Most Repeatable Ride Experience At DLP

[jacoaster]

Thanks for the description Soundtracker!

Originally Posted by soundtracker

Before a train arrives at the loading station, the light show is in "neutral" mode - the work lights along the queue line and loading pen glow a stead, faint white.

White? Unless I'm thinking of the wrong lights, every time I have been the lights have been coloured depending on the train. I've never seen them white.

Originally Posted by soundtracker

The Tour De Force Records logo is projected onto the rear wall. A few small white spotlights stop the area from being too dark.

I've definitely seen the logo before, but I can't remember if that was working last time I went.

Originally Posted by soundtracker

Then a train arrives and everything changes. The tunnel between load and unload fills with large moving patterns of light (the patterns and colours depend on the train). As the train pulls into the loading station, the lights projecting onto the concert equipment spring to life, putting out the same swirling circular patterns. At the same time, the spotlights switch off, so the whole area is darker. The Tour De Force Records logo transforms into the Aerosmith logo.

Now I haven't seen that for a while! From what I remember, all that happens now is it goes dark and then lights up again once the train stops in the platform. No swirling lights whatsoever! I don't remember the Tour de Force logo turning into the Aerosmith logo either.

Originally Posted by soundtracker

These then switch off, one by one, as the train pulls away. The Aerosmith logo sweeps across the room, and becomes enormous, stretching from floor to ceiling as the train passes by on its way to the launch tunnel. It then flashes different colours and fades away.

That's interesting, I can't remember ever seeing that. I probably have done before, but certainly not in the last few years.

Originally Posted by soundtracker

On the launch platform, while the countdown starts, a separate, mini-light show takes place around the train. All the work lights switch off, plunging the area into darkness. The circular patterns that have accompanied the train through the load station reappear, and sweep backwards along the length of the train, faster and faster, to give an impression of speed before the train is even moving.

A few seconds before launch, the orange warning lights above the tunnel mouth start flashing. At the same time, the multi-coloured worklights along the queue start to flicker and dim. (The idea is that electricity is being drained from the rest of the attraction to power the launch).

Then the train launches, all the show lights snap off, and you get the strobe effect of the ride photography. The rest of the load station goes back to its “neutral” setting.

Now all of that has been working pretty well the last few times I've been. No major problems. Only thing I can think of is the "sweeping" lights just before launch, they don't seem to work properly.

Another "lost" effect that you didn't mention are the flickering lights in the final brake tunnel. There three of them on the ceiling. You can actually see them in someone's video on Youtube.

[soundtracker]

Originally Posted by jacoaster

Thanks for the description Soundtracker!
Another "lost" effect that you didn't mention are the flickering lights in the final brake tunnel. There three of them on the ceiling. You can actually see them in someone's video on Youtube.

Good point, jacoaster! The last time I rode it, the coloured lights that chase the trains down the launch tunnel weren't working either. They're letting the place go to wrack and ruin!

[davewasbaloo]

Originally Posted by soundtracker

Good point, jacoaster! The last time I rode it, the coloured lights that chase the trains down the launch tunnel weren't working either. They're letting the place go to wrack and ruin!

Sounds like DLP and WDW altogether. Thankfully DL and Toyko still take car of their parks. It's a shame though, since imagineering's definative designs are all in Paris.

[jacoaster]

I love this video of Rock on Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIPor...layer_embedded

As far as I can see everything is working. You can see the swirling lights, the Aerosmith logo moving as the train leaves the platform, the proper launch sequence, all the lights working in the main show, and the flickering lights in the final brake tunnel. Good times!

[soundtracker]

That's a brilliant video, jacoaster - thanks for the link! It was taken about a month before I started work there, and the show seems to be pretty much perfect. I'd forgotten that the show lights in the exit/shop area change as each train passes through: something else that no longer works!

[jacoaster]

Originally Posted by soundtracker

That's a brilliant video, jacoaster - thanks for the link! It was taken about a month before I started work there, and the show seems to be pretty much perfect. I'd forgotten that the show lights in the exit/shop area change as each train passes through: something else that no longer works!

You worked there? That's pretty cool! No wonder you know the lighting sequence of by heart. So were you a host, a technician, or something else?

