Friday, July 11, 2008

Greetings Puny Earthlings

Everybody loves flying saucers, don't they? Just the idea of them is fun. And for a few years Disneyland was the only place where you could fly your very own. Here are three photos from July 1961 featuring this much-missed attraction.

There's plenty of guys with white shirts standing around (earning a fat paycheck!)... in an era of understaffed attractions, it is amazing to see how many employees were used on just this one ride. The Flying Saucers was designed so that one half of the giant oval could be operating while the other half (seen in the distance) was loading up a new batch of pilots.


These kids look like they are getting the hang of it! Check it out, NO LINE. This one was a "walk on". I like that op-art wall.


Those two boys (brothers?) are using a little body english, leaning forward in the hopes of making their saucers crash into that unsuspecting girl with the pink striped shirt. She doesn't have a prayer! In the distance you can see the Spanish-tiled roof of the old Dominguez place (i.e. the Administration building), not to mention the top of the train station.

10 comments:

  1. Super Saucer Set! I feel like I'm there. The attraction must be brand new here, boy do I dig that yellow & white wall. Thanks!

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  2. Probably one of the coolest rides I was ever on. A new FS ride with todays technology would be so appropriate and work for TL today. I particularly like the logos on the saucers. Great stuff Major.

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  3. Great clear shots of a ride long gone. Somebody needs to photoshop Kang and Kodos into those rockets. At tell ALL those Cast Members to stop slouching on the handrail.

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  4. Anonymous10:47 AM

    The most enjoyable ride of my youth. So greatly missed. And the lines for me were always long...

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  5. Have heard that over staffing on this ride was common due to the many problems it encountered. Clearing the arena was appparently a pain in the behind.

    Would love to see a new version of this ride!

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  6. Great shots, Major!

    Put this one on my wishlist...

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  7. Anonymous9:10 PM

    Whoa. That looks like fun, even to an alien. Bump. Heha. Yeah. Fun. Style. Excitement about having fun in the future. Warm California sun. Mm.

    The rocket scientist in the front (top). The tennis guy. The Jiffy Lube manager who just went back in time to join in at the back. Dee the blond. The two actual kids, Dot the red head and Skip. All having fun together. Now if only I could get in there.

    Why can't they do something like that now? Better question. Why can't they do better than that now? Wouldn't mind not having it, if they had a better idea. Now going by half the choices they do and don't make, you'd think they were struggling near bankruptcy.

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  8. Great shots major! Brings back memories of being dared to ride with my eyes closed (scary!), and of my kid brother being frustrated because he was too lightweight to get up enough speed to avoid getting hit by the maniacal "Rick Rocket" (ahem... me). Although I don't remember ever riding the Saucers when the lines were that light!

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  9. Anonymous4:54 PM

    I want that wall!

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  10. OMG, my favorite ride!!

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