My Walt Disney World memories begin in the early-to-mid ‘80s during the resort’s second decade. Individual ride tickets were gone, and it was long before FastPass. We spent a lot of time in Tomorrowland, easily my favorite Magic Kingdom land at the time. Space Mountain was fun, but you could only stand in line for so long. Avoiding the Florida sun, we flocked to less-crowded indoor attractions. A perfect example was a small, charming Omnimover attraction tucked near the Circle-Vision Theater. If You Had Wings was our go-to spot.
If You Had Wings opened in June 1972 during a time when Tomorrowland was still coming together. Amazingly, construction only took three months to complete. Sponsored by Eastern Airlines, this ride revealed the many destinations you could visit thanks to that corporate sponsor. Yes, it was a commercial, but it never felt patronizing. This tribute will chronicle the many reasons that I love If You Had Wings. Let’s start with a quick list that summarizes why this little attraction has stuck with me for so long:
- Relaxing, air-conditioned escape from the crowds and Florida sun
- Omnimover ride system that offered guests the best view of a particular scene
- A warm, catchy theme song by Buddy Baker and X Atencio
- Attention to detail and inventive staging from designer Claude Coats
- Speed Room that simulated movement with an immersive screen
- Mirror Room with a Soarin’ like effect of floating over mountains
This list includes key reasons why If You Had Wings succeeded with so many guests. However, they only scratch the surface of its emotional connection. Grainy YouTube videos cannot translate the real experience of boarding the Omnimovers and traveling into the globe. The five-minute attraction looks simple to modern eyes, but that feeling misses all the little touches. The best theme park attractions don’t make sense on paper. If You Had Wings inspired guests to feel better about our world, which was the essence of early Tomorrowland.
A Forgotten Gem
It is telling that Jeff Kurrti’s history book Since the World Began: Walt Disney World – The First 25 Years includes just a few sentences about If You Had Wings. Here is the entire section from that reference guide:
“Another kind of flight, commercial jet flight, was the focus of If You Had Wings, which opened in June 1972. Film, music, three-dimensional sets, and speed effects took guests in Omnimover vehicles (a similar system to the Doom Buggies of The Haunted Mansion) from the Magic Kingdom to ports of call around the world.”
Kurrti provides a solid description, and I don’t mean to criticize a book that has so much material to cover. I’ve included the brief excerpt to remind you of that If You Had Wings is mostly an afterthought in Disney history. Many Walt Disney World fans are too young and only know Dreamflight or Buzz Lightyear in that location. It has been more than 30 years since a friendly voice reminded us that we should widen our world.
There is definitely still a hardcore group of fans that love If You Had Wings. Anyone interested in past theme park music can’t miss the memorable song. What strikes me is how far we’ve moved from seeing this type of attraction in the parks. The Omnimovers at EPCOT Center were the closest descendants, but only Spaceship Earth remains. El Rio Del Tiempo included many connections to If You Had Wings, but those have dissipated in the Gran Fiesta Tour. The loss of this type of experience is more telling than just missing a personal favorite.
You Do Have Wings
Before we explore the ride, let’s take a moment to discuss the wonderfully simple title song. The opening lines signify the theme: “If you had wings, you could do many things, you could widen your world, if you had wings.” Reading the lines without music or context, it is a silly opening. On the other hand, a direct message isn’t bad here. The idea of flying goes right for our heart and works for anyone. Our lives are stressful; wouldn’t it be great to fly to a stunning destination?
The chorus repeats the phrase “had wings” multiple times, which creates a mesmerizing effect. When viewed in connection with the birds flying through the entrance tunnel, the repetition adds to that transformative feeling. It feels like you’re entering a dream state. The chorus repeats after each verse and just reinforces the sense that we’re taking a journey. The verses describe the scenes in front of us, which are a little chaotic in the tight spaces. It’s the song that brings everything together into a cohesive whole.
