As Disney's California Adventure undergoes its transformation, the park is leaving several extinct attractions in its wake. The Sun Wheel (above left) has already reopened as Mickey's Fun Wheel, bringing a bit of period Disney style to the boardwalk, and the Orange Stinger has recently been completely deconstructed in preparation for its renewal.
In its original incarnation, the Orange Stinger presented the classic wave swing ride as a "California Crazy" tribute to the state's citrus and honey industries. Guests entered the four-story orange structure via steps alongside a giant beekeeper's hive box. Once inside, they took a seat in swing chairs once designed to actually look like bees (the Fiberglas bee shells kept banging into each other and didn't even last a month after the attraction opened in February 2001).
As the ride began, the smell of oranges was joined by the buzzing of a single bee. Soon, as the ride lifted off the platform and really got going, that bee was joined by the sound of hundreds of others.
The Orange Stinger took its bees and passengers on their final flight July 13, 2009. When the attraction reopens, it will feature a more-traditional look and take on the name Silly Symphony Swings. Inspired by the 1935 Mickey Mouse short "The Band Concert" (his first in Technicolor), the ride will feature a figure of Bandleader Mickey at its top and reveal the tornado from the film as riders are hoisted into the air and spun around with the concert's musicians.
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