Saturday, March 19, 2022

Next Rocket Flight In Five Minutes!

Ok, this week we're going to continue our walk around Disneyland (games)!

I'm sorry, but Fantasyland is closed for refurbishment. Please keep moving into the future.

Ok, in reality, I never found a Fantasyland game for a good price. Now, all you can find are the re-releases, and I like original stuff. Maybe one day Fantasyland will be open, but not today. But look! Right up ahead is

TOMORROWLAND!

The Tomorrowland game was published in 1956. The box of the Tomorrowland game features our favorite Disney rocket, the TWA Moonliner with people in their best travelling clothes strolling toward it to board...or maybe just to ride the ride... You see, the illustration was taken from the actual Disney attraction and instead of a launch gantry, you see the show building in the background. There are several other rockets (although of a different design) flying about the sky, and a porter with a decidedly un-high tech megaphone calls for the next launch.



The game board is a bit more interesting in that we actually see the Moonliner lifting off in its seldom seen "gear up" configuration. It also shows a mish-mash of actual Tomorrowland landmarks (such as the Clock of the World) and fictional structures (such as a helipad). The graphics are bright and cheerful and...optimistic. Disney was always very optimistic about the future!




The parts of the game are very simple. There are four wooden flying saucers and a spinner that was actually used on several of the Disneyland games. The instructions reveal that the game was played like a combination of a regular board game and tidily winks.





I really enjoy this game, because, as you may know, I'm a big fan of the Moonliner! Unfortunately the real Moonliner ended up in a landfill. It was, after all, a glorified steam boiler. The Moonliner I built to fly is still doing great!



All in all it is a great reminder of a time and place that was created to inspire people to dream and reach for the stars. And that is exactly what they did. Who could have foreseen that in 13 short years, men really would be riding rockets to the moon!

Be back next week for a ride on the Riverboat game!

Keep searching for treasure!

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10 comments:

  1. MelissaMarch 21, 2022 at 12:57 PM

    The olive-and-toothpick streetlights even made their way to the game board!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. stu29573March 21, 2022 at 5:22 PM

      Very true!
      It's weird what they decided to faithfully reproduce and what they obviously winged it on.

      Delete
  2. "Lou and Sue"March 22, 2022 at 7:46 PM

    Another game I’ve never played, but I have seen it on eBay.

    While reading the instructions, I misread the following:
    ...the player may test his ship by “shooting for the moon.”
    I didn’t see the word “for.”

    Stu, I love that model Moonliner, and so does my husband. You only shot it off once, right?

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousMarch 23, 2022 at 9:26 AM

    Thanks!
    Twice, actually. Both times it lost a footpad and the heavily weighted and pointy nose stuck in the ground! Considering the tip is made from typing paper around a wooden dowel, strengthen with glue, it was worrying. I got lucky, though and it was ok. I decided to not push my luck so now she's a "hanger queen."

    ReplyDelete
  4. ChuckMarch 23, 2022 at 3:57 PM

    Test message from computer.

    ReplyDelete
  5. JGMarch 24, 2022 at 2:14 PM

    Stu, thanks for the photo of the Moonliner in flight, I've waited almost 60 years to see that!

    JG

    ReplyDelete

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