Disco Dance – Smits
Classic waltzer with a colourful history
Operator: Smits (Düsseldorf)
Disco Dance Smits is a classic spinning ride with a shared row of seats. The ride has had several names and operators over the years.
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What to expect
- Multi-axis rotation
A whole row of seats swings together – a different feeling from freely rotating individual gondolas.
What makes Disco Dance Smits special
The documented ride is by the German manufacturer Koch and offers 22 seats. Ride-Index gives its dimensions as approximately 18 metres wide, 3,5 metres deep and seven metres high. Its electrical connection load is listed as 80 kilowatts. These figures relate to the specific ride operated by Smits and should not be assumed to apply to other Scheibenwischer rides.
The name alone is not enough to identify it. Similar rides and names are used by different operators. In addition, this ride has changed its name several times over the course of its history. So, when looking at older photos, it is worth checking the showman's name and the previous signage.
This is what it's like to ride Disco Dance Smits
Disco Dance Smits is a classic wiper-style ride. Unlike the Break Dance, it has no freely rotating individual gondolas. The guests sit together in a longer row, which moves from side to side and up and down. This constantly changes your view of the fairground as the ride switches between swinging, accelerating and changing direction.
From the outside, its design looks relatively simple. That is precisely what makes it interesting: you can follow the movement clearly while still feeling it directly in your seat. Disco Dance gives you a clear sense of the difference between a swinging ride and a traditional roundabout.
General
- Manufacturer
- Koch (Germany)
- Model
- Windscreen wiper
- Also known as
- New Yorker; Space Wave; Cool – Fresh
Ride
- Height
- 7 m
Set-up & transport
- Footprint
- 3.5 × 18 m
- Power rating
- 80 kW
The varied history of operators
According to the documented information, the ride was operated by Oberschelp from Bielefeld in the 1990s. This was followed by Weihs from Lunden, Franz-Karl Jörling & Söhne from Diepholz, and Patrick März from Lengerich. Today, it is operated as Disco Dance by Smits from Düsseldorf. The exact time of the handover after 2020 is not clearly stated in the master data reviewed.
The names also changed: New Yorker is documented up to 1999, followed by Space Wave and later Cool – Fresh. If you search old funfair archives for the ride, you may therefore find it under a completely different name. The cited Ride Index entry does not confirm an exact year of construction, so estimates are deliberately avoided here.
- Operator
- Smits (Düsseldorf)
- Type of operation
- Travelling
Previous operators
1994–1999 Oberschelp (Bielefeld); 2000–2012 Weihs (Lunden); 2013–2017 Franz-Karl Jörling & Söhne (Diepholz); 2018–2020 Patrick März (Lengerich).
Tips for your funfair visit
Beobachte vor dem Einsteigen am besten einen kompletten Fahrtzyklus. So kannst du einschätzen, ob dir das wiederholte Schwingen und die Richtungswechsel zusagen. Gerade wenn du zu Schwindel neigst, ist das hilfreicher als allein auf die äußere Größe zu achten. Für Kinder und Jugendliche gelten die Sicherheits- und Altersangaben des jeweiligen Betreibers vor Ort.
Ein guter Fotostandpunkt liegt seitlich vor dem Geschäft, weil sich dort die Schwingbewegung besonders gut erkennen lässt. Achte dabei auf Absperrungen und Laufwege. Wenn du ähnliche Rundfahrgeschäfte vergleichen möchtest, findest du weitere Porträts in unserer Attraktionsübersicht.
Upcoming funfair dates
Ride Disco Dance – Smits live
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