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2014: Arthur in the Minimoys kingdom

Gotta say I'm underwhelmed by that POV. I understand that the budgets will never allow something on the scale of Forbidden Journey, but this seems to want to be exactly that but is lacking several key features - no overarching story, no concept that actually appeals to a wide audience, and not very immersive scenes.

I'm sure it'll ride differently in the flesh, but this video makes the ride out to be Elfenhart Suspended
 
For perhaps the first time in the history of EP, I'm not completely sold on this...

The transit system seems very impressive, and I love the way it circles the plaza, where the flying sensation must be genuinely effective. On the other hand, I find the property itself fairly bland whilst the anamatronics and overall style lack the charm of say, Efteling.
 
It's clearly not going to trouble the big boys.

But... look at non Disney/Universal dark rides over the past 5-10 years...

It'll stack up very favourably against them.

Disney/Universal will spend over £100m on a ride.

Europa have spent £19m.

The likes of Laser Raiders or Charlie - probably more like £8m.

I'd expect this to sit in the middle.
 
Alastair said:
A bit off-topic here, but here's my version of Composer's Reflections from the EP soundtrack. Thanks to @Mankey for the sheet music! :)

Click to expand...


I enjoyed this! Shame about that sneaky F over the B Major chord leading into the D Major chord.

One of the things that impressed me most with Europa was the music - especially how every single ride had a timed soundtrack - even the flat rides!
 
Considering the level of quality of Europa's dark rides, this is a landmark for them...

Dark rides are also difficult to judge from POVs, but the quality of it looks fantastic, and I'm sure with understanding of the film (like the majority of Europa's guests will), there will be even more appreciation for the ride itself...

The flight over the area looks like a highlight mind... And the spider is blink and you'll miss it, which is even better...

Shows a lot of how far ahead of the game Disney/Universal are if people feel underwhelmed by this...
 
Benzin said:
Shows a lot of how far ahead of the game Disney/Universal are if people feel underwhelmed by this...
Click to expand...

I guess some of us had perhaps over-egged this ride as some sort of game changer, or containing levels of effects that we weren't used to. I agree though that judging a ride like this from a POV is really impossible.

Ultimately, when Europa-Park have spent £19m on a prototype rollercoaster product/themed dark ride, themed area, carousel, mini tower, kids play area, shop and restaurant - it obviously isn't going to be up there with what Disney and Universal can do with £100m.

However, when I compare this attraction to other recent European dark rides, well... it's so obviously better than those. Some parks don't even attempt dark rides.

The finish looks really good on Arthur, and the general themed area looks beautiful - the lighting, for example - just wow! It is so clearly a step up from the other dark rides in the park, too.

I look forward to riding the thing!
 
Agreed. Given that dark rides are one of the hardest attractions of any kind to nail with any real originality or flair, EP have done a great job with the (still relatively impressive) available budget.
 
This kinda meets my expectations (though i hazard a guess my expectation was lower as i don't really rate any of EP's existing dark rides because they don't do Animatronics well). It's actually a decent attraction when you take Disney and Universal out of the equation, my main thought points are:

- Ride system looks interesting
- Static theming is great in places but depends a lot on 2D vinyls
- Music is good
- all animatronics EXCEPT for the Bee's and Fly's are dire (EP need to look at a new supplier for Animatronics)
- Bees and Fly's are cool
- The main dome looks nice
- Some scenes (Paradise Aly) are really very good
- It's biggest crime is it has no story (we lambasted Pleasure beach for this with W&G)

So overall it's a fine installation, expecting EPIC was not likely to be achieved, though EP haven't helped their cause as a lot of their promo output has suggested that it would be... This would be dangerous territory at any time but when Disneyland Paris are opening a dark ride in the same year it's almost woefully stupid.

So based on POV's a ride well worth the budget it was given and one that will be enjoyed by millions, and we all know EP will push the boundaries next time.
 
Dave said:
- all animatronics EXCEPT for the Bee's and Fly's are dire (EP need to look at a new supplier for Animatronics)
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Yeah that rat. Absolutely dire. (!)

Have I missed something...? Did EP's animatronics commit some sort of war crime that I missed...? Here described as "dire", and described by BigAl as "appalling".

None of the animatronics on this ride, and very few in the rest of the park, are dire or appalling. Think back to Camelot. Look at Duel or Tomb Blaster. Those are dire.

To call EP's animatronics 'appalling' is simply flat-out incorrect. They tend to range from average to good. Not spectacular, but animatronics like the Blue Fire man, da Vinci and Hel on Wodan, as well as many on this, are decent, above-average animatronics.

Why people feel the need to hyperbolise and outlandishly over-exaggerate on this matter, I do not know.
 
