The Tomorrowland Speedway was an opening day attraction at the Magic Kingdom on October 1st, 1971. The attraction has been a staple in nearly every Magic Kingdom-style park and is inspired by Walt’s concept of an ‘America on the move’. However, on opening day it was known as the Grand Prix Raceway and was sponsored by Goodyear. The cars used in the attraction are known as the Mark VII vehicles, partly inspired by the designs of the 1967 Corvette Stingray. With the exception of the Skyway to Fantasyland, the Raceway was the only attraction in the barren Tomorrowland at the time. It wouldn’t be until Thanksgiving day in 1971 that Tomorrowland’s second attraction would open; America the Beautiful at the CircleVision 360° Theater. Flight to the Moon would also open later in the year on Christmas Eve.
The Grand Prix Raceway would go through some changes throughout the years before evolving into the current version. While the Mark VII vehicles have remained relatively unchanged, the track as undergone some major modifications. When the attraction first opened, the track was over 3,000 feet long and wrapped around the area that is now known as Storybook Circus. Between 1987 and 1988, the the track was tremendously shortened to make way for Mickey’s Birthdayland. By 1999, the attraction was slightly re-themed to match the famous Indy 500 Speedway. Props like the Scoring Pylon were added and still stand today. In 2008, the attraction simply became known as the Tomorrowland Speedway and some of the Indy 500 props were removed.
Tomorrowland Speedway is located in Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom directly across from Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café. Fastpass+ reservations are accepted at the Tomorrowland Speedway, and is moderately recommended due to the standby line always sitting around a minimum 30 minute wait. Disabled guests using a wheelchair or ECV can experience this attraction, but must be able to transfer out of their chair into the ride vehicle. Younger guests must be at least 32 inches to experience this attraction; rider swap is available for families with small children not tall enough to ride. For little ones to be able to drive on their own, they must be at least 54 inches tall.
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