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Photo by Helmut Weiss, 1958 |
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Are you too young to drive a Tomorrowland Autopia car or even a Junior Autopia car? If you’re around four years old, the answer is undoubtedly “yes.” Don’t worry. You’re not too young for a Midget Autopia car. |
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It’s the only Autopia where every car has two steering wheels. But Mom or Dad can’t sit next to you. This Autopia is for kids only. And while the other Autopia roadways look like freeways, this one is a country road. There’s another big difference. The other two Autopias have stinky gasoline engines. This one runs on electricity. Maybe it should be in Tomorrowland instead of Fantasyland. Or is it just a fantasy that electric cars will ever be practical? These electric cars don’t have batteries. The electricity comes from a rail down the center of the road. A ride operator controls the ride. In other words, the cars are essentially like Fantasyland dark ride vehicles,such as those of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. |
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Photo by Frank Taylor, courtesy of Chris Taylor Ready to hit the road |
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Photo by Frank Taylor, courtesy of Chris Taylor Absolutely clear windshield—because there’s no glass |
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Photo by Frank Taylor, courtesy of Chris Taylor Future California freeway driver |
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Photo by Charles R. Lympany, courtesy of Chris Taylor Steering through the curves—except that the steering wheels do nothing |
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Photo by Charles R. Lympany, courtesy of Chris Taylor Sporty red car |
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Photo by Charles R. Lympany, courtesy of Chris Taylor Posing for a photo before driving away |
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Photo by Charles R. Lympany, courtesy of Chris Taylor No arguing about who gets the steering wheel |
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Photo by Charles R. Lympany, courtesy of Chris Taylor Little yellow barn |
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In the ride’s exciting climax, the car enters the back of a yellow barn. The barn doors swing open—just in time—providing a great photo opportunity for Dad. |
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The Midget Autopia made its debut at Disneyland’s Fantasyland on April 23, 1957. It was the third (and smallest) Autopia track, following the Tomorrowland Autopia (1955) and the Junior Autopia in Fantasyland (1956). Midget Autopia was located right next to the Storybook Land Canal Boats, across from the Motor Boat Cruise. Midget Autopia used “off-the-shelf” Arrowflite cars from Arrow Development, but Walt Disney’s team designed the contoured landscaping, winding track, and scenery. There is still an Arrowflite ride in operation—Ricky’s Racers at Idlewild & SoakZone in Ligonier, Pennsylvania—which was the subject of a Midget Autopia Mystery. |
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Photo by Charles R. Lympany, courtesy of Chris Taylor A ride for the Very Young |
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The Midget Autopia was a favorite of Very Young guests. But it fell victim to another favorite of the Very Young—“it’s a small world”. The Midget Autopia closed April 3, 1966 to make way for a wide path to “the happiest cruise that ever sailed” from the New York World’s Fair. The hilly, landscaped Midget Autopia grounds became flat pavement. That wasn’t the end of the Midget Autopia. |
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Photo from 1966, courtesy Walt Disney Hometown Museum Midget Autopia in Marceline, Missouri |
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Walt Disney donated the ride to his boyhood hometown of Marceline, Missouri, where it was installed in a park named in his honor. The former Disneyland attraction operated as a ride for the children of Marceline. Unfortunately, the cars eventually become too difficult and expensive to maintain, so 1977 was the ride’s final season. You can still see a Midget Autopia car in Marceline. An original car is on display in the town’s Walt Disney Hometown Museum. The museum is open daily (except Monday) from April through October in the town’s former Santa Fe railroad depot—an appropriate place to honor lifelong train buff Walt Disney. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2015 2015 D23 Expo in Anaheim, California |
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Marceline brought a Midget Autopia car at the D23 Expo in 2015. It was part of a large display to build awareness of Marceline and to promote an ambitious plan to bring back the Midget Autopia adjacent to the museum. What happened to the other two Autopias? The Junior Autopia closed in 1958, and reopened in 1959 as the expanded Fantasyland Autopia. The Tomorrowland Autopia and the Fantasyland Autopia operated until 1999, when work began to combine the tracks into a single attraction. In 2000, the redesigned attraction opened as Autopia, Presented by Chevron, with a new fleet of cleverly designed cars and new scenery along the roadway. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2010 Midget Autopia car, bronzed as a roadside sculpture |
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One of the enhancements for the Chevron version of the Autopia was a bronzed Midget Autopia car on a pedestal at the side of the road. This “statue” was a tribute to the Autopia’s long-gone relative. It’s an actual car that once operated in Fantasyland and Marceline. In 2012, Chevron dropped its sponsorship, but almost nothing changed. In 2016, the attraction became Autopia, Powered by Honda, with new car colors, new engines, Honda emblems on the cars, and a new color scheme for the load area. Since 1955, the Autopia rides have given many future Southern California freeway drivers their first experience behind the steering wheel—and for a lucky generation now in their sixties and seventies, that ride was the Midget Autopia. Disneyland used “midget” as an adjective for a ride with small cars, not to refer to people of short stature. But it’s still worth noting that the term “midget” is now viewed differently than back when Disneyland’s Midget Autopia was in operation. A FAQ at the website of the Little People of America explains why the term is offensive: Q: What is a midget? A: In some circles, a midget is the term used for a proportionate dwarf. However, the term has fallen into disfavor and is considered offensive by most people of short stature. The term dates back to 1865, the height of the “freak show” era, and was generally applied only to short-statured persons who were displayed for public amusement, which is why it is considered so unacceptable today. Such terms as dwarf, little person, LP, and person of short stature are all acceptable, but most people would rather be referred to by their name than by a label. Finally, as a ride from the “Walt years,” the kids-only aspect of the Midget Autopia is surprising. The origin story of Disneyland involves Walt Disney sitting on a park bench dreaming about a park where families could ride everything together, as his daughters Diane and Sharon rode the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round without him. So how did Walt approve the Midget Autopia? |
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© 2022 Werner Weiss — Disclaimers, Copyright, and Trademarks Updated June 17, 2022 |
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