Indoor Amusement Ride and Method

Abstract

An indoor amusement ride particularly suited for small spaces. The ride has at least two carriages movably disposed with respect to a ride path. The ride includes a loading room for loading passengers on and unloading passengers from the carriages. The loading room preferably includes one or more entertainment elements as part of the ride. A main hallway is separated from the loading room by a system automated. The hallway has two end sections and a central section located therebetween. The loading room opens into the central section, a first viewing area opens into one end section, and a second viewing area opens into the other end section. The viewing areas include panoramic media screens for playing ride media. The ride has a variable ride element in each respective end section of the hallway. Each variable ride element is configured to provide at least two different scenes of the ride, with the variable elements being changeable to display different ride scenes. A method of operating such an indoor amusement ride is also described.

1 . An indoor amusement ride comprising:
 two rider carriages movably disposed with respect to a ride path,   a loading room for loading entering passengers on and unloading exiting passengers from the rider carriages, wherein the loading room includes one or more entertainment elements as part of the ride,   a main hallway separated from the loading room by an automated door, wherein the main hallway has a first end section, a second end section and a central section located therebetween, and the loading room opens into the central section of the main hallway,   a first viewing area which opens into the first end section of the main hallway, wherein the first viewing area includes a panoramic media screen for playing ride media,   a second viewing area which opens into the second end section of the main hallway, wherein the second viewing area includes a panoramic media screen for playing ride media, and   two variable ride elements respectively located in the first and second end sections of the main hallway, wherein each variable ride element includes at least two different ride scenes of the ride.   
     
     
         2 . The indoor amusement ride of  claim 1 , wherein the ride path consists of three terminal positions for the rider carriages:
 a first terminal position located in the loading room,   a second terminal position located in the first viewing area, and   a third terminal position located in the second viewing area.   
     
     
         3 . The indoor amusement ride of  claim 1 , wherein the ride path consists of three movement pathways for the rider carriages:
 one between the loading room and the first viewing area,   one between the loading room and the second viewing area, and   one between the first viewing area and the second viewing area which bypasses the loading room through the main hallway.   
     
     
         4 . The indoor amusement ride of  claim 1 , wherein the loading room, the first viewing area, and the second viewing area are arranged on a same lateral side of the main hallway, with the loading room located between the first and second viewing areas. 
     
     
         5 . The indoor amusement ride of  claim 1 , wherein the loading room is connected to the first viewing area and the second viewing area respectively with curved portions of the ride path, preferably semicircular portions. 
     
     
         6 . The indoor amusement ride of  claim 1 , wherein the loading room has a floorplan shape of a trapezoid or irregular hexagon. 
     
     
         7 . The indoor amusement ride of  claim 1 , wherein each variable ride element is 360° rotatable in order to change which ride scene is displayed to the rider carriages. 
     
     
         8 . The indoor amusement ride of  claim 1 , wherein each variable ride element has a dividing wall which separates the ride scenes from one another. 
     
     
         9 . The indoor amusement ride of  claim 1 , wherein one or both variable ride elements comprise animatronics as part of one or more of the ride scenes. 
     
     
         10 . A method of operating an indoor amusement ride, comprising the steps of:
 loading a first rider carriage with one or more passengers in a loading room,   opening a door between the loading room and a main hallway, wherein the main hallway has a first end section, a second end section and a central section located therebetween, wherein the first end section is connected to a first viewing area, the second end section is connected to a second viewing area, and the loading room opens into the central section, and wherein the first and second viewing areas each have a panoramic media screen for playing ride media,   moving the first rider carriage from the loading room through the main hallway into the first viewing area, whereby a variable ride element in the first end section displays a ride scene as the first rider carriage passes the variable ride element, and playing ride media for the first rider carriage in the first viewing area,   while the first rider carriage is in the first viewing area, moving a second rider carriage from the second viewing area through the main hallway into the loading room,   after playing ride media for the first rider carriage in the first viewing area, and while the second rider carriage is in the loading room, moving the first rider carriage from the first viewing area through the main hallway into the second viewing area, whereby a variable ride element in the second end section displays a ride scene as the first rider carriage passes the variable ride element, and playing ride media for the first carriage in the second viewing area,   while the first rider carriage is in the second viewing area, moving the second rider carriage from the loading room through the main hallway into the first viewing area,   after playing ride media for the first rider carriage in the second viewing area, and while the second rider carriage is in the first viewing area, moving the first rider carriage from the second viewing area through the main hallway into the loading room and closing the door between the loading room and the main hallway.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein, after the step of moving the first rider carriage from the second viewing area through the main hallway into the loading room and closing the door between the loading room and the main hallway, further comprising the steps of:
 unloading the one or more passengers from the first rider carriage in the loading room to end a current ride, and   loading the first rider carriage with one or more passengers in the loading room to begin a new ride.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein, after the step of moving the first rider carriage from the second viewing area through the main hallway into the loading room and closing the door between the loading room and the main hallway, further comprising the steps of:
 playing ride media for the first rider carriage in the loading room as part of a current ride, and   after playing ride media for the first rider carriage in the loading room, opening the door between the loading room and the main hallway, and moving the first rider carriage through the main hallway into either the first viewing area or the second viewing area whichever is open based on where the second rider carriage is located.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein:
 when the first rider carriage is in the loading room, the second rider carriage is either in the first viewing area, in the second viewing area, or in the main hallway moving between the first viewing area and the second viewing area,   when the first rider carriage is in the first viewing area, the second rider carriage is either in the loading room, in the second viewing area, or in the main hallway moving between the loading room and the second viewing area, and   when the first rider carriage is in the second viewing area), the second rider carriage is either in the loading room, in the first viewing area, or in the main hallway moving between the loading room and the first viewing area.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein, after the first rider carriage enters the first viewing area but before the first rider carriage exits the first viewing area, the variable ride element in the first end section is changed to display another ride scene which is different from the ride scene previously displayed by the variable ride element. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein, after the first rider carriage enters the second viewing area but before the first rider carriage exits the second viewing area, the variable ride element in the second end section is changed to display another ride scene which is different from the ride scene previously displayed by the variable ride element. 
     
     
         16 . (canceled)