August 10, 2009

The DoomBuggy

What is the most important feature in any attraction? The answer: the vehicle, and The Haunted Mansion has one of the best vehicles... The DoomBuggy, of course its just the same as the SpaceShip Earth or teh Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin systems, its just this one is the vehicle that everyone knows, whether youve been on Haunted Mansion once or one million times, you know the DoomBuggy...It is the classic Omnimover system, with nothing different other than the black vehicles... For those who dont know, a Omnimover System consists of a chain of vehicles operating on a track, usually hidden beneath the floor. The chain of vehicles maintains constant motion at a specific speed throughout the entire course of the attraction. To facilitate boarding and disembarking from the vehicles, a conveyor belt moving at almost the same speed as the ride vehicles parallels the track at the loading and unloading areas. Passengers step from the moving belt into the vehicle or vice versa.One of the defining features that differentiates this system from other ride systems is the ability of the vehicle to rotate to a predetermined orientation. Aside from the rails the vehicle rides on, the Omnimover system has two control rails that are connected to the vehicle via arms attached to a wheel that follows one of the control rails. One control rail controls the swivel of the vehicle, allowing the vehicle to be pointed to a specific direction at a specified location on the track. The other control rail adjusts the tilt of the vehicle allowing it to stay level even as the main track ascends or descends inclines.
The Omnimover system was created by Roger E. Broggie and Bert Brundage to provide a ride system capable of giving passengers a motion picture type experience in which the attraction designers control the line of sight of the riders. This concept also allows the designers to be able to place infrastructure elements of the attraction, such as lighting and projectors, behind the vehicles without concern for having the illusions of the attraction revealed to the riders.Originally used in the Adventures Through Inner Space, Walt Disney saw it in use and it was a great way to transport guests. When planning The Haunted Mansion, Walt Disney wanted the feeling of a "walkthrough" attraction, but only sees what they are suppose to see.


Disney has made many pins featuring the classic DoomBuggy Vehicle, so it is really the "star" and some might say the "icon" of the attraction....---------------------------

That is it for today, come back tomorrow as we really start up our Haunted Mansion series with the Orgin of Haunts....

Pics from DoomBuggies.com and PinPics.com

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