Where In The Park Podcast - Discovering the Details of your Favorite Theme Parks
We're Kevin, Amanda, & Kim from Where In The Park! Join us each episode as we discuss the history, stories, and secrets behind the details of your favorite theme parks, from Disney to Universal Studios and beyond.
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Where In The Park Podcast - Discovering the Details of your Favorite Theme Parks
Pixar Pal-A-Round and the History of the Ferris Wheel
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How did a 19th-century engineering marvel become one of the most surprising thrill rides at a Disney park?
In this episode of the Where In The Park Podcast, Kevin takes us on a journey from the invention of the wheel in ancient Mesopotamia to the massive Chicago World’s Fair Ferris Wheel of 1893 — and all the way to the swinging gondolas of the Pixar Pal-A-Round at Disney California Adventure.
We explore:
• The origin of the Ferris Wheel and George Washington Gale Ferris Jr.
• The engineering rivalry to outshine the Eiffel Tower
• The rise of Coney Island’s Wonder Wheel and the eccentric sliding gondola design
• Disneyland’s early (and short-lived) Ferris Wheel experiments
• Why Pixar Pal-A-Round is technically not a traditional Ferris Wheel
• How Disney California Adventure’s version became one of the most thrilling attractions at any Disney park
From World’s Fair innovation to seaside amusement parks to Pixar Pier, this episode uncovers how history, engineering, and theme park design all come together 160 feet above Paradise Bay.
Whether you ride swinging or non-swinging… you’ll never look at this wheel the same way again.
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