At a Glance
Duration: 10 minutes
Look Out For: a couple of dark scenes, including an inside look at Space Mountain
Opening on July 1st, 1975, Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover is a relaxing ride through Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland. But how scary is The PeopleMover? Let’s take a look at the stats:
1. Ride Length
The PeopleMover has a ride duration of approximately 10 minutes. However, this attraction is particularly prone to delays (typically very short) which may keep you on the ride vehicle for a few seconds longer.
2. Height Requirement and Warnings
The PeopleMover has no height requirement or health warnings from Disney. Because of its gentle nature, it’s a fantastic choice for even the most sensitive riders.
3. Ride Vehicles and Restraints
The PeopleMover ride vehicles consist of a 5 car train, seating approximately 4 passengers per car in 2 rows facing each other. There is no lap bar and the seating orientation means that about half of its passengers will be facing backwards for the duration of the ride.
4. How Does The PeopleMover Work?
The PeopleMover works like any other Disney track ride, moving the ride vehicles along a predetermined track. What does make this attraction unique is the fact that it takes you both indoors and outdoors as well as speeds up and slows down at various points on the ride.
5. Is The PeopleMover Scary?
The PeopleMover is not intentionally scary whatsoever. However, there is one 3 minute segment of almost complete darkness (like, you can’t see your hand in front of your face) and two other indoor segments that are about as dim as your typical dark ride. While again, it isn’t intended to be scary, it definitely can be a bit unsettling if you’re not prepared for it.
While this is certainly a gentle ride through and through, the most “intense” part is definitely your trip through Space Mountain. This is where you’ll encounter the complete darkness, which is necessary to be able to see the glimpses of the ride they give you. You will also see some of the coaster, bits of its elaborate theming (namely the astronauts on the space station near the lift), and will definitely hear some screams from its riders.
For non-coaster-fans, this could be a very cool look into this classic attraction without actually riding it. However, if anyone in your party is easily spooked by darkness or the ambient sounds of a thrill ride, you may at least want to know that this segment is coming.
6. How High is The PeopleMover?
The PeopleMover does involve some heights. While lacking any thrill elements whatsoever, this attraction does take place 1 story off the ground (about 15 feet). However, as primarily a transport ride, it isn’t much different from riding the monorail. While the ride vehicles themselves are not enclosed, I felt very secure with the wide platform and theming around the ride.
7. How Fast is The PeopleMover?
While The PeopleMover is not particularly fast, it does accelerate up to 7 miles per hour for most of the ride. While this may seem a bit speedy compared to the slow crawl through Pirates of the Caribbean or Haunted Mansion, it’s still almost 30 mph slower than thrill rides like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Think of it like riding a tram through the parking lot – you may get a little breeze on your face but it’s not meant to be thrilling at all.
8. Does The PeopleMover Have Drops?
The PeopleMover does not have drops. As a simple transport ride, it lacks any thrill elements whatsoever.
9. Does The PeopleMover Cause Motion Sickness?
The PeopleMover should not cause motion sickness for most riders. Without any spinning, large screens, or 4d effects, there really isn’t anything on this ride that might cause nausea.
10. Is The PeopleMover Claustrophobic?
The PeopleMover could feel a bit claustrophobic to some riders. Because of it’s longer ride duration and propensity to have delays, I found that this attraction felt a little confining at times. While there are no lap bars or restraints, the slow pacing of this ride doesn’t do much to distract from feeling claustrophobic, which could be an issue for some. However, it is a very gentle and relaxing ride – much like Living with the Land – with plenty of fresh air and outdoor sections.
11. Are There Animatronics on The PeopleMover?
There are no animatronics on The PeopleMover. While you do travel through a couple of show scenes depicting various characters, none of them are in motion or intentionally spooky whatsoever.
The PeopleMover Queue Walkthrough
The queue entrance is located outside in the Tomorrowland area of Magic Kingdom. As an entirely outdoor queue, you will simply wind back and forth (with limited shade from the sun) before taking an escalator up to the loading platform. This is another great queue for those of us with anxiety, as it is fairly easy to exit and you can see the ride vehicles from the entrance.
The PeopleMover Ride Walkthrough
Once you board the ride vehicle, you will set off, accelerating up to 7 miles per hour as the voiceover narration welcomes you to the attraction. You will get a quick view of the land below you before heading into your first tunnel where you’ll find a model of Walt Disney’s vision of Tomorrowland and get a glimpse into the shop, Star Traders.
From there, you’ll head back outside to see Tomorrowland Speedway and Tron Lightcycle Run. You’ll then head into Space Mountain where you’ll get a cool behind-the-scenes look at the ride and some of its theming. Be sure to take a look at the Is it Scary section of this article for more specifics on this.
When you exit Space Mountain, you’ll glide through another outdoor segment before heading inside Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. Again, you’ll get another great view of the ride from above before heading back outside and towards the loading station.
That’s it! Remember, everyone’s riding experience is a little bit different and only you can decide whether to hop on that ride vehicle or not. I just hope this guide helps you be prepared and enjoy every second of your Disney experience!
So what do you think? How scary is The PeopleMover? Leave a comment to help keep this guide up to date!
For a full visual of the ride and queue, be sure to check out this video from 4K WDW:
