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Oblivion: General Discussion

Secret Weapon said:
I remember hearing about Oblivion, but I didn't see it as any different from drop towers such as Apocalypse at Drayton Manor
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Well, Apocalypse - a ride quite obviously aesthetically inspired by Oblivion - didn't open for another two years, in 2000. At the time Oblivion opened, the only comparable ride was Playstation/Ice Blast at BPB, which obviously centres more on up, not down. There were no major drop rides available in the UK, and few in Europe. I first rode Oblivion when I was ten, one year after opening, and the hype for it was massive even twelve months later.

The sensation of the drop knocked my socks off, and aside from the inevitable commentary on how short the experience was and comparisons to Nemesis, the ride was received pretty rapturously at the time.
 
Plastic Person said:
Well, Apocalypse - a ride quite obviously aesthetically inspired by Oblivion - didn't open for another two years, in 2000. At the time Oblivion opened, the only comparable ride was Playstation/Ice Blast at BPB, which obviously centres more on up, not down. There were no major drop rides available in the UK, and few in Europe. I first rode Oblivion when I was ten, one year after opening, and the hype for it was massive even twelve months later.

The sensation of the drop knocked my socks off, and aside from the inevitable commentary on how short the experience was and comparisons to Nemesis, the ride was received pretty rapturously at the time.
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Fair enough. I rode Apocalypse before Oblivion (even though Oblivion opened first), and I'd always assumed that drop towers had been around for a while, as Drayton Manor never marketed it as a first-of-its-kind (aside from the stand-up element)
 
Secret Weapon said:
Fair enough. I rode Apocalypse before Oblivion (even though Oblivion opened first), and I'd always assumed that drop towers had been around for a while, as Drayton Manor never marketed it as a first-of-its-kind (aside from the stand-up element)
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The first 2nd Gen drop Towers was in 1995, they needed magnetic brake technology to be developed to work. Think the first one in Europe was 1997.

There were some 1st gen drop towers in the late 80’s but they are very different beasts (cross between a drop tower and a rollercoaster).
 
rob666 said:
Indoor drops look bigger...thirty foot, three floor drop pirate.
Less than walking the plank on the Black Pearl.
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Three floors and a basement in a huge central London shopping centre in a former music hall
 
Bit late for a tape measure though mate.

Proud to say I was thrown out of the Troc for drunkenness forty years ago.

Strange history.

Edit...just been googling, no clear figures, but TPR (sorry) have a video, looks about sixty foot, ish.

Other comments are 20 to 30 foot, ranging to 100 foot.

Further research required, as we used to say at the end of hand written essays.

oh double edit...

Moved on to Funland Hayling Island, with a freestanding tower, then Luna Park Sunny Beach in Bulgaria.

Claimed, (not convinced, don't think the building is that big, even with a basement) at 100 feet.

Absolutely off topic, but there you go, indeed, our first "large scale" free fall drop tower of significance, a couple of years before Blivvy.
 
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I just remembered all those relocations, and came here to say exactly that myself.
I was about to hit post when I scrolled up and saw your edit. You swine.

So it was the first vertical drop un the UK then? No wonder it put me off drop towers for life. :tearsofjoy:

EDIT back at you:
Found this, and I'll agree 100 feet is optimistic.


From: https://youtu.be/8IMKGO3PMZo
 
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DiogoJ42 said:
EDIT back at you:
Found this, and I'll agree 100 feet is optimistic.


From: https://youtu.be/8IMKGO3PMZo
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Plans for the Trocadero as it was before being substantially redeveloped as a hotel can be found on Westminster Council's Planning Portal, e.g., 12/02540/FULL.

Within the documents for that application, "LO(04)001-00, 002-00, 003-00/EXISTING, DEMOLITION, PROPOSED SECTION PLANS" includes the existing cross-section drawings, on which floor levels are marked and it can be calculated that the height from the top of the atrium down to basement level was about 40m (130ft.)

