Rocket Rods zoomed along the old PeopleMover track in Tomorrowland from 1998 to 2000. The track was never built for speed, and the ride broke down so often it barely lasted two years.
Look up in Disneyland’s Tomorrowland and you’ll see an empty track snaking over the land. It has been sitting there, unused, for more than 25 years.
Its last passengers rode Rocket Rods.
Rocket Rods opened on May 22, 1998. It sent guests racing along nearly a mile of elevated track in five-passenger cars, at the highest speeds of any ride at Disneyland at the time.
By September 2000, it was closed for good.
What was Rocket Rods at Disneyland?
A high-speed thrill ride built on the bones of the PeopleMover.
The PeopleMover was the slow, relaxing tour of Tomorrowland that opened on July 2, 1967, and ran until Aug. 21, 1995. When Disney redid Tomorrowland in 1998, it reused the PeopleMover’s track for something much faster.
Rocket Rods became the star of that “New Tomorrowland.” A bigger overhaul called Tomorrowland 2055 had been planned first, but Disney canceled it when Euro Disney’s money troubles forced cutbacks.
Why did Rocket Rods close?
The track couldn’t handle it.
The PeopleMover’s curves were flat. They weren’t banked like a roller coaster’s, because the old ride never went fast enough to need it. Disney chose not to rebuild the track with banked turns, so the Rocket Rods cars had to race down the straightaways and then slam on the brakes before every curve.
That start-stop pattern chewed through rubber tires and scrambled the software that kept the cars spaced apart. The ride stalled again and again.
Just over a month after opening, on July 6, 1998, Rocket Rods closed for repairs. The fix was supposed to be quick. It took three months.
What did guests think of Rocket Rods?
It was mixed.
Some riders loved the burst of speed. Others found it jerky, with only short bursts of real speed. And with all the breakdowns, guests often found it closed.
The queue was memorable, though. It wound through the old Circle-Vision theater, which today holds Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters.
What happened to the Rocket Rods cars?
Most were pulled off the track and dismantled. At least one survived. An original Rocket Rods car from collector Richard Kraft’s Disneyland collection went up for auction in August 2018, estimated at $15,000 to $25,000.
The track stayed. Disney never tore it down, and it’s still there today, riding high over Tomorrowland with nothing on it.
Is Disneyland doing anything with the old PeopleMover track?
Nothing official yet, but fans are watching closely.
In mid-September, guests on the Disneyland Monorail spotted a large clear plastic sheet covering part of the old track, held down with sandbags. It was first noticed around Sept. 16. Disney hadn’t commented as of Sept. 17.
Some fans guessed it meant demolition. The more likely answer, Inside the Magic noted, is simple: keeping water from leaking onto the walkways below.
Disney confirmed at D23 this year that a reimagined Tomorrowland is in development. On Sept. 27, Imagineering’s Emo O’Brien said “we are literally just getting started,” and Disney hasn’t announced a timeline.
Can you still ride a PeopleMover?
Yes, just not at Disneyland. The Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover at Magic Kingdom in Florida still runs every day.
It’s slow. It’s breezy. And unlike Rocket Rods, it’s never been in a hurry.
Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
D23, Disney A to Z entry: opening date, cars and speed
AllEars.Net (Oct. 9, 2017), the unbanked curves, the three-month repair shutdown and the dismantled cars; Laughing Place (Jan. 18 and June 22, 2018), Tomorrowland 2055 and why it was canceled, and the jerky ride; Park Lore (June 22, 2020), tire wear and the car-spacing software; Gizmodo (Aug. 16, 2018), the Rocket Rods car in Richard Kraft’s 2018 auction and its estimate
Inside the Magic (Sept. 17, 2026), the PeopleMover track tarp, the PeopleMover’s dates and D23’s Tomorrowland update; Mickey Visit (Sept. 27, 2026), Emo O’Brien’s Tomorrowland comments
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