Gizmodo: amusement parks

Santa Monica's 160,000 LED Ferris Wheel Powered By The Sun

Elaine Chow — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 20:00:00 EDT

Santa Monica has delivered a bright and shiny upgrade to its Pacific Ferris Wheel, dismantling the old one to make way for a new behemoth that boasts 160,000 LED lights. The 90-foot ride, manufactured by Chance Morgan Rides, delivers visual performances every night and cost the city $1.5 million. Thanks to solar panels that soak up energy during the day to power the wheel, those extravagant light shows have a minuscule carbon footprint.

When it was built in 1996, the Pacific Wheel was the only solar powered ferris wheel in the world. The old wheel was auctioned off on eBay for over $130,000 to an Oklahoma City real-estate developer. Grant Humphreys, the developer, plans on incorporating the wheel into a mixed use residential community.

It has appeared in several Hollywood films, including A Night at the Roxbury and Thank You for Smoking. There's no doubt that its younger and more attractive replacement will probably get some screen time as well. [Crunch Gear]

CellQ Phone Service Promises an End to Amusement Park Lines

Sean Fallon — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 19:20:30 EST

Tired of waiting two hours in the blistering heat to get on Space Mountain? If the folks at CellQ have their way, you could skip the annoying lines (friggin' Disney) and book your place. While you wait for a phone call notification that it is your turn, you can feel free to roam around the park. When the call does arrive, you are free to take your spot whenever you choose. The service also claims that it can recognize personal ride preferences, and help reunite parents with lost children.

That's all well and good, but what happens when a whole mess of people have this service? What happens if they show up at the same time? How many fistfights will take place when CellQ users skip to the front and snicker at the poor bastards waiting in line? It's a good idea in theory, but my guess is that some major problems would erupt as the service grows more popular. Pricing information has not been made available. [TRFJ]

Puke-o-Matic Amusement Park Ride Isn't For the Weak Stomached

Adam Frucci — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 14:20:00 EDT

I'm not sure how old this is, but puking hasn't undergone many technological advancements in the last few years. This amusement park ride looks like perhaps the worst thing to possibly do on a stomach full of fried dough and cotton candy. These crazy Germans do 110 flips in a row and then have the tenacity to give themselves a hearty round of applause at the end of it. I don't know about you guys, but I got a little queasy just watching this thing. I can't imagine the puke explosions that would result from me actually riding it. [Glumbert via Spulch]

RFID Tag, for the Kiddies

Travis Hudson — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 15:37:53 EDT

Just like squirrels and boars in the wild, overbearing parents can now tag their own children with RFID wristbands. This amusement-park kiosk system is called SafeTzone and lets parents give their children RFID wristbands that can track the tyke's every movement. The wristbands also work as debit cards so you can load up the wristband with money and have the day to yourself. Isn't technology great? It's like a free babysitter! – Travis Hudson

RFID Lets Parents Tag, Release Kids At Parks [The Raw Feed]