Disney Attractions and Their Sponsors - Then and Now Part 1

It was the centerpiece of Tomorrowland, a towering rocket, reaching high into the sky, waiting for the final countdown. Disneyland guests probably thought it would be there forever, like Sleeping Beauty Castle or the Mickey flowerbed at the main entrance. But one day it would be gone, along with its attraction.

In my new series of articles, higlighting attracions and their sponsers, we go back to the days of the mighty rocket, and take a look at TWA and the McDonnell Douglas Company and the attraction they both sponsored ... Rocket to the Moon and Mission to Mars.

Back in the earliest designs for Tomorrowland, conceptual art included a rocket ship standing proudly in the center of a bustling plaza, with guests waiting to enter the rocket's fuselage to begin their tour. As we know now, the rocket became the focal point outside of the building that housed the actual attraction. The dream Walt Disney had of making spaceflight an experience everyone could enjoy would become Rocket to the Moon.

Rocket to the Moon was designed to let guests experience the future of air and space travel. Originally planned as a walk through attraction, ending with a motion picture, it became much more. Guests began their tour with a walk though of mission control, complete with an audio-animatronic NASA official that interacted with their live host. After learning about their own flight, guests were then lead into their circular main cabin, where they were seated to begin their adventure. After anxiously watching their countdown, guests were surprised to feel the lift-off as they watched themselves speed away from earth. Most guests were so excited by the sensation they probably didn't notice that the launch pad was shaped like Mickey's head!

While speeding through space, the captain was able to speak to astronauts on the moon. Guests were able to watch on large screens as the astronauts demonstrated how they worked and even played on the moon. One detail that is rather interesting was the jetpack unit that one of the astronauts wore in the film. In the early days of the space program this was still a rather unusual concept, as then astronauts relied on umbilical tethers hooked to a spaceship air supply to be able to manuever around in space. However, this conceptual design was uncannily close to the Manned Maneuvering Unit now used for spacewalks on board the pace Shuttle. The flight would then suddenly be cut short by a meteor shower and soon guests were back home on Earth, awed by the future and what it would hold.

Rocket to the Moon was later renamed Flight to the Moon and as the years progressed, it was clear that Walt's idea of the future of space travel was not so much based in fantasy, but closer to reality than some might have ever realized. The late 1950's and early 1960's moved the idea of spaceflight and man going to the moon along so quickly that Walt's attraction was fast becoming obsolete. By 1969, American's had launched a man into space, made their first orbital flight, their first spacewalk, and began sending men to survey the moon. In July 1969, Neil Armstrong completed the dream Walt and others had envisioned so long ago ... Man walked on the moon. "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" could not have been a more appropriate passage to the insight that Walt had.

In the beginning of Rocket to the Moon's life at the park it was sponsored by the airline giant TWA. It is known that sometime in either the late 50's or early 60's the sponsorship lapsed and the attraction was apparently unsponsored until McDonnell Douglas came into the picture. In researching this article, ttwo very interesting facts concerning TWA were uncovered. The first was that Howard Hughes was the principal owner of TWA during the sponsorship of the Disneyland attraction and it was rumored that Mr. Hughes was a very big part of the design and conception of the Disneyland attraction, adding input from his vast knowledge of space and aviation. It seems rather ironic that nearly 30 years later the Disney Company would become the guardian of his beloved plane, the Spruce Goose.

The other interesting part of the TWA story is one concerning the rocket, which set in front of the attraction, but let's not get ahead of ourselves...

Flight to the Moon got a "Boost" when McDonnell Douglas took over sponsorship. On Dec. 2, 1967, McDonnell Douglas Chairman James S. McDonnell and 15,000 of the company's employees descended on Disneyland for McDonnell Douglas Night and the dedication of the attraction. Mr. Mac, as he was affectionately known, led a procession of company executives down Main Street and through Tomorrowland to the site of the attraction. During his dedication speech, Mr. Mac made a rather poignant statement. He said, " You might say that Tomorrowland is our business and we work in a Magic Kingdom of creativity from which emerges many contributions to the betterment of mankind."

He then pulled a lever that released 3000 balloons into the night sky that was lit by a bright display of fireworks. Present at the ceremony was Roy O. Disney and Astronaut Mickey Mouse, decked out in the latest astronaut gear, complete with a customized helmet. Completing the event was a taped message sent by James E. Webb, then administrator of NASA, who sent the best wishes of all NASA personnel to their McDonnell Douglas counterparts.

The new sponsor didn't cause any radical changes to be made to the attraction. One item that was noted was the addition of a McDonnell Douglas emblem patch to the sleeves of the Mission Control team. TWA's name was removed from the famous rocket, to be replaced by the new sponsors name.

The most significant change to the attraction came in March 1975 when the name was changed to Mission to Mars. Walt Disney Imagineering decided they wanted to keep one step ahead of NASA and to this day, they have achieved their goal. During this upgrade, Disney proved that they were in touch with the pulse of America. For the first time, African Americans and women were among the audio-animatronic Mission Control team.

In mid 1975, the United States and the Soviet Union sent their astronauts into space to join together for the successful Apollo Soyuz mission. A few months later the Apollo Soyuz team and their families were reunited at Disneyland and toured the Mission to Mars attraction, as well as the entire park. It was fitting that two countries, for so long enemies, were gathered in the "Happiest Place On Earth' to honor their accomplishment. Walt's dreams for the future were being cemented for the generations yet to come.

Sadly, in July 1993, the doors of an attraction to the future are forever closed. Memories are locked in our minds and hearts. But one can't help wonder whatever happened to the rocket, which stood outside the attraction for so long.

The rocket's history is one fitting of a true space vehicle. Like some of technology's most innovative pieces of space hardware, the rocket had problems even before getting to its "launch pad". According to Disneyland's Van France, the rocket was not delivered to the park until two days before the 1955 grand opening. It was bearing a large dent and there was no way to repair the 70-foot tall rocket before opening. So it took its place, slightly scarred by its 'entry' into the Park, but majestic all the same. It stood proudly at the entrance of the attraction for many years, until it was decided it was to be removed.

According to Jerry Cosley, the retired V.P. of Corporate Communications of TWA in Kansas City, the rocket was returned to TWA and, for a time, lived a colorful life atop an office building, which housed TWA executives. The rocket was once used as a time capsule, but no one seems to know what became of the contents. As for the rocket itself, Jerry stated that its fate remains a mystery. TWA underwent some major company restructuring in the late 80's and much of the archive records were lost.

However, strange and humorous rumors have been floating around for many years as to the whereabouts of the rocket. Some say it was taken apar, detined for the scrapheapt. Others say it is whole, possibly in residence at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri (its occupation unknown!)or doing duty at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. in an unknown capacity, or even as a centerpiece of a children's playground. More than likely it is out there somewhere, oblivious to the facts of its past history. It is a permanent resident of many Disneyland guest's memories, which is a far better tribute than anything else.

Perhaps, over time, people will remember what the rocket symbolized ... a commitment to the future of mankind. A statement Van France said summed up this attraction and the impact it had on the park and to the memory of Walt Disney. "A few years after the opening of the Park, I watched the Russian Sputnik fly across Anaheim. They were the first to get into space, but we were first on the moon here at Disneyland."