun. Glad i grew up in the 70s-80s. I one point i lived down the street. Hang out at the hotel and the falls. Haven't been to Disneyland since 2000
The real reason it was removed was liability. The number of events of people dropping items was increasing in frequency and size of objects. Could you imagine in todays world? People are so unhinged. Common sense and decency are mostly non existent with a large enough amount of the population that the risk is just too high. When I was a kid people were already dropping coins in the last years of the skyway. Could you imagine a large bottle of water with the cap on hitting you in the head at terminal velocity?
The recent Skyliner has proved that they could do an enclosed gondola today instead. I would just hope they wouldn't wrap them so you could see better!
They’d have to change the cars, redesign , have plexiglass. Air conditioning. Because people would most definitely be dropping cell phones on peoples heads, you’re right. They’d drop so much stuff and kill people below. Dropping cell phones and Stanley bottles 😂
Wrong! Had absolutely nothing to do with liability issues! It had to do with stress cracks in the tower battery supports within the Matterhorn. The only way to replace them was opening up the Matterhorn. An expensive Disney didn’t want to do!
@@anthonyd3702 dude, calm down, OP isn't wrong on the liability aspect if the ride had remained open. Far too many people are morons and would definitely drop crap onto people's heads for internet clout. Not only that, but lots of people back in the day did things in those buckets that weren't allowed, like having sex and smoking pot. It was huge in the 80s and 90s to do that. There's no way the park could prevent that from happening. Imagine all those shenanigans and multiply that times a hundred in the age of social media. It's a disaster waiting to happen. I can imagine that's happening in Florida right now.
While at the park around that time period, I recall this is what employees remarked to us as of the reason for the Skyway closing. Knowing this must have been what they truly thought or what they were told to say?
I remember CONSCIOUSLY avoiding the area under the Skyway because so many teens would spit on you from above……ALL SoCal locals knew this.
I rode this back in the 60s. I feel privileged to have been to Disneyland when it was young, before all the negative things I hear these days about costs and wait times.
We used to have a sky ride in Montreal’s theme park: LaRonde. But when it was sold to Six Flags, the first thing they did was to remove it, never to be replaced. So sad because it too was a fantastic way to view the whole park from above. We also had an observatory tower/elevator. I think it was about 150 ft high. It too was shut down. We had a flume log ride, it was also dismantled. We had minirails ( small monorails) that traveled all around the park. It was fun to ride with all the family. They scrapped it too. Management are not listening to costumers. It was a family theme park with something for every ages. Now La Ronde is just another money machine without soul.
Last time I was at Six Flags over Texas back in the 80s, I had learned that in their past their sky ride had an accident that involved some fatalities; so they took the ride out. It is quite possible that "No Sky Ride" at any Six Flags park became standing policy.