We are big fans of trackless dark rides. After first experiencing one of our favorites, Pooh’s Hunny Hunt, over a decade ago, we immediately and emphatically began ‘advocating’ for Walt Disney World and Disneyland to finally get their first (modern) track-free attractions.
When we first rode Pooh’s Hunny Hunt, my sense of wonder (as corny as this sounds) was absolutely captivated. Not only were the visuals outside the ride vehicle amazing, but the way the honey pot ride vehicle makes guests a part of the experience is nothing short of amazing. It’s as immersive as a ride can be–our generation’s version of the flying pirate ships in Peter Pan’s Flight.
Then I learned that Pooh’s Hunny Hunt was not a next-gen twist on the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, but rather, an attraction that had been developed simultaneously with the Magic Kingdom dark ride. That was one of those ‘radicalizing’ moments that made me feel cheated as a fan of the domestic parks.
Regardless, after experiencing Pooh’s Hunny Hunt and then Mystic Manor, I became a fierce proponent of Walt Disney World finally adopting the trackless technology over a decade after it had been first deployed in Asia. And I had one very specific attraction in mind: a reimagined Journey into Imagination at EPCOT.
Fast forward another decade, and both Walt Disney World and Disneyland now have several trackless dark rides. Journey into Imagination still hasn’t been redone, but I firmly believe that a proper reimagining of that attraction involves replacing the current ride system with a trackless one.
Meanwhile, Walt Disney World and Disneyland are entering their next development cycle, with tens of billions of dollars earmarked for the domestic parks. My hope is that this will include multiple trackless rides, as I sincerely believe this is a great technology for upping immersion–and one that Imagineering has yet to use gratuitously. Every single trackless ride to date has been enhanced by its ride system.
It’s against this backdrop that Walt Disney Imagineering released the latest episode of Imagineer That!, which follows Tom Morrow 2.0 as he goes behind the scenes with Thomas, a Senior Creative Producer for Walt Disney Imagineering, where he reveals the magic behind trackless ride systems.
Along the way, Thomas teases the future of trackless technology in future attractions–which is notable as there are already a few attractions that have been announced with unknown ride systems that could fit the bill for what he’s describing. Let’s dig into the episode!
The episode aims to answer the question: “How do you control a ride that’s trackless?
To tackle the topic, the team heads to Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, one of several trackless dark rides at Walt Disney World that debuted during the last development cycle. Thomas explains that trackless rides can offer a “ton of surprises,” with system allowing vehicles to move forwards, backwards, sideways, and dance dynamically.
The Imagineer further explains how navigation and guidance are used to keep the entire fleet of ride vehicles on course, controlled, and tracked throughout the length of the attraction. He shares that tiny markers are embedded throughout the attraction that tell every train car where they need to be and what they need to be doing, similar to GPS. This choreographs everything, everywhere, all at once during the ride.
The tease comes at the end, when Thomas reveals that “on future attractions, [Walt Disney Imagineering] could add drop towers, motion bases, and even water” to trackless ride systems. To which Tom Morrow responds that those sound like intriguing future topics to him.
Below is the full video, which we highly recommend watching; it isn’t that long and has a couple of cool behind-the-scenes visuals:
Our Commentary
The substance of the tease isn’t actually all that notable. Layered uses of trackless dark rides have existed for a while. Aquatopia at Tokyo DisneySea was reportedly the first-ever trackless ride system to be developed (despite opening second), and it’s in water. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance combines a trackless ride system with a drop sequence–and so much more.
Rather, this tidbit is interesting because it’s clearly meant to be a tease for projects that are in development. The obvious one that’s going to be brought up by fans is the Encanto Casita in Tropical Americas at Animal Kingdom. The massive show building for that 2027 addition is quickly being built as we speak.
Long before this was even announced, Walt Disney World fans had clamored for a twist Mystic Manor from Hong Kong Disneyland at Animal Kingdom. That trackless dark ride is one of the best in the world (we both rank it #2 on our respective lists), and is a compelling reason to visit HKDL all by itself.
With the announcement of Tropical Americas at Animal Kingdom, it made even more sense for this to be Walt Disney World’s IP-injected take on Mystic Manor. The story of Encanto lends itself to a ride through a magical Casita, and there are obvious parallels to Mystic Manor right in the concept–especially since both houses are not haunted in “scary” or ominous ways.
