Joshua_me
Today's Sustainable Fish
- Joined
- Jun 18, 2007
- Messages
- 1,877
Today's DIS board Podcast show got me to reminiscing about this ride.
It's a bit strange, but some of my earliest and happiest memories of the MK revolve around IYHW.
One of the best things about it, as Kevin mentioned, was that it was "free", you could go on it again and again. This was a BIG deal back in the days of tickets for each ride. Usually, you had to "budget" how many times and how many rides you went on at a given time. Once you rode, say, The Haunted Mansion once, that was IT, at least for a while. The HM was a coveted "E" ticket, and therefore something that cost more money every time you went...
But, IYHW was different. You could go on it again and again because it was sponsored by Eastern Airlines. And I do mean, SPONSERED. *Everything* had the Eastern Air logo on it from the second you walked into the wait area.
One of the most interesting aspects of the ride was after it was over, an Eastern Airline representative, sitting at an office desk no less, was waiting to help you book your next Eastern Airline ticket ! You could buy actual tickets right there in the ride ! All while the rides narration said, "You DO have wings ! You CAN do all these things ! We'll be your wings ! Eastern: the wings of man !"
In retrospect, the ride was of course one big advertisement for Eastern. But, to a 7-year old boy, this hardly mattered.
The ride itself was SO creative. From it's catchy theme music, to it's innovative (for the time) use of projected images on screens and backdrops.
You could look over the edge of the ride car and see people swimming in pools down below. Walking across waterfalls and dancing in Mexican fiestas. It was eye-opening and fascinating and most of all, FUN.
The last two scenes were the best. The first room was mirrored on all four sides, top to bottom, and had breathtaking scenes of the grand canyon and other natural wonders. The effect of the mirrors reflecting off of one another was unlike anything I had seen at the time, it was *amazing*. (And the AC was always about 20 degrees colder in there, adding to the effect)
The final scene was the "speed room". It was sort of cone-shaped, and had high speed projections of a POV of being in a race car, and such. You yourself were not going any faster, but the illusion was very real. What always cracked me up about this part was the "wind in your face" effect was supplied by two very obvious desk fans sitting on the floor; their blades spinning and their cords very visible, plugged into the walls. Here was all this new technology, and there were those silly fans.
It hardly mattered, though. All in all it was a magical experience. I miss it very much. Probably as much as I miss my 7-year old perspective. When everything seemed truly magical, and anything seemed possible.
It's a bit strange, but some of my earliest and happiest memories of the MK revolve around IYHW.
One of the best things about it, as Kevin mentioned, was that it was "free", you could go on it again and again. This was a BIG deal back in the days of tickets for each ride. Usually, you had to "budget" how many times and how many rides you went on at a given time. Once you rode, say, The Haunted Mansion once, that was IT, at least for a while. The HM was a coveted "E" ticket, and therefore something that cost more money every time you went...
But, IYHW was different. You could go on it again and again because it was sponsored by Eastern Airlines. And I do mean, SPONSERED. *Everything* had the Eastern Air logo on it from the second you walked into the wait area.
One of the most interesting aspects of the ride was after it was over, an Eastern Airline representative, sitting at an office desk no less, was waiting to help you book your next Eastern Airline ticket ! You could buy actual tickets right there in the ride ! All while the rides narration said, "You DO have wings ! You CAN do all these things ! We'll be your wings ! Eastern: the wings of man !"
In retrospect, the ride was of course one big advertisement for Eastern. But, to a 7-year old boy, this hardly mattered.
The ride itself was SO creative. From it's catchy theme music, to it's innovative (for the time) use of projected images on screens and backdrops.
You could look over the edge of the ride car and see people swimming in pools down below. Walking across waterfalls and dancing in Mexican fiestas. It was eye-opening and fascinating and most of all, FUN.
The last two scenes were the best. The first room was mirrored on all four sides, top to bottom, and had breathtaking scenes of the grand canyon and other natural wonders. The effect of the mirrors reflecting off of one another was unlike anything I had seen at the time, it was *amazing*. (And the AC was always about 20 degrees colder in there, adding to the effect)
The final scene was the "speed room". It was sort of cone-shaped, and had high speed projections of a POV of being in a race car, and such. You yourself were not going any faster, but the illusion was very real. What always cracked me up about this part was the "wind in your face" effect was supplied by two very obvious desk fans sitting on the floor; their blades spinning and their cords very visible, plugged into the walls. Here was all this new technology, and there were those silly fans.
It hardly mattered, though. All in all it was a magical experience. I miss it very much. Probably as much as I miss my 7-year old perspective. When everything seemed truly magical, and anything seemed possible.
...everything is original when we post.......
we are just that smart
