Chance Rides marks 65 years of attraction manufacturing

Chance Rides Marks 65 Years of Attraction Manufacturing and Design Evolution

Chance Rides is marking its 65th anniversary by reflecting on a history that spans from the 1961 launch of Harold Chance’s signature CP Huntington train to modern international partnerships and digital engineering workflows.

The Tech TL;DR:
• Chance Rides is celebrating 65 years in business, tracing its roots back to the 1961 debut of the CP Huntington train.
• Operations manager Jeremy McClanahan states that the transition from 2D drawings to 3D engineering allows the firm to simulate and refine designs before manufacturing parts.
• President and CEO Aaron Landrum notes that current attraction design focuses on multigenerational family experiences and accessibility rather than individual age brackets.

Founded by Harold Chance, the manufacturing operation expanded over subsequent decades beyond its initial train offering into portable rides, carousels, roller coasters, people movers, and observation wheels. President and CEO Aaron Landrum identifies the development of the CP Huntington as a defining moment for the company, followed by a shift toward portability in the industry that reduced ride setup times from days or weeks to a day or two. Subsequent decades brought new product lines, including carousels in the 1980s, people movers and trams in the 1990s, and observation wheels later on, alongside the acquisition of D.H. Morgan and international collaborations such as with Sweden’s EVX Mobility.

Transition to Three-Dimensional Engineering and Upfront Modeling

Internal processes have shifted alongside the company’s product catalog. Operations manager Jeremy McClanahan explains that moving from traditional two-dimensional drafting to three-dimensional engineering transforms the design phase by enabling simulations and validations prior to physical component production. Project management director Travis Lane emphasizes that modern modeling software shifts the workload upfront, allowing rapid design iterations before parts are committed to a strict delivery schedule or fabrication print. Despite the integration of CNC machinery and automated fabrication, McClanahan notes that traditional craftsmanship remains central to the production of each ride.

Adapting Attraction Designs for Multigenerational Families and Diverse Needs

Design parameters have evolved to accommodate broader demographic groups and varying physical requirements. Landrum points to a deliberate shift away from single-demographic attractions toward experiences tailored for entire family groups, spanning young children to older adults. This includes accommodating guests with diverse physical abilities and sensory sensitivities, such as adjusting elements for visitors prone to sensory overload. At the same time, operators are requesting more complex creative designs, exemplified by the psychedelic Looper carousel built for Area15 in Las Vegas, which signals an artistic departure from traditional aesthetics.

Operator Feedback and Whole-Life Economics in Modern Theme Parks

Direct engagement with operators serves as a primary driver for product updates and new configurations. Landrum says the company must listen to customer observations regarding queue behavior, guest reactions, and operational friction points to refine details like restraint mechanisms. Beyond initial deployment, operators increasingly evaluate whole-life economics, scrutinizing daily operating costs, hourly guest throughput, and return on investment. Lane notes that reliability standards have risen, stating that system uptime calculations divide by zero if a ride is non-operational, which necessitates maintainability engineered directly into the hardware from inception.