Trans World Airlines Takes Visitors to "Outer Space"
TWA's Flight to the Moon is the only one of the three film shows which operates as a Disneyland "ride."' While admission is free to the other two, a trip in either of the two "space ships" costs fifty cents for adults and a quarter for the youngsters.
This is not to suggest TWA is trying to run a money-making proposition. The admissions are the property of the Disneyland management, going toward offsetting the tremendous cost of building the complex exhibit. TWA's motive, as with the other exhibitors, is sound institutional promotion.
Reminiscent in its contours of the trylon and perisphere which symbolized the New York World's Fair, the TWA exhibit is one of the dominant landmarks of Disneyland.
Directly in front of the domed space theaters is a 76-foot high rocket-ship-shaped pylon. Serving a symbolic function only, this model rocket took 5.OOO hours to build. Some 15.000 square feet of 3/8-inch aluminum plating were needed to cover the towering pylon.
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Each theater seats 102 persons. Seats are arranged in three circular tiers around the ship's space scanners. One of the scanners is located in the floor of the theater, the other overhead.
You Really Feel This Trip in Space
The trip is accomplished through synchronized motion picture projection in the two scanners plus an assortment of sound effects — realistic enough literally to shake spectators by the seat of their pants.
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How the Projection System Operates
Projection for this show is from a room on the outside of the circular corridor which rings the theater. Again the two projectors are synchronized in the same fashion as those in Circarama and the Richfield show. In this, as well as in the other two theaters, there is a fully-equipped spare projector which can be put into use in less than five minutes in case of mechanical difficulty.
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