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View Full Version : Rocket Rods... Finally, Some Answers



phoenixfire2k5
07-21-2005, 02:36 PM
http://yesterland.com/rocketrods.html

I am sure that many people have seen this site and know a lot about what's on it. I had just recently first visited this site and got a little info on one of my favorite rides that is now non existant. I just wish I had this useful information last weekend.

Last weekend at the DCA campout, I was talking to some guests that were in line with me. They had asked about the failure of the Rocket Rods and why they were taken out. I had explained to them, based on what I have heard and my own assumptions, that they didn't work a lot because of computer problems. As it turns out and as the site explains, they failed because of eventual wear and tear on the vehicles due to the constand accelerating and braking to make the turns. Imagineers wanted to bank the turns similiar to Test Track at Epcot. But due lack of corporate sponsorship and funds to support big budget plans to bank the flat peoplemover track, the vehicles had to run on the existing flat peoplemover track and the braking eventually took its toll on the ride. I do miss this ride, but I sure could've used this info last weekend. So I thought I'd post this thread just in case anyone else was wondering about it.

Andrew
07-21-2005, 02:44 PM
Physical wear and tear due to the non-banked track had two dimensions: first, the vehicles, specifically the tires, were wearing out much faster than had been planned. Secondly, the track structue itself--never designed for such speeds--was having structural issues.

Another major component to the failure of the attraction was the substandard, budget-dictated computer control system. Rather than the sophisticated ride control systems of, for example, the new Space Mountain or even Indiana Jones, the Rocket Rods' control system ran on stock Compaq desktop boxes running, I kid you not, Windows 95. It was for this reason that when the blue flashing light went on and the Rods slowed way down, we always called it "Safe Mode".

phoenixfire2k5
07-21-2005, 02:48 PM
Physical wear and tear due to the non-banked track had two dimensions: first, the vehicles, specifically the tires, were wearing out much faster than had been planned. Secondly, the track structue itself--never designed for such speeds--was having structural issues.

Another major component to the failure of the attraction was the substandard, budget-dictated computer control system. Rather than the sophisticated ride control systems of, for example, the new Space Mountain or even Indiana Jones, the Rocket Rods' control system ran on stock Compaq desktop boxes running, I kid you not, Windows 95. It was for this reason that when the blue flashing light went on and the Rods slowed way down, we always called it "Safe Mode".

ROTFL!! Windows 95? Oh of all things holy!!! So at least I was partly right, it was having computer problems. Well, thats what they get for using Microsoft! :D

Thanks Andrew.

The Mouse Is Back
07-21-2005, 02:59 PM
Sorry, the only thing I ever wondered about RR is why they had them in the first place. ;)


-Allegra-

IndySpacePirate
07-21-2005, 04:23 PM
Thanks a lot Andrew for that information! I never really understood why in the world they took down that ride because in my opinion I really enjoyed it.

Okay, for a corporation as big as Disney one would think that they could afford something better than Windows 95 and Compaq computers! I mean, when that ride was open the least they could get was 98 which was a huge upgrade from 95 to say the least - and what are they thinking operating a ride using a standard OS??? Especially one developed by Microsoft and one known to crash even performing simple tasks such as typing a Word document or even booting up!!! And to operate a ride using a PC with 95 is ridiculous! I wonder who even thought of this idea - it's called TOMORROWland people! Windows 95 is not tommorrow or even slightly yesterday!

Thanks Andrew for the info. I found the computer information on the ride very amusing. Do you know what specs the Compaq computers were at the time? That would be interesting to know as well to compare them to how well they could operate such an operation as Rocket Rods.

phoenixfire2k5
07-21-2005, 04:44 PM
But who wrote the original post and found one of the reasons why it shut down? Me! And no thanks for me? J/K :p

fjhuerta
07-21-2005, 05:13 PM
IIRC, and I can be dead wrong about this, the Buzz Lightyear monitoring system was running on a Windows PC. At least that's what the PC that was along the track was running (I doubt the whole system was running on it, though). Nothing wrong with running a mission critical system under Windows - if you are able to afford everyday crashes, and such ;)

Doug
07-21-2005, 07:22 PM
I don't believe for a secound that any rides in the world would run on crap like M$, fact is .... when it comes to mission critical OS's (where someone could die, for example), you use really simple machines, that run really simple OS's, a 100k program could control most rides at most parks theses days, I bet.... when you think about it, each sensor is 1 bit, and each gate/belt, whatever is just another bit, not much needed to process that, and when you keep the OS and program as simple as possible, it makes it easier to debug (I use to program in assemly, and other languages like BASIC when I was a kid)...

