Disaster Transport... Lights On?

Having the satellite lit up will make the ride a million times better for me. It was always a shame to have such a cool thing sitting, unlit in the center of the room... I'm not sure if it actually looks like this or if it was my young imagination, but I remember it being lit with yellows and pinks and it truly looked like it was suspended in mid-air to a degree... At least something to look at in the large room.

Even a few months ago when I rode it the starfield after the first drop was on...

And as someone who's only been riding it for like, 5 or 6 years, I'm really surprised to hear that it had a "soundtrack" of sorts, or that there was dialogue and a coherent storyline. Very cool!! Proof that Cedar Fair CAN create theme... They just can't keep it up very well... Perhaps King's Island's The Crypt has a chance, yet!

crazy horse said:
The strobe light on the first drop is missing.

How long has it been since that worked? Does anyone else remember fog or haze on the lift like I do?

The smell of the fog is one of the most distinct memories I have of Disaster Transport's early years.

The music was rather New Age-y, like a chord progression with a slight melody on top of it, in an effort to sound appropriately out-of-this-world.

I bet if you wear the Starlight glasses it will be a sweet ride! Worked for Dragster! ;)

I never spent enough time in the second queue house to hear or see much of DAVE's show. But I stood for hours in the Repair Bay listening to FRANC complain. I concluded that FRANC had been given a personality based on Marvin from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. With that in mind, I usually referred to the ship-board computer as "Eddie", although I don't think Cedar Point ever identified "him" by name.

Eddie welcomed us aboard under the "OVERHEATING" light, introducing himself as the on-board computer, telling us to stand clear of the cargo doors, then telling us that the cargo was loaded.

At the top of the lift: "Hang on! Orbit achieved!"..."Uh-oh, space pirates, dead ahead. Taking evasive maneuvers."

There was a chirping noise at the first block brake (apart from the governor)

On the second block brake, the most famous line: "I'm losing control! I'm losing control!"

Just before the Alaskan landscape comes into view: "We're gonna crash!"

Apart from that, the fans and echo of the rolling cars made it hard to hear much.

As for the brakes, there are guide rails that pull the cars down into the center of the track, and then I think the trough gives way to track at the two block brakes as it does on the final brakes. For high speed braking, I think there is a flat-plate skid brake, but most of the work is done by governor wheels...pneumatic tires driven by electric motors similar to the ones you see in the station on Wildcat and Mantis:TCFKAB. On the underside of each of the Disaster Transport vehicles there is a rectangular plate that looks like one of the steps leading up to Raptor; that serves as a friction plate for the tires to work against. The squealing is because the tires are slipping. I am not certain, but I would not be surprised to find that the braking wheels on Disaster Transport are weighted to give them more rotating mass, thus increasing their effect on the vehicle.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Now that you mention it, FRANC (I had forgotten that's how his name was spelled, did it stand for something?) does have a similar personality to Marvin.

The parts of the show in the Control Room that I remember most are the incoming calls from Dave's boss (who yells at Dave and then, realizing that paying guests are in the room too, thanks us for flying with them) and at least two pilots in flight, one of which is overtaken by space pirates (like those you saw at the top of the lift) and the other that had crashed in the Amazon due to Dave's instructions ("My sensors indicate that you've landed just outside of Akron").

When people were talking about riding DT with the lights on recently, what I noticed is that when work was being done on Happy Jacks, there was more light the big room. And doors to the outside were also open letting in more natural light. I was never under the impression that any of the theming/lighing was coming back. When work was wrapped up on the Toy Factory, doors to the outside were closed and some lights around the Happy Jacks area were turned back off.

I would personally like to have the overhead maintenance lights on all of the time. They have done that before for Coastermania and I think that makes the ride experience better (if that's possible).

I rode Saturday night and DT's show scenes were lit with the old theatrical lighting. It wasn't overhead work lights, there were definitely individual instruments focused on the props. It's not that any themeing is "coming back," it's that what's been in there all along is finally being lit again. The ship panels, satellite, rockwork, etc were never taken out, their lighting was just turned off.

There is a post on page 2 that gets into what was removed from the ride, but it's really not that much.

I could see work in Happy Jack's effecting the lighting in DT's queue, but I would be surprised if this changed the lighting in the show building. Are the whole building's work lights on one switch?

The break room for the haunted house is inside the "show building" but I don't know that anything there would cause more lights to be on. Although I suppose they could have been working or bringing equipment in through that way.

I remember the first area's theming but not the dialog, I know there was some though but I do not remember. What I do clearly remember is the overheating sign being a robot that was addressing you with fog coming out him { overheating smoking} the robot finding some sort of problem and then saying o well and sends you off anyway. He was some kind of launch control robot I am wanting to think.

