Wearing an insulated jacket and still feeling chilly, I did a round of the midway before the opening this morning. No students today, though all are advised to check out the fair from now to Labour Day to watch how the guests interact with the rides — and with each other around the rides. Rides don’t exist for their own purposes. They exist to do something meaningful for the guest, on a sensory level or a social level, or both.
Continue reading “Opening Day”Author: Kathryn Woodcock
Dr. Kathryn Woodcock is Professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, teaching, researching, and consulting in the area of human factors engineering / ergonomics particularly applied to amusement rides and attractions (https://thrilllab.blog.torontomu.ca), and to broader occupational and public safety issues of performance, error, investigation and inspection, and to disability and accessibility.
Fair food – not always deep fried or on sticks
Blitzen
Hard work
CNE Eve
Twas the morning before CNE and all through the midway, … there were new rides arriving and still some spaces.
Some of the most labour intensive rides were going up today, like this. Can you recognize from the photo what it will be?
Wave Swinger
Box of bumblebees
Wednesday, pre-CNE
The show opens Friday morning. The threatening rain yesterday did not catch us, and today was windy but dry. There were still many rides on the midway that had not been completely put together and fenced in, giving us a good chance to look at the machinery from all angles. We also had a chance to watch inspections of some rides, including the Ring of Fire and the Crazy Mouse spinning coaster.
These were great opportunities for the group to think about how to mimic the mechanisms of the rides for scale model club projects, and challenge themselves to spot key features like brakes, proximity switches, drive wheels, cables, and chains on a variety of rides.
Continue reading “Wednesday, pre-CNE”Lights and raindrops on scenery panel
Tuesday, pre-CNE
The CNE opens on Friday, with a blast of confetti at 10am. On the midway, there are many marked spaces for rides that have not yet arrived. We expect more to see tomorrow, and a magical transformation on Thursday. Today’s site visit gave students a look under the new Tivoli Remix.
Continue reading “Tuesday, pre-CNE”