Ten things you MAY not know about Big Thunder Mountain Railroad...

I really enjoy your posts. Thanks for sharing and taking the time to post. :)

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Originally Posted by Frogberto

Why is it extremely uncool? I'll be happy to edit the post if there's a violation of the TOS of this board, somehow, but the names are public record and are not, at all, confidential. Seems to me it would be more misleading to not distinguish between two separate incidents. Your use of "factual" in quotes leads me to believe you don't think that any part of this was fact, and I'm not clear on what additional context I can provide that would make this posting "cool", to use your words. Let me know specifics.

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I certainly didn't mean to start anything, its just that even though it may be public record (just as a convicted streaker or skinny-dipper's name becomes permanent public record as a "sex offender") it seems unfair to post the name of the CM who had the last finger pointed at as "responsible" for the most recent BTMRR accident while the real villains behind the tragic Thunder Mountain fatality are not listed. And how did the attraction "inflict" serious injury to that five-year-old kid when that accident was caused by that kid's own actions (if the attraction had "inflicted" the injury, wouldn't it likely have happened during the previous 19 years that the ride had been in operation at that point, and to some of the millions and millions of guests who had ridden it over that time)?

Each incident had its own unique set of circumstances that lead up to it (some far more complex than others), with their own consequences and lasting repercussions. Explaining the hows and whys and aftermath of an event is called interpretation. Short of that, in the factual threads that you've made your specialty, is the same as the "news for the attention impaired" that are found on the Internet these days.

Personally, I love Disney ride fact minutiae, but I don't want my trivia trivialized, either, and I want it accurate (ex. the bobsled info).

You asked for specifics.

The dinosaur bones to the right during the splash-down spot near the end were once embedded in the side of a canyon wall in the living desert, you could see them from the mine train and while riding the mules.

The coyote and the turtles were also part of the old Nature's Wonderland ride as well.

The cavern with the rainbow water is a nod to the Mine Train's Rainbow Caverns, though it contains none of the original elements.

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Frogberto again.

I tried, Great Post!

Great Post! i guess i will ride it in the afternoon now!

I had heard of the 'goat effect,' whereas if you look up at the goat while going into the downwards helix (you know the critter with the stick of dynamite in his mouth on the top of a micromesa) you are supposed to get a bit of a jolt/dizzyness/drop feeling. Of course, I didn't--I felt that way through the entire ride!

This is actually a cool thread, thanks frogberto. I'm working on a BTMRR screenplay as of late. A tribute to westerns and kids' tales.

Still in the works.

peace,
Roo

The narrator is the same man who voiced the old miner on Nature's Wonderland.

More BTM Trivia: Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain is based off a series of buttes in Utah while the three other BTM's are based off formations in Wyoming.

Roo, your project sounds very fun!

as a big fan of "The one and only genuine original family band" I can say that really nothing about the ride has anything to do with the movie.

The songs in the line are just old songs like "Big Rock Candy Mountain" and the like. The songs from the movie are all original (and very good for that matter) The setting for the movie is the Dakotas, a landscape that looks nothing like Big Thunder... The landscape is baised on, from what I've read, Bryce Canyon National Park. Google image bryce canyon it and you'll see what I mean.

Go watch the movie if you can find it... It's very fun.

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Originally Posted by Roo719

I had heard of the 'goat effect,' whereas if you look up at the goat while going into the downwards helix (you know the critter with the stick of dynamite in his mouth on the top of a micromesa) you are supposed to get a bit of a jolt/dizzyness/drop feeling. Of course, I didn't--I felt that way through the entire ride!

This is actually a cool thread, thanks frogberto. I'm working on a BTMRR screenplay as of late. A tribute to westerns and kids' tales.

Still in the works.

peace,
Roo

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Ahh, the goat trick. It's best enjoyed from the last car of the train.

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Originally Posted by Frogberto

2 ... Then in September, 2003, one guest, Christopher Bowman, was killed and 10 others injured when the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad coaster had a serious accident, causing Cal OSHA to fine Disneyland $18,530 for unsafe workplace and maintenance violations which contributed to the death of Christopher Bowman.

6. Listen to the safety spiel as you board your train... "Howdy, folks! Please keep your hands and arms inside the train, and remain seated at all times... 'cause this here's the wildest ride in the wilderness!" Does that voice sound familiar? If you have ever visited the great moments with Mr. Lincoln ride, it should. It is that of Dallas McKennon, who also provides the voice of Benjamin Franklin.

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A few small things that are incorrect in the original points : As far as #2 is concerned, the guy who died was named Marcelo Torres. I don't know where "Christopher Bowman" came from?

As far as #6 is concerned, you are correct as to the original narration -- but as it existed until about 3-4 years ago, at which point the spiel was changed (everyone HATES the updated spiel... which does not even attempt to re-create the original narration, but just sounds... dumb.) You can still hear Dallas McKennon in the Remember... Dreams Come True fireworks, which does have the original narration.

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Originally Posted by speederscout

Item # 2... somehow it seems extremely uncool to list the names, especially in such close relation to each other, even though (especially since) the accidents were directly unrelated. You're an attorney, right? If you're going to list accidents in your series of "factual" threads, then some context on each would be more than appropriate.

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Relax....

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Originally Posted by ryborg

Relax....

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Hey, a "fact" is supposed to be factual; as in, "Chernabog is correct" (good call, btw, Cherny).

And as we all know, there are "lies, damn lies, and statistics".

ONCE, once again: I have nothing against threads listing ride facts and trivia; I love 'em. Just make them accurate and in context. There's enough mis-information going around already... in fact, a very active thread about it is right now railing against CMs giving wrong information. Well, what about when fans do the same thing?? Just because someone says something on the internet does not make it true.

But hey, I guess you can believe whatever you want.

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Originally Posted by Chernabog

A few small things that are incorrect in the original points : As far as #2 is concerned, the guy who died was named Marcelo Torres. I don't know where "Christopher Bowman" came from?

As far as #6 is concerned, you are correct as to the original narration -- but as it existed until about 3-4 years ago, at which point the spiel was changed (everyone HATES the updated spiel... which does not even attempt to re-create the original narration, but just sounds... dumb.) You can still hear Dallas McKennon in the Remember... Dreams Come True fireworks, which does have the original narration.

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Chernabog: Thanks for the response, and I appreciate the input. I checked my source, and that was my confusion. CalOsha did fine Disneyland for the death of Christopher Bowman, but that was a death in DCA, not Disneyland. I misread the source material.

Source: http://www.rotten.com/library/travel/disneyland/

Marcelo Torres was the person who bled to death after being struck by a train on Big Thunder.

I've edited the original post, and I greatly appreciate your correction. That's how wonderful the forum is - anyone is free to offer additional information, or even offer a full posting with the "context" of any one accident, if they wish.

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Originally Posted by speederscout

Hey, a "fact" is supposed to be factual; as in, "Chernabog is correct" (good call, btw, Cherny).

And as we all know, there are "lies, damn lies, and statistics".

ONCE, once again: I have nothing against threads listing ride facts and trivia; I love 'em. Just make them accurate and in context. There's enough mis-information going around already... in fact, a very active thread about it is right now railing against CMs giving wrong information. Well, what about when fans do the same thing?? Just because someone says something on the internet does not make it true.

But hey, I guess you can believe whatever you want.

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Here's a "cool" suggestion. Why don't/didn't you make your own version of the "facts", written the way you think it should be done. That way everyone can read it and benefit. Seems it probably would have taken the same amount of time as the other posts you've made addressing the issue.

Just a suggestion. BTW - nobody is perfect.