Rocket Rods
Encyclopedia
Rocket Rods was an attraction in Tomorrowland
at Disneyland in Anaheim, California
.
track. Riders entered the attraction through the former Circle-Vision 360°
building at the front of Tomorrowland.
Guests boarded an unusual 5-seat Rocket Rod before moving forward to a staging area similar to one used for drag racing
. Anticipation was built by the lights changing from red, to yellow, to green, and then having the vehicle zoom down a straightaway toward the entrance of Tomorrowland, before quickly decelerating at the curve in the track. During the development phase, Disney was unable to obtain sponsors to aid in the funding of the attraction; thus, the turns remained without banks, requiring the sudden acceleration/deceleration. When the attraction was open, this straightaway was used for a small wheelie
as well.
The Rocket Rod took riders through the building housing Star Tours
, Star Trader and the Starcade, offering views of all three through glass panes in the tunnel. Segments of the tunnel were entirely opaque, and one turn created the effect of nearly colliding with an oncoming Rocket Rod. (In reality, this was only the vehicle's reflection in a mirror
). Afterwards, the Rocket Rod took guests into Space Mountain, during which the riders could catch a very brief glimpse of the ride. The vehicle then took riders back outside again before entering the Carousel Theater
, home of Innoventions
. Due to the long, slightly curved nature of this stretch of track, the Rocket Rods were able to accelerate to a comparatively high speed here. After leaving the other side of Innoventions, the Rocket Rod took riders through a series of turns and dips above Autopia
and the Submarine Voyage
lagoon, which was unused at the time.
Finally, the Rod passed next to the Disneyland Monorail station before entering the Rocket Rods queue building, where the riders were surprised by a strobe light and blast of air. The vehicle then traveled along the straightaway from the first leg of the ride back to the station.
Rocket Rods was the first Disneyland attraction to house a Single Rider line due to its long lines and limited capacity.
, a Space Mountain rocket, and the front of a Mark III Disneyland Monorail. Near the end of the room was video screen that displayed old Walt Disney animated segments from the distant past (1950s to early 1970s) that featured what transportation may one day look like in the future. All of the segments featured radical and far-fetched concepts of future transportation systems like fully automated and auto guided mobile homes and cars using a form of anti-gravity or magnetic devices to scale walls and objects. Each segment concluded with a short narrated segment of how these technologies evolved into forms of technology we use today (in 1998) or will use in a few years to come. The short narrations brought insight to the (somewhat outdated) animated segments and explained to guests that "in the world of creativity there's no end to the possibilities" (the theme of Rocket Rods). The next room of the queue was the nine-screen Circle-Vision 360°
theater, where guests watched old transportation videos, excerpts from the Circle-Vision 360° films "America the Beautiful
" and "The Timekeeper
" put between a Walt Disney narrated video, and a video depicting the evolution of General Motors cars. Guests then continued down the "transit tunnel" (formerly a backstage area) where guests passed "proposals" for extending the Rocket Rods system all the way to the John Wayne Airport
and other nearby destinations. The Transit Tunnel lead to a series of stairs that circled around the inside of the tower that held up the Rocket Rods platform and the Observatron (the former Rocket Jets attraction). At the top of the stairs guest found themselves on the elevated Rocket Rods station in the center of Tomorrowland.
In the queue area, near the stairway to the boarding area was a fictional map reading titled Rocket Rods Proposed System Expansion, showing guests where Rocket Rods was to expand to in the future. The map was just for fun, but had real life locations on it (as well as ambiguous ones), including Tomorrowland attractions already bypassed by the Rocket Rods' route, such as:
hit Born to Be Wild
, arranged and recorded by former Oingo Boingo
member Steve Bartek
.
In addition to the re-arranged version of "Born to Be Wild," the attraction featured its own theme song: "World of Creativity (Magic Highways of Tomorrow)" also arranged and performed by Steve Bartek. The song, originally known as "Detroit" from the 1967 Disney film The Happiest Millionaire
, was composed by the Robert and Richard Sherman.
and The Orange County Register
reported that Rocket Rods would never reopen.
