Thorpe Park | Derren Brown's Ghost Train | VR Attraction
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elephant58
Hyper Poster
Re: Thorpe Park construction?
I don't know if anyone's mentioned this yet:
https://mindswanted.co.uk/
I don't know if anyone's mentioned this yet:
https://mindswanted.co.uk/
elephant58
Hyper Poster
Re: Thorpe Park construction?
I don't know if anyone's really following this, but part of the building has been completed and walls are beginning to be constructed. Photos on TT and Thorpe Park Mania.
I don't know if anyone's really following this, but part of the building has been completed and walls are beginning to be constructed. Photos on TT and Thorpe Park Mania.
elephant58
Hyper Poster
Re: Thorpe Park construction?
I really hope it isn't Derren Brown themed. An IP would be acceptable (although I'd rather it didn't have one), but for a big new ride to be themed to a celebrity.....
I really hope it isn't Derren Brown themed. An IP would be acceptable (although I'd rather it didn't have one), but for a big new ride to be themed to a celebrity.....
GuyWithAStick
Captain Basic
Re: Thorpe Park construction?
^Cheaper ads mean more money towards the actual ride.
^Cheaper ads mean more money towards the actual ride.
Jordanovichy
Credit Whore 2016
Re: Thorpe Park construction?
Yeah but there's cheaper ads and then there's that...
If you're chucking £35m on an attraction you need to advertise it properly, look how AT advertised The Smiler, in my opinion it was done excellently with the spraying sheep and the projection on Big Ben...let's hope that this crappy poster is the start of a great advertisement campaign.
Yeah but there's cheaper ads and then there's that...
If you're chucking £35m on an attraction you need to advertise it properly, look how AT advertised The Smiler, in my opinion it was done excellently with the spraying sheep and the projection on Big Ben...let's hope that this crappy poster is the start of a great advertisement campaign.
JoshC.
Strata Poster
Re: Thorpe Park construction?
To be fair, at this stage in 2012, the marketing for Smiler consisted of those DNA boards and nothing else. It kicked up a great in September with the logos being sprayed all over the park, and then up a further notch over closed season with the sheep stunt, logos appearing in train stations and the Big Ben thing.
Whilst it's quite basic at the moment, hopefully things will pick up a lot more and we'll see some more clever things done over the coming months.
To be fair, at this stage in 2012, the marketing for Smiler consisted of those DNA boards and nothing else. It kicked up a great in September with the logos being sprayed all over the park, and then up a further notch over closed season with the sheep stunt, logos appearing in train stations and the Big Ben thing.
Whilst it's quite basic at the moment, hopefully things will pick up a lot more and we'll see some more clever things done over the coming months.
Re: Thorpe Park construction?
Am I the only one thinking they could install something like the new simworx robocoaster G1 or even a G2?
Can't post links but the simworx website under products has some pretty nice pics and videos of the system.
The only thing going against the idea is the pit where the station goes, this would be an issue for the tracked vehicles.
Am I the only one thinking they could install something like the new simworx robocoaster G1 or even a G2?
Can't post links but the simworx website under products has some pretty nice pics and videos of the system.
The only thing going against the idea is the pit where the station goes, this would be an issue for the tracked vehicles.
Re: Thorpe Park construction?
Some great images there, Josh! I'm quite intrigued by the L (almost) U shaped walkway. I wonder if that is part of the queue or the ride itself, meaning there could be an on-foot section.
I have to admit that I'm not tremendously excited about this ride but now structural work has begun, I've turned up my interest scale a notch. I do hope that it doesn't look too warehousey and the rumoured £35m spend includes sexy theming and is not all spend on the ride. We're talking serious money here, almost twice the cost of The Smiler. This spend reflects either a big spend on theme or a new type of ride that required a lot of costly R&D.
With this sort of attraction, I think Thorpe would be better off telling people what it is and then big up the experience. All of this "secretive" nonsense doesn't help to sell a ride to the public. What sells is the experience. "This ride down this and wow, it will blow you mind."
Some great images there, Josh! I'm quite intrigued by the L (almost) U shaped walkway. I wonder if that is part of the queue or the ride itself, meaning there could be an on-foot section.
I have to admit that I'm not tremendously excited about this ride but now structural work has begun, I've turned up my interest scale a notch. I do hope that it doesn't look too warehousey and the rumoured £35m spend includes sexy theming and is not all spend on the ride. We're talking serious money here, almost twice the cost of The Smiler. This spend reflects either a big spend on theme or a new type of ride that required a lot of costly R&D.
With this sort of attraction, I think Thorpe would be better off telling people what it is and then big up the experience. All of this "secretive" nonsense doesn't help to sell a ride to the public. What sells is the experience. "This ride down this and wow, it will blow you mind."
spicy
Giga Poster
Re: Thorpe Park construction?
Completely agree, you can be secretive about a coaster because once the track starts going vertical people in the park can visually see what its going to be and it sells itself. Then its just about marketing the theme or typically the 'World's First' element in Merlin's case.
However dark rides will just get lost on people. You don't see Disney/Universal being secretive about any of their new dark rides they tell you straight away what it's going to be. The new Kong ride has had a poster up for months and the website:
https://www.universalorlando.com/email- ... -kong.aspx
Just looks so much more professional and interesting than Merlin's attempt with the big eyeball. There's even a video explaining the attraction getting you excited for it.
