Hulk's Mathmagic Land - 6. Dark Ride Part Two

Mathmagic Land: Brazil’s Math Pavilion Adds Up

3) The Golden Rectangle

Our chariots drift away from this musical melee, lights and sound fading away until once again all is inky blackness and silence. Pausing, chariots view a wall. Donald sits attentively in the front row like a schoolchild. Projected imagery accompanies the Spirit’s next lesson.

“It was our old friend Pythagoras who discovered that ordinary shapes were full of ‘mathmagic.’ Take for instance this, the Golden Rectangle. It’s a most remarkable shape. It can mathematically reproduce itself indefinitely.”

The wall displays a projection of the Golden Rectangle. The animated rectangle divides itself with a square, resulting in a smaller Golden Rectangle within…then another square creates another smaller Golden Rectangle, inwards and inwards infinitely.

“All these rectangles have exactly the same proportions. We find the Golden Rectangle in all sorts of art and architecture. Take a look.”

Chariots resume a sideways glide past physical models, all famous buildings and artworks. An animated Donald floats overhead, marveling at each model in turn. Pepper’s ghost projections overlay yellow Golden Rectangles onto these familiar images, showing the golden ratio underlying their designs. First we see the familiar Parthenon, then Notre Dame Cathedral, then spinning 180 degrees to behold the Mona Lisa. More visions, more spinning, of the Venus di Milo, the Taj Mahal, American Gothic, Christ the Redeemer, New York City’s UN Building, even Belle's Castle at neighboring Disneyland Brazil.

Then we see animatronic Donald standing between two framed oil paintings. “Boy oh boy, am I ideal proportions too?” The Golden Rectangle overlays upon Donald, but it’s a poor fit. “No, Donald” the Spirit chides, “not all of us can be perfect.” The duck contorts to fit, only to explode the projected yellow rectangle into a shattered starburst pattern.

4) Mathematical Forms in Nature

This day-glow starburst floats away and forms a doorway, through which we now pass. Down a curving dark chamber, through more day-glow shape doorways: a Golden Rectangle, an octagon, a heptagon, a hexagon, a pentagon. Windows of various shapes to the right offer a sneak preview onto the two-floor grand finale below.

The Spirit resumes, “Now let’s look at how nature uses these same mathematical forms. Take the pentagon. You see it in the petunia, the star jasmine, the starfish.” The objects he lists appear physically within projected shapes, like the buildings before them.

“All nature’s works have a mathematical logic, and her patterns are limitless.”

Spotlights reveal more and more gorgeous natural shapes. The narrow chamber expands onto a spectacular sight: a multi-floored spiraling atrium, its every nook and cranny filled with mesmerizing mathematical objects found in nature! Every object rotates and spins with tremendous life. Abstract, yet lovely! Spiral shells. Broccoli. Cacti. Honeycomb. Crystals. Bubbles. Spider webs. Snowflakes. Angelica flowerheads. Sunflower seed heads. Spiral aloe. Lichtenberg figures from lightning frozen in amber.

Image: Disney

The ride’s musical theme grows ever more prominent. Our chariots circumnavigate a spiral ramp descending this glorious space. A similar spiral ramp ascends within ours, like the intertwined ramps of a parking garage; empty chariots spin musically along this ramp. (These chariots navigate the brief stretch between unload and load, becoming a set piece along the way.)

The overwhelmingly abstract imagery grows to be too much. Reaching the ground floor, chariots enter a spinning kaleidoscope tunnel. A dizzying fusion of objects! Donald Duck fractals emerge and grow, the effect of infinite mirrors reflecting simple static figures.

Downstairs ride layout; Image: Park Lore

5) Mathematical Forms in Games

The craziness subsides, an empty void replaces the craziness, as chariots come to a pause before an animatronic Donald who himself recovers before receding starfield projections.

“Well Mister Donald, did you enjoy your mathematical journey?”

“Gee Mister Spirit, there’s a lot more to mathematics than two plus two.”

“That’s right, Donald, and you can find mathematics in games too. Chess, for example.”

“Games? Oh boy oh boy!”

Image: Disney

Our chariots enter a human-sized chessboard. Black & white squares recede to the horizon. Drifting sideways, fast then slow, chariots facing opposite directions, we pass flanking rows of large chess pieces. Pawns shimmy, then move forward, propelled by hidden magnets under the board. A chess game is underway, and we’re the targets!

An action sequence begins! The musical theme goes haywire!

Image: Disney

Chariots dodge defensively, like chess pieces, following a rigid rectilinear route. The larger red pieces (the Knights, Rooks and Bishops) close in from all sides. We spin, and find animatronic Donald tormented by the animatronic King and Queen. “Lost pawn! Lost pawn!” they shout. The chase goes on, the chessboard surface closing in from above and below at all angles. The chariots rush backwards out of this oppressive playfield, back to another black void.

“Checkmate. And the game is over. But practically all games are played on geometrical surfaces. Here’s a quick glimpse.”

Image: Disney

Our chariots spin to wind around a turntable. It rotates in the opposite direction, affording us quick glances at a wide array of Donald sportsman figures. Here he is playing baseball. Playing basketball. Playing American football, rugby, hockey, hopscotch, and of course Brazilian soccer. Even the Oregon Duck mascot appears.

“What’s next,” asks Donald, unseen, “tiddlywinks?”

“NO! A mathematical game played on a field of two perfect squares, using fifteen perfect spheres, and a lot of diamonds. In other words, pool.”

Out now onto an oversized pool table, green felt shag floor under our chariots. The smell of chalky dust floats in the smoky barroom air. We’re the size of pool balls, which surround the field. Donald Duck appears as a giant to us, achieved through a wraparound projection screen which reaches upwards to the second floor.

Donald plays the game. A massive physical pool stick lowers in, just above our heads, as it strikes the white cue ball. Balls roll and ricochet! Chaos commences! The chariots separate, split apart by a rolling 8 ball, as they careen and ping pong madly across the table! More near misses from the pool stick! Danger and terror, like on the chessboard, until the chariots spin around, rejoin, and rush together into a pocket. Into the safety of a black void between show scenes. Pausing to catch our breath.

The ride’s not over yet! On our final page coming up, we’ll see the astounding conclusion. We’ll also enjoy a post-show playground, then collect our thoughts at the end of this wondrous tour. Read on…

Read on...!

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Modern Marvels

Disneyland Brazil, Disneyland Brazil Resort