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[good fixins]

I went on the best day I think. As u know baby I didn't have to wait in line for anything that long.

[KBCraig]

Way back when, meaning before TNT, it wasn't unusual to wait 90 minutes for FITH, or a couple of hours for the saloon show if your timing was just wrong.

The Diving Bell always had a huge line, but they moved very quickly. Junior has explained before how they had multiple diving bells, but it was set up so that the guests really couldn't tell.

[Joy]

The Diving Bell was a simulator like Star Tours, right? At Disney World, they have 6 simulators in a row. Each one can hold 40 people. So you can have 240 people on the ride at one time. The ride is 4.5 minutes long. So make it, oh, 7-ish for loading and unloading, and that one attraction can eat upwards of 2000 people an hour.

[sanddunerider]

2000 per hour?,  Thats moving 'em through there!

[Junior]

Five diving bells that held 75 people (and one Junior) each. Total "show" time in the capsule was 10 minutes. Prior to entering the diving bell, about 10 minutes of the "scales" and "wharf" scenes where Junior set up the purpose of the "ride" portion. Total of 20 minutes inside the building for your adventure. Moving people through the building added a few minutes, too. Believe it or not, most days (except sometimes in June, July, August) not all diving bell capsules were used. There were 8 to 12 Juniors at the ride, depending on guest attendance projections, and we took one or two rides as crowds gathered in front. Most times, your wait in front of the ride was under 20 minutes. During that time, the Juniors entertained you with songs, tug of war, kids playground next door, just chatting to individuals, and so on. We kept your mind off waiting in line. Peak days would see 350 people wrapped in lines in front of the ride, then, all five capsules would operate and we would run groups of 75 in two at a time, each five minutes. (five minutes for scales scene, then, those 150 moved to the wharf, right on their heels loading into the scales area were another 150 people.) If the Juniors timed things just right, soon as the five capsules emptied out, there would be enought people in play on the wharf and scales to immediately load two to four capsules. Then we would put in a load of 75 more on the scales to fill that last diving bell. Here is a secret known to few: In '83, capsule B was seldom, if ever used due to maintenance issues. Capacity was down to four capsules. By the time I appeared for a few weeks of work in August, '84, we were down to three operating capsules. We knew the ride would be made into the lost river that winter, and maintenance used parts from the two "downed" diving bells to keep the other three operating. It did not seem to affect operation very much. STAR TOURS was exactly the same kind of simulation attraction as the diving bell but only with a different theme. I rode Star Tours in 1996, and was struck at how similar it was to the diving bell...the way people moved through the building, into the capsule...and out the other side. I understand Star Tours has been revamped in recent years, so I don't know what kind of special effects they use now to convince people, but I'm guessing the effects are better. I can tell you this, in the late 70s and early 80s, you had the added effect of Junior running around in the capsule in front of the view screen, reacting to the water leaks, the rock that plunged through the wall, the leaking geysers pouring water in the front of the capsule...and we did convince many people we were REALLY underwater...if they only knew they were really just inside a little theater on a ball joint being rocked around by hydraulic arms! They entered a themed metal building but left 20 minutes later somehow changed! Man, those were fun days!

[Joy]

Oh, man, the new Star Tours is AMAZING. I was skeptical when they announced the refurb, but all my doubts were erased when I went last month. With the randomized locations that you get with each time you ride, you never know what combo you're going to get. My friend and I rode it 8 times and saw all the possible scenes except one, and none of those 8 times was the exact same combo of scenes. Plus, part of the experience is that one of the people in the vehicle is a "Rebel spy," and their photo gets shown at one point. My friend and I both managed to be spies.

And then there's the 3D... It's the most clear 3D I have ever seen ANYWHERE, even at our new IMAX here in Springfield. And the glasses fit perfectly over my prescription glasses, something I can't say about any other 3D glasses I've ever used. And then you have additional lights that flash when you get shot at, etc.

I can just imagine what an amazing ride a new Diving Bell could be with the technology that has developed since it closed!

[thelarsonsix]

I guess I didn't realize there was more than one Diving Bell. By that you mean there were 5 different simulators that moved around? I've looked at your flickr pics of the DB many times but somehow still never knew there was more than one capsule. Did the loading dock end up looking anything like the concept art? Did the que line enter a building by the lake where the capsules were sitting in water? And finally, was the actual capsule a lot bigger than the prototype on the soundstage? That sure didn't look like 75 people could cram in it. I guess my perspective could be a bit off though. Sorry for all the questions, but I just love this ride even though I never saw it in person, or if I did I was too young to remember.

[Junior]

The concept art for the loading dock was pretty much on the mark. Small mock up versions...models...were made for the Eli Tolts submersible for the filming. The film was projected onto a view screen in the diving bell capsule at many times larger than the models in the pool. It did appear that the diving bell was weaving in and out of underwater dangers like hanging stalagtites and stalamites, loose rocks that fell, and so on. The models for Grandpappy Dugan's treasure were small, too, but when blown up on the view screen they looked like a big cave or mine full of treasure. Again, each capsule was large enough to hold about 75 people, and was a room on a ball joint, with movement back, reverse, left and right by hydraulic arms. If you look at the flickr photos, you will see a hydraulic arm in one shot as it appeared in the building basement. This was a unique attraction for the time. SDC was cutting edge with the attraction back then. Here is a story some of you might find interesting. In the mid-70s there were many, many computer companies that sprang up as computer technology was booming then. The company that made the large, locker sized computers for the five diving bells went out of business a year or so after the equipment was purchased, and after a while, maintenance folk at SDC had a hard time finding replacement parts. That is probably another reason why the ride was taken out of service.

[oldsdcer]

how could we petition for the return of the diving bell say to replace geyser gulch?

[MissinTheGreenTrams]

I wouldnt miss GG. Yes I have a kiddo but I avoid the place like a plauge. I dont want to be sucked into it for hours. I am selfish like that. My mom let me play there for hours but I just cant bring myself to do that for my kid. There is just too much to do as a family other than play with MRSA filled foam balls and bacteria spewing splash pads.

[saloongal]

Strongly agree about the dislike of GG. We dont even go around that corner, we avoid even seeing it so the kids dont ask about it. It is a lot easier now with HDH.

The activities at FITH were a blast as a kid. I wish that the Far Cheef worked the crowd a bit more.

My sister and I had little made up games we played at all the rides. Of course, it there were less people and less rides then. LR was easy an hour wait, and AP seemed like forever too since there was no shade. When they first put in The Boggan it had quite a wait, but dang it was fun. After the re-do, not so fun.

Anyway, back on topic, we chat, we play games, we entertain ourselves and everyone else, we people watch. Time doesn't seem to pass as slowly for me as the kids so we try to keep them busy.

[MissinTheGreenTrams]

we like to play the letter game! Exp: The Giant Swing, Gyser Gulch, Half Dollar Hollar, River Blast, Thunderation. Fun stuff.

[Ozark Outlaw]

I try as hard as I can to go on low attendance days, although I usually misjudge, and go on jam packed days. Like so many other people, I can remember years ago waiting for what seemed to be an eternity just to ride Thunderation. I can remember waiting on those steps, and peering through the small wooden gaps in the queue line just to watch the coaster zoom around the track. Now when I ride Thunderation I can usually get off, and then hop right back on.

[tiffanylynnt]

My sister, our cousin and I were in line for TNT on a fairly busy day. We were standing on the first few steps right after you pass the mine car and we got serenaded by a girl's choir who happened to be at the park that day. We stood in line so long, they started taking requests lol