Safari vehicles Gas or Electric

[Hakunamatata]

That's propane and propane accessories. :wave:

My bad.....

 

[miles1]

While we're on the subject, to what extent are the trucks actually "driven" by the "drivers"? I mean, are they actually driving them like a road-going vehicle, or are they guided by a transmitter or wire arrangement, like the theater seats in UOE? Further, are they timed, or are the drivers free to stop and go as they see fit?

 

[mkt]

While we're on the subject, to what extent are the trucks actually "driven" by the "drivers"? I mean, are they actually driving them like a road-going vehicle, or are they guided by a transmitter or wire arrangement, like the theater seats in UOE? Further, are they timed, or are the drivers free to stop and go as they see fit?

They can be driven as normal vehicles... as I recall during my days working the backstage AK Van Driver shifts in Entertainment... I'd be stuck behind those godforsaken sloths for 15 minutes at a time for several hundred yards in what would normally be a 5 minute drive from A-B

 

[head mouse]

While we're on the subject, to what extent are the trucks actually "driven" by the "drivers"? I mean, are they actually driving them like a road-going vehicle, or are they guided by a transmitter or wire arrangement, like the theater seats in UOE? Further, are they timed, or are the drivers free to stop and go as they see fit?

You should watch the Travel Channel special on Animal Kingdom

The trucks have sensors that work like dopler to let the main system know where each truck is on the raod. That way if an animal is blocking the road and the truck has to stop, another truck wont hit them. The trucks are not on any rail or guiding system. They are "free roaming"

 

[PBarton]

You should watch the Travel Channel special on Animal Kingdom

The trucks have sensors that work like dopler to let the main system know where each truck is on the raod. That way if an animal is blocking the road and the truck has to stop, another truck wont hit them. The trucks are not on any rail or guiding system. They are "free roaming"

Hi, not been on here for a while :wave:

Is it right that the drivers compartment on the truck is isolated from the passenger compartment? When we last visited I seem to remember being bounced around as usual, but as we were sat on the front row of seating, I could see that in the drivers part of the truck that the ride was completely smooth. Is the passenger compartment on a sort of "shaker table"? Looking at the road ahead, it sure did look smooth, or at least smoother that it should be for the amount of jostling that we were recieving!

 

[Rob562]

Hi, not been on here for a while :wave:

Is it right that the drivers compartment on the truck is isolated from the passenger compartment? When we last visited I seem to remember being bounced around as usual, but as we were sat on the front row of seating, I could see that in the drivers part of the truck that the ride was completely smooth. Is the passenger compartment on a sort of "shaker table"? Looking at the road ahead, it sure did look smooth, or at least smoother that it should be for the amount of jostling that we were recieving!

I'm not an expert on automobiles, but I believe that has more to do with the setup of the suspension than Disney trying to make it "rougher" for the Guests. A shorter vehicle, like your typical SUV, can get away with the body of the vehicle being one piece, and just the axles and related suspension parts moving. But for the long wheelbase and the very rough terrain, the front and back parts of the truck are separate. I believe it's the same for larger box trucks and dump trucks. The rear portion isn't directly connected to the cab.

The driver is getting just as jostled, they're just moving at a different time (and a different direction) than you are.

I'm sure a more knowledgeable car person can fill in the gaps in my explanation.

-Rob

 

[niteobsrvr]

I'm not an expert on automobiles, but I believe that has more to do with the setup of the suspension than Disney trying to make it "rougher" for the Guests. A shorter vehicle, like your typical SUV, can get away with the body of the vehicle being one piece, and just the axles and related suspension parts moving. But for the long wheelbase and the very rough terrain, the front and back parts of the truck are separate. I believe it's the same for larger box trucks and dump trucks. The rear portion isn't directly connected to the cab.

The driver is getting just as jostled, they're just moving at a different time (and a different direction) than you are.

I'm sure a more knowledgeable car person can fill in the gaps in my explanation.

