[Other] L.A. Times: "Top Ten Theme Park Rides We Loved and Lost"

[Mr Wiggins]

Today's L.A. Times business section features a pictorial piece titled "Miss you, Backdraft! The top 10 theme park rides we loved and lost."

Six of the ten are from Disneyland:

Adventure thru Inner Space
Monsanto House of the Future
PeopleMover
Skyway
Carousel of Progress
Flying Saucers

The others are Back to the Future, Backdraft and E.T. Adventure (Universal), and Log Jammer (Six Flags Magic Mountain).

The article gives no info about their criteria for choosing those rides as the top ten.

[smartlabelprint]

Re: L.A. Times: "Top Ten Theme Park Rides We Loved and Lost"

I'm glad they got rid of Monsanto after I heard all kinds of bad about them poisoning our food. Although technically Disney is big business that is ultimately out to make money. I know, not what Walt was ultimately going for.

[Bob Weaver]

Re: L.A. Times: "Top Ten Theme Park Rides We Loved and Lost"

They're calling the House of the Future a "ride" even in their description of it. It was an exhibit, not a ride. I would have substituted Mine Train thru Nature's Wonderland, either in place of House of the Future, or in place of Log Jammer. Log Jammer was an OK log ride but the log ride at Knott's is better and still there. I also kind of miss Kingdom of the Dinosaurs at Knott's. I'm glad they remembered Adventure thru Inner Space, but someone needs to tell them it was "Adventure," not "Adventures." Thanks for bringing this article to our attention.

[sbk1234]

Re: L.A. Times: "Top Ten Theme Park Rides We Loved and Lost"

Personally, I agree with these:

"Adventure thru Inner Space
Monsanto House of the Future
PeopleMover"

However, the rest of my list would be:
Horizons
Horizons
Horizons
Horizons
Horizons
Horizons and
Horizons

[TrueBlue]

Re: L.A. Times: "Top Ten Theme Park Rides We Loved and Lost"

The photo in the Times article of the Peoplemover (along with a vibrant TomorrowLand and the Rocket Jets in their proper place) is almost painful to view compared to the current, sad state of Tomorrowland. The article does reference "attractions" despite the "rides" banner, so inclusion of the House of the Future is OK, if unwarranted. Also, although not well themed, the Log Jammer was an outstanding flume ride. Limiting the choices to Disneyland attractions, I would love to go back in time to experience again (in no particular order): 1) Mine Train through Nature's Wonderland, 2) Country Bear Jamboree, 3) Carousel of Progress, 4) Peoplemover, 5) Skyway, 6) America the Beautiful, 7) Flight to the Moon, 8) Tahitian Terrace, 9) Swiss Family Treehouse, 10) Adventure thru Innerspace.

[TONY THE BEAT]

Re: L.A. Times: "Top Ten Theme Park Rides We Loved and Lost"

Oh how I do miss the skyway

[Mr Wiggins]

Re: L.A. Times: "Top Ten Theme Park Rides We Loved and Lost"

Limiting the choices to Disneyland attractions, I would love to go back in time to experience again (in no particular order): 1) Mine Train through Nature's Wonderland, 2) Country Bear Jamboree, 3) Carousel of Progress, 4) Peoplemover, 5) Skyway, 6) America the Beautiful, 7) Flight to the Moon, 8) Tahitian Terrace, 9) Swiss Family Treehouse, 10) Adventure thru Innerspace.

Ditto.

[Bob Weaver]

Re: L.A. Times: "Top Ten Theme Park Rides We Loved and Lost"

But even in the caption below the photo of the House of the Future, they state:

“Monsanto House of the Future (1957-1967) at Disneyland: This ride, also sponsored by Monsanto, gave guests a tour of an expected house of the future, including advancements such as fiberglass components and, gasp, microwave ovens.”

They should have said either "attraction" or "exhibit." Oh well, too late now.

1) Mine Train through Nature's Wonderland, 2) Country Bear Jamboree, 3) Carousel of Progress, 4) Peoplemover, 5) Skyway, 6) America the Beautiful, 7) Flight to the Moon, 8) Tahitian Terrace, 9) Swiss Family Treehouse, 10) Adventure thru Innerspace.

