The Ever-Changing Face of Tomorrowland: From Wings to Buzz
“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” These words from Walt Disney perfectly capture the evolution of one particular corner of Tomorrowland at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Today, guests visiting this futuristic realm will find themselves at Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, located on the right side of Tomorrowland’s main thoroughfare, just before the Carousel of Progress. This interactive attraction, where guests help Buzz defeat Emperor Zurg by shooting targets with laser cannons, has been delighting families since 1998.
But long before Star Command set up its base in this location, guests were taking flight in a very different way. In 1972, Eastern Airlines introduced “If You Had Wings,” a free attraction that didn’t require any ticket from the park’s A-E ticket system. This omission was strategic – Eastern Airlines viewed the attraction as an elaborate advertisement for their travel destinations. The dark ride whisked guests through exotic locations while the Sherman Brothers’ catchy “If You Had Wings” theme song played overhead. The attraction featured groundbreaking special effects for its time, including a revolutionary “speed room” that used projections to create the sensation of flight, and a mirror finale that seemed to multiply the number of passing scenes. Singer/songwriter Buddy Baker provided additional music that perfectly captured the feeling of soaring through the Caribbean and Central America.
When Eastern Airlines ended its Disney relationship, Delta Airlines stepped in to sponsor a reimagining of the space. Delta Dreamflight opened in 1989, transforming the attraction into a celebration of aviation history. Guests traveled from the early days of flight through the jet age, complete with a memorable scene featuring oversized props in a larger-than-life 1940s hair salon. The attraction maintained its status as not requiring a ticket, as the ticket system had been discontinued by this time. In late 1996, Delta updated some scenes and renamed the attraction to “Delta Take Flight,” though these changes were relatively minor. When Delta’s sponsorship ended, the attraction briefly operated simply as “Take Flight” in early 1998, stripped of its Delta branding but maintaining the same aviation theme.
Later that same year, this corner of Tomorrowland would undergo its most dramatic transformation yet. The space was completely reimagined to house Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, bringing the world of Toy Story into Tomorrowland and introducing an interactive shooting gallery element that would influence many future Disney attractions. While the basic ride system remained similar to its predecessors, the addition of rotating vehicles and a scoring system created an entirely new experience that continues to draw long lines of eager Space Rangers today. And if you look close enough you can see the Delta Dreamflight sign still at Buzz’s.
Each iteration of this attraction space has reflected its era – from the golden age of commercial aviation through the rise of computer animation and interactive entertainment. As Walt said, we keep moving forward, and this corner of Tomorrowland stands as a testament to that philosophy.
