I'm starting a new Friday series where every week (or maybe every other week honestly) I plan on posting a funny graphic, image, or video. Today, we begin with this eCard from someecards.com.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Cedar Point 2013 GateKeeper Layout
The layout for Cedar Point's 2013 record breaking wing coaster has leaked online a day before the official announcement. GateKeeper will be large and in charge at the front of the park. This will be B&M's fifth wing coaster built in three years and will be the world's tallest, fastest, and longest. The official announcement is scheduled for 3:30pm EST tomorrow (Monday, August13). Pictured below is the Gatekeeper layout image released by the Sandusky Register and on Cedar Point's website.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Books in Theme Park Stores
This post is a continuationof the conversation I was having with a colleague about theme park books. Until
this conversation happened, I had never really thought about trying to get a
book stocked inside a theme park store before. Outside of Disney, there’s only
one type of book I recall seeing in a theme park shop and they all belong to
the same “Images of America” series (Holiday World and HersheyPark). Disney has a few smaller sized books such as
the “Imagineering field guides” and “Fnd the Hidden Mickeys” that were intended
to be taken into the theme park with you. In my experience and travels I don’t
think I’ve ever actually seen anyone reading a book at a park before. If
you’re looking for something for guests to do while in the queue you’d be much
better off developing some sort of interactive iPhone or iPad application.
But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. The Columbus Zoo does have a few books in their gift shops but they’re mainly picture books. I would try to get something physical put together first before pitching the idea to a park. Based on the books I mentioned above, it seems most parks might be more willing to stock a book in their gift stores if the content were about their specific park or product (you think you’d find a book about HersheyPark inside Cedar Point? Yeah, right).
What do you think? Have you ever seen anyone reading a book in a theme park? Are there any specific park stores which come to mind that stock a variety of books? I would love to hear your feedback!
But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. The Columbus Zoo does have a few books in their gift shops but they’re mainly picture books. I would try to get something physical put together first before pitching the idea to a park. Based on the books I mentioned above, it seems most parks might be more willing to stock a book in their gift stores if the content were about their specific park or product (you think you’d find a book about HersheyPark inside Cedar Point? Yeah, right).
What do you think? Have you ever seen anyone reading a book in a theme park? Are there any specific park stores which come to mind that stock a variety of books? I would love to hear your feedback!
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
RollerCoaster Tycoon 4 Release Date Website
What is RCT3D you ask? It’s the next installment of the Roller Coaster Tycoon series. However, this latest game is only available on the Nintendo 3DS handheld system. After being delayed several times, RollerCoaster Tycoon 3D is still set for a release date of August 28th (which you can pre-order here).
I also encourage you to sign up for the RCT newsletter to be the first to know about a new giveaway contest I will be hosting coming up soon with some prizes geared toward theme park nerds.
If you haven’t noticed, I added a link above to a new page on this blog called Ride Layouts. Here I plan on including links to all my posts where I’ve displayed ride layouts, blueprints, and diagrams, especially those classic Disney attractions.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Writing a Roller Coaster Book
A reader recently emailed
me asking about how I went about researching and writing my book, Coasters 101:An Engineering Guide to Roller Coaster Design. I decided to share my response with the rest of you here.
I was indirectly working in
the industry during some of the initial writing process. I worked for an
engineering services company that did a few small jobs for some
amusement industry clients. In my spare time I also did some computer
modeling work for one of my friends in the industry. I’m also a member
of the ASTM F24 committee on amusement ride safety which sets safety
standards and regulations for the industry.
The genesis of my book actually sounds pretty similar to the plan other bloggers have followed. I have been writing articles for this blog for a couple years. I started by revising those articles and then put them into a logical order.
Many ride design firms are small so you it's not a problem setting up a phone or email interview. I’ve visited and interviewed a few ride manufacturers myself (which you can find on on this site). In my experience, the easiest and most open design firm to interview is the Gravity Group, based in Cincinnati, Ohio (they primarily design wooden roller coasters). I haven’t had much luck with European manufacturers. I did do an interview with a representative from Stengel Engineering but from the time I initially contacted them to final publication of the article it was well over six months!
I’m a big fan of the amusement industry so writing a book on it was a very enjoyable experience for me and totally worth the time involved. Please feel free to comment below and ask more specific questions. I'd love to help any others interested in publishing their own book or starting their own website!
The genesis of my book actually sounds pretty similar to the plan other bloggers have followed. I have been writing articles for this blog for a couple years. I started by revising those articles and then put them into a logical order.
