1 00:00:00,110 --> 00:00:03,290 I recently returned from a family trip to Walt Disney World. 2 00:00:03,290 --> 00:00:06,860 Everyone in my family is a bit of a Disney fanatic, and we’ve made many a trip. 3 00:00:06,860 --> 00:00:10,840 Yes it’s an expensive adventure, but it’s a place that has a special place in my heart, 4 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:13,809 and one that I truly believe has shaped me into who I am today. 5 00:00:13,809 --> 00:00:18,580 Particularly my experiences at Epcot, perhaps the only theme park dedicated to exploring 6 00:00:18,580 --> 00:00:21,450 new technologies and world cultures. 7 00:00:21,450 --> 00:00:24,710 What excites and interests me most about Walt Disney World is their constant innovation 8 00:00:24,710 --> 00:00:27,030 and use of technology in novel ways. 9 00:00:27,030 --> 00:00:30,090 The technology throughout the resort has always fascinated me. 10 00:00:30,090 --> 00:00:34,820 From what today we would call simple things like using RFID tags to cue up narration segments 11 00:00:34,820 --> 00:00:36,454 on Living with the Land 12 00:00:36,454 --> 00:00:41,000 (Narration: Some of our best ideas have been inspired by nature) 13 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:45,480 not to mention Magic Bands, to the use of Monorails as an actual transportation solution, 14 00:00:45,480 --> 00:00:48,990 oh and why not send it through the atrium of a hotel and build a station while we’re 15 00:00:48,990 --> 00:00:53,250 at it, to the use of linear induction motors to propel the ride vehicles of the Peoplemover 16 00:00:53,250 --> 00:00:58,160 (a system, by the way, which has been in near constant use since all the way back in nineteen-seventy-freaking-five. 17 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:05,300 (60Hz hum from propulsion system) 18 00:01:05,300 --> 00:01:06,420 Love that sound! 19 00:01:06,420 --> 00:01:10,950 To the increasingly complex and impressive Animatronic figures, with this new Na’Vi 20 00:01:10,950 --> 00:01:13,390 figure being remarkably fluid and believable. 21 00:01:13,390 --> 00:01:17,060 But this video isn’t about those things, it’s about ride safety and capacity. 22 00:01:17,060 --> 00:01:18,060 Yeah. 23 00:01:18,060 --> 00:01:19,060 I’m a nerd. 24 00:01:19,060 --> 00:01:20,280 Deal with it. 25 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:24,540 Because of Disney’s extensive use of theming, they are able to hide certain ride control 26 00:01:24,540 --> 00:01:28,700 elements to make their attractions accommodate more people while still remaining safe. 27 00:01:28,700 --> 00:01:31,520 What I’m talking about here are roller coasters. 28 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:35,600 Roller coasters generally receive all the energy they need at the beginning of the ride. 29 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:39,310 Whether it’s a launch or a more traditional lift hill, a roller coaster train starts the 30 00:01:39,310 --> 00:01:43,660 course with the maximum amount of energy at the beginning, and then navigates the track 31 00:01:43,660 --> 00:01:46,850 with an overall downward slope from its highest point. 32 00:01:46,850 --> 00:01:51,869 With rare exceptions, roller coaster trains are entirely passive vehicles, requiring elements 33 00:01:51,869 --> 00:01:56,330 in the track to both provide them with energy (such as a chain lift) and to stop or slow 34 00:01:56,330 --> 00:01:58,070 them through the use of brakes. 35 00:01:58,070 --> 00:02:01,860 Because the control elements are located in the track, the capacity of a roller coaster 36 00:02:01,860 --> 00:02:03,100 is limited. 37 00:02:03,100 --> 00:02:07,100 When in operation, two trains cannot navigate the course at the same time or a collision 38 00:02:07,100 --> 00:02:11,290 would be possible should one train encounter a problem, such as a dislodged wheel, and 39 00:02:11,290 --> 00:02:13,230 come to an unexpected stop. 40 00:02:13,230 --> 00:02:17,980 In many roller coasters, this is managed with large trains capable of handling many people. 41 00:02:17,980 --> 00:02:21,730 When one train is dispatched, another takes its place in the station to be unloaded and 42 00:02:21,730 --> 00:02:22,730 reloaded. 43 00:02:22,730 --> 00:02:26,430 But that train cannot be dispatched until the train in front of it returns to the station, 44 00:02:26,430 --> 00:02:30,670 at which point it is certain a collision cannot occur as the first train has returned and 45 00:02:30,670 --> 00:02:32,080 is now stopped. 