Dark Rides
www.parkworld-online.com
Magical experiences
John Wood, chairman and president of Sally Dark Rides, and Lauren Wood Weaver, the company’s VP marketing and business development, talk all things dark rides with Park World.
Park World: What are the current trends in dark ride attractions? John Wood: There are a number of current trends tied to new dark ride attractions. Our newest iteration of a dark ride was our dark coaster, Uncharted: El Enigma de Penitence at PortAventura. Intamin and Sally combined to tell the story in a compelling and exciting way with storytelling animatronics and media, along with practical and virtual scenery, in both the queue and in the coaster. We are continuing to see the evolution of interactivity in dark rides.
Reese‘s Cupfusion at Hersheypark has expanded the gameplay to include group, team, and extraordinary individual play to create more targets than any other interactive attraction. As a result, it is one of the most popular rides in the park and has had an amazing impact on their group sales. The use of IP is still a very valuable marketing technique when it comes
to dark rides. Sesame Street: Street Mission (also at PortAventura) is an excellent example of the right IP for the right audience. I believe we will see similar results with the new SpongeBob ride we are installing at Circus, Circus later this year. With or without an IP, the dark ride is a magical, and unique
experience for park guests. We have seen extraordinary results at Funtown SplashTown with the new Haunted Hotel ride, and at Santa’s Village in New Hampshire with the Great Humbug Adventure. These
38
rides have both had a significant impact in the character and personality of the overall park. Lauren Wood Weaver: While not a trend per say, with the addition of the popular interactive family ride, Treasure Hunt: The Ride at historic Cannery Row in Monterey, California, we hope there are other opportunities for stand-alone dark rides at tourist destinations around the world.
PW: What future trends do you anticipate? Are there any challenges unique to the dark ride attractions format? JW: As far as future trends are concerned, I believe we will see more enclosed attractions as our weather becomes more uncomfortable. We have just patented a miniature dark ride that will enable us to create large dark ride experiences in smaller spaces for LBEs, and FECs. We will continue to see interactive experiences due to the public interest in competitive gaming and unique ride experiences. Even though the dark ride has been a staple in the amusement park industry for over 100 years, they still have a difficult time competing with the roller coaster and its marketing power. Just the same, a well-designed dark ride is an attraction that is relatively easy to maintain, air-conditioned and fun for the whole family to enjoy together. Few other ride experiences provide these qualities.
SEPTEMBER 2023 IAAPA EUROPE EDITION
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
