Fantasyland’s Skyway to Tomorrowland
If you don’t know already, I am a huge Disneyland nerd! I have gone to Disneyland every year since birth (and a couple of times a year in those really good days before adult status fully took effect and I had money to blow…ah, the days…) so for those of you keeping count, that’s a lot of trips to Disneyland! This year my son and I went to celebrate our graduations (kindergarten and college, respectively) and we had a blast.
Disneyland has so much fun history, and sometimes you can still see some pieces of Disney’s yesteryear. One of the attractions I truly miss is the Skyway. The Skyway carried guests between Tomorrowland and Fantasyland via hanging buckets that ventured not only through the sky, but also right through the Matterhorn. Not only was it a great way to travel across the park in style, but it was a fun adventure through the sky.
The following vintage images are courtesy of Daveland.
The Fantasyland Skyway station was styled similarly to the Switzerland fashion of the Matterhorn Bobsleds. Fittingly, a quote from the Dormouse in Alice in Wonderland could be seen under the eaves of the roof, reading “Up above the world you fly, like a tea-tray in the sky.” What a magical way to travel!
The Tomorrowland Skyway station was, in my opinion, much less magical looking. But then again, I am a sucker for Fantasyland. It just seemed kind of generic, but a lot of the architecture of Tomorrowland at that time was fairly blah… I enjoy Tomorrowland for the rides, not the looks.
The Skyway was closed in 1994 and the Tomorrowland Skyway was demolished (Innovations and the Tomorrowland train station are now in that general space), but the Fantasyland Skyway to Tomorrowland is still standing and visible (if you look for it). I always look for it, and this year I decided to snap some pictures (while my son complained that it was boring). If you want to see the Skyway station for yourself, it is between the entrance to Frontierland and the Casey Junior Train. There are souvenir wagons and food carts occupying the open space in front of the stairway. Ease around the wagons and you’ll have a fairly decent view of the station for yourself.
Here is what the Fantasyland station looks like today:
The Skyway station is currently void of all machinery, and I’ve heard rumors that they have staff meetings and feed the cats in there. I’ve also heard, unfortunately, that they plan to demolish the station soon. I had hoped they would re-open it in some capacity, such as a Merida/Brave attraction. Time will tell.
If you bring your car during your trips, save a contact number of a tow service near your area in case you encounter a problem with your car.