46 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:36,379 This means that trains can only be dispatched about as frequently as the ride is long. 47 00:02:36,379 --> 00:02:40,450 A roller coaster with a two minute ride time can therefore only dispatch one train every 48 00:02:40,450 --> 00:02:45,030 two minutes, so its capacity is limited to 30 train loads per hour. 49 00:02:45,030 --> 00:02:49,320 This necessitates long trains with many seats, or an acceptance of lower ride capacity. 50 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:53,130 Now, if you’ve ever ridden Space Mountain, you’ll know that each train holds a whopping 51 00:02:53,130 --> 00:02:55,030 6 people. 52 00:02:55,030 --> 00:02:59,590 This is needed because the ride is enclosed in a building and doesn’t have a lot of space. 53 00:02:59,590 --> 00:03:01,530 Which is odd given the name. 54 00:03:01,530 --> 00:03:06,100 Anyway, the tiny trains are able to navigate really tight corners and sudden changes of 55 00:03:06,100 --> 00:03:10,080 direction, which allows for the ride to be very thrilling even though it’s so compact. 56 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:14,360 But with only six people per train, the ride’s capacity would be pretty awful if only one 57 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:16,530 train was allowed on the course at once. 58 00:03:16,530 --> 00:03:21,019 With a ride time of 2 and a half minutes, only 144 people could ride per hour. 59 00:03:21,019 --> 00:03:23,500 So, there must be some tricks up their sleeves. 60 00:03:23,500 --> 00:03:27,710 The first and most obvious trick is that there are two mirrored copies of the same roller 61 00:03:27,710 --> 00:03:30,120 coaster inside the mountain at Walt Disney World. 62 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:33,260 So now we’ve got 288 people per hour. 63 00:03:33,260 --> 00:03:35,240 Whoop-a-de-freaking doo-da. 64 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:40,110 But if you pay attention while in line, you’ll see that they send a train about every 20 seconds. 65 00:03:40,110 --> 00:03:42,959 With two sides running, that’s like sending 6 people every 10 seconds. 66 00:03:42,959 --> 00:03:47,190 That’s a much more impressive 2,160 people per hour. 67 00:03:47,190 --> 00:03:49,840 But how can they do that and still be safe? 68 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:54,410 Dispatching a train that frequently means there are about 7 trains running about at once. 69 00:03:54,410 --> 00:03:57,940 Well, the fact that the ride is in nearly complete darkness means that Disney can hide 70 00:03:57,940 --> 00:03:59,910 a lot of safety elements. 71 00:03:59,910 --> 00:04:01,330 What are they hiding? 72 00:04:01,330 --> 00:04:03,409 Lots and lots of brake runs. 73 00:04:03,409 --> 00:04:06,630 Incidentally, it’s not that hard to see what Space Mountain looks like with the lights 74 00:04:06,630 --> 00:04:10,810 on, just ride the peoplemover while it’s broken down and you’ll get a good view. 75 00:04:10,810 --> 00:04:15,720 There’s oodles of mechanical equipment everywhere, and among the wires, girders, and gobbledygook 76 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:19,689 are frequent, regular intervals of straight ride track containing brakes just like you 77 00:04:19,689 --> 00:04:21,930 see in the station, but stronger. 78 00:04:21,930 --> 00:04:24,949 These are called brake runs, and they are capable of bringing the train to a complete 79 00:04:24,949 --> 00:04:26,400 stop with a moment’s notice. 80 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:28,869 Let’s build a mini-roller coaster using marbleworks. 81 00:04:28,869 --> 00:04:30,600 Yes, marbleworks. 82 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:35,120 When a marble is placed on the course, it can’t be stopped until it reaches the bottom. 83 00:04:35,139 --> 00:04:39,159 If these marbles were vehicles containing fragile and litigious human beings, the only 84 00:04:39,159 --> 00:04:43,270 way to prevent collisions would be to only allow only one marble on the track at once. 85 00:04:43,270 --> 00:04:46,909 But let’s imagine that at each connection to the next piece there is a brake run that 86 00:04:46,909 --> 00:04:48,699 can stop the marble. 87 00:04:48,699 --> 00:04:52,120 Now we can send more than one marble at a time because there are multiple places that 88 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:54,029 we can stop them if necessary. 