X-Scream Testing!

Finally saw it testing in person today. I know they have been moving it a bit lately, but this morning was the first time I saw it go thru full cycles.

It looks like they might be playing with different cycles. Sometimes it went all the way down right away then going all the way up then back down. I also saw it rock back and forth ending with a full climb upwards and a fall down. Looks really insane!

Im suprised they were actually up there since the smoke is really bad here in Vegas. I for once coulnt even see the tower from my house (that almost never happens!).

Guess they are determined for that Friday opening!

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WDW College Program Alumni
=brandon=

Smoke in Vegas, really? I thought the smoke from those fires was all heading out to sea. At least that's what it looked like from the satellite photos.

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A day is a drop of water in the ocean of eternity. A week is seven drops.

The winds changed last night. Unfortunately, it pointed the fires toward unburned fuel (and homes).

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"I go out at 3 o' clock for a quart of milk and come home to my son treating his body like an amusement park!" - Estelle Costanza

It was really bad about noon. The sky was really dark...we had an orange colored sun! Its not unusual for us to get smoke when there is a fire nearby, but its the worse ive ever seen it.

Also...one thing I forgot to mention...all last night they were playing with the lighting on top of the tower. They had really REALLY bright white lights on the south side (facing the strip). They were also doing some lighting changes on the Big Shot as well.

I remember back when the tower opened...for a few weeks they tested an awesome light show...it was 10 times better than we have now...it was really bright as well with lights shooting from all over the tower (top and bottorm)...unforunately the FAA wouldn't allow it so its gone...

I just realized the other night they took away those chasing lites on the corners of the Luxor...maybe pilots mistook it for the runway at the nearby airport.

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WDW College Program Alumni
=brandon=

Are you sure they took the lights away and they are just not broken? I've seen them off before only to find them working again my next visit.

Hope that's the case anyway as they looked really cool.

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Coasterbuf said:
Are you sure they took the lights away and they are just not broken? I've seen them off before only to find them working again my next visit.

Hope that's the case anyway as they looked really cool.

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No they took them away...these are not the lights that are on the tower now. These were near the top of the tower at the outdoor observation deck level (floor 109)...they had a cool lighthouse effect that could be seen all over the valley.

They were turned off because the FAA asked for a countywide moratorium on outdoor high powered laser and light shows. That's why we no longer have the Luxor lagoon show (or the lagoon for that matter), the Tropicana laser show, or the VERY powerful green argon laser that used to sit at the Hilton...you could see the light touching the mountains!

BTW...X-Scream opened on time on Friday at 10am and has been running well every since!

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WDW College Program Alumni
=brandon=

Actually I was refering to your post about the chasing lights on Luxor not the tower. But all that info was really interesting! I did not know that they had a laser at the Hilton before. And I didn't know that Luxor once had a lagoon! :)

I'm sure hoping Luxor still has their chaser lights! I'd hate to see those go too.

my mistake...

about the luxor...all i know is that they were working back in january when I left to go to Florida...I got back in august and they didnt work anymore. who knows what happened during that 8 month span.

Does anyone know how steep it goes over the top and how far you are to the end of the track when you brake?

Edit: I saw a video of it. What kind of brakes do they use? *** Edited 11/14/2003 1:04:02 PM UTC by SFgadvMAN***

I think the FAA is a little out of control. Anything on the strip is so obviously not the airport. I flew out in the dark and it's pretty obvious to me, and I'm not the one landing and taking off mostly on instruments.

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SFgadvMAN said:

of it. What kind of brakes do they use? *** Edited 11/14/2003 1:04:02 PM UTC by SFgadvMAN***

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X-Scream uses magnetic braking similar to the Intamin Rocket Coasters consisting of the actual magnets on the car interacting with a set of metal fins on the track. There is a small bumper at the end that keeps the car on the track. I dont know if you can really even call it a bumper tho...its so tiny, just a piece of metal sticking up a few inches.