- Golden Zephyr
Golden Zephyr is an attraction at
Paradise Pier inDisney's California Adventure Park . Themed to theBuck Rogers andFlash Gordon style rocket ships, it takes park guests on a relaxing trip. Unlike its cousinsDumbo and theAstro Orbitor next door in Disneyland Park, the Golden Zephyr rockets are controlled by centripetal motion over Paradise Bay and can not be automatically controlled to go up and down.The Golden Zephyr's design comes from the
Harry Traver Circle Swing rides of the early 20th cenury, specifically the Aerostat / Strat-O-Stat ride that operated atRiverview Park in Chicago. In designing the ride, Disney engineers visited Pleasure Beach inBlackpool , England to examine theCaptive Flying Machines , a similar (but much larger) ride designed bySir Hiram Maxim , and which has operated there since 1904.Unfortunately, the ride cannot operate at constant wind speeds over 10 miles per hour, or gusts over 15.
Attraction facts
* Grand opening:
February 8 ,2001 (Opened with Disney's California Adventure Park)
* Designer:Walt Disney Imagineering
* Vehicles: 6 (each seat 12 people)
** Vehicle theme: 1940's era rocket
* Attraction height: 90'
* Ride duration: 1:30
* Boarding requirement: None - Small children must be able to sit in a seat themselves, no lap sitting
* Environmental restrictions: Light winds
* Ride system: Rocket SpinnerExternal links
* [http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/en_US/parks/attractions/detail?name=GoldenZephyrAttractionPage Official Disneyland Resort Link]
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