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A kiddie ride [1] is a child-sized, themed, mildly interactive coin-operated ride that can be ridden by young children for amusement. Kiddie rides are commonly available in amusement parks, arcades, malls, hotel game rooms, outside supermarkets, and large department stores. Less commonly, they may also appear in other venues such as restaurants, food courts, grocery shops, and auto dealerships. When activated by a coin, a kiddie ride entertains the rider for a short time with a mild motion that replicates the theme of the ride. Most rides also include sounds and music. Some even feature flashing lights, pedals [ broken anchor ], and/or buttons. Commercial kiddie rides are often colorful with an animal, vehicle, or popular cartoon character theme, which appeals to young children. They are usually driven by a heavy-duty electric motor, which is usually disguised inside or underneath the metal, fiberglass, or vacuum formed plastic body of the ride.
The kiddie ride was first invented in 1930 by James Otto Hahs of Sikeston, Missouri. [2] Originally called the Hahs Gaited Mechanical Horse, the ride was originally conceived as a Christmas present for his children. However, Hahs soon set about commercializing it. Initially, he used wooden horses, and commissioned carousel makers to make the horses. However, he found these horses to be too heavy and decided that aluminum would be a more suitable material. When told it couldn't be done, however, Hahs went ahead and invented a process to form horses out of metal. The rides would be manufactured at Hahs Machine Works in Sikeston, and they were recognized as the most original invention of the year in 1932. In 1933, Hahs struck a deal with Exhibit Supply Company to distribute his horses, with a 5% cut going to Hahs. When the patent on the ride eventually ran out, he retired from the wealth he had amassed from sales. In 1953, Billboard magazine called it "1953's fastest growing business". [1] Years later, aluminum horses would be replaced by fiberglass.
Developed around the same time, the Link Trainer was initially intended for use as a coin-operated entertainment device as well as a tool for training pilots. [3]
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Many very old rides do not feature music; also, some vehicle rides may favor engine sounds instead of music. However, on rides that feature music, early rides (and cheaper modern rides that imitate more well-known rides) are equipped with simple integrated circuits that continually playback one melody or repeat a set of melodies in sequence. These have evolved in the sense that the earliest musically-enabled rides played back only a single monophonic melody repetitively. In contrast, later ones played multiple polyphonic melodies, sometimes including short sound or speech samples. Later rides could also use a tape deck, while more recent rides may have a solid-state audio playback device akin to flash-based MP3 players. Usually, the music chosen is generic children's songs, while on licensed rides, the theme song for the licensed character would be used. [4] However, in rare cases, some rides play traditional pop music, and for private rides, the owner may request a song that has personal relevance to be programmed into the ride.
Many modern rides are programmed to play multiple melodies, with the music changing each time the ride is used, the logic being to prolong the interest of the child on the ride. [4] However, some modern rides, in particular licensed character ones, are usually programmed to play a single melody or song, which is usually the theme song of the character's television show or film. There are also some exceptions where there are licensed rides playing totally unrelated pieces of music or non-licensed rides that play only one particular tune, for example, a song about cars on a car-themed ride, the Thomas theme tune on a Thomas the Tank Engine ride, the Postman Pat theme tune on a Postman Pat ride and the Fireman Sam theme tune on a Fireman Sam ride.
Certain rides play a running narration or tell a story instead.
Newer, more advanced rides do not usually start as soon as coins are inserted; instead they prompt the rider, parent or guardian to press a start button, so as to allow the rider to seat him/herself comfortably before starting the ride. Often, these rides will also play a message before movement begins and may also play an ending message once the ride ends, to let the rider know that it is safe to disembark.
Other safety precautions commonly found in more advanced rides include:
To attract attention, most rides occasionally flash their lights or play a sound, or both, at set intervals, although many older rides, as well as low-cost, or knockoff, rides do not have an attract mode.
Some rides may narrate a story through sound or using a video monitor, the latter providing limited interaction with the video displayed.
