PW AUG 09 P34-36.qxd 7/29/09 12:40 pm Page 36
Ride Profile
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Although Goddard and Mendez worked with a new
Monster
generation of designers, spearheaded by GGE lead
designer Taylor Jeffs, they also enlisted the help of
storyline
several ex-Imagineers to keep the spirit of the original
ride intact.
The story behind Monster
“Robert Delapp, who started with my original
Mansion is that it was built in
company right out of high school with his first project
1852 by Colonel Beauregard
“Mad Dog” Powell in honour of
being the original Monster Plantation, came back on
his beloved wife Mildred. The
board as part of the show design team,” Goddard
mansion was eventually
reveals. “Bob Baranik, another more recent veteran of
bequeathed to his wife’s second
Disney Imagineering, came aboard to be our on site
cousin on the “monster” side. She
art director, and he did a Herculean task of getting
welcomed all the monsters in things just right. The team included a host of other
need of refuge and, over the
veterans including Barry Kemper, who oversaw
years, many accepted the
everything related to budgets and schedules, as well as
invitation. Today, her great-
the refurbishing of the animatronics and effects.”
granddaughter Mizzy Scarlett
Another name that may be familiar to industry
(pictured below) maintains the
mansion and greets the visitors.
stalwarts is former IAAPA chair Spurgeon Richardson, of
According to the story, the river
Gary Goddard
whom Goddard has fond recollections: "Spurge was
on which the human visitors
with park president
the president of the park when the ride originally
venture was created during the
Melinda Ashcraft opened,” he remembers. “He and his team had doubts
Flash Flood of 1973 and the first
we would make it on time, and even if we finished it,
level of the home remains Monster Mansion is to Atlanta what It’s a Small World would families really love it? Would the kids love it? So
flooded. The humans are allowed
is to Southern Californians. The ride may well be on opening day, the first boatload went out – and it
to visit for the day and get to
around long after Phil and I are gone. And that’s kind was the family of one of the park’s operations
witness the monsters having their
of cool." supervisors. The kids got on board, but dad waited
family picnic.
The original Monster Plantation
When it comes to dark rides, Goddard has a unique behind on the landing dock, along with Spurge, a host
opened at Six Flags Over Georgia
perspective. "We find that while you have to have a of other executives, and me. Spurge said 'The moment
in 1981 at a cost of $3 million.
beginning, middle and end, the details of the storyline of truth…' And we waited for this initial boat to come
Billed as “one of the first true
along the ride are less important. It’s more of a journey out of the exit. We awaited the 'moment of truth.' Then
animatronic rides outside of
that takes place in a dream like state. Think about out came the boat, the kids were screaming and
Disney,” it was also one of Gary
dreams – there’s no 'plot' to a dream – it’s a sequence shouting. As they got off the boat, one of the boys runs
Goddard’s first solo projects. Built of events that are sometimes wild, sometimes logical, to his dad and shouts at the top of his lungs, 'Can we
on the site of the old Tales from
sometimes not. But while there can be surprises – ride it again, Daddy?' I turned to Spurge and shouted
the Okeefenokee ride, only the
audience don’t like chaos – they don’t want to be 'Can we ride it again, Daddy!' That kid, whoever he
trough and the building were used
confused. I learned that from John Hench at was, made my day. The ride was an indisputable hit."
in the end.
Today, Monster Mansion
Imagineering. Clearing our rides and shows of In addition to the Monster Mansion upgrades, Six
includes a semi-hidden tribute to
elements that create confusion is important, so that the Flags Over Georgia has this season also unveiled a
Monster Plantation’s predecessor.
guest can enjoy the experience.” new retail shop and mini-museum adjacent to the ride,
Near the end of the ride, boats
“I think the Monster Mansion storyline does all the aptly named the MonStore. It shouild become a
accidentally run off course into
right things,” he continues. “It welcomes you in to the ‘Monster’ hit this summer.
“the Marsh,” a dark swamp filled
party, makes you part of the party, and then we get you
area with a variety of scary off into 'the bad places' (where the monsters are), and
The new mist tunnel
monsters before the boats are
then we bring you back to light and good times again, before the marsh
sent back to the outdoor
just before giving you a little surprise ending."
boarding station.
Immersive Vs Interactive
Unlike many current dark rides, Monster Mansion is not
interactive, but it is immersive. "There are times when
interactive, as in a shooting ride, is very good and very
effective," admits Goddard. "For the most part, this
works best when the ride is about that. In fact, the Toy
Story Mania! shooting gallery ride is a great interactive
experience, probably the best of its kind. The reason, I
believe, is that it is what it is – it does not try to tell a
story. It simply and elegantly takes you from arcade set-
up to arcade set-up and there is no confusion.
For Monster Mansion, that would have been a very
wrong element to add. It would fight the idea of the
'gags' we have set up, and it would cause confusion as
guests would struggle with 'do I enjoy the scene, or do
I try and aim and hit those targets?' So, for Monster
Mansion interactivity would be the wrong approach.
But the immersive additions were ideal."
36 AUGUST 2009
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