why doesnt Disney own a wooden roller coaster ????

[felixthequick]

I could imagine disney having an intense woody. Hey, you might even name it after that yodeling cowgirl. so many parks yet there isnt any wooden roller coasters. I would guess the only place they would fit in would be frontier lands.

Can you image how amazing an indoor wooden roller coaster could be with plenty of themes involved.

One thing that i have to say about disney is that they have gotten out of the business of putting out world record type rides. I remember that when i was a kid I use to think disneyland had the scariest rides. what happened. To me as a 7 year old child, space mountain and thunder mountain were at the top of the thrill factor. I guess tower of terror and california screaming are ok. but why cant any of the disney parks just think outside the box and put together a real fun wooden roller coaster with plenty on thrills, drops, and technology that will blow our socks off.

[Trumpet]

Yes that would be grat idea for the Fronierland exhibition are is, when they have the jamboree. No one goies into it apart from Halloween, so it would make perfect sense. It could be themed to a western shootout between the Marshals and the local gang. it should ave some thril, but be part dark ride and part outdoor rollercoaster.

Lets see what other Micechatter have to say...

[TylerDurden]

I think the reason you think Disney doesn't make scary rides anymore is because you've grown up since Thunder Mountain and Space Mountain debuted--they can still be pretty scary to younger kids! And I think Tower of Terror is one of the most intense rides (theme and thrill-wise) out there!

That being said, I don't think a wooden roller coaster would be good for any Disney parks. Wooden roller coasters are meant to give people an out-of-control wild feeling, while Disney roller coasters are meant to tell a story. No Disney roller coaster (besides Screamin') is actually advertised as a roller coaster. I don't think wooden rides lend themselves well to being mediums for translating stories because you don't ever see big wooden structures in any of the environments Disney creates. However, you do see mine trains, bobsleds, etc, but those are made with steel.

[Drewfilmboy]

It's very unlikely for Disney to ever build a wooden roller coaster. Firstly, wooden coasters are expensive to maintain. Workers must walk the entire track and check each bolt, unlike a steel roller coaster which utilied a pressurized checking system. The steel rails are pressurized and if the pressure is low, then there is a leak/crack somewhere they can check for.

Also, wooden coasters can easily turn brutal after a few years in operation. Don't believe me? Just drive down 1-4 to Busch Gardens and hop on Gwazi. Doesn't bod well in the constant Florida rain.

[cruise]

Wooden Roller Coasters are also huge eyesores (in therms of a Disney park) and it would be hard to theme the entire structure of one appropriately, even if indoors. No matter what you did to it it would look like a roller coaster, and you would have a hard time in most contexts deriving a story based on being on a roller coaster. Disney doesn't really have a whole lot of coasters where the bare track is exposed. And I have a hard time seeing how putting one entirely in the dark would help tell a story either. Remember the Disney Parks are about story first, and unless you have a really good story-driven reason for including one I don't see it happening.

Now... after I've said all of that I do realize that Disney does own a coaster that is currently "themed" to be a wooden coaster. One could even argue that Screamin' would be more thematically appropriate if made of wood. I would agree, but I also think the LIM steel version provides more thrills and is superior for some of the reasons stated by other posters listed above.

Bottom line, unless you have another amusement park themed land like Paradise Pier at DCA or Dino-Rama at DAK I don't think you can argue a wooden coaster "fits" in a Disney park.

One thing that i have to say about disney is that they have gotten out of the business of putting out world record type rides. I remember that when i was a kid I use to think disneyland had the scariest rides. what happened. To me as a 7 year old child, space mountain and thunder mountain were at the top of the thrill factor. I guess tower of terror and california screaming are ok. but why cant any of the disney parks just think outside the box and put together a real fun wooden roller coaster with plenty on thrills, drops, and technology that will blow our socks off.

While you may have thought Disney had the "scariest rides" when you were 7, that was NEVER the actual case, at least in terms of the thrill factor you seem to be assessing "scare" by. Rarely do Disney rides break records in terms of thrill.

[DobbysCloset]

To me as a 7 year old child, space mountain and thunder mountain were at the top of the thrill factor.

As another person said, you grew up! Peter Pan is still terrified on those rides, right?

There's a magic window of roller coaster riding for many of us -- my inner ear no longer allows me to be shaken up the way it did when I was in my teens. I rode Screamin' and made it almost all the way through until being upside down nearly caused Barfin'.

[aimster]

Also, wooden coasters can easily turn brutal after a few years in operation. Don't believe me? Just drive down 1-4 to Busch Gardens and hop on Gwazi. Doesn't bod well in the constant Florida rain.

But..... considering this thread is in the DISNEYLAND forums and Disneyland is in southern California, an area that doesn't see a lot of rain compared to central Florida...

As for Gwazi, it got REALLY bad for awhile, but then they spent 2 years re-tracking both sides (for those who don't know, Gwazi is a dueling coaster) and they got brand new trains 2 years ago. It was a huge improvement. But as time went on, it started getting a bit rough again. Not as bad as it was before the new trains (back then it was so bad I couldn't ride because I'd get horrible migraines from being jackhammered on the dang thing). Now they're only running one side (Lion) due to budget constraints.

