Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
Rides at Walt Disney World
Do you have a ride that you wish you could just get on and ride over and over from park opening until park closing? The Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover is that ride for me. I love watching people throughout Tomorrowland. And I love watching the sunset on the other side of the castle. I love feeling the breeze in my hair as the day is ending. And I love waving to the people passing by my PeopleMover.
However, as much as I love it, there may be some issues for some children. As always, let me tell you about the History of the Ride. Then we will talk about potential sensory issues, tips for riding, and of course, we will have a video of the ride!
FASTPASS: Not Available
HISTORY OF TOMORROWLAND TRANSIT AUTHORITY PEOPLEMOVER
Location: Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom. Entrance is in the center of Rocket Tower Plaza located beneath the Astro Orbiter (the silver rocket ships) the opposite side of the The Lunching Pad snack counter.
Opening Date: Originally known as the WEDWay PeopleMover (WED – Walter Elias Disney), this ride opened on July 1, 1975.
Type of Ride: Slow Moving “Mass Transit” system utilizing magnets for propulsion.
The name remained until an overhaul of Tomorrowland in 1994. From June 12, 1994, until August 5, 2010, the ride was named Tomorrowland Transit Authority. It was closed for a Space Mountain refurbishment in 2009 for 6 months. In 2010, PeopleMover was added back into the name. It is now known as the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover or TTA PeopleMover.
The original sponsor of the ride was The Edison Electric Institute, and it has been sponsored by Alamo since 2005.
POTENTIAL SENSORY PROCESSING ISSUES INVOLVING TTA PeopleMover
To board the PeopleMover, you need to stand on a moving beltway that is on an incline. When exiting the beltway, you step onto another moving walkway (under 2 mph) to walk to your car. This a continuously moving ride and you will need to enter your vehicle while it is slowly moving at speeds under 7 mph.
The doors automatically close. There are 2 sets of benches facing each other. The ride holds up to 4-5 people. Some people may not like sitting backward on this ride.
There are no lap belts. You need to remain seated the entire ride. If your child cannot remain seated during the ride, this could be dangerous.
Since the ride goes through some tunnels, there are periods of time you will be in the dark. The PeopleMover also goes through a portion of Space Mountain and the outer edges of Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin allowing you to see glimpses of both.
The cars operate on magnets and the ride is generally smooth. However, there are times that the ride does stop. If this occurs, remain seated. They will announce that the ride has come to a stop momentarily.
The ride takes approximately 10 minutes.
HANDICAP: Guests with wheelchairs and electric scooters DO need to transfer and must be able to stand with assistance on the moving beltway to board the ride.
NO MINIMUM HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS
The following video will give you an idea of the sights, sounds, noises, and experience you will have on Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover.
TIPS FOR RIDING:
Ride at dusk for beautiful views of Cinderella Castle.
Because this ride is not considered a “must-do” by the majority of guides, generally this is an easy ride to get on without a wait. However, it definitely is a must-do in our book.
This is an excellent ride to take younger children on while the older ones ride Space Mountain.
OTHER TOMORROWLAND RIDES AND ATTRACTIONS:
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
Stitch’s Great Escape
This was an especially interesting ride with Space Mountain all lit up inside!!!