Name of Attraction: |
Huck Finn's Secret Passage |
Type of Attraction: |
Dark float ride |
Lead Virtual Imagineer: |
Tim Carter |
Associate Virtual Imagineers: |
None |
|
To become and associate contact the Lead Imagineer |
Cyberland Location: |
Frontierland |
Cyberland: |
Frontierland\Rivers of the World. |
Disneyland Location: |
Frontierland\Rivers of America, part of remaining area where the Mine Train used to travel. Where there is a boarded up tunnel and the pond, on up to what used to be the petting zoo at Big Thunder Ranch. |
Disney World Location: |
Frontierland |
Disneyland Paris: |
Frontierland |
Tokyo Disneyland: |
Frontierland |
Status: |
In concept stage |
To travel a mile-wide Mississippi at midnight by raft on a Summer's evening with Huck Finn on a journey through his secret passage way, filled with enchantment, merriment, adventure, and danger. Huck is your living human narrator throughout the trip to gain you as safe a passage as possible to another location. Robbers and "rapscallions" are the biggest threat there lately.
The cue for the attraction begins at the boarded-up tunnel and winds its way around the inside of the pond beneath the remaining tunnel there and wraps back beside the waterfalls on the Rivers of America, and into a new mountain pass where there is a cave. Near the waterfalls the people in line can see the Mark Twain's stacks only, and no one aboard the Mark Twain can see the line going in. The cave leads to a loading area where parties of people are let in alone down a path to a shoreline.
The feeling of group solitude begins before boarding. The impact of the place
makes a far greater impression through lonely isolation. A person looks out and
says: "Where am I? What kind of place is this? What's going to happen? We're
a small group here on this mudbank looking around. All their basic instincts are
lighted up, and the few people there can share their impressions with each
other. And the place is deliciously ready to feed those senses with atmosphere
and special effects. Glowing logs, fireflies, crickets, toads, bats, owls,
hanging moss; laughter and merriment far off on a shore dock, definitely a full
moon, lightning and great thunder foretell of an approaching storm. Lanterns,
mansions, flickering dots of light covering the hillside from the homes of
little villages across the water, fresh, cool, FRAGRANT wind of jasmine
represents night time in the Summer; there is a steamboat chugging up the river
on the far shore.
Looking around stealthily to see if it's safe, a young man in rags jumps out, looks to the dock to the guests waiting and says in a stage whisper: "Come on, if you've got the sand; If you think you'll be afeared, you best stay behind and don't tell a soul you seen me here! The rest of you come on!"
A raft with the seating capacity of fifteen is waiting. The seats are boxes and the guests sit haphazard, facing in any direction. The view for the duration is panoramic. There are rails.
"I hope nobody followed you here. Mrs. Watson's dog's been howlin' at the ghost of somebody whos died and I ain't had no luck with ghosts no how yet. We'd best not tempt our fate by waiting around here for him to come and get us. Untying the raft, it begins its drift.
Huck tells his tales (to be written in full soon) and is interrupted by a floating house, tilting to one side. Huck explains that being out further in the water, the current is stronger and they'd have to pass it for a better oportunity. "It's high water time; right good for exploring free-for-the-saving, treasures and valuable things. Why, once I found a sure-enough wooden leg in a floating house. I searched and searched for seemed like hours, but I never did find the other one. Suddenly Huck says: "SHHHHHHHHHH!" As a host of bad guys approaches in slightly shallower water.
The guests are advised to be very still while a large raft goes by with rough looking men on board, drunk. Someone playing harmonica softly. Dangerous looking men in a tranquil moment. Lanterns and a small fire in a stove light the scene. Another large raft with dancing and singing men to the tune of rousing banjo and mandolin music. Someone peering out into the gloom shushing the rest with a wave of his hand. "I think I heered somethin'", as the raft full of guests floats by right beside them under the cover of the darkness of a storm cloud. "There it is again...No! Wait! Listen..."
The raft goes by a beautiful island near the shore. Inside the forests are the blinking and glowing eyes of nocturnal animals and the eerie cries and sounds of them. Lots of crickets and toads croaking. A wonderful scene that goes on every night by itself, but now you've visited it and shared its beautiful dream.
Passing the head of the island and as it falls behind it begins to get a little hazy. A full fog comes up and engulfs the raft and Huck warns of the dangers that can happen in such situations. The sound of a paddlewheel comes up quietly and then splashing louder and louder until the huge bow of a steamboat comes out of the haze and is headed right for the raft. Huck fends off the danger with an oar. Towering above, women are screaming and men are shouting and waving their arms from the railing of three decks and the pilot is shaking his fist and shouting down at the so and sos who so foolishly got into the way. The terrible danger fades away into nothingness and quiet and gentleness returns to the scene as though the whole episode was only a dream. The passage is now nearly complete. By this time the fog quickly lifts and the sights of dawn are coming with birds singing. Huck says "Here's where you all have to go ashore. I have to shove off before I get catched sure!
In the center is the drive motor that is connected to the stages by spokes. The elongated circuit requires that the spoke arms be telescopic, getting longer to longest from center of to end with the additional help of a cam and air pressure with release valve inside. These arm supports are connected to all four sides of the stage back. Hydraulic shocks are at the joints of the stages to prevent banging or squeaking. The scenery fits together undetectably at the joints during the show and separates enough back stage to make the turn for the return trip as it circles around to the show area, first at the end and around once more for the new presentation.
The stages are designed together across the water from each other, linked to the next two and so on. To keep the weight of the stages stablized from bobbing or rising and lowering in any fashion, the tow arms are equipped with vertical computerized hydraulic shock absorbers to ensure a level performance. This effect also stills any created wave action in the entirety of the Attraction.
The raft is stopped and suspended in water by an underwater plate that comes up in front of every approaching raft and lets down to allow further passage at appropriate intervals. The raft might even drift backwards by the motion of the scenery, but the only motion "perceived" would be one of a free-float travel down the Mississippi. Every part of the show is the same length, but is blended with varying emotions that take one away from one's watch.
At the end of each show, the raft circles around the backstage side of the scenery's circuit to the beginning, having waited at a red light for a green light from a departing raft to go to the beginning mud bank and tie-up with a loop. The dispatcher lets a group in after receiving his green light signal. They are loaded, and according to time it takes gives a spiel to match. At this time his gate is dropped and the journey begins. He floats past a stationary island just beyond the cue and onto the wide Mississippi down a very slight incline to the first hold where the raft comes to a gentle stationary float in the waters beside the moving scenery.
The walls and ceiling are the easiest part. The stars and clouds and horizon are constant. According to the lanterns and on-board stoves of the other raftsmen is the light around the Guests.
Fact |
Figure |
Type |
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Designer |
? |
Year |
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Length |
? feet |
Ride Time |
? |
Speed |
? mph (avg); ? mph (max) |
Boat |
? riders per boat |
Capacity |
? per hour; ? per ? seconds |
Other |
? |
Physical Implementation Discussion
