Batman Adventure – The Ride

Batman Adventure: The Ride is the name for a series of Batman-themed motion simulator rides installed at various Warner Bros.-branded parks around the world. The ride was first installed at Warner Bros. Movie World on the Gold Coast, Australia in 1992, before being installed at Warner Bros. Movie World in Bottrop, Germany and Parque Warner Madrid in Madrid, Spain in 1996 and 2002, respectively. The installations in Australia and Spain later closed in 2011 and 2014, respectively. The ride is still operating today at the German park, but the theme has been changed from Batman to the generic "Time Riders" after the park lost its Warner Bros. licenses in 2004.

Batman Adventure – The Ride
The library is the first pre-show room in the ride at Warner Bros. Movie World.
Warner Bros. Movie World
Coordinates27°54′28.17″S 153°18′46.8″E
StatusRemoved
CostAU$13 million[1]
Opening date23 December 1992 (1992-12-23) (as Batman Adventure – The Ride[2]
26 December 2001 (2001-12-26) (as Batman Adventure – The Ride 2)
Closing date2001 (2001) (as Batman Adventure – The Ride)
15 October 2011 (2011-10-15) (as Batman Adventure – The Ride 2)[3]
Replaced byJustice League: Alien Invasion 3D
Movie Park Germany
NameBatman Abenteuer – The Ride
AreaGotham City[4]
Coordinates51.621627°N 6.976484°E / 51.621627; 6.976484
StatusRemoved
Soft opening date29 June 1996
Opening date30 June 1996 (1996-06-30) (as Batman Abenteuer – The Ride)
19 March 2005 (2005-03-19) (as Time Riders)
Closing date31 October 2004 (2004-10-31) (as Batman Abenteuer – The Ride)
Replaced byTime Riders
Parque Warner Madrid
NameBatman Knight Flight: Luchando por Gotham City
AreaDC Super Heroes World
Coordinates40°13′43.18″N 3°35′36.29″W
StatusRemoved
Soft opening date5 April 2002
Opening date6 April 2002 (2002-04-06)
Closing dateMid-December 2014
Ride statistics
Attraction typeMotion simulator
ManufacturerMcFadden Systems, Inc.
ModelVR
ThemeBatman
Capacity1000[1] riders per hour
Vehicle typeBat-Modules (tracking modules)[4]
Vehicles6
Riders per vehicle20
Duration20 minutes[1]
Height restriction102 cm (40 in)(Australia)[5]
110 cm (43 in)(Germany)[4]

History

On 23 December 1992, Warner Bros. Movie World in Australia opened the US$9 million Batman Adventure – The Ride motion simulator ride.[2] The ride was based upon Tim Burton's Batman films, the second of which was released earlier that year.[6][7]

In 1996, Batman Abenteuer (Batman Adventure) opened with Warner Bros. Movie World in Germany. The ride was identical to the version that opened in Australia many years prior.[4][6]

In 2001, Warner Bros. Movie World in Australia revamped their ride and renamed it Batman Adventure – The Ride 2.[8] As part of this process the original live-action film was scrapped in favour of computer-generated high-definition film developed by Blur Studio[8][9][10] and music by Mike Verta. The new film featured elements from four of the Batman films as well as the animated series franchise released before Batman Begins.[1]

On 6 April 2002, a third installation of the ride opened at Warner Bros. Movie World Madrid (now Parque Warner Madrid) in their DC Super Heroes World section.[10] The new animated film was utilised along with 3D technology.[10] The ride operated under the name Batman: La Sombra del Murciélago (Batman: Shadow of the Bat) until its closure at the end of the 2014 season.[11]

On 3 April 2004, Warner Bros. Movie World in Germany was acquired by StarParks.[12] This acquisition resulted in various Warner Bros.-licensed properties being removed from the park including DC Comics and Looney Tunes.[12] The following year, Movie Park Germany opened with Batman Adventure – The Ride being rethemed to Time Riders.[12][13]

In September 2011, Warner Bros. Movie World in Australia announced that Batman Adventure – The Ride 2 would be closed on 15 October 2011 to make way for a new attraction.[3] Its replacement, Justice League: Alien Invasion 3D, opened on 22 September 2012.[14][15]

Ride experiences
The exterior façade of Batman Adventure – The Ride at Warner Bros. Movie World in Australia

Batman Adventure – The Ride (a.k.a. Batman Abenteuer)

Guests were admitted into Wayne Manor as Gotham City on a tour of the library before entering the Batcave. Guests would be given an overview of the storyline in these two pre-show rooms. The live-action film revolved around Batman's quest to save kidnapped children in Gotham City. Riders would experience the adventure from Batman's point of view (in the tracking module vehicle). The ride is strongly based on the Batman Returns movie, featuring appearances from the Penguin, Catwoman and the Red Triangle Circus gang.[6]

Batman Adventure – The Ride 2 (a.k.a. Batman: La Sombra del Murciélago)

