These terms are important to the association and to understanding the lingo of the industry.
"Ride Vehicle" - The vehicle that guests board to experience an attraction.
"OPS" - Theme Park Operations. This department is tasked with operating the theme park attraction, to safely load and unload guests from the ride, and to keep it running at maximum capacity.
"Theming" - Any prop, set, or otherwise extraneous material used in creating a themed environment. Example of use, 1) "We need some more theming here on this wall." 2) "This piece of theming has fallen off the wall."
"Motion simulator" - The name "motion simulator" probably originated from the fact that Star Tours was originally developed from a Boeing 747 flight simulator in the mid-1980s. Examples of motion simulators are numerous, but two of the motion simulators are Star Tours at Disneyland and Back to the Future at Universal Studios. One characteristic of motion simulators is their high fatigue factors as few people feel comfortable in a motion simulator longer than about 4 minutes.
"Flume Ride" - A flume ride is any type of ride that utilizes a channel of water to carry the ride vehicle. Examples of flume rides are numerous as they date back to the earliest American amusement parks in tunnels of love. Log flume rides are common throughout the world today, as are roaring rapids river rides. Good examples of these types of rides are Splash Mountain at Disneyland and Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls at Universal's Islands of Adventure.
"Dispatch" - A dispatch occurs each time a ride vehicle is launched from the load platform.
"Dispatch Interval" - The time between dispatches.
"Load Platform" - The area where guests are safely loaded onto an attraction ride vehicle.
"Steel Coaster" - A roller coaster that has structural components primarily made of steel. Steel coasters are faster, smoother and can be made to perform a varied number of inverted maneuvers including loops and cork-screws. Some ride manufacturers specialize in steel coasters, some specialize in "woodies," and some manufacture both. The first steel tube coaster was invented by Arrow Dynamics for Disneyland in the 1950's (The Matterhorn Bobsleds). Generally, wooden coasters are slower, bumpier, and do not loop.
"Inverted Coaster" - A coaster that hangs from the track.
"Costume" - The uniform worn by a theme park employee. Especially while working in a themed environment.
"Entertainment" - Actors, singers, dancers, characters and other show-oriented performers.
"Merchandise" - The department responsible for the selling of goods at retail locations.
"Cycle Time" - The actual time it takes for a ride to dispatch, advance through the attraction, unload, advance, load, and then dispatch once again.
"Wait Time" - The time spent waiting in line for an attraction.
"Lap Bar" - Used to secure a guest into a ride vehicle.
"Line" - The People standing waiting for their turn to ride on an attraction.
"Queue" - The serpentine building or holding area where the people stand. For example,1) "The queue area was completely full." 2)"Would you please go open up some more queue?"
"Queue Rail" - Railing used to define a queue.
"Queue Rope" - Rope used to define a queue.
"Stantion" - A post, approximately 36-42" in height. Often used with rope to create a temporary or permanent queue.
"WDI" - Walt Disney Imagineering.
"Universal Creative" - Universal Studios' version of WDI.
"Pulse" - Sometimes rides allow a large group of guests to enter an attraction or queue all at the same time. This is called a pulse system. Usually associated with a pre-show.
"Pre-show" - Builds the story prior to the actual attraction. Examples of a pre-show are numerous and go all the way back to the original audio-animatronic figure "Jose - the McCaw" at The Enchanted Tiki room at Disneyland.
"Foliage" - The trees and foliage that the horticulture department installs in a theme park overnight.
"Ride Operator" - The employee who operates an attraction.
"Static Prop" - A Prop in a show set that does not move.
"Animated Prop" - A Prop in a show set that has movement (animation).
"Show set" - Synonymous with "show scene." A set or series of sets specifically designed to advance the storyline of a theme park experience.
"Animatronics" - Any robotic figure designed to resemble a human, animal or other character on an attraction. Animatronics may have a single movement, or several complex sequences of programmed moves and sound. In general, an animatronic has at least some animation by nature.
"Animation" - The plural form of Animatronics. Example, "All of the animation went down at Pirates of the Caribbean."
"Show Scene" -A show scene is a set design translated for use in a theme park attraction. A theme park attraction is usually broken up into a series of show scenes. Each one of these scenes is meant to tell a single story. Sometimes there may be a single show scene for each room. Sometimes a single room can have multiple show scenes. The scene includes the set design, props, animatronics, lighting, f/x, and architecture.
"Front of House" - Any area that a theme park guest can see.
"Back of House" - Any area usually off limits to guests.
"E-Stop" - Rides have emergency stop buttons, designed to immediately halt a ride if a guest should fall onto the track, or the operator should have to stop the ride for any reason.
"Shotgun Gates" - The gates that regulate the loading of passengers into a ride vehicle. Usually a roller coaster. Shotgun gates open so that passengers may board the ride.
"Spiel" - The story or narrative told my an actor while performing on a theme park attraction. Usually over a microphone.
