A flying theater is a themed entertainment technology and adjacent show style. It is a type of simulator ride which consists of one or several motion systems and a large screen. This type of attraction is also known as panoramic flying theaters. The illusion of flight is created through motion that is synchronized with a film. Sound and special effects are combined with the film to create realistic flying experiences.
There are two different forms: the suspended flying theater, in which rigging similar to a fly system lifts seats into the projection of a film to create the illusion of flight. The other version uses a motion system-based platform with a dome-projection or a large curved screen. [1] [2] [3]
Platform-based flying theaters allow 2 different forms of experience: either a traditional seated version and a version where guests are standing on the platform, leaning forward into body supports to create a feeling of flying.
The concept of panoramic flying theaters as it is understood today was introduced by The Walt Disney Company in 2001 in their Disney's California Adventure theme park as Soarin' Over California. The success of Soarin' Over California initiated a worldwide trend which led to more than 50 panoramic flying theaters built between 2013 and 2021.
While the steel construction of suspended flying theaters, which is necessary to lift the seats with guests into the projection has to be quite large and massive, platform-based flying theaters can be operated in a more compact space, thus making both the seated as well as the standing version suitable not only for large installations like "Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon" (Universal Studios Florida) but also for smaller venues like museums (e.g.: Washington Revelations (Museum of The Bible, Washington D.C., shopping malls and family entertainment centers.
Name | Park | Location | Manufacturer | Opened | Status | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Soarin' Over California | Disney California Adventure | United States | Dynamic Structures | February 8, 2001 | Closed | |
Soarin' | Epcot | United States | Dynamic Structures | May 5, 2005 | Operating | |
Taiwan Formosa | E-DA Theme Park | Taiwan | Brogent Technologies | 2010 | Operating | |
Viaggio in Italia | Ferrari World | United Arab Emirates | HUSS Park Attractions | 2011 | Operating | |
FlyOver Canada | Canada Place | Canada | Brogent Technologies | June 29, 2013 | Operating | |
Fuji Airlines | Fuji-Q Highland | Japan | Brogent Technologies | July 2014 | Operating | |
Batman Dark Flight | Studio City Macau | Macau | Kraftwerk Living Technologies GmbH | 2015 | Closed | |
FlyOver America | Mall of America | United States | Brogent Technologies | April 19, 2016 | Operating | |
Soaring Over The Horizon | Shanghai Disneyland Park | China | Dynamic Structures | June 16, 2016 | Operating | |
Soarin' Around the World | Disney California Adventure | United States | Dynamic Structures | June 17, 2016 | Operating | |
Wings Over Washington | Pier 57 Seattle | United States | Dynamic Structures | December 11, 2016 | Operating | [4] |
Agila: The EKsperience | Enchanted Kingdom | Philippines | SimEx-Iwerks | December 11, 2016 | Operating | [5] |
L'Extraordinaire Voyage | Futuroscope | France | Dynamic Structures | December 2016 | Operating | |
Fly Over China | Shang Shun theme park | Taiwan | Brogent Technologies | 2016 | Operating | |
Krrish: Hero's Flight | Bollywood Park Dubai | United Arab Emirates | Unknown | 2016 | Operating | |
Voletarium | Europa-Park | Germany | Brogent Technologies | June 3, 2017 | Operating | |
Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon | Universal Studios Florida | United States | Dynamic Motion Rides | Apr 6, 2017 | Operating | |
Flying Dreams | Ferrari Land | Spain | Brogent Technologies | April 2017 | Operating | [6] |
This is Holland | This is Holland | Netherlands | Vekoma & Brogent Technologies | October 2017 | Operating | |
Washington Revelations | Museum of The Bible, Washington D.C. | United States | Dynamic Motion Rides | Nov 17, 2017 | Operating | |
i-Ride Kaohsiung | Kaohsiung Software Technology Park | Taiwan | Brogent Technologies | 2017 | Operating | |
