01
A ride on the roof
However, a third option is to ride atop the roof of one of the actual wagons – and that’s how new ideas evolve!
With a safety harness securely fastened, the owner and I ascended into the Vienna night sky.
Surrounded by silence, we beheld the twinkling lights of the Vienna Prater and the magnificent skyline of the city itself.
Shortly thereafter, we both recognised the potential to offer a similar experience to the public. It eventually resulted in an experience ALMOST as good as the actual rooftop ride itself. Well, almost… because some things are just meant to be kept special and close to the heart.
02
From swings to a better idea
The major challenge was to minimise disruption to regular operations while ensuring that we could offer a comparable experience to the breathtaking rooftop ride.
The idea of adding swings was initially a good one, but it required an adaptable moving floor to facilitate easy boarding at ground level. Furthermore, with swings, you can only face in one direction, limiting the view.
In the end, incorporating the necessary lift table into the existing setup posed logistical and budgetary constraints. Pursuing this way would have made the project significantly more complex and considerably more expensive. So, I kept on thinking about how to implement a similar experience effectively.
03
The solution is a glass platform
The glass platform solves all problems and is easy to use within regular operations.
- Pick-up Guests arrive at the Vienna Giant Ferris Wheel and are picked up by a tour guide.
- Harness The guide helps guests put on their safety harnesses and stays with them during the entire journey.
- Briefing After a quick safety briefing, guests step onto the platform and attach to a safety cable to reach their spot.
- Ready The guide secures the safety harness to the final attachment point, and the journey is ready to begin.
For the next few minutes, guests encounter a truly unique experience.
04
Dedicated to the construction workers of 1897
At Plattform 9, guests discover a truly unique experience, dedicated to the construction workers who erected the Wheel in 1897. The ride offers the only way for the public to truly grasp the challenges of working at heights of about 64 metres.
- 1897The Wheel is erected
- ~64 mWorking height
- 15Wagons
- 2022Plattform 9 opens
- 125Years of the Wheel
Side fact: body belts, the predecessors of safety harnesses, only gained popularity in the 1920s – more than two decades after the Wheel was built. Keep this in mind as you enjoy your ride.
05
Plattform 9 has gained significant attention
The new experience was launched just in time for the 125th anniversary of the Vienna Giant Ferris Wheel. Moreover, it served as a successful promotional tool for “The most spectacular job in Austria” campaign, as well as for various other marketing collaborations and promotional events.
Plattform 9 expands a tradition dating back over 125 years with a breathtaking new innovation.
In summary, Plattform 9 is a major success for the Vienna Giant Ferris Wheel. It is the perfect symbiosis of tradition and modernity, seamlessly fitting into the overall portfolio of the Wiener Prater.
Looking for a new experience within an existing attraction? I help operators turn ideas like this into something guests can book. Get in touch