89 00:04:54,029 --> 00:04:57,749 To prevent collisions in a rollercoaster, the ride’s computer system is constantly 90 00:04:57,749 --> 00:05:01,939 monitoring sensors in each of these brake runs which tell it if a train is there and 91 00:05:01,939 --> 00:05:03,680 how fast it is going. 92 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:07,939 The computer’s goal is to ensure there is always a brake run between trains. 93 00:05:07,939 --> 00:05:11,550 It will not allow a train to pass through a brake run unless the following brake run 94 00:05:11,550 --> 00:05:15,159 has already had a train go through it and is now clear. 95 00:05:15,159 --> 00:05:18,839 If the train in front of you hasn’t made it out of its own brake run, the computer 96 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:24,270 will immediately apply the brakes ahead of you to stop your train and prevent a possible collision. 97 00:05:24,270 --> 00:05:28,710 These intervals on the track are called block sections, as any Roller Coaster Tycoon aficionado 98 00:05:28,710 --> 00:05:30,139 would know. 99 00:05:30,139 --> 00:05:35,280 Also of note is that the type of brakes used in roller coasters generally require power, 100 00:05:35,280 --> 00:05:39,300 often in the form of air pressure, in order to be released, with a spring providing the 101 00:05:39,300 --> 00:05:40,879 actual braking force. 102 00:05:40,879 --> 00:05:43,749 A sudden loss of pressure will cause them to immediately engage. 103 00:05:43,749 --> 00:05:47,960 Now, with trains being sent every 20 seconds in Space Mountain, there needs to be a brake 104 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:50,569 run at least that frequently throughout the ride. 105 00:05:50,569 --> 00:05:54,300 But sticking to that interval for brake runs would require that each train go through the 106 00:05:54,300 --> 00:05:56,889 course at precisely the same speed. 107 00:05:56,889 --> 00:06:00,740 If the train in front of you were to slow down even just a little bit, your train would 108 00:06:00,740 --> 00:06:04,369 need to be stopped at the next brake run to eliminate the risk of a crash. 109 00:06:04,369 --> 00:06:08,169 This would happen because the computer didn’t see the lead train go through the brake run 110 00:06:08,169 --> 00:06:10,809 and can’t be sure a collusion won’t happen. 111 00:06:10,809 --> 00:06:13,860 This would also require all trains behind you to be stopped. 112 00:06:13,860 --> 00:06:17,919 Additionally, if your train got ahead of where it should be, there would be no way to prevent 113 00:06:17,919 --> 00:06:21,349 a collision with the next train should it stop unexpectedly. 114 00:06:21,349 --> 00:06:25,539 There should therefore be a brake run about twice as often as the trains are dispatched. 115 00:06:25,539 --> 00:06:30,199 This allows wiggle room for inconsistent train speed, and ensures there is always at least 116 00:06:30,199 --> 00:06:33,150 one brake run between every train. 117 00:06:33,150 --> 00:06:37,509 And in fact, if you pay attention while riding Space Mountain, you’ll notice an odd regularity 118 00:06:37,509 --> 00:06:38,740 in the ride. 119 00:06:38,740 --> 00:06:42,889 Space Mountain as a ride is very twisty, turny, droppy, and fun. 120 00:06:42,889 --> 00:06:44,129 Kinda like marbleworks. 121 00:06:44,129 --> 00:06:47,860 But about every ten seconds, you spend a moment going perfectly straight. 122 00:06:47,860 --> 00:06:51,800 Then you resume the shenanigans, and after another 10 seconds, you go perfectly straight 123 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:53,539 for a brief moment. 124 00:06:53,539 --> 00:06:57,599 After which point you again spend roughly 10 seconds careening through the galaxy, before 125 00:06:57,599 --> 00:06:59,369 going perfectly straight. 126 00:06:59,369 --> 00:07:01,879 Each of these straight sections is a brake run. 127 00:07:01,879 --> 00:07:05,679 Brake runs have to be straight as the brake fins below the train need to be lined up between 128 00:07:05,679 --> 00:07:07,259 the squeezy bits here. 129 00:07:07,259 --> 00:07:10,789 And though you can’t see it, there’s also a platform and walkway beside you along the 130 00:07:10,789 --> 00:07:13,409 brake run in case of a ride evacuation. 131 00:07:13,409 --> 00:07:18,209 With frequent brake runs, the computer controlling the ride can also adjust the speed of trains. 