Many ride design firms are small so you it's not a problem setting up a phone or email interview. I’ve visited and interviewed a few ride manufacturers myself (which you can find on on this site). In my experience, the easiest and most open design firm to interview is the Gravity Group, based in Cincinnati, Ohio (they primarily design wooden roller coasters). I haven’t had much luck with European manufacturers. I did do an interview with a representative from Stengel Engineering but from the time I initially contacted them to final publication of the article it was well over six months!
I’m a big fan of the amusement industry so writing a book on it was a very enjoyable experience for me and totally worth the time involved. Please feel free to comment below and ask more specific questions. I'd love to help any others interested in publishing their own book or starting their own website!
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Disney Memories: Magic Kingdom Skyway
Today,
we look back on another classic attraction of Disney World's Magic
Kingdom which is no longer with us. The Skyway was removed from the
Magic Kingdom in 1999 after a maintenance worker was killed from falling off a gondola while
working on the ride. One unique aspect of this particular ride was the fact that it
wasn’t laid out in a straight line like the majority of other similar sky ride type transportation rides. Magic Kingdom’s Skyway had more of a
L-shape with a bend in the middle.
Overview and Layout
The
Disney Skyway was an aerial tramway providing a scenic overview of the
park and stretched from Tomorrowland to Fantasyland in the center of
Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Guests boarded at either end for a
one-way trip to the opposite station, traveling in gondolas (cabins)
suspended from a moving cable. Each cabin could accommodate up to four
adult guests. For guests boarding at the Tension Station in
Tomorrowland, the cabins traveled along the moving cable across the
Grand Prix Raceway, came down at the Transfer Station and made a 116
degree left-hand turn, then climbed and crossed Fantasyland ending their
journey at the Drive Station. The Skyway ride system consisted of 50
cabins, which traveled on 3600 feet of steel wire rope.
How it worked
Like
all Disney theme park attractions, the ride was closely monitored and
controlled by a Ride Control System (RCS). Emergency Stops were provided
at each station, and the RCS could also stop the ride based on certain
fault conditions. The
Skyway actually was designed with an auxiliary backup diesel motor.
This was only used to cycle out the ride if the main drive motor became
inoperable. The motor powered a hydraulic pump which provided hydraulic
pressure to one of two motors: one located at the gear box to be used if
the main drive motor was inoperative, and a second one located upstairs
at the bullwheel to be used if the gearbox was inoperative. The second
motor turned a ring gear mounted on the bullwheel to drive the wheel
directly when the gear box was disconnected from the torque tube
connecting it to the bull wheel. The
main motor drive shaft had a double action brake actuated by weights
which clamped the shaft after the motor had stopped to dampen out reactive
force from the stop and hold the shaft stationary. When the motor was
started, a relay energized a coil which lifted the brake thus releasing
it. Electrical power was supplied into the Skyway attraction from Reedy
Creek Energy Services and the transformers were located inside the west end of the
It's a Small World ride building.
End of an Era
The station in Tomorrowland was destroyed in
2009. Even
after the ride closed the Skyway station in Fantasyland stood for many
years, but has recently been dismantled as part of the New Fantasyland
expansion project (which saw the closure of Snow White's Scary Adventures).
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Snow White's Adventure Layout
Snow White's Scary Adventures Closing
Snow White's Scary Adventures was an attraction located in Fantasyland at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida. The ride was recently closed forever (May 2012) as part of the New Fantasyland expansion and renovation project. Let's take a look back at this classic dark ride as it lives on in our hearts and memories.
Snow White’s Adventure was based on the Walt Disney film classic of 1937. The attraction brought to life the well known fairy tale of Snow White and her adventures with her little friends, the Seven Dwarfs, and the wicked Queen. Guests were transported via a six-passenger vehicle - themed like a mine car - on a three-minute ride along a 617 foot track. During the ride guests passed through scenes depicting the Castle Courtyard, Queen’s Chamber, Dungeon,Threatening Forest, Frightening Forest, Friendly Forest, Dwarfs' Cottage, Chase Begins, Dwarfs' Mine, the Cliff, Loves First Kiss, and finally They Lived Happily Everafter with Snow White and the Prince. The scenes used effects such as animated props, animated figures, projectors and lighting to create the correct illusions.
