RIDERCAM® Any US parks on board?

^^I'm not sure these would actually replace on ride photos. I agree that there is still value in having something that you can frame and have on paper.

Its just something different.

The only thing is- would I actually watch this thing more than a couple times? I bet it would be pretty expensive at a park. As opposed to an on-ride photo which you can keep on your desk. The more I think about it, the less I think I would buy one, though it is kind of cool.

Hey, people buy videos of their bungie jumps and skycoaster rides, so why not? Would I get it? No. Does that mean nobody would?

The website says (Technic tab) they can play back clips of each ride on monitors in the "Ridercam Shop" at the ride exit. Just imagine all the expletives flying, not to mention the vomit. Talk about sensurround. Or will the parks post signs telling you that saying "S***", "F***," (and all their variations) etc. etc. on the ride won't be tolerated?

The site also said that the parks could "customize" the DVDs to include infomercials from "participating partners." Great, a 2-minute ride and half an hour of commercials.

Anyone have any ideas how much parks are charging, or were those places shown in the clips just for marketing right now?

---

Sean Flaharty said:
-Sean (who does think the cars on Colossus are cool but knows he is in the minority)

---

Seanieeeee....was *that* in answer to my inquiry? Just checkin'....Thanks! :)

Wait, wasn't I supposed to address you by your super-secret nickname? ;)

I would love video of certain rides I've taken in my life. But, it call comes down to Money.

Example: My fiance and I rode the G-Force (our ride clocked in at 0-118mph in under 1.8 seconds) in Orlando a year ago. They sell on ride video of it, and it was priceless! I will never forget what we looked like. Did I buy it? No. I can't spend $20 for 3 seconds of video. Granted, a coaster ride is more than 3 seconds, but that's still one expensive piece of video!

---

GregLeg said:
people buy videos of their bungie jumps

---

I bought a video of my bungee jump(s). But for me the reason was that I'm probably not going to ever do it again. If it was something that I did regularly, like ride coasters, I wouldn't have bought them. I justified it mostly as having proof that I actually did it since I bungeed when I was in New Zealand. It was also nice to have since the setting was gorgeous. 200+ feet over a raging river in the middle of nowhere.

But then again, I have never even bought a single coaster picture either. The only one I have was a freebie from when Nasai, Robo, Danny+ and I rode SoB. Thanks again Danny.

Good idea but they should probably ask riders if they want to be taped first. The camera should be hidden if possible anyway because having one pointed at me would detract from the experience.

Having said that, the only thing I'd want in addition would be a PIP with the front-looking view of the ride.

Perhaps in the future they could put cameras on all the rides. You could pick up a card or something and swipe it on the rides you go on and take your video. Then, at the end of the day, you could get a compilation of your day on a DVD. Heck, they could even put up photo booths so you could say a few words for posterity. Perhaps even a Star Trax booth for the karioke fans out there.

I love the idea.

It's great. As far as pictures, come on with a DVD you have thousands of frames to choose from and print on your own much cheaper.

At the end of the day, you could get a compilation of your day on a DVD. Heck, they could even put up photo booths so you could say a few words for posterity.

You are a genious. That would be awesome to have them all recorded on one DVD.

I don't like this at all. I feel very uneasy about being videotaped (for lack of a better word) during my ride for everyone to see. I'm not shy or anything, I just do not like this at all.

Riding a coaster is a private experience, and I don't feel comfortable having this available for all to see. I wonder if their is any way of keeping a stalker type of person from buying my DVD (Yes, I have had a few stalkers in my life so far). What is to keep the creepy employees of this booth from taking home a copy of my coaster ride as a "fantisizing" tool?

Would one be able to go to the booth before getting on the ride to instruct the employees not to videotape your ride? I am thinking that if I ever got on a ride that offered this "service", I would find a way to cover up the camera while riding.

I know we are videotaped while we shop in stores, to prevent shoplifting among other things, and I'll reluctantly accept that, but we are on the edge of loosing ALL privacy in our ongoing, busy lives...

This reminds me of RFID chips, being embedded in everything we buy and those products being tracked everywhere we go, and that info added to your personal database that data companies have on you. These data companies can add all of your data together to make a profile about you and sell this info to other companies, which will they will use to make them much more profitable This Ridercam thing is just another way that big business is slowly changing our acceptance for a Corperate Big Brother system.

Call me crazy, paranoid, or whatever...but I know that it is close.

EDIT-Let me tune down my paranoia a little and say that I 100% agree with JanFredric on this, and also agree that he is a genious. I would only think this was a good idea if you had the option to not be filmed(for lack of a better word again). Swiping a card on the rides you wanted to be taped on is a great idea. I would not be against it if you had complete control of when you were being filmed and who saw it. Filming you without your say and publicly displaying it is what I do not like.

The filming that goes on at HersheyPark's Rapids isn't too invasive to my privacy, imho. I think that I feel that way because the camara isn't pointed at your face the whole time. I agree that it would make me feel self conscious. It would detract from the ride experience. *** Edited 2/9/2005 9:50:47 PM UTC by dexter***

The potential of this is amazing, but expensive.

You could also use the system in the instance where a train gets stopped on a MCBR. Live footage of what the guests in the stranded train are doing, or if a guest is rubbing their neck, or complaining of injury, and then First Aid can be called right away.

"Riding a coaster is a private experience"

Oh you mean, private as in with 32 other people?

I think your taking it a bit too seriously myself.

---

dexter said:

What is to keep the creepy employees of this booth from taking home a copy of my coaster ride as a "fantisizing" tool?

---

Probably no more than what's keeping a creepy employee from taking home a copy of your on-ride picture as a fantasizing tool.

I guess it will all come down to market research. A few parks will put ridercams on one ride, then see how many DVDs they actually sell. If they sell a lot, you'll see more and more of them installed. If they don't sell many, the idea will go away quietly.

Different strokes for different folks. I'm assuming that the people on the film clips had to give their permission to be used on the company's website and promotional material. Some people consider a coaster ride a private experience, while others consider giving birth or having sex an experience to share with the world-- whether the world wants them to share or not.

It's a fine line for every new technology nowadays. The intended use can be a great thing, but any potential misuse also has to be considered, preferably before some unfortunate situation occurs. *** Edited 2/9/2005 11:15:57 PM UTC by RatherGoodBear***

---

dexter said:

Filming you without your say and publicly displaying it is what I do not like.

---

Most park tickets and passes already contain fine print that gives the park permission to photograph and film you then use that for whatever purpose they see fit.

Isn't there something on the tickets that says the park can photograph you and video tape you and by entering the park you agree to it?

I don't think they would have to install them on every seat, maybe just a few rows and you would have to pay before you ride. If no one is getting taped they could still use the seats and just not tape them.

Gonch beat me to it. *** Edited 2/9/2005 11:05:00 PM UTC by sparky697***

I think they should record a POV and just one POV. Then have that for sale at a booth. It will not be affecting "privacy" and you can get the tape/DVD of that ride. That way everybody gets the same movie.

---

dexter said:
This reminds me of RFID chips, being embedded in everything we buy and those products being tracked everywhere we go, and that info added to your personal database that data companies have on you.

---

That's unfounded fear. They're mostly useless once they leave the store, and in most cases they're being used in the packaging, not the products themselves.

---

Jeff said:
I like the girl that looks like she's going to crap herself going up the Expedition GeForce hill. That's classic.

---

If you watch carefully, you can see the "oh shi............"

Priceless! *** Edited 2/10/2005 2:50:39 AM UTC by nasai***

Sparky: by having guests pay for the video prior to boarding the ride it's essentially the same as charging an addmission fee (like a carnival) for the ride itself regardless of any one particular seat being taped.

I suppose parks using on ride photos should do the same regardless of a guests choice to purchase the ride photo or not.

I think its a great idea, I'm all for it, and hope a park in the U.S. decides to install this system on a coaster.

I especially like the idea of getting a DVD of every coaster you ride that day, not just 1 coaster, that'd be rpetty neat!

I only wish I had vocalized on here or written down this idea years ago when I had it in my mind. I swear, and God can strike me down if I'm lying, that I thought of this idea about 5 years ago after riding MF and thinking, "sure this on-ride photo is cool and all, but wouldn't it be even better to see my face as I ride this thing for the first time and I can see the emotions running all over my face?" Dammit, I lose again! :)