How Disney Perfected Dark Rides
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- Опубліковано 11 лют 2025
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Dark rides have existed for over one hundred years. And during the first hundred, they were "fine" at best. You know what made a huge difference? What made THE difference? Moving in omnidirectional ways. No seriously.
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Video Credits ▶
New Tomorrowland 1967, Central Florida Sights And Sounds, • Video
Adventure Thru Inner Space, DisneyHistoryInstitute, • Disneyland 1967 - Adve...
Horizons, RetroWDW, • Horizons: Revisited - ...
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, LMGVids, • [LOW LIGHT 2022] Buzz ...
The fact that Roger started with the ride part and later on he still worked on moving characters and design shows that he put alot of effort towards the task and was very passionate about it
Disney should forever be given credit for being the parks to master the dark ride system. Many other theme parks had tried before, and while they succeeded, they weren’t really anything on the level Disney and the Imagineers were aiming for back then with stuff like the Haunted Mansion, Pirates of The Caribbean, and others.
They paved the way for what dark rides today should be at other theme parks such as Universal, Phantasialand, and Efteling, which have all made their own dark rides that are even arguably better than the ones Disney makes today like The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, Jurassic World Adventure, and Symbolica. The parks will still churn out a good dark ride like Beauty and The Beast and even improve on them like Alice in Wonderland. Just wish it could always be great, like it used to…
Yes, old Disney should be given credit for a lot of things, but the "Eisner, Iger and Chapek" era of CEOs shouldn't be given any credit for anything other than copying what they already had.
I've only ever been to Disneyland and Disney Wrold so I didn't know other parks do that too. Wild. Bet they suck too.
I remember Adventures into Inner Space. As a child, I was initially terrified of it because I could see the omnimover cars getting smaller in the barrel of the Macroscope, and at 5, I totally bought the illusion. That was a VERY strange ride, really... and I do miss when Disney would have non-IP attractions. Sadly those days that gave us HM, Pirates, and Inner Space are long gone, and I can't see Disney ever giving us another attraction that isn't just there to quote a movie or TV show at us.
the pain in Dalin's voice every time he mentions the disneyland peoplemover 😭😭😭 don't lose hope
That doom buggy when you’re descending feels way more comfortable
I went on the Haunted Mansion ride at The Magic Kingdom a few days ago (January 17, 2023) with my granddaughter. She was four the first time we tried to do it, but it was too much for a sensitive little girl at that time and she bailed to go ride Teacups. This time, as soon as we arrived, she said she was ready and we had a great time. Definitely one of my favorite rides, and to be on it with my sweet little girl was heavenly for me.
i LOVED the narrative and comedic style of this video! a really good balance between video essay narration and our beloved Offhand green screen scenes
I love when you make history videos like this! Dark rides have really had some of the most innovations out of really any kind of ride imo.
Great video, as usual! Horizons' Omnimover certainly did move up and down slopes. As a summer 1987 cast member, I experienced Horizons many, many times. You were generally moving upward during the early scenes, and I believe the maximum height must have been about 3 stories, for if I recall, the hemispheric screens that separated the nostalgic future from the "future" future were 6 stories tall, and your viewpoint was just about in the middle. After those scenes, the Omnimover definitely went downhill as you turned the corner to the desert farm vista with the wonderful orange blossom/pine aroma, down towards the undersea city scenes. Far from having no elevation change, the climbing/descending was a dramatic part of the show. Even in the family intro scene, you entered the living room at about or below floor level, and by the time you were at the other end and seeing the vegetables in plexiglas and hearing the line about the farmer daughter being a scientist, you were considerably above the floor. After the virtual birthday party and into the select-a-scene finale, there was definitely a descent. It was not lost on me at the time that the Horizons ride system was suspended, and was really more like the Peter Pan's Flight monorail than the other systems like in Haunted Mansion or World of Motion.
