The Sum of All Things; Candy Corn Acres; Vintage Postcards; Saint Petersburg
We have a Walt Disney World update from Denise nbodyhome Preskitt this week. She has photos and video of a new attraction at Epcot's Innoventions: Raytheon's The Sum of All Thrills. Did you know that some are saying that this new ride at Epcot is a sneak preview of The Forbidden Journey of Harry Potter at Universal's Wizarding World at Islands of Adventure? You can read about it here.
After Denise fills us in on news from Disney East, we'll hop on the Hogwarts Express and make a quick journey to Candy Corn Acres at Disney's California Adventure. Be careful, though. sir clinksalot's report might give you a toothache!
We have some more great vintage postcard images this week from DisneylandPostcards.net. These Pirates of the Caribbean postcards "illustrate" this attraction in a very unusual way. Capping off our trip around the world this week, Ian Parkinson and Richard Williams give us a tour of a very opulent Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Thanks for visiting the Weekend Update!
Walt Disney World Update
Orlando, Florida
The Sum of All Thrills opened at Innoventions East this week. It is a simulator that is similar to Cyberspace Mountain in some regards. The attraction should eventually push through 194 guests and hour, but isn't close yet (as of yesterday, anyway!) You can be too big or too tall to ride, the width of the seats is on the narrow side. I have a full write up here: mousesteps.com.
Quote:
“The Sum of All Thrills” will be a core component of Raytheon’s MathMovesU program, an initiative designed to engage middle school students in math and science, and help create the next generation of innovators for the U.S. It will be located in the INNOVENTIONS pavilion, at Epcot® a unique area of the park that contains 100,000 square feet of interactive, hands-on exhibits that allow visitors to celebrate the inspiration and innovation that improve their lives and expand their horizons.
The tester seat, to make sure guests fit:
Guests designing their ride:
Guests riding:
We have this video too (along with 4 others)
The Orlando Sentinel is reporting that The Sum of All Thrills could be a sneak preview of The Forbidden Journey of Harry Potter, the signature attraction at Islands of Adventure's Wizarding World project:
Quote:
...But what makes the "Sum of All Thrills" at Epcot particularly interesting is that it offers a glimpse of what to expect in an even bigger attraction being built at Universal Orlando as part of that resort's highly anticipated Wizarding World of Harry Potter...
...Universal is widely thought to be using robot arms for The Forbidden Journey of Harry Potter, the centerpiece attraction in its $200-plus million Wizarding World project inside Islands of Adventure. While Universal has kept most details of the ride secret so far, construction documents show that the resort is working with a company that builds ride systems based on KUKA arms...
...Universal is widely thought to be using robot arms for The Forbidden Journey of Harry Potter, the centerpiece attraction in its $200-plus million Wizarding World project inside Islands of Adventure. While Universal has kept most details of the ride secret so far, construction documents show that the resort is working with a company that builds ride systems based on KUKA arms...
Read the full story at Orlando Sentinel
Space Mountain:
Work being done at the Grand Floridian:
And at the Boardwalk:
Marie from the Aristocats:
Caribbean Beach pool under construction:
Candy Corn Acres
Disney's California Adventure
If you enjoy the lighter side of Halloween, with some yummy candy corn sprinkled in, then Candy Corn Acres is the place for you.
You won't have to look far to find it, as you can see it as soon as you enter Disney's California Adventure.
The first thing that will catch your eye is the World's LARGEST Candy Corn
No farm is complete without flowers.
But that's not all to explore, in Candy Corn Acres you will see all of your favorite varieties of Candy Corn.
The ever-popular Candy Corn Corn
How about some Candy Corn Tomatoes?
Can Candy Corn Grapes make Candy Corn Wine?
Candy Corn Carrots make a perfect after-school snack
No Halloween party would be complete without a few Candy Corn Pumpkins
For those of you in warmer climates, Candy Corn Cactus is a perfect alternative
There are multiple varieties
So next time your at Disney's California Adventure, stop by Candy Corn Acres for all of your Candy Corn needs.
