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| Rocket to the MoonFrom opening day until September, 1967, the Moonliner rocket served as Tomorrowland's icon. Poised on its launch pad just outside the "Rocket to the Moon" attraction, the graceful and sleek lines of the spacecraft pointed directly to where mankind's future lay...space! The Moonliner rocket was designed by Imagineer John Hench with technical advice from pioneering rocket scientists Wernher Von Braun and Willy Ley. The actual structural engineering was done by Walter H. Preston, a friend of Mel Tilley who was Kaiser Aluminum's representative to Disneyland. The rocket was constructed with a steel frame but the outer skin was made from 3/16" aluminum (supplied by Kaiser Aluminum). Different sources cite an overall height between 76' and 80', however, blueprints specify a height of exactly 80'. The Moonliner stood proud and ready for adventurous space explorers (that's us!) to board for a thrilling trip to the moon and (hopefully) back. Interestingly, guests never actually "flew" aboard the Moonliner. Once inside the attraction, guests were directed to the flight cabins of either the "Star of Polaris" or the "Star of Antares." Once the mission was underway, the narration in both cabins always stated we were aboard the Star of Polaris! The Rocket to the Moon's initial sponsor, TWA, meant that for almost 7 years the Moonliner rocket stood resplendent in a very attractive red/white livery. In 1962, new sponsor, McDonnell Douglas, had the rocket re-painted to a blue/white with red "Douglas" lettering and the "Moonliner" name was replaced with "Douglas Rocket DC-78". In September of 1967, the attraction's name was changed to "Flight to the Moon". There was a major re-design of Tomorrowland that same year and while the attraction survived ( but in a new location) the Moonliner rocket did not: it was certified as completely destroyed on Sept. 13, 1967. For almost 32 years, the Moonliner was gone from Tomorrowland's frequently changing skyline, but in 1998, after another re-working of Tomorrowland, a scaled-down version of the Moonliner was placed over Redd Rockett's Pizza Port. This new Moonliner rocket was constructed using the same drawings as the original and stands about 40' high- a fine reminder of a former Tomorrowland attraction and mankind's race to space. |
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You know, Art Linkletter was sure right when he said kids say the darndest things. Don Rittman, who works in Disneyland's Mad Hatter Hat Shop told me (the Main Streeter, ed.) this one. Seems like a little boy noticed the authentic-looking vapor trailing from the Tomorrowland Rocket to the Moon, and very excitedly ran up to the Space Man and informed him, "Hey Mister, you left your motor running!" (Vacationland, fall 1963)
With the Douglas sponsorship in 1962 came a couple of minor detail changes to the DC-78 rocket: a conical shaped metal ring was added to the bottom of the fuselage, a vapor emitting effect installed; and a blinking red light was placed on the tip of the needle nose. Upon close inspection, in this photo you can see that the port hole on the left leg of the Douglas "A" has been painted over.
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Art Linkletter (in an issue of Ford Times): "On my 'House Party' show, I frequently ask the kids if they've been to Disneyland, and if so, what they like best. One youngster said recently: "I like the scary rides, like the Matterhorn Bobsled Run; but Daddy always takes me on the submarine -he likes the mermaids!" (Vacationland, Winter 1961-62)
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