A few corrections: - Chris Callac corrected me on the plane in Delta Dreamflight. It was not an actual jet but was constructed from plywood. - blinkereye123 pointed out that If You Had Wings did not pioneer the speed tunnel, as there was one present on Disneyland's Peoplemover. - I made the mistake of replacing "Adventure" with "Journey" for "Adventure Thru Inner Space" in the script.
Hmmm 🤔 Technically, the speed tunnel debuting at Disneyland's Peoplemover was around the same time as If You Have Wings, like a year before it. Also (and I just remembered this) The cartoony cutouts and aesthetic on Delta Dreamflight I think were replicated or something similar to them when Delta sponsored Circlevision in Disneyland in the pre-show lobby.
If You Had Wings *did* have the first speed tunnel. The Disneyland Peoplemover speed tunnel was a later addition that replaced the preview window of "Progress City" that was there when the Carousel Of Progress was at Disneyland. That endured through 1973 when COP left Disneyland and If You Had Wings debuted in 1972 so IYHW was first.
From what I remember, Dreamflight's main appeal was also that it was a nice way to spend 10 minutes in the air conditioning, since the lines were usually nonexistant. It was cute, kinda cozy, and really didn't make a big impression.
I actually remember going on If You Had Wings on our families first trip to Disney in 1981. I feel Dreamflight represents what I miss most about old Disney, the occasional odd attraction you stumble upon that somehow becomes one of your favorites.
Exactly! The parks had little to do with the movies. I knew this as a kid and frequent visitor, but generic “Disney” fans never understood what I was talking about. It felt like a secret club of unique experiences.
Yeah, I remember I loved both If You Had Wings….and Dreamflight…they were both fun and, at least for the original ride, it was free (it didn’t require any of the A-E tickets)
Another thing that needs to be noted about If You Had Wings is that it was the only attraction of the three that was ever designed to maximize its view from the Peoplemover. You had three preview windows looking down to different parts of IYHW that effectively gave you a second viewing experience of the ride itself. Dreamflight however was designed without any regard for how it looked from the Peoplemover and consequently this resulted in two of the three windows being boarded up and the one window that remained gave you a bad perspective view of the Paris scene. Buzz Lightyear still only gives you a view from the middle window.
I fondly remember If You Had Wings during my first visit in 1976. We practically HAD to ride it since we had traveled to Orlando on Eastern Airlines. I believe we did go on it more than once during our brief trip as it was free and we were trying to carefully ration our tickets.
Thanks for this video! Delta Dreamflight was a ride I loved as a young child and I re-rode it many a time. I lived driving distance from Disney and I didn't get on a plane until I was 16 - so riding it from 1993 to its closure just wowed me and made me excited.
i'm 44 years old, born and raised in south florida, I fondly remember the Japanese section on this ride, it was set up like a miniature of a Japanese temple with two Japanese people seen bowing. I moved to Japan 21 years ago, and been living here ever since. This ride was definitely one 'if minor' influence on me.
I find it ironic that rides that were corporate advertisements had more charm and personality than many of the attractions being thought up by disney now
If You Has Wings was one of my absolute favorite Disney attractions (including its Delta incarnations). When I was too young to go on Space Mountain, I would ride If You Had Wings and the Peoplemover over and over while other family members were in the Space Mountain queue. These types of rides echo everything I loved about Disney and Epcot. They were fast, thrilling, or IP filled, but they were entertaining, educational, and took you to another place/time.
My mom was always trying to get me to ride Dreamflight at the end of the night every time we went to WDW, when all I wanted to do was marathon Space Mountain when there was no one in line due to the Electrical Parade and fireworks. It was an enjoyable ride and I especially remember the turbine tunnel.
I always had a soft spot for Dreamflight, just a light and fun attraction to kill time. And still old enough to remember the "Delta Disney" ads all over the place.
I have *EXTREMELY* fond memories of riding If You Had Wings in the Magic Kingdom with my grandfather shortly before he passed when I was just a wee lad.
My first few trips as a kid in 91-92, Delta Dream Flight was my FAVORITE ride! Short lines, and I LOVED the "speed" tunnel. I thought I was going so fast!!!
I took my nephew on a 'his choice' day at MK, and he opted to ride Dreamflight several times in a row. It was a straight up walk on, and was so quiet that after a couple of runs around from exit to entrance, the CMs just let us go straight through from the unload to the loading area for a lap or two.
Once again you have unlocked a core memory for me! My very first trip to Disney when I was about 6 or so 7. to say this was one of my favorite rides in the magic kingdom would be an understatement! I didn’t get to experience it during the Eastern era but did during both the Delta and shortly before it closed for good. Yeah it was goofy and all that, but I loved seeing the fictionalized versions of the older planes and the tiny bit of history you got on air travel. Thank you once again for showing me why you are one of my favorite RUclipsrs. But also.. Tomorrowland being underwhelming… some things never change do they!
My memories of this ride are a jumble of images from “If You Had Wings” and “Dreamflight”. But the images that stick out are the traffic cop, the people on the waterfall, and the screen tunnel. Advertisement or not, this is one of the OG rides at MK that make up my childhood memories and continues to make me smile. Thanks for producing this!
I remember Delta Dreamflight being one of the first Magic Kingdom attractions I rode back in 1993. Thanks for the great video and the awesome memories!
