My Ride on Disneyland's Long Lost Rocket Rods

Growing up in Orange County, California meant Disneyland was a part of my life for as long as I can remember. For better and for worse. I grew up a geek, anticipating every addition to Walt Disney's magic playground. Few construction projects were as highly anticipated as the brand New Tomorrowland of 1998. 

Rocket Rods was the one most everyone looked forward to. The name now represents one of Disney's most high profile failures, right alongside Light Magic, California Adventure 1.0, and Superstar Limo. Bargain Basement Imagineered and poorly engineered because of a minuscule budget, Rocket Rods was long long for this earth..  

Visiting the family at the right time, I was at Disneyland within the first few weeks of the opening. My first stop was to be expected. I happily jumped into the lengthy queue. The beautifully re purposed America the Beautiful building showcased blueprint type art and vintage Tomorrowland graphics. Getting to the old Peoplemover platform involved a bit of Disney engineering magic bringing guests upstairs in a very clever way. Soon enough, I was high above Tomorrowland waiting for my one and only ride on the attraction's futuristic sleds.

As everyone knows, the ride itself was a constant stop and go experience. At full speed, it was great fun! Cruising above the land was just so classic Disney with a twist. A roller coaster of sorts fully outdoors but also in theme. When we had to slow down for those pesky unbanked curves, it was a step backwards in what should have been another must-do in the park.

Imagineer Tony Baxter lead the Tomorrowland project and took a fair share of the blame for its failure. Of course, I debate that view. The suits and Michael Eisner's cold feet were the real culprits. I make my case for the excellence of Tony Baxter's work here in part one and part two of this very popular series of articles. 

As things worked out, it was my one and only ride. I planned to get back into line but there was still the rest of Tomorrowland '98 waiting  to see. My next trip out would be in 2001 for California Adventure, and the once promising Rocket Rods were now a piece of Disneyland history.

(Top photo from Yesterland. Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Observatron Me

Disneyland's Tomorrowland 1998. Supposedly, the new and improved version. Rocket Rods racing high above the ground on an elevated "highway in the sky" (of sorts- it ran on the former Peoplemover track, not the Monorail re: reference I just made) while the "interesting" Observatron presents an evening show against the backdrop of iconic Space Mountain. This was a slice of Imagineer Tony Baxter's vision for a brand new land of the future. 

Naturally, the project was truncated by the suits who doomed it to disaster. By robbing it of funds needed to bank those curves in the track, the Rocket Rods were difficult to maintain, and more importantly, financially impossible to keep running. The Observatron never functioned as planned- nor was it fixed. Problem upon problem. And by placing a retread of Honey, I Shrunk the Audience in the former Captain Eo space along with other budget cutting decisions, the brand new bronze hued Tomorrowland of 1998 became a major disappointment. It was almost as big of a disappointment as the California Adventure park that made its debut a few years later. Almost.

(Thanks to "phruby" on the WDWMagic boards.  Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Disneyland's Rocket Rods

Rocket Rods. The name conjures up so many reactions. Failure. Short-lived. Poorly engineered. Perhaps all these descriptions are true. But there is another adjective I apply to this now defunct attraction from Tomorrowland '98: fun.

I happened to be at Disneyland within the first few weeks of the opening. Without hesitation, I gladly endured the lengthy queue for a chance to cruise the Land of the Future aboard the sleds of Tomorrow. The saving grace of it all was a beautifully re purposed America the Beautiful building showcasing blueprint type art and vintage Tomorrowland graphics and memorabilia in a cool, dimly lit environment. Getting to the old Peoplemover platform involved a bit of Disney engineering magic!

The ride itself was a stop and go affair. At full speed, it was a blast cruising above the land with the wind in my hair and a smile on my face. When it had to slow down for those pesky unbanked curves, it was a bit jerky, to say the least. Yet, the views were terrific even if the duration much too short.

I planned to get back into line for another ride, but after the lengthy wait, there was still the rest of Imagineer Tony Baxter's Tomorrowland '98 to explore. (Count me in as one who loved the copper version of Space Mountain!) Unfortunately, time got the better of me. My next trip out would be in 2001 for California Adventure, and the dazzling Rocket Rods were history.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)