Disney loses rights to use Kuka Robo arm?

[mkepcotmgmak]

Well, no other park, including Universal, will ever have the rights or means to use the magic that makes Disney so successful or what it is. The Kuka arm might bring customers to Universal in small waves, but nothing compared to what the magic of Disney brings everyday.

This will not affect Disney in the least, except maybe in a positive way. The only thing I see affecting Disney is the chances of a new coaster to please the Disney Guests more than they are now. This is an attempt to bring numbers up at Universal, not to "wow" their normal Guests... to increase numbers and keep them high, they need something they will never have - magic.

 

[ToTBellHop]

I think before Narnia becomes a bonafide "Hit" it needs a few more films, like potter has. Also LOTR would be a little too mature for Disney's crowd , hence why they got into Narnia to begin with...but disney does also have Prince of Persia coming out...and that might easily become the next "pirates" phenomenon.

LotR is more mature than the Twilight Zone or Aerosmith?

 

[jedimaster1227]

I'm hearing rumors and have seen Jim Hill claim it as well that Universal has recently won the exclusive rights to use the Kuka Robo arm for the next 10 years. I guess this means that if Disney had any plans to use this technology they've now been placed on hold. If this does prove to be true and Universal can find a wonderful way to use this technology, it's got to be a major coupe for Universal.

The plans I was shown recently are quite magnificent... Jim was correct in saying that Disney wouldn't hand over enough executive power to Rowling's whim. Universal (desperately in need of a major addition for its resort- one of the few in the U.S. to have a percentage decrease in park attendance rates for the previous year) gave her that option with a more lenient budget. Problem solved for Disney and Rowling, game won by Universal.

Disney should not be uspet at this. That robot arm is a disaster waiting to happen. Come on if used for a ride vehicle it will be a pain if their is a problem.

Disney signle handedly helped create a new coaster type (steel) .

They can create much better ride system. If money was a problem why not partner with say Six Flags or Cedar Fair? Why not aprtner with say B&M?

I just dont understand how disney could be uspet with losing the robotic arm. They create aa's and robots why cant they just make a bigger version of an aa arm that works on tracks?

1. The Kuka robotic arm has been hailed by many in the theme park industry as the future of versatility and variety in the industry as its features can be modified. The arm itself can be made to run on a coaster track, stay stationary or have a car mounted on top of it that will hold guests. The system itself is quite revolutionary and is often viewed as the steel-railed coaster system of this era.
2. The coaster wasn't an individual work, Arrow helped to design and build the first working form of the system.
3. Disney doesn't partner with Ceder Fair or Six Flags and won't likely ever. The companies are rivals and though friendly in the eyes of the press, work to beat the other in a serious war that we call this industry.
4. To make a bigger version would be too difficult without breaking major patent laws. Disney doesn't need another lawsuit.

Saw that article too. They may not be able to use the Kuka arm for the next ten years, but I think they are clever enough to develop their own variant that's dissimilar enough to skirt patent issues.

They are, but truthfully, the system isn't important enough to them that they don't plan on living without it.

The thing with the robot arm is the movement you can get out of it. Also the fact is the ride can be changed without rearranging the tracks.

I feel though that disney is more then capable of making there own version .

I do feel that the robotic arm though is too complicated for its own good. What if there is a problem. How safe are the riders on something like that ?

The Kuka arm provides so many movement options as the number of axes on the arm rival any other system due to its unique arm-like pattern of joints. What kind of problem are you thinking of because I can assure you that the system has a simple evac procedure. Legoland uses the Kuka arm already and they have yet to encounter any unmanagable problem.

Lets not forget where this article came from.

Jim's article has basically been accurate, minus the statement that the Imagineers are truly crying over the loss of the rights to the system. The use of the system was completely a blue sky project and they have plenty of other projects in the works before this project were to even emerge. By the time they would be ready to build, the next premier entertainment system would have emerged.

 

[polarboi]

Well, it does seem like a bit of a shame to me, since I love to see Disney experimenting with new technology and new ways of telling the story in their attractions.

