UFO Flying Disco

The flying disco coaster is the ride that turns a flat platform into a 33 km/h run. One vehicle of 24 riders climbs a curved rail, spins on a turntable at the top and comes back down the other side. If the plot suits a coaster instead, the 180m crazy mouse fits 17 x 28 m, and the flying turntable delivers a similar turn on a flat platform.

It stands 9.4 m, needs a 27 x 13 m plot and ships in two 40HQ containers. For a park adding its first high-energy ride, that is a compact package with a large presence.

What a flying disco does that a flat ride cannot

A flat ride turns you in place. This one turns you in place and moves you along a rail at the same time, so the two motions arrive together and the ride reads as a coaster from the walkway.

That combination is why operators call it a coaster even though it is a single vehicle on a short track. Visitors queue for the movement, not for the height.

The 12.6 m rail radius defines your plot

The rail radius is 12.6 m and the land area is 27 x 13 m. Get the plot right before you compare prices, because the layout decides how much fencing, queue and landscaping the project needs.

The turntable at the top is 6.5 m across. It is where the ride slows, spins and turns back, and it is the part visitors photograph.

Twenty-four riders, one vehicle

One vehicle carries 24 people and the operating time is two to three minutes, adjustable. That cycle is short, so the queue moves, and the vehicle is large enough that a group boards in one turn.

Operating speed reaches 9.2 m/s, about 33 km/h, with the turntable running up to 9.7 rpm. In normal operation the turntable is set between 7 and 8 rpm, which is where most parks run it.

Drive and power: 51.5 kW

The drive is 51.5 kW, split between a 44 kW running motor and a 7.5 kW turntable motor. Transmission is gear drive plus a friction wheel, a combination chosen for a rail this short.

The ride is a fixed installation on a 380 V supply, with a design service life of 15 years. Confirm the cable route and the cabinet position while the foundation is still open.

Where it has been installed

Units from this range run at Vinpearl Phu Quoc in Vietnam, at Owa in Alabama and at Lost Island in Iowa. Those three sites cover a resort, a coastal park and a destination park, which is the range of settings the ride suits.

If your site is a city park with a lighter footfall pattern, the 180m crazy mouse coaster gives a full circuit in a 17 x 28 m plot and is easier to justify on ticket income.

Price and delivery

The indicative factory price starts at US$78,500, shipping in 2 x 40HQ containers at about 15,400 kg. Freight, foundation and installation labour are quoted for your site.

Questions buyers ask about the flying disco

Technical reference: 24 riders per vehicle / operating speed 9.2 m/s (33 km/h) / operating height 9.4 m / rail height 9.2 m / rail radius 12.6 m / turntable diameter 6.5 m / turntable 9.7 rpm maximum, usually 7-8 rpm / operating time 2-3 minutes, adjustable / drive 51.5 kW (44 kW running + 7.5 kW turntable), gear and friction wheel transmission / fixed installation / land area 27 x 13 m / design life 15 years / 2 x 40HQ at about 15,400 kg.

Part of the thrill rides range built by DINIS.