My first visit to Disney World was during the Dreamflight era and I think one of the reasons everybody remembers these quirky, less popular attractions is that everybody who went to the park would inevitably check out a few of them because you could ride them without waiting very long. Omni-mover rides tend to handle crowds very efficiently anyway, but throw in a smaller crowds and short track and it becomes easy to check one more off the list.
“If you Could Fly” is my first WDW memory and it sparked my love of aviation before I had ever actually been in a plane. But “Delta Dreamflight” is my favourite version of the attraction.
Another correction. Delta had already signed its contract to become the new official airline of WDW in late 1986. Eastern's contract still ran to June 1, 1987 so that's why If You Had Wings continued until that date. Eastern, despite its financial situation did want to renew but Eisner raised the renewal rate and effectively priced them out. With Delta signed up already, the change to "If You Could Fly" was made as a concession to get Delta to pay for the ride while the ride that became Dreamflight was developed.
I had a souvenir map w/ If You Had Wings. I also had friends that loved it. I bought many Extinct Attractions videos. This was one that talked about Eastern/Delta + when sponsors were lost. Yep! relief from Fla. heat iS a MUST! I did like the stylized carton like presentation of Delta. A testament of how Imagineering could put something interesting in a small area. The music was really loud on "If" to cover UP the sound of the projectors. LOL! I only rode/played Buzz, but knew what was there b4. Long sponsorships are almost a thing of the past. Thanks for another great video!
I read that the music didn't really accomplish this goal and that the entire ride was just loud projectors. I think that's part of what often makes rides interesting though. They're always trying to sell you an illusion and but when you can see elements that take you out of the illusion (like air ducts if you look up in Pirates), there's a weird surrealism to these otherwise ubiquitous aspects.
We used to ride If You Had Wings all the time when visiting Disney, as it was essentially a walk-on and the crowds back then weren't shoulder-to-shoulder. As you mentioned, it was a great way to get out of the Florida sun, much like how Carousel of Progress provides an air-conditioned refuge now. I loved that speed tunnel. And the theme song was quite the earworm. In those days, flying on any airline to anywhere was still a pretty exotic prospect and not something the rank-and-file public could pursue, so IYHW provided a neat and vicarious way to pretend you were going on a trip courtesy of Eastern. I miss it, but then I also miss many other "classic" attractions, like 20,000 Leagues, Mission to Mars, the Skyway, and even the Circlevision film. Disney was so, SO much different back then and I'm not at all convinced the Magic Kingdom of today is all that better.
I remember going on "If You Had Wings" when I was a kid in the 70's. I remember being thoroughly bored by the ride... until that LAST AMAZING SCENE where they had you in front of that giant screen where you felt like you were really flying. That took my breath away. I had NEVER seen anything like that.
In high school in the late 70s, we called this ride "If you could sing". Thanks for the footage, amazing how much of the ride I remembered even before I watched. Fellow Tampa boy here, love your content. Keep up the good work.
I remember this as a child and I absolutely LOVED IT!! Years later I went back as an adult and it was freaking gone! I was so let down still to this day;-(
I remember going on Dreamflight once or twice on our vacations. It was a fun diversion from the rest of the things that are present in the area. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
I loved going on dreamflight, quick easy break from the Florida heat, nice quirky ride and my favorite was the turbine illusion which had a great characteristic smell of the smoke machines
Didn't experience either iteration (or the Buzz Lightyear ride, for that matter), but I enjoyed this video. I do remember the "America the Beautiful" Circle-Vision, which I experienced at Disneyland. It made me dizzy and I spent most of it crouched on the floor with my eyes closed and my fingers stuffed in my ears. :p Perhaps not surprisingly, I tend to prefer the "little things" at the Disney parks, and it sounds like these two rides were that sort of thing. It's nice to have a better idea of what those ride experiences were like.
I love If You Had Wings and Delta DreamFlight. I have very vivid memories of them. I really enjoyed. The music especially. It was definitely a place relax and enjoy the air conditioning.
While not as fondly remembered Adventures thru Inner Space, If You have Wings and Delta Dreamflight did leave some lasting impact on the WDW parks. In "If You Have Wings" case, the catchy musical tune lives on in the current Tomorrowland BGM loop along with "Miracle from Monocles", "Now is the Time" and "Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" spliced with "Strange Things" from Toy Story and at least in Tokyo Disneyland's case, the "Theme from TRON". In Delta Dreamflight's case, it's signage and aesthetic that later appeared over in the Land Pavilion after Soarin' Over California opened there (simply as Soarin') Though, as an aesthetic sidenote: at the time Disneyland's tomorrowland from 1967 to 1996 was known as a world on the move. I would argue that the Magic Kingdom's tomorrowland was a travel terminal! Ground based travel (Grand Prix race way and the cancelled train station) Space travel (Flight to the moon/Mission to Mars and Space Jets), Air Travel (Circlevision 360 and If Had Wings/Dreamflight) and Time travel (Carousel of Progress and Space Mountain) with the Wedway Peoplemover acting as a train connecting to these terminals.