-Rob

I dont know this for sure about the safari vehicles, but I would guess the Drivers seat is pneumatic. Which means air pistons compensate for the movement of the vehicle so that the driver has an easier time maintaining control and not receiving repetitive stress injuries. THat si the way a lot of commercial vehicles are set up.

 

[disneykid23]

Problem #2, there's only 1 Biodiesel pump open to the public in the Orange-Osceola County area (located in Kissimmee on John Young Parkway), out of a grand total of 2 pumps in Central Florida.

eg, it's actually easier for me to find a pump selling 110 Octane racing fuel than it is to find a pump selling Biodiesel (oe E85 or any other alternative fuel in Central Florida)

Granted, Disney isn't the average consumer and if they are so inclined, they'll have a Biodiesel pump in no time... as well as an E85 pump, Hydrogen filling station, and power station for GM EV1's (and the people who do aftermarket work to the various Hybrids using Toyota's technology).

As for sentence #2, that'd be interesting... however, if my dog won't follow the smell of vegetable oil, I doubt they will as wel. However, I wonder if I'll follow an E85 Vehicle because its exhaust smells like Vodka :lookaroun

As of right now Disney is testing BioDiesel about 40 buses to see what the emisions ratings are. When i was working one day in August i had to take my bus down to be tested for the last time and the guy there said all the reading were really good and most likly they would be switching over to Biodiesel for all the buses. Disney has there own Biodiesel pump and if they do the switch over i would not be surprised that they would start to make there own Biodiesel considering they recycle everything else in the parks and resorts.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

I thought they were powered by hot air harvested from message boards

 

[mkt]

As of right now Disney is testing BioDiesel about 40 buses to see what the emisions ratings are. When i was working one day in August i had to take my bus down to be tested for the last time and the guy there said all the reading were really good and most likly they would be switching over to Biodiesel for all the buses. Disney has there own Biodiesel pump and if they do the switch over i would not be surprised that they would start to make there own Biodiesel considering they recycle everything else in the parks and resorts.

Wow... That's rather surprising, given the typical higher cost of Biodiesel v. normal Diesel. I was under the impression that Disney used the cheapest diesel they could legally run the busses with.

 

[VillanovaBlue]

Sure, but with all of the people following the truck, the driver would be screwed.

So then he'd be a, all together now, a "screwed driver" !!!
:lol::lol::hammer:

 

[Dragonrider1227]

They use propane.. but Disney is tryn to come up with an even safer way to make the trucks go.. propane is what they use for now until they figure out a way to use vegetable oil... This is most likley the safest way to run the truck. with out doing any internal harm to the animals

I'd love to see automobiles running on Vegatable Oil. I hope Disney breaks through with THIS idea

 

[C&D]

It's not costlier when you get the used cooking oil for nothing. And cars can run on cooking oil if they have a diesel engine.

 

[C&D]

So then he'd be a, all together now, a "screwed driver" !!!
:lol::lol::hammer:

Of course if the "screwed driver" were Italian and his last name was Galiano, then that would make his first name Harvey and then he would be a Harvey Wallbanger. But I/we digress.

 

[niteobsrvr]

It's not costlier when you get the used cooking oil for nothing.

Actually most restaurants pay to have their cooking oil hauled away so the price of used cooking oil is largely irrelavant. The cost comes in cleaning and storing the used oil, mixing it with the diesel and transporting it to the biodiesel pumps which are few and far between.

 

[Madison]

Actually most restaurants pay to have their cooking oil hauled away so the price of used cooking oil is largely irrelavant. The cost comes in cleaning and storing the used oil, mixing it with the diesel and transporting it to the biodiesel pumps which are few and far between.

We also don't and can't produce enough vegetable oil to meet demand were all vehicles converted to run on biodiesel.

 

[mkt]

Actually most restaurants pay to have their cooking oil hauled away so the price of used cooking oil is largely irrelavant. The cost comes in cleaning and storing the used oil, mixing it with the diesel and transporting it to the biodiesel pumps which are few and far between.

oh, the one in Kissimmee on John Young Or the one in Melbourne?

I honestly didn't know that WDW has a biodiesel pump on property