[mickey11]

I doubt they will ever build one, at least not a full size coaster. Look at the hassle they went through making Screamin'. Its a steel coaster made to look like its a wood coaster... when they could have just built a wood coaster. They themed an area around a wood coaster, and didn't build one!!

[Bruce Bergman]

Wooden coasters cost more to build and a LOT more to maintain than a steel coaster. Monthly and quarterly checks of 50,000 bolts in the structure, Lots of overnight work keeping up with problems, and very extensive inspections every morning - and lots of late opens and total closures because they found something that has to be fixed first. Steel coasters are pretty good at being there all day, every day.

And the Woodies ride a lot rougher - without intensive maintenance a Whole Lot Rougher. Last time I got off Ghost Rider I thought I just went 12 rounds with Mike Tyson - even checked my ear... That's not the Family Friendly park that Walt wanted at all, when a parent can't ride with their child because they'd get beat up by the trip.

Last, woodies take up a lot more exclusive ground space for the track when you consider all the buttresses and bracing, and are a lot harder to wind in between and around other rides - they have to get in there for maintenance too much, and when they do that shuts down the other rides that are under or next to it also. Can't chance dropping a wrench on a Guest on the other ride passing through.

They have room for one at DisneyWorld, but Disneyland and DCA are just too compact to make one workable. It would take up the space that could be better used for two or three intertwined attractions.

--<< Bruce >>--

[mratigan]

And if they did it indoors you might as well get a steel coaster and re-theme it
Grizzly Mountain Mne cars and BTM

[choco choco]

Wooden coasters cost more to build and a LOT more to maintain than a steel coaster. Monthly and quarterly checks of 50,000 bolts in the structure, Lots of overnight work keeping up with problems, and very extensive inspections every morning - and lots of late opens and total closures because they found something that has to be fixed first. Steel coasters are pretty good at being there all day, every day.

And the Woodies ride a lot rougher - without intensive maintenance a Whole Lot Rougher. Last time I got off Ghost Rider I thought I just went 12 rounds with Mike Tyson - even checked my ear... That's not the Family Friendly park that Walt wanted at all, when a parent can't ride with their child because they'd get beat up by the trip.

Last, woodies take up a lot more exclusive ground space for the track when you consider all the buttresses and bracing, and are a lot harder to wind in between and around other rides - they have to get in there for maintenance too much, and when they do that shuts down the other rides that are under or next to it also. Can't chance dropping a wrench on a Guest on the other ride passing through.

They have room for one at DisneyWorld, but Disneyland and DCA are just too compact to make one workable. It would take up the space that could be better used for two or three intertwined attractions.

--<< Bruce >>--

All true.

There have been lots of developments for wooden coasters in recent years. Intamin's prefabricated track (the Plug 'n Play), has really changed the definition of a woodie. It uses new materials and fabrication method to get a ride that is much smoother while allowing steeper angle drops and greater banked turns. These structures are cheaper to build and easier to maintain. Many think they're glorified steel coasters.

I still think California Screamin' is dishonest. With the exception of the loop, there's no part of that track layout that could not be actual wood. I've heard Gravity Group even developed a launching wooden coaster (they've never built one).

Maintenance issues on a coaster have a lot to do with the intensity of the ride (steeper drops and banks put more forces on the structure and brakes...etc). Since Screamin' is such a mild ride, I actually don't think it is a big deal should they switch it out with an actual prefab woodie. Aesthetically it would do wonders. A real wooden coaster is a beautiful, beautiful sight.

[calsig31]

I would guess the only place they would fit in would be frontier lands.

This doesn't say Frontierland to me.

[lazyboy97O]

California Screamin' has its genesis in proposals for wooden roller coasters at PortDisney, Disney's America and the Boardwalk at Walt Disney World.

The Frontierland angle I do not at all understand.

[clippers6]

I'm not sure Screamin' would work as a woody even if they found a way to incorporate the launch and loop. Woodies are LOUD. I'm not sure a woody would work as close to other attractions, shops, and walkways as Screamin' is.

[mickey11]

Wooden coasters cost more to build and a LOT more to maintain than a steel coaster. Monthly and quarterly checks of 50,000 bolts in the structure, Lots of overnight work keeping up with problems, and very extensive inspections every morning - and lots of late opens and total closures because they found something that has to be fixed first. Steel coasters are pretty good at being there all day, every day.

And the Woodies ride a lot rougher - without intensive maintenance a Whole Lot Rougher. Last time I got off Ghost Rider I thought I just went 12 rounds with Mike Tyson - even checked my ear... That's not the Family Friendly park that Walt wanted at all, when a parent can't ride with their child because they'd get beat up by the trip.

Last, woodies take up a lot more exclusive ground space for the track when you consider all the buttresses and bracing, and are a lot harder to wind in between and around other rides - they have to get in there for maintenance too much, and when they do that shuts down the other rides that are under or next to it also. Can't chance dropping a wrench on a Guest on the other ride passing through.

They have room for one at DisneyWorld, but Disneyland and DCA are just too compact to make one workable. It would take up the space that could be better used for two or three intertwined attractions.

--<< Bruce >>--

In every way, a wooden coaster is cheaper to create then a steel coaster. But they are maintenance heavy.

Realistically, I don't you'll see them because they aren't a product that fits with the company. Hell, lots of people still see a wooden coaster and think they are unsafe simply because its made of wood.. Disney just has no use for a wooden coaster.