I loved the "Speed Tunnel" I believe there is footage of one being used on the WDW People Mover, with Tron theming. The one in world of motion was great too. I don't think this was ever my favorite ride, but its definitely a style of ride, with atmosphere and a sense of immersion, that just can't be found in "Blockbuster" style rides. I like excitement too, but never forget the value of a quiet ride, a ride that gently transports it's audience. Give it time, and I think we will see longer, worthwhile, story driven rides with atmosphere being made in the future. Theme park attractions are art, and videos like these help us understand the many flavors and forms they can and have taken. Those who study the past can take these lessons and apply them to future rides!
Delta Dreamflight’s goofy dark ride aesthetic during the air show scene charmed the hell out of me as a kid, and it’s the only version that kinda stuck despite countless visits to MK growing up.
I loved of you had wings. And I remember seeing the queue from the people mover too. And don't forget there was a super speed tunnel on the peoplemover too
I thought about mentioning the Peoplemover, but what you could see of the rides wasn't particularly interesting. I think that Buzz does it a lot better with what you're able to see.
Our family went to WDW in the 70's and my Father loved If You Had Wings! H said it was his favorite ride. I remember liking the safari portion of the ride
Tomorrow Land have several sponsored rides. The Eastern/Delta ride was saturated. Ah you are forgetting a big one also saturated, or maybe you never saw the Carousel of Progress sponsored by GE. The whole show talked about the history and advanced of GE technology. Then there is space mountain. More subtle but on the way out there was a big push from RCA
I'm surprised you didn't mention how many remnants of Dreamflight are in Space Ranger Spin (the chickens in the "Planet Z" room, for example, come from Dreamflight).
Is that not the only remnant? I know that the projected area is the former speed tunnel, but I didn't see it as a reference so much as it just reuses the former space.
@@PoseidonEntertainment Off the top of my head, the alien puppet in the "Planet Z" room reuses the mechanism of a parachuter in Dreamflight, and the plywood cutouts in Dreamflight's finale are reused in Space Ranger Spin's finale (when Zurg is being grabbed by the giant claw). And I think the entry sign for Space Ranger Spin is Dreamflight's but repainted.
The first time I got to ride this was when it was Take Flight, however I am familiar with the ride's past as IYHW and Delta Dreamflight - they actually play a few notes of IYHW in the Torrowland ambience music (at least the last time I went to Magic Kingdom - it's gotten so expensive I haven't been at all in the last few years)
I rode this as a toddler and still have my parents home video if it somewhere. Pretty cool as i get to experience it that way. Also have home video of 20,000 leagues under the sea.
Loved every iteration of wings. This era of disney world evokes the most nostalgia for me. A combination of 50s futurism, 80s corporatism, and a kinda utopian globalism. Almost completely gone from the parks these days.
I don't know why I enjoyed If You Had Wings so much, but I really did. The catchy song and the wind tunnel are my favorite memories of it. Dreamflight had better effects, such as the pop-up book. However, it didn't have the same draw for me without the original theme song.
I REMEMBER THIS RIDE! I could have sworn it was in Epcot, but I have no idea _why_ I would have gone on it. Probably because of the air conditioning. When you have no idea why you went on a ride in WDW, it was probably to hide from the heat. It was cute tho. I can say that much.
I don't remember this ride at all, and we went to DW most years through the 80s and 90s. But we always flew there on a plane, too, so I can see why. Nothing seems more boring than a ride that simulates plane travel after you took the real thing to get there. I mean at least with Dumbo you get to fly on an elephant.
@@PoseidonEntertainment We went to a lot of the "boring" rides, all the Epcot ones like The Land and The Living Seas, it's just weird because you'd think we'd have ridden everything eventually. I mean we probably did ride it once, but all I remember is the regular People Mover with those style of cars that went between the buildings, never a flight themed one. How did we go on Mission to Mars most years but missed this, you know? Anyway great stuff, I love the history and the current perspective, even if I haven't been to a park in decades.
Probably the most intriguing aspect of IFYHW/DF was that it could conceivably been placed anywhere in the park using its motif of different ports of call. Also, the speed tunnels were also a staple of the PeopleMover at DL before they were changed into the Tron Tunnels later on.
I have to imagine that an Adventureland version of If You Had Wings might have been interesting, though would have probably aged poorly with the imperialistic undertones of the land. I know little about Disneyland's Peoplemover though, so that's certainly interesting to learn.
My mom worked for the ad agency that had the Eastern Airlines account. My first trip to Disney was in 1983 (on Eastern). I remember going on this ride and seeing the Eastern logo on the sign outside the ride.
My memory of Delta Dreamflight is riding it three or four times in a row because it was raining and there was no line. I don't remember a whole lot about the actual ride, though...
I'm 55. The first couple times I visited the Magic Kingdom, tickets were required for most rides. If You Had Wings was free. It was better than many rides which required tickets. I miss it. Delta Dream Flight was not as good. IYHW was really weird but fun. The constantly running projectors were loud. I liked the fisherman whose fish shrunk and grew best.
I have no memory of riding Dreamflight, but I could've. I know I did "if you had wings..." as a small size, and Space Ranger Spin on my belated 50th birthday trip at the start of March. I'd forgotten how much of IYHW was screens, though the technology wasn't as sophisticated as the screens at Universal that bring so much derision, so the ride itself wasn't as aggressive as a Supercharged or even the Hogwarts Express.
