The story about the "drop" at Pirates in Disneyland and why it was put in there

[FettFan]

So I checked with an expert, and he said for WDW, it is both the ramp to the loading area and the drop to get you under the train tracks. Both are needed. The tour guide is kinda correct in that the drop does finally get you under, but without the ramp, the drop would have to be similar to DL.

Yarp.

 

[Robbiem]

Interesting thread - I never though of the queue taking you down before in Florida. Does anyone know where the speedramp and unload is in relation to the railway above? I assume it takes you under the tracks like space mountain and the boats do a similar but smaller lift to the loading bay?

 

[castlecake2.0]

Seeing that map made me remember that there used to be two loading platforms. Has anyone ever seen any pictures of that?

 

[Poseidon Quest]

Seeing that map made me remember that there used to be two loading platforms. Has anyone ever seen any pictures of that?

They still load from both platforms.

 

[castlecake2.0]

They still load from both platforms.

I meant channels I guess, if you look at the map in the thread you can see where the flume spilts at the load station. Now it’s one flume which loads on both sides.

 

[marni1971]

All this - and more - coming to a video near you next month

 

[marni1971]

Interesting thread - I never though of the queue taking you down before in Florida. Does anyone know where the speedramp and unload is in relation to the railway above?

Railroad is approximately above the half of unload closest to the cast podium.

 

[SkiDude007]

Railroad is approximately above the half of unload closest to the cast podium.View attachment 571393

So looking at that diagram it looks like the RR is directly above where the unload dock is located, just before you step onto the speed ramp.

 

[SkiDude007]

I meant channels I guess, if you look at the map in the thread you can see where the flume spilts at the load station. Now it’s one flume which loads on both sides.

Yes I remember as a kid in the early 90's at WDW they had 2 channels at load. The load areas for both channels where nearly directly across from each other and the belt system at the docks to hold the boats for loading were much shorter than the legnth today.

I know by the time I finally went back to WDW again in 2006 they had just the 1 channel set up with loading from both sides that they have today.

I remember reading somewhere many years ago they had an issue with the boats frequently slowing up and getting stuck at the merge point also the dispatch system controling the ride was ancient and somtimes would have a "brain fart" and dipatch both chanels to the merge point at the same time causing the boats to get stuck at the merge point requiring a cast member to have to get into the water to un-jam them. I vaguely remembered riding it as a kid there was some sort of underwater fin in each channel as you neared the merge point to hold a boat in one channel for the other to pass a sensor somewhere shortly after the merge point. I also remember reading somthing about a safety issue with the merge point / the underwater fin that a kid left his hand dangling in the water got his their hand smashed and lost their thumb.

With the curent day set up they kept the left load channel [right side of the diagram], rebuit the other dock over the old right load channel, and extended and redesigned the belt system at the load dock to support loading from both sides that operates today. You can still see the merge point of the 2 channels after the load dock if you pay attention to the water looking off the right side of the boat right after it sets down into the water off of the load dock belt system.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

I love when old threads I didn't know about get resurrected! This is fascinating!

 

[JoeCamel]

I love when old threads I didn't know about get resurrected! This is fascinating!

This is a toddler some of the reseructions are old enough to buy alcohol