Moonliner

The Moonliner or TWA Moonliner is a former icon of Disneyland's Tomorrowland, coming from the attraction Rocket to the Moon.

Description[]

The Moonliner is a large retro-futuristic spaceship with portholes and tripod-like legs. The original Tomorrowland Moonliner was 76 feet tall (though the planned version it represented was to be over 200 ft tall and powered by a nuclear reactor). The Moonliner is equipped with, "Hyperspace penetration" allowing for it to travel greater distances of outer space.

History[]

Background[]

The Moonliner of Moonliner Flight Systems is affiliated with Tomorrowland's earlier history, around the year 1986. Spacecraft Missions Director Tom Morrow oversaw the Moonliner travelling from Tomorrowland to the moon. Another missions director was one Mister Johnson who oversaw Moonliner flights to the planet Mars, and involved the Moonliner crashing into Olympus Mons though little harm was done.

By around the 1990s-2000s, the Moonliner was considered to be, "Retro" and an, "Antique". A dark model of the Moonliner was featured in the 225th Annual Antique Rocket Show and Swoop Meet. The Moonliner may have been made into an icon for the pizzeria, "Redd Rocket's Pizza Port" in Tomorrowland by this time. Around the early 2000s, a lecture was seemingly planned to be held on the Moonliner's Mars missions by Professor Tom Morrow in Tomorrowland's Interplanetary Convention Centre titled, "MISSION TO MARS: HISTORY OR HOAX?".^[1]

At some point, the Moonliner became used for the pizzeria chain, "Pizza Planet"'s "Alien Pizza Planet" location in Tomorrowland. The Moonliner may have been featured in a Mickey and Minnie Mouse film called, "Galaxy of Stars".

Development history[]

The TWA Moonliner was created by Howard Hughes of Trans World Airlines (TWA) partnering with Disney to put product placement for their planned tourism spaceships in the parks. The spaceship was designed by Disney Imagineer John Hench, and Wernher von Braun, a Nazi scientist hired to assist the US as part of Project: Paperclip, and who Disney collaborated with for the, "Man in Space" specials. A second Moonliner was created by TWA in 1956 to be placed atop the TWA Corporate Headquarters' Building.

In 1962, sponsorship of the Moonliner changed from TWA to Douglas Airlines. The Moonliner was removed in 1967 for being too dated a design and view of space-travel. On May 1, 1998, a new Moonliner one third the size of the original was added to Redd Rockett's Pizza Port as part of the, "New Tomorrowland" expansion and Coca Cola sponsorship.

Appearances[]

Main Street Cinema[]

The Disneyland Casting Agency has a posting reading, "Ground Control Rocket to the Moon (and back). No experience necessary. Report to Mr. Morrow, Moonliner Flight Systems.".^[2]

Red Carpet Dreams[]

The Moonliner appears in a Mickey and Minnie Mouse movie poster titled, "Galaxy of Stars".^[3]

Tomorrowland[]

At Disneyland After Dark: Throwback Night, the Moonliner was drawn on a chalkboard near the meet 'n' greet for Tom Morrow.^[4]

Alien Pizza Planet[]

The Moonliner appears next to this pizzeria while baring the Pizza Planet logo.

American Space Experience[]

The Moonliner appeared on an exterior mural of Tomorrowland features.^[5]

Autopia[]

In Disneyland, the Chevron safety videos showed Autopia cars driving past the Moonliner.

Innoventions[]

A miniature Moonliner appeared in the Dream Home.^[6]

Merchant of Venus[]

The Moonliner appears on a poster for the 225th annual Antique Rocket Show and Swoop Meet.^[7]

Redd Rocket's Pizza Port[]

The Moonliner appeared outside of this restaurant. Inside, a retro poster for Rocket to the Moon depicted the Moonliner.^[8]

Rocket to the Moon[]

The Timekeeper[]

Outside of the Timekeeper was a poster for, "The 225th annual Antique Rocket Show and Swoop Meet".^[9] On this poster, the Moonliner was one of the antique models listed albeit illustrated with a sleek black design.