Baker composed more than 200 scores for Disney movies, TV shows, and theme parks. His brilliant work on the Universe of Energy, Impressions de France, and The American Adventure were crucial in helping EPCOT Center succeed. He also worked with Atencio on “Grim Grinning Ghosts”, which shares a deceptive simplicity with “If You Had Wings”. Atencio also wrote attraction scripts and was a master at writing lyrics that worked at the parks.
If You Had Wings closes with a voice reminding guests that “you do have wings, you can do all these things, you can widen your world”. It’s a commercial for Eastern and silly, but it sums up our experience. I’ll always take cheesy optimism in my attractions over boring or predictable.
Boarding Our Flight
The predominant white colors of early Tomorrowland might appear strange today. They were simple but had a cool grace to them. The small blue sign for If You Had Wings stood out because it was a rare dash of color within all the white décor. You could easily stroll right by this attraction if you weren’t paying attention. A glance inside might also confuse visitors wondering what they were seeing. The wording outside describes If You Had Wings as “a flight of fancy through the world of Eastern Airlines”, which doesn’t explain it very well.
Before we even step into our departure lounge, you observe the constant stream of Omnimover vehicles traveling into a large blue globe. It’s such an odd sight! The theming includes a departure board with announcements (originally from Orson Welles) about impending departures. It’s subtle yet effectively sets the stage for the upcoming experience. There’s also the mystery of what’s lurking behind that globe. Where are all those people going?
The entry tunnel offers a smooth transition as we see images of seagulls and planes flying past us. The music kicks into gear, and we’re ready to venture to a series of new locales. Our first stop is Mexico in a room that’s filled with interesting sets and filmed scenes. It’s easy to forget how quickly we progress through each segment. There’s so much life to what we’re seeing, including a bustling market and dancing among the cool architecture. We venture into the Caribbean for one of my favorite effects, the excited passengers ready to depart on a cruise ship. The effect is simple yet convincing because we’re just the right distance from the film.
A Sense of Excitement
If You Had Wings is a slow-moving ride, but it feels energetic because so much happens in front of us. A couple tries to sell us their goods (similar to a scene in El Rio Del Tiempo), and revelers do the limbo in Puerto Rico. There’s music everywhere, and the various quick tunes mix well with the attraction’s main theme. Hearing the ride audio today can’t do justice to how the different songs connected to each scene.
A perfect example of the frenetic atmosphere is the Bahamas traffic scene, where a determined crossing guard directs a marching band, horses and carriages, and even flamingos. It’s the music that really sells this scene and adds to its comedy. Fun moments like this are everywhere on If You had Wings and enhance its charm.
Another factor in the attraction’s success is how enticing the destinations appear. When we see people enjoying waterfalls in Jamaica, we want to join them! The idea of visiting another place is common in theme parks, yet it’s usually a fantastical destination or story. With If You Had Wings, we observe a real place that’s just out of our reach. Eastern wants us to feel this way so we’ll book a vacation, and the effective design sells their product so well.
We Need Speed!
One of my favorite effects was the Speed Room, which first appeared here. You can still experience it on Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, but it’s not the same. I remember always wanting more time in the Speed Room as a kid; you could never catch everything! That’s a sign of a classic attraction. You aren’t just checking it off the list and leave each experience wanting more. The combination of slow-moving vehicles with the speed on the curved screen delivers more thrills than you might expect.
I loved riding a dune buggy, water skiing, and taking off on an airplane runway; it wasn’t all about thrills. Following the excitement of the Speed Room, the Mirror Room was the perfect way to chill before exiting. The mirrors and clever staging created the effect of flying over the snowy mountains. I wish that I had the chance to ride If You Had Wings and study how it worked. The music just added to the feeling that you were escaping far up in the sky.
The two climactic rooms enhanced the idea that we were taking a real journey. Like a great story, our travels reach a feverish pitch and then gradually drift back to Earth. We see the seagulls once again before we exit our vehicles. The experience comes full circle, and there’s no jarring conclusion. It takes real skill to deliver so much fun and beauty into an attraction that’s less than five minutes.
If You Could Fly?
