Does Everest have a secret faster setting for Extra Magic Hour nights?

[disneytopdog]

As some one had said EE runs 3 trains. That would mean that they have some type of 3 zone safety system. Safety zones are seperated by lifts or a lift and safety break. This allows only one train into each section of the ride and in the event of a rollback this system prevents a train from entering another zone until the train that is in that zone has cleared it and moved into the next zone of the ride. There are proximity sensors that detect where each train is in the ride route. The train has a certain amount of time to make it from one point to another. If it gets there to fast or too slow the ride can time out and shut down until the computer can figure out where the trains are.

I based this on my college days of working at a 4 train roller coaster at a Six Flags park as a driver. Now this was back in the 80's but I am sure that they still use a same type of technology.

So to answer the question I dont think they can change the speed of a train

 

[dxwwf3]

I know people from the opening team.

I've been in the tower before. There are no special settings for "nighttime" beyond external lighting.

Also let me say that I never thought it was a special setting. I just couldn't figure out why it was running faster that night than it normally does when I have ridden at night in the past.

I think that less trains on the track is the reasoning. I believe that if people could experience it when it is in that state, they would be willing to wait longer for a better ride experience.

 

[Rob562]

As some one had said EE runs 3 trains. That would mean that they have some type of 3 zone safety system.

Actually, I believe the maximum operating capacity on EE is 4 trains (and they have 5). And the minimum number of blocking "zones" on a coaster must be one more than the number of trains running on it. (because each train must have an empty zone to enter, so there must be at least one empty zone at all times, otherwise there's gridlock.

On EE the zones (to the best of my knowledge) in the order you encounter them on the ride are:
-Load
-Track up to and including the first lift
-Track up to and including second lift
-Interior sections of the mountain
(I don't know whether the hold-point at the top of the mountain is included with the second lift or the interior zone)
-Drop out of the mountain through the hold brake after the helix
-Yeti room through hold brake before unload
-Unload

So if they wanted, they *could* run all 5 trains, but it would take a very big effort from the crew to keep the trains cycling through to prevent any cascade backups from occurring, which would be Bad Show.

-Rob

 

[fosse76]

I can't find a link or a source, but I would assume that the colder temperatures might have an effect on the speed of the coaster. That or the coaster running all day might cause a slight increase in speed later on.

The colder it is outside, the slower the roller coaster will travel. This is from first-hand knowledge, having operated 5 different rollercoasters in my career at Six Flags. Generally, rides SEEM faster in the dark...you have only minimal light whirling by, so it increases your perception of the speed...and generall there is a cooler breeze at night, which makes it feel faster. But in reality, the ride is most likely going slower than it was at 3pm-4pm (the hottest part of the day, in general).

Coasters DO go faster at night. Well, cooler nights anyway. If its a hot day and it drops cooler at night, and the dew points are high, you will get condensation on the tracks. This condensation lessens the friction between the wheels and track. It is MUCH more noticeable on wooden coasters, but I've experienced it on many steel coasters. You mainly see this condition just after dusk/sunset.

Condensation doesn't generally build up on coaster tracks to affect the speed significantly. It may serve as another greasing tool, which is essential for a coaster to operate smoothly...so at best the condensation, if any, would cause the ride to operate at the same speed it had during the day...but rarely if ever faster. Rain, on the other hand, would cause a significant increase in speed. But keep in mind, most rides are designed to operate at a certain speed, and if the computer controlling the ride's operating system detects the ride is moving too fast, it will shut it down.

 

[xsupaxmanxsfnex]

That's exactly right. Being in the dark just makes it seem faster. You will notice the same phenomenon when you ride BTMRR at night.

