Travisma 1,317 Posted February 26, 2019 Report Share Posted February 26, 2019 Does the ride in the image look familiar? Dynamic Attractions might be the next big name in Orlando's tourism industry Posted By Ken Storey on Tue, Feb 26, 2019 at 10:08 am Photo via Dynamic Attractions Wings over Washington is a Dynamic Attractions "flying theater" opened in Seattle in 2016. Orlando's tourism industry goes well beyond the flashy theme parks and wild attractions that we're known for. Local office parks are filled with thousands of employees working in parts of the industry most people never think about. One of those employers that those outside of the industry might be unfamiliar with is Dynamic Attractions, but thanks to a new project at the company, they may soon become just as much of a household name as other Orlando tourism companies. The Canadian-based ride manufacturer opened its Attractions Development Center in Orlando in 2016. This development center compliments the company's global offices and is a one-stop shop for tourism operators. Going beyond just designing the ride system, the new Development Center brought story concepts, lighting, scenery, media and special effects all under one roof. Previously, a tourism operator would have to hire multiple firms for each of these steps or hire an attraction management firm to oversee this development, causing delays and cost increases. Since opening, the Attractions Development Center has helped Dynamic Attractions develop some of the most groundbreaking attractions ever to be realized. Now, the next step of Dynamic's evolution is taking place, and it once again could mean big things for Orlando. A new sister company, Dynamic Entertainment, was spun off last year. It will help bring the high-dollar Dynamic Attractions rides to new markets and operators that previously may have been unable to afford them via co-owning ventures. In a memorandum of understanding announced by Dynamic Attractions' parent company Empire Industries, it confirmed a new flying theater in The Island in Pigeon Forge entertainment complex in Tennessee. That will be the first co-venture for this new company, with more projects in the works for other places in the U.S. and Asia. The flying theater will be engineered, designed and built by Dynamic Attractions. Then, the co-venture kicks in with Dynamic Entertainment working with local tourism operator Bob McManus to operate the attraction. The Island is one of the most visited entertainment complexes in the nation and is home to a 200-foot observation wheel, a Margaritaville resort, a Paula Deen restaurant and numerous other entertainment-driven offerings. The new flying theater is slated to open in 2020. More details regarding this first co-venture will be released closer to the opening date. In a video released last year, Empire's executive chairman and CEO Guy Nelson explained his thinking behind the new company: "We've had a tremendous record of making the best rides in the world. Selling those to customers and making them very happy with the most innovative products in the industry. But we also felt that there was an opportunity for us to select specific sites around the world with high-volume of tourists already and that we would compliment that with the best rides in the world. … For the last five years, we've been focused on our top line, our focus now is on our bottom line." Nelson later explained in an earnings call that the new Pigeon Forge attraction, and other future co-ventures, lay "the foundation for recurring revenue and profit by leveraging [Dynamic Attraction’s] proprietary intellectual property." The new sister company could mean big things for the Orlando division, too. With some high-profile confidential attractions soon to wrap up and a potential decline of new theme parks in China and the Middle East, these new co-ventures could mean sustained work for years to come even when more traditional client orders slow down. It also gives Dynamic Attractions the ability to prove some of their groundbreaking attraction concepts in an industry where being the first is often viewed as a vulnerability. It's still unclear how much these new co-ventures will lean on the Dynamic Attractions name, but the name already is well-respected within the industry. It wouldn't be surprising to see these new co-ventures using it in their attraction marketing as a way to signal the high-quality nature of the attractions, especially in markets like Pigeon Forge where other attractions are infamous for their low-budget effects. The more name recognition the company receives, the more sales they're likely to get, and that means more work for their Attraction Development Center here in Orlando. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023 Posted February 27, 2019 Report Share Posted February 27, 2019 Hello Soarin 2.0! Dynamic Structures (parent Empire Industries Ltd) is listed as the company that manufactured Soarin, so presumably same company. I know Disney Imagineering came up with the concept for Soarin themselves. I'm assuming they didn't protect their intellectual property on it - or maybe they didn't invent anything so unique that they couldn't. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Travisma 1,317 Posted February 27, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2019 15 minutes ago, BradyBzLyn...Mo said: Hello Soarin 2.0! Dynamic Structures (parent Empire Industries Ltd) is listed as the company that manufactured Soarin, so presumably same company. I know Disney Imagineering came up with the concept for Soarin themselves. I'm assuming they didn't protect their intellectual property on it - or maybe they didn't invent anything so unique that they couldn't. Oh man, you just blew all the pixie dust away. You mean Disney doesn't have all their own people designing and building all their rides? Someone besides an Imagineer actually touched Elsa! Oh the horrors! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023 Posted February 27, 2019 Report Share Posted February 27, 2019 Actually Disney Imagineering did design Soarin' but apparently they didn't build it. There's a behind the scenes show kicking around where they show the guy who came up with it explaining how he broke out an erector set to model his concept (pretty cool actually). I'd be surprised if Disney builds all their own rides these days as there are companies that specialize in it, especially when it comes to roller coasters. No idea how many of them they actually design themselves vs contract out. I can see where Imagineering might come up with a big-picture concept and hand it off to the experts to handle the engineering details. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Travisma 1,317 Posted February 27, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2019 28 minutes ago, BradyBzLyn...Mo said: Actually Disney Imagineering did design Soarin' but apparently they didn't build it. There's a behind the scenes show kicking around where they show the guy who came up with it explaining how he broke out an erector set to model his concept (pretty cool actually). I'd be surprised if Disney builds all their own rides these days as there are companies that specialize in it, especially when it comes to roller coasters. No idea how many of them they actually design themselves vs contract out. I can see where Imagineering might come up with a big-picture concept and hand it off to the experts to handle the engineering details. I would imagine they come up with an idea/theme, then look to see what is out there that will work within their idea, or get something adapted/custom made. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ennonne 0 Posted February 28, 2019 Report Share Posted February 28, 2019 Disney relies on lots of sources to get things done. Here's another that helps with rides: https://www.roush.com/markets-we-serve/entertainment/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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