The 1964-1965 Worlds Fair Ford Magic Skyway was an attraction sponsered by The Ford Motor Company. In the now-relic, guests were seated in an actual new Ford model car from the assembly line and viewed dioramas of different time periods or scenes. At one ponit, the Skyway travelled over a small section of the ground walkway before returning to the showbuilding's big finale. The entire ride had to be scrapped at the end of the fair, but lead to many ideas in further rides, such as PeopleMover, Universe of Energy, Spaceship Earth, and World of Motion, only to name a few.
The Concepts
Walt Disney, who didn't supervise this project, instead focusing on the Carousel of Progress, wanted an attraction that entertained and was difficult to create at the same time. Imagineers who worked on this attraction came up with the idea to have different dioramas and a ride vehicle showing each rider them. Thus, the Magic Skyway was born.
Like most Disney rides, a corporate sponser was needed to provide funding. Ford put their hat in the ring, which caused many years later General Motors to sponser World of Motion. Their only request was that the ride vehcile be a new Ford car. An actual car. Thi did puzzle Imagineers on how they would move the vehciles, and they found their results in how Ford moved their projucts around. They created a track chain with wheels spacing between every so 3 feet. They then welded a metal plate onto the undercarriage. The idea was ingenious and would be used again on Disneyland's PeopleMover.
The Ride
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The ride focused around looking into given moments of the past.
After the Fair
Once the World's Fair Company went out of business, this and other Disney rides were removed. Some rides, such as it's a small world and Carousel of Progress made it to permanent homes at Disney theme parks. Ford Magic Skyway wasn't so lucky.
The entire ride was stripped apart, salvaging only small sections to become diorama pieces on the Disneyland Railroad. Everything else was either dismantled to be reused as other parts or was outright destroyed.