Dark Rides
www.parkworld-online.com
DARK INTHEPARK “
New dark rides and attractions for 2010
Park World’s dark ride round-up is becoming something of an annual tradition, and with good reason. Whether it’s a classic Ghost Train or an all-new interactive ride with branded content, dark rides, boat rides and even walk- through shows are a hit with a wide range of park guests. Here’s our pick of new attractions for 2010
Kids
nowadays are so skilled with computer games that they expect a similar
challenge when they experience interactive theme park attractions. The traditional dark ride could become history unless parks have huge budgets available for theming and animatronics
Roger Houben, 3DBA
KINGDOM QUEST
Since it opened just before Easter, the UK's first Legoland Discovery Centre (LDC) from Merlin Entertainments has been enjoying good business, and an interactive dark ride is part of its success. Created by 3DBA and partners alongside Merlin Studios, Kingdom Quest is already attracting several repeat riders and, thanks to the layout of the indoor entertainment centre at the Trafford Centre in Manchester, the majority of LDC guests sample it during their visit. The three-minute-long ride is themed around the
Lego Kingdoms product range, and invites families to rescue a captured princess from skeletons and trolls as they travel through seven medieval scenes in a chariot-themed ride vehicle.
According to Justin East, group creative director for Merlin and a former in-house designer at Legoland Windsor, the dark ride was chosen for the Manchester outlet because, “It offers a great immersive experience that is line with Legoland qualities of hands-on, minds-on interaction. I think the medieval theme is fabulous. Unlike some themes, which are skewed towards boys, it's as attractive to a young girl as it is a young boy.”
Although several Legoland parks already feature interactive dark rides, such as Lost Kingdom Adventure at Legoland California and Laser Raiders at Legoland Windsor, LDC operates at a different price point and therefore a much smaller budget was available. This meant piecing something together from scratch, which is where 3DBA stepped in. “The ride is excellent, and perfect for the midway concept,” says Glenn Earlam, Merlin's managing director of midway attractions, those designed as a two-to-three- hour visit. “For what we paid, we are very happy.”
Game Vs Ride
The most interactive LDC dark ride to date, Kingdom Quest has been designed for a market that is well versed in computer games, and four of the ride's seven scenes feature screens relaying changeable media content that riders interact with using a laser gun. “All the CGI and virtual worlds had already been constructed for a film related to the Lego toy product,” reveals East, “so it was really a case of tailoring them to the ride concept.”
Drafted in to assist with this was Threshold Animation Studios of California, whose pedigree includes such computer games as Mortal Kombat. “Kids nowadays are so skilled with computer games that they expect a similar challenge when they experience interactive theme park attractions,” believes Roger Houben of 3DBA. “The media based dark ride offers kids, and with different content teens and adults, the action of gaming but the focus is playing together as a group. That's the reason people go to theme parks
...to do things together they can't do elsewhere.”
The shooting technology behind Kingdom Quest, together with sound effects, was provided by Alterface, which has developed a show control system especially for interactive dark ride and walk through attractions. The physical targets, which flash when hit, can be custom cut to any shape and can operate even without LEDs. We've all seen interactive dark rides with targets lit up like a Christmas tree, but here they do not interfere with the scenery. “This technology is very flexible and easy to operate,” highlight's Alterface's Olivier Vincent. “Well integrated targets mean some very intuitive game play.”
An animated scene from the ride
30
One of the trolls AUGUST 2010
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