I don't seee the point of this ride. There are suspended coasters already in existence where the individual cars swing out, so this isn't a new concept. Aside from the themeing challenges and space limitations, these types of rides lose momentum rapidly...most of the early suspended coasters (which aren't the same as inverted coasters) have two lift hills because of this.
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We need a Free Fly Coaster in WDW!!!
- Thread starter Figment632
- Start date
PhotoDave219
Well-Known Member
Fantastic concept but really doesn't fit with the whole 'Everyone can ride them' mantra of Disney attractions.
Sorry according to Funworld magazine and the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attraction this is the first of its kind.
Rob562
Well-Known Member
This particular design, yes it's the first.
What Fosse76 was referring to are the "Suspended Coasters" that have been around since the early 80's, like the currently-being-removed Big Bad Wolf in Busch Gardens Williamsburg. It's an overhead track, with 4-seater cars hanging below it that can swing side-to-side as the train goes around curves. Their range of swinging is limited by shock-absorbers.
A coaster technology I'd like to see put to use in a themed enviroment is the Arrow 4D coaster (if they can ever get it working on a reliable basis). Maybe not in something as extreme of a ride as X2 at Magic Mountain, but it's essentially a roller coaster crossed with an Omnimover (Arrow helped Disney create the Omnimover system). In a slower-speed themed setting, I could totally see this being an amazing ride experience.
-Rob
_Scar
Active Member
Dinorama and Indy are themed very well. Maybe the concept is bad (like Paradise Pier carnival attractions) but they do follow theme. They aren't a Six Flags ride with a coaster and.... well.... just a coaster.
Servo said that Disney doesn't just buy coasters, Dinorama only exists because DAK's budget was slashes same with the Indy Coaster in DLP. WDI did a good job with the story but it was still just Disney being cheap.
dweezil78
Well-Known Member
Servo, that's a great story -- but in the case of Rock N' Rollercoaster, it's just a story. It may ring true for other attractions, but not this one. The reality is that this particular ride was Disney's reaction to the Orlando theme park wars of the late 90s, specifically Islands of Adventure which also had its very own launch coaster in the form of Hulk. It's no coincidence that IOA opened May 28, 1999 and Rock n' Rollercoaster opened almost exactly 2 months later. It may not have been an off-the-shelf design, but it was certainly intended to be a coaster first and foremost.
Disney, having seen success with a very similar launch coaster in their Paris park, teamed up once again with Vekoma in creating a modified version of the coaster themed to rock n' roll. What's really funny (and shows a bit of a lack of imagination on D's part) is that they then built the Rock N' Roller coaster in the neighboring Paris studio park!
Disney, having seen success with a very similar launch coaster in their Paris park, teamed up once again with Vekoma in creating a modified version of the coaster themed to rock n' roll. What's really funny (and shows a bit of a lack of imagination on D's part) is that they then built the Rock N' Roller coaster in the neighboring Paris studio park!
_Scar
Active Member
They don't just buy coasters. Dinorama also exists because DAK needed more kid areas. Also- the park needed something fun for everyone rather than the rather serious rides like DINOSAUR, EE, KS, and Kali.
mcjaco
Well-Known Member
Unfortunately, you're slightly wrong on this. WDI did buy an off the shelf rollercoaster for WDW's RnRC. And as much as I like Joe Rhode, all after the loading platform, it's nothing but plywood cuts out, so that's exactly what they did there.
Don't get me wrong, I love RnRC, but it's nothing ground braking.
Here's the same coaster without the "box":
EpcotServo
Well-Known Member
You've past the point and ended up in Albuquerque. Why I chose RNR to make the point, was BECAUSE it's a modified installation of an existing coaster system.
The point IS that a ride is all about STORY. Whether it takes the invention of a whole new ride system never before seen (Midway Mania), or an existing type of Roller Coaster (Big Thunder Mountain), isn't important, as long as it's the perfect fit for the STORY. They DIDN'T start with the Vekoma track above and then decided what the story should be. The STORY comes first. Again, to bring the story to life, is when things like Ride Systems, Effects, Props, Engineering, and logistics come in to play.