There are a number of reasons that led to the closure of the Rocket Rods:
Most of the Rocket Rods vehicles were scrapped after the closure, but at least two survived. One was placed in front of the Hollywood & Dine restaurant at Disney's California Adventure, where it remained for only a few months. It was gone by the spring of 2002. Another Rocket Rod is in the hands of a collector. The track is moderately rusted and very overgrown with foliage after a decade of sitting unused. However, Disney did repaint it at one point, suggesting they are still maintaining that structure. Removing the track altogether is nearly impossible, since half of it is located inside of buildings, which would mean having to close all of Tomorrowland & partially dismantle the buildings.
After the closure of Rocket Rods, hopes arose that the PeopleMover would be reinstalled. Rumors still circulate today, usually stating that the PeopleMover will return, possibly as a copy of the Magic Kingdom
's version of the ride: the Tomorrowland Transit Authority
. The equipment used for the PeopleMover only still exists on the Rocket Rods track in some places, which would mean that most of the equipment would have to be reinstalled to restore the ride.
Rocket Rods' queue area, which was formerly Circle-Vision 360°, is now Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, which opened in March 2005.
, the PeopleMover/Rocket Rods track still stands empty
. However, the segment along Tomorrowland's main avenue still seems to be maintained, as it was repainted in the areas new blue and white paint scheme in 2005. It has also been reported that foliage that was on the track in the Autopia area has been removed. The track was used for the grand opening of Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
as a high vantage point for a group of stormtroopers.
Tomorrowland
- Tomorrowland 1955–1967 :The first Tomorrowland opened at Disneyland on July 18, 1955, with only several of its planned attractions open, due to budget cuts. The construction of the park was rushed, so Tomorrowland was the last land to be finished. It became something of a corporate showcase,...
at Disneyland in Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
.
The Ride
Opening on May 22, 1998 as part of the New Tomorrowland, this high-speed attraction ran on the former PeopleMoverPeopleMover
The PeopleMover, sometimes referred to as the WEDWay PeopleMover, was a transport attraction that operated from July 2, 1967 to August 21, 1995 in Tomorrowland at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Guests boarded small trains that ran on elevated tracks for a "grand circle tour" above Tomorrowland...
track. Riders entered the attraction through the former Circle-Vision 360°
Circle-Vision 360°
Circle-Vision 360° is a film technique, refined by The Walt Disney Company, that uses nine cameras for nine huge screens arranged in a circle. The cameras are usually mounted on top of an automobile for scenes through cities and highways, while films such as The Timekeeper use a static camera and...
building at the front of Tomorrowland.
Guests boarded an unusual 5-seat Rocket Rod before moving forward to a staging area similar to one used for drag racing
Drag racing
Drag racing is a competition in which specially prepared automobiles or motorcycles compete two at a time to be the first to cross a set finish line, from a standing start, in a straight line, over a measured distance, most commonly a ¼-mile straight track....
. Anticipation was built by the lights changing from red, to yellow, to green, and then having the vehicle zoom down a straightaway toward the entrance of Tomorrowland, before quickly decelerating at the curve in the track. During the development phase, Disney was unable to obtain sponsors to aid in the funding of the attraction; thus, the turns remained without banks, requiring the sudden acceleration/deceleration. When the attraction was open, this straightaway was used for a small wheelie
Wheelie
In vehicle acrobatics, a wheelie is a vehicle maneuver in which the front wheel or wheels come off the ground due to extreme torque being applied to the rear wheel or wheels. Wheelies are usually associated with bicycles and motorcycles, but can be done with other vehicles such as cars, especially...
as well.
The Rocket Rod took riders through the building housing Star Tours
Star Tours
Star Tours is a motion simulator attraction currently operating at Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Park at Disneyland Paris. The ride is based on the successful Star Wars film series created by George Lucas, making it the first Disney attraction based on a non-Disney produced film.The first...
