Orlando Business Journal: Disney's Flying Coaster Patent Resurfaces
http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2016/11/17/disneys-flying-coaster-patent-resurfaces.html
Nov 17, 2016, 3:08pm EST
Disney is looking at how to improve on the flying coaster technology by making a vertical launch and load area.
The patent looks how the track can be converted to go vertical form from the start and finish to make the experience logistically easier and better for the rider.
A vertical loading area could ease the uncomfortable feelings that happens while loading into a flying coaster that can sometimes require guests to lie down. Instead, the patent seeks to make them enter the ride car in a seated position, but on a multi-level surface.
The Walt Disney Co. is quick to patent many of the ideas its Imagineers create, as each has the potential to end up being the next bleeding-edge ride.
That's why many are watching what Disney (NYSE: DIS) has planned for a patent originally filed a few years ago on a vertical load-and-launch roller coaster that resurfaced after being published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in September.
The patent seeks to improve on the existing flying coaster technologies by incorporating a multi-level loading area where the coaster cart is stationed vertically and guests — on different levels — can climb into the coaster car, documents showed.
Theme park fans said Disney's patent is alluding to a new attraction in the works for the Orlando parks. Some believe it could be a new ride for Epcot that may adapt the company's popular intellectual property, like Guardians of the Galaxy. However, take that with a grain of salt until Disney officially announces something.
Either way, here's a snippet from the patent:
The flying roller coaster is a relatively new ride for amusement parks, and ride designers have faced several challenges including how to load and unload the vehicles and then place the passengers/riders in a prone or flying position.
First, the loading and unloading positions can be quite uncomfortable as some existing designs require the passengers to lie down in the vehicle. Second, many flying roller coasters have vehicles with complex actuator assemblies that are used to position the vehicles or seats in a flying position after passenger loading is completed. This increases manufacturing and maintenance costs for these rides. Third, all of the passengers load the vehicles or cars of the coaster train from a single station (or single horizontal platform) — such an arrangement fails to provide any privacy for the vehicle passengers during loading and unloading. For example, each passenger has to share the pre-ride experience with a large number of people (i.e., the entire capacity of the train rather than just those in your family or group that may be entering a car or vehicle to experience a ride).
The Disney patent resolves those issues by building the coaster track vertically with the intention to launch the ride vertically from the start, documents showed. Guests approach the car and just sit down in the seat, instead of current designs that require them to lay down or that pull guests back into a laying down positions, which can be uncomfortable.
"In this manner, the loading and unloading of the vehicles is comfortable for the passengers as they can simply sit down on the seat, lean back against a vertical seat back, and pull down a restraint harness. Also, the loading can be much more private or intimate for those entering each vehicle as each vehicle is provided its own loading platform," said the patent documents.
There are many flying roller coasters around the world, and SeaWorld Orlando's Manta is one operating here in Orlando. In comparison, that coaster has guests load into seats normally and once they are properly restrained the seats it pulls them back and up into a parallel position with the track.
Again, it's worth noting that Disney has yet to announce anything new in play supporting the rumors or that this technology would become a reality. The company has many patents for technologies that are never used.
However, the company also doesn't waste good ideas that could improve the guest experience — like the drone technology that is now being used at Disney Springs as a holiday show.
Only time will tell if Disney moves forward on this tweak to existing flying coaster technologies.
http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2016/11/17/disneys-flying-coaster-patent-resurfaces.html
Nov 17, 2016, 3:08pm EST
Disney is looking at how to improve on the flying coaster technology by making a vertical launch and load area.
The patent looks how the track can be converted to go vertical form from the start and finish to make the experience logistically easier and better for the rider.
A vertical loading area could ease the uncomfortable feelings that happens while loading into a flying coaster that can sometimes require guests to lie down. Instead, the patent seeks to make them enter the ride car in a seated position, but on a multi-level surface.
The Walt Disney Co. is quick to patent many of the ideas its Imagineers create, as each has the potential to end up being the next bleeding-edge ride.
That's why many are watching what Disney (NYSE: DIS) has planned for a patent originally filed a few years ago on a vertical load-and-launch roller coaster that resurfaced after being published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in September.
The patent seeks to improve on the existing flying coaster technologies by incorporating a multi-level loading area where the coaster cart is stationed vertically and guests — on different levels — can climb into the coaster car, documents showed.
Theme park fans said Disney's patent is alluding to a new attraction in the works for the Orlando parks. Some believe it could be a new ride for Epcot that may adapt the company's popular intellectual property, like Guardians of the Galaxy. However, take that with a grain of salt until Disney officially announces something.
Either way, here's a snippet from the patent:
The flying roller coaster is a relatively new ride for amusement parks, and ride designers have faced several challenges including how to load and unload the vehicles and then place the passengers/riders in a prone or flying position.
First, the loading and unloading positions can be quite uncomfortable as some existing designs require the passengers to lie down in the vehicle. Second, many flying roller coasters have vehicles with complex actuator assemblies that are used to position the vehicles or seats in a flying position after passenger loading is completed. This increases manufacturing and maintenance costs for these rides. Third, all of the passengers load the vehicles or cars of the coaster train from a single station (or single horizontal platform) — such an arrangement fails to provide any privacy for the vehicle passengers during loading and unloading. For example, each passenger has to share the pre-ride experience with a large number of people (i.e., the entire capacity of the train rather than just those in your family or group that may be entering a car or vehicle to experience a ride).
The Disney patent resolves those issues by building the coaster track vertically with the intention to launch the ride vertically from the start, documents showed. Guests approach the car and just sit down in the seat, instead of current designs that require them to lay down or that pull guests back into a laying down positions, which can be uncomfortable.
"In this manner, the loading and unloading of the vehicles is comfortable for the passengers as they can simply sit down on the seat, lean back against a vertical seat back, and pull down a restraint harness. Also, the loading can be much more private or intimate for those entering each vehicle as each vehicle is provided its own loading platform," said the patent documents.
There are many flying roller coasters around the world, and SeaWorld Orlando's Manta is one operating here in Orlando. In comparison, that coaster has guests load into seats normally and once they are properly restrained the seats it pulls them back and up into a parallel position with the track.
Again, it's worth noting that Disney has yet to announce anything new in play supporting the rumors or that this technology would become a reality. The company has many patents for technologies that are never used.
However, the company also doesn't waste good ideas that could improve the guest experience — like the drone technology that is now being used at Disney Springs as a holiday show.
Only time will tell if Disney moves forward on this tweak to existing flying coaster technologies.
