11. Star Jets open (1974)
The Star Jets open in Tomorrowland, as the futuristic area undergoes a major makeover.
12. Space Mountain opens (1975)
The first Space Mountain opens at the Magic Kingdom on January 15, 1975, offering an indoor, space-themed roller coaster ride in the dark.
13. Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress opens (1975)
Image: Disney
Having made its debut at the New York World's Fair and subsequently had a run at Disneyland, Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress is moved to the Magic Kingdom at the request of sponsor General Electric.
14. Mission to Mars opens (1975)
Image: Disney
Flight to the Moon - a clone of a Disneyland attraction - was an opening day attraction at the Magic Kingdom. It tooks guests on a simulated flight to the moon, but was instantly outdated as NASA had already landed men on the moon by the time it opened. The ride is replaced by the updated Mission to Mars. In the pre-show area, known as Mission Control, the audio-animatronic flight director explains the background to the mission. Guests then board a "spacecraft", which contains a circular theater with stadium-style seating, for a journey into space, onwards to Mars, and then back to Earth.
15. WEDWay PeopleMover opens (1975)
Walt Disney had hoped that WEDWay systems would form a major part of the never-built Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. One becomes part of the Magic Kingdom's line-up in 1975. It differs from the Disneyland original in that it uses linear sychronous motors to propel its vehicles, instead of Goodyear tires.
16. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad construction (1979)
With work underway on a second theme park for Walt Disney World, EPCOT Center, Disney is keen to maintain interest in the Magic Kingdom. Although it will open after Disneyland's version, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was first designed for the park. The enormous structure requires 650 tons of steel, 4,675 tons of "mud" and more than 9,000 gallons of paint to construct.
17. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad opens (1980)
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad opens at the Magic Kingdom. It is essentially a mirror image of the Disneyland version, but is 25 percent larger.
18. Magic Journeys moves in from EPCOT Center (1987)
Magic Journeys was an opening day attraction at EPCOT Center, and was situated in the Journey Into Imagination Pavilion before being removed in 1986 to make room for Michael Jackson's Captain EO. That isn't the end, though - it made a comeback in the Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland Theater in December 1987, where it continues to play until December 1993. The film offers a look at the world through the eyes of a child, following children as they flew a kite, rode on a carousel and visited the circus.
19. Mickey's Birthdayland opens (1988)
With Mickey Mouse turning 60 in 1988, Disney decides to install a temporary land at the Magic Kingdom. A recreation of the town of Duckburg, its primary attraction is a birthday-themed meet-and-greet with Mickey and Minnie.
20. Delta Dreamflight replaces If You Had Wings (1989)
If You Had Wings is replaced by Delta Dreamflight, which takes guests on a journey through the history of aviation.
Comments
What a great article! I was 7 when Walt Disney World first opened and I was there and have been back numerous times since. Thank you for taking us on a journey through time and some of the changes that have taken place since the beginning. The ending of your presentation however ended a bit underwhelming but great job on the story and pictures!
Great to see those photos, but it's painfull to see that they stopped building new rides in the 2000s (except for fantasyland expansion) but still choosed to raise their prices this much.
Very cool. Thanks!