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I've gotten a couple of messages from VMK players on this forum inquiring about my avatar. I'll post it in this message so those who may read this post after I've changed my avatar will know what I'm talking about.
For those who don't recognize it, it's the Flying Saucer ride in Disneyland! Well, that WAS in Disneyland. This E-Ticket appeared in Tomorrowland in 1961 but only lasted 5 years. Look how different Tomorrowland looks in the photo. Everything you see is gone now except the monorail. After boarding your saucer, giant fans underneath the floor would start and your saucer would float on a cushion of air. Special flaps in the blue surface area would only allow air to blow up underneath a saucer. Your saucer would glide around in any direction you leaned in your seat.
I rode these saucers many times as a kid and thought they were pretty fun. Like bumper cars without wheels! The ride was not without problems, though. If the rider didn't understand that he or she had to lean to make the saucer go, it would just sit in one place and bounce up and down. Some overweight riders had to endure the embarrasement of sitting in a saucer that just wouldn't rise off the surface. The ride was also a maintenence nightmare for Disney.
The Flying Saucers were repleced in 1967 with the Tomorrowland Stage. Later, the stage was replaced with the Magic Eye Theatre where you watch "Honey I Shrunk The Kids" today. (BTW: back in 1961, there was no Space Mountain in Tomorrowland!)
Today on VMK you can find several reminders of the saucers. Of course, you'll recognize the Flying Saucer Chairs in VMK. Also this pin:
For those who don't recognize it, it's the Flying Saucer ride in Disneyland! Well, that WAS in Disneyland. This E-Ticket appeared in Tomorrowland in 1961 but only lasted 5 years. Look how different Tomorrowland looks in the photo. Everything you see is gone now except the monorail. After boarding your saucer, giant fans underneath the floor would start and your saucer would float on a cushion of air. Special flaps in the blue surface area would only allow air to blow up underneath a saucer. Your saucer would glide around in any direction you leaned in your seat.
I rode these saucers many times as a kid and thought they were pretty fun. Like bumper cars without wheels! The ride was not without problems, though. If the rider didn't understand that he or she had to lean to make the saucer go, it would just sit in one place and bounce up and down. Some overweight riders had to endure the embarrasement of sitting in a saucer that just wouldn't rise off the surface. The ride was also a maintenence nightmare for Disney.
The Flying Saucers were repleced in 1967 with the Tomorrowland Stage. Later, the stage was replaced with the Magic Eye Theatre where you watch "Honey I Shrunk The Kids" today. (BTW: back in 1961, there was no Space Mountain in Tomorrowland!)
Today on VMK you can find several reminders of the saucers. Of course, you'll recognize the Flying Saucer Chairs in VMK. Also this pin:
Perhaps the ride could be made more reliable with today's technology. I'd love to see them come back to Tomorrowland and be able to ride them once again. I don't think that's going to happen, though.
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