After a 10-month hiatus for safety improvements, Roger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin soft opened to Guests Thursday. This opening brought new changes to the attractions ride vehicles, but left the remaining attraction unmodified. All updates help enhance safety for riders on the attraction while many of these enhancements may be coming to other dark ride attractions in the near future.
The Lenny the Cab attraction vehicles have been completely revamped in the style of a convertible, or more "like a rag top bug with the top down," noted one source. This new look, combined with Guests sitting lower in the Cab, provides an added head rest at the back of the vehicle as well higher sides and a back to keep younger Guests from hopping out. The Cabs also have a new door on the side where Guests enter, to add an extra level of protection. The lap bar restraints have remained.
A thick black skirt-like fringe has been added to the bottom of each of the Cabs. This plastic fringe adds an auto shutdown feature to the attraction. "When anything over 5 pounds falls onto it, the ride will shut down," quoted an Anonymous source. Even though this is the official number, the source noted "all it takes [is] a light kick to set it off. It also emits a loud beep. This tells where the car is exactly so quicker action can be taken." This added safety feature might begin appearing on other attractions at the Resort. "It's a new technology that might be seen on the older attractions in the near future."
Cast Members running the attraction also have added help with the addition of a new position. The loading and unloading of the attraction now uses four separate Cast Members to allow a given position to concentrate more heavily on safety related tasks. These positions include: Grouper, Loader, Dispatcher, Unloader. The Grouper position has been added. This position groups guests into the cars, and allows the Loader to concentrate on getting people into the Cabs, as well as ensure all restraint systems are closed and locked correctly. In the past the grouping of Guests was the task of the Loader. The Dispatcher originally also shared the task of engaging the safety restraints on the first of two cars sent out. The unloader has been given an enable button that allows them to keep a car at the unload position until Guests have safely exited the attraction.
A safety spiel has replaced the KWKY Toontown Radio spiels in the queue area. "While waiting in the Cab Company part of the queue, familiar old KWKY radio will no longer be heard, it is now a safety spiel, reminding to keep hands and arms inside the cab, and reminding parents to watch their children. This is again repeated in Spanish," commented the Source.
There remains no age limit for Guests on the attraction. If a child is too young to sit up in the seat without assistance, they must be in a baby carrier that is situated on the front of the Parent. The queue has been updated to accommodate wheelchairs, without requiring those Guests to request special assistance in getting in line. Those Guests with Special Assistance Passes will be escorted to the Fastpass line.
Current plans are for a full return on this attraction on Sunday, July 15. There is a good chance that it will continue to soft open for a few hours each day until that time.
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