Fly Over China | Beijing Shijingshan Amusement Park | China | Brogent Technologies | Sep 2018 | Operating | |
Beautiful Hunan | Tongguan Kiln International Cultural & Tourism Center | China | Cavu Designworks | Oct 2018 | Operating | |
i-Ride Taipei | Breeze Nanshan Shopping Center | Taiwan | Brogent Technologies | 2018 | Operating | |
The Flyer - San Francisco | Pier 39 | United States | Triotech | Jan 2019 | Operating | |
Godzilla the Ride: Giant Monsters Ultimate Battle | Seibu-en | Japan | Brogent Technologies | May 19, 2021 | Operating | |
SkyFly: Soar America | The Island in Pigeon Forge | United States | Dynamic Attractions | July 8, 2021 | Operating | [7] |
Soaring: Fantastic Flight | Tokyo DisneySea | Japan | Dynamic Structures | July 23, 2019 | Operating | |
Sky Voyager | Dreamworld | Australia | Brogent Technologies | August 23, 2019 | Operating | [8] |
FlyOver Iceland | Reykjavík | Iceland | Brogent Technologies | September 2019 | Operating | |
Flying Over Indonesia | Trans Studio Bali, Denpasar | Indonesia | Dynamic Attractions | Dec 12, 2019 | Operating | |
Jiangsu in the Air | Wuxi Sunac Land | China | Simtec | 2019 | Operating | |
Masters of Flight | Legoland Florida | United States | Brogent Technologies | 2019 | Operating | |
Volarium | Cinecittà, Rome | Italy | Simtec | 2019 | Operating | |
Chongqing in the Air | Chongqing Sunac Land | China | Simtec | 2020 | Operating | |
Flight of the Sky Lion | Legoland Windsor Resort | England | Brogent Technologies | May 2021 | Operating | |
FlyOver Las Vegas | Las Vegas | United States | Brogent Technologies | September 2021 | Operating | |
RiseNY | Times Square | United States | Brogent Technologies | December 2021 | Operating | |
Flyover Chicago | Chicago | United States | Brogent Technologies | 2024 | Operating | |
Global Journey | Quancheng Euro Park | China | Unknown | Unknown | Operating | [9] |
Timeless Flight Hong Kong | 11SKIES | Hong Kong | Brogent Technologies | 2024 | ||
Wings of Mercury | Mercury Towers | Malta | Simtec | 2024 | ||
Flying Over Uzbekistan | Tashkent City Park | Uzbekistan | DOF ROBOTIC | 2019 | Operating |
Soaring may refer to:
Soarin', also known as Soarin' Over California, Soarin' Around the World, Soaring Over the Horizon and Soaring: Fantastic Flight, is a flight motion simulator attraction at Disney California Adventure, Epcot, Shanghai Disneyland, and Tokyo DisneySea. It employs a mechanical lift system, a projected presentation on an 80 ft (24 m) concave 180-degree dome screen, and artificial scents and wind to simulate a hang gliding flight over locations in six of the world's continents. Many consider it the first flying theater.
A flying roller coaster is a type of roller coaster meant to simulate the sensations of flight by harnessing riders in a prone position during the duration of the ride. The roller coaster cars are suspended below the track, with riders secured such that their backs are parallel to the track.
Space Mountain is a space-themed indoor roller coaster attraction located at five of the six Disneyland-style Disney Parks. Although all five versions of the attraction are different in nature, all have a similar conical exterior façade that is a landmark for the respective park. The original Space Mountain coaster opened in 1975 at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. There are two tracks within this attraction, Alpha and Omega, which passengers can choose from. Other versions of the attraction were built at all other Disney parks except for Shanghai Disneyland.
SimEx-Iwerks Entertainment specializes in high-tech entertainment systems, films, film technologies, film-based software, Simulation Hardware Systems and services. The company has partnerships with various institutions, parks, and destinations.
Turtle Talk with Crush is an interactive talk show type attraction that has appeared at several of the Disney theme parks. It first opened on November 16, 2004 at The Living Seas pavilion at Epcot and later at Disney California Adventure in July 2005. The attraction opened in Hong Kong Disneyland from May 24 to August 10, 2008 as part of the "Nonstop Summer Fun" celebration. The attraction also opened in Tokyo DisneySea on October 1, 2009.
