Underground
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| Information on this site is unofficial. It is compiled by fans of Adventureland amusement park in Altoona, Iowa (near Des Moines). There may be inaccuracies and omissions. For official Adventureland information, visit the official website. |
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This page was last updated on 08/22/2016. Total Pages: 317. Total Files: 327.
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| Name | Underground |
|---|---|
| Category | Family Ride |
| Type | Dark Ride |
| Park Area | INFO NEEDED |
| First Year | 1996 |
| Riders | INFO NEEDED |
| Dispatch Rate | INFO NEEDED |
| Ride Duration | INFO NEEDED |
| About the Ride Info Box | |
Underground is a dark ride that uses a roller coaster car. It opened in 1996. It was built on top of the former Aquateatre.
After waiting through a mostly covered outside line, guests go up a ramp where they wait at a door. A worker will open the door and let a group in to the pre-show room. The long room has double doors along the left and railings separating each one. This is lining them up for the roller coaster car on the other side.
At the end of the room is a short wall with a miner character standing in a mine shaft behind it. The lights will go out and a spotlight will illuminate the miner and he will start telling the story of the ride.
After the pre-show, the doors open and guests go in to the loading area. The miner will be heard again over speakers before the ride begins.
The slow moving ride goes through scenes representing an old mine. There are a number of show scenes featuring limited animatronics of miners, as well as some moving props. There is also water/mist effects, lights and fog.
Apparently, the coaster car used in the ride is the only remaining car of that model in use in the United States.
Show Scenes
- Preshow
- Loading area speech
- Tunnel with lights
- ...
Trivia
But before you ride...
This is the only attraction at Adventureland with a preshow. It is also the only ride to feature simple animatronics, though the park previously had the animatronic Daniel and the Dixie Diggers on Main Street, and still has P.T. Barnaby at the Palace Theater.
Go away. Until later...
During the first few years of operation, a sign at the entrance read "From this point it is a 60 minute wait to ride this ride. We suggest you return later when the line is shorter."
A miner in speech...
The voice of the animated miner is XXXX. He was featured in TV commercials for The Underground, and is also drawn as a cartoon character at the entrance of the Outlaw.
Photos
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Underground "come back later" sign in 1996.
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Underground trees in 1997.
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Underground "come back later" sign in 2005.
External Links
- Theme Park Review Interview with CCI - Wayback Machine archive of an interview with CCI, creator of The Outlaw and The Underground.