World of Motion

From The Unofficial DisneyWiki

World of Motion (1982-1996) was an omnimover attraction designed to educate guests about the history of the automobile. The ride was known for its exterior look, in which the cars of the attraction would start inside, then curve outward outside, then back into the building to start the show. The symbol used for this ride between 1982-1994 (shown right) represents the exterior of the building from an arial view.

[edit] The Ride

Riders entered the building through the queue area that wrapped around the portico where your Omnimover (called Chaircars) moved into the building through. There was a small embarkation station that kept playing the theme of the attraction "It's Fun to Be Free," written by the Sherman Brothers, where you boarded. The Omnimover rounded the same portico you saw in the queue and entered the show area. The first scene passed by us the first evolution of foot power, with cavemen trying to cool their feet down.

The scene shifts over to the first water transportation on a raft, then going to the first wheel. This is one of the first gags of the attraction, where there is a huge wheel contest going on with the round wheel winning. Before leaving, the Chaircar passes by a used chariot lot and trying to utilize animals as power sorces.

Up next comes the first evolution of exploration on the high seas, where a man (supposedly Christopher Colombus) is seen staring down the eye of a sea dragon. The times then change to steam power, with paddlewheel river boats, stagecoaches, and the steam locomotive are seen. Even an authentic railroad robbery is seen. Your Omnimover passes by various airplanes, bicycles, and cars before going through three Superspeed Tunnels previously used in the Magic Kingdom attraction If You Had Wings and the Disneyland attraction PeopleMover. These were unique in the way that one was curved in a left turn. Some footage shwon was of snowmobiles, crop dusting, and rafting down rivers.

All these displays culminated to CenterCore, a glowing blacklight model city of the future. This is reminisent to Walt Disney's Progress City model on display near the Tomorrowland Transit Athority at the Magic Kingdom and the scene from the 1964/1965 World's Fair Ford Magic Skyway. At one point, a mirror reflects your Chaircar as a car of the future before being told you can debark.

[edit] TransCenter

After debarking the ride, you're directed into the TransCenter, a large showroom that displayed everything from future car to shows to America's only wind-tunnel. One of the most popular shows was "The Bird & the Robot".

[edit] Trivia

• On the final operation day for the Genral Motors executives, the ride ironicaly broke down.
• When WOM closed along with Universe of Energy for renovations, Horizons was forced to reopen.
• No tribute to WOM is seen on Test Track, its current building inhabitant.