Attraction Startup

[larathydo]

Hey All,

This may be a silly question, but I was curious if anyone was familiar with the typical operations of a given ride - in particular how they "start up" an attraction for the day, or for example what is done when things go wrong and an evac is required (& when the ride needs to be brought back up) or even what happens as the attraction goes down for the night let's say.

Of all the numerous times I've been to the various attractions in the world, a common theme which many attractions share is timing and being in-sync. As you pass between different segments or features of an attraction, each scene needs to be in sync with each other. Does the ride come up in "segments", if that makes sense?

I'm a fairly inquisitive person, and it surprises me to think after all these years of riding through what I know to be truly complicated feats of engineering, I've never put any thought into it. Most only ever see these attractions when they are working as intended. There was one incident in the past where I was in Splash Mountain and the ride went down. I heard people spewing gibberish out the PA system throughout the ride when they were trying to bring it back up. It's that process I'm referring to that I'd love to learn more about. So again, some questions:

- What's it like to be in a ride (or attraction) when it's coming up?
- How do they add the ride vehicles into the attraction (do they need to send a single car the entire way around the attraction before another can be brought into the mix).
- What needs to be done if it goes down?
- What happens when it needs to be turned off at night.

Stuff like that, if it makes sense. I imagine the few cast members we have lounging around these forums could give insight

Some attractions/shows that come to mind that I'd be particularly interested in:

- Carousel Of Progress
- Space Mountain
- it's a small world
- Peter Pan
- Haunted Mansion
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Jungle Cruise
- Main Street Electrical Parade
- Spaceship Earth
- Test Track
- Soarin
- The American Adventure
- Dinosaur
- Expedition Everest
- Kilimanjaro Safaris
- Tower of Terror
- Rockin' Rollercoaster
- Toy Story Mania
- Star Tours
(and I'm sure there are other worthy attractions..!)

Also, hopefully I've posted this in the correct location. I know there's an imagineering forum, but I believed this falled under routine maintenance that's done by cast members and such.

 

[WDWisAMAZING]

Those are very good questions. I'd love to know too.

 

[rct247]

Without going into specifics on certain attractions, procedures, or examples, I'll take a stab at answering your question.

First off, you'd probably be surprised at how intelligent most ride systems are at Walt Disney World from the most complex attractions to even your average off-the-shelf carnival attraction. Many control panels are operated by a key just like your automobile from what I gather. The key starts up the attraction. Some attractions area as easy as turning it on and flipping a switch while others have a certain process of buttons, tests, or ways to get it operating under normal conditions. Some other attractions like certain shows are constantly on, but are simply put in sort of a pause mode and just need to be un-paused. Most attraction systems are programmed to sync correctly if operated correctly. Buttons will flash when to send the next vehicle based on sensors or when the next preshow can load. When each attraction whether it be a ride, show, or exhibit is opened or closed, there are procedures to follow through using a checklist. These checklists are very thorough and cover everything from making sure the attraction signage is in place to make sure the area is clean, safety systems are in working order, fire extinguishers are nearby and valid, Fastpass machines are operating correctly, ropes/chains are hung properly, vehicles/seats are in working order, and all sights, smells, sounds, and animations are in proper working order. It is all recorded and sometimes the smallest detail can result in whether or not the attraction opens on time or can even operate. Closing is similar with a checklist to make sure this are properly put in storage, guests are cleared, nothing is broken, and the area is clean.

When it comes to emergency procedures and procedures for getting an attraction back in operation with guests in it, there is usually a very specific way of doing so to make sure that things are done properly and safely. In a simple restart and a short breakdown or normal stop, some procedures have you follow a set spiel and series of pressing buttons, while others require holding loading and unloading of guests for specific period of time. Emergency procedures are carefully thought out as well to make sure that everything is handled properly, safely, and efficiently. Usually all procedures whether it is a ride, show, or exhibit require that the attraction is stopped/suspended, cast members go to a command post if possible to get more information, and guests are exited out of the area based on the attraction and situation. In a non emergency evac of an attraction, things are not as rushed obviously, but there is a certain order of doing things. On most rides, the ride system has to be secured before cast members can assist helping evacuate guests. With Disney this usually has everyone place a company ID in a box while they literally lock the ride up with padlocks so that the ride cannot be started up or operated while people are being evacuated and everyone has returned. Cast members then have certain assignments for specific ride sections and emergency exits to use. The coordinated event can be confusing for guests who have no idea what is going on. Sometimes over the PA system certain announcements are made for cast members to perform certain safety tasks or to let them know certain areas are clear or reset. Of course guests spiels are also announced to have people remain seated, etc.

