[Question] Rocket Rods/PeopleMover Backstage Area?

[SS77]

I was wondering, if you look at this video and pause at 1:48, is that the switch track to the backstage area of the Rocket Rods? If so, does anyone have a picture of it? I would love to see it.

BTW, was the area used for the PeopleMover too?

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vtObfWgD1U]YouTube - Rocket Rods[/ame]

[Scary Scott]

Re: Rocket Rods/PeopleMover Backstage Area?

Im no expert but I do belive that is where the storage area for the vehicles are so I suppose that it would be the "maintinece" bay for the vehicles, However in order to be sure we better get datamaster on here

[Tomorrowland_1967]

Re: Rocket Rods/PeopleMover Backstage Area?

if you go to bingmaps.com .. and punch up - Disneyland ... go to "bird's eye" or "Ariel" view ... and you'll see how a structure attaches to the backside of Innoventions .. and that was it.

It was formally the Skyway bucket "garage". Once the Skyway kicked the bucket in 1994 .. that area was up for grabs. Then during the 1998 renovation .. the area was enclosed to be a more "proper" indoor facility for Rocket Rods maintenance.

As for Peoplemover .... it's "backstage/storage" area was where Starcade is now. Then .. once Space Mountain was constructed ... the "maintenance bay" was then moved to the second level of America Sings.

If you divided the top floor into "thirds" ... front third - offices. Middle third - SuperSpeed/Tron tunnel. Back third - Peoplemover maintenance bay.

Then .. once Innoventions was constructed .. Rocket Rods skirted the perimeter of the building .... very much like the Peoplemover did during CoP days - All upstairs area totally devoted to Innoventions ... but there was the former Skyway storage to their access!!

Today .... for all we know ... it's a place for CMs to get drunk.

[Datameister]

Re: Rocket Rods/PeopleMover Backstage Area?

I actually had never thought about that! Yeah, that makes perfect sense that the Rocket Rods maintenance bay would have been in there. I knew there was a large protrusion in the back of the building, but I'd never noticed the track leading back into there. Excellent catch! I love threads like this.

[Jetlife]

Re: Rocket Rods/PeopleMover Backstage Area?

Like Tomorrowland says, if you go to Bing maps and look at the Birdseye view, you can see a service bay door on the upper level.
I've seen that open on occasion, though not for a long time.
You can see it from the Train just before going into the Diorama.

[BassBone]

Re: Rocket Rods/PeopleMover Backstage Area?

For a while a couple years ago I remember hearing they were using it as an animatronics test area.

[Datameister]

Re: Rocket Rods/PeopleMover Backstage Area?

That's right, that's right, there is a big rolling steel door up there. Forgot about that. Makes perfect sense.

[themur]

Re: Rocket Rods/PeopleMover Backstage Area?

When riding the train, just before heading into the Grand Canyon diorama, you pass the back of Innoventions and you can see the large maintenance door at the 2nd level with the track for the lift to put Rocket Rod cars in and out of the mainenance area should there be a need

[WDITrent]

Re: Rocket Rods/PeopleMover Backstage Area?

if you go to bingmaps.com .. and punch up - Disneyland ... go to "bird's eye" or "Ariel" view ... and you'll see how a structure attaches to the backside of Innoventions .. and that was it.

It was formally the Skyway bucket "garage". Once the Skyway kicked the bucket in 1994 .. that area was up for grabs. Then during the 1998 renovation .. the area was enclosed to be a more "proper" indoor facility for Rocket Rods maintenance.

As for Peoplemover .... it's "backstage/storage" area was where Starcade is now. Then .. once Space Mountain was constructed ... the "maintenance bay" was then moved to the second level of America Sings.

If you divided the top floor into "thirds" ... front third - offices. Middle third - SuperSpeed/Tron tunnel. Back third - Peoplemover maintenance bay.

Then .. once Innoventions was constructed .. Rocket Rods skirted the perimeter of the building .... very much like the Peoplemover did during CoP days - All upstairs area totally devoted to Innoventions ... but there was the former Skyway storage to their access!!

Today .... for all we know ... it's a place for CMs to get drunk.

That's ... a lot ... of elipses!

[insider67]

Re: Rocket Rods/PeopleMover Backstage Area?

The Rocket Rods maintenance bay is now used for maintenance training and is the storage area for the parks fall protection equipment and issue/inspection of the equipment.

[SS77]

Re: Rocket Rods/PeopleMover Backstage Area?

Thanks. Does anyone have any photos of it?

[mark]

Re: Rocket Rods/PeopleMover Backstage Area?

Man, RR was a fun attraction. Only got to ride once due to lines but I sure liked it!

[BassBone]

Re: Rocket Rods/PeopleMover Backstage Area?

Man, RR was a fun attraction. Only got to ride once due to lines but I sure liked it!

Too bad it didn't work.

[Tomorrowland_1967]

Re: Rocket Rods/PeopleMover Backstage Area?

Glad it's gone!

It was a result of the "eXXXtreme" 90s era .. with Paul Pressler heading it .. and took a nice leisurely ride of 16 minutes .. and dwindled it down to less than 3 minutes .. on a ride system that was rather mediocre.

[LittleImagineer]

Re: Rocket Rods/PeopleMover Backstage Area?

Hmmm, interesting. I'm really going to look ofr it next time I go

[bfdf55]

Re: Rocket Rods/PeopleMover Backstage Area?

I was wondering, if you look at this video and pause at 1:48, is that the switch track to the backstage area of the Rocket Rods? If so, does anyone have a picture of it? I would love to see it.

BTW, was the area used for the PeopleMover too?

YouTube - Rocket Rods

That switch you mentioned is actually the exit from the maintenance bay. The entry switch is in the long curved tunnel before it (at about 1:44).

[Bruce Bergman]

Re: Rocket Rods/PeopleMover Backstage Area?

Too bad it didn't work.

Oh, it worked - problem was, it was too toned down because of the track parameters, and it didn't KEEP working.

They stopped development too soon and mass-produced the Beta cars before they had really debugged them, and we had to live through the debugging breakdowns. I would love to see the logbook of all the breakdowns by time and cause.

The tires on each vehicle wore out in under two weeks a set, because the drive axle geometry was all wrong and the electric motors were over-powering them. And with the mounting and balancing and mechanic's time that was like $400 a pair...

They had computer issues with processors in each car and multiple server units at Wayside, and one vehicle or wayside computer going BSOD knocked the whole ride into Maintenance Mode till they could get the bad car offline. (Blue blinking strobes everywhere, and the cars in safety creep speed.)

And then the steel guide track and the reinforced concrete guideway started slowly failing, and that was what really put a stake through the heart of the ride.

--<< Bruce >>--

[tech4all]

Re: Rocket Rods/PeopleMover Backstage Area?

Man, RR was a fun attraction. Only got to ride once due to lines but I sure liked it!

I agree, I loved that ride. Although only rode twice. Besides the downfalls Bruce Bergman mentioned, I just can't seem to agree with those who didn't like it.

[gumpyyy]

Re: Rocket Rods/PeopleMover Backstage Area?

ive never read either, but both rocket rods and people mover seem to not have a real purpose. generally speaking disney rides have an in depth theme or a purpose. they have a story, are used to get people from point a to point be, etc. the both seem to have none of that. they kinda just throw it out as "here, this is what youre gonna ride in someday" and thats about it.

[Nautilus]

Re: Rocket Rods/PeopleMover Backstage Area?

I presume this is what it looks like inside:



(source: I don't know! It's an old photo I've had for years and I don't remember what the origin of it was).