Wild West Falls Refurbishment

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

Yes, I don't think we need another ride themed to the joker.

[rac2703]

 

Edited June 13, 2016 by rac2703

[themagician]

THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WWF NEEDS. I think at the bottom have a few TNT spark strips following you up, and then when the guy says 'What you all still doing here, get out, get get get get get out', that's when there are tonnes coming. The turntable should have TNT props all over the floor and walls, and then just before you drop there is smoke and an explosion sound.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to achieve a similar 'explosive shockwave' such as they have on a few Disney rides too - Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars at Hong Kong comes to mind - it has a launch where a cave \ explosives are about to blow up, and a burst of high pressure air from behind gives the impression that you're actually being "blown" out of the cave.

That wouldn't be difficult to achieve, surely?

[themagician]

Well don't they use a high pressure air system during the backwards drop, just as you are about to leave the mine shaft?

[MaxxTheMonster]

43 minutes ago, AlexB said:

I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to achieve a similar 'explosive shockwave' such as they have on a few Disney rides too - Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars at Hong Kong comes to mind - it has a launch where a cave \ explosives are about to blow up, and a burst of high pressure air from behind gives the impression that you're actually being "blown" out of the cave.

That wouldn't be difficult to achieve, surely?

They did have a air system at the top of the door before the fire

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

Now that you mention it, i do recall. It would be awesome if it could be partnered with some coloured lighting \ heat lamps to really give the impression of fire etc.

[GoGoBoy]

The final scene of WWF used to be brilliant. The boat headed straight towards a giant expanding explosives barrel, then turned towards the doors. The barrel would go off with a big explosion sound effect (I think this remains), accompanied by smoke and a strong gust of wind which created the effect of pushing the boat out of the doors. It was so effective. Tragic that it was lost and not replaced.

[themagician]

Weren't there sparks as well and that's what caused the fire?

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

i thought that was the case too.

[GoGoBoy]

The sparks happened as the boat was going up the lift hill, on the walls on either side. So maybe it wasn't these that caused the fire? Maybe it was the giant animatronic barrel?

Edited June 14, 2016 by GoGoBoy

[rappa]

VERY easy to achieve AlexB

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

[New display name]

1 hour ago, themagician said:

Weren't there sparks as well and that's what caused the fire?

I thought the fire happened at 6:30 at night after the ride had closed.

 

[themagician]

Found this topic explains the how the fire occurred. People comment about close up photos, but unfortunately no one posted them, and none of the attached links work any more. This should give everyone an idea of what happened:

On 5 December 2003 at 9:03 PM, Richard said:

Tonight at approximately 6:00pm a fire occured at the Wild West Ride. Within minutes of the fire the Warner Village Theme Parks' Emergency Response Team was on site followed closely by emergency vehicles. There was no-one in or around the ride at the time of the fire. The fire has caused extensive damage to the ride, however Warner Bros. Movie World will endeavor to have the ride re-opened in time for Christmas. At this stage the cause of the fire remains unknown.   Warner Village Theme Parks was very pleased with the efficiency of the in-house Emergency Response Team, demonstrated this evening with their very quick and able response.

 

On 7 December 2003 at 10:15 PM, Daniel said:

Mystery surrounds a blaze which caused up to $1 million damage to one of Movie World's most popular rides. Firefighters initially thought the blaze, which erupted at the Wild West Ride almost an hour after the Gold Coast theme park closed on Friday, may have been caused by electrical equipment. But scientific police and arson squad detectives arrived from Brisbane yesterday to investigate the scene with firefighters, who are yet to complete their report. A police spokesman said: "It's possibly suspicious." Warner Bros Movie World chief executive John Menzies, who inspected the ride, was surprised by the news. "It's a little bit of a mystery at this stage," Mr Menzies said. The fire began about 5.45pm at an inside turntable part of the ride known as "the explosion room". Theme park visitors ride in small carriages on tracks to the top of a replica mining shaft, complete with boxes of fake dynamite, where they are confronted by smoke from a machine and a voice booming: "Quickly, get out of here. It's about to blow." About 15 minutes after the fire started, sensors alerted the Helensvale fire station. The first of six units and 23 firefighters arrived within five minutes. The fire at the top of the 40m-high concrete mountain took 80 minutes to control, with firefighters in breathing equipment using a unit with a 60m staircase. Mr Menzies said he was working on plans to have the $14 million ride, which opened in 1998, operating again in three weeks.