Guests were admitted into Wayne Manor as Gotham City Police Cadets on a tour of the library. Guests were shown a short video detailing WayneTech's latest developments such as the Gotham City Security Network and the new reconnaissance fleet of aircraft, similarly styled to the Batwing in the 1989 film. This clip was introduced by the chief of the Wayne Foundation, Lucius Fox. Just as Mr. Fox started explaining the new network, they were interrupted by an alert directly from Arkham Asylum, Gotham City's maximum security facility for the city's worst felons. He remarked that it's "probably a false alarm but it doesn't pay to take chances". Batgirl linked to the computer from the Batcave to find that all of Gotham's forces are converging on Arkham Asylum. The television screen would go blank. A guide would then open the secret bookcase revealing the Batcave entrance as you walk through the Batcave tunnel through to the grouping queues you may hear dripping water and murmurs of bats flying. As guests reach the end of the queue lines the guide announces "I now present to you the Gotham City security network". At this moment several doors would open to reveal the network. It included 14 minor video monitors and one huge projection screen in the middle as well as Batman's controls in front of the screen. There was an animatronic Batman who talks in the Batcave sitting at the desk with his back facing the audience. Guests were seated in the audience and witness a second pre-show video introducing the mission to retrieve the Whitney diamond, stolen earlier from the Gotham Museum of Art. This was stolen earlier by Catwoman and is used to power a freeze cannon operated by Mr. Freeze.[16][17][18]

Guests were then split up into groups of 20 and admitted into separate simulators where the ride would take place. Once the ride began, guests were taken on a chase through the streets of Gotham City in the pursuit of the Joker, Catwoman and Mr. Freeze.[19] As the ride featured sudden movements, it was not suitable for those who suffer from motion sickness. For this reason, Movie World operated the ride without the motion at least once a day.[5] When guests exited the ride they were greeted with the set of the tracking module crashing in to the Penguin's Arctic World Lair.

Ride system

The ride system used for Batman Adventure – The Ride was developed by California-based McFadden Systems, Inc. who specialised in motion platforms for military-style flight simulators.[8][20][21] Batman Adventure – The Ride was the company's first amusement ride.[20] Guests were admitted into one of six vehicles which each seat 20 riders.[22] Each of these vehicles were mounted on motion bases which allow six degrees of freedom.[22]

Voice cast

Reception

Following the opening of Batman Adventure – The Ride in Australia, Warner Bros. Movie World saw a record spike in attendance. Approximately 12,000 guests visited the park on 30 December 1992. This spike was attributed to the opening of the ride.[2] By 1998, an average of 10,500 tours were being run by Warner Bros. Movie World every year.[23] This number eventually peaked at 20,000 tours per year.[1]

In 2003, Warner Bros. Movie World in Australia saw a drop in park-wide attendance numbers. This was attributed to the SARS outbreak and the Iraq War. The reduced attendance saw Warner Bros. Movie World begin alternating ride operations with Batman Adventure – The Ride 2 operating from 10am until 11:15am, and from 3pm to 5pm.[24]

The popularity of the ride in Australia decreased in the late 2000s. Robert Niles of Theme Park Insider identified that the ride felt outdated and was in need of a major overhaul.[25] On 15 October 2011, Warner Bros. Movie World closed the ride permanently.[3]

See also

References
  1. "Activity Trail – Batman Adventure The Ride 2". Warner Bros. Movie World. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  2. O'Brien, Tom (11 January 1993). "Australia's Movie World themer premieres $9 mil Batman ride". Amusement Business. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  3. Warner Bros. Movie World (September 2011). "Attractions Maintenance". MyFun. Archived from the original on 26 September 2011. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
  4. "Gotham City". Warner Bros. Movie World Germany. Archived from the original on 6 February 2003. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  5. Warner Bros. Movie World. "BATMAN Adventure – The Ride 2". MyFun. Archived from the original on 25 September 2011. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
  6. "Batman Adventure – The Ride". Warner Bros. Movie World. Archived from the original on 17 June 2001. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  7. Maslin, Janet (19 June 1992). "Review/Film: Batman Returns; A Sincere Bat, a Sexy Cat and a Bad Bird". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  8. "Batman Adventure – The Ride 2 (Warner Bros. Movie World)". Parkz. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  9. Emmons, Natasha (1 April 2002). "Australia's summer park business mixed". Amusement Business. 114 (13).
  10. Mooradian, Don (20 May 2002). "M&S news". Amusement Business. 114 (20).
  11. "BATMAN: La Sombra del Murciélago". Parque Warner Madrid. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  12. "Germany's Movie World to change in 2005" (Press release). StarParks. 31 August 2004. Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  13. "Time Riders". Movie Park Germany. Archived from the original on 11 February 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  14. Warner Bros. Movie World (23 February 2012). "Wall Photos". Photo. Facebook. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
  15. Warner Bros. Movie World (4 May 2012). "Wall Photos". Photo. Facebook. Retrieved 14 May 2012.
  16. bttfspencer (14 May 2008). "Batman Adventure: The Ride 2 Preshow". Video. YouTube. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
  17. bttfspencer (14 July 2009). "Batman Adventure: The Ride 2 Preshow part II". Video. YouTube. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
  18. bttfspencer (14 July 2009). "Batman Adventure: The Ride 2 Preshow Clip". Video. YouTube. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
  19. TheRealMrBravo (4 August 2007). "Batman Virtual Ride". Video. YouTube. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
  20. Huffstutter, P.J. (4 August 1997). "Virtual Rides Take Off". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  21. "Contact Us". McFadden Systems, Inc. 10 April 1999. Archived from the original on 27 April 1999. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  22. "Batman 2 Doubles the Adventure at Warner Bros. Movie World" (Press release). Parkz. December 2002. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  23. "Batman Adventure – The Ride". Village. Archived from the original on 31 January 1998. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  24. Zoltak, James (2 June 2003). "War, SARS impact park in Australia". Amusement Business. 115 (22).
  25. Niles, Robert (13 October 2011). "Batman Adventure: The Ride 2". Theme Park Insider. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
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