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Our Lineup !
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Umbrella Rides/Star Jet |
Manufacturers: Hampton,
Zamperla, various.
Umbrella Rides are vehicles that simply circle under a colorful round
umbrella (thus the name) -- they may be little cars, motorcycles, or even
little boats in a small pool of water.
Star Jets are vehicles that connect to raisable arms that circle a
central post (sort of like Disney's Dumbo Ride) and are often designed to
look like airplanes, balloons, helicopters, or other flying objects
(although I've seen flying teacups and even flying boots and sombreros.)
These are the carnival's starter rides, training ground for the riders of
the future. |
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Manufacturers: Various.
A forbidding and elaborate facade, often much more elaborate than anything
actually to be found inside the ride, is a must. You board your little
electric car and bang through the double doors, ready to face whatever
terrors lurk within -- usually a few cheap mannequins with trip switch
activated lights, as well as a whole lotta darkness. But a dark ride isn't
about what's really inside the ride, it's about the terrors inside your mind
-- what might have been, and your bravery in facing it -- so scream away and
play up to it anyhow. (It's also a great place to get your date alone for a
minute or two.) |
Dark Rides |
Himalaya |
Manufacturer: Various
You can usually hear one before you see it: loud pounding rock music is the
normal soundtrack, with the operator occasionally yelling into the sound
system:
"Do you wanna go faster?"
(Screams of "Yeah!," or just screams, from the riders.)
"I said, do you wanna go faster?"
"Yessssssssssssssssssssssss!"
The Op hits a siren as the ride becomes a spinning blur...
It's simply a slightly undulating circular ride with cars that spin
around its central axis extremely fast. May be run forward, backward, or
both. There are various manufactures and names; Himalaya, Arctic Circle,
Flying Bobs, etc., but most feature a snowy theme with polar bears, skiers,
and often mirrors standing in for ice. Aside from the thrill of speed, these
are great "date rides" -- couples riding together are inevitably thrown
against each other for the duration.
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Manufacturer: various.
Call them skooters, dodge-em's, or some other trade name, but the ride's the
same -- individually controlled vehicles you get to drive around an enclosed
space and smack into the other cars. The big, heavy older cars with the
unpredictable steering are the best, delivering teeth rattling crashes while
the power grid sparks overhead. Avoid any ride with a sign or attendant
telling you to not ram the other cars -- they have obviously mistaken
bumper cars for turnpike cars, a completely different ride. |
Bumper Cars |
The Tilt-A-Whirl |
Manufacturer:
Sellner Manufacturing.
It's structure is simple, deceptively simple. Onto an undulating platform
are affixed the wheeled ride cars, which are designed to pivot around an
offset point. The platform rotates, the cars spin around, and the result is
chaos -- literally chaotic motion as known to physicists. It's also a heck
of a lot of fun, unless you're motion sickness prone. |
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Manufacturers: Various.
When it comes to longevity, merry-go-rounds can certainly point to centuries
of tradition and ridership. And when it comes to beauty, they range from the
merely attractive right up to the visually stunning -- to carousels which
are truly works of art. They are often the first ride we experience as a
child and, sometimes from a swan or chariot shaped bench, the last we enjoy
as age encroaches. |
The Carousel |
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Manufacturers: Various, with a special nod to The
Eli Bridge Company and
Chance Rides.
When George Gale Ferris built his first wheel he probably never dreamed of
the trend he was starting. But his wheel was huge, and certainly not very
portable. It took The Eli Bridge Company to develop a practical, portable
wheel. Today, the Big Eli Wheel is the very symbol of a fairground, as it
has been for most of this century.
The Ferris Wheel is a near perfect amusement ride. It appeals to all
ages, the view from the top is wonderful, it's structure is simple and thus
not very prone to breakdown, and, especially at night with a full lighting
package, it can be a thing of beauty. It's also, as long as the rider
behaves himself and abstains from such foolishness as rocking the seat or
trying to stand up, incredibly safe.
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