 By: David DeCaro Web Site: davelandweb.com |
 Heigh-Ho, Mickey News readers–today's column is from Gavin's suggestion of writing about the now "extinct" Skyway.
Always on the lookout for advanced systems of transportation, Walt became aware of a Skyway system being tested in Switzerland in the fall of 1955, and naturally had to have one. By November, Walt figured out where the ride would go and had the Von Roll Iron Works engineers work with designer John Hench to create this famous attraction. Opening ceremonies on June 23, 1956 were presided over by Walt himself and the Swiss Consul General of Los Angeles. There were 42 round gondolas that could carry 2 guests at a time, seated in fiberglass patio chairs bolted into the floor. The Skyway gave guests an overview of the park between two stations: one in Fantasyland (where the drive system was located) and the other in Tomorrowland (where 35,000 pounds of ballast kept the 2400' long cables taut). In between was the peak, a support tower located on Holiday Hill (basically a mound of dirt), which eventually gave way to the Matterhorn. Besides being popular with guests who wanted a scenic overhead view of the park, it was also a favorite of amorous couples, those who wanted to smoke controlled substances without being caught, graffiti vandals, and hooligans who spit on guests below. The Skyway stations were equipped with a large digital meter to gauge wind speed. It usually fluctuated between zero and three knots. If the meter hit twelve knots, cast members shut the ride down. For dangerous situations, in the mid '70s, speakers were installed on the Skyway towers and microphones in the stations. By pushing the "All Ride" switch, cast members could give announcements or warnings. The device was only to be used in emergencies, since upon hearing a deep voice suddenly resounding from the sky, guests typically became alarmed. The device became known as "The God Switch."
 Sept. 1956: Tomorrowland Skyway Station
When the Matterhorn was planned, it was designed to be built in the path of the Skyway, so without a single closure of the Skyway, they tunneled through the new concrete mountain. The original round buckets were replaced in 1965 during the park's Tencennial. The Skyway was shutdown on November 9, 1994 because it was too costly to make safety upgrades. The Fantasyland Skyway station remains, but the Tomorrowland station was initially renovated (at one point it was a service area for the 1998 attraction Rocket Rods) and then removed. When the Skyway closed, the holes in the Matterhorn were filled in and the supports were dismantled within weeks. Another reason the Skyway was removed was because the ride was in technical violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act. It was difficult to load/unload mobility-impaired guests (guests had to step up when boarding and down when de-boarding), and this usually required having to stop the ride. In addition, wheelchairs could not be loaded into the buckets because they were too small. For the final ride, Mickey & Minnie made the last crossing as guests watched below. As their bucket left the Tomorrowland station on its final round trip, guests cheered and applauded the attraction they were going to miss. There was a picture flash in the Matterhorn; the first bucket through was a photographer, the second carried his subject matter, Mickey & Minnie in the last Skyway bucket to carry anyone over Disneyland. URBAN LEGEND DEPT.:
The closure and removal of The Skyway was prompted by a guest's having "fallen" from the ride several months earlier. THE REAL STORY: On Sunday morning, 17 April 1994, Randle Charles, a 30-year-old man, fell about 20' from one of the buckets and landed in a tree near the "Alice in Wonderland" attraction. He was helped out of the tree by paramedics and taken to nearby Western Medical Center where he was treated for minor injuries and released. Charles later filed a $25,000 negligence lawsuit against Disney claiming that he had suffered permanent neck & back injuries as a result of his fall. The initial assertion of Mr. Charles' attorney was that Randle "wasn't doing anything improper, and he certainly wasn't trying to get out of the ride." Charles' lawsuit was dismissed just before it was to go to trial September 23, 1996; at that time he admitted that he "came out" of his Skyway cabin and that his lawsuit against Disney was "ill-advised." The unblemished safety record of the Skyway (the 1994 "accident" was the first in the 38-year history of the ride) and the relatively small amount of damages requested in his lawsuit all made this single incident extremely improbable as the reason for the Skyway's removal. Well folks, that's it for this column. Many thanks again for the positive feedback and suggestions—until next time, see you at Daveland, 24/7! Feel free to email me suggestions. Stay tuned for the next column, which will be about the Motor Boat Cruise.
Dave |
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