Twister...Ride It Out

[Paul9251]

Has the fire been toned down? The final blast of fire at the end seems wayyyyy less then I remember. Also, does anyone know if the transformer is back on the telephone pole and if the pedestrian sign is still there. (The sign next to the gas station) I could of sworn it wasn't there when I went last week but I could be wrong. I've also noticed the TV used for a window near the gas station has the image of the guy who looks out the "window" burned into the screen. Every tube TV seems to be getting replaced with LCDs around the resort and it's weird how this simple scene isn't getting replaced with an LCD. Well there is still a tube TV in Spidey if I'm not mistaken so maybe it isn't so weird.

 

[natespf]

Has the fire been toned down? The final blast of fire at the end seems wayyyyy less then I remember. Also, does anyone know if the transformer is back on the telephone pole and if the pedestrian sign is still there. (The sign next to the gas station) I could of sworn it wasn't there when I went last week but I could be wrong. I've also noticed the TV used for a window near the gas station has the image of the guy who looks out the "window" burned into the screen. Every tube TV seems to be getting replaced with LCDs around the resort and it's weird how this simple scene isn't getting replaced with an LCD. Well there is still a tube TV in Spidey if I'm not mistaken so maybe it isn't so weird.

I guess this doesn't answer your questions but... How "green" is it to through away a bunch of functioning TVs? :rofl:

I know I was at a City Council meeting where a lady was complaining that they promised switching over to energy efficient light bulbs, and she still saw the old ones all over the place. They tried explaining that they get switched after burning out, all new bulbs would be energy efficient. She just was not getting it.

 

[Paul9251]

I guess this doesn't answer your questions but... How "green" is it to through away a bunch of functioning TVs? :rofl:

I know I was at a City Council meeting where a lady was complaining that they promised switching over to energy efficient light bulbs, and she still saw the old ones all over the place. They tried explaining that they get switched after burning out, all new bulbs would be energy efficient. She just was not getting it.

lol I never thought of that. I guess Universal figured insted of waiting for all the old TVs to die they might as well change them all at once. The LCDs have got to be more energy effecient then the old ones. Monster Cafe, Twister's pre-show room 2, and some of the Hulk queue still have the classic TVs though. Oh almost forget the TV next to the astronaut in E.T.

 

[universal_fanatic]

I spoke with a Twister TM last year and he took me through the control room. He told me that the ride op in the control room has their hand on a button and if they let go, the system will diminish (though not disable) the effects. I suppose it's possible there was a problem and the TM removed their hand which caused the fire to be toned down.

 

[Capacity]

Has the fire been toned down? The final blast of fire at the end seems wayyyyy less then I remember. Also, does anyone know if the transformer is back on the telephone pole and if the pedestrian sign is still there. (The sign next to the gas station) I could of sworn it wasn't there when I went last week but I could be wrong. I've also noticed the TV used for a window near the gas station has the image of the guy who looks out the "window" burned into the screen. Every tube TV seems to be getting replaced with LCDs around the resort and it's weird how this simple scene isn't getting replaced with an LCD. Well there is still a tube TV in Spidey if I'm not mistaken so maybe it isn't so weird.

The fire effect, like the tornado itself, varies in size depending on the weather which has some kind of affect on the air moving through the building. I'm not sure about the rest of the small effects except that the pedestrian sign is gone like you said.

 

[Paul9251]

I spoke with a Twister TM last year and he took me through the control room. He told me that the ride op in the control room has their hand on a button and if they let go, the system will diminish (though not disable) the effects. I suppose it's possible there was a problem and the TM removed their hand which caused the fire to be toned down.

Interesting, that button almost sounds like a 'dead man pedal' used on carnival style rides. Thanks for the info.

 

[Paul9251]

The fire effect, like the tornado itself, varies in size depending on the weather which has some kind of affect on the air moving through the building. I'm not sure about the rest of the small effects except that the pedestrian sign is gone like you said.