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Track rides are usually rides in the form of a train on a track; in most coin-operated train-type track rides, the coin mechanism is on the locomotive unit of the ride and it can seat two to three toddlers. In general, the ride is powered by a low-voltage current passing through the tracks, but sometimes the ride is powered by batteries. Most versions of these rides are specifically designed to carry young children due to the low-voltage used and the size of the ride, although it is possible to find bigger models designed for older children.
Track rides are not necessarily restricted to train-form; animal track rides on the theme of horses or frogs have also been documented. In a similar fashion, another type of ride that would be classified as a track ride would be one with an elongated base where the figure paces the length of the base, then turns and moves in the opposite direction on reaching its limit.
Another common type of kiddie ride is the miniature carousel. These rides are usually in the form of a small-sized carousel. The newer models have the coin box on the main pillar, whereas older units have the coin box on a pole sticking out of the side of the ride.
Carousel rides featuring licensed characters do exist. A Thomas the Tank Engine carousel ride is known to exist, as is one from a British television show for children called Play School . Carousel rides featuring the characters from The Wiggles , Bob the Builder , Sesame Street and Hi-5 have also been documented.
More commonly built by European kiddie ride manufacturers like Automatic Toys Modena (ATM) from Italy, hydraulic rides are kiddie rides situated on a hydraulic arm that raises and lowers the ride during their activation. Usually, the rider is given limited interaction with the ride in the form of up/down buttons or levers so that the rider can instruct the ride to fly higher or lower, giving the user the impression of some control over their experience.
This kind of ride is perhaps the most common type: an animal or vehicle situated on a vacuum-formed base that moves up-and-down, side-to-side, or both, when activated; some move in a slithering-like motion. Usually, rides of this configuration have the motor hidden in the base, although some larger rides have the motor hidden in the ride-on figure instead.
One of the most popular rides is a horse ride. Recent developments have included the "Pony Express" ride, first manufactured by Italian company Cogan. These feature a complicated mechanism that alternates between galloping and trotting motions during the ride, mimicking the movements of a real-life horse. This type has been adapted by both the Spanish manufacturer Falgas for their own version of the "Pony Express" and Memo Park, another Italian-based company, for their own type of Western-style horse; Falgas adds horse sounds to the soundtrack whilst on the Memo Park version is the use of rider interactivity, in where if the rider pulls back on the reins, the horse stops for a few seconds before continuing to either gallop or trot, depending on what pace it is travelling at when the reins are pulled.
Another one of the most popular rides is the Kiddie Coaster. The first edition was manufactured by Amutec [22] and released in 2000. Another edition was manufactured by Innovative Concepts in Entertainment and released in 2002. [23] This ride simulates one of two different roller coasters. The Innovative Concepts in Entertainment edition simulates Blue Streak and Gemini while the Amutec edition simulates two different Six Flags coasters.
These kinds of rides are usually in the form of animals or vehicles. These are most common in Asian countries, particularly China. Unlike a real bumper car ride commonly found at funfairs, the coin-operated variant uses batteries instead of drawing electricity off of an overhead mesh, and one can ride it anytime instead of having to wait for the operator to start the ride for them.
These rides are generally teeter-totters for one person. An inanimate figure typically sits at the opposite end of the ride. The ride moves in a gentle up-and-down motion, mimicking that of a standard teeter-totter. Jolly Roger Amusement Rides has made three of these: one featuring Mr. Bump from The Mr. Men Show, one featuring the Pink Panther and one featuring Mr. Blobby.
These rides are a hybrid of kiddie rides and arcade video games. The rides usually incorporate a video display, and while the motion is synchronized to the events happening on the screen, the ride will start and end following the events on the screen. The ride is usually interactive and there are push-buttons to allow the rider to interact with the on-screen actions.
These rides should not be mistaken for simulators, which reproduce the action of a video game without offering further interactivity. Furthermore, the video-game hybrid is time-based and ends at a predetermined time, regardless of the actions of the user. An example of a hybrid ride would be the Waku Waku Sonic Patrol Car ride and other waku-waku and wanpaku series of rides manufactured by Sega.
