Attraction effects Disney installed but doesn't use ( w/pics if possible )

[Buzz Litebeer]

On BTMRR, when going up the 3rd lift with the rock fall/earthquake. There used to be a couple of boulders that would fall from above and look like they were going to fall on the train. Now you just have the ones that move on the side.

No, those boulders are still there and still work -- just not terribly well (or so I'm told by a friend who works there). Funny you should mention BTMR, though... as you crest that very hill, if you look immediately to the sides as you exit, you'll see two massive barn-style doors on either side. Originally, those doors were closed, and would swing open as the train approached. The problem: they didn't always open in time, and the ride would shut down. So management had them permanently welded open.

I know that at the Haunted Mansion there used to be a fog machine that would release a cloud of fog when the front doors were opened. However, complaints by an asthmatic CM caused them to disconnect the device. After the CM left the company it was never reactivated (sidebar: I actually saw the fog machine myself while on a backstage tour of the HM).

 

[Shorty82]

Oh and how about this one. Its a house in Frontierland that you can see if you take the Liberty Belle Riverboat. It used to be on fire constantly ( but never actually burned obviously ), but supposedly it was too costly too keep up, so now its just a charred house. Here you can see the flames of what once was:

I was just surfing the 'net and happened across this article on Yesterland. It is mostly about Disneyland but at the bottom they talk about WDW's burning cabin. According to it the flames were shut off when the riverboat was refurbished in 2005 the flames were shut off as nobody would see them. A combination of age and lack of use caused the pipes that supplied the propane to the fires to deteriorate.

As the cabin in Disneyland stopped burning and actually has been renovated into a nice looking cabin I doubt the one at WDW will ever burn again and wouldn't be surprised if the cabin there is redone in the future.

 

[DisneyKevin]

Seriously, though, there used to be doves at the end of Beauty and the Beast that were released. Sigh.

They used use doves in a lot of the ceremonies and shows in Walt Disney World but the found out that the hawks that live in the area had figured out what time they would be released and swoop in.

Apparantly this was quite prevalent at the Magic Kingdom. The hawks nested on what used to be Discovery Island and over time learned the times that the doves would be released.

Dove releases were stopped all together.

 

[BroganMc]

Apparantly this was quite prevalent at the Magic Kingdom. The hawks nested on what used to be Discovery Island and over time learned the times that the doves would be released.

DINNER TIME!!!!

Yikes, can you imagine how the poor doves felt?

 

[littleelvis]

Yes ChrisAlli there is a machine of some sorts in the bottom of the lagoon by the Polynesian. It was used to make waves at the beach but it caused the beach to erode and was a maint. nightmare.

 

[Rysar]

Might be kinda off-topic, but check the street in MK where the floats drive... there are 200 RFIDs embedded in the streets for the floats. The tour guide I had to Keys to the Kingdom was saying that they were going to be used for Computer-Controlled music timing with the floats, but that they were a nightmare so they aren't being used anymore, just CMs calling down to the sound techs.

Check the streets for clusters of 6-8 little circles in the ground.

 

[yeaitspootie]

I haven't seen the female rabbit with the broom on Splash Mountain speak in a long time. She used to say something like "there goes Brer Rabbit," but I haven't seen it happen in a while.

 

[civileng68]

Several years ago, an idea was put in place to try to take ride photos of guests (for purchase) on Haunted Mansion.

The camera was installed behind the glass where you have a ghost riding with you. The camera was installed with the plans (already created) to eventually build a post-ride store (this has been put on hold due to the budget of the recent refurb).

The camera has never been activated and may have just been removed during the recent refurb.

 

[ghost1000]

I think in the Energy at Epcot there used to be a hi tech movie screen that got sacrificed to the budget gods (too costly to maintain) when they redid it to Ellen.

The original preshow movie screen was actually made up of cubes and they would rotate at different angles with various things projected on them. It was a very cool effect but long replaced.
Edit - Thanks youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyhAwEFBVkU

Another one is on Test Track - as you approached the crash section they used to have an effect of a car smashing into a wall. Then you turned and headed for a wall yourself. Now they just have a crashed car sitting at the wall.

Edit 2 - they've got everything - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx5XGD5LuFE about 2:40 into the video


There are also a lot of mist/lava effects in Energy that aren't used much/at all these days. Supposedly they had them up and running for the anniversary though.

 

[Shorty82]

Might be kinda off-topic, but check the street in MK where the floats drive... there are 200 RFIDs embedded in the streets for the floats. The tour guide I had to Keys to the Kingdom was saying that they were going to be used for Computer-Controlled music timing with the floats, but that they were a nightmare so they aren't being used anymore, just CMs calling down to the sound techs.

Check the streets for clusters of 6-8 little circles in the ground.

I've always heard they used the pucks. I've never heard of them having problems out of them and not using them.

 

[goofyernmost]

We were just there 9/26-10/2. Both parts of the GMR were open. We got to go on the cowboy option. My family loved it and were surprised that there were two different sides. I haven't seen it in years. It was so cool.

Technologically speaking there really are not two "sides". It is all one ride. The ride vehicles used are two separate "trains", the front and the back. The first train will go through the first scene (gangster, I think) and proceed to the second (western) the door between the two closes and each train has a different show. The second train then travels through the second scene without stopping. So if you want to see each scene just ride in the different trains.

