Flying Saucers (attraction)

Flying Saucers
Attraction Poster
Disneyland
Land Tomorrowland
Manufacturer National Research Associates, Inc
Attraction type Bumper Cars
Theme UFOs
Propulsion method Air Valves
Opening date August 6, 1961
Closing date August 5, 1966
Vehicle type UFO
Guests per car 1
Replaced by Tomorrowland Stage

The Flying Saucers was an attraction at Disneyland in Anaheim, California from 1961 to 1966.

Guests rode in personal flying saucers on a cushion of air, similar to an air hockey game, which played in a way similar to bumper cars, with guests ramming each other with their saucers.

The "table" was a large metal floor. As the ride began, large round plates would lower, and air would blast from underneath the table, pushing each saucer upward so that it was floating just above the table. Guests would control the saucers by shifting their weight from side to side.

The ride was expensive to operate, maintenance was intensive, and it did not fit the normal Disneyland "guest flow"—a relatively small number of riders was able to participate in any given day. The Flying Saucers did not survive the transition to New Tomorrowland. When New Tomorrowland opened in 1967, the space that this ride occupied was turned into the Tomorrowland Stage.

A similar ride themed to the film Cars will be apart of the new Cars Land. The new attraction will be named Luigi's Flying Tires. Opening date is set for Summer 2012.

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