The Walt Disney Company
Water ride with external heading controlled rafts

Abstract:

A water ride system with a flume that includes one or more sections in which a raft is unguided (except with flume sidewalls) to provide a dynamic experience with side-to-side movement and rotation. Further, the flume is configured to include one or more controlled or guided sections in which a raft is funneled or directed into a keyed guided portion of the ride path and then later released into one of uncontrolled or unguided sections of the flume. A raft includes a keyed guide assembly, mounted upon a lower surface of the raft body, that includes a pair of spaced apart guide members. In a guiding subsection of the flume, the bottom wall or lower surface of the flume includes a raised portion that includes a guideway or groove for receiving the guide assembly, whereby the raft has it directional and rotational movements guided in the flume.