Featured Attractions

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Flying Saucers at DISNEYLAND


It quickly became the most hated attraction by the DISNEYLAND maintenance department- the infamous Tomorrowland Flying Saucers. Located in the spot now occupied by the Magic Eye Theater, the Flying Saucers were an exciting attraction- when they were operating. More often than not, guests encountered a shutdown attraction when they tried to ride it. A full crew was required just to get the air jets started every morning. If the attraction worked correctly, guests could "float" on a cushion of air and bump into the other "saucers". It never quite worked however, and the park pulled the plug in 1965.





Across the way at the new Disney California Adventure park, the Imagineers attempted to bring back the sensation of the Flying Saucers in Cars Land, the new expansion that opened in 2012. At Luigi's Casa Della Tires, guests could operate their own tire and float on a cushion of air.



Unfortunately, the tires were unwieldy and difficult to navigate. Disney tried various changes to get the tires to work and had to post extensive signage in the queue to educate guests on the best way to run the tires. The changes and signs proved to be unhelpful and the attraction became the lowest rated ride in the park. Now that Cars Land is fully open and operational, the park has decided to retire Flying Saucers 2.0. The attraction hosted its final riders this past weekend and is now closed forever. A new attraction featuring Luigi is expected to debut in the same spot next year.