I see this is an old forum, so I'll check back later, but does anyone have any updates on Disaster Transport this year in 2010? I have been searching for information on the early history of this ride - like a lot of you said - when it had fog, and a strobe light at the first hill, as well as SOUND!!! Any info or resources / images / videos anyone might have accumulated years ago, which I have seen others ask for in this forum would be appreciated.
I am curious as to what the future of this once-awesomely animatronic-lighted-robotic ride holds.

Ok, I've had it with Cedar Point & its management. Disaster Transport used to be an infinfitely better experience because of the theming and sound effects, and it'd be SO low cost (and likely simple) for them to get most of the stuff working again. I mean, I'm not asking for all the animatronics back and stuff, just the lights on the scenes....the lasers on the lift hill, the strobes at the top...the:

"Welcome aboard! I'm your inflight computer. I have been programmed to get you safely back to the voluntary receiving station. Stand clear the cargo loading point! Cargo loaded. Switching to automatic launch sequence."

speech with the pre-lift robot that is still working great.

The "Hang on" sound at the top of the lift. The chirping noise at the block brake...the "I'm losing control! I'm losing control!" where everyone use to scream...and the final "Oh no! We're going to crash!"

There have been no sound effects for what seems like a decade...and this year, everything was dark again except for the satellite in the turn around room.

Cedar Point management seems to think that theming is not important for whatever reason, but it makes an infinitely better experience...brings nostalgic memories back for the veterans...and gives an impression that the park is still alive and healthy (most importantly)!

King's Island's Adventure Express ride had saddened me for the last decade or so, because it, like Disaster Transport, was just left decaying to the point where nothing was working anymore. Well, this year, they fixed almost everything back to its original state. The "You will pay!" guys all pounding their fists with eyes lit up, and the final guy pouring the lava onto the train. I can't tell you how happy this made me...it felt like I had just traveled back in time 19 years, and I was riding it for the first time. Whoever cared enough this year to make that happen...I'd love to commend them for their great work.

...and that set the tone for the rest of the day...I felt like King's Island was becoming a healthy park again (after feeling very differently last year)! It was such a simple little thing that made a huge difference. They also re-did the theming on the Scooby ride...fixed most of the stuff on Backlot Stunt Coaster, and completely revamped the kids area. Yes, I realize that alot of the stuff was fixed because the licensing had expired, but they did a great job! The Beast lift music was playing and everything...that park cares!

Cedar Point has some of the most basic, low cost theming to keep up, and NO ONE CARES. It's ridiculous. Why can't they turn the fog and lights on in the Magnum tunnel? Why can't they get the lights and sound on in the Maverick tunnel? Why can't DT be repaired with the basic sound and lighting effects mentioned above? Why can't the Millenium Force lights be fixed to their original brilliant state for its birthday? Didn't Raptor even used to have cool strobe lights on the cobra roll?

If Cedar Point doesn't care about these things, I'm sure an organization like DAFE would even help out. I imagine all this stuff could be repaired if Cedar Point increased the ticket cost by a penny each season...and I'm certain no one would mind that penny to see their park healthy again. Furthermore, there would certainly be a positive ROI long term...if you let things decay, people notice over time, and it has certainly gotten to that point. Too much decay, and people stop coming.

You'd think if Cedar Point started noticing complaints from guests about these types of things, it'd be a top priority to fix them. But, I just picture management laughing at these things "Hahaha silly enthusiast...no one cares about that stuff."

Lastly, if you're reading this, Tony, I'd highly suggest something like King's Island's 5 questions answered at 5PM one day each week. I've seen many good suggestions, comments, and questions answered...and that park has taken a step for the better this year. Being very connected to the customers' desires is how a business thrives. This is how Ford turned themselves around.

Quote of entire previous post removed. - Walt

Angry much?

Hey, at least the fog in the lagoon for Draggin Iron still works.

lol True..and there have been nice improvements like the LED lights on Blue Streak and the 20th Anniversary Magnum revamp. Bravo there.

However, why not address the tireless complaints about existing theming first?

Millennium Force's lights appear to be working as does the strobe on Raptor's cobra roll.

Is the DT que at least still functioning? Is it also the same as last year meaning them still using just that one main room?

yes

They sell light up necklaces in the queue for Disaster Transport now.

Hmmm the strobes are working on Raptor's Cobra roll? I thought I haven't seen those in years...

Still, I guess I got wound up in the moment...staying to the thread topic, I think it'd take about a day's work to flip the light switches, replace bulbs, and get the soundtracks on for DT...and I think that'd make a world of difference for fans of the ride.

It's still a surprisingly popular ride with its hard-to-find entrance, and it deserves the attention.