Disney Develops New "Floating Omnimover"

Disney has developed a "floating omnimover." Disney summarizes the new ride technology as:

The inventors recognized that one potential way to create a new and very different omnimover ride would be to create a floating or water-based omnimover ride. With that concept or idea in mind, the present description describes a boat ride system (or omnimover water ride) that provides a high capacity ride with smaller boats (e.g., floating vehicles with 2 to 4 riders or the like) that move in an ongoing or continuous manner and substantially constant speeds. In this regard, the ride system may be thought of as a floating omnimover.

It is my guess that this technology will be used first for a Pirates ride in Shanghai but it could be for a project in DLR or WDW. My guess is as good as yours but the ride technology looks awesome. I would be very happy to see this in Orlando first.

http://www.google.com/patents/US201...a=X&ei=Kv8jUY2QC4iGrgGuq4HoCg&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAA

Sounds interesting. Maybe it could be used in Avatar?

Wow- where do you get all this? Sounds neat!

This is a Disney patent application that published through the USPTO 18 months after the date of filing. I check regularly to see what Disney, Universal, and other members of IAAPA are doing.

The only problem I could foresee is guests trying to get in and out of boats while they are moving. This is assuming though that the seating and level of the load/unload area is similar to Pirates or Small World.

This would be awesome if this ride system was implemented in that Mary Poppins ride Tony Baxter drew/came up with. Not by means of floating in water like what probably will be with POTC ride in Shanghai DL, but like floating in the air like she does when flying and using her umbrella.

Looks interesting, but when are they going to start implementing the handcap accessible ride vehicles that can be rotated into the moving "chain" of omni-movers?

I must be missing something. Isn't that what Splash Mountain log cars are??

An omnimover is a continuous load/unload ride system, meaning it doesn't stop. The logs on Splash Mountain have to stop to load and unload, whereas Haunted Mansion ride vehicles are constantly in motion, even when people are getting in and out of them. This is the same concept, only using boats in water.

I recall the leaked Avatar drawings showed a boat flume, although I don't think they were in a chain.

I also recall someone saying the unnamed DL Frontierland attraction was going to be water based.

This is really what is need to make an omnimover work in this day. I know we stop at least once every ride on Buzz and the HM etc so they can help people in and out of the cars. DL has the special loading trains for GAC users at Space Mountain.

Go to 1:00 to see it in action

I was thinking the new Peter Pan ride.

So this implies Disney is still interested in building great attractions, doesn't it? There is hope yet!

Looks awesome!

Developing / researching. Not so much building if they have to foot the cost.

It seems like the cars would be constantly bumping each other giving it a not so pleasant ride. Wheras other omnimovers do not because they are on tracks.

nevermind, looked again and all cars would be connected with one fluid movement. spacers in between cars. duh

Thanks for the info. So I'm thinking this new omnimover is supposed to be a big improvement, and I'm not trying to be a smart butt, but what is the big advantage to the omnimover? I would think the Splash system would be an easier control for loading - no??

Sounds like a slightly higher tech version of this:

http://a2.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/67/efd9f05b33ff41c78638abfe868ec4f2/l.jpg

Think about how fast Nemo loads. Or Spaceship Earth. That's the advantage of omnimover.