PeopleMover at Magic Kingdom has been closed a year, but it’s reopening soon

It has been more than a year since the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover has allowed guests to ride. This fan-favorite at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom takes guests above Tomorrowland for a 10-minute tour. The attraction has been under continual refurbishment, with cast members seen testing it on multiple occasions. So, what is happening at this family friendly ride and when can we expect to enjoy it again?

UPDATE – 04/23/21, 12:10 p.m. EST: Jeff Vahle, the President of the Walt Disney World Resort, has confirmed that the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover will re-open this weekend. The Walt Disney World calendar for ride closures and refurbishments has not yet been updated to reflect Vahle’s statement.

UPDATE – 03/31/21, 1:23 p.m. EST: According to Disney’s Schedule Calendar, the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover attraction’s re-opening has been pushed back to May 1, 2021.

According to Disney, the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover will reopen April 4, 2021, but as always, that date is subject to change. This attraction is one of the oldest at Walt Disney World. It opened at The Magic Kingdom in 1975 and was known as the WEDway PeopleMover until 1994.

This ride continues to offer what it always has, an elevated ride above Tomorrowland. This attraction is a leisurely tour with a good breeze and great views into the land. The narration has changed, as has the name a couple of times, but the ideals of the attraction remain.

The yellow line represents the approximate layout of the track for the PeopleMover attraction. Throughout this 10-minute journey guests will leave Rocket Tower Plaza and go over the Tomorrowland Speedway attraction. They will continue through parts of Space Mountain, go above the Carousel of Progress, and get a glimpse inside Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, while taking in sights of Cinderella Castle. This ride is truly an overview of the land, one that has been missing from the lineup for over a year.

Simply due to the attraction’s age, it is normal to expect longer down-times and maintenance periods. Many parts and pieces of the ride are expected to be rare to come by at this points. Nevertheless, Disney has continued to keep this attraction open, unlike its predecessor at Disneyland.

We reached out to Disney to ask for more clarification on what to expect upon re-opening. Was there an explanation as to why this down period was longer than expected and the opening date was pushed back? The answer was short and simple, but it did leave us with an exciting bit of hope for the attraction.

Simply put, this was a system update refurbishment. But Disney also mentioned they were looking forward to sharing more news about the PeopleMover soon. With the 50th anniversary of Magic Kingdom coming up soon, this is certainly exciting to hear. While we don’t have any specific details, just knowing that news is coming is good to know. Perhaps Disney changed out some of the smaller details, like the diorama of the futuristic salon. Or, we could hear a new voice-over. Nothing has been announced, but we are ready for this omni-mover to be open again.

Do you ride the PeopleMover when you visit the Magic Kingdom? (It’s one of my favorite rides at Walt Disney World.) What do you think could be changing with the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover? Let us know in the comments below.