At the beginning of RSR ride...

[Rhonna]

So when the ride starts and your car first leaves the loading area of RSR, your car stops and a CM checks everyone's seatbelts. Right past the CM on the left is an area where if you look back as you go by you can see a car parked in the little cubbyhole in the rock. The car doesn't do anything and you don't notice it unless you turn and look backward as you go by. We rode 5 times and once there was no car and other times we saw at least two different color cars in that little spot.

So why is it there? Especially if you only notice it when you look back a little. And why would they change it out? Is it supposed to fit the storyline somehow? I wonder if that car is supposed to come out a little further on it's tracks, like traffic merging and maybe the effect wasn't working on any of our rides?


UPDATE: Please note this area is definitely NOT anything to do with cars or loading area for the disabled.

I found the cubbyhole on this video but the car is not shown and the videographer does not turn back to capture any possible car in the cubbyhole. Watch the track on the ground AFTER the CM checks the seat belts. The blue car in front of you will move out of the way. At 56-58 seconds you can see the track I am talking about - it comes out but does NOT connect with the main track. That is where we turned around and saw the "extra" car. There is also another track that comes out right after it at 1:00-1:02 and it also does not connect with the main track - but it isn't where we saw the stationary car sitting.

The first area/cubbyhole that had the car also had a service door behind it where they could move that car in and out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ktjTqo-ONc

The thing is no one looks to their left after the CM checks the seatbelts. All the videos I found look forward, up at the rocks or a bit off to the right since that is where the ride goes once your car starts up.

 

[wannagoback]

I have no idea but I will toss an idea out that it may be a handicap accessible car? I'd be curious too!

 

[Disney Dreams]

I have no idea but I will toss an idea out that it may be a handicap accessible car? I'd be curious too!

I have not observed this car either, but I agree with this conclusion.

On Space Mountain, there is a vehicle in a very similar position as you (the OP) has described. It has been explained to me that SM works in such a way that if a guest takes too long to get into (or out) of a vehicle it can shut down the enter ride system. So, if there is someone who needs extra time to get in (and out) the CMs can have them go to this special vehicle and when the guests are in, safe, and ready to go, the CM can send that car into the mix.

I am guessing (complete guess) that RSR is similar.

- Dreams

 

[pixiewings71]

It is either a handicap accessible car or it is where they stage extra cars that they are going to bring out onto the tracks.

 

[disdad70]

It is most definately the backstage exit/entrance door (and not the disabled entrance, that is prior to the boarding area, not after.)

 

[Escape2Disney]

I have not observed this car either, but I agree with this conclusion.

On Space Mountain, there is a vehicle in a very similar position as you (the OP) has described. It has been explained to me that SM works in such a way that if a guest takes too long to get into (or out) of a vehicle it can shut down the enter ride system. So, if there is someone who needs extra time to get in (and out) the CMs can have them go to this special vehicle and when the guests are in, safe, and ready to go, the CM can send that car into the mix.

I am guessing (complete guess) that RSR is similar.

- Dreams

I can confirm that Space does work this way. It's pretty interesting - there's a different loading zone where a single car is pulled over to the left. We can take as much time as we need to load. Once everyone is in, they leave a gap for the HA car to join the ride. Here's a video showing how it works:

http://youtu.be/8TGECWukNCM

It would make sense that RSR would have a similar setup considering how fast they need to move the lines. Maybe someone who has used it can confirm.

 

[disdad70]

The original post is referring to an area after the general boarding area on this map (#2.) The disabled boarding area is designated by (#1). You can detect a behind the scenes area off to the left of the map (near #3) for cars to be removed from the main line, serviced, and then be returned to the main line thru a doorway/nook that the poster was alluding to: http://i49.tinypic.com/5tz2ar.jpg

 

[Rhonna]

Hi everyone. The track for this stationary car does NOT connect to the main track. It's not to bring a car out onto the track.

I found a video link and updated my original post.

Now I really want to know. I can't believe I noticed something no one else did.

 

[SeanCLV]

I will be there on Friday. I'll ask "pull on the yellow strap" person what that is for, if I remember.

 

[Rhonna]

I will be there on Friday. I'll ask "pull on the yellow strap" person what that is for, if I remember.

I wish I had done that but it may be a little difficult since the CM is checking the seat belts of everyone and I heard on one video the CM giving instructions like "no flash photography" etc. So they are preoccupied with safety and getting the cars going without holding up the ride. Also, the cubbyhole is just beyond the CM so you won't be able to see whether there is a car there that day until you pass the CM. On some of our rides the car was not there.

I think it's possible that the CM *may* come out of the service door of that cubbyhole, but why there is a car there from time to time is my question.

If you manage to ask, I would love to know if there is a good answer. Hopefully it won't be a CM who says "I've never seen a car there". (The one time I wish I had my camera out on a ride, lol!)

 

[jetskigrl]

Both of those cubbies look like the place where they add or remove cars from the track. If you look really closely at the track itself, you can see the circular disk that they rotate to connect the cubbie track to the main track (you can see it when the blue car pulls away and the car the person making the video is in starts to move forward. It is just a faint line, but it is there.

 

[Sgtfox]

The area you are looking at is the return access from the vehicle maintenance bay. If you see a vehicle there, it would be waiting to add back into the rotation on the main track. While it doesn't look like the track connects to the main track, it actually does via a rotating track switch. It's hard to explain, but that section of main track you're traveling over there can rotate, causing the track "slot" to line up with and connect to the maintenance loop track.

