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Disney Imagineering Video Explains Why Roller Coasters Feel Faster in the Dark

The latest 'Imagineer That!' episode breaks down the environmental design tricks that make darkness feel faster.

Overview

  • Walt Disney Imagineering released a new 'Imagineer That!' installment on November 17, 2025, answering why coasters seem quicker in the dark.
  • Host Tom Morrow 2.0 interviews Imagineers Ugo and Daniel, who outline how perception shapes the ride experience.
  • The segment spotlights design levers such as lighting, rider proximity to the ground, close-up props, sound cues, and other visual references.
  • TRON Lightcycle Run, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, and Space Mountain are used as case studies to illustrate these effects.
  • The explanation frames these principles as relevant to roller coasters at Disney Parks and to rides elsewhere.