HAPPY BIRTHDAY MISSION TO MARS!!!
Mega Post #3 in a series.

35 years ago today, Tomorrowland began its McDonnell Douglas DC-88 Super-Space liner Service to the "mysterious red-planet"; MARS. In this post (post #3 if you've been following......) we meet the crew from that serviced the Tomorrowland Spaceport for so many years.

The first people we meet are our Mission To Mars hosts / hostesses wearing a beautiful cosmic ensemble of blues, yellows,white....and a orange band along the waist!.

here we have a flight hostess checking to make sure that her pant cuffs are the correct 8" diameter flare!

here we see the final concept art of what our male flight hosts will wear on the journey into space. Lots of "Sears" styling going on here. See one of the previous Mission To Mars mega posts for images of the actual costume this represent.

the sponsor identification patch

Mission Control at Walt Disney World.....note Mr. Johnson is wearing a BLUE turtle neck rather than his traditional red one??

Mr. Johnson (who replaced Mr. Morrow of the Flight to the Moon), was very modern in his silvery lab coat and futuristic 1975 turtle neck sweater! This is one of Mr. Johnson's actual work uniforms.....he always had two on hand--just-in-case he should spill some Sanka or Nescafe on himself!!

Mr. Johnson's head set.

and so no other mission control staff members accidentally took his coat, Mr. Johnson had his CLREARLY labeled!

Mr. Johnson was voiced by character actor GEORGE WALSH

AND NOW FOR AN INTIMATE VISIT WITH OUR MISSION CONTROL CREW!

"MR. JOHNSON" (MMF-9)

"BILL" (MMF-8)

"HAL" (MMF-7)

(is he named after a certain robot from the film 2001...??)

"KEN" (MMF-6)

"ART" (MMF-5)

this figure was altered to become the first African-American AA staff member at Mission To Mars. He was named "ART" in honor of famed tennis star Arthur Ashe......who won Wimbledon in 1975.

"FRED" (MMF-4)

Fred is the only staff member NOT wearing a headphone!

"JIM" (MMF-3)

Jim appears to be napping here, but he is really eavesdropping on Fred's phone call!! Looks like Fred's gotta a date to go to BeniHana's after the day's last mission!

"MARY" (MMF-2)

Of course between 1967 and 1975 there was a great deal of social change in our American Society. 1975 brought  with it female staff members to Mission To Mars. Mary was named after Mary Tyler Moore who's TV show of the same name was a top Emmy award winner during this time. Ironically she looks more like Phyllis Lindstrom than Mary Richards......

Staff coat patch

cast members pose for a Tomorrowland cast photo on December 2, 1992 for a final "farewell" to MISSION TO MARS on it's very last day of operation.

HAPPY 25Th BIRTHDAY MISSION TO MARS!!!

Join Tomorrowlounge for a few more MEGA posts as we celebrate MISSION TO MARS MARCH MONTH!!!

next post.....unbuilt plans for MISSIOIN TO MARS and the attraction's final sunset.............

Yes, March 21st will be the 35th Anniversary of Disneyland's Mission to Mars. This 70's favorite launched it's last DC88 SPACELINER to Mars on November 2, 1992. It seems this service could not compete with deregulation of Super-Space Service Travel compared to the budget third class service of companies like STAR TOURS......or the failed Teleportation Travel Service of XS-TECH a few years back .......a service once planned to come to Disneyland's Tomorrowland.


So get ready and zip -up your jumpsuits and join us for a multiple part journey to the "Mysterious Red Planet" aboard the McDonnell Douglas DC-88 SPACELINER!!

this sign is mounted on aluminum. It was used on the Walt Disney World Omnibus advertising panels. Walt Disney World began service to Mars on June 7, 1975. The writing on the backside says WED-Martin Marietta, 1 of 2.

even as a kid, I thought this planter was VERY "Jetson's"

I miss these types of exotic-astro gardens of 70's Tomorrowland

a graphic visualization of a Hyper-Space Jump!!

here you can see the McDonnell Douglas marquee has been removed as MARS service slowly comes to an end.

I wonder if pretzels will be served?.....................better get my "C" Coupon out..............

..........below we can see when the next Mars flight is......and then we can continue to the Lounge and Boarding Concourse...........today companies don't have these neat classy lounges......some make you walk right thru their repair hangers and droid maintenance bays : TACKY!!

what a great mural! Gets everyone excited to travel to Mars!

"FLIGHT 295 to Mars is ready for boarding!!"

Check back for my other MISSION TO MARS posts.....all thru March!....you'll even see concept art, and the sad final fate of the Mission To Mars attraction...............