Now depending on the emergency or ride system, certain systems for rides and theaters can automatically shut down when smoke is detected or vehicles are not spaced out properly or if a safety harness isn't properly locked. Some attractions will prevent other vehicles from going or other shows from loading until the system is reset. In all cases, there is a lot of communication taking place to make sure everything is taken care of between working cast members, managers, park wide control base, maintenance, emergency services, and in some cases security.

So, again, without going into specific details about certain attractions or procedures, that may give you a general idea of how these amazing engineering masterpieces are operated. No matter how simple or complex the attraction (ride or show) may seem, you can bet that things are much more in depth than they look whether it is the ride, the animatronics, or the computer sensors themselves. I also felt it was best to describe it this way to also protect certain information that may or may not be true about various attractions and their procedures. Some of this information isn't meant to be shared with the general public for safety and security reasons as well. The attractions I work at are amazing to learn about despite their age, complexity, show or ride. There are lots of things in place to make sure these systems operate safely and efficiently for thousands of guests everyday of the year.

 

[EvanAnderson]

^Wow, great post!

I worked at Tower of Terror in 2005 and it takes 2 hours to open that building every morning. The ride has a 100 page checklist that must be completed before any guests can get on. One of the requirements is to go to every single floor of the building (even the top where the elevator motors are) and check every fire extinguisher. We just look at the date and make sure it's within the date, and make sure the pressure is okay. Then we have to open and close every single door that leads to the ride track and verify with the the tower operator (control room) that the opening of the door was seen in controls (there's an alarm screen, and if a door to the ride track opens, the computer tells you).

Then there's seatbelt checks, preshow checks, greeter checks, fastpass checks, unload checks, then the tower attendant has a whole checklist too. That's just one attraction, and that similar procedures happens every morning, every day, at every attraction.

 

[Captain Hank]

Without going into specifics on certain attractions, procedures, or examples, I'll take a stab at answering your question.

First off, you'd probably be surprised at how intelligent most ride systems are at Walt Disney World from the most complex attractions to even your average off-the-shelf carnival attraction. Many control panels are operated by a key just like your automobile from what I gather. The key starts up the attraction. Some attractions area as easy as turning it on and flipping a switch while others have a certain process of buttons, tests, or ways to get it operating under normal conditions. Some other attractions like certain shows are constantly on, but are simply put in sort of a pause mode and just need to be un-paused. Most attraction systems are programmed to sync correctly if operated correctly. Buttons will flash when to send the next vehicle based on sensors or when the next preshow can load. When each attraction whether it be a ride, show, or exhibit is opened or closed, there are procedures to follow through using a checklist. These checklists are very thorough and cover everything from making sure the attraction signage is in place to make sure the area is clean, safety systems are in working order, fire extinguishers are nearby and valid, Fastpass machines are operating correctly, ropes/chains are hung properly, vehicles/seats are in working order, and all sights, smells, sounds, and animations are in proper working order. It is all recorded and sometimes the smallest detail can result in whether or not the attraction opens on time or can even operate. Closing is similar with a checklist to make sure this are properly put in storage, guests are cleared, nothing is broken, and the area is clean.

