The old 7 Seas lagoon wave machine?

[mp2bill]

You know the story I read (don't remember where) was that ________ Nunis was the one behind this, and pushed for it even though others said it wouldn't work or be impractical. Supposedly he was even the first one to attempt to surf to prove it worked. Also the beach for many years was called "Surfrider Beach" even after the wave machine had stopped.

Richard, but they called him by the nickname, so maybe the filter takes out dirty words for male genitalia. :shrug:

 

[Fractal514]

Richard, but they called him by the nickname, so maybe the filter takes out dirty words for male genitalia. :shrug:

Like trouser snake, wedding tackle, pork and beans, family jewels, one-eyed wonder weasel... Those are fine, yet a person's name is not?

Oh btw, I think it's a damn shame they didn't figure out how to make the wave machine work without erosion, although at this point it doesn't matter since you can't swim in the lagoon anymore.

 

[EpcotServo]

See, everyone thinks it was a Wave Machine...When in reality waves were just a byproduct of early testing of what is really there: Disney's Weather Dominator. Which will be activated when Disney wants to rule the world by controlling hurricanes or making it snow at the beach.

 

[joe80x86]

I know there was back in the day alot of speculation as to whether the underwater portion of the wave machine was still there. Since I have always been totally fascinated by the wave machine from the first time I heard about it I have to ask.

Does anybody have any construction photos showing the installation of the machine before the lake was filled?

 

[Spike-in-Berlin]

Oh btw, I think it's a damn shame they didn't figure out how to make the wave machine work without erosion, although at this point it doesn't matter since you can't swim in the lagoon anymore.

It still would have been an asset for the Poly resort area, you would have heard the sound of the surf and the sight of breaking waves. It would have been terrific for the theming alone.

 

[IDreamOfDisney]

See, everyone thinks it was a Wave Machine...When in reality waves were just a byproduct of early testing of what is really there: Disney's Weather Dominator. Which will be activated when Disney wants to rule the world by controlling hurricanes or making it snow at the beach.

That was supposed to be a secret. :ROFLOL:

 

[Figment1986]

See, everyone thinks it was a Wave Machine...When in reality waves were just a byproduct of early testing of what is really there: Disney's Weather Dominator. Which will be activated when Disney wants to rule the world by controlling hurricanes or making it snow at the beach.

you know it's been malfunctioning lately... first in 2004 when it brought 3 hurricanes to FLA, then last winter when it made it colder than Canada :lol:

 

[Fizbain32]

Dang, it may be a thread resurrection but I learned something new!

 

[zweltar]

See, everyone thinks it was a Wave Machine...When in reality waves were just a byproduct of early testing of what is really there: Disney's Weather Dominator. Which will be activated when Disney wants to rule the world by controlling hurricanes or making it snow at the beach.

The new E-Ticket that we've all been waiting for!
:sohappy::sohappy::sohappy:

 

[Lord Pheonix]

there are 2 types of wave machines. one, like centrifuger stated is the type used in tl, it has large capacity holding tanks that fill with water, placed higher then the level of the pool or lake, then released suddenly. these types produce much larger and more powerfull waves then the other type, but only one every few minutes. the other type is basically a moving wall. one wall will have a series of hydraulic plates that move in and out in seriers, producing small waves at a higher frequency then the tl counterpart. typically found in ocean-goining and large vessel testing centers and universitys that study water dynamics on structures, land masses, etc.

if i were to guess, id say the laggon one would be simular to this.

 

[Spike-in-Berlin]

there are 2 types of wave machines. one, like centrifuger stated is the type used in tl, it has large capacity holding tanks that fill with water, placed higher then the level of the pool or lake, then released suddenly. these types produce much larger and more powerfull waves then the other type, but only one every few minutes. the other type is basically a moving wall. one wall will have a series of hydraulic plates that move in and out in seriers, producing small waves at a higher frequency then the tl counterpart. typically found in ocean-goining and large vessel testing centers and universitys that study water dynamics on structures, land masses, etc.

if i were to guess, id say the laggon one would be simular to this.

Actually you don't have to guess, it's quite clear, that the wave machine for the Polynesian must have been a mechanical paddle machine because there is no space for the REALLY huge water tanks used e.g. in TL and the tank technique is not able to produce a continious surf as it was planned at the Poly but instead creates the huge single waves we know from TL.

By the way wave machines are a German invention.
The oldest existing is in Germany, built in 1912 and still operating.

 

[_Scar]

Didn't the wave machine erode the sand on shore meaning it was virtually causing its own demise? :shrug:

Seems like a good excuse not to have a wave machine.

