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Rumor: Sum of All Thrills Closing?


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Thanks to Jason for the heads up!  :)

Excerpted from an article by Theme Park Tourist...

Quote

The Sum of All Thrills looks like it is about to close for good

Though there are still some cool things to do in Innoventions East, the undeniable anchor of this attraction is The Sum of all Thrills exhibit, which features a Kuka robot arm simulator that allows guests to design and then "ride" their own roller coaster experience. While the exhibit has a frustratingly low capacity, it has always been quite popular - commanding wait times of an hour or more when the park is busy.

However, earlier this week something weird happened: The Sum of All Thrills completely disappeared from the Epcot guide map. And if that wasn't concerning enough, just yesterday, the Sum of All Thrills website (which allows guests to check out their ride after they return home) put up a notice that ride replays will only be available for guest review until June 30, 2016. Even though Disney hasn't quite confirmed as much yet, the writing is on the wall: The Sum of All Thrills is closing...and soon. 

Full article here...

http://www.themeparktourist.com/news/20160519/31947/sum-all-thrills-closing-end-innoventions

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Hmmmmmm.    Raytheon not only developed the attraction, but they own the robotic arms.   I would be surprised if they pulled out of sponsoring the attraction without taking their toys with them.

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On ‎5‎/‎21‎/‎2016 at 6:38 PM, ftwildernessguy said:

Hmmmmmm.    Raytheon not only developed the attraction, but they own the robotic arms.   I would be surprised if they pulled out of sponsoring the attraction without taking their toys with them.

I agree.  And even if Raytheon sold Disney the equipment, who would maintain those robotic arms if Raytheon pulls the sponsorship?

TCD

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7 minutes ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

I agree.  And even if Raytheon sold Disney the equipment, who would maintain those robotic arms if Raytheon pulls the sponsorship?

TCD

It could change from a sponsorship to a maintenance contract.

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46 minutes ago, djsamuel said:

It could change from a sponsorship to a maintenance contract.

That's true.

But, given the way we've seen things done lately, I don't have a lot of faith that Disney would lay out the money Raytheon would ask to be paid for such a contract.

I'd more expect them to put up another wall (they're good at that) and hope for a new sponsor to put something in that space.  They will soon have enough guest traffic generated by the new Soarin' film and the Frozen stuff- no need to shell out dollars for an Innoventions display with no sponsor.

TCD

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It is likely Raytheon didn't make the robots and they were built by a company that specializes in industrial robots. I know the large robotic tape library I was involved in writing software for used standard robots that were just as much at home on a manufacturing line as they were in our library. The key is the software used to run them.

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5 minutes ago, keith_h said:

It is likely Raytheon didn't make the robots and they were built by a company that specializes in industrial robots. I know the large robotic tape library I was involved in writing software for used standard robots that were just as much at home on a manufacturing line as they were in our library. The key is the software used to run them.

Yes, those robotic arms are made by a German company called KUKA.

There was a small KUKA robotic arm used in the Finding Nemo ride at the Living Seas pavilion in Epcot.  It is supposed to move an Angler fish around, and it was cool when it used to work.  But it hasn't worked in years.

If Disney isn't willing to spend the money to make that one little KUKA arm work, why would anyone believe that they will pay whatever it costs to keep the big ones at SOAT in operation?

Spending money to enhance guest experience is not the way things are done at Disney World.

TCD

 

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I never said Raytheon made the robotic arms, I said they owned them.   My son is an electrical engineer for them and was working down the hall from the area where they were developing the attraction.

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16 minutes ago, ftwildernessguy said:

I never said Raytheon made the robotic arms, I said they owned them.   My son is an electrical engineer for them and was working down the hall from the area where they were developing the attraction.

Very cool.

BTW, the Wall Street Journal reported last week that the manufacturer of the robotic arms, KUKA, is in the midst of probably being sold to a Chinese company: http://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-midea-group-announces-bid-for-germanys-kuka-1463556160

I wonder if that development has anything to do with Raytheon dropping its sponsorship?

TCD

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3 hours ago, GaDawgFan.....Kelly said:

They need to fill a whole Innnoventions building with more simulators. 

I think they need a couple of huge buildings full of souvenirs and overpriced food stands. 

Or, maybe turn East into a permanent Flower and Garden Hall, and West into a Food and Wine Hall

Or more Frozen related places.  They could have sledding hills and snowball fights like they do at Gaylord for ICE.

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On 5/23/2016 at 1:25 PM, ftwildernessguy said:

I never said Raytheon made the robotic arms, I said they owned them.   My son is an electrical engineer for them and was working down the hall from the area where they were developing the attraction.

I did misread your original post. 

As I said though the key is the software. The hardware is readily replaced. The software on the other hand would need to be written from scratch if Disney doesn't hold the license or is unwilling to pay the owner licensing fees. While they might be willing to replace the hardware, it is seven years old after all, I don't see them putting the investment into the software to control the ride unless it is very cheap or free.  

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  • 5 weeks later...
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A new Epcot guide map is now available, updated with the recent openings in both Future World and World Showcase.

Frozen Ever After, Royal Sommerhus and Soarin' Around the World are all included, along with a return of Sum of All Thrills.

It was previously speculated that Sum of All Thrills would be closing this summer, but it now seems the attraction may continue for a few more months, possibly without its sponsor Raytheon.

Here is a look at the front and back of the new Epcot map. You can see an archive of previous Disney World Park maps.

 

 

 

 

 

Article Posted: Jun 23, 2016 / 9:21am EDT

 

http://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/epcot/news/23jun2016-photos---new-epcot-guide-map-includes-new-additions-and-a-return-of-sum-of-all-thrills.htm

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  • 2 months later...

Whelp, it looks like Sum of All Thrills and Stormstruck are gone.

The Food and Wine Festival opened today, September 14th, at Epcot, and the new park map lists Colortopia as the only attraction in Innnoventions. You can see the map here: https://wdpromedia.disney.go.com/media/wdpro-assets/parks-and-tickets/tours-and-experiences/epcot-international-food-and-wine-festival/epcot-map.pdf

If you don't want to click on that link, here's a screen-shot of the map where it lists what's in Innnoventions:

2016%20food%20and%20wine%20map_zpshhdtxx

Twin #2 and I got a last SOAT ride in on Saturday, September 10th.  Since it was our last ride, I told her to go crazy on the design.  I think we had five inversions on the ride. Oy.

TCD

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1 hour ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

Whelp, it looks like Sum of All Thrills and Stormstruck are gone.

The Food and Wine Festival opened today, September 14th, at Epcot, and the new park map lists Colortopia as the only attraction in Innnoventions. You can see the map here: https://wdpromedia.disney.go.com/media/wdpro-assets/parks-and-tickets/tours-and-experiences/epcot-international-food-and-wine-festival/epcot-map.pdf

If you don't want to click on that link, here's a screen-shot of the map where it lists what's in Innnoventions:

2016%20food%20and%20wine%20map_zpshhdtxx

Twin #2 and I got a last SOAT ride in on Saturday, September 10th.  Since it was our last ride, I told her to go crazy on the design.  I think we had five inversions on the ride. Oy.

TCD

Interesting. My twins stood in line 40 minutes to do Sum of All Thrills last week.  It was one of the things they really wanted to do at Epcot. 

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