In many cases, kiddie rides in the likes of well-known copyrighted characters or objects from films or television shows can also be found, usually at bigger shopping malls that can afford them due to the higher purchasing costs. A classic example would be the Batmobile rides.
In 1994, R.G. Mitchell released a Thomas the Tank Engine kiddie ride with 4 push buttons which trigger "You're a really useful engine!" (Thomas: blue), "I need you to help the other engines" (Sir Topham Hatt: yellow), a whistle sound (James: red) and a steam sound (Percy: green). There is also a mini version of the aforementioned ride for places that don't have enough space. In 2006, Jolly Roger Amusement Rides of the United Kingdom released their version of the Thomas the Tank Engine kiddie ride in two options, standard and video. Jolly Roger Amusement Rides is also known for making other licensed kiddie rides, including a fire truck and an airplane featuring Woody Woodpecker and Chilly Willy, a seesaw, train and police van featuring the Pink Panther and Inspector Clouseau, and a sailboat featuring Popeye. Another example of a character kiddie ride would be a Clifford the Big Red Dog kiddie ride, manufactured by Jolly Roger Amusement Rides of the United Kingdom. This ride costs around $5000 in the United States when purchased new. It plays the theme song from the PBS Kids TV series when in motion. The push button on the ride triggers Clifford barking sounds. Another example would be a Bob the Builder ride, which features Bob climbing onto Scoop with 4 sounds and Pilchard in his shovel. This ride was also manufactured by Jolly Roger Amusement Rides and released around January 2000.
Another example would be a Superman kiddie ride featuring the Man of Steel "stopping" the train you're in (meant to look like it's emerging from a tunnel into a rockfall). When in motion, it plays the Superman: The Animated Series theme (in a lower pitch, the PAL version) and has four buttons: "Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird... it's a plane... it's Superman!!" "Superman! Faster than a speeding bullet!" "Superman! More powerful than a locomotive!" and "Superman! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound!" (these are all taken from the Superman radio show, but voiced by Don Kennedy). Like some of the above examples, it was manufactured by Jolly Roger Amusement Rides. This ride was released in January 2000, although it was copyrighted in 1999.
Kiddie's Manufacturing made three kiddie rides based on The Flintstones : the Flintmobile, Dino and Loggin Continental. All three play "Meet The Flintstones" when the ride is in motion, and were released in 1994.
In 2015, Northern Leisure released a SpongeBob SquarePants kiddie ride based on the Krabby Patty Wagon from The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie . This ride has SpongeBob seated next to the "rider's seat", and his pet snail Gary rides on the back of the ride. This SpongeBob-themed ride also includes a screen displaying the lyrics to the SpongeBob SquarePants theme song. The lyrics to the theme song have to be sung out by whoever rides it (known as sing-along). The attract mode is also the SpongeBob theme song, and each of the 3 buttons on the ride plays a sound effect: a horn, bubble noises (commonly used in transitions from a scene to another in SpongeBob), and a dolphin noise.
Knockoff rides that feature figures that look like those of famous cartoon characters exist. They are cheaper than real licensed rides and are found at smaller establishments. They are not licensed, and in certain areas with high intellectual property rights recognition, purchasers of knockoff rides can get themselves entangled in legal complications. The ride figure might not be designed to look as close to a licensed character compared to genuinely licensed rides, possibly resulting in diminished recognition. Occasionally, there are some countries where knockoff characters are found on fairground rides. These feature paint jobs of popular characters that are featured on the rides without a license from their respective owners.
While kiddie rides are primarily used to garner extra income for commercial areas like shopping malls, supermarkets and amusement centers, they are also common in homes in many developed countries. This is being led by Denver-based Kiddie Rides USA and has received coverage in many magazines, including Time , Fortune , United Airlines' Hemispheres , and CNBC. [24] [25] Many of the rides are ex-location units which have been written off by the original owner, usually to make way for newer games or rides, and bought for a fraction of what they would cost brand new, either directly from the previous owner or on online auction sites like eBay.
