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This Day in Pop Culture

This Day in Pop Culture for November 9

On this day in pop culture history, the Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower saw land and Disney’s Skyways rides stop running.

November 8, 2020

2–3 minutes

1620: Pilgrims on the Mayflower See Land

The Mayflower left London with about 65 passengers in July of 1620. It was to travel with the Speedwell, but after springing two different leaks, the passengers of the Speedwell joined those on the Mayflower making the total traveler count to about 130. It wasn’t until this day in November that our forefathers actually saw land.

It was Cape Cod. The ship dropped anchor on November 21 with two less people. The first exploration took place on November 27. The crew and guests lived on the Mayflower throughout the winter and lost about half of people due to illness, but on March 21, 1621, the remaining disembarked onto their new home. (Image: Wikimedia)

1994: Disney’s Skyways Last Stops

The skyway, one of Disneyland’s most popular rides, opened on June 23, 1956 – almost a year after the park itself opened. Built by Von Roll, Ltd in Bern Switzerland, it was the first of its kind in the U.S. It provided a new way of getting across the park with a wide view from Fantasyland to Tomorrowland. The Skyway was only open for a little over the year before it was closed as the Matterhorn Bobsleds ride was being built. When finished in 1959, the “mountain” left room for the skyway ride to travel through.

Sadly, the ride made its last journey on this day in 1994. It had been rumored that the ride was shut down after a stunt made by a park guest who leapt from one of the ride’s gondola’s unto a tree below. In truth, it was because of safety concerns of metal fatigue of the ride’s towers. Ironically, the sister attraction at the Magic Kingdom in Florida closed on the same day in 1999.

In 2015, Disneyland gave a tribute of sorts to the Skyway by placing a number of wrecked gondolas within the Matterhorn ride near the Abominable Snowman who lurks there.

The ride was revived in Disney World. Sort of. A new Disney Skyliner was built to provide transportation from some of the resorts’ hotel properties to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot. It opened in 2019. (Poster Image: Disneyland Resort)