When it comes to emergency procedures and procedures for getting an attraction back in operation with guests in it, there is usually a very specific way of doing so to make sure that things are done properly and safely. In a simple restart and a short breakdown or normal stop, some procedures have you follow a set spiel and series of pressing buttons, while others require holding loading and unloading of guests for specific period of time. Emergency procedures are carefully thought out as well to make sure that everything is handled properly, safely, and efficiently. Usually all procedures whether it is a ride, show, or exhibit require that the attraction is stopped/suspended, cast members go to a command post if possible to get more information, and guests are exited out of the area based on the attraction and situation. In a non emergency evac of an attraction, things are not as rushed obviously, but there is a certain order of doing things. On most rides, the ride system has to be secured before cast members can assist helping evacuate guests. With Disney this usually has everyone place a company ID in a box while they literally lock the ride up with padlocks so that the ride cannot be started up or operated while people are being evacuated and everyone has returned. Cast members then have certain assignments for specific ride sections and emergency exits to use. The coordinated event can be confusing for guests who have no idea what is going on. Sometimes over the PA system certain announcements are made for cast members to perform certain safety tasks or to let them know certain areas are clear or reset. Of course guests spiels are also announced to have people remain seated, etc.

Now depending on the emergency or ride system, certain systems for rides and theaters can automatically shut down when smoke is detected or vehicles are not spaced out properly or if a safety harness isn't properly locked. Some attractions will prevent other vehicles from going or other shows from loading until the system is reset. In all cases, there is a lot of communication taking place to make sure everything is taken care of between working cast members, managers, park wide control base, maintenance, emergency services, and in some cases security.

So, again, without going into specific details about certain attractions or procedures, that may give you a general idea of how these amazing engineering masterpieces are operated. No matter how simple or complex the attraction (ride or show) may seem, you can bet that things are much more in depth than they look whether it is the ride, the animatronics, or the computer sensors themselves. I also felt it was best to describe it this way to also protect certain information that may or may not be true about various attractions and their procedures. Some of this information isn't meant to be shared with the general public for safety and security reasons as well. The attractions I work at are amazing to learn about despite their age, complexity, show or ride. There are lots of things in place to make sure these systems operate safely and efficiently for thousands of guests everyday of the year.

This.

I'd also like to emphasize that during the standard opening power-up procedure, all safety systems on the attraction are tested--whether the E-Stop, Ride-Stop, Station-Stop, etc. all function properly, as well as any restraint systems, intrusion systems or any other systems or equipment then ensure Guest and Cast safety. These are all part of the opening checklist(s) (most attractions have multiple, extremely thorough, checklists) that must be completed and signed-off on before the attraction can operate.

 

[rct247]

^Wow, great post!

I worked at Tower of Terror in 2005 and it takes 2 hours to open that building every morning. The ride has a 100 page checklist that must be completed before any guests can get on. One of the requirements is to go to every single floor of the building (even the top where the elevator motors are) and check every fire extinguisher. We just look at the date and make sure it's within the date, and make sure the pressure is okay. Then we have to open and close every single door that leads to the ride track and verify with the the tower operator (control room) that the opening of the door was seen in controls (there's an alarm screen, and if a door to the ride track opens, the computer tells you).

Then there's seatbelt checks, preshow checks, greeter checks, fastpass checks, unload checks, then the tower attendant has a whole checklist too. That's just one attraction, and that similar procedures happens every morning, every day, at every attraction.

^Yup, that all sounds very familiar. In some dark rides, there are pressure sensitive mats to detect when people escape out of the ride. Each morning, each mat has to be tested, and I was not even joking about checking to make sure the main sign to the attraction is present (as if it would walk off in the middle of the night). In fact, every single height requirement stick is measured each morning to make sure each are accurate and haven't changed for any reason!!

 

[larathydo]

Wow... Interesting!

I certainly understand not divulging specific details that would present a safety risk. Anything you have that would explain logically how something works without getting into to much detail (for the safety reasons you describe) would be interesting. In otherwords, is it possible for you to explain what's going on from start (boarding) a ride like, say, Splash Mountain till the finish where you disembark in laymens terms? Like what constitutes a zone, the logic the ride system has in place for things like log spacing and whatnot (I presume this is automated - you don't actually have someone controlling those underwater belt advancer thingies do you? haha). Stuff like that, but respective to what ride(s) you are familiar with.

Also...