I think that sponsored attractions are always a double edges sword. I was suprised that monsanto actually sponsored an attraction. Today it would be unthinkable, because the reputation of monsanto is not the best. Or recently in Europapark had to terminate the sponsorship with Gazprom because of the recent events. I don't blame Disney, if it stops doing sponsorships.
My first tip to Disney World 1985. We went on this ride and had broken down. We were subjected to the song if you had wings for one hour. Please make it stop! OMG
@@PoseidonEntertainment Yeah! So many older Florida park goers remember this one fondly. It comes up almost unprompted when talking about WDW to those around in the 70s-80s
Nostalgia is a hell of a thing. Saying these were interesting, creative rides is quite the reach. They're literally on-rails b-roll with a radio jingle.
That type of design seems to be unique to IYHW for its time to my knowledge. It's underwhelming today, but I have to imagine it was quite innovative for the 70s.
i remember dream flight i loved that ride as a kid. Was one of my 3 favroite rides at magic kingdom the other 2 being Haunted mansion and pirates. Thou i also preferred Epcot over magic kingdom as a kid so we would go there do thsoe 3 then park hop to epcot after
Is it just me or does the queue and first part of the ride where the Omnimover enters the globe looks very similiar to Adventure thru Inner Space at Disneyland? If you are not familiar, think space terminal area at Star Tours with the boarding area just beneath the control tower with the Moncalamari and the Globe entrance right were the front of the Star Tours ship is today. P.S. I wrote this early in the video, but he mentions the similarities later.
dunno if im alone in this, but space ranger spin is more than enough of a fitting and worthy replacement to iyhw/dreamflight, and id argue it does fit tomorrowland slightly better than air travel. id also argue space ranger spins scene order is the best when compared to its clones. planet z before zurg makes way more sense
I think it's a decent ride and it fits Tomorrowland's pivot towards science fiction rather than science future. I do prefer Disneyland's version though.
@@PoseidonEntertainment would you agree that the scene progression in wdw is better though? Im unsure if that is a unpopular opinion, because to me it makes more sense to rondeavu on planet z and sneak into zurgs lair, then travel through an escape pod to chase after zurg than wind up in zurgs lair, end up on planet z, then warp to space and see zurg. It feels like more of a buildup because zurg is one of the last parts of the ride
@@cookimaus1 It seems like a matter of preference I think. I feel that the Disneyland version flows better between its scenes and makes it clearer why you're transitioning through them.
"If you had wings, had wings, had wings" has been in my head for the last 40 years (non contiguously, you know what i mean). Hearing it again made me cringe.
HA! I remember if you had wings I went on that ride with my mom. Amazing how vividly I remember it maybe it was a curve ball relative to the other rides.
A few corrections:
- Chris Callac corrected me on the plane in Delta Dreamflight. It was not an actual jet but was constructed from plywood.
- blinkereye123 pointed out that If You Had Wings did not pioneer the speed tunnel, as there was one present on Disneyland's Peoplemover.
- I made the mistake of replacing "Adventure" with "Journey" for "Adventure Thru Inner Space" in the script.
Hmmm 🤔
Technically, the speed tunnel debuting at Disneyland's Peoplemover was around the same time as If You Have Wings, like a year before it.
Also (and I just remembered this)
The cartoony cutouts and aesthetic on Delta Dreamflight I think were replicated or something similar to them when Delta sponsored Circlevision in Disneyland in the pre-show lobby.
If You Had Wings *did* have the first speed tunnel. The Disneyland Peoplemover speed tunnel was a later addition that replaced the preview window of "Progress City" that was there when the Carousel Of Progress was at Disneyland. That endured through 1973 when COP left Disneyland and If You Had Wings debuted in 1972 so IYHW was first.
From what I remember, Dreamflight's main appeal was also that it was a nice way to spend 10 minutes in the air conditioning, since the lines were usually nonexistant. It was cute, kinda cozy, and really didn't make a big impression.
I actually remember going on If You Had Wings on our families first trip to Disney in 1981. I feel Dreamflight represents what I miss most about old Disney, the occasional odd attraction you stumble upon that somehow becomes one of your favorites.
Exactly! The parks had little to do with the movies. I knew this as a kid and frequent visitor, but generic “Disney” fans never understood what I was talking about. It felt like a secret club of unique experiences.
This is what I still like about Disneyland. So many of its small dark rides are just weird.
@@PoseidonEntertainment just visited and can confirm
@@PoseidonEntertainment Like Mr Toad. That ride blew my mind the first time and I had no idea it existed. Now it's one of my favorites.
Yeah, I remember I loved both If You Had Wings….and Dreamflight…they were both fun and, at least for the original ride, it was free (it didn’t require any of the A-E tickets)
Another thing that needs to be noted about If You Had Wings is that it was the only attraction of the three that was ever designed to maximize its view from the Peoplemover. You had three preview windows looking down to different parts of IYHW that effectively gave you a second viewing experience of the ride itself. Dreamflight however was designed without any regard for how it looked from the Peoplemover and consequently this resulted in two of the three windows being boarded up and the one window that remained gave you a bad perspective view of the Paris scene. Buzz Lightyear still only gives you a view from the middle window.
I fondly remember If You Had Wings during my first visit in 1976. We practically HAD to ride it since we had traveled to Orlando on Eastern Airlines. I believe we did go on it more than once during our brief trip as it was free and we were trying to carefully ration our tickets.
