Excavator Coaster Coming to Dinoland U.S.A.?

[MisterPenguin]

That's right... go and drag my name into this....

OK!....

I will try and see if I recorded any notes on the last conversation, but off the top of my head, Dinosaur = Rethemed to an Indy Ride (not 100% the same as DL). PW - Removed. TS - removed, new E-Ticket replacing PW and TS (potential water ride). Not recalling any change to the dig site other them light re-theming. Potential 3rd attraction but very little was mentioned. As it stood, net loss of 1 attraction but the new would be an E versus the C and D it would replace. As for the water ride aspect, since I was lead to believe DHS SWL was getting a water ride and we know how that turned out, I have less confidence in this happening at AK. Keep in mind, it has been over a month since Serpico and I spoke at all and even longer since AK was mentioned. Like @marni1971 said, I believe something will happen in this area, I just tend to think it will happen a little sooner. . .

Nothing Coaster-style in your tea leaves?

I've been collecting yours and the other's hints for the next rumor tracker update. This thread beat me to it.

 

[EagleScout610]

Wonder how long til that thing goes Disco on us

 

[Princess Leia]

I'd rather have Quest of The Unicorn than more dinosaurs...

I'd really like to have both

 

[PorterRedkey]

I am not a coaster rider. I think most of the New rides coming are coasters ( gotg, tron, slinky dog). I understand some people love them but throw the rest of us a bone. I go to Disney because it actually had rides I will ride. I hope that's not changing.

You should be happy that they are also adding the 2 Star Wars attractions, new Mickey ride, and Ratatouille. All 4 are E-tickets. 3 darks rides and 1 simulator. Most if not all should be open in the next 3 years.

EDIT: I see this was addressed above. Nothing to see here... Move along.

 

[stretchsje]

For anyone else wanting a brief history of the Excavator Coaster concept (as I did), this is pretty good:
http://jimhillmedia.com/editor_in_c...er-built-at-disney-s-animal-kingdom-park.aspx

... In the initial mythology that the Imagineers worked out for Dinoland, U.S.A., the Excavator was supposedly to be a piece of equipment which was left over from this archaeological site's sand-and-gravel-pit days. It was this series of ore cars that had once been used to haul materials up out of the heart of this pit over to the area where the dump trucks got loaded up. But over time, due to over-digging, as the sand in this pit began to shift, the Excavator began to be really unsafe to operate.

So the sand and gravel company then basically shut this series of ore cars down. And the Excavator stands empty and abandoned for a few years, becoming even more rickety and unsafe. And then that wealthy benefactor buys this sand-and-gravel pit and sets all of these crazy college students loose on this massive archaeological site.

"And what do these college kids do with this obviously unsafe piece of industrial equipment?," you ask. Why they fire it up again, of course. Not only because the Excavator is fun for them to ride. But also because they're now using these old, rusty ore cars to haul some of the larger dinosaur bones that they've discovered around this archaeological site back to base camp.

It goes on to say it was designed to one-up Thunder Mountain Railroad, but it was never built for the same reason we never saw Beastly Kingdom (or "Beastie Kingdomme"), which was that the DAK project was going over budget and thus things ended up on the chopping block. When the Excavator concept was to be revisited, guests were clamoring for kiddie rides, and thus what we have today is what was built instead. Cheaply.

Most exciting, it appears the concept was for a wooden roller coaster. I've always wondered how Disney would fare with a wooden coaster.

 

[peter11435]

For anyone else wanting a brief history of the Excavator Coaster concept (as I did), this is pretty good:
http://jimhillmedia.com/editor_in_c...er-built-at-disney-s-animal-kingdom-park.aspx



It goes on to say it was designed to one-up Thunder Mountain Railroad, but it was never built for the same reason we never saw Beastly Kingdom (or "Beastie Kingdomme"), which was that the DAK project was going over budget and thus things ended up on the chopping block. When the Excavator concept was to be revisited, guests were clamoring for kiddie rides, and thus what we have today is what was built instead. Cheaply.

