Bermuda Triangle (Sea World)

Bermuda Triangle's volcano erupting.

In 1980, Sea World opened a set of bumper boats located in a small lake in the centre of the Viking's Revenge Flume Ride. In 1987, these bumper boats were removed to aid in the construction of Lassiter's Lost Mine.[7] Lassiter's Lost Mine was an indoor flume ride where guests would experience the flooding of a mine. The ride was built for only A$3 million - compared to a Disney estimate of A$20 million. Sea World's parent company, Village Roadshow Theme Parks, opened Looney Tunes Studio Tour at Warner Bros. Movie World on 3 June 1991, which utilised the same in-house ride system used on Lassiter's Lost Mine. In April 1993, Lassiter's Lost Mine closed.[8] Less than one year later on 31 March 1994, the Bermuda Triangle opened and was sponsored by Pauls (31 March 1994-????) and Norco Co-operative (31 March 1994 – 18 October 2010).[9][10] Alan Griffith Architect formed a strong working relationship with Warner Bros. International Recreation Enterprises on the ride.[11] The ride utilised the same ride system as the original Lassiter's Lost Mine ride.[8] The ride system was controlled by ASI systems from Anitech Systems Inc.[12] The ride had easily spotted sensors that would trigger the animatronics' movements and voices in the ride when a boat passed them from below.[13] The ride's theming, special effects, props and audio-animatronics were designed, supplied and installed by Alder Constructions, Sanderson Group and Sally Corporation.[2] After opening, the Bermuda Triangle is cited as a major contributor to an increase in attendance.[14]

On 30 June 1996, The Bermuda Triangle opened with Warner Bros. Movie World Germany. The ride was identical to the version that opened in Australia two years prior. Zeitgeist Design and Production's Ryan Harmon served as the Director of Show Development for Warner Bros. International Recreation Enterprises, where he conceived, wrote, and managed the design team for Warner Bros. Movie World Germany's worth of rides, shows and attractions, including Das Bermuda Dreieck.[15] Alan Griffith Architect, Alder Constructions and Sanderson Group were also involved in the ride's development.[11][16] Like Bermuda Triangle, Das Bermuda Dreieck had easily spotted sensors that would trigger the animatronics' movements and voices in the ride when a boat passed them from below.[13] The ride was manufactured by Intamin, and its theming was designed by Warner Bros. Movie World Germany.[17] The audio-animatronics featured in the ride were designed by Garner Holt Productions.[17] The sound, light and movements are controlled by an ASI system from Anitech Systems Inc.[12][17] The ride operated during the Halloween Horror Fest as Knott's haunted Mountain. On 3 April 2004, Warner Bros. Movie World Germany was acquired by StarParks.[18] On 19 March 2005, Movie Park Germany opened with Das Bermuda Dreieck's name being changed to Bermuda Triangle: Alien Encounter, as a result of this acquisition. The ride's special effects weren't sufficiently tested and therefore didn't operate until Parques Reunidos' acquisition of Movie Park Germany on 17 May 2010. In 2006, the red-brown volcanoes were renovated. Their colors were changed to grey, and orange flowing lava was added.[19][20]

Since the ride's opening in 1994, Bermuda Triangle had several features removed. Bermuda Triangle originally featured a revolving load and unload platform which increased the ride's capacity. This was decommissioned in 2005 due to safety concerns. In 2008, during the construction of Jet Rescue, the gas pipeline that spits fire from the volcano's top was damaged and never repaired, thus rendering the volcano dormant.[21] Later, the pre-show was decommissioned and special effects were broken and never fixed.[22] For example, some of the NTSC CRT video projection screens in the ride clearly displayed "No Signal" or "Replace Lamp" messages.[23]

The ride's entrance after its closure.

On 18 October 2010, the Bermuda Triangle closed for routine maintenance until 30 November 2010.[24] In late November, Sea World dropped the reopening date and has instead stated, "Bermuda Triangle is presently closed while we continue to develop new and exciting attractions at Sea World."[25] In early December 2010, the maintenance page was changed for a third time to read, "Bermuda Triangle is temporarily closed."[26] A few days later, Sea World stated on their Facebook page that the Bermuda Triangle had been permanently closed to make way an exciting new future attraction.[27] After sitting dormant for close to one and a half years, Sea World applied for a permit to demolish the ride and the interior of the show building.[28] Once the permit was granted, demolition began in August 2012.

On 10 December 2012, the boats used in the Bermuda Triangle were put up for auction at Village Roadshow Studios.[3] On 2 December 2013, the ride was replaced by Storm Coaster.

In 2015, one of the volcanoes for Bermuda Triangle: Alien Encounter (which was merely a decoration) and the bamboo on the queue area were demolished and removed to make room for Star Trek: Operation Enterprise. After the closure of another Movie Park Germany attraction, Ice Age Adventure, on 1 November 2016, the boats used in that ride were moved to Bermuda Triangle: Alien Encounter, and are used as additional boats for that ride.[29]

• 
  Overview of Bermuda Triangle's station and final drop with the Corkscrew roller coaster in the background.
• 
  Some lost planes inside the Bermuda Triangle ride. The upper plane is attached to a framework which allows the plane to seemingly fly over the riders.
• 
  An alien inside the Bermuda Triangle ride.
• 
  A UFO disappearing through the use of the Pepper's Ghost illusion.
• 
  A boat descends the final drop

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bermuda Triangle (Sea World).

• Looney Tunes River Ride, a defunct ride which utilised the same ride system
• Movie Park Germany, where a version of the same ride still operates to this day.