 The problem is a familiar one, and solutions don't come easily. When the problem of moving people isn't severe, buses can often handle it. When you hear the word people mover, most Disney fanatics, including myself, would automatically think of Disney World and the Tomorrowland Transit Authority or the Wetway People Mover in Disneyland. But I've always wondered, where did the name come from? People mover is actually a generic term and is generally used to describe systems serving relatively small areas such as airports and theme parks. It is also referred to as an automated people mover or APM for short. And there are plenty of APMs out there today in theme parks, and in airports and in even small cities. But where was the first automated people mover or where did it come from? Well, in 1964, in South Park Township, Pennsylvania, just outside of Pittsburgh, Westington House Electric Corporation began a prototype on an automated mass transit system known as Skybus, or as the people of the township would later call the people mover. It was an epic accomplishment and even caught the attention of Walt Disney himself. Walt Disney always had a passion for futuristic technologies and transportation, so Skybus was right up his alley. But why was he interested in a form of transportation when he already had a monorail in the Disneyland park that debuted in 1959? Well, he was thinking ahead and thinking of the future, an Epcot future. And in 1966, Walt Disney, along with seven other imaginers, traveled from Burbank, California to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to meet with Westington House Electric executives and to ride the Skybus and hopefully discuss plans for the Skybus to become part of Walt's experimental prototype community of tomorrow. Walt loved the idea of Skybus and he was very fascinated in the fact that no pilot was needed like his monorail in Disneyland and that everything was controlled by a single panel box. He thought it would be a perfect futuristic transportation for his experimental prototype community of tomorrow. Unfortunately, Walt Disney passed away in 1966 later on that year and did most of his dreams and ideas for Epcot went with him. But fortunately enough for us, Bob Gerr carried over some of Walt's dreams and in 1967, the wetway people mover debuted in Disneyland and was an immediate smash hit. Later on, Bob Gerr was quoted on saying that people mover was never meant to be the name of the ride but it was just a working title and somehow just stuck. And as for Skybus, well unfortunately without the Disney company's backing and financial aid, Skybus operated as a 10 cent ride from 1969 to 1971 and then slowly disappeared. Without any funding, it sat and sat for a very long time until the tracks were torn down and there was nothing left. All except one single bus which is now on display inside the Bombardier Transportation Main Office in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.