SEA-LIFE (& other midways) and their theming

I paid a visit to Great Yarmouth SEA-LIFE yesterday for the first time in years. It's a standard affair, has most of the same exhibits as elsewhere and takes no more than an hour to wander round. One thing struck me though as I walked around, considering they are fairly small midway attractions SEA-LIFE centres tend to have really good theming.

Again, all the scenes in Yarmouth are pretty standard affairs. There's an underwater boat wreck area, a rusting harbour scene, a rainforest scene and an Asian scene amongst others. What struck me though was that although these scenes are always fairly standard affairs - they are usually finished to a very high standard.

It makes me wonder - if Merlin can get the theming so right in their midways. Why does it always seem to go so wrong in their parks?

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Actually as an aside, all the midways are well themed. Bizarre isn't it?

Re: SEA-LIFE and it's theming

Merlin, is generally good with indoor theming. But outdoor theming at the parks is more expensive, has to be weather proof, needs a lot of space and time to be effective etc.

Re: SEA-LIFE and it's theming

I'd agree all Merlin's midway attractions are well themed with the exception of Legoland Discovery Centre

Re: SEA-LIFE and it's theming

HaydenCR said:

Merlin, is generally good with indoor theming. But outdoor theming at the parks is more expensive, has to be weather proof, needs a lot of space and time to be effective etc.

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I agree with this, the theming in Hex, N:ST & Duel ( won't mention CATCF ) is great! Exterior theming must be much harder to maintain and also needs to be bigger to have the desired effect.

It's clear that Midways generate more useful revenue for M£rlin and (I imagine) have much, much larger margins. That's why more can be spent on theming. Also, unlike theme park attractions, theming is all they have, not a 14 inversion monster, some of the most highly regarded B&M's or even a Vekoma Madhouse or an ABC Drop tower (scraping the barrel here) to entertain guests.
Just fish...

Re: SEA-LIFE and it's theming

It's actually quite amazing how well-done the theming is in the Sea-Life centres (refuse to use caps as it looks like shouting).

Merlin aren't to be thanked for all the theming in Sea-Life centres though - most of them were around way before Merlin came into the picture!

On a side note. I use to go to the Gt.Yarmouth Sea-Life every year as a kid, loved it in there!

Re: SEA-LIFE and it's theming

Oh I know that a lot of the Sea-Life's (and midways in general) were kicking about before they were brought together but they do tend to have better upkeep in terms of theme and equally new additions are well built too.

Take the new London Dungeons for example - although I haven't yet visited, I know people rave about the detail in some of the sections in there compared to the old attraction. Like other people have said, it is probably margins that dictate it, plus the fact that there is a lot less to do.

Fair point from whoever said about the dark rides being well themed though. Sub Terra has some serious quality about the look of it inside.

Because theme parks have rides to go on. All they have at midways is the theming, especially in the Dungeons, so it has to be good.

If it wasn't, you'd just be in an empty white room looking at fish in tanks, which sounds more like a pet shop tacked onto a garden centre. But that's basically what rides like Dragon's Fury and Viking River Splash are!

Set dressing and scenic design is really easy and can be done without blowing budgets. The level of quality at Merlin's midway attractions is really scenic design at its most basic and theme parks ought to be a big step higher. Unfortunately it doesn't always turn out because theme park areas have to last 10+ years outdoors (and durable building materials are far more expensive), but it can be done fantastically if planned the right way.

It's not really a question of whether Merlin are good at theming as such, because any attractions company in the world can be good at it - you just hire the right company to build your ideas for you and pay them a lot. It's a question of whether they come up with good ideas in the first place!

Shortcuts are made all the time even at the most professional level (especially in film set design where anything remotely expensive-looking is probably made from polystyrene), so that shouldn't weaken the outcome; it's the fun with scale, perspective, levels, interaction, lighting, etc that makes something actually look great.

I was at the Blackpool Sea life the other day and that has some really good themeing, and also has some pretty impressive tanks, the final section with the sharks really is quite amazing, and has some massive windows on one side of it. Every room is themed differently and do look really good.

However I imagine pretty much all the Sea-lifes in the country were built a long time ago and way before Merlin built them! But the latest one at Manchester certainly lacks all the themeing and details that all the other Sea-lifes (that I have been do) and is quite plain and empty in some areas.

Re: SEA-LIFE and it's theming

James said:

Merlin aren't to be thanked for all the theming in Sea-Life centres though - most of them were around way before Merlin came into the picture!

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I thought Merlin always owned the Sea-Life centures and sancturies, these were Merlin's main attractions until they bought Tussauds?

Nope. Sea-Life has been owned by many companies over time. Most recent ones include The Kunick Leisure Group which was later bought out by Vardon, which later became Merlin Entertainments after a management buy-out.

It's more of Merlin and the people working within the company now aren't directly to be thanked for the older Sea-Life centres. Although there's no arguing the newer ones by Merlin have been just as excellently themed.

jon81uk said:

James said:

Merlin aren't to be thanked for all the theming in Sea-Life centres though - most of them were around way before Merlin came into the picture!

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I thought Merlin always owned the Sea-Life centures and sancturies, these were Merlin's main attractions until they bought Tussauds?

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You are correct, Vardon Attractions was the company that was involved in a management buy out and became Merlin Entertainments. In fact when they were created in 1998 all they owned were Sea-Life and the London/York Dungeons.

There are however a number of Sea-Life Centres that started out life as other aquariums - London Aquarium springs to mind.

Bumping a old topic!

I visited SEA LIFE Birmingham after leaving working there in 2012/13 to go and work at Towers’ and the changes that have happened well..

Fast track has now been removed, however the old desk is there still a waiting removal by the looks of it. All the IT equipment has also been removed.

The main entrance used to have a reception style desk with two plasmas above it. This has also been pushed back now and two “host” stands have popped up enabling to actually scan passes and tickets now. Back on my day we couldn’t even scan passes and had to visually inspect the pass. Also both host stands are themed which is nice to see!

To the right are 4 plasmas all connected to show a large advertisement including LDC across the canal.

Penguins nothing has changed. But going up the ramp to enter the centre Lego props have been added presumably to promote the attraction.

The rock pool has also had themeing elements added such as a ship mast and a small cabin.

Into Nemos kingdom a HUGE viewing glass has been added to show upstairs’ tank which is the new sea otter enclosure.

Exhibits have also been chopped and moved around some looking temporary though.

The new sea otter enclosure is heavily themed and the otter is so sure and very large compared to the ones we had before!

Also new, they’re charging for the 4D cinema now, this used to be free whilst I worked there so unsure why this changed.

Given this is the National one and they trial stuff here the changes are excellent! It’s still short to walk around but a pleasant visit to say the least!