Do You Want This Ride Now?

[SpacePlace]

There have been some rumors for awhile that Disney is going to change the Prince Charming Regal Carrousel so that individual riders can go around at different speeds, and maybe even in different directions.

Is this something they should actually do, and do it now, or are there other WDW rides that need more attention - either for updating, maintenance, or development?

Also, there is the DL carrousel. So same question for DLR. Respond to either or both. Thanks.

 

[chartle]

There have been some rumors for awhile that Disney is going to change the Prince Charming Regal Carrousel so that individual riders can go around at different speeds, and maybe even in different directions.

Is this something they should actually do, and do it now, or are there other WDW rides that need more attention - either for updating, maintenance, or development?

Also, there is the DL carrousel. So same question for DLR. Respond to either or both. Thanks.

What? ? Where are you seeing this?

 

[disneychic]

What? ? Where are you seeing this?

My thoughts exactly???

 

[SpacePlace]

Disney has been hashing this out in different versions for a few years now:

Here is the link: http://www.google.com/patents/EP242...a=X&ei=nWgxUY7KLKPs2QW23IGgAw&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAA

This is the source of the discussion. It's the most recent of several patent applications on this ride.

 

[SpacePlace]

So here is how Disney explains their "Ring Carousel Ride"

A carousel ride in which vehicles may move at differing speeds, in differing directions, and each be independently positioned relative to a load/unload platform. In one embodiment, a carousel ride is provided that includes: (1) an inner ring assembly including a first ring supporting vehicles and a drive system operable to rotate the first ring about a center axis of the carousel ride; and (2) an outer ring assembly including a second ring, concentric to the first ring, supporting vehicles and a drive system operable to rotate the second ring about a center axis of the carousel ride. During a portion of a ride, the drive system of the inner ring assembly operates to rotate the first ring at a first rotation rate, and the drive system of the outer ring assembly operates to rotate the second ring at a second rotation rate differing from the first rotation rate.

Link: http://www.google.com/patents/EP242...a=X&ei=nWgxUY7KLKPs2QW23IGgAw&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAA

Okay, now that we have the source for this, is this something you guys are excited about possibly seeing in action or do you have your sights on other rides? Thanks.

 

[jimmytammy]

This would def. make it more appealing for the adults with kids who may just skip it. I would rather see their sights on other rides though.

 

[Q-man]

Seems like that would be a safety headache to me.

 

[Ds4angels]

Honestly I'd rather they do something that fit into the theme of Disney kind of like the Dr Seuss one over in Universal. That is a really cool one

 

[chartle]

At first I thought, you get on the horse and pick your speed and I was how does that work?

I guess this ride would make it seem like you were actually riding a horse with you over taking the other horses and them over taking you.

I don't think they would run a ring in an opposite direction and I don't think any ring would be much faster or slower, relative to the other rings. Just that, relative to the other riders, they would seem to to be riding faster or slower. In other words the inner ring is "faster" and over takes the middle and the middle gets "faster" and over takes the inner and then repeat.

But in reality the outer horses do move, relative to the ground, faster than the inner horses.

One safety issue I see is that sometimes a parent will ride next to a smaller child and would freak out if the kid got "ahead" of them.

Would they modify their current carousels, probably not. The biggest reason is that the current ones in DL and WDW are classic rides build around the turn of the last century, 1875 and 1917 respectively. They are not going to start to cut them up. Maybe for the new park in China?

 

[SpacePlace]

Seems like that would be a safety headache to me.

Good point! The safest thing about carousels is that you're all going at the same speed and direction. With different speeds and directions, that gets pretty dangerous, especially since some parents have to stand and hold kids who are young/scared (like me!). What if one of us backs up to much into the path of a horse speeding by, or worse, coming in the opposite direction? Ouch! They would have to put up rails or something to prevent that from happening. Yeah, I agree with the posts in here that this is probably a patent that Disney should let fall to the bottom of the barrel.

 

[SpacePlace]

One safety issue I see is that sometimes a parent will ride next to a smaller child and would freak out if the kid got "ahead" of them.

Would they modify their current carousels, probably not. The biggest reason is that the current ones in DL and WDW are classic rides build around the turn of the last century, 1875 and 1917 respectively. They are not going to start to cut them up. Maybe for the new park in China?

I agree, safety issues and if they do ever implement this, yeah I also don't see the carousels in DL or WDW getting torn up, it would probably be something for China, try something new over there.

And I would rather see Disney working on entirely new ride concepts to develop for completely new rides. This carousel 2.0 along with the reclining chair roller coaster that Disney have been working on of recent seems like some wasted time.

 

[Metsoskil]

I think I just got motion sick thinking about people on horses spinning at different speeds in different directions.

 

[coloneldebugger]

I can't be the first person whose initial thought was "jousting tournament" at this idea.

 

[csharpwv]

An attraction like this on a REALLY large scale would be awesome!

Imagine something like one of the horse chase scenes from Tangled!

I don't see them changing the WDW or DL attractions - but perhaps something for a new themed area - or like other posters have suggested, for one of the parks outside the US.

Innovation is innovation - and I get so excited thinking about where Disney will take things in the future!

 

[SpacePlace]

I can't be the first person whose initial thought was "jousting tournament" at this idea.

Awesome! I would go on that all day but alas, they will never build it.

 

[robertdangelo]

The Carousel is the oldest Ride in the park. It was built in 1917 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. It was originally located at Belle Isle Park in Detroit, followed by Olympic park in NJ where Disney Imagineers acquired it in 1967. I believe it should be left as it is. If they want to do a twist on a Carousel theme, they should do it in another park.
BTW... Walt imagined Disneyland while watching his daughters ride a carousel in a park on Saturday afternoons.

 

[Spacedog1975]

Interesting idea, but kind of chaotic for a ride targetted at folks with babies & toddlers.