Break the Mold

There are a couple of times when Disney broke the mold when they made something. They are attractions that really can’t be improved very easily. In some cases it’s only a scene in a ride.

I think the biggest example of breaking the mold was the Haunted Mansion. Throughout this ride there are some amazing special effects that you’d assume are pulled off by means of computers and other advanced technology. The wild part is none of the original special effects use computers. All of them are parlor tricks and old magic tricks that have been around for hundred years.

Most of the classic scenes in the Haunted Mansion can’t be improved. Just think of some of the classic scenes. The faces that follow you, the decaying painting, the ballroom scene, the dueling paintings, the hitch hiking ghosts, and others scenes are simply amazing.

Another ride that they broke the mold on is Peter Pan’s flight. Peter Pan’s Flight is the bench mark for all other dark rides. The Haunted Mansion and Pirates don’t really count as dark rides in my book. One’s a boat ride and the other is just unique even if they call it a dark ride. Peter Pan’s flight has amazing detail, great scenes, and it makes you feel like you are really flying. For a classic style dark ride you can’t beat it.

Splash Mountain is the bench mark for all other flume rides. The music, the scenes, the drops, the colors, and the photo makes this a near perfect flume ride. When I stop and think about it I can’t see how they could improve this ride other than a clean and a repaint.

Things That Amaze Me Volume One: The Omni Mover System

The Omni Mover System is a ride mechanic that a number of Disney World rides employ. Chances are if you’ve gotten into a line at Disney that actually moves, you’re in a line for a ride that uses the Omni Mover System.

Some of the rides that employ this system are:

The Haunted Mansion

Peter Pan’s Flight

The Seas with Nemo and Friends

Spaceship Earth

There are some others too.

This system was revolutionary when it was developed. Before the Omni, all rides had a vehicle that stopped, unloaded, reloaded and then took off. The Omni on the other hand, does not stop. Well it can stop if someone is being an idiot or if someone needs help getting on the ride but that’s beside the point. To board the ride you have to step onto a moving platform and then on to a vehicle going the same speed.

By loading without stopping you can move an enormous number of people in a short period of time. It’s so efficient that Spaceship Earth is the most ridden ride in the world. Spaceship Earth doesn’t move hundreds of people an hour; it moves thousands of people an hour.

When I was a kid the Omni System scared me a little. I was always afraid that I wouldn’t be able to get on the ride before I ran out of space. I thought I’d be left behind. It never occurred to me that the cast member would just stop the ride for a minute.

The other thing that amazes me about the Omni System is the people who work them. I’m thinking about the poor person who is assigned to platform duty. They can’t just stand there. If they did they’d fall right off the ride. They have to walk in place. How many miles do you think they walk in a shift? They must have legs of steel after working a ride like that after a few months.

It’s a good thing I’m not a supervisor at Disney. I’d get fired faster than you could blink. I’d be walking around the parks and reassigning over weight cast members to the Omni rides. I know that’s just wrong. How can I say that when I’m over weight? Easy! I’d love to do that for a job. I’d lose a ton of weight. Wouldn’t be pleasant but it would be worth it!