132 00:07:18,209 --> 00:07:21,750 Because train detection sensors can determine the speed of each train in addition to simple 133 00:07:21,750 --> 00:07:26,180 presence, the computer can compensate for a train going too fast by lightly applying 134 00:07:26,180 --> 00:07:28,009 the brakes to slow it down. 135 00:07:28,009 --> 00:07:32,009 In this case, the brakes would be referred to as trim brakes, and you might notice your 136 00:07:32,009 --> 00:07:35,259 train being slowed down in these straight sections from time to time. 137 00:07:35,259 --> 00:07:39,929 Likewise, it can slow trains if a train up ahead is going slower than usual. 138 00:07:39,929 --> 00:07:43,910 The brakes and computer system work together to allow perhaps as many as 7 trains on each 139 00:07:43,910 --> 00:07:46,139 track to traverse the course at once. 140 00:07:46,139 --> 00:07:47,709 But sometimes errors do occur. 141 00:07:47,709 --> 00:07:51,839 If the computer tries to slow down a train and slows it too much, it may not clear the 142 00:07:51,839 --> 00:07:54,999 following brake run before the train behind it catches up. 143 00:07:54,999 --> 00:07:59,150 Or perhaps the brakes failed to act well enough, allowing the train to get too close to the 144 00:07:59,150 --> 00:08:00,369 following train. 145 00:08:00,369 --> 00:08:04,469 Or even simpler, a sensor may be acting up and reports something weird to the computer, 146 00:08:04,469 --> 00:08:07,659 making it think a ride vehicle is present when it actually isn’t. 147 00:08:07,659 --> 00:08:09,749 In these cases, the computer will need to take over. 148 00:08:09,749 --> 00:08:13,180 Though I can’t confirm it as I’ve never worked on a roller coaster or studied its 149 00:08:13,180 --> 00:08:17,469 operating minutia, it’s likely any of these scenarios will trigger a complete stop of 150 00:08:17,469 --> 00:08:23,300 the ride, with every brake run instantly engaging to stop all motion on the track as soon as possible. 151 00:08:23,300 --> 00:08:27,399 This safety measure is probably the cause of many a lengthy breakdown, as the ride will 152 00:08:27,399 --> 00:08:30,529 have to be manually reset after these emergency stops. 153 00:08:30,529 --> 00:08:34,669 In fact, there’s a great video here on YouTube of the Disneyland space mountain, that’s 154 00:08:34,669 --> 00:08:37,399 Disneyland in California, going through just that. 155 00:08:37,399 --> 00:08:40,459 Disneyland’s space mountain is slightly different in that there’s a single track 156 00:08:40,459 --> 00:08:42,860 with each train holding 12 people. 157 00:08:42,860 --> 00:08:46,660 In the video, you can see that there are trains scattered throughout the mountain, with each 158 00:08:46,660 --> 00:08:48,740 of those brake runs holding a train. 159 00:08:48,740 --> 00:08:52,670 The cast members then go backwards through the mountain, starting at the bottom, releasing 160 00:08:52,670 --> 00:08:55,529 trains one at a time through the rest of the ride. 161 00:08:55,529 --> 00:08:59,649 Once all the trains have returned, they can begin the process of restarting the ride. 162 00:08:59,649 --> 00:09:02,790 The unfortunate thing about Space Mountain is that’s it’s pretty much impossible 163 00:09:02,790 --> 00:09:04,680 to show you any of this. 164 00:09:04,680 --> 00:09:08,850 Disney went the easy route and relied on the cover of darkness to hide what’s going on. 165 00:09:08,850 --> 00:09:11,860 But at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, I can. 166 00:09:11,860 --> 00:09:15,740 Remember how I said “Because of Disney’s extensive use of theming, they are able to 167 00:09:15,740 --> 00:09:20,220 hide certain ride control elements to make their attractions accommodate more people 168 00:09:20,220 --> 00:09:22,540 while still remaining safe” earlier in the video? 169 00:09:22,540 --> 00:09:25,100 Well, at this attraction, they use a different method. 170 00:09:25,100 --> 00:09:29,889 Big Thunder has an immense capacity, with each train consisting of 15 rows that can 171 00:09:29,889 --> 00:09:32,480 accommodate two adults with a child. 172 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:36,970 AND, Big Thunder’s station uses two loading platforms with track switches, which allows 173 00:09:36,970 --> 00:09:40,339 for sending trains twice as fast as they can be loaded. 174 00:09:40,339 --> 00:09:44,640 Sending trains so frequently means that multiple trains occupy the track at once, which requires 175 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:46,620 the use of block sections to prevent collisions. 