In a non emergency evac of an attraction, things are not as rushed obviously, but there is a certain order of doing things. On most rides, the ride system has to be secured before cast members can assist helping evacuate guests. With Disney this usually has everyone place a company ID in a box while they literally lock the ride up with padlocks so that the ride cannot be started up or operated while people are being evacuated and everyone has returned. Cast members then have certain assignments for specific ride sections and emergency exits to use.

Could you elaborate a little? Are you referring to those consoles all guests see when boarding? As if you mean to imply that if a evac is going on you lock those controls so that if they leave their posts some curious 5 year old kid won't come over and launch a boat inadvertently? And keycards are required as a form of access control?

Thanks for the scoop! It's certainly fascinating.

 

[Jakester]

So do most attractions take around 1Hour to open (Maybe 2 every morning) ??

If so, then on Nights when Magic Kingdom Closes at 3am and reopens at 7am, not much of a shutdown then

 

[CaptainShortty]

So do most attractions take around 1Hour to open (Maybe 2 every morning) ??

If so, then on Nights when Magic Kingdom Closes at 3am and reopens at 7am, not much of a shutdown then

On nights like those the park never truly shuts down. The rides and restaurants do a modified shut down and start up. I'm not sure of the details though as I didn't work in the parks. =/

 

[EvanAnderson]

Could you elaborate a little? Are you referring to those consoles all guests see when boarding? As if you mean to imply that if a evac is going on you lock those controls so that if they leave their posts some curious 5 year old kid won't come over and launch a boat inadvertently? And keycards are required as a form of access control?

Thanks for the scoop! It's certainly fascinating.

It's usually not a ride console that you see (maybe some Fantasyland attractions where the main control is out in the open) but it's usually the control rooms for the ride.

Basically if an evac has to occur, the ride's power is shut off entirely. The Estop button for the ride is depressed, and there is a metal cover that goes over the physical estop button that keeps it pressed down. That metal cover is locked closed, so it is now physically impossible to pull out the Estop button to restart the ride. The key that locked the Estop down is then placed in a metal box and locked shut with a lock. A Cast Member locks that box shut and takes the key to that specific lock with him/her out to the ride track. If 5 CM's are needed, then each cast member takes a lock and locks it on the box, and takes the key with them. So if 10 CM's are out on the ride track, the box will be locked shut with 10 individual locks.

When the evac is done and it's time to power up, everyone must come to the box and use their key to unlock their own lock. This keeps track of who is out there, and makes sure no one else is still out there on the ride track when it is ready to start motion again. (Example, 9 people come back, all locks are taken off but 1. The box is still locked shut, until that 10th person comes back.) The box is opened, the key is used to unlock the cover over the estop, and the ride can be powered back up.

 

[Spideyfreak110]

Could you elaborate a little? Are you referring to those consoles all guests see when boarding? As if you mean to imply that if a evac is going on you lock those controls so that if they leave their posts some curious 5 year old kid won't come over and launch a boat inadvertently? And keycards are required as a form of access control?

Thanks for the scoop! It's certainly fascinating.

More or less, they take the "main power" key and place it in a box and lock it. Or sometimes the "power disconnect" button is physically locked (via padlock) in the "disconnect" position. The staff that then goes into the ride takes the key with them, so that the ride cannot power up.

They have a "tag out" board at each ride so they know who is out there. When they go to start up, they must ensure that nobody is out on the ride track.

On most rides when they power up you'll hear the CM in controls say over the PA something like this: "Attention in and around (attraction name) will be powering up immediately, please stand clear of all equipment."

This is a really good documentary on Space Mountain in Paris. Shows a lot of tech stuff.

Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cb-swg8PnkQ

Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6eYaqqMhUo&feature=related

Part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2GfMSUxNqA&feature=related

Part 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8sjT7GppzE&feature=related

Part 5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrMzKvQr6qA&feature=related

 

[Slugger]

So do most attractions take around 1Hour to open (Maybe 2 every morning) ??

If so, then on Nights when Magic Kingdom Closes at 3am and reopens at 7am, not much of a shutdown then

It's not much downtime at all. Once we finish closing checklists maintenance takes over the ride to do general maintenance during the night and then has to hand the ride back over to attractions. So on an emh night with a 3am closing, maintenance has control over the rides for about 4 hours before handing it back over to get ready for opening checklist procedures.