It looks like it travelled up to a couple of levels down from there, but it's very clear that it did indeed drop 100ft., or at least reasonably close.
 
rob666 said:
Absolutely off topic, but there you go, indeed, our first "large scale" free fall drop tower of significance, a couple of years before Blivvy.
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Actually, the drop tower in the Trocadero opened almost in parallel with Oblivion.

I know this, as it briefly features as a point of comparison in the Blue Peter report/reveal of Oblivion, with Konnie Huq mentioning that “a similar ride opens/opened in London next week.”

This is the sort of rubbish that’s been embedded in my head for the best part of three decades, so thanks for giving me the opportunity to give this ‘knowledge’ a home.
 
Plastic Person said:
Actually, the drop tower in the Trocadero opened almost in parallel with Oblivion.

I know this, as it briefly features as a point of comparison in the Blue Peter report/reveal of Oblivion, with Konnie Huq mentioning that “a similar ride opens/opened in London next week.”
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Based on my only ride, and it was the first drop tower I experienced... (Can't remember now if I rode it or Oblivion first!)

Pepsi Max Drop certainly had a factor of intimidation, it did feel like you were high up at the top. However--I remember correctly--the drop itself didn't feel very far; you quickly hit the brakes which very smoothly and quite slowly brought you to a stop over some distance. Nothing like the theatricality, "illusion" nor ride experience of Oblivion...
 
DiogoJ42 said:
Well I never!
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In fairness, the mansard/upper levels of the Trocadero (itself a mess of various buildings knocked together and substantially altered over the years) aren't really visible from street level, being (intentionally) set back. For example, the parapet of the main Coventry Street façade (where the main entrance was) is ~23m (75ft.) above street level and the design also makes it look like it's only a few storeys high. However, the maximum height from sub-basement level to the rooftop is ~47m (155ft.)

TL;DR, it's much bigger than it looks.
 
fc100 said:
Based on my only ride, and it was the first drop tower I experienced... (Can't remember now if I rode it or Oblivion first!)

Pepsi Max Drop certainly had a factor of intimidation, it did feel like you were high up at the top. However--I remember correctly--the drop itself didn't feel very far; you quickly hit the brakes which very smoothly and quite slowly brought you to a stop over some distance. Nothing like the theatricality, "illusion" nor ride experience of Oblivion...
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That's a good point that I hadn't thought of; one advantage that Oblivion has over drop towers is that it retains its speed until the very bottom of the drop, whereas drop towers begin decelerating near the bottom, and you would therefore need a much taller drop tower in order to achieve the same duration of freefall as a dive coaster of the equivalent height.
 
Secret Weapon said:
That's a good point that I hadn't thought of; one advantage that Oblivion has over drop towers is that it retains its speed until the very bottom of the drop, whereas drop towers begin decelerating near the bottom, and you would therefore need a much taller drop tower in order to achieve the same duration of freefall as a dive coaster of the equivalent height.
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For sure... to add to that...

I think understanding how Oblivion worked, or perhaps was supposed to have worked, means going back to when it first opened...

As the first B&M Dive Coaster, what the track did at the bottom of the drop--or certainly would have been to the general public--was a "mystery," the hole being well obscured by mist.

There was, needless to say, a huge amount of hype built-up around the ride, and the TV advert literally showed the track going straight down...

"Don't look down." As JW put it, "you de-emphasise the exit."

By the time you reached the top a vast amount of anticipation and trepeditation had been built up. "Don't look down..."

Of course as soon as you enter the hole the track starts curving back up, and therefore the possibility of a disconnect between what you were (subconsciously) expecting, i.e., to keep going down, and what's really happening. You can hardly take in or see what's happening; it was disorientating, and I remember it felt like being completely pummeled.

After repeat rides you realise in actuality it's more tame. These days, of course, the context is different and it's easy enough to see online what a B&M Dive Coaster does, or arrive having already ridden those above ground level first. But I do believe it's a far cleverer ride than it tends to get credit for.
 
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