Now I realize how lucky I am... I got to experience all of those, though my memory of the Tahitian Terrace is vague. I only remember feeling like we were on Gilligan's Island.

[JesterMn]

Re: L.A. Times: "Top Ten Theme Park Rides We Loved and Lost"

I find it hard to believe anyone misses Backdraft or ET. The latter was especially awful.

[jeannie527]

Re: L.A. Times: "Top Ten Theme Park Rides We Loved and Lost"

I miss the Skyway and Country Bear Jamboree.

[Bronco21]

Re: L.A. Times: "Top Ten Theme Park Rides We Loved and Lost"

It's kind of ironic that Monsanto House of the Future and Fying Saucers both exist in new forms at the resort and yet both are not especially liked by the fan community. In all honesty Innoventions Dream home has way cooler crap than microwaves and fiberglass, but still it is so hated by Disney fans... How much of this is spurred by nestalgia vs actually wanting the rides/ exhibits back? Personally I want CBJ, MTTNW, ATIS, PM, ect back. But if they really did bring them back (like they did with FS-LFT and MHotF-IDH) how many of us would really enjoy them in a new form?..

[Mr Wiggins]

Re: L.A. Times: "Top Ten Theme Park Rides We Loved and Lost"

It's kind of ironic that Monsanto House of the Future and Fying Saucers both exist in new forms at the resort and yet both are not especially liked by the fan community. In all honesty Innoventions Dream home has way cooler crap than microwaves and fiberglass, but still it is so hated by Disney fans...

If you talk to the adults who were there at the time, their admiration for the House of the Future is a result of how innovative it was for its time. Similarly, the hatred of Innoventions is spurred by how un-innovate it is for its time.

Historical context is everything when rating attractions. It has been repeated on this forum hundreds if not thousands of times that the thing that blew people away in the 1950s and 60s about the top Disneyland attractions was their level of innovation, creativity, technology and showmanship for their time -- while the thing that so often disappoints about the Disneyland attractions of the last 15 years (Innoventions, Pooh, Nemo, Luigi's, Mermaid to name a few), is their comparative lack of innovation, creativity, technology and showmanship for their time.

How much of this is spurred by nestalgia vs actually wanting the rides/ exhibits back?

Those Disneyland guests who were adults in the 60s, and who have experienced firsthand the standards of both the Walt Disney Company's Disneyland and the "Eisger" Disney Corporation's Disneyland, rightfully reject the suggestion that their rating of Yester-rides is the result of mere "nostalgia."

As has been posted countless times on this forum, people don't want the original PeopleMover, Adventure thru Inner Space, Submarines or Mine Train thru Nature's Wonderland to return as clones of their original selves. They want updated versions of those ride themes, executed with a level of innovation, creativity, technology and showmanship that is as mindblowing for today as it was for the time when those rides first opened. And that is what Disney has proved, for the last decade and a half, it is utterly incapable of doing.

[calsig31]

Re: L.A. Times: "Top Ten Theme Park Rides We Loved and Lost"

As has been posted countless times on this forum, people don't want the original PeopleMover, Adventure thru Inner Space, Submarines or Mine Train thru Nature's Wonderland to return as clones of their original selves. They want updated versions of those ride themes, executed with a level of innovation, creativity, technology and showmanship that is as mindblowing for today as it was for the time when those rides first opened. And that is what Disney has proved, for the last decade and a half, it is utterly incapable of doing.

Exactly. Disney's idea of bringing the Flying Saucers back with a new level of innovation was to add giant beach balls and Italian music.

[ducktalesfan5555]

Re: L.A. Times: "Top Ten Theme Park Rides We Loved and Lost"

I really miss the CBJ!

