Flying Saucers

[devoy1701]

Those attractions aren't in the same league as Speedway... Speedway could go tomorrow and no one would miss it...

I beg your pardon... :fork:

I never understood the appeal of the flying saucers. In a nut shell, they're just bumper cars. Big deal.:shrug:

Although I agree with this statement about the original Flying Saucers from DL, i bet the new tech could make it a pretty neat ride...especially if it would be put indoors where theming could take the ride to a whole new level! In fact, what if they found a way to make a floor with elevation changes!!! I'm getting excited...

 

[MousDad]

Those attractions aren't in the same league as Speedway... Speedway could go tomorrow and no one would miss it...

Aside from the highly-debatable absolute, the people not missing the Speedway might wonder what the other 95% of the unused land is doing sitting there. A more reasonable statement would have been "replace the Speedway with the Saucers and another C or D ticket" or "rebuild the Speedway incorporating futuristic, saucer-like hovercraft vehicles." (Hey, maybe the USAF would sponsor that one.)

That being said, though, all this talk about replacing attractions like SGE, TLF and the Speedway with a B ticket at best carnival ride is a sterling example of "land theming and attraction placement is paramount" gone whacko.

 

[miles1]

Those attractions aren't in the same league as Speedway... Speedway could go tomorrow and no one would miss it...

I know that my kids would miss the speedway a lot, especially my 8 yo daughter who loves to "drive" herself.

I've never seen the saucers in action before. Thanks for the video. After watching, I have to wonder how many complaints they had about lower back strain, both from the lateral collision forces and the bouncing. Maybe that led to the rides demise? I'm sure a modern version would be radically different because of this.

 

[jt04]

Aside from the highly-debatable absolute, the people not missing the Speedway might wonder what the other 95% of the unused land is doing sitting there. A more reasonable statement would have been "replace the Speedway with the Saucers and another C or D ticket" or "rebuild the Speedway incorporating futuristic, saucer-like hovercraft vehicles." (Hey, maybe the USAF would sponsor that one.)

That being said, though, all this talk about replacing attractions like SGE, TLF and the Speedway with a B ticket at best carnival ride is a sterling example of "land theming and attraction placement is paramount" gone whacko.

So are you are conceding I didn't help you with your "problem"?

I noticed you didn't respond to me in the TTA thread. Now would be a nice time.

Without theming, continuity and backstory, Disney would never have risen to being much more than a Six Flags or magic mountain. That is just the plain truth. But perhaps, "You can't handle the Truth!"<-- Jack Nicholson smilley

 

[Rob562]

I've never seen the saucers in action before. Thanks for the video. After watching, I have to wonder how many complaints they had about lower back strain, both from the lateral collision forces and the bouncing. Maybe that led to the rides demise? I'm sure a modern version would be radically different because of this.

The original Saucers closed because the ride was ahead of its time from a technology standpoint. The design of the pressurized air floor wasn't reliable enough.

Part of the problem was the saucers you see in the video sitting there bouncing up and down in place. If too many were doing it at the same time, the pressure would drop too low in the system and all of the floor vents would pop open at the same time releasing all the pressure (and apparently with a fairly loud "boom" as all the vents dropped open together and the pressure released). It was a fairly common occurence.
The reset procedure was very time-consuming as they had to reset all the dampers under the floor and then them up one at a time as they pressurized the system.

Common shutdowns combined with a relatively low-capacity attraction is what doomed the original.

It's presumed that with modern air valve technology, these types of shutdowns would be eliminated.

-Rob

 

[MousDad]

So are you are conceding I didn't help you with your "problem"?

I noticed you didn't respond to me in the TTA thread. Now would be a nice time.

You answered the question (eventually). I didn't know a response was required.

Without theming, continuity and backstory, Disney would never have risen to being much more than a Six Flags or magic mountain. That is just the plain truth.

I just don't agree with that. I think that Disney Parks rose to where they are for other reasons. I honestly think the theming/backstory mantra has evolved over time with the connoseurs (and fanboys) of the product.

 

[jt04]

You answered the question (eventually). I didn't know a response was required.



I just don't agree with that. I think that Disney Parks rose to where they are for other reasons. I honestly think the theming/backstory mantra has evolved over time with the connoseurs (and fanboys) of the product.