Cedar Point is a 364-acre (147 ha) amusement park located on a Lake Erie peninsula in Sandusky, Ohio, United States, owned and operated by Six Flags. It opened in 1870 and is considered the second-oldest operating amusement park in the US behind Lake Compounce. Prior to the merger with Six Flags in 2024, Cedar Point served as the "flagship park" of the Cedar Fair amusement park chain and hosted the corporate headquarters. Known as "America's Roller Coast", the park features 17 roller coasters, which ranks third among amusement parks in North America behind sister parks Canada's Wonderland (18) and Six Flags Magic Mountain (20).
Six Flags Great Adventure is an amusement park located approximately 20 miles southeast of Trenton in Jackson, New Jersey. Owned and operated by Six Flags, the park complex is situated between New York City and Philadelphia and includes a water park named Hurricane Harbor. It first opened to the public as simply Great Adventure in 1974 under the direction of restaurateur Warner LeRoy. Six Flags acquired the park in 1977. The park is located right off of Interstate 195 and is along Monmouth Road.
Knoebels Amusement Resort is a family-owned and operated amusement park, picnic grove, and campground in Elysburg, Pennsylvania. Opened in 1926, it is the United States's largest free-admission park. The park has more than 60 rides including three wooden roller coasters, three steel roller coasters, a 1913 carousel, and two haunted house dark rides.
Superman – Ride of Steel is a steel roller coaster based on the DC Comics character Superman at two Six Flags theme parks in the United States. Both hypercoasters were manufactured by Intamin and feature identical layouts, opening one year apart; Six Flags Darien Lake in 1999 and Six Flags America in 2000. The roller coaster at Six Flags Darien Lake, was renamed in 2007, to Ride of Steel, dropping the character theme, when the company sold the park.
Six Flags Over Georgia is a 290-acre (1.2 km2) amusement park in Austell, Georgia, United States. Opened in 1967, it is the second park in the Six Flags chain following the original Six Flags Over Texas, which opened in 1961.
Valleyfair is a 90-acre (36 ha) amusement park in Shakopee, Minnesota, United States. Owned by Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, the park opened in 1976 and features over 75 rides and attractions including eight roller coasters. Valleyfair also has a water park called Soak City which is included with the price of admission. Cedar Point and Valleyfair were the first two parks in the Cedar Fair chain and a combination of the park names – "cedar" and "fair" – were used to name the original company.
Playland, often called Rye Playland and also known as Playland Amusement Park, is an amusement park located in Rye, New York, along the Long Island Sound. Built in 1928, the 280-acre (110 ha) park is owned by the Westchester County government. Beginning in 2018 the park has been operated under contract by Standard Amusements.
Six Flags Magic Mountain, formerly known and colloquially referred to as simply Magic Mountain, is a 209-acre (85 ha) amusement park located in Valencia, California, 35 miles (56 km) northwest of downtown Los Angeles. It opened on May 29, 1971, as a development of the Newhall Land and Farming Company and Sea World Inc. In 1979, Six Flags purchased the park and added "Six Flags" to the park's name.
Casino Pier is an amusement park situated on a pier, in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. The pier opened in 1932 and formerly extended approximately 300 ft (91 m) into the Atlantic Ocean from the narrow strip of the Barnegat Peninsula, including approximately six blocks within Seaside Heights.
Superman: Krypton Coaster is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Fiesta Texas amusement park in San Antonio. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the Floorless Coaster model opened to the public in 2000 as one of the first of its kind in the world. The well-received ride held the title for the world's tallest vertical loop from its opening until 2013. Superman: Krypton Coaster stands 168 feet (51 m) tall and reaches a maximum speed of 70 mph (110 km/h).
