Disneyland Penny Arcade Shocking Machine?

[NathanF]

Last time I was in Disneyland, one of the first things I did was go to the Penny Arcade and test my endurance on the "Shocking machine." It's the machine near the door which, after depositing some quarters, shocks you when you grab two cylindrical rods. (I don't have enough posts to include a link, but if you Google Image Search for "penny arcade ralfrick" (no quotes) the first image is of the machine I'm speaking about)

When I went to do it this time, I was surprised to find that instead of actually shocking me with electricity, it simply vibrated quickly giving the timid illusion of being shocked.

So here's the question: Are my childhood memories of getting shocked on that machine simply figments of my gullible childhood imagination, or did Disneyland at some point in time decide to refit the machine to vibrate instead of actually shocking people, perhaps for reasons of liability?

I have a very strong memory of actually being shocked by that machine when I was younger, though I'm willing to entertain the possibility that my memories are not quite accurate.

Any thoughts?

 

[mechurchlady]

Let me do some research but I do remember that they did indeed shock you and this is not the only place that had that type of machine.

Found it and I was right that it was a type of arcade machine common from the 1920's to the 1950's and lasting well into the 1960's. The machines were changed to just vibrating because of the health risks of the shocking by electricity. Wlta had lots of old arcade machines including the picture machine that showed film of a condor

http://www.pinballhistory.com/arcade1.html

1940's Advance Electricity Shocker Machine. Advance built penny arcade machines which gave electric shocks from the late 1920's up until around 1950. The machines remained in common use until the 1960's when the apparent danger of such machines to people with pace makers or other medical concerns was noted. This machine entices players by trying to setup a competition to see who can take the biggest jolt. A penny is inserted and the two silver knobs are held, one with each hand. The right hand slowly twists the right knob increasing the voltage (indicated by a mechanical guage on top) until the plater can take no more. Even though the electricity is high voltage, extremely low amperage, thus staying near the skin, the actual jolt felt is quite strong. This is definetly not a game for the weak of heart! A internal six volt battery provides power to a vibrator and step up transformer coil.

http://www.yesterland.com/ronfleischer.html
He remembers the shocker machines.

http://tailotherat.blogspot.com/2008/11/shocks-and-bonds.html
This is even better and I now have the name of the machine.

http://marvin3m.com/arcade/elecdoit.htm
The Disneyland Machine was form a pre-1930 Mills Novelty Company.

http://mysite.verizon.net/res8aiig/repair/repair.htm
This guy works on machines and explains and shows the inside working mechanism of a shocker machine out of the Mills Novelty Company. Not the one at Disneyland but the same principal.

 

[Corpsebride]

That is so funny!~ I had the same memories of holding on as long as I could to beat the machine, but always walking away with numb hands and coming in second place to the machine!
When I tried it again a few summers ago, I thought I was going crazy. It just kind of hummed along. I understand the health risks but it was so rad! I wish they still had it the old way with a BIG WARNING SIGN! Oh well...

 

[darph nader]

I remember that silly machine. Beat it every time.
But like they say,"It's not the volts,it's the amps that'll kill you."

(hi churchy)

 

[NathanF]

Thanks for the research! It's nice to know more about the machine, and that my memories are indeed correct.

A bit sad though, never the less. It almost would have been preferable that I had just been duped, rather than the reality being that Disney was so afraid of the liability of passing a few harmless volts of electricity through people that they nixed the machine.

 

[mechurchlady]

I remember that silly machine. Beat it every time.
But like they say,"It's not the volts,it's the amps that'll kill you."

(hi churchy)

Triple huggle attacks dearest friend Darph, missed you over at SGT and glad to hear from you. So it was not the beer that rotted your brain but all them times you played with that machine, lol.

 

[ILoveToGoToDisney303]

http://tailotherat.blogspot.com/2008/11/shocks-and-bonds.html
This is even better and I now have the name of the machine.

Jesus, I love that site! The Crack Monster posts are hilarious! This is one of my favorite non-CM posts on that site!