Our modern world lacks for no amusement. From games to movies, there are more opportunities than ever before to get lost in fantasy worlds of fun and intrigue. But what is there that the whole family could enjoy?
Amusement rides remain one of the most popular ways for families to bond together during a vacation. In these summer months, tourists descend on famous metropolises with kids in tow, some of whom can be quite reluctant participants! It’s no small achievement to come up with something that will appeal to all ages, but serial entrepreneur Zalman Silber has struck amusement ride gold with his inspired vision of a simulated helicopter ride exploring famous landmarks.
After all, who hasn’t dreamed of flying? Through the deployment of high-definition video on a screen many storeys high and a specially designed moving platform that is synchronized with the actions on screen, guests are treated to a multimedia experience that simulates the feeling of flight. Called the Skyride in New York, Zalman Silber has created a unique version for Sydney in Australia called Oztrek.
The USS Intrepid, also in New York City, is another place that offers a ride that simulates flight, except this time it is as a “top gun,” or naval fighter pilot. Actually, three such rides are offered at the Virtual Flight Zone: G-Force Encounter, XD Theater, and Transporter FX. The G-Force Encounter lets you experience the supersonic forces of a jet plane, with three hundred and sixty degrees of movement for the two-person cockpit. The XD Theater is a fourteen-person ride with three-dimensional graphics and glasses not unlike those found in amusement parks the world over, with no particular theme involved (certainly none related to the glorious naval history of the USS Intrepid). The Transporter FX is a cross between the previous two, a movie-like experience that also offers a pilot’s point of view.
Something much more old fashioned but about as awesome, intellectually anyway, can be found at the Museum of Natural History’s Hayden Planetarium. There one might be able to catch an old show about the eight wonders of the universe will take viewers through the rings of Saturn to the dust clouds of the Seahorse Nebulae only to conclude that the greatest wonder in the whole cosmos is...the human mind, weighing roughly three pounds and measuring only about fifteen hundred cubic centimeters but able to encompass all the previous seven wonders visited.