176 00:09:46,620 --> 00:09:50,779 But rather than use frequent brake runs which are obvious without Space Mountain’s shotgun 177 00:09:50,779 --> 00:09:55,820 approach of complete darkness, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad contains three separate lift hills. 178 00:09:55,820 --> 00:10:01,560 A lift hill can be a type of block section as the train can be stopped simply by stopping the lift. 179 00:10:01,560 --> 00:10:05,720 Lift hills also offer more flexibility, because the train travels along it for a large number 180 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:10,379 of seconds and therefore is in complete computer control for longer. 181 00:10:10,379 --> 00:10:14,600 The computer has all this time to decide if it needs to stop the train, allowing for a 182 00:10:14,600 --> 00:10:17,620 large amount of slop and inconsistency between trains. 183 00:10:17,620 --> 00:10:21,810 Also, because each lift hill moves the train as part of its normal operation, the ride 184 00:10:21,810 --> 00:10:26,240 can recover from minor trouble by restarting a train’s movement after a stop was required, 185 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:28,560 so long as it’s safe to do so. 186 00:10:28,560 --> 00:10:32,260 This is in contrast to Space Mountain, where the block brakes are simply providing a last-minute 187 00:10:32,260 --> 00:10:35,060 means of stopping the ride altogether in emergencies. 188 00:10:35,060 --> 00:10:40,199 This merging of theming and mechanics is one of those things that I consider genius on Disney’s part. 189 00:10:40,199 --> 00:10:44,040 The extra lift hills on Big Thunder seem, from the rider’s perspective, to simply 190 00:10:44,040 --> 00:10:49,069 be theming elements or perhaps just a fun addition to the ride, but they are more than that. 191 00:10:49,069 --> 00:10:53,050 They are an integral part of the ride’s safety systems, allowing for a huge boost 192 00:10:53,050 --> 00:10:58,600 in ride capacity all the while protecting you from injury (and the company from lawsuits). 193 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:01,680 Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom takes this one step further. 194 00:11:01,680 --> 00:11:05,170 I don’t have footage of the ride so I’ll be brief, but this ride contains two lift 195 00:11:05,170 --> 00:11:07,699 hills, and two reversing sections. 196 00:11:07,699 --> 00:11:11,589 All of these elements allow the train to be stopped if need be, with the reversing sections 197 00:11:11,589 --> 00:11:14,790 stopping the train as part of a normal ride experience. 198 00:11:14,790 --> 00:11:19,790 By building a stop into the ride’s theme, there is yet another added point of flexibility. 199 00:11:19,790 --> 00:11:24,070 In this case, if a train in front of you is occupying the next block section, the ride 200 00:11:24,070 --> 00:11:26,550 system simply holds your train longer than usual. 201 00:11:26,550 --> 00:11:28,750 Once it’s clear to go, the train is released. 202 00:11:28,750 --> 00:11:31,590 If you’d like to see this ride in action, check out the link below or through the card 203 00:11:31,590 --> 00:11:32,910 on your screen. 204 00:11:32,910 --> 00:11:35,029 And please, fix the Yeti. 205 00:11:35,029 --> 00:11:39,060 I’ve often felt that Disney has shaped the kind of person I am in more ways than one. 206 00:11:39,060 --> 00:11:43,850 I’d say a large part of my interest in technology comes from this technological mecca of entertainment. 207 00:11:43,850 --> 00:11:48,550 It was always fun to try and figure out how they did what they did, and let me tell you, 208 00:11:48,550 --> 00:11:51,040 I’m still having fun doing that today. 209 00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:52,839 Thanks for watching, I hope you enjoyed the video! 210 00:11:52,839 --> 00:11:54,730 And if you did, please consider subscribing. 211 00:11:54,730 --> 00:11:58,459 I’d also like to thank all of my supporters on Patreon. 212 00:11:58,459 --> 00:12:02,310 You can also support this channel through a totally voluntary contribution by visiting 213 00:12:02,310 --> 00:12:04,569 the link below or on your screen. 214 00:12:04,569 --> 00:12:07,880 Your support can help me make videos like this more frequently, and your consideration 215 00:12:07,880 --> 00:12:09,700 is much appreciated. 216 00:12:09,700 --> 00:12:10,900 I’ll see you next time.