I remember reading something saying if you open any of the doors, like the one to the gift shop, while the show is in progress the tornado won't properly form. There's also a video somewhere on YouTube showing a time lapse of the set being constructed and some guy talks about how it took a lot of trial and error to make a tornado in a building. And thanks for the info.

 

[Spideyfreak]

^The tornado always stays on as long as the show system is on. They just pump smoke into it to make it visible.

 

[Teebin]

^ I love junk like this, and all of the above.

 

[JPH]

I remember reading something saying if you open any of the doors, like the one to the gift shop, while the show is in progress the tornado won't properly form. There's also a video somewhere on YouTube showing a time lapse of the set being constructed and some guy talks about how it took a lot of trial and error to make a tornado in a building. And thanks for the info.

It's also damn near impossible to manually open the doors to the gift shop, the air pressure difference is so great. They actually have a little vestibule off to the left to walk in, shut the door behind you, and then enter the gift shop through another door if you need to get out before the doors open automatically.

 

[Paul9251]

^ I love junk like this, and all of the above.

What?

 

[Teebin]

What?

The details of how an attraction functions, the technical challenges that had to be overcome to make it work. I used "junk" as an endearing catchall.

 

[Paul9251]

The details of how an attraction functions, the technical challenges that had to be overcome to make it work. I used "junk" as an endearing catchall.

Oh... brainfart on my part. I am also very fascinated with how these rides work. I found that video I was talking about in a previous post. The twister segment is right after the T23D behind the scenes clip. There's also a MIB clip: http://youtu.be/o-xtac5wL4c?t=1h8m25s
(If you watch the video on a mobile device go to the 1:08:00 mark)

 

[Hulk912]

Cool video! Kinda off topic, but does anyone else miss Scott Trowbridge? He always seemed so enthusiastic about the rides.

 

[natespf]

The details of how an attraction functions, the technical challenges that had to be overcome to make it work. I used "junk" as an endearing catchall.

I think it is called "crud", and IMO those are the best things that come out of these forums.

I remember around the time this ride opened there was some sort of documentary on it. If I recall correctly it was even better than the attraction. But it escapes me where it was from, maybe the Discovery Channel? I don't know if anyone else remembers.

 

[Spideyfreak]

^ I love junk like this, and all of the above.

If I remember correctly, the enable discussed earlier is strictly for the pyro control system. There are also IR beams in front of the audience. If they are broken, the system does an Auto Show Stop. Just a hunch: But I think this safety system wasn't working in January. There was a tech sitting on a stool on the set side of the railing, next to a Show Stop button every time I went through that week.

 

[Paul9251]

If I remember correctly, the enable discussed earlier is strictly for the pyro control system. There are also IR beams in front of the audience. If they are broken, the system does an Auto Show Stop. Just a hunch: But I think this safety system wasn't working in January. There was a tech sitting on a stool on the set side of the railing, next to a Show Stop button every time I went through that week.

Do the wires in front of the guardrail in the first row do the same thing as the IR beams? I always remember seeing them and hoped someone would trip it just to see what would happen.

 

[Spideyfreak]

I think they do. Maybe the LEDs I saw were not the IR beams, but the sensors for the wires. They are in about the same place. There might be both. My memory is failing me right now, I'll have to take another look next time.

 

[nyramblingman]

Does this ride get "updated" or like you guys have said above, is it just adapted to whatever the surrounding conditions may be?

I passed up this ride just this spring because I heard it was losing some of it's luster.

 

[Paul9251]

I'm pretty sure the whole experience is the same from when it opened, although I have heard the twister may have been bigger and a lot cooler to watch. Twister is an older attraction and some effects don't work as great as they used too. But for running 365 days a year I don't really mind the occasional mishap.

Also, does anyone know why they started using water insted of ice chips as broken glass about half way through the show? Saftey? I heard about this in a video of a V.I.P. backstage tour.

I also forgot to mention that the movie theatre sign that flys away was not working. Not sure if its been fixed or not.