This is where you'll find all the latest info on rides testing at DCA! This page has 3 subsections. It has rides testing, rides soon testing, and testing news and rumors. Most of the information I get for this page comes from either what I've seen in person or what has been reported on Westcoaster.net .
Maliboomer began testing right around the end of October 99. It was the first ride to be tested in DCA and started testing with only 1 tower. It has been testing in different modes also. They have just let it go up slowly, and go down slowly. This is probobly for testing the emergency brakes. They have also tested it fully, sending it up at full speed. Although I have not heard of any human testing yet, it probobly has happened by now. To my knowledge, lighting and sounds effects from the bells has not been tested yet. Also, the other towers should begin full testing soon.
07/00: Apparently Maliboomer had a slight electrical problem and has begun testing again.
07/30/00: Maliboomer is now testing with all 3 towers!
09/11/00: Today I saw Maliboomer testing 2 of it's towers. Looks fun! But those scream shields look horrible!
This ride surprisingly only tested for 2-3 weeks. I never heard of any human passengers testing it either. My guess is that there was a problem or they just finished testing it. It seemed to work well though when I saw it testing. Also, the lights have been tested on it and look very nice.
05/05/00: I've recently seen pictures of it testing with dummies! Guess it's started testing again!
06/02/00: James Disney from Southern Californian Coaster Club sent me a few tidbits on Golden Zepher's testing. He wrote:
Golden Zephyr has had many problems with the ride.
It was built by a carousel company that had never built a Zephyr ride before. The ride itself had horrible harmonics at first. The design is that the ride vehicles will swing out and do their thing. Well,
the ride starts up fine and the vehicles spin right, but the platform started swaying as well!! It got so bad that they had people practically being thrown from the platform. The only fix at that point was to hit the e-stop button and the vehicles would SLAM into the platform. They've had to replace several nose cones on the vehicles. It's had it's problems, to say the least.
Well, I guess that's why I never see it testing. Thanks for the info James!
07/22/00 It appears that Golden Zepher's problems are so severe that it is to be torn down and rebuilt. The cars have already been detached from the ride.
Although show effects and props havn't been tested yet I heard the cars and track were tested inside. Seeing how long the building has been closed up for I would bet the ride is now fully installed and under full testing or will soon be.
06/00 SuperStar Limo is said to be completed with testing and has been handed over to management. Some minor test and adjust is said to be still underway.
As you can see, The Sun Wheel is into full testing now. It has been testing regularly on weekdays. It looks really cool when it tests too. As it turns, the cars slide down the tracks and rock intensely back and forth, going 1/2 way upside-down. The sun face on front has now started rocking yet. The lights were tested for a couple of nights too. I'm not sure if any human passengers have ridden yet but I'm sure the people from Intamin have.
05/05/00: It's lights were being tested the other night. It makes really cool patterns such as a large turning windmill. I'll bet it makes a Mickey head too!
I've recently heard reports of a single little car themed vehicle going down the tracks. I got this info from another DCA site. The other report is that the cars do not spin and are stationary mouse cars.
05/15/00: Today I saw it testing! It looks very cool. I'd say there are about 10 cars on the track, 7 on the ride at once. The cars are about 10 seconds apart. Very cool. There are all different models. To see more testing visit Cars of Madness
07/00: It seems that the Imagineers have gotten to ride this attraction and claim that it to be a hit! Good job!
I got this right from an engineer from Intamin. He told me that water was send through the flumes a while ago and that a raft or two would start circling the flumes on March 15th! I'll try to get visual evidence soon.
05/05/00: The visual evidence is here! I've now witnessed it testing myself! I don't think the rafts they are using are the final product.
07/00: It seems that this one is now in full testing with multiple rafts! All effects are working such as waterfalls, light, etc.
07/30: I've heard that Grizzly Rapids had a slight leak during a test run. The problem is being fixed however.
The cars were testing emergency braking and clearance in January and according to an engineer from Intamin starts testing the second half of March. Well, he was right! Cars have been spotted running the tracks! While I havn't seen it this picture says it all! I have seen it at the foot of the launch but havn't seen it go!
05/15/00: Today I witnessed a full test run! It looks very cool and is amazingly quiet. I could barely hear it. The car went around the track pretty quickly but was pretty slow. Looks fun though!
07/00: From some pictures I have recently viewed, it is apparent that they are testing out the different cars. I've seen a purple, a red, and an orange!
This ride is in a full testing stage and looks magnificent! The 48 bees flying around inside look very cool to me. The ride lasts about 90 seconds and seems to be functioning very well.
Recently from reading Screamscape I learned that this ride has now begun testing in theater B with some rough footage and some even got to ride it! Apparently they were quite impressed!
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I was there on 5/15 and the animals were in a different position. It must be testing now!
06/02/00: I got to see it testing today! It looks very weird and looks to add a very wacky look to the pier. The thing that surprised me is the the tent also moves. Very cool. It was testing with dummies also.
07/22/00: It seems that Morgan goofed up a little on this rides design. Apparently the gears and motors designed for this ride are too small and cannot support the weight of the animals, etc. So expect to see a re-profiling of this as well.
This attraction has been slightly tested. AA's and film have been tested together and now the Imagineers are at work with full programming. Work is expected to be done sometime around mid to late August.
This attraction has begun some early testing with some test prints loaded into the projectors.
09/21/00: I've heard that this is now testing along with audio-animatronics.
This ride was testing on my previous trip on September 11th. The right tower was the only one testing.
I was just there today. Everything seemed to be working well that was testing. Mullholland Madness was running continuous cycles with empty cars. Many were on the track at once. Also, California Screamin' did one quick test run. It seemed to be working fine. Golden Zepher and Sun Wheel were completely dead. I think Sun Wheel is done and Golden Zepher is being slightly re-worked. Maliboomer was dead also. Orange Stinger was stuck in an up position and was not operating.
05/05/00
Hello everyone! Orange Stinger is now always testing. It look really cool. It is pretty much like a regualer swing ride and looks to be the neatest ride in the pier. No dummies yet though.
I just saw on May third a raft going up the ramp for Grizzly Peak. The weird thing is that when I was up in the hotel about 10 minutes earlier the waterways were completely drained!
The lighting is now being tested on the coaster's station, Golden Zepher and The Sun Wheel. Golden Zepher's Paradise Pier sign looks really cool the way it changes colors.
04/06/00
Well, just got back from a visit to the park. No rides were testing, but it was pretty late in the day. A car was sitting at the foot of the launch for Screamin' though. Would've liked to have seen it! Also, Orange Stinger seems to be testing now. A week ago the part that holds the swings up was tilted and high up. Today it was leveled and low. Hmmm...
Hope this helps make up for the small update....
I recently talked to someone who claims they no someone working on SuperStar Limo. He says that the limo driver is going to be a woman limo driver. He also said that Danny Divito (right spelling?) was going to be the person who makes the movie deal with you. One last part he told me was that in one scene of the ride Fabio and Madonna are walking to the front of their houses to pick up the paper and wave to you as you go by. Liked to see if this is true...
That's all for now!
