The IAH Subway: Born in Tomorrowland

The roots of Houston’s underground train run through a theme park.

Jul 30, 2026

The roots of Houston’s underground train run through Tomorrowland.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Disney was experimenting with transportation systems designed to be quiet, efficient and dependable. The team behind the work was WED Enterprises, named for Walter Elias Disney and later renamed Walt Disney Imagineering.

Disneyland introduced its PeopleMover in 1967. A new WEDway version powered by linear induction motors opened at Walt Disney World in 1975. In May 1976, the technology received federal certification for application as a downtown people-mover.

Houston Intercontinental Airport had opened in 1969 with an underground train connecting its terminals, but the early system proved unreliable as the airport grew. Houston launched a formal competitive procurement and selected Disney’s WEDway system in 1979. The project cost $14.5 million.

The Subway opened Aug. 17, 1981. Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck joined Houston leaders for the celebration, giving the new transit system an opening day unlike any other in aviation.

The distinction remains: The IAH Subway is the only WEDway PeopleMover built by The Walt Disney Company outside a Disney property.