However, it’s our understanding that the Encanto Casita attraction is an Omnimover. That’s strongly rumored, with multiple credible sources and a lot to support that belief. It’s possible we’ll end up being surprised by a trackless dark ride system here, but I highly doubt it. Tropical Americas is the project that’s furthest along with work being done by a number of contractors, and the most is known about it as a result. Regardless, I have high expectations for this attraction.
Another attraction for which the jury is still out is the all-new Avatar attraction coming to Disney California Adventure. The concept art shows boats and water, so it’s safe to assume it’ll feature those. Imagineering described it as a “dynamic, intense and emotional experience on a grand scale,” suggesting it’s not going to be leisurely like Na’vi River Journey.
The innovative attraction is rumored to use the same ride system as Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure at Shanghai Disneyland. That is an excellent attraction, arguably top 10 in the entire world, and a big part of that is its innovative ride system. From a technological perspective, I can’t think of many attractions that approach Shanghai Pirates–probably Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, but that’s about it right now.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure is basically this decade’s figurative version of the trackless ride system. Meaning that it’s actually a shame that this ride system has been confined to just Shanghai Disneyland for the last decade, because it’s that good.
This technology that melds physical show scenes with screens and can turn a leisurely boat ride into an action sequence, going from on the water to the sky or wherever, would be perfect for an Avatar attraction, almost combining the vibe of Na’vi River Journey and Avatar Flight of Passage!
With that said, the Avatar “experience” coming to Disney California Adventure still feels very nebulous at this point. Although a lot of concept art was shared at the last D23 Expo, it’s still the most remote in the Disneyland development cycle. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if Villains Land at Magic Kingdom were to open first.
To the contrary, that’s what I expect at this point. Meaning it’s entirely possible that the plans have changed, or will change, for the Avatar attraction. It strikes me as this cycle’s Avengers E-Ticket…which is also now part of this cycle, after going through several iterations and being bumped from the last.
Speaking of Villains Land at Magic Kingdom, that’s another possibility for a trackless attraction. Walt Disney World has confirmed that Villains Land will feature two major attractions, one of which is widely assumed to be a thrill ride. It would make sense for the other to be a family-friendly attraction, and a trackless dark ride could offer the kind of light thrills and dynamic sequences you’d expect of an attraction featuring villains.
Another possibility is that it’s something that has yet to be announced for Walt Disney World or Disneyland. Thus far, all that’s been revealed is the first half of the 10-year plan, for attractions coming online in the next ~5 years. Disney has already stated that the spending is backloaded, meaning there are bigger investments in the early 2030s (although Villains Land and Avatar are probably part of that).
Finally, I will use this as a convenient excuse to once again reiterate where the next trackless ride system should be deployed: Journey into Imagination. When this ride reimagining inevitably happens, I assume that Imagineering will simply recycle the existing ride system and track layout.
My hope is that they go bigger; a trackless ride system is the perfect way to mirror the whimsy, exuberance, and childlike curiosity of Figment. It’s easy to envision the modernized Journey into Imagination being the original version of that attraction meets Pooh’s Hunny Hunt and Mystic Manor.
Ultimately, it seems likely that Walt Disney World and Disneyland will both see more trackless dark rides built in the decade to come. The technology is not just a novelty; it’s one that adds a lot to most attractions where it’s been deployed thus far.
While we’ve been skeptical of Imagineering sometimes being obsessed with emerging technology and letting the tail unnecessarily wag the dog in some circumstances, trackless ride systems are not an example of that. This tech has only been an asset to the attractions that utilize them.
Trackless ride systems have elevated even average attractions, from Aquatopia to Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, to something more, and is the underlying tech powering some modern marvels of Imagineering. Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast is probably the best example of the latter; it would be a dark ride more on par with the Little Mermaid absent its ride system.
Without knowing much about the underlying technology, I would also assume trackless ride systems also are not as expensive as they once were. (Or at least, not comparatively so in relation to Omnimovers or whatever.) That’s presumably true both in the upfront costs, and maintenance over time.
The gap has likely closed on those costs, and it wouldn’t surprise me if trackless ride systems are actually more cost-effective than some alternatives. In any case, I hope this tease yields more–new trackless attractions at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, as well as a full episode of We Call It Imagineering or, ideally, The Imagineering Story – Season 2.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Which upcoming attractions do you think would lend themselves to trackless ride systems? Any unannounced potential projects that would work? Thoughts on a reimagined Journey into Imagination using trackless technology versus the existing ride system? Think Disney is purposefully teasing a future project with this video? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment that trackless ride systems are likely to be leveraged more often going forward? Any questions? Hearing from you is half the fun, so please share your thoughts in the comments!