Most exciting, it appears the concept was for a wooden roller coaster. I've always wondered how Disney would fare with a wooden coaster.

I'm pretty sure the concept was for a "wooden" coaster just like California Screamin'. It would have appeared to be wood but would have actually been steel.

 

[stretchsje]

I'm pretty sure the concept was for a "wooden" coaster just like California Screamin'. It would have appeared to be wood would have actually been steel.

I figured (it wouldn't make sense to put theming or rockwork on a flexing wooden frame), but was crossing my fingers otherwise. Hardly anyone builds new wooden coasters anymore, and the old ones are all being retracked with those RMC I-beam rails. (Which I'm not complaining about, they give a great ride too, but I love a well-maintained classic woodie.)

 

[Bacon]

The area doesn't bother me but I can't believe this Coaster got through planning. For all the moaning about the current management, this is the sort of crap they were churning out in the early naughties.

Best decade of all was the early naughties

 

[Bacon]

Does anyone else think that AK has enough thrill rides? It needs some slow dark rides.

Na'vi was a step in the right direction for AK For sure. They need more old school look around and enjoy the scenery rides for a park about nature and animals.

 

[trainplane3]

I figured (it wouldn't make sense to put theming or rockwork on a flexing wooden frame), but was crossing my fingers otherwise. Hardly anyone builds new wooden coasters anymore, and the old ones are all being retracked with those RMC I-beam rails. (Which I'm not complaining about, they give a great ride too, but I love a well-maintained classic woodie.)

That passed through my mind. I think it's safe to say that a wood coaster for AK is dead. I'm not sure if I would want WDW maintaining a wood coaster. RMC would be way too perfect, if Disney can step away from Vekoma. They could make it look like a rugged coaster but be smooth and pack a punch without needing inversions. And they have the option of a regular lift or a launch. Then there's the appropriately named T-Rex and Raptor trax from RMC.

 

[999th Happy Haunt]

That passed through my mind. I think it's safe to say that a wood coaster for AK is dead. I'm not sure if I would want WDW maintaining a wood coaster. RMC would be way too perfect, if Disney can step away from Vekoma. They could make it look like a rugged coaster but be smooth and pack a punch without needing inversions. And they have the option of a regular lift or a launch. Then there's the appropriately named T-Rex and Raptor trax from RMC.

I would absolutely love to see Disney work with RMC.

 

[marni1971]

Best decade of all was the early naughties

I take it you weren't around for the late 80s / early 90s?

 

[larandtra]

I think there is a good balance in all of the new attractions which are on their way. As someone who enjoys both dark rides, family rides, as well as high intensity thrill rides, I would be very curious to see how Disney would approach theming in a wooden coaster setting. The park that , as of late, when it comes to thrill coasters, has done the best job of "theming" and fitting a very loose story into the attraction has been BG Williamsburg. The new wooden they have with multiple launch points is actually a lot of fun and is well themed as is the dropping track Verbolten steel coaster. Just because things are coasters , even outdoors coasters, doesnt mean they cant be well themed as well as be a little intimidating to look at as they rush by. If they were to toss out a wooden, well themed archaeological based coaster, I would be all over it.

 

[Bacon]

I take it you weren't around for the late 80s / early 90s?

Nope, I was. Just making fun of the Grammar

 

[alias8703]

(Which I'm not complaining about, they give a great ride too, but I love a well-maintained classic woodie.)

 

[matt9112]

Does anyone else think that AK has enough thrill rides? It needs some slow dark rides.

it just got one.......the world can't be a giant magic kingdom.

 

[Kman101]

Yeah but the park could use a couple more of those ...

 

[Timothy_Q]

it just got one.......the world can't be a giant magic kingdom.

Everest, Dinosaur and FoP are all rides that can cause motion sickness / that not everyone can ride.

The park does need a signature E ticket dark ride for everyone. River Journey is not enough

 

[solidyne]

...the world can't be a giant magic kingdom.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

I'm disappointed they're not building the e ticket boat ride. Very poor decision. I would only be on board with this project if that happened.