RIDES
CAVU DESIGNWERKS
DARYL WHITE PRESIDENT
What makes CAVU stand out? A number of manufacturers supply a four-, eight- or 12- passenger dark ride vehicle, but until the recent Asian Attractions Expo (AAE) in Hong Kong, no company had been able to provide an attraction to compete with the incredibly successful Harry Potter ride at Universal. At AAE, CAVU Designwerks unveiled a 10-passenger multi-axis dark ride vehicle system called the Storm Chaser that has all the exciting movement used in Harry Potter, but isn’t limited to four passengers. It’s also less expensive. We’ve received a strong response, especially after clients learned we have a running prototype.
Have you made engineering, design or manufacturing breakthroughs? We’ve been following the trends in engineering and manufacturing over the last few years and seen a maturing in the Chinese ride manufacturing sector. China is poised to take the next step from reverse engineering and duplicating
Midnight Express, a touring simulator with high-walled projection screen
existing rides to generating new products which are competitive in the global market. Heavy hitters such as Disney and
Universal have begun expanding into China and are actively sourcing products from local and regional fabricators. As a result, these fabricators are receiving technical advice that will assist them in stepping up their overall level of quality, beyond just supplying to the major parks.
What are the current trends in creating a dark ride? The biggest trend in theme park design is towards the inclusion of trackless dark rides. This includes the use of autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs). Disney has created its own trackless
dark ride systems, such as the one used in the Ratatouille attraction at Disneyland Paris, but on the open market, few suppliers are offering them. For many design concepts a track- or
fi n-guided vehicle delivers the desired ride experience just as well as track- less vehicles. The key to making an AGV
system worth the expense is to approach the ride layout and concept with a free mind and let the vehicles take different paths or wander more freely.
What’s on the horizon for the ride-making industry? I believe the industry will follow in our foot- steps and start manufacturing in China. The key is to success in this is to set high- quality standards and enforce them. The current boom in the industry means some suppliers are booked up for two or three years. That’s great for short-term work, but there are so many parks slated for construction that want to buy rides now, those suppliers are having to say no, or delay opening. This has opened the door for new companies and in fi ve years, you’ll see a number of new faces in the industry. I predict many of the existing Chinese manufacturers that were “me-too” makers, will have come up with novel ideas after learning from the likes of Universal and Disney about how to develop rides and work to world class quality standards.
The Storm Chaser dark ride blurs the boundary between virtual and reality
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attractionsmanagement.com
AM 3 2015 ©CYBERTREK 2015
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