"Ride Vehicle" - The vehicle that guests board to experience an attraction.
"OPS" - Theme Park Operations. This department is tasked with operating the theme park attraction, to safely load and unload guests from the ride, and to keep it running at maximum capacity.
"Theming" - Any prop, set, or otherwise extraneous material used in creating a themed environment. Example of use, 1) "We need some more theming here on this wall." 2) "This piece of theming has fallen off the wall."
"Motion simulator" - The name "motion simulator" probably originated from the fact that Star Tours was originally developed from a Boeing 747 flight simulator in the mid-1980s. Examples of motion simulators are numerous, but two of the motion simulators are Star Tours at Disneyland and Back to the Future at Universal Studios. One characteristic of motion simulators is their high fatigue factors as few people feel comfortable in a motion simulator longer than about 4 minutes.
"Flume Ride" - A flume ride is any type of ride that utilizes a channel of water to carry the ride vehicle. Examples of flume rides are numerous as they date back to the earliest American amusement parks in tunnels of love. Log flume rides are common throughout the world today, as are roaring rapids river rides. Good examples of these types of rides are Splash Mountain at Disneyland and Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls at Universal's Islands of Adventure.
"Dispatch" - A dispatch occurs each time a ride vehicle is launched from the load platform.
"Dispatch Interval" - The time between dispatches.
"Load Platform" - The area where guests are safely loaded onto an attraction ride vehicle.
"Steel Coaster" - A roller coaster that has structural components primarily made of steel. Steel coasters are faster, smoother and can be made to perform a varied number of inverted maneuvers including loops and cork-screws. Some ride manufacturers specialize in steel coasters, some specialize in "woodies," and some manufacture both. The first steel tube coaster was invented by Arrow Dynamics for Disneyland in the 1950's (The Matterhorn Bobsleds). Generally, wooden coasters are slower, bumpier, and do not loop.
"Inverted Coaster" - A coaster that hangs from the track.
"Costume" - The uniform worn by a theme park employee. Especially while working in a themed environment.
"Entertainment" - Actors, singers, dancers, characters and other show-oriented performers.
"Merchandise" - The department responsible for the selling of goods at retail locations.
"Cycle Time" - The actual time it takes for a ride to dispatch, advance through the attraction, unload, advance, load, and then dispatch once again.
"Wait Time" - The time spent waiting in line for an attraction.
"Lap Bar" - Used to secure a guest into a ride vehicle.
"Line" - The People standing waiting for their turn to ride on an attraction.
"Queue" - The serpentine building or holding area where the people stand. For example,1) "The queue area was completely full." 2)"Would you please go open up some more queue?"
"Queue Rail" - Railing used to define a queue.
"Queue Rope" - Rope used to define a queue.
"Stantion" - A post, approximately 36-42" in height. Often used with rope to create a temporary or permanent queue.
"WDI" - Walt Disney Imagineering.
"Universal Creative" - Universal Studios' version of WDI.
"Pulse" - Sometimes rides allow a large group of guests to enter an attraction or queue all at the same time. This is called a pulse system. Usually associated with a pre-show.
"Pre-show" - Builds the story prior to the actual attraction. Examples of a pre-show are numerous and go all the way back to the original audio-animatronic figure "Jose - the McCaw" at The Enchanted Tiki room at Disneyland.
"Foliage" - The trees and foliage that the horticulture department installs in a theme park overnight.
"Ride Operator" - The employee who operates an attraction.
"Static Prop" - A Prop in a show set that does not move.
"Animated Prop" - A Prop in a show set that has movement (animation).
"Show set" - Synonymous with "show scene." A set or series of sets specifically designed to advance the storyline of a theme park experience.
"Animatronics" - Any robotic figure designed to resemble a human, animal or other character on an attraction. Animatronics may have a single movement, or several complex sequences of programmed moves and sound. In general, an animatronic has at least some animation by nature.
"Animation" - The plural form of Animatronics. Example, "All of the animation went down at Pirates of the Caribbean."
"Show Scene" -A show scene is a set design translated for use in a theme park attraction. A theme park attraction is usually broken up into a series of show scenes. Each one of these scenes is meant to tell a single story. Sometimes there may be a single show scene for each room. Sometimes a single room can have multiple show scenes. The scene includes the set design, props, animatronics, lighting, f/x, and architecture.
"Front of House" - Any area that a theme park guest can see.
"Back of House" - Any area usually off limits to guests.
"E-Stop" - Rides have emergency stop buttons, designed to immediately halt a ride if a guest should fall onto the track, or the operator should have to stop the ride for any reason.
"Shotgun Gates" - The gates that regulate the loading of passengers into a ride vehicle. Usually a roller coaster. Shotgun gates open so that passengers may board the ride.
"Spiel" - The story or narrative told my an actor while performing on a theme park attraction. Usually over a microphone.