The Tomorrowland Transit Authority first opened in Disney World's Magic Kingdom in July of 1975. Back then it was called the WEDway PeopleMover and it was a tireless version of the Disneyland attraction, instead operating with linear synchronous motors to propel the vehicles around the track.
This ride has never gotten the fanfare of the other rides, even when it was renamed the Tomorrowland Transit Authority in June of 1994 as part of the transformation of Tomorrowland into the "Tomorrow that Never Was".
TTA, as it is known, is not a thrill ride by any means, but it is as much a part of my visits to the Magic Kingdom as any others in the park. I ALWAYS make a point of riding it at least once if not more.
Why, you may ask? An excellent question. The answer is that I really enjoy it.
- It gives me a break from the brief, but frequent Florida rain showers.
- It allows me to visit an attraction with a guaranteed little to no wait.
- It gives me a chance to rest from the miles of walking.
- It is a shady break from the sun.
- It is a time away from the crowds.
- It gives excellent views of the castle and park.
- It goes inside of Space Mountain!
- It's just plain fun.
This top speed of 7 mph ride is enjoyable for all of those reasons and plenty more. Don't worry that the state of the art propulsion system designed to be the people moving technology of the future never fully caught on.
Don't worry about what this ride is not. Enjoy this under appreciated ride for what it is: a 10 minute break to sit back and enjoy the magic of Walt Disney World.
