Amusement park attraction

A method of providing a ride experience to an occupant in an amusement park attraction having a ride vehicle of the type having a chassis that follows a path, a passenger supporting structure, and a motion base that moves the passenger supporting structure in multiple degrees of freedom independent of motion of the chassis, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) moving the vehicle along the path in the amusement park attraction;
• (b) providing scenery positioned along the path at selected locations;
• (c) articulating the passenger supporting structure with respect to the chassis to thereby enhancing or diminishing the effect of vehicle motion through the attraction at selected locations along the path;
• and
• (d) providing special effects for enhancing the sensations experienced by the occupant as the vehicle interacts with the path and scenery.

An amusement park attraction, comprising:

• at least one ride vehicle that follows a path within said amusement park attraction, said ride vehicle having
• a passenger supporting structure that moves along said path with said ride vehicle,
• a motion base supporting said passenger supporting structure that articulates said passenger supporting structuring in at least one degree of freedom relative to and independent of motion of said ride vehicle along the path, and
• a variable motive element on said ride vehicle that imparts programmably-defined motion in the form of at least one of variable steering of said ride vehicle, variable velocity of said ride vehicle, and articulation of said passenger supporting structure by the motion base relative to said ride vehicle;
• and
• a computer system in communication with said variable motive element and controlling the same in accordance with sequenced program instructions of a ride program stored by said computer system, said sequenced program instructions defining a repeatable pattern of programmably-defined motion.

An amusement park attraction, comprising:

• at least one ride vehicle that follows a path within said amusement park attraction,
• said ride vehicle having a passenger supporting structure that moves along said path with said ride vehicle and a motion base supporting said passenger supporting structure that articulates said passenger supporting structure in at least one degree of freedom relative to and independent of motion of said ride vehicle along the path;
• at least one show set positioned along said path to present a three dimensional visual image to passengers in said ride vehicle, said at least one show set being movable in at least one programmably-defined pattern in accordance with sequenced program instructions of a show set actuation program;
• and
• a show set computer system in communication with said at least one show set and controlling the same in a repeatable motion pattern in accordance with said programmably-defined pattern.

An amusement park attraction, comprising

• a plurality of ride vehicles;
• and
• a central controller;
• wherein each of said plurality of ride vehicles has
• a passenger holding structure,
• a motion base supporting said passenger supporting structure that articulates said passenger supporting structure in at least one degree of freedom relative to and independent of motion of said ride vehicle along the path, and
• an on-board vehicle computer system that controls actions of the particular vehicle in the form of one of steering, velocity and articulation of said motion base according to a programmably-defined motion pattern defined by sequenced program instructions of a ride program, each said vehicle computer system storing at least one said ride program, each vehicle computer system in communication with said central controller.