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Lacrosse Boy
07-13-2001, 12:55 PM
This was one of the opening day attractions in 1955 and one of only three in all of Tomorrowland/Progressland if I am not mistaken.

Interestingly enough, there is virtually nothing about it on the web. The attraction was short-lived and before my time, but does anyone remember it?

Space Station X-1 was one of 3 Attractions to open in Tomorrowland on opening day, July 17,1955. (Along with Autopia and Circle-Vision).

You'll find a picture of it in Bruce Gordon's & David Mumford's Nickel Tour Book.

I believe in 1958, in an attempt to liven up it's sagging attendance figures, it was renamed: Sattelite View of America.

You walked up to a platform with a series of "windows" that gave you a view of America from 500 miles above Earth. Peter Ellenshaw was put to work to come up with a donut shaped canvas of the continental United States complete with "a few tricks" that showed lights of the major cities like LA, New York, Chicago, etc. Like a sattelite that circles the Earth, you "circled" this view. But actually (I think) the donut shaped canvas turned.

This gave way to Art of Animation in 1960, and then in the 1967 renovation of Tomorrowland, this area became the current Circle-Vision theater itself.

I'm sure that Space Station X-1 would be much more entertaining in Innoventions, where interest drops rapidly, and people bang around on computer keyboards getting frustrated! ;)

Lost Boy
07-13-2001, 09:41 PM
Oh boy do I remember that one. As a 13 year old the day Disneyland opened, everytime I went to the Park I went on Space Station X-1. By todays standards the ride would seem very cheesy and outdated, but back then - wow, it just was too much. The animated clouds, the animated forest fire with clouds of smoke billowing up and all the fine detail that had put into that great curved painting just made it all seem real to a 13 year old kid who loved science fiction and everything to do with outer space.
I also remember that several weeks later the 20,000 Leaguse Under The Sea walkthru attraction opened. Oh my God, the first time I went thru that I was stunned and when you got to Nemo's Salon with the great Pipe Organ and the Tocata and Fugue in D minor playing full blast, it was just awesome. I was in love the Nautilas and went in there every chance I got. The first time thru, I was looking around and amazed at everything and then came to the end room where you would gaze through a window to see "The Final Resting Place of the Nautilas" and I stood there looking at the great ship lying on the bottom of the sea and just started crying. My beuatiful boat sunk. How sad. I loved that simple walk thru. Just thinking about it now I am getting teary eyed. The Old Original Tomorrowland beats the heck of what they have there now.
;)

Napsto
07-15-2001, 12:56 PM
even better than with space mountain.

Lacrosse Boy
09-27-2001, 05:27 PM
figured i'd bump this up to the top while we are talking about tomorrowland!