I do think that during slow times they only run one train and I am not sure which one they stop at. My guess is that the "western" scene is the most expensive to operate because of the use of propane but that is just a guess. If that is the case then all you would see on a slow day is the gangster scene.

Might be kinda off-topic, but check the street in MK where the floats drive... there are 200 RFIDs embedded in the streets for the floats. The tour guide I had to Keys to the Kingdom was saying that they were going to be used for Computer-Controlled music timing with the floats, but that they were a nightmare so they aren't being used anymore, just CMs calling down to the sound techs.

Check the streets for clusters of 6-8 little circles in the ground.

I think that those are still used for every parade. They may have a CM system in the event that the Computer has a melt down but other than that they are still in operation.

 

[Shorty82]

When I rode it back in July they were only running one scene and it was the gangster one. They had the other train was parked in the theatre at the end of the ride.

 

[DJ Disney Kid]

Another one is on Test Track - as you approached the crash section they used to have an effect of a car smashing into a wall. Then you turned and headed for a wall yourself. Now they just have a crashed car sitting at the wall.

Edit 2 - they've got everything - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx5XGD5LuFE about 2:40 into the video

WOW, that was a pretty cool effect! I wish they still utilized it.

 

[floyd45]

Before the rehab, Spaceship Earth had a cool mist effect as you travel backwards toward the big TVs. But I haven't seen it work in years. It would spray mist through a green laser light, and was really cool. Maybe they have fixed it with the rehab.

 

[GinnyFavers]

I was just surfing the 'net and happened across this article on Yesterland. It is mostly about Disneyland but at the bottom they talk about WDW's burning cabin. According to it the flames were shut off when the riverboat was refurbished in 2005 the flames were shut off as nobody would see them. A combination of age and lack of use caused the pipes that supplied the propane to the fires to deteriorate.

As the cabin in Disneyland stopped burning and actually has been renovated into a nice looking cabin I doubt the one at WDW will ever burn again and wouldn't be surprised if the cabin there is redone in the future.

I miss the burning cabin.

But, since the original story was the indians in the area had set it on fire, it's probably not really appropriate anymore.

I sincerely hope they redo Tom Sawyer Island as a pirate island, like at DL, and add back some kind of fire feature, though! What a great thing at night those flames were, especially from BTMRR!

 

[DJ Disney Kid]

The Rock N' Rollercoaster pre-show has changed from when the attraction first opened. Originally, band member Joe Perry would ask "Chris" to "grab my black Les Paul." A Disney cast member would then enter the pre-show area and remove a guitar from the set. The script uses the unisex name "Chris" so either a male or female could play the part. Although not used as often as when the ride first opened, the position is still used from time to time (Normally during peak holiday times). The video also includes a roadie saying "Hey Joe, I'll get it for ya" as a backup in the event that the position is not staffed.

Edit: I tried finding footage or a photo of this, but couldn't.

 

[klmall]

Technologically speaking there really are not two "sides". It is all one ride. The ride vehicles used are two separate "trains", the front and the back. The first train will go through the first scene (gangster, I think) and proceed to the second (western) the door between the two closes and each train has a different show. The second train then travels through the second scene without stopping. So if you want to see each scene just ride in the different trains.

I do think that during slow times they only run one train and I am not sure which one they stop at. My guess is that the "western" scene is the most expensive to operate because of the use of propane but that is just a guess. If that is the case then all you would see on a slow day is the gangster scene.

I think that those are still used for every parade. They may have a CM system in the event that the Computer has a melt down but other than that they are still in operation.

Maybe this partially explains (along with luck) why for our first 6 trips we NEVER saw the western version. No matter what car we sat in we always saw the gangster version. One trip we even rode 5 times over the course of three days. Since we usually go at slow, off season times that would fit.

When we finally did see the western one, at Spring break, we considered it a good omen for the trip....(NOT so at least for our WDW hotel that trip....) but we'll try again next month!

Love this thread!

 

[Stitchfans]

We were just there 9/26-10/2. Both parts of the GMR were open. We got to go on the cowboy option. My family loved it and were surprised that there were two different sides. I haven't seen it in years. It was so cool.

Wow all those times we went on that ride and I never realized there was a bank robber scene. Never saw that. Always saw the gangster scene.

Any more? Keep them coming!!

 

[Mister Skellington]

Wow all those times we went on that ride and I never realized there was a bank robber scene. Never saw that. Always saw the gangster scene.

Any more? Keep them coming!!

I have only ever seen one train operating....I guess that means crowd levels were down and that my trip planning was a success. Hopefully I dont get to see the western scene...I like the parks slow.

 

[sweetp267]

Ok I got another one. It will probably be gone or changed now since it is being refurbished. It involves Spaceship Earth. When you get close to the end before your car turns around so you are facing backwards and goes down the big hill to the bottom of the ball, there is a big picture of the earth and underneath it is a large space between you and the projection of earth. Besides the earth everything is pitch black.

From what I remember that large black area was some kind of futuristic model of a city or something. It's been so long since I saw it. Now when you ride by, the space is so large that when you look at it you could swear that there was something there at one time.

I could also be completely wrong. I hope there is someone out there to confirm this.