General info
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Category
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TypeBoat Ride
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StatusOperating
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Opened
Description
Area 51 is a shoot the chute ride which largely takes place indoors. The ride has two drops, one of which happens outside just after exiting the show building. The current theme is based on the infamous U.S. Airbase Area 51 in Utah, but the general looks from the ride still refer to its previous storyline of Bermuda Triangle.
History
From its opening in 1996 to 2018, the ride was called variations of ‘Bermuda Dreieck’ (Bermuda Triangle), later the subtitle ‘Alien Encounter’ was added. When it opened, Bermuda Dreieck was a copy of Bermuda Triangle in Sea World (Gold Coast, Australia). In the storyline of the attraction, riders were asked to join the coast guard in the investigation of missing planes and ships in the Bermuda Triangle.
The ride got a complete restoration in 2019 with some additional exterior decor constructed by Props & Zo. The volcano outside was rethemed to become a mountain, for this the blowtorch on top, that ignited once in a while to simulate the volcano erupting, was removed. The effects inside, of which many broke down during the years, were restored or altered. The ride got a new storyline and pre-show, revolving around the infamous U.S. Airbase Area 51 in Utah. The majority of the ride's decors stayed intact.
Contrary to popular belief, the animatronics for Bermuda Triangle were not created by Sally Dark Rides nor Garner Holt, but instead the Australian Showtronix. They manufactured the animatronics for many of Warner's early rides.
Statistics
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Seats (per vehicle/theatre)16 seats
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Capacity800 p/h
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Ride duration6 minutes
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Ride length300 m
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Maximum height10 m