[soundtracker]

Originally Posted by jacoaster

You worked there? That's pretty cool! No wonder you know the lighting sequence of by heart. So were you a host, a technician, or something else?

I was a ride operations Cast Member, which means I did everything from measuring kids at the entrance (never a fun job) to loading people into the trains and actually operating the ride controls.

We also had to o regular "Show tests", which meant we had to ride the coaster every hour to make sure all the showlights were working. Needless to say, that was may favourite part of the job!

[jacoaster]

Originally Posted by soundtracker

We also had to o regular "Show tests", which meant we had to ride the coaster every hour to make sure all the showlights were working. Needless to say, that was may favourite part of the job!

I presume they don't do these "show tests" anymore then. Either that or they still do them but it's pointless since the CMs don't know how it's supposed to look, as you said before. I've just checked a few of the newest videos of Rock on Youtube, and it appears the "sweeping" lights just before launch aren't working properly, and the lights in the queue aren't flickering and dimming as the train prepares to launch. The main show lights seem to be working okay though - I noticed some that I haven't seen working for a while!

Also, there's a question I've been dying to know the answer to for ages and you might be able to tell me -- Why is it that you can't film around the launch area and onride? I suppose they forbid onride filming because of safety, but why aren't you allowed to film the launch?

[soundtracker]

Originally Posted by jacoaster

I presume they don't do these "show tests" anymore then. Either that or they still do them but it's pointless since the CMs don't know how it's supposed to look, as you said before. I've just checked a few of the newest videos of Rock on Youtube, and it appears the "sweeping" lights just before launch aren't working properly, and the lights in the queue aren't flickering and dimming as the train prepares to launch. The main show lights seem to be working okay though - I noticed some that I haven't seen working for a while!

Also, there's a question I've been dying to know the answer to for ages and you might be able to tell me -- Why is it that you can't film around the launch area and onride? I suppose they forbid onride filming because of safety, but why aren't you allowed to film the launch?

They probably do the show tests, but they won't mean much any more, especially inside the main ride building, where about half the lights seem to be dead.

As for the ban on photography in the launch area, this is common to all Disney rides. If you allow people to take photographs indoors, they tend to use flash, which ruins the show. As for video taping the interiors, this is basically to keep the Disney experience inside the parks - it stops too many details (and bad quality footage of very good rides) leaking onto the internet. This means people can come to the ride fresh, without expectations or "spoilers".

It's an impossible task, of course, but it helps keep these things to a minimum.

[Ride Warrior]

Originally Posted by soundtracker

They probably do the show tests, but they won't mean much any more, especially inside the main ride building, where about half the lights seem to be dead.

As for the ban on photography in the launch area, this is common to all Disney rides. If you allow people to take photographs indoors, they tend to use flash, which ruins the show. As for video taping the interiors, this is basically to keep the Disney experience inside the parks - it stops too many details (and bad quality footage of very good rides) leaking onto the internet. This means people can come to the ride fresh, without expectations or "spoilers".

It's an impossible task, of course, but it helps keep these things to a minimum.

I agree with your perspective on Disney/DLP ride photography policy 101%, soundtracker. External photos and video footage should never be prohibitted...nor external pictures of the park taken while riding an attraction. However, Disney/DLP are within their rights and justified in demanding that photography not take place of their internal ride features...for all the reasons you stated above.

[davewasbaloo]

We went on the day after refurb this week, and it did seem like 95% of the effects were working! Smoke and a few lighting sequences were out. But it was in the best condition I have seen for a long time (same thing with PotC, PM and Space Mountain too - as well as the Labrynth).

[fizzog]

Excellent! Was the PotC song a bit more in sync?

[davewasbaloo]

Yep, PotC only had one effect out - the duelling pirates were too far apart.

[Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Bo]

Originally Posted by Ride Warrior

Which ride or rides would you appraise as the most repeatable experience at Disneyland Paris? Star Tours? It's A Small World? Big Thunder? Rock 'n Rollercoaster? There's so many great rides that it may well be difficult to choose. A poll will be up soon.

Pirates, Indianna, and one you didnt mention the Matterhorn duh!

[davewasbaloo]

Originally Posted by Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Bo

Pirates, Indianna, and one you didnt mention the Matterhorn duh!

Maybe because we do not have a Matterhorn in DLP