Floating Fun in Tomorrowland: The Flying Saucers Take Flight

The Flying Saucers attraction at Disneyland was a unique, futuristic ride where guests piloted individual hovering saucers on a massive air-cushioned surface in Tomorrowland. The rider's body movements—lean to move, bounce, or glide—were used to steer each saucer, which floated because of air valves underneath it. In contrast to conventional bumper cars, the saucers bounced and bumped gently against each other, making for a smooth and enjoyable ride. 

The ride used revolving arms to efficiently load and unload fleets of saucers on a big blue oval bisected into two halves. The ride was easy to operate alone and provided a fun rush that was reminiscent of "flying" in the Space Age.