 

[pixiewings71]

The area you are looking at is the return access from the vehicle maintenance bay. If you see a vehicle there, it would be waiting to add back into the rotation on the main track. While it doesn't look like the track connects to the main track, it actually does via a rotating track switch. It's hard to explain, but that section of main track you're traveling over there can rotate, causing the track "slot" to line up with and connect to the maintenance loop track.

This is what I assumed, I knew it was the handicap loading area but it could be where they "hold" extra handicap cars for when they might need them. But yes, I assumed it was a holding area for cars they were going to put on the track. I saw that cubby the first time I rode RSR because I was looking all over the place. LOL

 

[Rhonna]

The area you are looking at is the return access from the vehicle maintenance bay. If you see a vehicle there, it would be waiting to add back into the rotation on the main track. While it doesn't look like the track connects to the main track, it actually does via a rotating track switch. It's hard to explain, but that section of main track you're traveling over there can rotate, causing the track "slot" to line up with and connect to the maintenance loop track.

This would make sense. I guess I would have thought they'd add additional cars before the loading dock, not after. Thanks for the input.

I knew it was the handicap loading area

The handicapped loading area is in a totally different place. I did single rider once and was put in a car with a handicapped person. When you are standing to board at the normal location, the handicapped loading/unloading is to your far left. The car is taken completely off the main track and people are loaded in, then you join the main line of cars. When we returned, the same process was followed.

 

[Rhonna]

Both of those cubbies look like the place where they add or remove cars from the track. If you look really closely at the track itself, you can see the circular disk that they rotate to connect the cubbie track to the main track (you can see it when the blue car pulls away and the car the person making the video is in starts to move forward. It is just a faint line, but it is there.

I just re-looked at the video after reading the most recent posts here. It makes sense now since the first cubbyhole is positioned so that a car could come onto the track, whereas the second cubbyhole (which is more visible) is positioned so that a car could be taken off the track. Also, I can now see the faint line of the rotating piece that would allow the track to be diverted. Kind of like the end of the line for trolley cars in SF.

Thanks everyone!

 

[Rhonna]

I saw that cubby the first time I rode RSR because I was looking all over the place. LOL

Glad I wasn't the only one.

I rode it 5 times on our trip (only twice got Luigi's side) but it didn't even dawn on me that when they open and close the curtain in Luigi's and show the car in the mirror that Luigi has "put on" whitewall tires on your car. I was thinking "why are they showing us in the mirror - twice?" LOL! Maybe I was thinking of the mirror scene in TOT, I don't know. Then, I briefly wondered if that's where they were taking the ride picture, but of course that's not right. I didn't realize until I watched a youtube video AFTER our trip that they were showing new whitewalls on the car. There is a lot of detail on that ride.

Then I read that on Ramone's side something is changed colorwise to match the car you are in. I still haven't figured that out.

 

[Sgtfox]

Then I read that on Ramone's side something is changed colorwise to match the car you are in. I still haven't figured that out.

The "paint" being sprayed at you in Ramone's will be the same color as your car. Technically, it's just mist, but LED lights on the sprayers will change color to match your vehicle.

 

[Rhonna]

The "paint" being sprayed at you in Ramone's will be the same color as your car. Technically, it's just mist, but LED lights on the sprayers will change color to match your vehicle.

Thank you! I couldn't figure out where the matching color was supposed to be.

 

[indygirl99]

So when the ride starts and your car first leaves the loading area of RSR, your car stops and a CM checks everyone's seatbelts. Right past the CM on the left is an area where if you look back as you go by you can see a car parked in the little cubbyhole in the rock. The car doesn't do anything and you don't notice it unless you turn and look backward as you go by. We rode 5 times and once there was no car and other times we saw at least two different color cars in that little spot.

So why is it there? Especially if you only notice it when you look back a little. And why would they change it out? Is it supposed to fit the storyline somehow? I wonder if that car is supposed to come out a little further on it's tracks, like traffic merging and maybe the effect wasn't working on any of our rides?


UPDATE: Please note this area is definitely NOT anything to do with cars or loading area for the disabled.

I found the cubbyhole on this video but the car is not shown and the videographer does not turn back to capture any possible car in the cubbyhole. Watch the track on the ground AFTER the CM checks the seat belts. The blue car in front of you will move out of the way. At 56-58 seconds you can see the track I am talking about - it comes out but does NOT connect with the main track. That is where we turned around and saw the "extra" car. There is also another track that comes out right after it at 1:00-1:02 and it also does not connect with the main track - but it isn't where we saw the stationary car sitting.

The first area/cubbyhole that had the car also had a service door behind it where they could move that car in and out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ktjTqo-ONc

The thing is no one looks to their left after the CM checks the seatbelts. All the videos I found look forward, up at the rocks or a bit off to the right since that is where the ride goes once your car starts up.

Rhonda

There are 2 cubbies and they both have cars in them. We got to see them move one out and into the lineup today. It came out, no riders in them and took off around the corner in front of us. We did not get to see where it went because it was gone by the time we got around the corner.

 

[ccvh]

When we rode I was pretty sure just ahead of us they put a new one on the track, and when we got to the Photopass area, sure enough, there was a picture of an empty car! The previous day, we were almost up to loading on Space Mountain when they suddenly stopped everything, and after a short wait, before they started up again, they loaded on four more cars right in front of where we were standing, and it was fascinating to watch how they switched the tracks to start the next car. And they send them around empty the first time, too.