Alex S.
07-21-2005, 08:38 PM
Next time you're on Buzz, watch the control panel on the right side as you make the first left turn.

I'm pretty sure that is on a Windows platform. Looks like they're using Excel or Access for the tracking of each vehicle departure and error report. Got stuck in a 101 right there once, boy were the rows filling with red.

FantasmicFanatic
07-21-2005, 09:01 PM
We use an Excel like program on Pirates to track the staus of things, but it doesn't run the ride, it just gives us info.

FF

sriggins
07-21-2005, 09:17 PM
I never liked RR as they replaced my beloved People Mover heh, but maybe they'll wise up and use a stable OS like Mac OS X or Linux to drive these things :)

Heck we even have Excel :)

Seriously, I'd like to see something Disneyesque done with the PM track. Something with imagination, looking to tomorrow.

What about flying pods? Or a real transporter? Something cool :)

potzbie
07-21-2005, 10:33 PM
What about flying pods?
Or a real transporter?

Yeah. Sure. That's the ticket.
"Beam me up, Mickey."
;)

sriggins
07-21-2005, 11:07 PM
Yeah. Sure. That's the ticket.
"Beam me up, Mickey."
;)

Exactly! Seeing Asimo at Disneyland seemed perfect. I wish I had seen Lucky. Those sorts of things are perfect for Tomorrowland, a vision beyond our wildest dreams of what might be coming. Get those kids opening their eyes wider than they can from TV footage etc (which is hard to do I know, seeing as there was no public Internet in the 50s and 60s)

I miss Innerspace :)

ToursbabeC3po
07-22-2005, 12:10 AM
Another problem that RR caused was at Star Tours. Cabin # 1 and #2 E stop several times a day. Not just a normal stop but one that caused guest to be trapped in there cabin for about 20 to 30 mins becasue the ramps would not come back down. It was shaking the building so bad that it was causing stress fractures all over the star tours building and I assume other structures in the area as well.
Toursbabe

nsyncitnd1787
07-22-2005, 12:23 AM
Another problem that RR caused was at Star Tours. Cabin # 1 and #2 E stop several times a day. Not just a normal stop but one that caused guest to be trapped in there cabin for about 20 to 30 mins becasue the ramps would not come back down. It was shaking the building so bad that it was causing stress fractures all over the star tours building and I assume other structures in the area as well.
Toursbabe


OH MY GOSH! i am very happy that they closed RR then. if it was going to interfere with my ST trip, i am definatly happier without RR. too bad that they can't think of something that could go there that would bring movement to the higher parts of TL. that would be nice. at least it's not the "dead zone" (that's what i called it) now! thank goodness

a sign of things to come?

Klutch
07-22-2005, 05:43 AM
Sounds like the Rocket Rods story belongs on an episode of History Channel's "Engineering Disasters". ;)

ttztotdca50
07-22-2005, 06:40 AM
Windows... 95... oh, that is hilarious! :D

spectromen
07-22-2005, 08:12 AM
Wasn't this when Believe was "powered by HP"? That could explain the choice of Compaq - di$counts :~D

TikiGeek
07-22-2005, 08:57 AM
The Birdies in Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room now run on the Unix based Sun Microsystem - Sun Fire E25K server so does the Space Shuttle. :geek:

sriggins
07-22-2005, 09:03 AM
The Birdies in Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room now run on the Unix based Sun Microsystem - Sun Fire E25K server so does the Space Shuttle. :geek:

Nice!

TikiGeek
07-22-2005, 09:19 AM
Nice!Thanks! I just made that one up for kicks :~D They really run on a proprietary system built from a Cray XE1 Supercomputer running the original DOS kernel. :D The DOS kernel...Yeah, that's the ticket! :p

Opus1guy
07-22-2005, 09:50 AM
At the end of this short preview clip (Quicktime required) on the history of the Peoplemover, Disney Imagineering Legend Bob Gurr gives a little a bit of a jab at Rocket Rods stating that even MBAs can end up designing an attraction with a short self life. :)

http://www.extinct-attractions-club.com/store/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=21

Very...umm...diplomatic. ;)