California Screamin'
| California Screamin' | |
|---|---|
 | |
 California Screamin' launching on Paradise Bay. | |
| Disney California Adventure | |
| Park section | Paradise Pier |
| Coordinates | 33°48′17″N 117°55′18″W / 33.804584°N 117.921780°WCoordinates: 33°48′17″N 117°55′18″W / 33.804584°N 117.921780°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | February 8, 2001 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Launched |
| Manufacturer | Intamin |
| Designer | Walt Disney Imagineering |
| Model | Looping Coaster |
| Track layout | Custom |
| Lift/launch system | LIM |
| Height | 120 ft (37 m) |
| Drop | 110 ft (34 m) |
| Length | 6,072 ft (1,851 m) |
| Speed | 55 mph (89 km/h) |
| Inversions | 1 |
| Duration | 2:36 |
| Acceleration | 0 to 55 mph in 4 seconds |
| Height restriction | 48 in (122 cm) |
| Trains | Several trains with 6 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 24 riders per train. |
| Host | Neil Patrick Harris (safety spiels and launch countdown) |
| Previous Host | Dee Bradley Baker |
| Music | Gary Hoey and George Wilkins |
 Disney's Fastpass available | |
 Single rider line available | |
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California Screamin' at RCDB Pictures of California Screamin' at RCDB | |
History
This boardwalk-themed coaster was designed by Walt Disney Imagineering, and was built by Intamin. California Screamin' is the eighth-longest rollercoaster in the world (and fourth-longest steel coaster in the United States), at 6,072 feet (1,851 m) long. It is also the longest ride with an inversion (since Son of Beast became defunct). Its highest point is 120 feet (37 m) followed by a 108-foot (33 m) drop. Though built of steel, the structure as designed visually mimics the features of a wooden coaster.
This coaster has some distinctive features. It uses a linear induction motor to launch the train up the first hill, replacing the traditional lift hill chain. This coaster is one of Disney's fastest attractions, accelerating guests from zero to 55 miles per hour (89 km/h) in four seconds at the launch. Like Space Mountain and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, California Screamin' is set to music. It is the only inverting ride in the Disneyland Resort. This attraction offers both FASTPASS and Single Rider entrances. On November 5, 2010, the attraction's original recorded safety spiels were updated with the voice of actor Neil Patrick Harris.[1]
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California Screamin' before the construction of Toy Story Midway Mania
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A detailed look at the roller coaster's loop with the former Mickey Mouse head.
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California Screamin' roller coaster.
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Overview of Paradise Pier with the Mickey Mouse head removed and the renovated Mickey's Fun Wheel.
Incidents
On July 29, 2005, 25 guests were injured when the purple train rear-ended the red train. Of the 48 guests aboard the two trains, 15 were taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries. The accident occurred on the section of track about 30 feet (9.1 m) short of the loading station. A full ride stop was activated with the red train stopped. The brake segment that was supposed to have stopped the purple train failed, and the purple train continued until it collided with the stopped red train.[2] An investigation showed that a faulty brake valve, installed a few days earlier by Disney (not by the ride manufacturer Intamin), was the cause.[3]
On July 22, 2011, 23 people were rescued from California Screamin' by firefighters when a rider's backpack fell out of a train and landed on the track, causing the orange train to valley just after the loop but before the next block brake. It reopened two days later after the train was winched up the next hill, had its damaged wheels replaced and was allowed to complete the circuit.[4][5]
Rockin' California Screamin'
On January 3, 2007, the standard onboard audio track for California Screamin' was temporarily replaced with a remixed version of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Around the World," and the attraction was renamed Rockin' California Screamin'. This was promoted alongside Rockin' Space Mountain, a similar change made to Space Mountain in Disneyland, though that ride's audio was changed to the Red Hot Chili Peppers' cover version of "Higher Ground". These changes were part of the "Rockin' Both Parks" campaign. The standard audio track was restored when the campaign ended.[6][7]
Attraction facts
- The current restraint system is Over-the-Shoulder Restraints (OTSRs)
- Totaling 6,702 feet (2,043 m) of total track, California Screamin' is the second-longest steel roller coaster on the American continents.
- Contains over 36 miles (58 km) of electrical wire, and 167 miles (269 km) of individual conductors.
- California Screamin' is also the only Disney outdoor looping roller coaster in North America (Rock 'n' Roller Coaster at Disney's Hollywood Studios inverts three times, but is enclosed).
- It took 5,800,000 pounds (2,600,000 kg) of steel to build California Screamin'.
- There are 11,500,000 pounds (5,200,000 kg) of concrete in the foundations, and the deepest foundation is a pile of 48 feet (15 m).
- Because Disney California Adventure is located within a residential zone and must adhere to certain noise restriction guidelines, special "scream" tubes were designed for California Screamin' to prevent riders' screams from being blasted across Anaheim.
- The ride's name is an obvious nod to the 1965 song "California Dreamin'" by The Mamas & the Papas.
- Neil Patrick Harris provides the vocals for a safety spiel added in late 2010, replacing the original safety spiels recorded by Dee Bradley Baker.
- There are 108 acoustic devices to play the "Synchronized On-Board Audio Track" (S.O.B.A.T.) onboard each train, including high-rangers in the headrests, mid-rangers near riders' ears, and subwoofers underneath each rider's seat.
- When the loop for Son of Beast was removed in 2006, California Screamin' became the longest looping coaster in the world.
References
- ↑ Sawas, George (November 8, 2010). "Hey, That Sounds Like Neil Patrick Harris". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
- ↑ Himmelberg, Michelle (October 13, 2005). "Brakes cited in Disney crash". Orange County Register. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
- ↑ "Thrill ride lawsuits". The Courier Journal. November 29, 2007. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
- ↑ "Firefighters rescue 23 after dropped bag brings Disneyland ride to a Screamin' halt". Herald Sun. July 23, 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
- ↑ "California Screamin Accident 7/22/11". YouTube. August 12, 2011. Retrieved August 15, 2012.
- ↑ Colothan, Scott (December 29, 2006). "Red Hot Chili Peppers To Soundtrack Disneyland Rides". Entertainmentwise. Retrieved August 15, 2012.
- ↑ "Rockin' California Screamin'". YouTube. January 16, 2007. Retrieved August 15, 2012.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to California Screamin'. |
- California Screamin' at the Roller Coaster DataBase
- Incrediblecoasters Images
- California Screamin' Details about the roller coaster on Ultimate Rollercoaster.com.
- Official Disneyland Resort Link
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