, Star Trader and the Starcade, offering views of all three through glass panes in the tunnel. Segments of the tunnel were entirely opaque, and one turn created the effect of nearly colliding with an oncoming Rocket Rod. (In reality, this was only the vehicle's reflection in a mirror
Mirror
A mirror is an object that reflects light or sound in a way that preserves much of its original quality prior to its contact with the mirror. Some mirrors also filter out some wavelengths, while preserving other wavelengths in the reflection...
). Afterwards, the Rocket Rod took guests into Space Mountain, during which the riders could catch a very brief glimpse of the ride. The vehicle then took riders back outside again before entering the Carousel Theater
Carousel Theater
The Carousel Theater was a theatre in the round located in Framingham, Massachusetts, on the Old Connecticut Path. The Carousel Theater was opened in 1958. It had a capacity of approximately 2,500-3,000 people....
, home of Innoventions
Innoventions
Innoventions is the name of two technology-oriented Disney attractions:* Innoventions , at Walt Disney World in Florida* Innoventions , in California...
. Due to the long, slightly curved nature of this stretch of track, the Rocket Rods were able to accelerate to a comparatively high speed here. After leaving the other side of Innoventions, the Rocket Rod took riders through a series of turns and dips above Autopia
Autopia
Autopia is a Disneyland attraction, in which patrons steer specially designed cars through an enclosed track. Versions of Autopia exist at Anaheim, California, Disneyland Paris in Marne-la-Vallée, France, and at Hong Kong Disneyland on Lantau Island, Hong Kong...
and the Submarine Voyage
Submarine Voyage
The Submarine Voyage thru liquid space was an attraction at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.The attraction, which featured ride vehicles designed to look like Navy nuclear submarines, opened on June 14, 1959...
lagoon, which was unused at the time.
Finally, the Rod passed next to the Disneyland Monorail station before entering the Rocket Rods queue building, where the riders were surprised by a strobe light and blast of air. The vehicle then traveled along the straightaway from the first leg of the ride back to the station.
Rocket Rods was the first Disneyland attraction to house a Single Rider line due to its long lines and limited capacity.
Queue
Guests entered the former CircleVision 360 building. In the first room, huge blueprints of old and current Tomorrowland attractions hung on the walls, along with actual former Tomorrowland attraction vehicles, which were repainted blue with an orange grid to make them appear like blueprints. The ride vehicles included were four PeopleMover cars, two Rocket JetsRocket Jets
Rocket Jets was an attraction in Disneyland at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. This attraction opened in 1967 with the new Tomorrowland and closed in 1997 for the 1998 New Tomorrowland. It was the third spinning rocket attraction in Tomorrowland and stood three stories above the ground...
, a Space Mountain rocket, and the front of a Mark III Disneyland Monorail. Near the end of the room was video screen that displayed old Walt Disney animated segments from the distant past (1950s to early 1970s) that featured what transportation may one day look like in the future. All of the segments featured radical and far-fetched concepts of future transportation systems like fully automated and auto guided mobile homes and cars using a form of anti-gravity or magnetic devices to scale walls and objects. Each segment concluded with a short narrated segment of how these technologies evolved into forms of technology we use today (in 1998) or will use in a few years to come. The short narrations brought insight to the (somewhat outdated) animated segments and explained to guests that "in the world of creativity there's no end to the possibilities" (the theme of Rocket Rods). The next room of the queue was the nine-screen Circle-Vision 360°
Circle-Vision 360°
Circle-Vision 360° is a film technique, refined by The Walt Disney Company, that uses nine cameras for nine huge screens arranged in a circle. The cameras are usually mounted on top of an automobile for scenes through cities and highways, while films such as The Timekeeper use a static camera and...
theater, where guests watched old transportation videos, excerpts from the Circle-Vision 360° films "America the Beautiful
America the Beautiful (Disney)
America the Beautiful is the first 360 film created using 360 film techniques and 360-degree cameras. It was first shot in 1955 and run in Disney Circle-Vision 360 film theaters....
" and "The Timekeeper
The Timekeeper
The Timekeeper was a 1992 Circle-Vision 360° film that was presented at three Disney parks around the world. It was the first Circle-Vision show that was arranged and filmed with an actual plot and not just visions of landscapes, and the first to utilize Audio-Animatronics...
