Skyway (Disneyland)
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| The ride with its original gondolas | |||||||||||||
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| Manufacturer | Von Roll | ||||||||||||
| Product | Sky Ride | ||||||||||||
| Manufactured | 1947 | ||||||||||||
| Type | |||||||||||||
| Height | 60 feet | ||||||||||||
| Speed | 4 mph | ||||||||||||
| Cabins | 42 | ||||||||||||
| Track length | 1,200 feet | ||||||||||||
Skyway was a Ropeway built by Swiss manufacturer Von Roll previously located at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, USA. Opening in 1956, nearly a year after the park opened, the ride was a unique and novel concept mode of transportation to get between the Tomorrowland and Fantasyland areas of the park. The ride closed in 1994 due to decreasing ridership, the loss in money due to Euro-Disneyland, and lack of maintenance, alongside an accident that year.[1]
History
The ride opened on June 23, 1956, after soft opening 13 days before. The ride was Von Roll's first Sky Ride in the United States. WED Enterprises had bought the Skyway from Von Roll's factory in Switzerland, where it was first built in 1947.[citation needed]
In 1957, the Skyway would temporarily close while major renovations were underway in Tomorrowland. The central 60 ft tower was demolished so a new tower could be built within the Matterhorn Bobsleds coaster, which was one of two new attractions. The Skyway reopened in 1959 alongside the new Tomorrowland renovations.
The gondolas were replaced and modified in 1964.
In 1983, Fantasyland closed in its entirety to begin a massive makeover. Skyway remained operational during this time, giving guests a view of the construction. The Skyway didn't stop at Fantasyland, as it was required that all the gondolas go back to Tomorrowland without any unloads. The main ride and structure virtually saw zero changes aside from these renovations and revamps.
Closure
Skyway closed on November 9, 1994. One of the reasons was blamed on metal fatigue. The support structure inside the Matterhorn mountain was developing stress cracks and could only be accessible by closing Matterhorn Bobsleds and opening up the mountain, which was extremely costly. The Americans with Disabilities Act did not have bearing on the ride as it was grandfathered with code B77.1.[2] All operating funds directed towards Skyway would be redirected to Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye.[citation needed] Once that happened, the holes inside the mountain were patched up, and the ride was dismantled after the 1995 season.
The Tomorrowland station was destroyed after the 1998 revamp of the land. The Fantasyland station remained standing until mid-2016,[3] when the City of Anaheim approved the Walt Disney Company for the "demolition of 5,132 square feet for Skyway Building #7301" [3] for construction of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.
Incidents
- On April 5, 1983, an extremely powerful gust of wind caused one of the gondolas to have its guide wheels derail, stranding 104 people 40 feet off the ground for two-and-a-half hours, until the Anaheim Fire Department evacuated guests using ladders and cherry pickers. Nobody was seriously harmed or injured.[4]
- On April 17, 1994, a guest deliberately jumped off their gondola and fell approximately 20 feet on a tree near Alice in Wonderland. He was rescued and was treated of his minor injuries. He then proceeded to sue Disney for $25,000, claiming that he had simply fallen out of the ride. Just before the trial date in September 1996, he admitted he had purposely jumped off of the ride, and the suit was dropped.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Mikkelson, David (2000-04-22). "Disneyland Skyway Death". Snopes. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
- ↑ Kelechava, Brad (2016-01-13). "ANSI B77.1 Ski Chair Lift Safety - ANSI Blog". The ANSI Blog. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Video: Disneyland's Skyway station to be demolished to make way for 'Star Wars' land". Orange County Register. 2016-05-18. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
- ↑ "Spokane Chronicle from Spokane, Washington". Newspapers.com. 1983-04-06. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