 

[Phonedave]

Didn't the wave machine erode the sand on shore meaning it was virtually causing its own demise? :shrug:

Seems like a good excuse not to have a wave machine.

The wave machine is/was on the island. The shore being eroded was at the Poly, where the waves were impinging.

The wave machine would have been fine. The shore across from it would need constant replenishment. (or a jetty)

-dave

 

[tikiman]

I know there was back in the day alot of speculation as to whether the underwater portion of the wave machine was still there. Since I have always been totally fascinated by the wave machine from the first time I heard about it I have to ask.

Does anybody have any construction photos showing the installation of the machine before the lake was filled?

I had two other photos of it somewhere but here is the one on my site.

http://www.tikimanpages.com/tiki/images/stories/history/wavemachine.jpg

The wave machine was removed in the mid 80s and no longer remains off the shore of Beachcomber Isle.

I have never seen a map or a sign that called the beach next to Tuvalu "Surf rider beach" but it is an interesting story.

From staff that was there during the few times it was opperated, they reported the waves were not large enough to surf. It was created to give the sound of waves on the beach.

 

[sublimesting]

I had two other photos of it somewhere but here is the one on my site.

http://www.tikimanpages.com/tiki/images/stories/history/wavemachine.jpg

The wave machine was removed in the mid 80s and no longer remains off the shore of Beachcomber Isle.

I have never seen a map or a sign that called the beach next to Tuvalu "Surf rider beach" but it is an interesting story.

From staff that was there during the few times it was opperated, they reported the waves were not large enough to surf. It was created to give the sound of waves on the beach.

What an eyesore.

 

[SwooshOU]

Just to do a little Imagineering here...

The Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas has a sandy beach wave pool.

Now, imagine a sandy beach wave pool within the Seven Seas Lagoon that would splash against the Polynesian beach.

Thick plexiglass panels could separate the lake water from the pool. The plexiglass could extend slightly above the lake's surface so as not to spill into the pool water.

The Polynesian would get their waves, beachgoers would get their sand and surfers would get their waves.

That would be very Disney and VERY cool...

 

[SMRT-1]

Just to do a little Imagineering here...

The Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas has a sandy beach wave pool.

Now, imagine a sandy beach wave pool within the Seven Seas Lagoon that would splash against the Polynesian beach.

Thick plexiglass panels could separate the lake water from the pool. The plexiglass could extend slightly above the lake's surface so as not to spill into the pool water.

The Polynesian would get their waves, beachgoers would get their sand and surfers would get their waves.

That would be very Disney and VERY cool...

I have had this same idea...would be good also for the Yacht Club Resort.

 

[fabroman]

wow, very cool.

 

[kaos]

Thread bump, but I was so bored this evening watching the all-loser (star) game that I decided to answer the questions.

I stayed at the Contemporary in 1978 and swimming in BL was allowed (not anymore however). There were roped areas like any other lake beach would have.

In 1980, we stayed at Poly and were allowed to swim in SSL, again in the roped area. I also remember early on at GF that there was a roped swimming area. Yacht Club NEVER allowed swimming, but Beach Club did, and again, had a roped off area.

In the early WDW literature, surfing was indeed listed as a Poly activity. it wasn't the beach erosion of surfing landing area that was eroding, it was the "beach/stage" area of Luau Cove that was being eroded. Adding more white sand was no problem, but constant wave beating on the cement brakes were causing the additional maintenance. The man made island covers the motors for the panels and was landscaped to cover the above waterline machinery, which wasn't much. The above water features in the images we've all seen are actually the warning buoy's and ropes to keep people from getting too close to the panels. The panels did move about 3-4 feet, and they were capable of 8 foot waves. The wave machine did not shut down completely in the mid-1970's- it operated until GF was built, but on a much slower speed, gently pushing water towards the Poly beach and Laua Cove to create the "crashing wave sound" heard during the luau's. The panels are stainless steel and rubber plated, and are black, and sit just below the water line to prevent white capping of the waves. The machine is still present in it's installed position, and will probably remain dormant forever. It cannot be removed unless the island, now full with trees and other growth, gets removed as well.

 

[kaos]

That would be amazing. They could do it too, there are those pools that drop off at the edge, I think they're called infinity pools. It looks like there is no edge and it over looks stuff, sometimes the ocean. Anyway how brilliant would that be?

And I loved reading this thread, its stuff like this that makes Disney so great. (And I don't know why people always freak out when someone bumps an old thread. Seriously chill out.)

Disney pioneered this technology in a water park called River Country. It's still used and in place at the WL pools, seemingly fed by BL, but the water that enters the pool is not directly from the lake.