" put between a Walt Disney narrated video, and a video depicting the evolution of General Motors cars. Guests then continued down the "transit tunnel" (formerly a backstage area) where guests passed "proposals" for extending the Rocket Rods system all the way to the John Wayne Airport
John Wayne Airport
John Wayne Airport is an airport in an unincorporated area in Orange County, California, with its mailing address in the city of Santa Ana, which is also the county seat, hence the International Air Transport Association airport code. The main entrance to the airport is off of MacArthur Blvd in...
and other nearby destinations. The Transit Tunnel lead to a series of stairs that circled around the inside of the tower that held up the Rocket Rods platform and the Observatron (the former Rocket Jets attraction). At the top of the stairs guest found themselves on the elevated Rocket Rods station in the center of Tomorrowland.
In the queue area, near the stairway to the boarding area was a fictional map reading titled Rocket Rods Proposed System Expansion, showing guests where Rocket Rods was to expand to in the future. The map was just for fun, but had real life locations on it (as well as ambiguous ones), including Tomorrowland attractions already bypassed by the Rocket Rods' route, such as:
- Star ToursStar ToursStar Tours is a motion simulator attraction currently operating at Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Park at Disneyland Paris. The ride is based on the successful Star Wars film series created by George Lucas, making it the first Disney attraction based on a non-Disney produced film.The first...
- Space Mountain
- InnoventionsInnoventionsInnoventions is the name of two technology-oriented Disney attractions:* Innoventions , at Walt Disney World in Florida* Innoventions , in California...
- Disney's California AdventureDisney's California AdventureDisney California Adventure, or simply California Adventure, is a theme park in Anaheim, California, adjacent to Disneyland Park and part of the larger Disneyland Resort. It opened on February 8, 2001 as Disney's California Adventure Park. The park is owned and operated by the Walt Disney Parks and...
- Disneyland Resort Hotels
- Edison International FieldAngel Stadium of AnaheimAngel Stadium of Anaheim is a modern-style ballpark located in Anaheim, California. It is the home ballpark to Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of the American League, and was previously home to the NFL's Los Angeles Rams...
- Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim
- The Walt Disney StudiosWalt Disney Studios (Burbank)The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, United States, serve as the international headquarters for media conglomerate The Walt Disney Company. The Walt Disney Studio's house offices for each of the company's divisions along with creative spaces designed for movie production. The Walt Disney...
- HollywoodHollywood, Los Angeles, CaliforniaHollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
- AirportJohn Wayne AirportJohn Wayne Airport is an airport in an unincorporated area in Orange County, California, with its mailing address in the city of Santa Ana, which is also the county seat, hence the International Air Transport Association airport code. The main entrance to the airport is off of MacArthur Blvd in...
- The beach
- The mountains
Music
The evolution of GM cars video featured an electronic version of the SteppenwolfSteppenwolf (band)
Steppenwolf are a Canadian-American rock group that was prominent in the late 1960s. The group was formed in 1967 in Los Angeles by vocalist John Kay, guitarist Michael Monarch, bassist Rushton Moreve, keyboardist Goldy McJohn and drummer Jerry Edmonton after the dissolution of Toronto group The...
hit Born to Be Wild
Born to Be Wild
"Born to Be Wild" is a rock song written by Mars Bonfire and made famous by the Canadian-American rock band Steppenwolf. It is often used in popular culture to denote a biker appearance or attitude...
, arranged and recorded by former Oingo Boingo
Oingo Boingo
Oingo Boingo was an American new wave band. They are best known for their influence on other musicians, their soundtrack contributions and their high energy Halloween concerts. The band was founded in 1972 as The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, a performance art group...
member Steve Bartek
Steve Bartek
Steve Bartek, born in Garfield Heights, Ohio on January 30, 1952, is an American guitarist, film composer, conductor and orchestrator.-Early career:...
.
