A dry drained Splash Mountain

[Rob562]

Actually the guided rail runout (the section of trough immedently after the drop where the splash occers) was invented by Arrow Development for the El Aserradero (Log Ride) at Six Flags Over Texas in 1963. I believe that the guild rail is the norm for all log rides except the hyro flume style where the boat planes over the water in the runout. An example of this would be the Yankee Clipper at California's Great America

This doesn't mean that Disney doesn't own a few flume ride patents. I beleve that Disney did pioneer the use of dynamic eddy current braking (AKA mag brakes) along the runout to stop a boat more quickly in the event of an estop.

The Disney patent that I've seen regarding Splash Mountain was the design of the logs and not the guiderail system. The front-end of the logs is designed to funnel much of the water forward and away from the Guests.

-Rob

 

[PinMadness]

Which one? If it's the one I'm thinking of (the one that hops) it was working as of yesterday.

I went on Splash shortly before it was touched up and the hopping Brer Rabbit's head was turned around backwards. It was unsettlng and slightly demonic. My friend told a CM as we exited the ride and she was like "Not again!!!"

Maybe the refurb was an elaborate cover for an exorcism.