One omission in your presentation was the wonderful If You Had Wings in the Magic Kingdom, though you did cover it as the Buzz Lightyear whatever ride. The summer I worked in the park, it was changed to Delta DreamFlight, and I could not believe that an attraction could be so downgraded. I guess that was only the start; removal of Toad and the dumbing-down of Snow White (and removal) were next. I did recognize the track layout in the Buzz Lightyear building when I rode it in 2011, but by that time the dumb-ness was complete.
The utter destruction of EPCOT Center will always be inexcusable. The intelligence of Universe of Energy, Horizons, World of Motion, Journey into Imagination, Listen to the Land, SeaBase Alpha, Spaceship Earth, and CommuniCore all existing at one time was an amazing thing to see and experience, and World Showcase was almost irrelevant when these blockbusters were all open and operating in their original incarnations.
My last visit was that trip in 2011, and I won't be back. It was just too f":king sad what had happened to WDW, and it has only gotten worse since then.
At least there's still the PeopleMover. :) In common with you, it is my favorite ride system ever.
I experienced the NY World's Fair in 1965 and was amazed as a 10 yo by the ride systems - including an audience that rose into a theatre! (IBM)
This is a fascinating look at ride development since then. I applaud your research and presentation.
Spot on.
Thank you for ONE big step forward in properly "honoring" the theme park engineering past. You might put one more technical accurate label on these ride systems: "degrees of freedom" (DOF). Out of the maximum of SIX, The old rides were one degree of freedom (back and forward). The omnimover is TWO degrees of freedom: back and forward, and rotation (yaw). I am guessing some had some ability to raise up and down: THREE DOF. Your basic airplane has SIX DOF, but you rarely get yaw or lateral slide unless there is really bad turbulence. That's good, because yaw turns out to be a great way to mess with your semicircular canals in your ears and induce nausea
@OffhandDisney..fake, stop spamming & trying to fraud people
I'm so thankful to have visited Epcot Centre back in the early 90s when it was truly a different kind of park, still embodying an interpretation of Walt's utopian vision
Well done. Thank you for the fine history lesson.
I love the pictures, such as the one at 9:50, showing people dressed properly at the park. Long before these days when most people are in flip flops and 'I'm with Stupid" tshirts or wear things to try to get dress-coded. Le Sigh.
“At the age of just /TWENTY FOUR/ - hey, same!” 😂😂😂 cracked me UP
The thing that saddens me about Disney is that they will never be able to top their early work. There will never ever be another Haunted Mansion, Pirates, Jungle Cruise, etc.
Does the candle that smells like Walt’s office replicate the abundance of cigarette smoke that was always prevalent?
When I was a kid and early 70s I got to go on that. I remember looking at it wondering how the hell did that work. That spark of curiosity kept me thinking
I really enjoyed the documentary style video. I hope to see more, or updated ones, in the future!
If only we still had the classic Epcot attractions…I wish Disney would go back to that educational but still fun format of rides at Epcot. I feel Epcot has become too highly affected by IP in the future-world section of the park.
The horizons omni-mover certainly did go up and down. It was a multi-level attraction.
We love Disney dark rides. They are our favorite kind of attractions to experience at the parks. Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan’s Flight, Pirates of the Caribbean and Rise of the Resistance are some of our favorites and are well executed dark rides. We can’t wait for the newest one with Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. Excellent video overall! 😃✨
Trust me it’s not that great. It’s good but like really weird too
@@michaelpaulgroothoff8681 I have to agree, I think it’s a 5/10 ride honestly…
Are rise of the resistance and tower of terror considered dark rides?
@@RosinGoblin We believe so 😃
@@TheLostBoysGirls nice. I agree with you dark rides are the best!
I wish Disney would put more focus on their dark rides. As someone that doesn't ride roller coasters, I haven't been happy with the choices the parks have been making in recent years
Bravo and cheers to you for producing another well-crafted, well-informed and well presented video. Thank you, Dallin, for doing what you do and Happy New Year! 👍
I have that Doom Buggy in my Haunted Mansion collection too! I love being able to hear the Ghost Host whenever I walk by. 😊
I need to know where to get it. Please?