In addition to the re-arranged version of "Born to Be Wild," the attraction featured its own theme song: "World of Creativity (Magic Highways of Tomorrow)" also arranged and performed by Steve Bartek. The song, originally known as "Detroit" from the 1967 Disney film The Happiest Millionaire
The Happiest Millionaire
The Happiest Millionaire is a 1967 musical film starring Fred MacMurray and based upon the true story of Philadelphia millionaire Anthony J. Drexel Biddle. The film received an Academy Award nomination for Costume Design by Bill Thomas. The musical song score is by Robert and Richard Sherman...
, was composed by the Robert and Richard Sherman.
Sherman Brothers
The Sherman Brothers are an American songwriting duo that specialize in musical films, made up of Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman ....
Demise and closure
The Rocket Rods closed on September 25, 2000 for a refurbishment that was to last until Spring 2001, but no work was ever seen on the attraction. On April 28, 2001, the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
and The Orange County Register
The Orange County Register
The Orange County Register is a daily newspaper published in Santa Ana, California. The Register is the flagship publication of Freedom Communications, Inc., which publishes 28 daily newspapers, 23 weekly newspapers, Coast magazine, and several related Internet sites.The Register is notable for its...
reported that Rocket Rods would never reopen.
There are a number of reasons that led to the closure of the Rocket Rods:
- The Rocket Rods completed the course of the 16-minute PeopleMover in only about 3 minutes. Because the Rocket Rods project was not given a large enough budget to bank the track's curves, the Rocket Rods had to slow down substantially to maneuver most of the turns.
- The support structure and track originally built for the PeopleMover was not meant to be used for a high speed attraction and began to weaken.
- The constant changes in speed caused the vehicles' on-board computer systems to fail, shutting down the entire attraction. The attraction broke down at least once a day, causing queues of up to three hours. It was not uncommon for guests to receive rain check passes to ride on another day.
Most of the Rocket Rods vehicles were scrapped after the closure, but at least two survived. One was placed in front of the Hollywood & Dine restaurant at Disney's California Adventure, where it remained for only a few months. It was gone by the spring of 2002. Another Rocket Rod is in the hands of a collector. The track is moderately rusted and very overgrown with foliage after a decade of sitting unused. However, Disney did repaint it at one point, suggesting they are still maintaining that structure. Removing the track altogether is nearly impossible, since half of it is located inside of buildings, which would mean having to close all of Tomorrowland & partially dismantle the buildings.
After the closure of Rocket Rods, hopes arose that the PeopleMover would be reinstalled. Rumors still circulate today, usually stating that the PeopleMover will return, possibly as a copy of the Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom Park is one of four theme parks at the Walt Disney World Resort located near Orlando, Florida. The first park built at the resort, Magic Kingdom opened Oct. 1, 1971. Designed and built by WED Enterprises, the park's layout and attractions are similar to Disneyland in Anaheim, California...
's version of the ride: the Tomorrowland Transit Authority
Tomorrowland Transit Authority
The Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover , formerly known as the WEDWay PeopleMover until 1994 and the Tomorrowland Transit Authority until 2010, is a PeopleMover system in Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort...
. The equipment used for the PeopleMover only still exists on the Rocket Rods track in some places, which would mean that most of the equipment would have to be reinstalled to restore the ride.
Rocket Rods' queue area, which was formerly Circle-Vision 360°, is now Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, which opened in March 2005.
, the PeopleMover/Rocket Rods track still stands empty
Standing But Not Operating
Standing but not operating is a term used for an amusement park, amusement ride or roller coaster, which means it is standing, but it is not operated for various reasons. Reasons might include irreparable damage or simply a lack of funding to operate the amusement park or ride...
. However, the segment along Tomorrowland's main avenue still seems to be maintained, as it was repainted in the areas new blue and white paint scheme in 2005. It has also been reported that foliage that was on the track in the Autopia area has been removed. The track was used for the grand opening of Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
Star Tours: The Adventures Continue is an attraction located at Disneyland Park and at Disney's Hollywood Studios. It is also set to open at Tokyo Disneyland in Spring 2013. Set in the fictional Star Wars universe, The Adventures Continue updates the two parks' original Star Tours attractions...
as a high vantage point for a group of stormtroopers.