Rube Dugin's Diving Bell

[adairmd]

I just found this website, and this is my first post.  Anyway, I remember the diving bell.  The thing I remember most was being picked to turn the wheel to try to stop the water from coming in.  I remember the guy telling me to turn it faster, because it was going to flood us.  It was fun!

[Old Guy]

There was a shallow cave at water level that you can just make out th the right of the scale room in the second picture on sams page. What you are seeing is where groups of around 40 would be let in one one of two "Scales" where the group would be weighed to act as ballast to "get the bell to stink.... er sink". From there your group would walk breafly out onto docks on the backside where the Junior would step on  a footswich which caused the "bell" to come out of the cave right next to the dock go out about 10 feet and submerge. This was only a small top, and timed so that everyone in the group was  into the caves and boarding their bell by the time it backed into its cave again. Hope that helps in track spotting.
The bright panel to the right of the view screen was a map which flew up as the rock broke through.
The water was pumped up from a stock tank below the bells, and on the "Last ride of Rube Dugin" a friend of mine dumped dye into the tank. The junior was shocked when he went to slap his hand over the leaking pipe and the water went from clear to ink black!
Eli was foiled by the way becouse his paddles were cought on a stalagmite.
The movie you spoke of was filmed in 1977 as part of the R.D. launch

[rosenc1c]

This is my first post here, this is really a great site. 

I remember the diving bell, I always thought it was one of the coolest rides in the park.  I wish they would bring it back.  I wish SDC would add more of these types of attractions, rather than going for the thrill rides. 

Someone mentioned there was more info on the diving bell at "Silver Dollar Inside Track".  Is this a website?  I googled and couldn't find anything.

[sdcforever]

^The Inside Track was a website (silverdollarcity.blogspot.com).  It was Conductor Sam's blog, but it has been removed and replaced with Mom's Blog (silverdollarcityblog.com), which is too bad.  It had great info and nice pictures of the Diving Bell.

[Old Guy]

http://209.85.215.104/search?q=cache:l3mYI7gyRUkJ:www.noelgreen.com/2008/02/rube-dugans-diving-bell.html+Rube+Dugan%27s+Diving+Bell&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us
Check this out!

[sdcforever]

^That's good info, Old Guy.  I didn't know Noel Green was the only one to play Rube Dugan at the park.  The post is dated February 2, 2008, and he mention that Rube Dugan is "back".  He played him during the 1999 and 2000 seasons; is the character featured somewhere in the park now?  Has anyone seen any representation of Rube Dugan at SDC this season or last?  I'm just curious.

I would like the Diving Bell to come back, especially since I've never experienced it myself.  We started going to the park three years after it was removed.  I really don't see it coming back.  Maybe some sort of museum display of artifacts from the ride (for the 50th anniversary) is possible, though.  I just don't know where they would put the ride if they brought it back, unless they're thinking of putting something Rube Dugan-related in the new area. 

[Coaster]

I've heard the Disney World thing before and I've wondered about it. Why was the ride proposed to them? Did SDC ask them if it was possible or something? Why did they tell us it couldn't be done? I guess I'm asking is why they knew about this project.

[sdcforever]

^Coaster, I've heard two versions of the Disney World story.  One is that SDC asked them if it was possible, and they told SDC no because it was too expensive.  The second version is that a ride of this type was originally proposed to Disney by the ride company and Disney said that it wasn't practical and too expensive.  SDC then heard about it (maybe was given a proposal by the same ride company) and decided to give it a try even though Disney passed on it.  I think the second version is more plausible, but I'm not sure if any of it's true.  Regarding the first version, I'm with you.  Why would SDC ask Disney for their recommendation?  Can anyone shed definitive light on this?

[Coaster]

^Yeah your second idea seemed much more likely. Parks don't usually ask other parks what to put in their parks.

[Swoosh]

^Really?  That's very interesting, because I have heard right from the mouth of Dick Kinzel, CEO of Cedar Fair, that he has been to SFGAdv to ride El Toro and has been to several other SF parks to see rides.  I also know that Brad and several of the Herschend crew went to several parks that had the Screamin' Swings installed at their parks before they installed TGS.

So, not to be mean, but yes parks do talk to other parks about what to add and recommendations.  This business is smaller than you think.

[History Buff]

I'm sure they do their research; there's no doubt about that.  But to ask advice?  Certainly not if the park is a competitor in the region.  Maybe otherwise though.  I'm not sure that it really matters, though.  The point is that the Diving Bell was a decent ride, a storytelling ride that took visitors into the story and scared the little kids.  Priceless!

I say bring it back as a 4-D ride!  The Herschends have 4-D shows at other venues, so it's not like they could imagine such a thing.  It would be a NEW ride, but still have the nostalgia that so many of us crave.

[Swoosh]

The thing is, parks are not really competitors unless they are in the exact same region like Orlando or SoCal.  Parks like WOF and SDC don't really compete against each other.  If that was the case, why would SDC invite Brandon Stanley from WOF down to speak at Coaster Christmas each year in December

[Copper]

Because it encourages WOF lovers to visit SDC. I agree that they should bring back the Diving Bell. During thunderstorms it could be another attraction that remains open like FITH and the Flooded Mine; it would please guests in so many ways!