Disney to Take Over Tram, Replace RIOC?

A New York Daily News columnist this past weekend, Saturday September 27, 2008, proposed several instances where the City can make up its budget shortfall by selling naming rights to current City landmarks including Roosevelt Island.

Amusing suggestions but I am unsure how RIOC President Steve Shane would feel having RIOC replaced in favor of an amusement park. I am betting some residents would not mind having the exterior of the Red Buses painted with Mickey Mouse and friends.


Just as long as Disney does not buy the right to combine this with that King Kong Tram ride over at Universal I guess we'd be safe enough.

“Disney's Roosevelt Island Tram. Hey, they've done a heck of a job on Broadway - why not let them work their magic on that boring sky-high gondola? Feel the wind on your face as you swoop through the East River, dodging drunken trust-funders on their speedboats, foreign tourists on the Circle Line and seagulls hovering over the garbage scows going out to sea! Or let them take it one step further with ...

Disney Roosevelt Island. The centerpiece of Disney's first amusement park in the Northeast would be a fun-filled, 3-D interactive exhibit taking families through the island's fascinating history as the repository for the unfortunate victims of insanity, smallpox and Manhattan rents. Other attractions will include Mr. Cabbie's Wild Ride, The Hall of Mayors (hosted by an automaton David Dinkins, more lifelike than the real thing!) and the heart-stopping thrill ride, the Falling Crane Drop. Don't forget the Goofy-shaped pooper-scooper for the folks back home! “