Ride system and layout are the MEANS. The important part is the Story, as my post was about. I wasn't calling any ride groundbreaking, but the fact is that they didn't START with anything in mind. They STARTED WITH STORY. And at the end of the day, It's the Story that keeps rides like Rock N Roller Coaster, Splash Mountain, Expedition Everest, Mission Space, and all other attractions, so popular.
NASAMan
Member
Unfortunately, you're slightly wrong on this. WDI did buy an off the shelf rollercoaster for WDW's RnRC. And as much as I like Joe Rhode, all after the loading platform, it's nothing but plywood cuts out, so that's exactly what they did there.
Don't get me wrong, I love RnRC, but it's nothing ground braking.
Here's the same coaster without the "box":
It's cool to see the coaster track 'unwrapped', but since the one at the Netherlands shown in the picture opened a year after RnRC I'd say it was the off the shelf design - built using the novel design made for Disney.
mcjaco
Well-Known Member
Yes, but you said Disney doesn't throw up a few rocks and call it themed. It's precisely what they did to this ride. A few plywood props lit up, and voila! They do go cheap from time to time. The ride element was the big budget item, the details into theming was very secondary. I'd dare say tertiary in this particular case. It works, but you can't throw Rhode's statements out there, when it's not always the case with WDI.
See what I'm sayin'? :wave:
It opened nine months later. And two years before Paris'. That's "off the shelf." Yes, Disney and Vekoma work on projects together, but they usually don't allow other parks to use the same coasters. It also mimics Premiers' LIM coasters, so it's hardly ground breaking.
Just sayin'. :animwink:
PhotoDave219
Well-Known Member
So it has an off the shelf design. Its well-themed and pack in the crowds.
And it has on-board audio. Whats the problem?
EpcotServo
Well-Known Member
The full quote is "Anyone can go out, buy a roller coaster, throw some rocks around it and call it 'The Grand Himalayan Adventure', but that's not we do here. We tell Stories. This all has to feel natural, to feel real, to look like the Himalayas"
It's absolutely true. The story is told through a Roller Coaster, yes. But they didn't start with the idea: "Hey, we should buy a Roller Coaster, and we'll stick some theme around it later." They started with THE STORY.
Even if it turns out crummy, Story and technology comes naturally together. Sometimes the technology is a leaping off point for story (I.E. Now that we could do this, what stories are now possible?) or Story is a leaping off point for technology. (I.E. We have a story...How exactly can we bring this to life.)
That's the story-and they're sticking too it.
:lol:
dweezil78
Well-Known Member
Like I said before, Islands of Adventure was the reason RnRC was made and the reason it opened when it did. IOA opened its gates on 5/28/99 and RnRC followed on 7/29/99. It had everything to do with Disney wanting an edgy coaster (the first launching AND an inversion on WDW property) to compete with Universal. Yes, we're lucky they came up with a pretty cool theme for it and an all-around fun ride, but don't go believing the "story" came before the coaster on that one.
LoriMistress
Well-Known Member
That would be awesome, but I have a feeling Disney wouldn't do it.
The Disney Kid
Well-Known Member
The first one is a prototype rendering and the one below is located in a water park in Swedan here is a link.
http://images.google.com/imgres?img...=/images?q=S%26S+free+fly+coaster&gbv=2&hl=en
The bird on top reminds me of the gull from The Rescuers. I can't remember his name, though.
Tip Top Club
Well-Known Member
Just remember not to get too wrapped up in story. Yes story is important, but look what it did to kilamanjaro safaris. They tried way too hard to wrangle a story into what should have just been a trip through the harambe wildlife preserved. Nope that thad to put together the whole stupid poacher/elephant story at the last minute, which makes this attraction weaker then it really should be.
Now don't slam on me, I'm not saying story is not important, just to use logic and consider every angle on how to make that ultimate best experiance.
Now don't slam on me, I'm not saying story is not important, just to use logic and consider every angle on how to make that ultimate best experiance.
EpcotServo
Well-Known Member
Even what you think about that, you completly defuse your argument because a Two-Week Safari through Harambe Wildlife Reserve, is a Story. And that's always been the Story. The Poacher chase is part of the plot, not the story.
EVERY attraction has a story.
Theme>Story>Plot>Details