[Bob Weaver]

Re: L.A. Times: "Top Ten Theme Park Rides We Loved and Lost"

I wish people on this forum would retire the tired "that's just nostalgia" argument once and for all. If Haunted Mansion or Pirates of the Caribbean were closed, and 20 years later you were saying you miss them, would you agree that it was only because of "nostalgia?" We miss the old attractions like the Mine Train and ATIS because of their beauty, character, uniqueness, design, detail, storyline, humor, imagination, immersiveness and repeatability. The intangible qualities that are sometimes lacking in new attractions. It's not just "nostalgia." And just because there is a newer version of something doesn't mean it's better. Technology is not a substitute for imagination.

[Jayce]

Re: L.A. Times: "Top Ten Theme Park Rides We Loved and Lost"

Oh how I do miss the skyway

While I miss some of the other rides this one is the one I miss the most.

[Bronco21]

Re: L.A. Times: "Top Ten Theme Park Rides We Loved and Lost"

If you talk to the adults who were there at the time, their admiration for the House of the Future is a result of how innovative it was for its time. Similarly, the hatred of Innoventions is spurred by how un-innovate it is for its time.

Historical context is everything when rating attractions. It has been repeated on this forum hundreds if not thousands of times that the thing that blew people away in the 1950s and 60s about the top Disneyland attractions was their level of innovation, creativity, technology and showmanship for their time -- while the thing that so often disappoints about the Disneyland attractions of the last 15 years (Innoventions, Pooh, Nemo, Luigi's, Mermaid to name a few), is their comparative lack of innovation, creativity, technology and showmanship for their time.




Those Disneyland guests who were adults in the 60s, and who have experienced firsthand the standards of both the Walt Disney Company's Disneyland and the "Eisger" Disney Corporation's Disneyland, rightfully reject the suggestion that their rating of Yester-rides is the result of mere "nostalgia."

As has been posted countless times on this forum, people don't want the original PeopleMover, Adventure thru Inner Space, Submarines or Mine Train thru Nature's Wonderland to return as clones of their original selves. They want updated versions of those ride themes, executed with a level of innovation, creativity, technology and showmanship that is as mindblowing for today as it was for the time when those rides first opened. And that is what Disney has proved, for the last decade and a half, it is utterly incapable of doing.

I agree with all of this, my point is that Disney's attempts to bring back beloved classics failed. There are many reasons they failed, and one of them is lack of innovation. But why beg Disney to bring them back if they are incapable of doing it properly?

[fifthrider]

Re: L.A. Times: "Top Ten Theme Park Rides We Loved and Lost"

Interesting article, and I agree with most of it. I'm not sure if I'd ever miss Backdraft, it was really just a place to walk through and warm up after being drenched on the nearby JP ride. The rest of the things on this list make perfect sense to me, especially the Log Jammer. I still can't believe that removed that. It was one of the new non-roller-coasters in that park, not to mention an original ride whose natural foliage growth over the last few decades made it feel like you were in a real forest.

It's kind of hard to miss the flying saucers now that it's perfected and back at DCA.

I miss the Skyway and Country Bear Jamboree.

Yes, now BEAR COUNTRY makes more sense on that list. Thank you Jeannie!

[sir clinksalot]

Re: L.A. Times: "Top Ten Theme Park Rides We Loved and Lost"

Today's L.A. Times business section features a pictorial piece titled "Miss you, Backdraft! The top 10 theme park rides we loved and lost."

Six of the ten are from Disneyland:

Adventure thru Inner Space
Monsanto House of the Future
PeopleMover
Skyway
Carousel of Progress
Flying Saucers

The others are Back to the Future, Backdraft and E.T. Adventure (Universal), and Log Jammer (Six Flags Magic Mountain).

The article gives no info about their criteria for choosing those rides as the top ten.

A little too heavily favored to Disneyland. They should have left off Flying Saucers (they are kind of back) and House of the Future. Should have been replaced with Beary Tales, Haunted Shack and/or Soap Box Racers from Knott's. I'd even leave off CoP in favor of the Parachute Drop from Knott's as well.

[calsig31]

Re: L.A. Times: "Top Ten Theme Park Rides We Loved and Lost"

It's kind of hard to miss the flying saucers now that it's perfected and back at DCA.

I'm not really sure it is perfected in this new incarnation. While it may not break down as much, the load system was much better before. Also, they were single rider, not 2 or 3 people to a seat.