Great video as always. I'm always most fascinated by a ride I never knew existed. Quick side note : I just wanted to thank you for the video you made regarding the incident on the Orlando drop tower. It was done in such a respectful way and gave the public just the facts that were known. I was in Tampa last week and went to Busch Gardens for the first time with my wife and sister-in-law who were hesitant to ride anything there after they heard about that incident. I showed them your video and it immediately put them at ease and we were able to have a great day there because of it. It feels very selfish saying that because I can only imagine what the family members involved in that are going through, but I wanted to say thank you anyway. You saved a day at a park we've had on our bucket list for quite some time.
If you are interested please make a video on drop tower safety. Specifically the differences between Dr. Doom's Fearfall at IOA which does not have the redundant seatbelt (anymore) and those that have one. From the video mentioned above, I understand the seatbelt is often unnecessary nowadays but the media keeps emphasizing the need for it and often incorrectly mentioning that Dr. Doom has one.
Geauga Lake Park had a Cuddle Up ride with 4 discs and 8 cars. This ride was NOT on a ride timer, and had a simple chain across the open gap where you entered/exited the car. There was an elderly man as the operator of this ride as long as I can remember, and he actually timed EVERY ride cycle on his watch!! It was a simple operation, push the green start power button, then he increased the speed of the discs with a drumstick control and you heard the gears and ride pick up speed!! He was a great man, and took that job seriously. Made sure people were tall enough, actually didn't have a microphone or PA, so he would yell at kids running to their cars, and the floor was pure graphite, and ride grease and he would have NO ONE RUNNING after ONE shout of "HEY, NO RUNNING!" That man, and the Cuddle Up at Geauga Lake Park were both beloved classics. And miss them, AND sadly miss Geauga Lake Park too!!!
Been on that almost every year in the 60's. First time got sick, LOL, but after that loved it. Best flat ride ever. People don't know what they're missing,.Like you said the guy used the drumstick to bring it to max speed. Some people are saying it looks like a boring ride. Maybe the newer incarnations don't have the speed the one at Geauga Lake had. Also the original Cuddle Up like at Geauga Lake gave you lateral forces in 3 different ways which increased the intensity. 1 Your car spinning of course, as well as 2 it revolving on it's own spinning platform, and then 3 it being handed off onto another spinning platform. There was a special interaction as it was being handed off. Each car was a different solid color and I remember the cars maybe a bit taller than the ones in the video. I recall Euclid Beach having something similar, but had a wheel in the center of the car where you could control it's spin. Bring the original Cuddle-Up back!
So the design I've seen from Zamperla is a pretty good representation of the originals. Basically there's the main grasping level that holds the column each car was on, a shunting layer that has a small point at each hand off point and they cross like an X. There's also a diverting wheel at the intersections that make sure everything swaps sides. It's all based on a maypole braider machine. Very ingenious design.
@@CoasterCollege They have pulled the same trick of turning old ride cars into seating for the food outlet that took its place, although they took them from other rides.
I thought these were just like teacup rides, its nuts how subtle differences like the transferring between disks vs staying on the same disk completely changes a ride experience. I will never not find the mechanics of these rides absolutely intriguing.
Cuddle Up was present at Cincinnati Coney Island until the park closed in 1972. It was in an open air building with three other covered rides; the whip and dodgem. Many of the rides after the closing of the park were sent to Kings Island. Cuddle up was not. 😢
It took me SO long to figure out why the Knoebels teacups were different from other pictures of teacups I've seen until I saw them listed as a Crazy Daisy on a site called Flat Joint. It's a shame the popularity of these died out because they're VERY fun
I'm truly honored to have ridden "Iceberg" (and "Meteorite", after the revision) back in the day; it was a very sad day IMO when that closed down, and it's equally sad that the ride doesn't exist anymore (at least in a more-than-two-wheel form). I haven't been on the "Teacups" ride at Knoebels yet, but I'll almost certainly give it a go this year, if only to remember the old days.
