Previous Small Attractions
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I want to say it was used as a radio booth from about 2006-2012 give or take. I don't know if it was ever very popular but a lot of local stations used to do remotes from there on occasion. I think it's mostly a way to cross promote each other. Also I think it was tied into events like HOS or concerts.
Having worked in radio for a stint, I think the wireless remote broadcast equipment was available for most of that time though may have been kinda expensive - it relied upon cell data signals so who knows how bad those were in the park at the time if even existent.
Would have been cool to do it live on top of a ride though - think about having the afternoon drive crew chilling at the top of Griffon's lift, bantering with riders.
More than likely, since it was probably voice only (music and commercials played at the station), it was probably broadcast quality phone (VoIP) lines. I know Disney sets up VoIP links for many Central Florida stations for special events, etc.
To plug into a radio broadcast, they would not likely have used VOIP since it's essentially mimicking a POTS line... Not to mention the park may not have been wired for it (use CAT5, I believe).
Assuming the park could easily have an ISDN line installed to a permanent location, it would have been a far more reliable method albeit potentially more expensive due to telecom charges.
Of course, there's always the option to go old school and stick a signal relay transmitter on a roof somewhere pointed at the station's receiver... Or do what a certain station I worked for would do (since their studio wasn't too compatible with the remote equipment) and pre-record their segments either in advance or with a laptop on site then send them back for the guy in the studio to air.
FYI - The majority of their phone system is VoIP. I used AoIP in my home studio for years as ISDN is costly and not 100% reliable. Highly doubt they used signal transmitters as line of sight (my old station used that) is pretty much impossible. And pre-record pretty much defeats the purpose of "live from yada-yada". But, whatever, it was rarely used as I've been able to determine.
Busch was not VoIP until a few years ago is my understanding. Now they are fully VoIP for all phones at the park.
@GrandpaD I may have made a false assumption about VOIP quality, but thanks @BGWnut for clarifying about the wiring.
I was being facetious about the relay since that'd either require the old live trucks with masts that'd defeat the purpose of having a dedicated remote studio, and unless I'm mistaken it'd take a hell of a lot more time, effort, money and whatever safety precautions needed to stick a relay at a high point in the park (roof, tree, ride, etc.).
I was being facetious about the relay since that'd either require the old live trucks with masts that'd defeat the purpose of having a dedicated remote studio, and unless I'm mistaken it'd take a hell of a lot more time, effort, money and whatever safety precautions needed to stick a relay at a high point in the park (roof, tree, ride, etc.).
I remember playing the electric drum set to Living Colour’s “Cult of Personality” before it was the airbrush place!
There's a "temporary" freezer there now. You'll often find it half open when they need extra line spacer for the Globe show before the house opens.
I was referring to the one over in Rhinefeld that essentially cuts behind the funnel cake shop over by LotD.
However, what's the one you're referring to?
Curious if there are any more semi-secret pathways that might not get used by guests on any regular basis.
Just want to clarify here-
All the phones I've seen inside the park are analog telephones that likely run on a pair of copper wires, probably to an on site branch exchange that links everything to the corporate phone system (based on my knowledge of other parks and campus-like systems).
At some point, yes, but not the final stretch from the exchange to the phone.
Likely over the parks network, linked to their broadcasting station over the internet. News/radio stations will often have a device that is connected to multiple cellular networks (will an ethernet fall-over if the signal drops), and is streaming on all of them concurrently to their home base.
I'm thinking ComRex, which at the time I was in radio from 2008-2011 had models that could accept phone lines or cell data connection cards. They might have had a CAT5 connection ports though we never used them since nobody ever had an open line.
As for phone lines, it is inherently expensive and disruptive to either place new conduit to run new underground lines or yank the old lines out and replace with new... Assuming that's even possible given the potential deterioration of the old lines, if there's enough space in the existing conduits, and/or if the old lines are running in 1-way conduit. So for that alone, I would tend to believe guest-facing phones are running on the old lines.
As for phone lines, it is inherently expensive and disruptive to either place new conduit to run new underground lines or yank the old lines out and replace with new... Assuming that's even possible given the potential deterioration of the old lines, if there's enough space in the existing conduits, and/or if the old lines are running in 1-way conduit. So for that alone, I would tend to believe guest-facing phones are running on the old lines.
I figured when they installed the lines under concrete pathways they'd use conduit, but maybe not.
But anyways, circling back to the original question about that particular location - good to see it's being used.
Still curious about whatever that old school Star Wars VR simulator thing was and where it stood - pretty sure it was in Germany somewhere in the late 90s - early 2000s.