Delta Dreamflight holds a special place in my heart. It was one of my favorite attractions during my many childhood trips to WDW.
Thanks for this video! Delta Dreamflight was a ride I loved as a young child and I re-rode it many a time. I lived driving distance from Disney and I didn't get on a plane until I was 16 - so riding it from 1993 to its closure just wowed me and made me excited.
i'm 44 years old, born and raised in south florida, I fondly remember the Japanese section on this ride, it was set up like a miniature of a Japanese temple with two Japanese people seen bowing. I moved to Japan 21 years ago, and been living here ever since. This ride was definitely one 'if minor' influence on me.
I find it ironic that rides that were corporate advertisements had more charm and personality than many of the attractions being thought up by disney now
Dreamfinder anyone?
Yeah, I think about how great and unique all of the original Epcot stuff was.
New rides still have plenty of personality, its just not nostalgic for people so it doesn't feel like it.
If You Has Wings was one of my absolute favorite Disney attractions (including its Delta incarnations). When I was too young to go on Space Mountain, I would ride If You Had Wings and the Peoplemover over and over while other family members were in the Space Mountain queue. These types of rides echo everything I loved about Disney and Epcot. They were fast, thrilling, or IP filled, but they were entertaining, educational, and took you to another place/time.
My mom was always trying to get me to ride Dreamflight at the end of the night every time we went to WDW, when all I wanted to do was marathon Space Mountain when there was no one in line due to the Electrical Parade and fireworks. It was an enjoyable ride and I especially remember the turbine tunnel.
Yeah, but does Space Mountain have an actual plane inside of its queue?
@@PoseidonEntertainment touché
marathon riding at the end of the night is my favorite way to do space mountain too! and hulk at universal.
I always had a soft spot for Dreamflight, just a light and fun attraction to kill time. And still old enough to remember the "Delta Disney" ads all over the place.
I feel that some of the best attractions are the ones you do to kill time. They have a much needed place among all of the larger stuff.
I have *EXTREMELY* fond memories of riding If You Had Wings in the Magic Kingdom with my grandfather shortly before he passed when I was just a wee lad.
If you had wings … had wings … had wings. Loved that ride.
My first few trips as a kid in 91-92, Delta Dream Flight was my FAVORITE ride! Short lines, and I LOVED the "speed" tunnel. I thought I was going so fast!!!
At least it's still kind of there lol
I took my nephew on a 'his choice' day at MK, and he opted to ride Dreamflight several times in a row. It was a straight up walk on, and was so quiet that after a couple of runs around from exit to entrance, the CMs just let us go straight through from the unload to the loading area for a lap or two.
Honey wake up, new Poseidon Entertainment video is out
I remember riding if you had wings. Also remember the Eastern flight down to Orlando, the pins and Disney swag; for a kid it was incredible.
Once again you have unlocked a core memory for me! My very first trip to Disney when I was about 6 or so 7. to say this was one of my favorite rides in the magic kingdom would be an understatement! I didn’t get to experience it during the Eastern era but did during both the Delta and shortly before it closed for good. Yeah it was goofy and all that, but I loved seeing the fictionalized versions of the older planes and the tiny bit of history you got on air travel. Thank you once again for showing me why you are one of my favorite RUclipsrs.
But also.. Tomorrowland being underwhelming… some things never change do they!
My memories of this ride are a jumble of images from “If You Had Wings” and “Dreamflight”. But the images that stick out are the traffic cop, the people on the waterfall, and the screen tunnel. Advertisement or not, this is one of the OG rides at MK that make up my childhood memories and continues to make me smile. Thanks for producing this!
3:23 Incredible. Disney pioneered cheap screen based rides long before Universal did!
I had the same thought. Then again, I don't think anything like this existed at the time.
Disney walked so Universal could stumble.
Man.. Im so glad I got to visit epcot and disney 1993.. Literally the golden age of both of these places.
I remember Delta Dreamflight being one of the first Magic Kingdom attractions I rode back in 1993. Thanks for the great video and the awesome memories!
My first visit to Disney World was during the Dreamflight era and I think one of the reasons everybody remembers these quirky, less popular attractions is that everybody who went to the park would inevitably check out a few of them because you could ride them without waiting very long. Omni-mover rides tend to handle crowds very efficiently anyway, but throw in a smaller crowds and short track and it becomes easy to check one more off the list.
“If you Could Fly” is my first WDW memory and it sparked my love of aviation before I had ever actually been in a plane. But “Delta Dreamflight” is my favourite version of the attraction.
Another correction. Delta had already signed its contract to become the new official airline of WDW in late 1986. Eastern's contract still ran to June 1, 1987 so that's why If You Had Wings continued until that date. Eastern, despite its financial situation did want to renew but Eisner raised the renewal rate and effectively priced them out. With Delta signed up already, the change to "If You Could Fly" was made as a concession to get Delta to pay for the ride while the ride that became Dreamflight was developed.
You make the best video essays!
I’m 50 and grew up knowing both Eastern and Delta’s versions. Both versions were better than what’s there today.
