Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Disney's new film-based attraction in California

This is topic Disney's new film-based attraction in California in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 02-09-2001, 12:50 PM:

Just got the latest issue of Disney Magazine, which has articles about the new California Adventure theme park (open as of yesterday).

There are lots of great-looking attractions including a big coaster, but one attraction that seems really cool from a film-tech standpoint is "Soarin' Over California," billed as an Omnimax flight experience.

You are belted into a row of seats, then lifted 50 feet and thrust into the "hollow" of a rounded 80-foot screen. Your feet are dangling free. The ride simulates a "hang gliding" tour of California, complete with wind effects, sea spray, etc.

The screen is dome-shaped. According to the article, "A flat screen didn't give us the realism we wanted, so we invented a dome screen" (Rick Rothschild, executive show director).

I have no plans to visit California in the near future, but now I wanna!

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 02-09-2001, 01:21 PM:

Sounds like a derivation of the IMAX "Magic Carpet" theatre, which used a transparent floor under the seats, with IMAX images above and below the audience to give the impression of flying as a butterfly in the picture "Flowers in the Sky". AFAIK, one theatre still is showing the film:
http://www.imax.com/theatres/poitiers_mct.html
http://www.imax.com/films/distribution/images/flowers_in_sky.gif

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John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 02-09-2001, 01:30 PM:

According to CNN on Sunday they had a fire there last weekend. Either an electrical panel or power amplifier caught fire. Glad I wasn't that contractor for that one!
Mark @ GTS

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 02-09-2001, 01:47 PM:

Here's some links to information and pictures of the Disney "Soarin' Over California" attraction:
http://www.angelfire.com/ma2/observatron/soarinc.html
http://laughingplace.com/Info-Att-A-DCA-GSCONDOR-SOARIN.asp

Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 02-09-2001, 02:43 PM:

This sounds like a ride I would like. I was reading the reviews from the links John provided. Most were universal praise. One caught my eye though.

"They might want to consider replacing the film projection with digtal for a cleaner picture.
-- iharris1 (2/5/2001)"

Omnimax has a problem with light cross reflecting across the dome. But what makes this guy think that Digital will help? If the resolution of film is twice that of Digital and Imax is 10 times the resolution of 35 mm, can you imagine what digital would look like? There you are dodging huge pixels as they seem to bounce off of the screen. Let's say you could project it using 16 data projectors and a synced signal, maybe you could pull it off, but I doubt it.

I can just see the helecopter now, flying over Yosemite with 16 video cameras hanging off its belly, looking like some bugs eye from outer space.

Posted by John Gordon (Member # 523) on 02-09-2001, 03:32 PM:

I had the opportunity to visit the new Disney park three weeks ago, and from a movie fan point of view, there are three attractions worth visiting:

1) "Soaring Over California": As mentioned above. You sit in a seat similar to a suspended rollar coaster where your feet indeed dangle. If you are in the front row, you will be hoisted 40 feet above the ground. The last row (there are only 4 rows) will be about 27 feet off the ground. Once everyone is seated-belted in, the lights go out and you feel movement, then the presentation begins with the film in your face and you way above the ground. The seats tilt back and turn slightly with the movement of the air vehicle shots. Its very cool. The only downside, its only 4 minutes long. Most people will stare at the screen, I of course leaned forward to take a quick look to see how high we were hoisted, and my thought was, "whoa."

2) It's Tough To Be a Bug": A ten minute 3-D movie short in a regular (non-standium) theater envorinment. This was fun fun fun. Its fast at ten minutes, but the 3-D effects were great as well as all the other special tricks they do--if I tell you what they are it will spoil the fun. But one little hint is there is a stink bug in the movie. The image looks good, but even more impressive is the sound--very punchy and lots of discreet sound effects.

3) "Muppet Vision 3-D": This is the same 10 minute 3-D short that is in Orlando. It is still fun. Good image and great sound.

I do belive the Bug and Muppet 3-D flicks are 70mm. Can anyone confirm this?

If you make a trip to the new Disney park, be sure to check-out these attractions. And do not be critical of them, just have fun and enjoy, you will like it that way much better.

JohnG

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 02-09-2001, 04:18 PM:

I can confirm that Muppet Vision 3-D is two-strip 70mm in Orlando.

Steve

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"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"

Posted by James R. Hammonds, Jr (Member # 673) on 02-10-2001, 01:40 AM:

Disney is biulding a theme park near Houston.
Who knows what they'll put in there.
But I live close buy, so maybe I'll find out.

Posted by Aaron Haney (Member # 747) on 02-10-2001, 03:16 AM:

Ian: I agree, that person's comment was pretty absurd. There is no digital video system in existence that can approach even a fraction of IMAX resolution. Unfortunately, most people don't have any sort of clue about that. The general public has been brainwashed into thinking that "digital" is a synonym for "perfect", and anything non-digital is automatically considered inferior. Unfortunately, I think such nonsense will only increase in the forseable future.

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Aaron Haney
Professional Complainer
Apple Computer, Inc.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 02-10-2001, 09:51 AM:

I'm just waiting for the day that Disney has a theme park next door to every McDonalds. The pisser is that soon Phil Barlow, the Disney Exec that thinks that Digital Cinema is good enough will replace all the 70mm and Imax stuff with Digital!
Mark @ GTS

Posted by Brett Rankin (Member # 31) on 02-11-2001, 11:17 PM:

Haven't been to the new theme park yet, but I did get to go to Universal Studios yesterday. I was just curious if anyone knew what systems they were using for some of their rides... Terminator 2 3-D looked to be 3 panels of double system 70mm and looked very impressive. Fantastic, I would even say. Back to the Future is a dome-type simulator with running what I would guess to be 8/70 with mag interlock.

I know wewere talking Disney here, but I was just curious about these- does anybody know where I could find info on these setups? I assume that all of these special venue attractions are fully automated on an endless loop system without operators?

Posted by Christopher Seo (Member # 7) on 02-12-2001, 12:58 AM:

An IMAX operator who was vacationing here told me he runs the IMAX system(s) at Universal Studios Florida, so I imagine the Hollywood one has similar setups. I vaguely thought T-2 3D was IMAX, for one, thus 15/70 with digital and/or mag interlock. I imagine it would be prohibitive to build a loop cabinet for a decently long IMAX show.

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 02-12-2001, 01:17 AM:

Each screen of the three at all of the T2-3D shows at all Universal sites(Orlando, Hollywood, and Japan) are Iwerks dual 570, 7kW systems with loop cabinets.

BTTF are all Imax 1570, rolling-loop projection with loop cabinets.

Soarin' is an Imax 1570, 48fps with a loop cabinet projecting into what's basically an inverted dome.

Each screen of the three at Universal's Movie Magic is a Digital Projection Inc, DLP Projector. Video info is stored and played on QuVis QuBits.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 02-12-2001, 06:38 AM:

Phil --- sounds like you work for one of these theme parks, or for a vendor like IMAX, with such "inside information."

Thanks.

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 02-15-2001, 12:26 AM:

John...
Ummmmm... yep...

Been involved/designed/etc with all of the above...and many others...

Posted by Pat Moore (Member # 380) on 02-15-2001, 07:29 AM:

Hi Phil;
Hope all is well...
Those Digital Projection DLP systems you mentioned above -- are those "DLP Cinema" systems or the standard large screen DLP Projectors?

Pat