Toy Story Midway Mania! is an interactive 4-D theme park attraction, located at three Disney theme parks: Disney's Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort, Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort and Tokyo DisneySea at Tokyo Disney Resort.
Space Mountain is an indoor, space-themed roller coaster in Tomorrowland at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Opened on May 27, 1977, it was the second roller coaster built at Disneyland, and was the second of the five versions of Space Mountain built by The Walt Disney Company. Its exterior façade is one of Disneyland's three "mountain" structures that serve as park landmarks.
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is a motion-based dark ride located in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter-themed areas of four Universal parks around the world – Universal Islands of Adventure in Florida, Universal Studios Hollywood in California, Universal Studios Japan, and Universal Studios Beijing. The first installation opened at Islands of Adventure in Universal Orlando on June 18, 2010. Subsequent installations opened in 2014 (Japan), 2016 (Hollywood), and 2021 (Beijing).
Dynamic Structures of the World is a Canadian company with a history of steel fabrication dating back to 1927. They create amusement rides, theme park rides, observatory telescopes and other complex steel structures.
An enhanced motion vehicle, or EMV, is a ride vehicle developed by Walt Disney Imagineering, a component of The Walt Disney Company, for use in amusement park rides located at Disney's theme parks. Riders are seated on a modified motion simulator base that is mounted on a wheeled chassis. As the vehicle travels through the attraction, the motion base simulates movement, such as driving over rough terrain or leaning through a turn, that makes the ride experience appear more realistic.
Europe in the Air was a motion simulator ride located at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, a theme park in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. The attraction was similar in both ride and production to that of Disney's Soarin' Over California and Star Tours. Because of the theming of the park, Europe in the Air simulated flight over Europe's most notable icons. The park stated the picture is "eight times clearer than HD." Other features, such as fans, were used for a more realistic journey. Europe in the Air replaced the Corkscrew Hill ride for the 2010 season. It was previously sponsored by Aer Lingus.
Simulator rides are a type of amusement park or fairground ride, where the audience is shown a movie while their seats move to correspond to the action on screen.
Iron Man Experience is a 3-D motion simulator attraction in Tomorrowland at Hong Kong Disneyland, which opened on 11 January 2017. The attraction is based on the Marvel Cinematic Universe character Iron Man, becoming the first Disney attraction to be based on a Marvel property. The attraction is located at the park's Tomorrowland section, in an area named "Stark Expo", adjacent to Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters. Set a few years after the 2010 New York Stark Expo, Tony invites the visitors aboard the Iron Wing for a tour of Hong Kong, including the newly constructed Stark Tower. However, Hydra launches an attack on the city, led by Dr. Arnim Zola, forcing Tony to don the Iron Man armor and fight the menace alongside the Iron Wing.
RoboCoaster Ltd is an amusement ride design firm based in Warwickshire, England. Through partnerships with KUKA and Dynamic Attractions, RoboCoaster has installed its namesake products at locations around the world.
Agila: The EKsperience is a flight motion simulation attraction situated in Enchanted Kingdom, a theme park in Santa Rosa, Laguna, Philippines.
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is an attraction at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disneyland. The attraction—a combined trackless dark ride, walk-through, motion simulator, and drop ride system—puts guests into the middle of a battle between the Resistance and the First Order. Featuring four interworking ride systems in conjunction with Audio-Animatronics, practical sets, projection mapping and screen-based media, Rise of the Resistance is one of the most complex and advanced attractions designed by Walt Disney Imagineering.
Flyover is a flying theater attraction. The first Flyover attraction opened in 2013 at Canada Place in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. The ride takes guests on a virtual flight across Canada, utilizing ride equipment for up to 61 people at a time into a 19m diameter spherical screen and employs wind, mist, and scents to enhance the experience. It has since opened at the Mall of America in the US, and downtown Reykjavík, Iceland, and in Las Vegas with plans to open a ride in Toronto.
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