 

[EvanAnderson]

Wow... Interesting!

I certainly understand not divulging specific details that would present a safety risk. Anything you have that would explain logically how something works without getting into to much detail (for the safety reasons you describe) would be interesting. In otherwords, is it possible for you to explain what's going on from start (boarding) a ride like, say, Splash Mountain till the finish where you disembark in laymens terms? Like what constitutes a zone, the logic the ride system has in place for things like log spacing and whatnot (I presume this is automated - you don't actually have someone controlling those underwater belt advancer thingies do you? haha). Stuff like that, but respective to what ride(s) you are familiar with.

While I've never worked Splash Mountain, I can probably figure out how it works. Basically, too many logs can't be in 1 zone at a time. So when you dispatch, 3 logs dispatch at once. They can't leave the station until the zone in front of them has cleared, and their are sensors along the ride track that tell the computer that. For example, on the main lift to the big drop (I think that's drop 4) there's only 3 logs on it at a time, and their are sensors going up that lift, and at the end of the drop too. A log won't be let go front the lift at the top unless the log in front of it has cleared a certain sensor at the end of the drop, and once the log leaves the lift at the top, then it tells the log getting ready to climb the lift to start up. No one controls those conveyors, the computer monitors their motion. It's something along those lines.

Mainly the big spacing points are the lifts and drops. The show scenes portion sometimes get backed up, but the logs bump into each other there, that's only because the spacing issue is messed up somewhere ahead.

Also, as a side note, I used to work at Men in Black at Universal. That ride has a fire alarm mode. If a fire alarm is going off in the building, the ride computer recognizes it, turns all vehicles to face the forward direction, and puts all the vehicles at the fastest speed it can go through the track. I also used to work at Doctor Doom and that ride has cable tension sensors to look at the tension on each of the cables on the towers. If the ride vehicle is weighing prior to launch and it detects a abnormal difference in any of the 4 cables used, it'll estop itself.

 

[Jakester]

It's not much downtime at all. Once we finish closing checklists maintenance takes over the ride to do general maintenance during the night and then has to hand the ride back over to attractions. So on an emh night with a 3am closing, maintenance has control over the rides for about 4 hours before handing it back over to get ready for opening checklist procedures.

Ok. Say Magic Kingdom is reopening the next day at 7:00am for EMH right after a 3am closing night. On a ride like Splash Mountain, would you guys leave boats out or would you guys still do a regular shut-down/start up

 

[Kobe!!]

Park trams have a check sheet as well. If you get to the park early enough you will see them testing them out.

Left, Right turn signal, brake lights, brakes, fire extinguisher, if the spiel works, check all the doors, check all the poles (yes if you yank those polls you can pull them apart)

You would not believe the amount of miles/hours on the trams!

 

[marni1971]

First off, you'd probably be surprised at how intelligent most ride systems are at Walt Disney World

Or not

 

[Slugger]

Ok. Say Magic Kingdom is reopening the next day at 7:00am for EMH right after a 3am closing night. On a ride like Splash Mountain, would you guys leave boats out or would you guys still do a regular shut-down/start up

Not sure about Splash Mountain, but for PPF and IASM the ride vehicles stay out on the track or in the water. If maintenance needs to do work on certain vehicles they can take them off and add a new one in its place. I'm sure its the same for Splash.

 

[Alektronic]

Basically, the usual routine for startups, it is different for every attraction, but maintenance starts up the ride and looks for any problems, cycles the ride, and inspects every ride vehicle, and does all their safety inspections. Then they turn the ride over to operations, and operations dept does all their safety checks and checklists. When everything is completed the maintenance supervisor and the operations supervisor both sign off saying the ride is safe for operation and then the ride is open for guests.

Most rides. most of the ride vehicles stay out in the track or flume or wherever, most rides don't have adequate storage facilities.

At Splash, they have a maintenance spur, where they can add or remove boats and do their inspections.