Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit (closing EOD August 17, 2025)

[Chris]

By now you all know the very serious news. Our worst fears have been realized. The anti-tornado banner has been compromised, leaving Hollywood Rip, Ride Rockit in serious danger.

To all you who doubted our resident Canadian Torando Expert, I hope you're ready with your apologies. He's the only one that can save this ride now.

Do not expect Rockit to open until all the tornados are done, probably around Spring Break.

 

[Mearn]

At least the banner seems to have worked as intended. There doesn't appear to be any structural damages to the ride itself. I'd still have to believe that if the loop banner had been in place its aerodynamic properties would have shifted the tornado south, possibly taking out Jimmy Neutron instead.

I'm fairly certain this is how things would've gone as my high school physics class was once visited by the vice president of ride engineering at Universal Creative. That pretty much makes me an expert on how the laws of physics affect theme park rides in general.

 

[Chris]

At least the banner seems to have worked as intended. There doesn't appear to be any structural damages to the ride itself. I'd still have to believe that if the loop banner had been in place its aerodynamic properties would have shifted the tornado south, possibly taking out Jimmy Neutron instead.

I'm fairly certain this is how things would've gone as my high school physics class was once visited by the vice president of ride engineering at Universal Creative. That pretty much makes me an expert on how the laws of physics affect theme park rides in general.

Jimmy Neutron sustained no damage. It should be noted that the belief at this point in time was this was merely an F-0, or "warning" tornado. They act as sort of drone soliders, and report suspected weakness back to the F-4 and F-5 tornados.

The faulty banner could only be the beginning. I would not reccomend anyone be close to the lift tower or non-inverting loop in the near future until a new, stronger banner is errected. We will not be defeated. We must stand strong. We must show them our pride, our determination, or drive. USA! USA! USA!

 

[P@n!K_Sw1tC#]

It doesn't look like anything is torn. The banner is 3 individual pieces, and the evidence shows that it split at all three of those points. I guess they'll just have to reinforce it to the tower a little better than they did the first time, or provide a different material that moves with the wind.

 

[Chris]

It doesn't look like anything is torn. The banner is 3 individual pieces, and the evidence shows that it split at all three of those points. I guess they'll just have to reinforce it to the tower a little better than they did the first time, or provide a different material that moves with the wind.

My top secret informant in the park saw it in person and said it was torn. I don't know how true that is as he is not really top secret, and he's no Manager At Louis Pizza for sure.

 

[DisneyFanKevin]

To me, it looks like it was torn. Especially since you can see the torn piece in the picture posted by Disneyhead.

 

[P@n!K_Sw1tC#]

Would you mind pointing them out to me. I don't see them.

 

[DisneyFanKevin]

The top of the left. That piece of the banner is apparent that it was torn. Well, to me at least.

 

[P@n!K_Sw1tC#]

It looks folded over and hanging as if it was only being held up by the bracket on the top right hand side to me... :shrug:

 

[Chris]

Would you mind pointing them out to me. I don't see them.

It clearly looks ripped here. If you follow the yellow arrows, you can see that the bottom edge of the top portion of the banner appears to be torn at an angle. Yes, it's overlapping itself from how it's hanging at the moment, but it wouldn't overlap at a diagonal angle like that.

The red arrow shows a clear, unquestionable tear on the bottom right corner of the banner's top portion.

 

[P@n!K_Sw1tC#]

While I appreciate the effort, I still don't think its torn. When something overlaps like that... your example of an "unquestionable tear" is merely the bottom left corner of the banner extending below the bottom right corner...at least in my opinion.

I essentially see this... http://alfred.vassar.edu:9080/roseman/sculptures/1991-2005/1992-3.jpg/image_preview

 

[Chris]

While I appreciate the effort, I still don't think its torn. When something overlaps like that... your example of an "unquestionable tear" is merely the bottom left corner of the banner extending below the bottom right corner...at least in my opinion.

I essentially see this... http://alfred.vassar.edu:9080/roseman/sculptures/1991-2005/1992-3.jpg/image_preview

Look - here's the bottom line that everyone seems to be missing- shredded or not, the banner was up for a matter of days. The weather this afternoon, while bad for a brief period, was no worse than a normal Central Florida summer afternoon. The fact of the matter is it wasn't even as BAD as a normal Central Florida summer afternoon. It rained, there was lightning, but it really WASN'T windy at all. I would know. I was stuck playing host to friends visiting from out of state walking around a quickly flooding Epcot.

If the thing can't survive a relatively mild standard summer afternoon storm that rolls in and out, it's screwed no matter how you look at it. It was obviously poorly made (and now we can say that not just from a graphics design perspective.)

 

[P@n!K_Sw1tC#]

Look - my point is that if they decide to put it back up, it doesn't look like all is lost... in the instance that it's not shredded to bits like some people think it is.

 

[Buzz Killington]

Ripped or not ripped, the fact of the matter is that the shield is DOWN. For a tornado, this is the key moment to strike!

 

[Disneyhead]

First off, the banner was NOT 3 sections. What you are seeing as divisions are actually a steel cable that crossed the front of the banner. So it is clearly ripped.:

 

[Roll N Fear]

Did anyone take a picture of this coaster and submit it to Failblog.org yet?

 

[Brian G.]

Did anyone take a picture of this coaster and submit it to Failblog.org yet?

No, but you could have the honor of doing so.

 

[Chris]

First off, the banner was NOT 3 sections. What you are seeing as divisions are actually a steel cable that crossed the front of the banner. So it is clearly ripped.:

The thing HAD to be sections at one point. It's just common sense that you're going to find a hard time locating a print shop that has the means of creating a 160' long banner in one go. I'm sure it probably started in sections, was mended together and then shipped to site.

But the point is it DOESN'T MATTER if it shredded or not. It should not have come apart - OR DOWN - so quickly, let alone in an AVERAGE Central Florida afternoon rain storm that DIDN'T EVEN HAVE HIGH WINDS.

Not a good sign for the integrity of the banner's design.

Rip Ride Rockit 0 - Tornados 1

 

[Disneyhead]

The point is moot. I was TOTALLY wrong. Not my week for being right.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/fe...hollywood-rip-ride-rockit-banner-picture.html

 

[Chris]

The point is moot. I was TOTALLY wrong. Not my week for being right.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/fe...hollywood-rip-ride-rockit-banner-picture.html

Perhaps it's time for a new hat?