The Demon

Consulate · Post by **Consulate** » Wed Aug 24, 2005 2:22 pm

Recently I have been real curious about what the demon was like back in its original season, when themeing was heavy and the attraction was extremly popular (although still very popular today). What sort of effects did the ride have when it opened. I know that under the cave (under the lift) in the queue at the gurnee park there is a tube you can see going in and out of the ground which looked like it may have been used for fog. It also seems as if the grassy area next to the lift use to have some other themed items, and a different queue layout. In an article from when the ride opening I recall reading about misters in a cave, not sure if this is the waterfall or what it was. For those that remember as much detail about the original queue design and themeing as well as ride effects if you could share them I would love to hear them.

JW65 · Post by **JW65** » Wed Aug 24, 2005 2:35 pm

If you watch the clip of the 1980 Demon commercial, you will be able to see some of the original effects/theming. What stands out in my mind is the surprising flashing red and white lights as seen in the second tunnel.

http://www.greatamericaparks.com/demon001.mpg

Jeff

Consulate · Post by **Consulate** » Wed Aug 24, 2005 3:25 pm

The tunnel lights were really cool. Another thing I remember noticing was a speaker inside "the demons" nose when racing through the corckscrews as well as lights. I know that Gurnee doesnt use those, does Santa clara use that at all anymore? And what kind of noises would come from that speaker if any?

Santa Cruisin · Post by **Santa Cruisin** » Wed Aug 24, 2005 7:11 pm

At PGA I remember the fog tunnel before the lift, the first drop before the loop of which the lower part was shrouded in trees (bushes), the red and yellow chaser lights in the tunnel and the blood red waterfalls just before the corkscrew. There was also a soundtrack running in the queue that was similiar to the commercials.

BrianPlencner · Post by **BrianPlencner** » Wed Aug 24, 2005 7:41 pm

Santa Cruisin wrote:There was also a soundtrack running in the queue that was similiar to the commercials.

Yes there was. Check out the thread below for info on how to get a copy of that soundtrack!

http://www.greatamericaparks.com/forums ... light=#910

akorbel · Post by **akorbel** » Thu Aug 25, 2005 1:27 am

I remember you would enter the first tunnel with the mist and I think the soundtrack was queued a bit past the point where the narrator starts to tell you how it became the Demon. I always remember hearing this part when I was in the first tunnel "A gigantic, subterranean upheavel of molten lava and rock..." etc. (Thanks, Brian for posting that, BTW).

It was really fun to ride at night, especially the tunnel with the chasing lights and the rock "face" with the waterfall.

PGA ROCKS · Post by **PGA ROCKS** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 4:14 pm

Hello. I'm thirteen years old and I love roller coasters. At PGA, The Demon's theming has been put to a minimum. Now all there is is the tunnel at the beginning (lights inside), a voice recording inside the first tunnel, a tunnel after the two loops, and the rock and waterfall. One thing I will remember my first ride on Demon forever. It was my first ride with inversions. But now the ride is very bumpy. But I still ride it.

Post by **steven** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 12:01 am

JW65 wrote:If you watch the clip of the 1980 Demon commercial, you will be able to see some of the original effects/theming. What stands out in my mind is the surprising flashing red and white lights as seen in the second tunnel.

When I saw that commercial for the first time after so many years, my reaction to the lighting effects in the tunnel was: WOW. The commercial was hauled out in Santa Clara on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the Demon.

Steven

jonrev · Post by **jonrev** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 9:11 am

What happened to the original sign for Demon (the one with the drain pipe)?

SFGAmLover · Post by **SFGAmLover** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 2:47 pm

This page http://www.angelfire.com/oh4/tk173/demon.html tells about the sign. Basically, they ended up covering up the 'pipe' with a mound of dirt that rises to the DEMON letters.

jonrev · Post by **jonrev** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 2:57 pm

So if I borrowed an backhoe and dug down, I would find the drain pipe? Or did they take that off?

What about the SC Demon? Is that sign still there?

twixmix0303 · Post by **twixmix0303** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 6:04 pm

No, they did take it off. If you look at a picture of it with the drainpipe, you can see that there were only two bricks exposed above the pipe. Now, there are three empty bricks exposed above the ground, meaning that if there was the drainpipe underneath, you'd see a little bit of the top.

jonrev · Post by **jonrev** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 6:56 pm

That's what I thought.

dave210 · Post by **dave210** » Tue Sep 13, 2005 8:57 am

Does anyone know why the Demon had PGA reprofiled their drop? I remember visiting PGA in 1998 and noticing that the Demon had a significantly more gradual drop in comparison to the Demon at SFGAm. Any ideas?

JW65 · Post by **JW65** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 8:02 pm

Does anyone know whether or not the original Turn of the Century coaster cars were rethemed and used as the cars for the Demon? If so, are those same cars still being used on the Demon now?