Looking for up-to-date reports from Disneyland
including photos, gossip, park schedules and more?
including photos, gossip, park schedules and more?
Visit these MiceChat columns each week:
Andy Castro's Dateline Disneyland
David DarkBeer Michael's In the Parks
We have some more vintage postcard images from DisneylandPostcards.net this week. I think I have a couple of these Pirates of the Caribbean postcards laying around here somewhere. I love the vintage illustration style shown here.
Saint Petersburg, Russia
Ian Parkinson and Richard Williams continue their Baltic journey with a stop in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Ian Parkinson and Richard Williams continue their Baltic journey with a stop in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Quote:
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject (a federal city) of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city's other names were Petrograd (1914–1924) and Leningrad (1924–1991). It is often called just Petersburg.
Founded by Tsar Peter I of Russia on 27 May, 1703, it was the capital of the Russian Empire for more than two hundred years (1713–1728, 1732–1918). Saint Petersburg ceased being the capital in 1918 after the Russian Revolution of 1917. It is Russia's second largest city after Moscow with 4.6 million inhabitants, and over 6 million people live in its vicinity. Saint Petersburg is a major European cultural centre, and an important Russian port on the Baltic Sea.
Saint Petersburg is often described as the most Western city of Russia. Among cities of the world with over one million people, Saint Petersburg is the northernmost. The Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments constitute a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Russia's political and cultural center for 200 years, the city is sometimes referred to in Russia as the northern capital. A large number of foreign consulates, international corporations, banks and other businesses are located in Saint Petersburg.
Founded by Tsar Peter I of Russia on 27 May, 1703, it was the capital of the Russian Empire for more than two hundred years (1713–1728, 1732–1918). Saint Petersburg ceased being the capital in 1918 after the Russian Revolution of 1917. It is Russia's second largest city after Moscow with 4.6 million inhabitants, and over 6 million people live in its vicinity. Saint Petersburg is a major European cultural centre, and an important Russian port on the Baltic Sea.
Saint Petersburg is often described as the most Western city of Russia. Among cities of the world with over one million people, Saint Petersburg is the northernmost. The Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments constitute a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Russia's political and cultural center for 200 years, the city is sometimes referred to in Russia as the northern capital. A large number of foreign consulates, international corporations, banks and other businesses are located in Saint Petersburg.
And that brings us to the end of another week. Our photographers have just enough time to reload their cameras before we see you all again next weekend. Thank you to all of our wonderful readers, and as always, a huge thank you to our amazing team of global photographers, spies, and gossips:
TDLFAN
Denise nbodyhome Preskitt (mousesteps.com)
SummerInFl
sir clinksalot
MickeyMaxx
CaptPhoebus
Ian Parkinson and Richard Williams
BigPigletFan
Abominable Snowman
Fishbulb
PhotoMatt
Jack Hollywood 1939 Wixom
Special thanks to Ken Eslick at DisneylandPostcards.net.
Your Editor - Rixter
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Total Comments 15
Comments
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I don't know what to think about that new ride at Epcot. On the one hand, it is a really neat technology, but on the other it is such a minimal way to present it.
Great update again everyone. Always so much fun to see where we are headed.
-DustyPosted 10-17-2009 at 12:37 AM by Dustysage
- Great update! I rode the new ride on Monday, a cast member approached us and asked if we wanted to try out a new ride, so we obviously said yes!! I enjoyed the experience, though one of my friends, who admittedly carries a little extra padding, couldnt get into the seat. It was unforetunate that he had been through all the preshow and designed his rollercoaster before finding this out!! Anyway, a great addition to Epcot, though I would imagine that the queues will be huge as there are only six pods.Posted 10-17-2009 at 06:50 AM by stejaski
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There are seats to try before you get in the queue.Posted 10-17-2009 at 10:38 AM by Ian P - Indeed, but we were shown through by the cast member, and didnt join a queue.Quote:Originally Posted by Ian P
There are seats to try before you get in the queue.Posted 10-17-2009 at 12:47 PM by stejaski - I thought I heard that Uni has an exclusive agreement to use the Kuka arms, how is it that Disney can use it? And if they are able to use it, can we expect to see more uses?Posted 10-17-2009 at 01:00 PM by Disneykin Kid
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The pictures from St. Petersburg are gorgeous. I love the weekend update.Posted 10-17-2009 at 01:10 PM by pratt55 -
Concerning the Robotic Arm Ride. This was going to be used first at Legoland in California but I guess they never went forward with it, but this exact same type of robotic arm ride was demonstrated at Legoland about 4 or 5 years ago and a video was made that I saw.
