Disney Engineers' PeopleMover Celebrates 45 Years at Houston's IAH

A unique piece of transportation infrastructure at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston has celebrated its 45th anniversary. The airport's Subway system, built by Disney engineers from WED Enterprises, has been moving millions of passengers a year since it opened on August 17, 1981.

The story behind the PeopleMover begins in the late 1960s when Walt Disney and his team were designing transportation systems for Disneyland. The concept was later certified by the Urban Mass Transportation Administration in 1976, making it eligible for real-world applications.

At IAH, a period of growth and expansion led to delays between terminals, prompting a Disney executive who frequently traveled through Houston to propose building a new transportation system. After a competitive bid process, WED Enterprises was selected to build the Subway in 1979.