If you’ve been to Walt Disney World since 1975, or at Disneyland between 1967 and 1995, you may have been on the PeopleMover. Sometimes called the Goodyear PeopleMover, WEDWay PeopleMover or TTA PeopleMover, it was a spin-off of the Ford Magic Skyway attraction that Disney developed for the 1964 World’s Fair in Queens, New York. It was a popular attraction at the Fair, so a similar version of it was built at Disneyland a couple of years after the Fair closed. After Walt Disney World opened, another similar version was designed and built.
Over the years, PeopleMover-style vehicle systems were introduced in different parts of the country, specifically at airports, since their design worked so well in those types of environments – they could bring people and their luggage from Point A to B to C and so on, and could start, run and stop without a conductor. Chicago-O’Hare’s Airport Transit System, and both Orlando and Tampa International Airports, among many others, have their own versions of PeopleMovers, although they’re not the versions that Disney built. There’s only one airport that holds that distinction.
It’s the George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston.
Disney was interested in selling its PeopleMover design and when WED Enterprises (now called Disney Imagineering) put that out there, officials at IAH expressed interest. And, well, the rest is airport history. There’s a whole lot more information about Disney’s PeopleMovers, and how IAH got involved, in this video:
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4 comments
My wife and I stumbled upon the IAH people mover a few years back. I couldn’t believe how small and silly it was. Seems like the only people that use it much are a few employees. It doesn’t go very far and is way out of the way to get to. I’d like to see more information on who got a big paycheck on that project. Fun stuff.
I have used it at IAH. It is useful for landside transfer, especially before Terminal A was connected airside to the rest of the airport. After Terminal A was connected airside, I used it once to meet someone at the hotel.
I rode it a few months ago, well, just to ride it, as I’m not sure how much longer it will be there. And it wasn’t just me. There was a younger person sitting in the front car recording the whole ride!
Didn’t they just spend, like, a YEAR repairing it or something? If so, I don’t suspect it’ll disappear that fast. Well, hopefully.