Sam has a point. It's also often a creative choice to limit an anamatronic's movement, as I expect it has been on the more fairytale scenes here. Imagine if It's A Small World's children were as fluid as some others. They're a theatrical tool in an exaggerated environment; riders aren't always looking for realism.
 
There's a lot of talk about the ride not having a story but do we know that to be the case? There are narrated sections (although obviously in German) and the scene before the main outdoor section definitely hints at some sort of plot.

Besides most of Universal's / Disney's rides aren't story masterpieces, half of them just follow the plot of whichever IP is involved. Even the plot of Forbidden Journey makes me cringe.
 
Sam said:
Yeah that rat. Absolutely dire. (!)

Have I missed something...? Did EP's animatronics commit some sort of war crime that I missed...? Here described as "dire", and described by BigAl as "appalling".

None of the animatronics on this ride, and very few in the rest of the park, are dire or appalling. Think back to Camelot. Look at Duel or Tomb Blaster. Those are dire.

To call EP's animatronics 'appalling' is simply flat-out incorrect. They tend to range from average to good. Not spectacular, but animatronics like the Blue Fire man, da Vinci and Hel on Wodan, as well as many on this, are decent, above-average animatronics.

Why people feel the need to hyperbolise and outlandishly over-exaggerate on this matter, I do not know.
Click to expand...

They use Pneumatics without the ability to ramp the movement, watch that rat jerk around the place and the earlier "scare" creature is a classic track movement animation. There are far better animatronics out there and not just at Disney and Universal.

EP Animatronics range from bad to average, Da Vinci has probably the only set of Animatronics that inch into good but they are mostly object animation rather than human/ animal figures.

I understand the comfort in saying some balanced criticism is hyperbolic or outlandish but just spouting out those phrases isn't going to change my opinion on these things. Obviously the need to attack my post will ignore the fact i mostly think it looks like a great ride. And your comparisons of Tombblaster and Duel.... Those rides are 22 years+ old, i bloody expect this to beat those when there are members here who are younger than the animatronics in those rides!
 
Based on my experiences, newer dark rides at other parks outside of Disney/Universal do not generally offer any better aninatronics.

You get the odd one here and there but they cost too much.

...at least it's not all screens like some.
 
They are not common but i stand by my original comments, it could have better animation (other that the bee's i loved the bee's). This is clearly one of the best dark rides to open in Europe in a long time but being a dark ride fan i want one of the best theme parks in the world to do some of the best animatronics in the world....

... One day my dream will come true.
 
Maybe it should.

It's my favourite theme park in the world and when it does things like Woodan we parade the fact it's one of the best in the world yet when they do a dark ride we are comparing it with *voms* Merlin!

We know they can do it, i take heart in the fact they now tend to learn from experience rather then their past activities of just copying Disney... I have faith their next dark ride will be that much better!
 
Universal's animatronics are far closer to EP's than they are to Disney's. Disney are about 20 years ahead of their nearest competitor in this field.

It's not simply a question of money or Universal would have it sussed: Disney have got an enormous amount of patents and well-guarded expertise that mean that Universal could throw an infinite amount of money into a ride and right now, the animatronics would be nowhere near as good as Disney.

Same problem with EP. Not just the money but the expertise and the patents. Hopefully with the expansion of Mack Solutions and the park's backstage technical studios, they will look to establish and encourage their own ever-improving 'school of animatronics'. :)
 
Disney i agree are 20 years ahead of anyone on animatronics.

Universal is £20,000,000 and imagination ahead of EP, and nothing stands in EP's way in getting to that point. You only have to see the videos of the Windsor Tussauds royal exhibition to see where the baseline standard is. Disney can't control a technology John Wardley pioneered 30 years ago.

EP need to join forces with other studios (not Merlin, they gave up on decent animatronics), and see what they come up with. Some of their physical animations on Arthur are as basic as Duel and Tomb blaster, those rides that are older than you Sam!

You are doing an amazing job at taking a single point of mine and trying to make out that i think the whole ride is pants... which i don't. As said if Rat at Disney wasn't opening it would *censored* all over Europe.

So sue me... i want more from Roland.
 
Most odd music selection of all time? The entire ride is based around a fairytale, and is accompanied throughout by a sweeping orchestral score....apart from the 20 seconds where they play Dr Dre..?! :p

The perfect usage of that music has already been made anyway:

 
Okay guys...nice to follow your comments. But after seeing the onride and having ridden Arthur today twice in person...let me tell you this : Arthur judged from the onride : Maybe 7/10 Points. Arthur in person : Easily 10/10 Points. I looooove it !

The combination of the changes in music, the lightning effects, the fog, the different smells, the turning feature, the accelerations...this is the best ride at Europa IMHO....and I`m saying this although I an adrenalin junky and nomally more into huge coasters.

The Paradise Alley scene in person is by far the best moment on any attraction I ever experienced.

Arthur is awesome.
 
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