The Futuroscope, the film and technology theme park and 2nd french theme park in terms of attendance after Disneyland Paris had this week-end their press event for Futuroscope's new attraction called in english "Raving Rabbids, The Time Machine". You may know the Ubisoft popular video game featuring the crazy Raving Rabbids - which are known in France as "Lapins Crétins" - and they are the inspiration for this time travelling attraction.
The ride will open officially only December 21 but thanks to Max, D&M contributor and Dlrp Welcome webmaster, Disney and more has for you pictures and a video of the full ride, so let's go and have a look at this new attraction!
In “La Machine à Voyager dans le Temps” - Time Machine, in english - guests walk aboard a vehicle for a time travel with the Raving Rabbids, and they will be travelling from the Ice Age to Ancient Greece and up to the moon, thanks to the crazy rabbits’ laboratory. Jora Vision used for the ride a combination of 3-D projections, light effects, customized ride vehicles and the newest interactive dark ride techniques to create a unique attraction. The ride use is also located in the same building where the attraction "Les Animaux du Futur" was previously and according to Max is much more fun than the previous ride.
A Raving Rabbids submarine stands in the garden near the above show building entrance.
When guests go inside there is a pre-show called "Museum des Lapins Crétins" (Raving Rabbids Museum)...
...in which are displayed famous artwork, all with a Raving Rabbids take.
Also displayed some Raving Rabbids supposedly historical items and the washing machine that you can see below in the foreground has some importance as you will see later in the ride.
The Futuroscope wanted “La Machine à Voyager dans le Temps” to have plenty of humor and to create a ride to be fun for visitors of all ages. So, once they get out of the pre-show guests arrive to the boarding room below. What, you ask, it looks like a restrooms entrance? That's right, and not only it's the entrance of the boarding room...
...with a sign on the doors showing a Raving Rabbid sit on a toilet bowl and a restroom attendant on the TV screens above doors telling you that it's time to make a stop to the toilets before embarking...
... but it's also on this that guests will sit when they embark in the ride vehicle...
...on seats designed like toilet seats!
According to Max the seats are in foam and not a hard plastic like real ones ( thanks God! ) and when the washing machine that you'll see in the ride movie - which apparently serves as time vehicle - fall on the floor the seats go down suddenly a few centimeters.
Before you watch the full ride video, a bit of synopsis about it: So, it's supposed to be a time machine ride in which you travel with the the Raving Rabbids through different eras starting by Ice Age and then through Ancient Greece, Native Americans era, etc... According to Max the ride include in-ride effects, mostly wind either to simulate the touch by a mouse on your legs ( in the first scene ) or snakes ( in the fourth scene, the best one ). The vehicle is moving from one scene to another and in each scene guests face a 3D movie. Of course, on the video below it won't be in 3D but it'll give you an idea of how they use it.
My take on the ride itself, now: it looks very well done and is indeed full of humor, not always my favorite kind of humor, though... To be frank, it's a delight of good taste and raffiné gallic humor - it's totally ironic, of course, you'll see why... Anyway, it's time to embark, and please note that the video of the ride itself starts at 0.50 sec, just after a slide show of the pictures you've seen above.
Pictures and video: copyright Max Fan - Dlrp Welcome, Futuroscope