So many pivotal decisions in Disney’s theme park history come down to sponsorship. Attractions with life remaining are closed when the sponsor exits or asks for a change. With If You Had Wings, it was the demise of Eastern Airlines that ended its journey. The visuals and sets remained in place for If You Could Fly, but the soul was gone. I experienced that version, and it was mystifying to hear a generic pop theme.
If You Had Wings was never the same after losing its title song, and it was only a matter of time before changes happened. I enjoyed Dreamflight because it included cool effects, and it was still a great dark ride. Losing its sponsor had a similar effect on Dreamflight, though it was less severe than with the original. Its replacement Take Flight hung on for a while, but a new era was coming for Tomorrowland. Don’t get me wrong; it’s fun to compete on Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. I just wish there was a way to enjoy that attraction without losing a past gem.
A Magical Trip
Is Disney still capable of creating secondary attractions that charm us? Immersive lands like Pandora and Cars Land are amazing, but what about supporting players? If You Had Wings reminds us it doesn’t take a huge investment to build a magical space. On the surface, the small space and loud film projectors should be a mess. It takes a brilliant designer like Coats to find the magic.
Another factor with If You Had Wings was the attention to detail, which included the People Mover preview windows. In his extensive If You Had Wings section of the defunct Widen Your World, Mike Lee explained how even that perspective was set up just right to deliver an effective and entirely different experience. Disney thrived by going well beyond what others would do to build incredible attractions. It was that willingness to offer guests more than they realized was possible that made the difference.
If Disney gave me the chance to select one extinct attraction to place back at Disney World, Horizons would be the obvious choice. Looking only at The Magic Kingdom, it would be hard not to choose If You Had Wings. Even considering the ‘70s technology, I’d love the chance to relive the experience. It’s been more than 30 years since I last rode it, and the memories are still there. It’s really hard to make anything that resonates for that long; If You Had Wings was a truly rare attraction.
What We Miss
As hardcore Disney fans, we often look back to past attractions and hope to ride them again. Why do we long for these extinct attractions? It’s partially nostalgia, but that explanation feels too simple. Some of those past experiences resonate so strongly inside us. I have clear memories of riding If You Had Wings, and those don’t come from online videos. I’m sure that experiencing it today would not generate the same feelings, but we all change over time. From what I can gather today, it’s clear that real talent was behind creating this attraction.
If You Had Wings used loud 16mm film projectors in a cramped building, and Coats and the other Imagineers made the most of the space. They maximized an attraction that could have easily been just a time waster for guests. The fact that I’m writing this piece today says everything about If You Had Wings’ continued impact. Tomorrowland was a magical place for this kid in the 1980s, and aspects of that wonder remain today. I would love to see that area recapture its glory. The basic structure is there if Disney has the will to make it better.
Sources: Widen Your World; Martin’s Vids Tribute; Since the World Began: Walt Disney World – The First 25 Years by Jeff Kurrti; Four Decades of Magic: Celebrating the First Forty Years of Disney World, edited by Chad Emerson and article by Mike Lee.
Related Articles: If You Had Wings
I Miss Nerdy Walt Disney World
EPCOT Center’s Horizons: Why It Worked
16 All-Time Tomorrowland Attractions Ranked
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I loved “If You Had Wings” too. I went on it many times between 1975 and 1987 in a half dozen trips to WDW and I’m grateful it survived into the age of camcorders so that we have a few home video representations that survive. I still wish the powers that be that have put every scrap of Disneyland Archival Audio out would do the same with this attraction!
What actually killed the attraction was that in early 1987, Eastern still wanted to renew its deal with WDW despite the fact it was already sliding toward extinction but Michael Eisner jacked up the renewal fee and Eastern had no choice but to bow out. Their contract expired on June 1, 1987 and that is the reason the Eastern signage and the song disappeared after that date. The deal with Delta was already in place and the only way Delta was going to pay for the current ride on a temp basis was if anything that smacked of Eastern was removed from the ride. They might have been better off closing it then and getting an earlier start on the building of what became “Dreamflight” but I guess they needed time to design something Delta would go for.