Just add onto this. You are very correct. At the camp I was just at at Disney we had a tour at Magic Kingdom before the park opened. Our first stop was Space Mtn. We were told that we were going to ride Space Mtn with the lights on and then in the dark to see the differences. We rode with the lights on (amazing experience!) and the ride felt very slow and not as exciting. The tour guide gave us a note pad and we had to say how high we thought the coaster was, how long it was in seconds, how fast, and how tall the biggest drop was. Then we rode it in the dark and had to do the same. Everything was enhanced and was way more exciting.
So most likely it was just being in the dark that made you feel that way.

 

[Fade_to_Blah]

I just dont think its reasonable to say that they flip a switch in the everest control room and suddenly its faster. Not to mention that the imagineers planned to have this secret faster setting, and not to mention kept it secret. And they only do this secret faster setting during EMH. And they went through all the extra engineering to have two speed settings. Sorry it just doesnt make sense to me and would be very surprised to find out if that was the case.

I think the logical explanation, as it usually is, is something simpler. Lighter train, less people....something along those lines.

 

[coasterphil]

Lighter trains result in slower speeds, not faster ones.

 

[Space Mountain]

Everest can run 5 trains and they have ran 5 trains at once. Lift speed is all that can be changed; HOWEVER, this would require a software update on the entire ride system, and I know engineering wouldn't change this for just one night. When was the last time you rode EE before the "faster ride cycle"?? If it has been a while, of course you are going to think that you are going faster. Everyone else who has commented on the weight is correct. You may have had a heavier load than usual. At night the trains WILL go faster, because the ride has been running all day consistantly. As for a noticablly faster ride cycle, it is highly unlikely as an E-Stop would have resulted for an overspeed alarm and you wouldn't have made it back into the station [inside the train], aka (evac).

 

[EpcotServo]

I'd be really surprised if a ride system of that accuracy would allow for the ride to go at different speeds. It opens up a whole rat's nest over safety approval and design limitations.

Yep. But it DOES go faster and slower none-the-less!
:lol:


As others have said cold/heat/weight all have an effect on speed. Sometimes they've gone slow, and sometimes they go faster than normal. (add that to the fact that everything seems faster at night, that'd be the reason for this rumor.)

Faster is reasonbly ok. Slower is a problem. (Let me tell you what you don't want...you don't want to valley in the Byron curve. THAT's a bad day right there.)

 

[sarabi]

You know the only way to settle this is to take a stopwatch on it and ride it once during the day and once during night EMH and compare times...

 

[disneytopdog]

So if they wanted, they *could* run all 5 trains, but it would take a very big effort from the crew to keep the trains cycling through to prevent any cascade backups from occurring, which would be Bad Show.

-Rob[/quote]

FIVE TRAINS!!!!!! That would make for one hopping station crew.

We had 3 lifts, the reduction brake & the station. After a 8 hour shift on a four train Saturday your fingers were so sore from holding down the different station brakes

 

[EpcotServo]

Actually, I believe the maximum operating capacity on EE is 4 trains (and they have 5). And the minimum number of blocking "zones" on a coaster must be one more than the number of trains running on it. (because each train must have an empty zone to enter, so there must be at least one empty zone at all times, otherwise there's gridlock.

So if they wanted, they *could* run all 5 trains, but it would take a very big effort from the crew to keep the trains cycling through to prevent any cascade backups from occurring, which would be Bad Show.

-Rob

Yes. Four trains was how the ride was meant to run. (Five Trains DOES mean constant cascades) But management had a cracker jack idea to mess with Lift B so that they can run all Five Trains. It was a waste of time and money and caused nothing but cascades.
:hammer:

 

[EvanAnderson]

Haha this thread cracks me up. OOOOooo let's go ride it at night, they'll speed it up for us!!!!

 

[dxwwf3]

I went last night and as I expected it ran the same way it "always" does. It was pretty crowded and I know more than 3 trains were running.

It would be interesting to ride it again on an uncrowded day/night to see if the attraction runs the same way it did that night in June.

 

[Tom Morrow]

Even on an uncrowded day, its unlikely you would get a nearly empty train, which is needed to notice any kind of difference in the speed.