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If You Had Wings (Closed 1998) |
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Written by Louis Mongello
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- In June of 1987, If You Had Wings closed after Eastern
airlines pulled it's sponsorship of the ride. Just a few days later, the ride
reopened with no references to Easter or the familiar theme song as "f You
Could Fly."
- "If You Had Wings", a free attrcation back when
counpon books were still being used, opened in June 1972 and went through
numerous changes before it closed for good in January, 1998. After being known
as "If You Had Wings," it became "If You Could Fly," "Dream
Flight" and finally "Take Flight." "Flights of Wonder"
is a bird show in Animal Kingdom
- Orson Welles was the voice of Eastern Airlines commercials
in the 1970's and could be heard in the "If You Had Wings" queue
area.
- If You Had Wings closed on June 1, 1987, after Eastern
Airlines decided not to extend its sponsorship of the attraction. Disney closed
the ride for just five days, and reopened it as "If You Could Fly"
with no corporate sponsor. In doing so, Disney of course had to change the
signage on the interior and exterior of the attraction, thereby removing all
references to Eastern. The Easter Airlines logo was replaced with an abstract
image of a seagull. Why a seagull, you ask? Well, other than the fact that
appeared throughout the new attraction at various times, I can think of no
other reason.
- In the now-extinct Tomorrowland attraction, "If You Had
Wings," guests traveled the world courtesy of a major airline. Part of
your journey took you through the famous Dunn's River Falls in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.
While the ride contain wonderful sights and sounds, this area had no waterfall
sound effects in it for the first seven years of the ride's existence. The
sound effects were added in 1979 at the suggestion of a Cast Member.
- In the scene showing a busy port in the Caribbean, a
fisherman posed proudly next to his catch - a fish that magically changed from
a small fry to a 5 foot keeper!
- If You Had Wings premiered in Tomorrowland on June 5, 1972,
just eight months after the Magic Kingdom to the public, and closed on June 1,
1987. During that time, millions of visitors stepped onto a Speedramp and sat
in one of 102, ocean-blue OmniMover vehicles.
- In June 1987, the corporate sponsor for "If You Had
Wings" had withdrawn, and thus the ride needed to be changed accordingly.
By the end of the month, the attraction had been renovated and reopened as
"If You Could Fly," with new music and no sponsor.
"Dreamflight" took the place of "If You Could Fly" in 1989.
- Dreamflight replaced If You Had Wings on June 26, 1989.
Although it used the same ride system as the old attraction (and followed the
same path), it focused more on the history of aviation, rather than travel.
Tags: Magic Kingdom Trivia Tomorrowland If You Had Wings (Closed 1998)
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