I was 5 in 1990 and this ride and Journey into Imagination are my clearest memories from that trip
I had a souvenir map w/ If You Had Wings. I also had friends that loved it. I bought many Extinct Attractions videos. This was one that talked about Eastern/Delta + when sponsors were lost. Yep! relief from Fla. heat iS a MUST! I did like the stylized carton like presentation of Delta. A testament of how Imagineering could put something interesting in a small area. The music was really loud on "If" to cover UP the sound of the projectors. LOL! I only rode/played Buzz, but knew what was there b4. Long sponsorships are almost a thing of the past. Thanks for another great video!
I read that the music didn't really accomplish this goal and that the entire ride was just loud projectors. I think that's part of what often makes rides interesting though. They're always trying to sell you an illusion and but when you can see elements that take you out of the illusion (like air ducts if you look up in Pirates), there's a weird surrealism to these otherwise ubiquitous aspects.
We used to ride If You Had Wings all the time when visiting Disney, as it was essentially a walk-on and the crowds back then weren't shoulder-to-shoulder. As you mentioned, it was a great way to get out of the Florida sun, much like how Carousel of Progress provides an air-conditioned refuge now.
I loved that speed tunnel. And the theme song was quite the earworm. In those days, flying on any airline to anywhere was still a pretty exotic prospect and not something the rank-and-file public could pursue, so IYHW provided a neat and vicarious way to pretend you were going on a trip courtesy of Eastern.
I miss it, but then I also miss many other "classic" attractions, like 20,000 Leagues, Mission to Mars, the Skyway, and even the Circlevision film. Disney was so, SO much different back then and I'm not at all convinced the Magic Kingdom of today is all that better.
I remember going on "If You Had Wings" when I was a kid in the 70's. I remember being thoroughly bored by the ride... until that LAST AMAZING SCENE where they had you in front of that giant screen where you felt like you were really flying. That took my breath away. I had NEVER seen anything like that.
In high school in the late 70s, we called this ride "If you could sing". Thanks for the footage, amazing how much of the ride I remembered even before I watched. Fellow Tampa boy here, love your content. Keep up the good work.
I remember this as a child and I absolutely LOVED IT!! Years later I went back as an adult and it was freaking gone! I was so let down still to this day;-(
I remember going on Dreamflight once or twice on our vacations. It was a fun diversion from the rest of the things that are present in the area. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
If you had wings was my favorite ride as a kid!
I remember if you had wings and I loved it. It was simple yet very creative.
I loved going on dreamflight, quick easy break from the Florida heat, nice quirky ride and my favorite was the turbine illusion which had a great characteristic smell of the smoke machines
Didn't experience either iteration (or the Buzz Lightyear ride, for that matter), but I enjoyed this video. I do remember the "America the Beautiful" Circle-Vision, which I experienced at Disneyland. It made me dizzy and I spent most of it crouched on the floor with my eyes closed and my fingers stuffed in my ears. :p
Perhaps not surprisingly, I tend to prefer the "little things" at the Disney parks, and it sounds like these two rides were that sort of thing. It's nice to have a better idea of what those ride experiences were like.
Loved the mystique WDW had back then and the way it was managed, everything about it was so much more enjoyable than it is today.
I really miss this attraction. It was a good way to relax and cool off.
Delta Dreamflight was what I had as I kid. I still remember how weird the effect of riding into a spinning engine smelled.
I love If You Had Wings and Delta DreamFlight. I have very vivid memories of them. I really enjoyed. The music especially. It was definitely a place relax and enjoy the air conditioning.
While not as fondly remembered Adventures thru Inner Space, If You have Wings and Delta Dreamflight did leave some lasting impact on the WDW parks.
In "If You Have Wings" case, the catchy musical tune lives on in the current Tomorrowland BGM loop along with "Miracle from Monocles", "Now is the Time" and "Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" spliced with "Strange Things" from Toy Story and at least in Tokyo Disneyland's case, the "Theme from TRON".
In Delta Dreamflight's case, it's signage and aesthetic that later appeared over in the Land Pavilion after Soarin' Over California opened there (simply as Soarin')
Though, as an aesthetic sidenote: at the time Disneyland's tomorrowland from 1967 to 1996 was known as a world on the move. I would argue that the Magic Kingdom's tomorrowland was a travel terminal! Ground based travel (Grand Prix race way and the cancelled train station) Space travel (Flight to the moon/Mission to Mars and Space Jets), Air Travel (Circlevision 360 and If Had Wings/Dreamflight) and Time travel (Carousel of Progress and Space Mountain) with the Wedway Peoplemover acting as a train connecting to these terminals.
I loved the "Speed Tunnel" I believe there is footage of one being used on the WDW People Mover, with Tron theming. The one in world of motion was great too. I don't think this was ever my favorite ride, but its definitely a style of ride, with atmosphere and a sense of immersion, that just can't be found in "Blockbuster" style rides. I like excitement too, but never forget the value of a quiet ride, a ride that gently transports it's audience. Give it time, and I think we will see longer, worthwhile, story driven rides with atmosphere being made in the future. Theme park attractions are art, and videos like these help us understand the many flavors and forms they can and have taken. Those who study the past can take these lessons and apply them to future rides!
Delta Dreamflight’s goofy dark ride aesthetic during the air show scene charmed the hell out of me as a kid, and it’s the only version that kinda stuck despite countless visits to MK growing up.
It's definitely different. It reminds me a bit of the silliness of World of Motion, but still manages to have its own distinct style.
