How Disneyland Got Its Monorail

Planner Sam Gennawey tracks the history of Disneyland's monorail back to a 1958 visit by Walt Disney to Wuppertal, Germany.

1 minute read

June 3, 2011, 1:00 PM PDT

By Tim Halbur

Wuppertal was home to a unique monorail system that hung upside down from its track and had been in operation for over fifty years. It was not unlike a vision he and artist Herb Ryman had imagined for the original Tomorrowland plans:

"Later in the trip, Walt and Lillian were driving north along a major roadway near Cologne, Germany when a monorail train suddenly crossed over their heads. This monorail was very different from the one in Wuppertal. This train rode on top of steel-reinforced concrete beam. Walt was stunned. He wanted to learn more so he drove right to the administrative building to see what he could find out."

FULL STORY: Disneyland's Alweg Monorail: Walt Disney's Highway In The Sky

Thursday, June 2, 2011 in MiceAge

Transportation World Disneyland Walt Disney

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