Like many Disney World enthusiasts, I’ve been to the Orlando parks and visited my favorite attractions numerous times over the years. Each time I visit, though, I notice something different. Some of the rides just move too quickly for guests to see everything, though all the small features definitely add to the overall experience. Here are some details you should look for next time you ride these popular Disney World attractions.
1. Mission: SPACE
If you’re too busy being pinned back in your seat or trying your best not to vomit on Mission: SPACE, then you’re completely normal. While you’re focused on the final frontier and pushing all the little buttons that do absolutely nothing, however, there are a few things you might miss.
Disney is well aware that Mission: SPACE could just as well be called Mission: WORSE THAN A HANGOVER. (That’s why they ask you a zillion times if you really want to ride the orange side before you actually get in your seat.) If you pay attention, in addition to all the fancy technology they borrowed from NASA, Disney also employed another NASA trick: fans. As you’re hurtling through space, the fans are kind enough to blow cool wind in your face. This, of course, is an effort to minimize motion sickness. Just in case it doesn’t work, though, they also include individual barf bags for unlucky guests who succumb to the ride’s effects.
2. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is my all time favorite Disney World ride. It’s a bit surprising to me, however, that there’s actually a storyline that goes along with the adventure.
Because the roller coaster moves so incredibly fast and is amazingly bumpy, I’m only ever vaguely aware of possums and frontier towns and such as I barrel through Big Thunder Mountain. Apparently, there’s a backstory to the ride, and it’s a pretty good one, too.
Supposedly, a man by the name of Barnabas T. Bullion runs the Big Thunder Mountain Company, which transports gold out of the mountain during the Gold Rush. Unfortunately for us, the mountain is haunted by spirits who don’t want us taking the gold. This results in runaway mine trains, earthquakes, flooding, and other disasters guests experience as they careen down the track.
If you’ve noticed all of the “disasters,” then you’re quite the observant individual. Disney uses many effects to portray the haunted caverns, floods, earthquakes, and unsettled mining town of Tumbleweed (yes, the town actually has a name). Various wildlife and citizens in the area are clearly upset by the consequences of gold mining at the haunted mountain. There are numerous hills, turns, and stomach-clenching drops, and the train even seems to sway at one point. Though it definitely feels as if the cars are moving side to side, designers really just banked the track a tad to achieve the swaying effect.
Overall, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is one heck of a ride anyway, but the little details really make this one a fun attraction to experience again and again.
3. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
Unless you’re just completely oblivious, you’ve noticed the Aerosmith affiliation with this popular roller coaster. From the preshow to the gift shop, everything about the ride just screams “Steven Tyler was here.”
As you fly through corkscrews and loops, you’ll experience some of the band’s most popular songs, in a mix that’s synchronized perfectly to the ride’s twists and turns.
In fact, it really feels like the music is playing all around you–and that’s because it is.
Unlike most roller coaster rides that feature music, the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster has five speakers per guest seat. That’s a total of ten speakers per car. (If you don’t know already–that’s a lot. Most rides only have about four total per car.) Also, the rumor is that the mix of songs is set for each train. There are a total of five trains running at any given time, and each one has its own special track.
I love Aerosmith’s music, but I’ve often wondered about some of the lyrics that are included on this ride. After all, Disney World is a family-friendly place, and some of the band’s lyrics are…not. Surprisingly, I’ve noticed that many of the words aren’t edited, though perhaps they’re not blatant enough for parents to complain.
However, some of the lyrics to the songs actually are changed for the Disney World attraction. For example, at one point during “Love in an Elevator,” the words actually change to “Love in a roller coaster.” If you pay attention, you might notice some other subtle differences, too.
4. Soarin’
The most amazing thing about Soarin’ is how much the ride feels like an actual hang gliding experience (but, you know, without the fear of plummeting your death). Disney uses many tricks to achieve this feeling.
For one, you’ve probably noticed that, though the ride is in a large room, you don’t really notice anything but the screen in front of you and the feel of the wind as you soar over the various sights. That’s because Disney doesn’t want you to notice anything else. (They also don’t want you to notice that they sometimes use the orange scent for all the different scenes, but that’s another thing altogether…)
If you pay attention, you’ll notice that the screen is actually concave, and all the seats are pointed ever-so-slightly towards the center of it. This ensures that your line of sight focuses on the screen and not on the black walls around you.
The seats often move throughout the show, as well–or do they? Actually, the whole row of seats may move vertically at times, but cast members state that they never move horizontally, though it may feel like it sometimes. When you notice a horizontal movement sensation, it’s just a combination of vertical movement and visual effects playing tricks on your mind. Pretty cool, huh?
5. Expedition Everest
Expedition Everest is another one of my personal favorites at Disney World. This ride was built with some of the latest technology available to Disney at the time, and it really shows.
From the backwards ride to the intricately designed Yeti, everything about Everest just adds to the overall ride experience.
Still, as much as I love the attraction, I originally felt like the Yeti was hyped up a bit too much for the role he plays. Yes, his entrance is pretty awesome, but it isn’t really that scary to anyone over the age of ten. After a bit of research, I was surprised to discover that the Yeti is actually broken. Yep. He’s broken.
The original Yeti experience included movement––significant movement, actually. The creature was built to move about five feet horizontally and about 18 inches vertically. That’s pretty impressive for an animatronic. He literally lunged out a bit at riders when the attraction first opened.
Unfortunately, this only lasted a few months. The base of the Yeti then cracked, and the amount of time and money it would cost to repair him is huge. Of course, Disney has the money, but guests would inevitably notice a lengthy ride closure, and (for now, at least) they’ve decided that the expense and inconvenience just isn’t worth it. Instead, they’ve added a strobe light effect that sort of gives the impression that the Yeti is dancing––hence the nickname “Disco Yeti.”
Still, all hope isn’t lost. A large refurbishment is pretty much unavoidable for any ride at some point, and Disney may seize such an opportunity when it arises. Also, the head Imagineer for the project, Joe Rhode, promised that he would eventually ensure that the Yeti functions at full capacity once more. Until then, we’ll just enjoy the “Disco Yeti” and his awesome dance moves.