A lot of the Disney attractions that have wowed guests over the years have used technology that either was invented by Disney or wasn't widely seen by guests before experiencing it at a Disney park.

Just think of some of the cool technology many of us experienced for the first time at WDW. Concepts like Circlevision 360 and the "4-D" movies were once totally novel uses of technology that blew guests' socks off. Audio animatronics were pioneered by Disney, and Disney still does them better than anyone, making them more realistic all the time. Disney created a unique ride experience with the vehicles designed for Indiana Jones/Dinosaur. And Turtle Talk became a surprise hit due in part to its cool new technology, something guests had never seen before.

Recent attractions like Soarin' and Mission: Space use technology that we may be familiar with outside of Disney (IMAX; Gravitron) but it still feels fresh enough that when used in these new ways it seems like brand new technology.

But Universal scored a big hit with their Spider-Man ride, something that feels more like Disney's level of innovation. And Toy Story Mania, though I'm excited about it for its interaction, doesn't have quite the same "new" sound to me after all my trips to DisneyQuest and all the new screen-based attractions we've gotten recently. The idea of something like the proposed Incredibles ride with a robot arm sounded really cool and novel, a way for Disney to be ahead of the technology curve once more.

But yeah, I'm sure they'll find other things to wow us with. The imagineers have ways of making even old technology seem new (just think what they did with a simple projection in Everest or an old mirror trick in the Haunted Mansion) but genuine new technology is always a big plus.

-p.b.

 

[pcf1385]

Disney always has Narnia and I haven't yet seen the Lord of the Rings rights handed out--that would be even bigger than Potter. Disney has options. The issue is whether or not they will move on any of them.

:sohappy: I'm glad to finally see someone mention lord of the rings and acknowledge that it would be a MUCH bigger deal than potter. I love potter, I do, and I think that the ride will be HUGE for USF, but I don't really see it lasting in popularity for ten to twenty years. I'm not saying it will fade away completely, but the hooplah will be gone, and it's auidience will move on. LOTR had years to build a fan base with the books, and then released the movies and spurred new interest. LOTR draws geeky dugeons and dragons fans and lit snobs alike (I happen to have very good friends who are both so don't be offened). I really think that it was a mistake to relase the movies for potter while still releasing the books because it makes the series climax way too soon. This is coming from somone who owns all the potter books to date and not a single LOTR, so it's not about loving LOTR. I also don't think it's too mature for disney, especially in mgm. Star wars has not only violent images in it's films but also sexual. I think that it would be a good move for disney, especially to draw those who view it as a kiddy resort. And, there are cusred soilders/pirates types in LOTR, and what better way to exploit pirates more. :lookaroun j/k :lol: I realize though that a LOTR ride will never happen, but kudos to the op for even mentioning it.

 

[dazzer68]

looking at the pic of the arm thing it doesnt look like a disney type thing any way,disney dont do scary rides just fun family rides.give it to universal let em have it.
just my 2 cents worth!

 

[marni1971]

Maybe it`ll force the bean counters to allow the 4th gen EMV to be fully developed

 

[majortom1981]

hmm

The thing is though that disney must have an AWFUL lot of patents on robotics and animation figures sine they make there own.

So I dont see wh ythey couldnt make a bigger version of an arm they use on there aa's. That shouldnt break any patents since disney has been doing stuff like that with robbotics for an awful long time.

Why couldnt disney partner with another company? Cedar Fair and Six Flags help each other out when it comes to Rides so why couldn't disney?(they do especially when it comes to ttd and kk)

Six Flags and paramount both have/had sponebob 4d so the rest of the industry does it why couldnt disney?

Also if you build the ride right you dont have to worry about the theme dying. With harry potter when all the books are done (this year) and all the movies are made wouldnt there be the problem of harry potter dying out?

Disney has an advantage dince they make the characters and the movies that the rides are based on , So they can make sure that the themes don't die out.

