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Backlot Stunt Coaster Special Effects Removed


Italian Job 2005
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I personally am not a fan of this ride unless there is the theming there. It packs a small punch without the theming, and I would not be inclined to wait a long time to ride it without something worth while happening.

And question: What did Adventure Express have in regards to theming back in the day? I am only 18... so as long as I remember it was the same as it has been.

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Guest dtk1376

From what I remember, it used to have fog through most of the tunnels and the SFX on the last hill was louder and they had mist coming out of that thing the guy at the top of the hill is holding. That is all I remember that isn't there now, but I'm sure I'm missing a few things.

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In the first tunnel, there were SFX to simulate the spears coming out of the walls and for a time, the spears did move back and forth (the ones piercing the skeleton). There was also a spiel with the Indiana Jones Theme song played in the station for a time.

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There is a cobra in one of the tunnels that used to sway back and forth. The spears used to pop out as the train went by. On the final lift hill, at the end, it used to have a light in the chalice he is dumping, to make it look like it was molten lava or metal. There was also a burst of hot air (later replaced with cold air) as you went below it. You can basically tell how the rest of the drum thumpers are supposed to work/ be lit, even though they are at times not working properly or have bulbs out.

Those are the parts I remember.

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Okay I was just sitting in bed and came up with a really cool idea for BLSC but would require quite a bit of work. During that stop scene with the helicoper, the track will turn 180 degrees and send the train through the tunnel backwards and then at the final brake it will turn back around.

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:ph34r:I would scrap the whole "Los Angeles Freeway" theme with something more "local..."

CincinnatiSkylinerSmall.jpg

"Cincinnati Skyliner"

More trees... fewer "cargo containers;"

More grass... less concrete...

Lighted "skyline" facade...

Straight circuit... no pause...

Etc...

This, I like. :)
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Here I've got a simple fix. Put in some zombie theming. The theming can get as run down as Mother Nature allows and it would fit right in with a zombie apocalypse. Maybe have one them pop out from behind the barrel at the second launch just in time to make an escape.

(When I was writing this it was intended as a joke, but if it was done right that might actually work.)

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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I personally am glad that the Backlot Stunt Coasters are not themed to their respective cities. At Kings Island, you'd be subjected to the pungent stench of Skyline Chili and the great disappointment of Bengals football while riding. At Canada's Wonderland, the ride would just slowly creep around the track and take about 3 hours to finish its quarter-mile circuit (as an homage to driving in Toronto). I don't know enough about Virginia to make any judgments on theirs, but it would almost certainly be the best of the three.

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^^ ( to Terp) I do declare...

I personally am not a fan of this ride unless there is the theming there. It packs a small punch without the theming, and I would not be inclined to wait a long time to ride it without something worth while happening.

And question: What did Adventure Express have in regards to theming back in the day? I am only 18... so as long as I remember it was the same as it has been.

When you left the station and turned to the right you went through a fog/mist bank similar to the mist around the Banshee sign with color lights under the track with a jungle soundtrack. Then you dropped over the hill to the first tunnel. At the entrance to the tunnel there was an active crossing signal with ringing bells and lights flashing...kind of an indication of danger. Then as you went through the tunnel, there was mood lighting and in the rafters there was an anaconda sized hissing snake. Then you left the first tunnel and into the second where arrows popped out of the walls as you went through. Then as you climbed the lift you could hear it creak as if it were falling apart. Then you drop down the hill through the course and through the ivy covered structure with mood lighting and into the next tunnel. Inside here you went into the volcano with red lights and fog. You could hear a loud wind or howling through to the last tunnel. At the end, it remains virtually the same with the statues drumming and the main statue, however it dumped a trickle of water onto the train as you passed under. It was a wonderful night experience!

All in all it was a MUCH better experience before there became a lapse in upkeep.....here's hoping that Matt updates this ride soon to it's former glory and then some!!!

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Guest dtk1376

Agree, it was a ride you must not miss at night, it along with Beast were two rides back in the day we would always make sure to visit at night before leaving.

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Nope. Planned. Never happened. CBS deleted for cost reasons.

From my understanding of some folks who opened the ride, the "stair bump" was installed, but amounted to nothing more than the feeling that you were rolling over a rough piece of track.

I.E. Imagine sitting on a vibrating cell phone. The "effect" didn't translate well.

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:ph34r:I would scrap the whole "Los Angeles Freeway" theme with something more "local..."

CincinnatiSkylinerSmall.jpg

"Cincinnati Skyliner"

More trees... fewer "cargo containers;"

More grass... less concrete...

Lighted "skyline" facade...

Straight circuit... no pause...

Etc...

You, sir, get a gold star.

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I believe the cars rears were supposed to release and skid in the curves too.

They did for a short while, you would've never realized it though. It was barely noticeable.

If you look at the back of the cars, you can still see the springs that allowed it to sway. You can also see where they've welded the car chassis to the sliding mechanism to keep them from doing so in the future.

This effect was negligible, I think the hope was that throughout the season it would "loosen" up and become more noticeable. It didn't.

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Guest dtk1376

I don't remember any water effects being on Top Gun, as far as I can tell it has always been the same exact ride, only things that have changed over time has been the pain scheme and the queue line at the station.

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Think about how much cooler a ride it BLSC would be if it had all effects in complete working condition, including the bump effect and the swerve effects.

Think about how much cooler a ride it would be if the area was very nicely landscaped with an antique car ride.

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Think about how much cooler a ride it BLSC would be if it had all effects in complete working condition, including the bump effect and the swerve effects.

Also, did Top Gun have water effects that were removed?

And imagine it with synchronized on-board audio, which it had as Italian Job. The audio control panel is still visible on the front of the ride operator's control room, and the glass on it is physically shattered.

Top Gun had pipes along the station that sprayed mist to make it look like a jet carrier as the train rolled in. You can catch a glimpse of the pipes and of the beginnings of the effect at 3:13 in this video, but you can REALLY see it 10 seconds later.

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