Magic Kingdom

The Skyway in Magic Kingdom was one of the opening day attractions on October 1, 1971. This picture was taken on our trip in the summer of 1978 and I still remember being able to see all of Fantasyland and the surrounding areas. This was one of the rides that I remember the most even thought I was only 6 years old. It was stunning to see Dumbo from above and the waters that held 20,000 Under the Sea. This ride terrified my with the giant squid, but didn’t seem quite as scary from the air.

This Skyway had a one of a kind L-shaped turn by the Tomorrowland Speedway and you could only ride this in one direction. The attraction was touted as two separate rides; Skyway to Tomorrowland and Skyway to Fantasyland. The open-air bucket gondolas held 4 people who could sit two forward facing and two backward facing. If you looked far enough you might even see Splash Mountain or Disney’s Contemporary Resort.

On November 9, 1999 the Magic Kingdom Skyway closed. Although the Skyway is gone, in true Disney fashion there are still little hints to remember that the Skyway was once there. The Rapunzel bathrooms now stand where the station that ended the Skyway to Fantasyland ended. Pretty crazy to think about that. There are also some cobblestones and a small circular drain where one of the pylons used to stand.

I love learning about fun history located in and around Disney World. Do you have something that you have found that is a throwback to Magic Kingdom before expansions and changes?

“Times and conditions change so rapidly that we must keep our aim constantly focused on the future” – Walt Disney