Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover

So far we've examined the Astro Orbiter and its various iterations across the different parks; the Tomorrowland Speedway and Autopia attractions and the Carousel of Progress.  Now it's the turn of the Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover.

This is a bit of an odd attraction and yet remains popular.  It involves slow moving futuristic carts taking guests on a gentle tour of the upper floor of many of the other Tomorrowland attractions including Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin and the Carousel of Progress.

Retroactively, the Tomorrowland Transit Authority  has been featured in the animated TV series, Miles from Tomorrowland.

Ascending a slow moving escalator, guests arrive at the loading station where trains of five blue carts trundle slowly along the tracks.  This is a ride which never stops moving and guest seat themselves as the trains move through the station.  Once seated, so begins a leisurely tour of the sights, sounds and smells of Tomorrowland.

Initially, the train passes alongside the entrance for Stitch's Great Escape! and Space Mountain can be seen towering in the distance.  On the opposite side, Astro Orbiter towers above the riders.  Further along, Tomorrowland Speedway can be seen in the distance.  Then the trains travel past the entrance of Laugh Floor before travelling towards the main entrance to Tomorrowland.  From here, guests can see Main Street USA and as it turns another corner, the Cinderella Castle towering over the landscape.

The trains now enter a tunnel.  On the left is a model cityscape depicting the world of tomorrow - in fact, it's prototype of Epcot.  On the right are fluroescent signs and an alien in a rocket.  Suddenly, the trains are travelling over the top of one of the Tomorrowland shops before guests return outside to see the Astro Orbiter again and the crowds milling around below.  On the left, guests can get an even better view of Tomorrowland Speedway as the cars line up at the station where guests get in and out.  Trains pass in the other direction as you get a good overhead view of the Speedway track.

At the end of this piece of track, a sign indicates that the trains are now about to travel inside Space Mountain.  After seeing the sights and hearing the screams of people riding the rollercoaster, the track loops round and the trains return back past Tomorrowland Speedway.  The track then takes trains towards Carousel of Progress and then another tunnel moves the trains inside Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin.

Back past the entrance to Tomorrowland from Main Street, we travel back towards the main hub of the area, back past Stitch's Great Escape and the Laugh Floor before seeing the Claw choosing an alien above a small kiosk.  Eventually, the trains return to the station area where guests disembark.

Peoplemover continues to be a popular attraction for those guests in need of a rest and gentle tour of Tomorrowland.  It's not a ride I would head straight for, or even think was an essential part of a trip to the Magic Kingdom, but actually, having viewed a few Youtube trips aboard it, it does bring back fond memories of Tomorrowland and listening to the accompanying commentary as you travel round.  It also fits the original brief of Tomorrowland to a tee, far more than the later emphasis on Toy Story, Monster Inc and Lilo and Stitch do and arguably more than Space Mountain does.  It's reflective of the 'vision of the future' element so beloved by Disney.

This attraction is a version of the Peoplemover ride at Disneyland which, currently, does not operate, having closed in 1997.  A similar ride, it too travelled around Tomorrowland allowing guests so see the sights whilst enjoying a relaxing ride.