Eric, If You Had Wings is one where it kills me that we don’t have better video of it. I am with you in appreciating that we have something at least. And it’s the same deal with the audio, which played such a key role in the attraction. Disney really needs to release a 50 Years of Walt Disney World box set of audio in the vein of the amazing set they did for Disneyland.
Interesting story about Eastern and Michael Eisner. I doubt their sponsorship would have lasted very long even if they had been able to extend it, but it likely would have kept If You Had Wings going in its original form for a bit. I hadn’t heard that Delta signed so early. I figured that would have happened closer to the opening of Dreamflight. Thanks for the great comment!
You’re welcome! I hope we do find that elusive “perfect video” in addition to the pristine audio someday. And yes, WDW deserves its own counterpart to that DL 50th anniversary set!
All the best.
I feel like there’s even more to cover with Walt Disney World, especially when you look at all the changes in The Magic Kingdom and even more with EPCOT Center. I really hope that Disney recognizes the interest.
Since I last posted here, I have found some slightly better “If You Had Wings” video on YT. Enough to make an “ultimate” version splicing together several versions for a complete view of the attraction from holding area to exit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26pTvW2iaWI
The video that contained the bulk portion of the ride is a larger video that had my first ever glimpse on video of IYHW from the PeopleMover! (at 1:08:38)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay1yvzcJBYg
I watched the video of If You Had Wings, and it’s great! I still wish there was better footage of the speed rooms, but this one was clearer than the murky ones I’d seen in the past. I’ll have to take a look at the longer video when I have some more time. Thanks for providing it!
The ride was really a snapshot of the “Wings of Man” era at Eastern Air Lines circa 1971/72. The beautiful, soaring instrumental music in the lobby and at the end of the ride was also the background music in Eastern’s Orson Welles-narrated TV ads from the early 1970’s.
The entrance globe did not have any three-dimensional exterior adornment until the airline “embedded” a large ticket-office type scale model of a Lockheed L-1011 “Whisperliner” during 1976. An identical model was mounted, sans right wing, above the Eastern ticketing desk which I believe was added to the attraction the same year (This made sense as the L-1011 was the airline’s “flagship” in the 1970’s having been put into service less than two months before the ride opened. It also explains the “Whisperliner’s” incorporation into the animation at both the beginning and end of the ride throughout it’s original 1972-87 existence).
Around 1983 the globe mounted L-1011 was replaced by a Boeing 757 model, appropriate since Eastern was the launch customer for the type and inaugurated the world’s first 757 service that year. The L-1011 above the, by then vacant ticketing desk remained until 1987.
Speaking of that desk it should also be noted that at different times during the “official airline status” period EAL had WDW information/ticketing counters at the Contemporary, The Polynesian Village, and the Dutch-themed onsite hotels, as well as in the attraction itself.
Personally “If You Had Wings” was my all time favorite ride at Disney World, from my first visit as a six year old in 1974 through the mid -1980’s when, as a teenager, I would just ride it over and over. By then I was already an airline history buff and EAL was my favorite carrier. Today I am a commercial aviation historian with a large personal collection of Eastern memorabilia. I’m always especially on the lookout for anything related to the attraction I so loved.
Hi Shea! Thanks for the detailed comment. I wasn’t familiar with the information on the various planes outside the globe, so that’s really interesting. I’m still intrigued by the idea even of the Eastern Airlines desk being at the end of the attraction. I wonder if many guests actually booked trips there! I was a bit younger but still rode If You Had Wings a lot as a kid in the early and mid-’80s. It really left an impression, especially when I consider how early it closed.
That’s great supplementary information on the changes made to the attraction over the years that even I wasn’t aware of, that the plane had been added to the globe much later and then changed from L-1011 to 757.
Other changes over the years was the carpet in the holding area from red to dark blue, and another change was that initially at the end of the ride, the voice telling us “You DO have wings!” ended with the ad slogan of the era, “Eastern, the wings of man” but this got changed to the more familiar , “Eastern, we’ll be your wings” in the late 70s (it was the same voice in both versions).