It's really sad that ride was closed, iceberg looked to be a really important part of the park. If it existed today it would really complement the parks ride lineup.
There was also a Cuddle Up at Palisades Amusement Park in New Jersey. I actually remembering having been on it and thought it was a catchy name for a ride. There was also a similar ride to it that was more popular called the Scrambler and a version of a Calypso ride called the Hootenany VERY 60's!! All of these rides were variations on the same rotating theme and were very popular. Also noteworthy about the Palisades Amusement Park Cuddle Up was the number of people that got sick on the ride!!
Here's my current wishlist for future FROTW videos (updated now that 'Cuddle-Up' has been done): Matterhorn / Flying Bobs & Trabant / Hully Gully - these were mentioned in a previous video, and I look forward to seeing them. . Rainbow / 1001 Nacht Paratrooper Orbiter Miami Hurricane . [old-school and/or unique] Boomerang ... I remember seeing this at Casino Pier a LONG time ago, when I was too young for such things 'Sidewheeler' (or maybe 'Sidewinder') ... looking a bit like the inner workings of a watch, this one-of-a-kind SFGA installation was something to see
My dad LOVED the Coal Shaker at Hershey Park (he called it the salt and pepper shakers though) It was one of his favorite rides. He was so mad when they closed it. I think I got to have one ride on it since I wasn't tall enough until late.
I’ve only ever seen one of these and that was a crazy daisy at canobie lake park in New Hampshire and I’m pretty sure it’s still there as I went on it in 2020
There’s also Cars Road Rally (?) @ Disneyland Paris that looks like a model of the demolition derby, and also Disney’s California Adventure’s Francis’ Ladybug Boogie was also a smaller figure 8 version of the cuddle up (which has been removed).
Is Alien Swirling Saucers at DHS not the same model as DCA's Mater's Junkyard Jamboree? I would have never guessed the difference between this and a teacups ride!
Would you consider Francis Ladybug Boogie at DCA to be a Cuddle Up? It's a similar teacup-style spinning ride, but like most of the rides in the video, it has since closed and been removed.
The Happy Ride with Baymax at TDR and Alien Swirling Saucers at WDW have the same ride system as Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree but with different theming. Cars Race Rally at DLP is more similar to the now defunct Francis’ Ladybug Boogie at DCA.
Are you able to do a video on tilt coasters? I’ve always wondered why there’s not a lot of them, but it seems like one is going to be built in 2023. The video is called “COTA tilt coaster.” And it looks insane.
At Disneys California Adventure in bugs land their was Francis' Ladybug Boogie which is very similar to the "Modern" PTC version. I believe it was by Zamperla
very specific question: do you happen to know if the monkey business ride at six flags: discovery kingdom is a zamperla demolition derby? it's a zamperla ride, but it doesn't seem to match up. it has three rotating plates and i have to say it's pretty damn intense if you spin the center wheel fast enough. the first time i rode it i said "that should _not_ be for kids" to my friend as we left and the ride attendant overheard me and laughed haha
@PARTY HAT Thanks so much for the info! After I posted my question above, I did some digging online. I discovered a "Dreams Live Moondance" ride, which appears to be a variation on the Eclipse. However, after taking a look at a YT video of the Eclipse, it looks like it does the Moondance ride one better, in that the on-platform gondolas also spin, providing three separate spinning motions as opposed to the Moondance's two. Another question I have is do these rides operate in the U.S., or are they limited to Europe? I've not been able to find any info for them in the U.S. The Eclipse looks to be an overall fun ride, IMHO, much like my other favorite ride, the traditional Tilt-A-Whirl.
Can you please find some video of a Frank hurbits tip top ride it was an Air compressor ride with 8 tubs that sat on a platform and bounced up at a 38 degree angle I ran one for many years with Jon Luehers spectacular shows back in the 70 and 80 it had a winter scenery it was a 1975 when it was brand new it became a very big money maker and had almost a cult flowelling it was a awesome ride