Aircraft

Disney World celebrates new park expansion with mechanical flying dragon

Disney World celebrates new park expansion with mechanical flying dragon
Disney World recently commemorated the opening of the New Fantasyland expansion in the Magic Kingdom by having a mechanical flying dragon soar over the grounds on its own
Disney World recently commemorated the opening of the New Fantasyland expansion in the Magic Kingdom by having a mechanical flying dragon soar over the grounds on its own
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This past summer, passersby near a small airport in California spotted a winged dragon going for a series of test flights (Photo courtesy Tammy Jackson-Zaninovich)(Photo courtesy Tammy Jackson-Zaninovich)
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This past summer, passersby near a small airport in California spotted a winged dragon going for a series of test flights (Photo courtesy Tammy Jackson-Zaninovich)(Photo courtesy Tammy Jackson-Zaninovich)
This past summer, passersby near a small airport in California spotted a winged dragon going for a series of test flights (Photo courtesy Tammy Jackson-Zaninovich)
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This past summer, passersby near a small airport in California spotted a winged dragon going for a series of test flights (Photo courtesy Tammy Jackson-Zaninovich)
According to the patent filing, it's actually an ultralight aircraft using an inflatable parawing combined with a rear-mounted fan, which a single pilot uses to steer and keep the vehicle airborne
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According to the patent filing, it's actually an ultralight aircraft using an inflatable parawing combined with a rear-mounted fan, which a single pilot uses to steer and keep the vehicle airborne
If the videos online are any indication, Disney's new dragon moves in a very natural way and certainly looks believable
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If the videos online are any indication, Disney's new dragon moves in a very natural way and certainly looks believable
With a majestic musical score and some ferocious roars piped in over the loud speakers, guests can really get the sense that a giant mythical creature has taken to the skies overhead
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With a majestic musical score and some ferocious roars piped in over the loud speakers, guests can really get the sense that a giant mythical creature has taken to the skies overhead
At this time, Disney is billing the dragon's emergence as a "special, one-night appearance," though Disney has stated it could make a surprise return at any time and any place
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At this time, Disney is billing the dragon's emergence as a "special, one-night appearance," though Disney has stated it could make a surprise return at any time and any place
There's been some speculation about a flying dragon for Disney's park since back in 2010 when the company filed a patent outlining just such a contraption
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There's been some speculation about a flying dragon for Disney's park since back in 2010 when the company filed a patent outlining just such a contraption
The parawing and cockpit are camouflaged to blend in with the night sky, rendering them practically invisible when lit with a bright spotlight from below
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The parawing and cockpit are camouflaged to blend in with the night sky, rendering them practically invisible when lit with a bright spotlight from below
There's been some speculation about a flying dragon for Disney's park since back in 2010 when the company filed a patent outlining just such a contraption
9/10
There's been some speculation about a flying dragon for Disney's park since back in 2010 when the company filed a patent outlining just such a contraption
Disney World recently commemorated the opening of the New Fantasyland expansion in the Magic Kingdom by having a mechanical flying dragon soar over the grounds on its own
10/10
Disney World recently commemorated the opening of the New Fantasyland expansion in the Magic Kingdom by having a mechanical flying dragon soar over the grounds on its own
View gallery - 10 images

Disney World recently opened the latest expansion to its Magic Kingdom theme park called "New Fantasyland," which features several attractions built around popular films like The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. The whole place has been designed to look like a storybook brought to life, and in keeping with the spirit of the new area, spectators at a recent media event were greeted with a visit from a surprise guest: a giant, fire-breathing dragon. From the ground, onlookers watched as the mechanical beast soared through the sky, flapping its wings, roaring as it moved its head, and shooting fireworks out of its mouth.

There's been some speculation about a flying dragon for Disney's park since back in 2010 when the company filed a patent outlining just such a contraption. At the time, the patent filing coincided with the announcement of another area of the park themed after James Cameron's blockbuster film Avatar (which is due in 2016), and it was assumed to be related to that.

Then this past summer, passersby near a small airport in California spotted a winged dragon going for a series of test flights, and soon after, Disney launched a small viral marketing campaign encouraging people to "spot the dragon." Disney finally debuted its creation by having it swoop over a crowd of surprised guests during a media event before New Fantasyland's grand opening.

If the videos online are any indication, Disney's new dragon moves in a very natural way and certainly looks believable
If the videos online are any indication, Disney's new dragon moves in a very natural way and certainly looks believable

The dragon flies on its own without wires, but not because of the wings and tail. According to the patent filing, it's actually an ultralight aircraft using an inflatable parawing combined with a rear-mounted fan, which a single pilot uses to steer and keep the vehicle airborne. The parawing and cockpit are camouflaged to blend in with the night sky, rendering them practically invisible when lit with a bright spotlight from below. Everything else – flapping wings, moving head and tail, fireworks – is all to distract the audience from the true flight elements, giving it the appearance of an autonomous flying creature when viewed from the ground.

This past summer, passersby near a small airport in California spotted a winged dragon going for a series of test flights (Photo courtesy Tammy Jackson-Zaninovich)(Photo courtesy Tammy Jackson-Zaninovich)
This past summer, passersby near a small airport in California spotted a winged dragon going for a series of test flights (Photo courtesy Tammy Jackson-Zaninovich)(Photo courtesy Tammy Jackson-Zaninovich)

If the videos online are any indication, Disney's new dragon moves in a very natural way and certainly looks believable. With a majestic musical score and some ferocious roars piped in over the loud speakers, guests can really get the sense that a giant mythical creature has taken to the skies overhead.

At this time, Disney is billing the dragon's emergence as a "special, one-night appearance," though Disney has stated it could make a surprise return at any time and any place. For now, future park-goers can at least enjoy what New Fantasyland has to offer, but they should probably keep an eye on the sky above just in case.

Check out Disney's official video below to see the dragon taking its first flight over Cinderella's castle.

Source: Disney via Inside the Magic

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View gallery - 10 images
5 comments
5 comments
Todd Dunning
Now THAT is just the coolest damn thing ever. Refreshing to see anything cutting edge these days with people waiting to sue you over a hot cup of coffee.
Bill Bennett
AND Todd imagine an eight year old seeing that! Their delight, their thrill, very sweet, MOMMY, DADDY LOOK!
A'Tuin
Wow - so it REALLY was a dragon!!
And there was me thinking it was just the Mother-in-Law, out on one of her evening excursions.
Ben Mullison
Sort of an aside to Todd Dunning. I assume you're referring to the case where a woman sued McDonalds. She actually received third degree burns to 20% of her body. The following is an article about the case. I wouldn't click it if you've just eaten. http://www.prwatch.org/node/8578 Scroll down until you see the picture.
Stella Liebeck offered to settle the case for $11,000. To cover her medical expenses. When the jury heard that over 700 hundred people had received injuries similar to Ms. Liebeck's they decided to award her 2.7 million, because they wanted to send a message to McDonalds. 2.7 million is what McDonalds made on coffee in two days. A judge lowered the award to $640,000.
Could all of us use $640,000? Sure. But would any of us scald off 20% of our skin for it? I doubt it.
Mary Smith
This is awesome! I hope to see this dragon someday.