One other thing about IYHW that made it great was its relationship to the Peoplemover ride because no other ride in this location ever got terrific “preview” exposure from the Peoplemover. You had three preview windows in those days that gave you a generous sample of the ride from above and you could see the cars below and the Imagineers had perfectly designed it so that going on the Peoplemover gave you an alternate viewing experience. Unfortunately when the ride was changed to Dreamflight, they didn’t bother to think of designing the attraction in relation to the Peoplemover vantage point. Consequently, the first preview window had to give us a backlit piece of art because the ride view would have been the back of a movie screen, and the third preview window which had looked down into New Orleans in IYHW was covered up since in Dreamflight you would have only seen the glare effects of the jet engine. The second preview window was the only one left intact giving us a view of Paris that wasn’t designed from the proper perspective.
I could even remember as a kid riding IYHW and occasionally able to look up from the Caribbean port and be able to see the Peoplemover cars passing by which was also fun.
Eric, that’s a great point about the preview windows for If You Had Wings. I’ve really noticed with Buzz Lightyear more recently that the windows don’t offer a good view of the attraction and seem like an afterthought. We loved having the peek at If You Had Wings from the People Mover when I was a kid, and it definitely has been lessened (and not really even considered like you mention) in the other attractions. It’s too bad because there was so much care given to IYHW at the start.
And unfortunately that trend continued regarding the preview opportunities on Space Mountain. In the old days you had a great view of the Space Mountain post-show displays and the loading area and the renovations have largely removed all of that. In the process the whole point of what made the Peoplemover an attraction in itself is largely gone and all you’ve got left is largely the ride for the scenic outdoor views.
Another new vintage IYHW video from 1983 turned up on the YT channel of “Rob Futz.” He’s uploaded it a few times in one of his giant streams and you can find it at 31:10 of this upload.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRawM4an-_w
Parts of the soundtrack not audible on other recordings are on this one.
Hi Dan,
Thanks for writing probably the best article I have read about “If You Had Wings.”
I suspect the Eastern counter at the ride never got much traffic. That would partially explain why I do not remember if being manned during several mid-80’s visits. The other reason might have been that Eastern basically did not make money from 1980 until its final grounding in 1991. By the end of the ride-sponsorship the only EAL onsite presence at Disney world for years was at the Contemporary. In fact even that counter may not have been open for a while prior to the decision by the then new management at Eastern (in 1986 the company had been sold to Frank Lorenzo’s Texas Air Corp.) to give up the sponsorship altogether.
Best,
Shea
Thanks Shea! You’re too kind. It’s really too bad what happened to Eastern, and not just because of the fate of If You Had Wings obviously. I have no memories of that desk, which may have bee gone like you say by the time I would remember it from the ’80s.
You are welcome, sir…Actually I believe the desk was always there. If I remember correctly it was integrated into the wall. But from sometime early in the 1980’s it was unmanned.
Again, great article!
God bless and stay well,
Shea
I thought I was the only person that remembered this ride. It’s almost like eastern airlines never existed because you can’t find any memorabilia of it. This was the most state of the art and wonderful ride at Disney World. It was my very first ride. I have a road at Disney World and I rode manyyyyy times. Are used to fly Eastern Airlines to Disney World and ride this ride with my aunt. I did watch some of the grainy, YouTube videos, and I cried because I can remember the ride and feeling that wind as you go in through the tunnel on your face it was state of the art. I think they need to bring this right back for all of us that remember it.
Jay, that’s awesome that you were able to experience If You Had Wings and have such strong memories of riding it. I really wish that we had better YouTube videos of the ride, but with it closing in the ’80s before shooting rides was more common, there just isn’t much out there. It’s also a tricky attraction to film because you can’t really capture what it was like to see all the films inside it on both sides of the car. The speed rooms are also hard to see well on a film. Even so, I’m glad that even the rough videos are out there on YouTube. It definitely left a strong impression on me too!