And here is a brief explanation of that final scene.

On 7 December 2003 at 0:39 AM, GoGoBoy said:

I love the finale scene with the big explosive tank and that massive gust of wind and smoke that pushes you out the top. It all works so well.

 

 

 

[MaxxTheMonster]

2 hours ago, GoGoBoy said:

The boat headed straight towards a giant expanding explosives barrel,

The barrel was on the right as you entered the top room, therefore directly behind you as you went out to the final drop...  Hence the smoke, wind and sound all being behind the boat...

 

12 minutes ago, themagician said:

Found this topic explains the how the fire occurred. People comment about close up photos, but unfortunately no one posted them, and none of the attached links work any more. This should give everyone an idea of what happened:

 

And here is a brief explanation of that final scene.

 

 

 

[themagician]

And I didn't realise how much the mountain had faded, but here is a comparison between 2004 and 2014:

[GoGoBoy]

I've been raving about WWF's final scene on here for at least the last 13 years, as Richard's post shows. It clearly made an impression on me.

[New display name]

37 minutes ago, themagician said:

Found this topic explains the how the fire occurred. People comment about close up photos, but unfortunately no one posted them, and none of the attached links work any more. This should give everyone an idea of what happened:

 

And here is a brief explanation of that final scene.

 

 

 

Can you point out the part that says why it occurred.

[razza1987]

6 hours ago, themagician said:

THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WWF NEEDS. I think at the bottom have a few TNT spark strips following you up, and then when the guy says 'What you all still doing here, get out, get get get get get out', that's when there are tonnes coming. The turntable should have TNT props all over the floor and walls, and then just before you drop there is smoke and an explosion sound.

Sounds like the start of the eureka mine train xd

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

24 minutes ago, themagician said:

And I didn't realise how much the mountain had faded, but here is a comparison between 2004 and 2014:

Although it's a stark contrast, one does have to remember the different levels of adjustments that cameras do to photos to try and improve them these days. A lot of 'automatic' cameras will do this without you even knowing.

This is very crudely done, and i'm not claiming its a realistic representation, but its an example of how the same photo can look VERY different.

[themagician]

24 minutes ago, skeetafly said:

Can you point out the part that says why it occurred.

Sorry, I was supposed to edit it, because I read through the whole topic, and apparently it was never released why it occurred.

17 minutes ago, AlexB said:

Although it's a stark contrast, one does have to remember the different levels of adjustments that cameras do to photos to try and improve them these days. A lot of 'automatic' cameras will do this without you even knowing.

That is a good point Alex

[Theme Park Girl]

5 hours ago, GoGoBoy said:

The final scene of WWF used to be brilliant. The boat headed straight towards a giant expanding explosives barrel, then turned towards the doors. The barrel would go off with a big explosion sound effect (I think this remains), accompanied by smoke and a strong gust of wind which created the effect of pushing the boat out of the doors. It was so effective. Tragic that it was lost and not replaced.

Geez I don't remember any of that   But then again, I can't remember the very first time I rode it. Pretty sure it wasn't until at least a year or so after it had opened. I do remember however that there used to be a fog machine that would give the 'billowing smoke' effect out of the doors when they opened. I had to look up old you tube videos of the ride in its better years to confirm this memory lol. 

From what I gather, after the fire incident, MW decided to just cut well back on the effects as an added safety precaution and it just stayed that way since? As I know that's when the fog/smoke effect stopped. It's a shame this has happened, especially if the cause of a fire wasn't due to technical or mechanical fault (ie. I've heard numerous rumours about the cause, one being that someone lit a cigarette in there - not sure how accurate this is since the fire happened outside operating hours, but one example anyway) since it subsequently changed the ride experience. 

Hopefully now, given all the new technology and what not that has come out since the ride opened in 1998, they will take the time to redesign all the effects and restore the the oomph it started off with

[themagician]

Here is the ad for the ride when it first opened and it shows the smoke and sparks effect:

 

[AllegroCrab]

I've only ridden it once with the effects at the top working. I was only a kid but it has stuck with me for a while.

The ride still remains my favourite in the park behind Superman, but you have to wonder how much of this love is aided by nostalgia. If the first time I rode it was how it has been operating this year and with me as an adult (legally), Would I love it as much as I do?