That just shows you are ignorant of the depth of Disney theme park design. Now I mean "ignorant" in the sense of you just are not educated on the subject and not as an insult. That level of detail in park design stems from Walt Disney's standards from day one and is not a recent "evolution" in Imagineering design. It's OK to be uninformed about what exactly makes up a Disney theme park, I'm just suprised you so openly advertise that lack of knowledge in a public forum. :shrug:

 

[Lee]

The reset procedure was very time-consuming as they had to reset all the dampers under the floor and then them up one at a time as they pressurized the system.

Yep.
Some poor guy had to crawl under the floor with a broomstick and poke the dampers closed.
Who wants that job?:lookaroun

 

[MousDad]

That level of detail in park design stems from Walt Disney's standards from day one and is not a recent "evolution" in Imagineering design. It's OK to be uninformed about what exactly makes up a Disney theme park, I'm just suprised you so openly advertise that lack of knowledge in a public forum. :shrug:

I didn't say its practice evolved over time. I said it's level of importance (as the paramount factor in determining success/appeal/profitability of attractions/lands/parks) evolved in certain people's minds over time. Just my opinion.

 

[devoy1701]

I didn't say its practice evolved over time. I said it's level of importance (as the paramount factor in determining success/appeal/profitability of attractions/lands/parks) evolved in certain people's minds over time. Just my opinion.

I disagree with you...respectfully...in the sense that as of late, back story seems to be dwindeling in level of importance and how marketable a character can be and how successful the movie it was featured in is trumping...or in the sense of Soarin, how successful it was at another Resort and how much cheaper it is to cloan it here rather than develop a WDW unique attraction.

Face it, Soarin' fits great at California Adventure...a themepark devoted entirely to celebrating the wonders of that state, but it's a VERY FAR stretch being in the Land Pavilion at Epcot.

the backstory it probably the MOST important thing when creating an attraction and IMO always has been.

And I do agree with JT in that the theming and story of WDW parks are what set them apart from Universal, Busch, or 6 Flags Adventure Parks...the WDW Attractions are not just squeezed in, out of the box, ordinary attractions with standard switchback queues.

 

[MousDad]

the backstory it probably the MOST important thing when creating an attraction and IMO always has been.

I just can't go that far with it (in regards to placement). I don't think those "constraints" should be flaunted, but I can't go with that as the ultimate standard of success.

 

[devoy1701]

I just can't go that far with it (in regards to placement). I don't think those "constraints" should be flaunted, but I can't go with that as the ultimate standard of success.

Lately I agree with you on that final point...as I mentioned with Soarin'...it has no place in the Land or in Epcot (or WDW for that matter) but it is the most successful attraction on property right now.

But you are making it sound like the Flying Saucers have no business in Tomorrowland at all...but they would fit the original backstory of Tomorrowland (which seems to be dissapating), they are pretty innovative...and they would be a people eater...considering they're pretty cool and wouldn't have that high of a ride capacity per rotation or whatever the operational term is...meaning people will be in the queue.

Just look at rides like Dumbo and the Magic Carpets or the Astro Orbiter...not very thrilling, themed ok... and are pretty successful in terms of drawing a line...

 

[raven]

I didn't see anyone comment yet (maybe they did) but part of the problem on the original was the different weights of the guests. I believe they said it on the video. But if a heave person got on the ride it would just sit there. If a small child got on it would be all over the place and hard to control. So there were many more problems that came up that they didn't expect. If they were to make a new one with the same technology they would have to address that problem. Maybe electro magnectics would work better. I'm sure they already have it planned though. They have amazing imagineers.

 

[MousDad]

But you are making it sound like the Flying Saucers have no business in Tomorrowland at all...

Nope. Wasn't said. My posts were in response to those who said the saucers would be a fitting replacement for TLF or SGE.

By the way, if saucers fit thematically (alien transport) why doesn't Stitch (alien who flies in a saucer) fit thematically?

 

[burninup4nick]

This might sound realllyyyy stupid. but what are flying saucers?????

 

[WDWmazprty]

Take me to your leader...

 

[Vernonpush]

I've been waiting over 45 years to ride the Flying Saucers. My first visit to Disneyland I was too small, my second visit - they were gone. ( My family thought I was "imagining" the ride when I told them I missed it on our second visit. :lol

 

[Rob562]

This might sound realllyyyy stupid. but what are flying saucers?????

Look for my post at the bottom of Page 1 of this thread. It has YouTube links to videos from the saucers when they were at Disneyland in the 60's.

-Rob