@@SA12String I got mine on a trip to Disneyland in 2018. 😊
I would totally collect mini omnimovers too 😍 that doombuggy so neat
I really enjoy your history videos. It is fun to see how Disneyland has evolved over time
Hey, don't feel bad about making these mini-documentaries on Disney park history at the age of 24. I'm watching your mini-documentaries on Disney park history at the age of 24!
Really though, great video! I never new the actual history of Dark Rides, so this was a very interesting watch.
This is a great video. And a great tribute to a Disney legend. Good work!
I was 10 years old when the magic kingdom opened in Florida and my parents took me on the Snow White dark ride. They sat in the back two seats of the ride vehicle and I sat alone in front. The moment when the queen, looking in the mirror, turned around to reveal the witch, scarred me for life.
Great video! I think you do the documentary-style videos really well.
You yelling at the toy doom buggy at the end had me rolling 😂
I’m gonna start my theme park blog for the first time on Monday. Going to Universal Studios Hollywood. I love Disney and want to go there more but I want to build up to it. Thank you for all of your videos get inspired me to really start my own.
His father passed away at the age of 11? That's pretty young to be a father!
These are the videos that I love! Great job, hope to see for documentary videos!!
I really wish they’d make some longer, Omni Mover, dark rides. I prefer hanging out on a ride for a while and really being immersed.
I caught what you did with that “Hollywood, 1939” line.
Met Michael Broggie years ago at a model train show in Houston, TX where I bought his 2nd book about Disney trains. Went to Rice University (patent depository) down stairs. Looked up patent for Omnimover, Matterhorn and Pirates(I have those same pix + floor plan of Haunted Mansion) Funny thing about Omnimover. Walt wanted the turning movements so smooth that it could not spill a martini. Galaxy make you feel like you've had 1 to many martinis If you are not careful.
You mentioned trackless rides but failed to mention that while yes it is a box but it also follows the same principal as the omnimover. Chin up and look to Mystic Manor. It does exactly what the omnimover is meant to do; direct your focus to specific things in the scene. The american disney parks fail to capitalize on this minus Rise of the Resistance (i'm so excited to ride this next month!) and even incorporated elevation into the ride via lift systems. Even the Shanghai Pirates of the Caribbean, while it isn't an omnimover, follows the original idea of putting your focus on specific scenes. If the Omnicoaster counts you might be able to make exceptions to trackless rides that fully capitalize on the free motion and a boat that can pivot around on a track.
I have a Doombuggy collectible with the three hitchhiker ghosts riding. They have glow in the dark eyes. I love it and have it prominently displayed in my home office.
i actually love that i got a MCC ad just before your sponser seen came in
If You Had Wings (later known as Delta Dreamflight) also used an omnimover system. They were a blue colour if I recall correctly.
The same ride system for If You Had Wings is still being used on Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin at Magic Kingdom.
Outstanding! Excellent episode as always!!
Thanks man I’ve been addicted to magic candle companies candles for a year now.
I once heard the omnimover system described using the metaphor of lollipops on a conveyor belt, with the vehicle pods rotating atop the the lollipops.
DIsney probably did more to develop dark rides than anyone had before. They essentially were just Tunnel of Love and haunted house rides before.
Ans they perfected the haunted house ride.
@@megelizabeth9492 They sure did, Haunted Mansion being a perfect example of it.
Well, my generation called Adventures Thru Inner Space: "Makeout Monsanto", so I think that was the last true Tunnel of Love in the Western US. We all knew that there were literally no cameras on the ride until you got to the eye in the microscope peering at you just a minute before the disembark. Good times.
How Disney hasn’t hired you yet is beyond me. Fantastically informative!
Disney doesn't want to hear about what they should do to mollify the fans. They want to know how to LOOK like they're mollifying the fans while actually maximizing profit. It's literally their job to do so.
