Universe of Energy History Question

[lifeguard1020]

Okay...I'm sure this has been brought up and explained at some point, but with the closing there are way too many threads to find.
A friend recently asked why one of the sets of theaters only had 5 instead of 6 cars. I explained that I was under the impression that there was an accident with the car and the door to the first diorama. They asked for more details, but my brain couldn't recall the exact circumstances.
If anyone is capable of filling me in, that would be wonderful.
If I am completely wrong, please let me know that too.........

 

[Bender123]

Okay...I'm sure this has been brought up and explained at some point, but with the closing there are way too many threads to find.
A friend recently asked why one of the sets of theaters only had 5 instead of 6 cars. I explained that I was under the impression that there was an accident with the car and the door to the first diorama. They asked for more details, but my brain couldn't recall the exact circumstances.
If anyone is capable of filling me in, that would be wonderful.
If I am completely wrong, please let me know that too.........

If a vehicle is not functioning, the ride can function as a 5 pack with the front middle missing. I have also seen multiple broken where it runs as a four pack with both middle missing, which makes the ride really broken feeling, as there is a massive space between groups.

 

[lifeguard1020]

I just thought i remember hearing a story (and my brain is seeing the pictures in my head) of the door having come up from the floor and pinning one of the ride cars...

 

[Bender123]

I just thought i remember hearing a story (and my brain is seeing the pictures in my head) of the door having come up from the floor and pinning one of the ride cars...

The doors didn't even work anymore either...I would chalk this up to big, expensive and severely out of date machinery combined with cost cutting due to a marked for death attraction. Not very sexy, but likely the right answer.

 

[POLY LOVER]

Great technology being lost here. The ride track system was just so impressive. My children loved this ride because at the time it was the only ride that had dinosaurs in it. It was a clever way to tech and make folks aware of our energy issues. It was the spirit of what Epcot is about. Now a roller coaster fills the space, yep the mindless thrill ride moves in for all of us who have lost our attention span. We'll progress moves on or does it?

 

[ShoalFox]

I just thought i remember hearing a story (and my brain is seeing the pictures in my head) of the door having come up from the floor and pinning one of the ride cars...

As far as I know, that is just an urban legend. The only source I've seen that story is the UoE Companion Site. Though there is no doubt that those doors are powerful enough to have been able to lift a traveling theater car.

And as for the doors being broken, only door A, between theater 1 and the diorama, was broken. The rest were still operable. This is a common misconception.

As for 5-pack operation, this occurs either when a vehicle breaks down and the spare cannot be put in in time, or two vehicles are broken. If three are broken, the ride will run two 5-packs. If more are, the ride is down until one or more can be foxed.
(It kind of hurts to write this in present tense)

 

[Bender123]

As for 5-pack operation, this occurs either when a vehicle breaks down and the spare cannot be put in in time, or two vehicles are broken. If three are broken, the ride will run two 5-packs. If more are, the ride is down until one or more can be foxed.
(It kind of hurts to write this in present tense)

It was running four vehicles the majority of the last week of July. Like GMR, it seemed there were a lot of things going outside the norm as the rides wound down their lives.

On my rides, the middle was just vacant throughout the whole ride and according to Martin, the week prior, a vehicle was stuck in the middle of theater 2 for several days.

 

[Rob562]

As far as I know, that is just an urban legend. The only source I've seen that story is the UoE Companion Site. Though there is no doubt that those doors are powerful enough to have been able to lift a traveling theater car.

And as for the doors being broken, only door A, between theater 1 and the diorama, was broken. The rest were still operable. This is a common misconception.

As for 5-pack operation, this occurs either when a vehicle breaks down and the spare cannot be put in in time, or two vehicles are broken. If three are broken, the ride will run two 5-packs. If more are, the ride is down until one or more can be foxed.
(It kind of hurts to write this in present tense)

The door/vehicle accident did happen, as a friend was working there that day. Though her shift didn't start until after the incident, so she arrived during the aftermath when Maintenance and management was scrambling around trying to figure out what was broken and what they could do about it.

I swear I wrote up everything on here. I'll see if I can find it, but the short version: ride 101'd with a set of cars on their way into diorama. Maintenance put the system in override mode and a tech accidentally raised the A doors with the back end of two vehicles on top of them. This bent the frames in directions they weren't designed to endure. It also messed up the A door hydraulics.

While the two cars weren't exactly "crushed" by the doors, they were out of commission for a while. The A doors were also never the same.

-Rob

 

[ShoalFox]

The door/vehicle accident did happen, as a friend was working there that day. Though her shift didn't start until after the incident, so she arrived during the aftermath when Maintenance and management was scrambling around trying to figure out what was broken and what they could do about it.

I swear I wrote up everything on here. I'll see if I can find it, but the short version: ride 101'd with a set of cars on their way into diorama. Maintenance put the system in override mode and a tech accidentally raised the A doors with the back end of two vehicles on top of them. This bent the frames in directions they weren't designed to endure. It also messed up the A door hydraulics.

While the two cars weren't exactly "crushed" by the doors, they were out of commission for a while. The A doors we're also never the same.

-Rob

Wow, that's actually pretty amazing. I hope you can find the full version of the story.

And speaking of the companion site, I wonder if that project will ever be revived...

 

[marni1971]

Yes, it happened, but a long time ago.

Car 13 was eventually cannibalised for parts. They ran less than 12 cars if one was under maintainence.

 

[Rob562]

Yes, it happened, but a long time ago.

Car 13 was eventually cannibalised for parts. They ran less than 12 cars if one was under maintainence.

Yeah, it wasn't recent. I want to say it was '01 or '02...

-Rob

 

[Movielover]

My children loved this ride because at the time it was the only ride that had dinosaurs in it

And I bet they loved the other 40 minutes of sitting there... unable to escape... not seeing dinosaurs...

It was a clever way to tech and make folks aware of our energy issues.

Sponsored by Exxon! We give you gas!!

It was the spirit of what Epcot is about.

Wish they could have put a little more "spirit" in not making us fall asleep...

Now a roller coaster fills the space, yep the mindless thrill ride moves in for all of us who have lost our attention span. We'll progress moves on or does it?

Sorry, what were you saying? I can't hear you all the way in the past back there...

 

[marni1971]

Wish they could have put a little more "spirit" in not making us fall asleep.....

They invented Soarin' for those with an attention span of less than five minutes.

 

[Bender123]

And I bet they loved the other 40 minutes of sitting there... unable to escape... not seeing dinosaurs...

.

I will always like any reference to Redlettermedia...Me Personally, I think that Half in the Bag is the best review show on the internet.

 

[Movielover]

I will always like any reference to Redlettermedia...Me Personally, I think that Half in the Bag is the best review show on the internet.

I agree, its very cool!

*sips drink loudly

 

[Movielover]

They invented Soarin' for those with an attention span of less than five minutes.

And to make people actually want to visit and stay in Future World because... well, you know...

Universe of Energy certainly wasn't doing that...

 

[marni1971]

And to make people actually want to visit and stay in Future World because... well, you know...

Universe of Energy certainly wasn't doing that...

That's what happens when you don't invest in an attraction for 21 years.

 

[Movielover]

That's what happens when you don't invest in an attraction for 21 years.

I agree, that's why they had to bring in a attraction from...

and I still can't believe I have to say it...

Disney's California Adventure to save Epcot.