In the RCT3 game there is a Robotic Arm Coaster so I took this basic ride style and was able to make a flat ground ride by raising the track only one grid above the ground and using a chain drive all the way through to propel the ride vehicle. You can not put chains on the curves so I had to use a down track without chain, a curved track then and up track with chain and back to flat track at each corner of the building. This is just a throw together attempt to show what I think the ride will be like in the big Hogwarts Castle. Since I don't use Custom Scenery in RCT3 I don't have any Harry Potter themed stuff so I just used some posters and signs and the rest is fun house type stuff just to break up the monotony. There are two views, one from the seats and one from behind the ride vehicle to show how they are working. I didn't get fancy and make the cars do much turning or spinning. The music I used is Harry Potter themes so the audio was disabled by You Tube. So I did an "Audio Swap" for some generic Ambient Fantasy Music "Pipers at the Gate" just so there is something to listen to.
Posted 10-17-2009 at 02:37 PM by Lost Boy
Updated 10-18-2009 at 05:42 PM by Lost Boy (Reword the music section explanation) -
We had a video in the Weekend Update last year of the Knight's Tournament attraction at Legoland California. I believe it uses the robotic arm technology that Lost Boy is referring to.
Posted 10-17-2009 at 02:50 PM by Weekend Update - That is very similar to the one I saw but that one was a test vehicle inside a big building. Also note that in this ride (which is also in RCT3) the actual ride base is stationary as is the one that will be at WDW. Also the one at WDW has that capsule over the seats that provides video in 3-D that is matched to the moves of the arm and seats. The one in Hogwarts is supposed to move through the castle and put you into the various areas and rooms of Howarts. Using that information I created the video I made. I am thinking that as of now, this is the closest I can come to getting the idea across as to how this ride at Hogwarts might work.Posted 10-17-2009 at 03:14 PM by Lost Boy
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Great shots of St. Petersburg. I visited there a few years back (many of the same locations) but that was in winter. It all looks so stunning with the green of summer.Posted 10-17-2009 at 06:04 PM by Semiquaver -
I am amazed that the kuka arm could fit is such a tight space in Innoventions
!
Timekeeper.Posted 10-17-2009 at 11:23 PM by Timekeeper -
Russia is so beautiful, it's a shame that it was off-limits for so long, it has so many things to offer the world. One of these days I hope to visit there, not in the winter though... it's probably colder than Canada in the wintertime. I read somewhere that it is custom that if you open a bottle of vodka, you have to finish it regardless of how many people are in your group. That seems like a tall order since I don't even like straight vodka, but that culture is very family oriented and big on customs.Posted 10-18-2009 at 10:06 AM by Athlonacon - The puke factor seems pretty high for the new Raytheon Innoventions attraction.Posted 10-18-2009 at 10:08 AM by bayouguy
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So how is the resulting effect on the new EPCOT ride versus... say... Cyber Space Mountain at DisneyQuest?Posted 10-18-2009 at 11:28 PM by TDLFAN -
Just curious, if I'm not asking anything too personal - how much extra padding does your friend carry (like how many pounds)? As one who is on the hefty side, I'd like to know if I even have a chance.Quote:Originally Posted by stejaski ...though one of my friends, who admittedly carries a little extra padding, couldnt get into the seat.Posted 10-19-2009 at 08:51 AM by danyoung