I loved of you had wings. And I remember seeing the queue from the people mover too. And don't forget there was a super speed tunnel on the peoplemover too
I thought about mentioning the Peoplemover, but what you could see of the rides wasn't particularly interesting. I think that Buzz does it a lot better with what you're able to see.
Loved Dreamflight, thank you for the memories again!
Our family went to WDW in the 70's and my Father loved If You Had Wings! H said it was his favorite ride. I remember liking the safari portion of the ride
Tomorrow Land have several sponsored rides. The Eastern/Delta ride was saturated. Ah you are forgetting a big one also saturated, or maybe you never saw the Carousel of Progress sponsored by GE. The whole show talked about the history and advanced of GE technology. Then there is space mountain. More subtle but on the way out there was a big push from RCA
I'm surprised you didn't mention how many remnants of Dreamflight are in Space Ranger Spin (the chickens in the "Planet Z" room, for example, come from Dreamflight).
Is that not the only remnant? I know that the projected area is the former speed tunnel, but I didn't see it as a reference so much as it just reuses the former space.
@@PoseidonEntertainment Off the top of my head, the alien puppet in the "Planet Z" room reuses the mechanism of a parachuter in Dreamflight, and the plywood cutouts in Dreamflight's finale are reused in Space Ranger Spin's finale (when Zurg is being grabbed by the giant claw). And I think the entry sign for Space Ranger Spin is Dreamflight's but repainted.
It was great. The first thing we rode in Disney World.
This was a very good video. Thank you for providing us all with this interesting information!
The first time I got to ride this was when it was Take Flight, however I am familiar with the ride's past as IYHW and Delta Dreamflight - they actually play a few notes of IYHW in the Torrowland ambience music (at least the last time I went to Magic Kingdom - it's gotten so expensive I haven't been at all in the last few years)
I rode this as a toddler and still have my parents home video if it somewhere. Pretty cool as i get to experience it that way. Also have home video of 20,000 leagues under the sea.
My first ride EVER in the Magic Kingdom in 1977. ❤️❤️
If you had wings was a VERY popular ride in its day. Probably because the AC felt so good after sweating your way through the Florida heat!
I could use some Weird right about now ...
Loved every iteration of wings. This era of disney world evokes the most nostalgia for me. A combination of 50s futurism, 80s corporatism, and a kinda utopian globalism. Almost completely gone from the parks these days.
I don't know why I enjoyed If You Had Wings so much, but I really did. The catchy song and the wind tunnel are my favorite memories of it. Dreamflight had better effects, such as the pop-up book. However, it didn't have the same draw for me without the original theme song.
Thanks for this video. Nobody I talk to remembers this attraction. Was starting think I imagined it 😅
I think the average park goer would have probably missed them in favor of Space Mountain.
I dont care if it was a big ad and back when I rode it I didnt know better. It was fun. Disney was fun back in the 80s.
I REMEMBER THIS RIDE! I could have sworn it was in Epcot, but I have no idea _why_ I would have gone on it. Probably because of the air conditioning. When you have no idea why you went on a ride in WDW, it was probably to hide from the heat. It was cute tho. I can say that much.
I don't remember this ride at all, and we went to DW most years through the 80s and 90s. But we always flew there on a plane, too, so I can see why. Nothing seems more boring than a ride that simulates plane travel after you took the real thing to get there. I mean at least with Dumbo you get to fly on an elephant.
At least Dreamflight focused on aviation history. It's a unique topic for a ride.
@@PoseidonEntertainment We went to a lot of the "boring" rides, all the Epcot ones like The Land and The Living Seas, it's just weird because you'd think we'd have ridden everything eventually. I mean we probably did ride it once, but all I remember is the regular People Mover with those style of cars that went between the buildings, never a flight themed one. How did we go on Mission to Mars most years but missed this, you know? Anyway great stuff, I love the history and the current perspective, even if I haven't been to a park in decades.
@@fusionspace175 how dare you call Living with the Land boring, that's my favorite Epcot attraction 😅😂😂
"If You Had Wings" was a must-ride for us because it was free, no "E Ticket" or in fact any ticket required.
You have a very awesome channel I love your documentary approach to the topics. Seem to have my philosophy on bringing back the magic to entertainment
The singers of "If You Had Wings" were very memorable - they sound like the singers of the H.R. Pufnstuff theme song.
I find it to be a bit creepy, but that's also what makes it interesting to me.
Used to love Dreamflight! Memorable song
I could have seen this as a kid, I don’t know how one would intentionally design for quirky but I’m sure ole Walt is having a good laugh somewhere 😂
"If You Had Wings" was a rarity in that it did not require a ticket to ride in the days before general admission.
Probably the most intriguing aspect of IFYHW/DF was that it could conceivably been placed anywhere in the park using its motif of different ports of call. Also, the speed tunnels were also a staple of the PeopleMover at DL before they were changed into the Tron Tunnels later on.
I have to imagine that an Adventureland version of If You Had Wings might have been interesting, though would have probably aged poorly with the imperialistic undertones of the land. I know little about Disneyland's Peoplemover though, so that's certainly interesting to learn.
My mom worked for the ad agency that had the Eastern Airlines account. My first trip to Disney was in 1983 (on Eastern). I remember going on this ride and seeing the Eastern logo on the sign outside the ride.
