Walt Disney’s love of trains and miniature dioramas has influenced many of the attractions at Disneyland. One example is a section of the Disneyland Railroad that takes guests millions of years into the past, Primeval World.
But this popular section of the railroad was not initially designed for Disneyland. Its roots come from the New York World’s Fair, an event that helped shape the future of Disneyland in many ways.
Walt Disney and the Ford Motor Company at the 1964 World’s Fair
The Ford Motor Company was planning on participating at the World’s Fair to showcase its automobiles for the 1964-1965 season. Designing a world-class pavilion to showcase their products would be an opportunity to make a statement for their brand to future fair goers – and set them apart from their rivals. So, Ford’s executives began strategizing for the upcoming event.
Henry Ford II and the Ford Motor Company were interested in partnering with a visionary to develop the pavilion with them – their search didn’t take long. By the time the 1964 World’s Fair was in the planning stages, Ford was aware of the cultural impact Disneyland had with the general public.
During this time, Disney was looking for new ideas and innovations for Disneyland and a new project that was being developed for Florida. Partnering with corporations allowed Walt Disney and his Imagineers to research new technologies, as well as experiment with different kinds of storytelling.
Disney agreed to collaborate with Ford, and development began on what would become the most celebrated pavilion at the World’s Fair.
Taking Ford’s Cars to the Past and Future
The original 1961 show concept for the attraction was titled Symphony of America, a driving tour through various American landscapes such as the Grand Canyon, southwestern deserts, Florida Everglades, California redwood forests, and Louisiana bayous, all set to a classical music score.
Ford, however, was interested in something more ambitious and felt that the concept was too similar to General Motors’ “See the USA by Chevrolet” marketing campaign. The Imagineers stepped up to the challenge and redirected their efforts to develop a story that would include time travel.
Ford also wanted to maximize their considerable investment in the pavilion. They wanted visitors not only to see their cars, but ride in them as well. Mr. Ford felt that if guests rode in Ford, they’d buy one as well.
The Magic Skyway Debuts To Massive Crowds
After three years of development and construction, the Ford Magic Skyway officially opened to fairgoers. It was a massive hit with the public and an unqualified success for both Ford and Disney.
Guests boarded new 1964 Ford convertibles (including the new Mustang, Galaxie, Falcon, and Monterey) that were pushed forward by rotating tires embedded in the track every few feet. Cars then entered a time tunnel to journey from the prehistoric age to the future, with vignettes narrated by Walt Disney himself.
According to the Walt Disney Family Museum’s website, the show’s queuing was problematic despite the ride’s constant motion and two separate tracks, with wait times of up to three hours. Also, the inclusion of the Mustang was a genius move by Ford and provided a considerable spike to attendance. Some patrons waited out their turn until a Mustang rolled down the track so they could sit inside the star of the pavilion.
The square footage of the building (273,000 square feet) made the attraction the largest of any that Disney and his team developed for the fair. It was also the largest indoor Disney ride built during Walt Disney’s lifetime.
Let’s take a trip back in time and visit the 1964 World’s Fair and ride the Ford Magic Skyway.
Disneyland, I Presume?
After the World’s Fair closed its doors in 1965, sections of the attraction were relocated to Disneyland and installed as part of a new extension to the existing Grand Canyon diorama on the Disneyland Railroad. Audio-Animatronic Brontosauruses, Triceratops, a terrifying Tyrannosaurus Rex, and lush Paleolithic forests became permanent residents of the dramatic Primeval World.
The innovative ride system designed for Ford Magic Skyway also found a home at Disneyland. During the development of the new Tomorrowland, the technology used to move the Ford cars along the track was integrated into the PeopleMover.
Despite Primeval World being short in length, it’s hard to imagine the Disneyland Railroad without this classic Walt Disney favorite. It transports visitors to a time when Walt Disney and his Imagineers designed attractions outside Disneyland’s berm, when audio-animatronic technology was revolutionizing theme park design.
Opportunity Knocks!
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Let’s Hear From You!
Does the storyline of the Magic Skyway remind you of Epcot’s epic time-travel rides like World of Motion or Spaceship Earth? Did you know that Disneyland’s dinosaurs had a starring role in a previous attraction? The dinos were so popular with Disneyland guests that some of the scenes were replicated for the Universe of Energy ride at Epcot. Nothing good is ever completely forgotten at Disney.