Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop

Anthony · January 12, 2011, 02:50:48 PM

It looks horrible! The original floor was great, with the flashing lights etc. This is straight from your local travelling fairground. Hopefully it will be as temporary as possible.

WDI doesn't seem to have learn from the past with slippery floors. Remember when the park opened and the tiles in Front Lot (when they weren't sinking or erupting) were just a sea of those annoying yellow warning cones? And they're always all over Adventure Isle. Those cones seem to plague other resorts too, I've seen them in a lot of California updates recently. You'd think they could find a better solution.

CafeFantasia · January 12, 2011, 05:37:11 PM

A few questions:

• Is this new floor really temporary? It doesn't look it.
• How do the lighting fixtures integrated into the original floor shine through this new floor?
• Couldn't this new floor at least be painted with the same "stars in rings" design as on the original floor?

Martyn · January 12, 2011, 05:42:23 PM

I think it quite clearly looks temporary, there's even some gaps bewteen the tiles where you can see the original floor.

QuoteRemember when the park opened and the tiles in Front Lot (when they weren't sinking or erupting) were just a sea of those annoying yellow warning cones? And they're always all over Adventure Isle.
QuoteThey still are everywhere? We always go in Winter, so we see them in abundance.

SwipatronSparks · January 28, 2011, 09:18:03 PM

hopeing to be plesently supprised by this ride when i go to disney on sunday (first day in the parks is actually monday) becasue form the videos i have seen of it, this ride looks like it is actually mind mublingly boring.... =/

Martyn · January 29, 2011, 12:05:38 PM

^ Its not that bad really, though its noth worth queueing more than 20 mins for.

svenneke1 · January 30, 2011, 09:56:28 PM

Quote from: "Anthony"It looks horrible! The original floor was great, with the flashing lights etc. This is straight from your local travelling fairground. Hopefully it will be as temporary as possible.

WDI doesn't seem to have learn from the past with slippery floors. Remember when the park opened and the tiles in Front Lot (when they weren't sinking or erupting) were just a sea of those annoying yellow warning cones? And they're always all over Adventure Isle. Those cones seem to plague other resorts too, I've seen them in a lot of California updates recently. You'd think they could find a better solution.

You can still see the flashing lights! Saw that on a video with the new floor.

Anthony · February 03, 2011, 07:44:29 PM

Quote from: "svenneke1"You can still see the flashing lights! Saw that on a video with the new floor.

Oh, good!

They really should do what Alan suggests and paint this rubber mat or whatever it is with the original pattern then, or at least replace it with a dyed/coloured version.

fly_with_me_dumbo · March 02, 2011, 10:17:53 PM

this looks quite boring :/

SwipatronSparks · March 11, 2011, 08:55:44 PM

well after experienceing it, i can say its a 'tame' or 'kiddies' tower of terror i went on it a coupple of times but yeh.... i wouldnt wait any more than 10 mins for it....

mdw · March 13, 2011, 08:21:13 PM

hi,

just wondered how scary the 'parachute ride is'? be ok for a 4 and 2 year old?

thanx

mich

SwipatronSparks · March 13, 2011, 10:47:34 PM

Quote from: "mdw"hi,

just wondered how scary the 'parachute ride is'? be ok for a 4 and 2 year old?

thanx

mich

definately =] my 4 year old cousin went on and he loved it he didnt want to get off!! but every child is different, maybe you could watch it go before deciding to take your child on it, but i would think they will be fine =]

mdw · March 13, 2011, 10:51:24 PM

excellent, thank u :-) 3 months til we go :-)

Anthony · March 27, 2011, 05:38:33 PM

I didn't realise this ride idea dated back so far, but here's a great video of the Parachute Jump ride at the 1939 Worlds Fair:

[youtube:km0j9rx7]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U82t49aTgHw[/youtube:km0j9rx7]
I just stumbled on this via the "Disneyland goes to the Worlds Fair" TV special on the "Disneyland: Secrets, Stories and Magic" Walt Disney Treasures DVD. Walt Disney talks about the fun rides of the previous New York Worlds Fair and says "an outstanding innovation was the parachute jump ride..."

Let's be glad Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop isn't 25 stories high then, or has that thumping end to the drop! haha!

ed-uk · March 27, 2011, 07:43:56 PM

After all the controversy about it, it's interesting to note that Walt Disney, the great man himself liked parachute drops. Not a new innovation anymore I know, but maybe there is a place for a parachute drop in a Disney theme park after all. At least he liked them. And the WDS version looks much nicer than the one shown at the Worlds Fair.

Anthony · April 07, 2011, 02:49:57 AM

The jeep from the waiting line has been moved into the grass to the right of the ride:

Photo from Nicolai's trip report

It had been sitting behind tall wire mesh barriers for the past few months to stop parents letting their kids climb on it.

Also it looks like the permanent Single Rider lines we were promised at the Refurbishments Fan Meeting are starting to appear with new railings up:

Source

(On the right is actually the special reason return entry/exit, which like at Slinky had been obstructing the path.)

Hopefully they'll Imagineer some half-decent (and uncomplicated) signage to go with the official Single Rider line, something that's clear in all languages. The old signs were not great.