Still I am interested to see what this is going to be, I just hope it isn't a massive flop and going by past attempts (Sub-Terra/Charlie) I remain very skeptical. The UK hasn't got a decent new dark ride since maybe Hex.
Ian said:
Completely agree, you can be secretive about a coaster because once the track starts going vertical people in the park can visually see what its going to be and it sells itself. Then its just about marketing the theme or typically the 'World's First' element in Merlin's case.
However dark rides will just get lost on people. You don't see Disney/Universal being secretive about any of their new dark rides they tell you straight away what it's going to be. The new Kong ride has had a poster up for months and the website:
https://www.universalorlando.com/email- ... -kong.aspx
Just looks so much more professional and interesting than Merlin's attempt with the big eyeball. There's even a video explaining the attraction getting you excited for it.
Still I am interested to see what this is going to be, I just hope it isn't a massive flop and going by past attempts (Sub-Terra/Charlie) I remain very skeptical. The UK hasn't got a decent new dark ride since maybe Hex.
elephant58
Hyper Poster
Re: Thorpe Park construction?
And let's be honest, Hex is still just a flat ride.....
If it's anything like Valhalla, it will be one of the best rides in the country, but I don't think it will be.
And let's be honest, Hex is still just a flat ride.....
If it's anything like Valhalla, it will be one of the best rides in the country, but I don't think it will be.
Robbie
Hyper Poster
Re: Thorpe Park construction?
So Thorpe need to tell people what to expect on this ride, but I've a horrible feeling it will be one underwhelming room after another until you walk blinking out into the daylight wondering where that climactic scene was.
And more than that, this ride needs to be a different length. The Swarm failed because everyone said "is that it?" when they were rolling back to the station, and over at Warwick Castle the (upsold) Merlin attraction seemed to be just getting going when you ended up in the gift shop.Ian said:
So Thorpe need to tell people what to expect on this ride, but I've a horrible feeling it will be one underwhelming room after another until you walk blinking out into the daylight wondering where that climactic scene was.
spicy
Giga Poster
Re: Thorpe Park construction?
That is a very good point, all the best dark rides in the world (Forbidden Journey, Spiderman, Transformers, etc..) have a clear beginning, middle and climatic ending, so you never feel short changed and actually feel like you have been on a journey. I really hope this has that.
Robbie said:
That is a very good point, all the best dark rides in the world (Forbidden Journey, Spiderman, Transformers, etc..) have a clear beginning, middle and climatic ending, so you never feel short changed and actually feel like you have been on a journey. I really hope this has that.
Re: Thorpe Park construction?
It's lovely to read that some of us think that dark ride's should be laid bare before they open. This doesn't mean releasing every word of the story or visitor experience but tell people what to expect.
Take for example Transformers at USO. Before I rode it, I knew, thanks to the information on their website and what I heard word of mouth, that I would ride a simulator whilst watching an amazing battle between the goodies and baddies unfold before my eyes. What I didn't know was the story and how it would be presented. Look at the Fast and Furious ride that has recently been announced at USO - there has been no faff, no opportunity to create a negative attitude towards it by churning mysterious "ooh aren't we cunning" through the rumour mill. Casual theme park goers (the general public) DO NOT sit around discussing "I wonder what USO or Thorpe Park's new ride is". They only talk and get excited about what they know; "I'm going to Florida next year, mate!" "Really? Cool! I hear they've got a new ride based on Fast and the Furious". "That sound wicked, I must give that a go." ONLY ENTHUSIASTS TALK ABOUT EMPTY BUILDING SHELLS, MUD, AND BILLBOARDS! The public, who financially contribute the most to theme park coffers, talk about the experience and the brand associated with it. I really wish Merlin would look across the Pond to the USA and change their marketing tact.
If WC16 is a simulator of some kind, get this information in the public domain ASAP so people have an idea of what to expect. Then they can spend the next six months or so selling the story and experience. Everybody - goons and GP - will be more excited about it!
It's lovely to read that some of us think that dark ride's should be laid bare before they open. This doesn't mean releasing every word of the story or visitor experience but tell people what to expect.
Take for example Transformers at USO. Before I rode it, I knew, thanks to the information on their website and what I heard word of mouth, that I would ride a simulator whilst watching an amazing battle between the goodies and baddies unfold before my eyes. What I didn't know was the story and how it would be presented. Look at the Fast and Furious ride that has recently been announced at USO - there has been no faff, no opportunity to create a negative attitude towards it by churning mysterious "ooh aren't we cunning" through the rumour mill. Casual theme park goers (the general public) DO NOT sit around discussing "I wonder what USO or Thorpe Park's new ride is". They only talk and get excited about what they know; "I'm going to Florida next year, mate!" "Really? Cool! I hear they've got a new ride based on Fast and the Furious". "That sound wicked, I must give that a go." ONLY ENTHUSIASTS TALK ABOUT EMPTY BUILDING SHELLS, MUD, AND BILLBOARDS! The public, who financially contribute the most to theme park coffers, talk about the experience and the brand associated with it. I really wish Merlin would look across the Pond to the USA and change their marketing tact.
If WC16 is a simulator of some kind, get this information in the public domain ASAP so people have an idea of what to expect. Then they can spend the next six months or so selling the story and experience. Everybody - goons and GP - will be more excited about it!