Dark Rides
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DARK
A staple part of the theme/amusement park mix over the years, dark rides are enjoying a period of renewed popularity thanks to the inclusion of game-based interactive technology, licensed intellectual property and media content, plus some innovative new ride and motion systems. In Park World's annual dark ride review, we highlight some of the varied new attractions entertaining guests this season at parks of all sizes
California. Anchoring new Ninjago World themed areas at each park, Ninjago The Ride is set inside the Ninjago Training Temple, known to fans of the Lego Ninjago toy line and TV series. Riders play as ninja warriors in training under the guidance of the character Master Wu as they attempt to vanquish a legion of enemies from snake tribes to ghosts and skeletons. Using Maestro technology by Triotech, players make simple hand movements – rather than using a shooter or other handheld device – to throw 'Elements' including lightning bolts, shockwaves and ice. 4D effects such as heat, smoke and wind are also incorporated throughout the ride and a custom soundtrack adds to the immersive nature of the attraction. “Ninjago The Ride represents a new class of Legoland
T
attraction in terms of technology, immersion and interactivity,” notes Hans Aksel Pedersen, managing director of Legoland Parks at Merlin Entertainments. This is not actually the first interactive dark ride at Legoland, as Egyptian-themed Lost Kingdom Adventures can be found at four Lego parks around the world, including Billund (where it is known as The Temple). What makes Ninjago different is the technology. Tom Christiansen, Legoland park designer for Merlin Magic Making, explains why they settled on a gesture- based system: ”The Ninjago story lended itself brilliantly to a 'shooting' dark ride experience, but as we already had a ride of this kind, where the tool to shoot is laser flashlights, we wanted a different way of interacting. The Ninjago Element powers inspired us to pursue an approach where there would be no tools at all, only a movement of your arm or your hand. After all, a ninja's best weapon is his body. The fact that most of our guests, not least the children, have become familiar with sensor technology, touchscreens, smart boards and stuff
AUGUST 2016
NINJAGO THE RIDE Legoland
he industry's first dark ride using gesture-based technology is now entertaining families at Legoland Billund (Denmark) and Legoland
IN THE PARK
like that, encouraged us to think this could work.” The ride's scenes are referred to as “dojos” (training
rooms). In each room, a special Ninjago Element power has to be used to scare away the bad guys. Guests throw the Elements by moving their hands towards the enemies. The training session are interrupted when the biggest Ninjago enemy of all, the giant snake the Great Devourer, crashes through the walls of the Training Temple. Explorers must flee through an underground cave system, chased by Skeleton Army warriors. At the end of the tunnel, guests find themselves at the mountain side, high above the Temple. But the Great Devourer is waiting. Here the final battle takes place, where all riders must unite their forces, assisted by all their Ninjago heroes. “All in all, it is pretty intense,” notes Christiansen, “but it looks and feels fantastic! With the movements, the action, the impressive soundtrack and the amazing rich 3D screen content, you are in another world from start to finish.”
The Legoland park designer adds that guests don't
really have to understand the technology behind the ride to engage with it: “For them, it should just be intuitive and engaging. If a child thinks it’s magic – it’s fine with us. It takes a little longer for an adult to familiarise themself with the Ninja-moves. We tell all our guests about this before they enter the ride by showing instruction movies on TV monitors and graphic boards, and also by having our Ninja-dressed staff members showing and telling guests what to do.” Working alongside Triotech to provide the ride system
was ART Engineering from Germany (the two companies previously collaborated on Wonder Mountain's Guardian at Canada's Wonderland), while theming was completed by Rocas & Design from Spain. “ART and Triotech came up with a very reliable ride
vehicle and game system,” notes Christiansen. “Small bumps on the road, like a door that wouldn’t open, or too much wireless traffic from the communication between cars and server room, were all solved by people flying in when needed. For the media content, we have to send a big big thank you to LEGO Company, which was kind enough to assist us with digital files from the Ninjago TV series and even recorded voices from the original Ninjago actors to be used throughout the ride.” After its debut this spring in Billund and California, Ninjago The Ride is set to be rolled out to Legoland Malaysia this November, and then Legoland Deutschland next spring, anchoring new Ninjago Worlds in each of those parks. For those yet to check out the experience, Christiansen offers this insider tip: “Once you have the grip on how to get those energy balls exactly where you want them, it is not always the bad guys that earns you the most points!”
“
The
Ninjago Element powers inspired us to pursue an approach where there would be no shooting tools at all, only a movement of your arm or your hand. After all, a ninja's best weapon is his body
Tom Christiansen, Legoland park designer
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