Beauty job Dallin! You've not lost a bit of your Docuchops so to speak! While the omni mover isn't the People Mover, it IS a people mover so you'll get no fine or demerits for that! Thanks for filling in gaps in our personal Disney Timeline Spectaculars. And for doing it mit der style gehapt!
Perhaps Indiana Jones Jeeps are the next generation of Omni-movers...
This man is one of a kind! Love the content but love people movers more
Love the Offhand Disney Channel and this one might be my favorite video
Excellent editing!!
Disney may not utilize omnimover rides anymore but the folks at Sally Rides still get a use out of very similar ride types so the *idea* at least isn't totally dead.
A correction - Horizon went up and down hills. The show was presented on 2 different floors. Also, at the end of the ride, riders had a choice of 3 endings and presented them.
Carnival festival the Efteling attraction in the Netherlands also uses the same attraction system
yes that's right what toabrony said and you can find onride videos about the carnival festival van der Efteling in the Netherlands on youtube
take into account the soundtrack stick your head from the carnival festival
Um, the brainchild of the Omnimover was Bob Gurr, who demonstrated "how" it would work to Roger Broggie by placing an apple on the end of a pencil.
To add context, one of Bob Gurr's hobbies is as a glider pilot and the terms for Omnimover motions are based on plane movements. And the term "Omnimover" comes from the guidance system pilots use In flight, VHF Omni-directional range (AKA VOR.) But, because Bob is not an "engineer," his name was not included in the patent describing how it worked. However, because his college degree was in vehicle design (college tuition paid for by GM), he is named on the patents for ride vehicle design for Autopia, Skyway gondolas, Matterhorn ride vehicle, Monorail ride vehicle, Submarine ride vehicle, Flying Saucer ride vehicle, People Mover ride vehicle, etc. and the fire engine used to this day on Main Street in Disneyland is ALL Bob. As the saying goes, if it's on wheels at Disneyland, Bob likely designed it. The exception is the train that circles Disneyland.
But, Bob did build the train engines for the short lived Viewliner in Tomorrowland and later took over the whole project when the "engineers" at WED didn't understand how to properly wire the thing without starting a fire (the trains were made from cars, another hobby of Bob's). Also, it was BOB who Walt relied upon to make stuff work.
When Walt got the idea to place the Monorail in Tomorrowland, it was Bob who was placed in-charge of the project. It was Bob who piloted it when then Vice-President Richard Nixon and his family took the inaugural ride. When the 1964 Worlds Fair was in the building stage, it was Bob who was placed in-charge of making Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln and Ford's Magic Skyway work.
Other notable mechs of Bobs:
The flying saucer at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.
The King Kong that shook the trams at Universal Studios, Hollywood.
The ship sinking at Treasure Island in Las Vegas.
Bob is a genius.
Excellent again Offhand.
Gotta say was in Paris over weekend first time on phantom manor loved it like the back story how the whole area is connected
I miss World of Motion. That was my favorite ride at EPCOT.
WHERE DID YOU GET THAT LITTLE DOOMBUGGY!? I NEED ONE NOW!!!!! ehem. Sorry. Got emotional there for a minute.
I appreciate the love you give the haunted mansion! It is my favorite ride and the ride i proposed to my partner on! I am surprised that i am older than you😂 i always thought you were older than me!
I wrote the haunted mansion when I went to Disney World last month. I had lots of fun on it!
I think time machine was a perfectly serviceable name. What, did you want it called Chrono Cabs? Superluminal Limo? Not everything needs a cutesy name.
While I'm very much in favor of the omni-mover, I do think that variety, including variety of car design and function, is a plus in the parks.
looks like i'm not the only one who is passionate about trains.
While Disneys work creating the omnimover was greatly important, i think its important to note that they did not create the so called "omni coaster". Universal beat them to the punch with Escape From Gringotts.
Agree. Disneyland does make fantastic dark rides. Others come close but there is something about Disney Magic.