Superman: Ultimate Flight is the name of three flying roller coasters currently operating at three Six Flags amusement parks in the United States, those being Six Flags Over Georgia, Six Flags Great Adventure and Six Flags Great America. Each of these steel coasters were designed and built by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard and opened in 2002 and 2003. Since 2003, Six Flags has installed Superman: Ultimate Flight in three of their parks. Themed to the popular comic book character, Superman: Ultimate Flight simulates flying by positioning its passengers parallel to the track, supported by harnesses and facing the ground through most of the ride. In the station, riders board the train sitting down. After the train is locked and checked, the trains are raised into the flying position. After the ride, the seats are lowered back into the sitting position for the next round of riders.
The Allan Herschell Company was a company that specialized in the creation of amusement rides, particularly carousels and roller coasters. The company manufactured portable machines that could be used by traveling carnival operators. It was started in 1915 in the town of North Tonawanda, just outside Buffalo, New York, USA.
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom is an amusement and water park located in Dorneyville, Pennsylvania, United States, outside Allentown. Owned and operated by Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, the park features 64 rides, including eight roller coasters, several thrill rides and kiddie rides, and a waterpark, Wildwater Kingdom, with 19 water rides.
Superman The Ride is a steel roller coaster at Six Flags New England in Agawam, Massachusetts. Built by Liechtensteiner manufacturer Intamin, the hypercoaster opened to the public as Superman – Ride of Steel in 2000. It features a 208-foot (63 m) lift hill, a 221-foot (67 m) drop, and a maximum speed of 77 mph (124 km/h). In 2009, the park changed the name to Bizarro, named after a DC Comics character portrayed as the antithesis of Superman. In accordance with the theme change, the coaster's track and supports were repainted with a purple and dark blue color scheme, and other special effects were added. In 2016, the Six Flags reverted to the original theme, but instead of restoring the name, it was changed to Superman The Ride. A virtual reality feature was added the same year, which created an optional 3D experience for passengers, but was removed prior to the 2017 season.
An animal theme park, also known as a zoological theme park, is a combination of an amusement park and a zoo, mainly for entertainment, amusement, and commercial purposes. Many animal theme parks combine classic theme park elements, such as themed entertainment and amusement rides, with classic zoo elements such as live animals confined within enclosures for display. Many times, live animals are utilized and featured as part of amusement rides and attractions found at animal theme parks.
Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park is a family-owned amusement park located at Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City. It features six adult rides and 16 kiddie rides, including a dozen family rides that parents and children can ride together. The park is named for its main attraction, the Wonder Wheel, a 150-foot (46 m) eccentric wheel built in 1920.
Fiesta Shows is a traveling carnival that entertains and visits over 60 communities throughout the New England region. It is New England's largest carnival.
Jolly Roger Amusement Park is an amusement park located in Ocean City, Maryland. The park features two locations in Ocean City: one at the pier on the Ocean City boardwalk and one further uptown at 30th Street. Both locations feature numerous thrill rides, including a looping roller coaster at the pier, bumper cars, a ferris wheel, a carousel, and kiddie rides, among others. The parks also contain typical carnival-like games and eateries. The 30th Street location additionally features two eighteen-hole mini-golf courses, Splash Mountain, a full-service waterpark with many slides and activity pools, and 10 go-kart tracks.
Sunny Day Carousel is a Sesame Street themed carousel ride located in Sesame Street Land at SeaWorld Orlando in Orlando, Florida, United States. Manufactured by Chance Rides, riders board colorful horses and float up and down as the carousel revolves. The ride opened to the public as Sea Carousel opened in 2007.
Eyerly Aircraft Company was an amusement ride manufacturing company in Salem, Oregon, founded by Lee Eyerly in 1930. The company originally intended to design flight simulators for the aircraft industry but shifted to amusement rides after an early simulator, called Orientator, became a popular pay-per-ride attraction with the public. The company manufactured rides until 1985 and went bankrupt in 1990, following a fatal accident in 1988 on a ride built by the company.