 

[majortom1981]

Nintendo

If disney is really in that much trouble over this deal then why cant they do something like partnering with nintendo.

Nitnendo has a lot of characters that are very well known like mario and pokemon. They even go after the same crowd. Disney even setup a studio to create games for nintendo systems.

Disney has choices I think much bette1r choices then Universal.

 

[TimeTrip]

Why couldnt disney partner with another company? Cedar Fair and Six Flags help each other out when it comes to Rides so why couldn't disney?(they do especially when it comes to ttd and kk)

I don't think the fact that cedar point has TTD and six flags GA/NJ has KK means they are "helping each other out". I would think its more of a consequence that they both wanted the tallest fastest coaster in the world to establish a draw to their park. They just both happened to choose a coaster created by intamin, and that's as far as it goes.

 

[kcnole]

Six Flags and paramount both have/had sponebob 4d so the rest of the industry does it why couldnt disney?

Because Disney isn't Six Flags and Paramount. When the day comes that Disney has to partner with one of those lesser parks to keep its brand going we'll know that Disney is on its deathbed.

 

[RSoxNo1]

The Kuka arm is a good technology. I posted this here a while ago when rumors of a Kuka arm/robo coaster attraction were coming to Disney, for those of you that don't know, the first part of this video will give you an idea of how the kuka arm can work:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Gex9vT0Bq8

This is just speculation on my part, but I think we're probably going to see a morphing coaster as Disney's next E-Ticket. It makes sense in the context of what Universal is doing, it has long been rumored to be an addition to the Disney parks in the form of Dragon Towers and Fire Mountain. Whether the morphing coaster makes it's appearance in the form of one of these rides or some other form remains to be seen.

 

[mkepcotmgmak]

but I think we're probably going to see a morphing coaster as Disney's next E-Ticket.

what is a morphing coaster?

 

[RSoxNo1]

As I understand it, a morphing coaster is a coaster that switches mid ride from a more standard (track below) steel coaster to an inverted (track above) coaster.

The rumored Fire Mountain (Adventureland) and Dragon Towers (Beastly Kingdomme) were supposed to be morphing coasters based on some reports.

 

[majortom1981]

idk

Idk about a new technology coaster coming to disney world. Something like what you describe I dont see fitting in at disney.

If disney really wanted to they could make a robot arm like ride vehicle.

Heck they can combine arrows 4d teck with the robot arm.

4d coasters have a pice of tack that tellls the seats when to rotate so if you do something similiar you can do the same thing and get around the patants (the U.S. patant system is a joke).

 

[WDWFanatic]

Interesting technology, but it looks like alot of movement in to many directions. How would the coaster compensate for the weight of people being moved around like that? Wouldnt it create more drag and slow the coaster down?

oh and side note paramount parks were bought by cedar fair.

 

[Astronaut Jones]

I'm kind of failing to see the tragedy in this...

I would like to see something new that isn't a roller coaster or roller coaster-ish. I like fast rides and thrill rides but if their lacking the narrative aspects that really make Disney rides trump the competition, it's disappointing to me. Things like Rock'n'Roller Coaster and Everest are good rides (especially the latter) and have their place but I would like to see something new that's immersive in a classic Disney sense, something like Splash Mountain or the Haunted Mansion. I can get lost on those rides (figuratively).

 

[majortom1981]

I dont mean a roller coaster. I mean a 4d coaster uses a seperate track that tells the rotating seats how to rotate.

Disney can create there own version (of that robot arm)where they have maybe a track that tells the arm when to move .Therefore creating there own version.

Thats all I was saying I was just using the 4d coaster as an example (wich is at a six flags park not paramount)

 

[Astronaut Jones]

Bowie is incredible by the way

 

[erasure fan1]

Yea put me in the I dont think it amtters all that much camp. If Disney thought this was the end all be all they would have worked harder to get it. It looks like a cool bit of tech. but it never made me say oh man thats the best thing ever. I think Disney will come up with something cool, just like they did for dinosaur/indiana jones and so many others.