My memory of Delta Dreamflight is riding it three or four times in a row because it was raining and there was no line. I don't remember a whole lot about the actual ride, though...
I liked staring into the wind turbine on dream flight because it felt like you were spinning.
Missed your videos!
Ah, but I've been posting them?
Every time I go to the airport/fly delta, I sing that dang delta dreamflight theme. I may have ridden it once as a toddler, but that is an ear worm!
I should have put that song in the video too. Definitely better than the "If You Had Wings" tune.
@@PoseidonEntertainment Absolutely agree. Delta Dreamflight is more atune to the EPCOT themes, which scratches that good retro Disney itch.
I'm 55. The first couple times I visited the Magic Kingdom, tickets were required for most rides. If You Had Wings was free. It was better than many rides which required tickets. I miss it. Delta Dream Flight was not as good. IYHW was really weird but fun. The constantly running projectors were loud. I liked the fisherman whose fish shrunk and grew best.
I remember it well, and most of the lyrics to the songs. It was free, so my mom was a big fan!
I have no memory of riding Dreamflight, but I could've. I know I did "if you had wings..." as a small size, and Space Ranger Spin on my belated 50th birthday trip at the start of March. I'd forgotten how much of IYHW was screens, though the technology wasn't as sophisticated as the screens at Universal that bring so much derision, so the ride itself wasn't as aggressive as a Supercharged or even the Hogwarts Express.
I would consider it to be innovative for its time at least. I assume a lot of people perceived it as unique.
We go over to buzz when it’s raining!!
I think that sponsored attractions are always a double edges sword. I was suprised that monsanto actually sponsored an attraction. Today it would be unthinkable, because the reputation of monsanto is not the best. Or recently in Europapark had to terminate the sponsorship with Gazprom because of the recent events. I don't blame Disney, if it stops doing sponsorships.
I agree that corporate sponsorships are out and should stay out. I can't imagine an attraction sponsored by Exxon today.
My first tip to Disney World 1985. We went on this ride and had broken down. We were subjected to the song if you had wings for one hour. Please make it stop! OMG
Bring Dreamflight back! I never rode it, ever!
A lot of these rides I wish I could have rode on before they were removed, makes me sad :(
Same. Even if they weren't too popular for their time, it's fascinating to look back at them.
another great one ❤
Whew! IYHW vid! Keep it up. Love it
I didn't expect so many people to be fans
@@PoseidonEntertainment Yeah! So many older Florida park goers remember this one fondly. It comes up almost unprompted when talking about WDW to those around in the 70s-80s
Great video. FYI… it’s not JOURNEY thru inner space, it’s ADVENTURE Thru Inner Space
Nostalgia is a hell of a thing. Saying these were interesting, creative rides is quite the reach. They're literally on-rails b-roll with a radio jingle.
That type of design seems to be unique to IYHW for its time to my knowledge. It's underwhelming today, but I have to imagine it was quite innovative for the 70s.
I wonder…did Disney themselves produce any videos of rides for “posterity”?
Not to my knowledge. From what little footage they often provide, the only time they really recorded attractions was for TV or promotions.
i remember dream flight i loved that ride as a kid. Was one of my 3 favroite rides at magic kingdom the other 2 being Haunted mansion and pirates. Thou i also preferred Epcot over magic kingdom as a kid so we would go there do thsoe 3 then park hop to epcot after
I vaguely remember If You Had Wings.
I so remember that ride
Interesting that Emperor Zurg appeared in a Disney World ride over a year before Toy Story 2 came out.
I didn't think about that, but it is interesting. I suppose it was all about IP synergy before that really successfully caught on.
At this point I’d rather have the weird advertisement attractions than the Push This IP attractions.
Is it just me or does the queue and first part of the ride where the Omnimover enters the globe looks very similiar to Adventure thru Inner Space at Disneyland? If you are not familiar, think space terminal area at Star Tours with the boarding area just beneath the control tower with the Moncalamari and the Globe entrance right were the front of the Star Tours ship is today.
P.S. I wrote this early in the video, but he mentions the similarities later.
dunno if im alone in this, but space ranger spin is more than enough of a fitting and worthy replacement to iyhw/dreamflight, and id argue it does fit tomorrowland slightly better than air travel. id also argue space ranger spins scene order is the best when compared to its clones. planet z before zurg makes way more sense
I think it's a decent ride and it fits Tomorrowland's pivot towards science fiction rather than science future. I do prefer Disneyland's version though.
@@PoseidonEntertainment would you agree that the scene progression in wdw is better though? Im unsure if that is a unpopular opinion, because to me it makes more sense to rondeavu on planet z and sneak into zurgs lair, then travel through an escape pod to chase after zurg than wind up in zurgs lair, end up on planet z, then warp to space and see zurg. It feels like more of a buildup because zurg is one of the last parts of the ride
@@cookimaus1 It seems like a matter of preference I think. I feel that the Disneyland version flows better between its scenes and makes it clearer why you're transitioning through them.
W Poseidon upload
Wow brings back old memories ❤
"If you had wings, had wings, had wings" has been in my head for the last 40 years (non contiguously, you know what i mean). Hearing it again made me cringe.
HA! I remember if you had wings I went on that ride with my mom. Amazing how vividly I remember it maybe it was a curve ball relative to the other rides.