How it worked - Disney Magic Unveiled
The Snow White’s Adventure ride consisted of 17 six-seat vehicles. The vehicle consisted of a fiberglass body attached to a chassis. The vehicle rode along a steel track which contained a bus bar. The vehicle was connected to the bus bar through contacts located on the front bogie assembly. These contacts collect the electrical power from the bus bar and transfer it to the motor located on the rear bogie assembly.The mine car themed vehicles were electrically operated and traveled along a guide rail with a bus bar. Safety lap bars automatically engaged as the vehicles left the Load Area. The bus bar was supplied by the attraction main electrical feed at 240 VAC. There were two isolated conductors of the bus bar which are parallel and horizontal to the exterior of the track surface. A third isolated conductor was mounted on the opposite of the track and acted as the ground for the system. The bus bar ran the entire length of the ride track.
Audio-Animatronics(AA) figures
The Snow White ride featured a few Audio-Animatronincs figures. The Animated Figures are mechanical actors (person or animal) designed to perform an action or actions in a show scene. A steel skeletal framework, jointed as required, makes up the figure. The figure is covered with a body form and costume for the character that it portrays. The activity of the figure is controlled by electrical signals. These signals are sent from the show control system (SCS). A combination of components are used to control the movement of the figure. These components include and are not limited to pneumatic valves, mechanical feedback actuators, solenoid valves and first stage valves. Each figure will contain a combination of these components. The actuators and electric motors are contained within the AA figure or the base frame under the figure.
Snow White Ride Blueprint and Overhead Layout
Embedded below is the best official looking layout I could find of the Snow White attraction on the internet.
YouTube Video of Snow White
Here's one of the best ride through videos of the ride I could find on YouTube.
I believe the Snow White ride at Disneyland is still operating. Will YOU miss the Walt Disney World ride?
Snow White's Scary Adventures was an attraction located in Fantasyland at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida. The ride was recently closed forever (May 2012) as part of the New Fantasyland expansion and renovation project. Let's take a look back at this classic dark ride as it lives on in our hearts and memories.
Snow White’s Adventure was based on the Walt Disney film classic of 1937. The attraction brought to life the well known fairy tale of Snow White and her adventures with her little friends, the Seven Dwarfs, and the wicked Queen. Guests were transported via a six-passenger vehicle - themed like a mine car - on a three-minute ride along a 617 foot track. During the ride guests passed through scenes depicting the Castle Courtyard, Queen’s Chamber, Dungeon,Threatening Forest, Frightening Forest, Friendly Forest, Dwarfs' Cottage, Chase Begins, Dwarfs' Mine, the Cliff, Loves First Kiss, and finally They Lived Happily Everafter with Snow White and the Prince. The scenes used effects such as animated props, animated figures, projectors and lighting to create the correct illusions.
How it worked - Disney Magic Unveiled
The Snow White’s Adventure ride consisted of 17 six-seat vehicles. The vehicle consisted of a fiberglass body attached to a chassis. The vehicle rode along a steel track which contained a bus bar. The vehicle was connected to the bus bar through contacts located on the front bogie assembly. These contacts collect the electrical power from the bus bar and transfer it to the motor located on the rear bogie assembly.The mine car themed vehicles were electrically operated and traveled along a guide rail with a bus bar. Safety lap bars automatically engaged as the vehicles left the Load Area. The bus bar was supplied by the attraction main electrical feed at 240 VAC. There were two isolated conductors of the bus bar which are parallel and horizontal to the exterior of the track surface. A third isolated conductor was mounted on the opposite of the track and acted as the ground for the system. The bus bar ran the entire length of the ride track.
Audio-Animatronics(AA) figures
The Snow White ride featured a few Audio-Animatronincs figures. The Animated Figures are mechanical actors (person or animal) designed to perform an action or actions in a show scene. A steel skeletal framework, jointed as required, makes up the figure. The figure is covered with a body form and costume for the character that it portrays. The activity of the figure is controlled by electrical signals. These signals are sent from the show control system (SCS). A combination of components are used to control the movement of the figure. These components include and are not limited to pneumatic valves, mechanical feedback actuators, solenoid valves and first stage valves. Each figure will contain a combination of these components. The actuators and electric motors are contained within the AA figure or the base frame under the figure.
Snow White Ride Blueprint and Overhead Layout
Embedded below is the best official looking layout I could find of the Snow White attraction on the internet.
YouTube Video of Snow White
Here's one of the best ride through videos of the ride I could find on YouTube.
I believe the Snow White ride at Disneyland is still operating. Will YOU miss the Walt Disney World ride?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)