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mrfantasmic
11-07-2001, 09:33 PM
Who cares about the problems...
I MISS ThE ROCKET RODS!!
Couldn't they have spent some money to bank the track and keep those futuristic vehicles zipping around?
I miss the sounds, I miss the music...
Don't you wish...

bluepearl
11-07-2001, 09:50 PM
Luckily, I got to ride the Rocket Rods during my Grad Night back in 1999 - my first and only time it now seems. I liked the ride, except I didn't think it was fast enough (I expected it to be faster, but I imagine there were probably a lot of problems in having the cars go faster). I think it's a waste if they don't do anything with the track - especially after removing the PeopleMover (which I'd love to ride just to feel the nostalgia). I would like to see that track used for something!

I also thought the Rocket Rods were going to be like Test Track from WDW (I've never been on that but it looks fun). Wish they'd think about bringing that to DCA...

Nigel2
11-07-2001, 10:19 PM
From music I am guessing you mean the music from the queue since it was just a bunch of beeps and stuff for the ride. I really liked that ride, but I hated waiting in ST when it was running, that can get on your nerves when they go ziping by. Test track is a cool ride, the only super fast part is outside and right before you go outside( should I talk more about it?), inside there are more turns but its not as fast.

tabacco
11-07-2001, 11:48 PM
Originally posted by Nigel2
From music I am guessing you mean the music from the queue since it was just a bunch of beeps and stuff for the ride.

I liked those beeps... the GCH doors make 'em when you put your key in :)

Someone You Dont Know
11-08-2001, 01:29 AM
I've read a bunch of articles about how the Rocket Rods would always break down... but they never gave a direct reason for why they would break down. So, they built the track on the old People Mover track and because of that the Rods kept breaking down. Okay. So what specifically on the track made the Rods break down?

innerSpaceman
11-08-2001, 06:02 AM
Once again, it was a case of having to ride the attraction very early on in its (in this case very brief) history to get the experience the way the imagineers designed it. The Rocket Rods were quite fast when the ride first premiered and, predictably, were slowed down considerably in the subsequent weeks.

I really liked the blink-of-an-eye tour of Tomorrowland, like the Peoplemover on crystal meth or something. I especially liked the wheelie the cars popped at the starting gate, but once again that was an element that was toned way down soon after the ride's premier. But better than being on the ride, I enjoyed the athmosphere that they provided to Tomorrowland; the fast cars zipping by, and especially that cool Jestons sound that went with them.

As to the technical reasons why they kept breaking down, SomeoneYouDon'tKnow, it had something to do with the constant slow-down, speed-up the cars had to do in order to compensate for the lack of banked curves. It just took it's toll on the vehicles. Perhaps someone can go into more specifics, but I believe that's the gist of it.

Ghoulish Delight
11-08-2001, 07:18 AM
My impression of the ride....mediocre at best, definitely not worth any sort of wait. Heck, the light effects inside the tunnels were SO LAME!! Just a couple blinking lights?!?! Why didn't they just leave the Tron speed trunnel?? Heck, I could have put together a better light display shopping at Spencer's!

As for the technical issues, I do know one specific problem they had. Rain mode. Because the track is outside, and the cars had the big racing slicks on 'em, rain really messed with them. We were on the ride in July '00, and it was drizzling on and off. We get in the car, and the ride stops. They let us get out and stand on the platform (since we were being drizzled on). We talked to a CM who told us that the problem was that the computer freaked out when it switched to rain mode (i.e. reducing the speed even FURTHER) and that the programming had major problems. She then said it would be closing in a week for 9 months (ha!). It was at that point I realized that a lot of people were going to be fired over that ride (hopefully).

bluepearl
11-08-2001, 08:49 AM
Thanks for all the information on the ride's problems. I heard about the problems, but never knew what they were.

I remember the little wheelies that the ride did, but I imagine that what I experienced was already the toned down version.

Nigel2: If possible, could you PM me the details of Test Track? I'd love to know how that ride goes!

hbquikcomjamesl
11-08-2001, 10:56 AM
I rode it once, maybe twice. I could never understand why anybody would stand in line for several hours for it, as it hardly struck me as being worth the wait, or worth tying up CircleVision as a queueing area.

As I recall, the ride itself didn't strike me as even being terribly exciting or terribly pleasant.

BTW, just what was the music in the underground portion of the queueing area?

zapppop
11-08-2001, 04:10 PM
I enjoyed the Rocket Rods while they lasted but I'd rather ride the PeopleMover.

Cadaverous Pallor
11-08-2001, 04:24 PM
Should've been faster, with the highest tech trippy effects they can find in the tunnels. This is what I expected from the ride, but it fell way short.

I wonder if they realized that if they put super-awesome effects in the tunnels, they'd get a lot of traffic from people in altered states? Maybe that's why it's just a bunch of blinking lights (that worked only half the time anyway).

innerSpaceman
11-08-2001, 04:46 PM
Yes, there is precious little for guests in altered states to do in the Park nowadays.

If you manage to get the music working, Space Mountain with rainbow glasses is still a winner.

coronamouseman
11-08-2001, 05:23 PM
As I had previously posted a month or so ago .......

Why can't Disney install some "conventional" coaster track along the same plan (or even a modified one with some higher hills and larger drops) using accelerator technology to provide a couple of high-speed bursts along the way. They could bank the turns and put some other special effects stuff along the way - heck, they could even zip the cars up and down the sides of Space Mountain like Walt himself had even suggested in the early days of that attraction......

Sure, it sounds like it would be similar to California Screamin but so what - it would preserve some of the "frenetic" ambiance of Tomorrowland what with a bunch of speeding vehicles zipping around overhead ..........

DisneylandKid
11-08-2001, 06:50 PM
All I can say is that Rocket Rods used to be my favorite ride (back in the day.) When it premiered, it did go quite fast, and the wheelie and sound effects were always cool. I think it would have been cheaper for Disney to bank the curves instead of shutting it down...they would've gained more business (and more attraction pins....................)

mrfantasmic
11-08-2001, 08:10 PM
Hey, by the way, does anyone know where to find the queue music?

Nigel2
11-08-2001, 10:10 PM
Kazaa has the ride sounds on it. Probably the funniest effect of the ride was the near collision, it was cool when on my first ride (opening day front seat) we go flying towards it, and at the last seccond I realize its a reflection.:D Yeah, it lost a ton of magic when they slowed it down, but it was cool to see construction of innoventions when you would ride it. Another thing (possibly little known) when RR would go through innoventions the tree would shake since it was so powerfull.

mrfantasmic
11-09-2001, 06:02 PM
OK, but music from the line?

Nigel2
11-09-2001, 09:41 PM
Which set? From entry/blueprint room, the CV room, or the god awful music from the underground enter exit tunnel?

rexfarms
11-10-2001, 11:44 AM
I wish I could have had one last ride.:crying:

TimBuk2
11-10-2001, 08:43 PM
Gee Wiz...I never got to ride the Rocket Rods at all. For most of the time it was "alive and running", I didn't have my AP. I was going to Knott's. What a knucklehead ! I only got to see them test, then by the time I got another pass, it was gone for good. :mad:

Seems to me I saw rumor here in MP that they were going to tear out the track completely and not even have the return of the People Mover. I wish they would make up their minds.

Same thing with the Submariner. It looks nice, but it's just wasted space that could be used for something good. There sure seems to be a lot of wasted space around the park. You KNOW they have money, give me a break. :eek: