Subject:
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Re: Haunted Houses- Im Open to suggestions
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.general
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Date:
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Wed, 2 Feb 2000 18:25:49 GMT
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Viewed:
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1777 times
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Farlie A wrote in message <38986288.C71D0AAA@city.ac.uk>...
> My name is Alex Farlie
>
> I DO NOT WORK FOR TLG
>
> I am however devloping some ideas for a Haunted House and wondered waht
> the communities ideas were.
>
> I don't want this to be just to me thinking.
>
> Come on lets hear your ideas!!
>
> Alex
Hey Alex,
Earlier last year SixFlags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey, premiered
North America's first installation of Vekoma's "Vila Volta" haunted house
ride. One opened up in 1998 in the Netherlands I believe, before hand and
that was the first. Anyway, the Vila Volta is a fantastic ride, and I got to
experience it this year...
The ride is themed "Houdini's Great Escape" or something to that affair.
After queueing up outside you enter a pre show, then enter the main ride
chamber. The chamber has two rows of seats running the length of the room on
either side (2 benches per side and about 20 people per bench). The two rows
face the centre of the room. The lap bars come down and the doors slam shut.
Houdini comes on over the speakers in the room, telling us that things
aren't always what they seem... the lights dim and flicker, the flames from
the candles on the wall begin to flutter in the wind... cracks of thunder
come from outside...
Then, suddenly, you feel very strange... as if, the entire room were slowly,
so slowly shifting... People begin to "ooh" and "ahh" as they begin to feel
it. The force shifts direction very slowly, and Houdini begins to laugh.
Suddenly, the room breaks free from the floor and we find outselves siting
on the celing. EVERYONE screams and clutches for the lap bar. The room
rotates again and again and again! But something feels SO WEIRD!
Finally, everything settles down and you are allowed off. Rounds of applause
can always be heard from the exit!
The ride is very clever, and could be easily replicated with LEGO, I'm sure.
Here is the concept:
A large platform, about 15 metres long and 7-10 metres wide is suspended on
two arms (one on either end). This is where the bench seats are affixed.
Around this platform is a giant hexagonal/cylinder arrangement which makes
up the room. This is not mechanically connected to the floor platform on
which the seats are mounted. Instead, it pivots around the same point as the
arms that are suspending the platform with the seats. The doors are at
either end. The platform can tip hydraulically +/- just 15 degrees, while
the room can rotate fully (360 degrees).
When the ride begins with the platform and room slowly rotating in unison
one way, then the other. This is where that first effect comes in. When the
room loops around the floor, with clever motions of the floor it *really
feels like you're upside down*. It must be undoubtly the best illusion ride
I've ever been on. And I've been to a lot of parks (^:
Have fun!
Iain
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