This is an entry in our Disneyland 101 Glossary: Disneyland Resort definitions in under 101 words, from Mouse Brief. For more on omnimovers and where to find them at Disneyland Resort, keep reading after the entry.
Omnimover is a ride system with continuously moving vehicles that can be individually rotated. The controlled rotation of the vehicles allows the ride’s designers to direct the attention of the riders to particular scenes. The omnimover system was created by Imagineers and patented in 1968. Examples of omnimovers currently in use at Disneyland Resort include those in the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland Park and The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure at Disney California Adventure Park.
Thanks for reading our entry on omnimovers; for more Disney deductions under 101 words, see our Disneyland 101 Glossary. Omnimover attractions typically use a conveyor-belt style boarding area. For more information on boarding procedures see: What It’s Like to Board a Ride at Disneyland. And for more on omnimovers at Disneyland Resort, keep reading.
Omnimovers at Disneyland Resort
Disneyland Resort currently has three attractions with omnimover vehicles, but let’s start with a fourth that is no longer in operation.
Adventures Through Inner Space
Adventures Through Inner Space was the first omnimover attraction. In this ride, your omnimover traveled through a “Mighty Microscope” and into a snowflake. The ride was replaced by Star Tours, later Star Tours – The Adventures Continue, which does not use the Omnimover system.
You can read about the inspiration behind the omnimover here (sneak peek, it involves a candied apple).
Haunted Mansion
The omnimover at Disneyland Resort that has been in operation for the longest amount of time is at Haunted Mansion at New Orleans Square in Disneyland Park. The omnimovers here are called doom buggies.
While experiencing this ride, you can really see how the Haunted Mansion makes optimal use of the omnimover technology. In your doom buggy, you travel up and down inclines and through rooms while the ride vehicle twists to direct your attention to particular scenes. This system guides you through the rides story while preserving the “magic” of the special effects.
The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
Our next omnimover is located in Paradise Gardens Park in Disney California Adventure Park. At The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure, your omnimover vehicle fits right into the story: it is a shell. This ride takes you through the story from the film The Little Mermaid and inside iconic scenes from that movie.
Equally iconic is the movie’s music, and the omnimover design allows the attraction to deliver this clearly. Each clam-mobile is equipped with speakers, so you get music, dialogue and other sounds specifically timed to your place on the ride.
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters features a unique kind of omnimover, because you get to make it spin yourself. On this ride you are blasting Z targets to earn points and defeat Zurg. To get the best angle on these targets, you actually get to rotate your own vehicle using a joystick. Standard vehicles for Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters have one joystick and two blasters.
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters is located in Tomorrowland at Disneyland Park.
Tips for Boarding Omnimover Attractions at Disneyland Resort
The omnimover ride vehicle is special because it does not stop moving. It is in continuous motion even while guests are getting on and off! To accomplish this, a kind of guest conveyor belt runs alongside the vehicles in the boarding area.
A cast member will instruct you to step onto this conveyor belt in preparation to board your space cruiser, clam-mobile or doom buggy. While it can be a bit disconcerting to step onto this moving boarding area, it is steady and slow moving. Just take your time.
If you believe you will need extra time, let a cast member know. They absolutely know how to accommodate this and do it all the time. Additionally, both Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure and Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters have wheelchair access vehicles. Haunted Mansion does not, but it does have a transfer access vehicles.
We like riding omnimover rides with young children or nervous riders because the motion is smooth and steady. Plus, the bench seating allows us to fit multiple people in a vehicle or wrap a comforting arm around a little one.
For comprehensive information about boarding all kinds of ride vehicles at Disneyland Resort, see our What It’s Like to Board a Ride at Disneyland
Thanks for reading this entry about omnimovers in our Disneyland 101 Glossary
For more Disney definitions under 101 words, please explore our Disneyland 101 Glossary. For help planning your Disneyland Resort visit, check-out our free and complete Step-by-Step Disneyland Prep. Thanks again for reading!