Yeah, at least that old Disney magic. It’s not around much nowadays…
We couldn't agree with you more, especially with Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway attraction opening soon. Definitely going to be a great addition to the park.
If Disney had a brain in their head they would make Toddler size Doom Buggies as Rental Strollers.
This isn't a diss on the Haunted Mansion, it's obviously amazing, but it is definitely a bit ironic that they put the most efficient dark ride system behind a pretty long preshow lol. Obviously the preshow is integral to the ride, I wouldn't ever want it gone, but imagine how much faster we all could get through the line if there was an omnimover with nothing to slow us down on our way to get on
TIL haunted mansion is no less than the pinnacle of human achievement lol
Horizon did go up and down. You just wouldn't notice unless you leaned out of your vehicle.
I don’t know if the design is patented, or if it’s cost prohibitive, but I don’t understand why Disney never made use of the “scoops” type vehicles seen in Spider-Man and transformers. High capacity and infinitely programmable. You don’t have to make a ride super intense just because the vehicle is capable of it either.
I have that light up doom buggy. Its way cool
Buzz was derived from the attraction it replaced at WDW: If You Could Fly.
You forgot "If You Had Wings" in Magic Kingdom used the Omnimover system.
THE EPCOT THEME MUSIC IN THE BACKGROUND OMG. What is it called, I’ve been looking for this SPECIFIC song for soooo long.
3:36 ha funny tot
Offhand rebooting World of Motion in here
You went there... It doesn't matter how long it is, but what you do with it (referencing the omnimover length / haunted house is Orlando around the 14 min mark)
you gained a sub fantastic video :)
I love this video🖤
All but the part where you talked about snow whites scary adventures she literally still haunts my dreams-_-
But really tho I love the haunted mansion, omni movers are genius, and this video is wonderful, dont ask me why o care about these things... I have a problem... lol
I think it's funny how there are people who THINK we actually have electric cars. Sheeple really can't think for themselves!!!
Tomorrowland has been a major disarray since the Peoplemover was shut down. "Bring Back The Peoplemover"
Omnimover rides tend to be my favorites - but I am an EPCOT Center fella. Would you consider the Journey into Imagination ride vehicles as Omnimover vehicles?
5:29 what happened on the first day other than the mark twain being so overloaded it sank?
That was a good video👍
So, Dallin, which is better: the "perfect" Omnimover or the People Mover? Granting that they have some things in common, but the People Mover doesn't turn to show riders different aspects of a scene.
Yes
Lmao best part of the video… i have a problem!! Lmao i think we all do haha thank you so much for such informative n educational vids!!! Love your channel
David O. Selznick was a producer and film exec, not an actor. Just FYI.
The movers in World of Motion were called ChairCars
14:08 wrong Disney themed mover movement system lol.
Massachuchuchusetts!
Call me crazy, but if memory serves me correctly, the people-mover was used in Ariel's Undersea Adventure in Disney’s California Adventure Park in Anaheim. Is it just me, but they need to stop calling everything an "adventure" in the name? I thought it was cheap that'd they use the same system and didn't come up with a new one. Disney's CEOs don't know how to innovate.
Everyone always forgets about If You Had Wings 😢
Would anyone happen to know what movie is being shown from 3:19 to 3:24?
Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Horizons have a slight slope at the scene where the teacher is talking to the students? I feel like I have seen ride schematics that detailed that the Horizons show building had scenes on two stories rather than just one. For context, I never got a chance to ride it, since I literally wasn't alive yet, and would never be able to tell you the truth of the matter. :D LMK if any of you guys have an answer to my question.
You make a video about Omnimover attractions without one mention of If You Had Wings?
1:11 I see what you did there
I Love ❤️ Old Disney
You for got about delta dream flight that use to bed at wdw that was omimover
How do you mention Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin without mentioning If You Had Wings or Dreamflight, which were traditional Doombuggy-style Omnimovers?
You should play sea of thieves a pirates life if you can, it has some pirates of the Caribbean lore