It all depends on the IP and execution. CBeebies Land is refreshed fairly consistently and delivered with charm, whereas TWODW is half-arsed. A lot of the quality can be dependent on how rigorous and detail-oriented those licensing the IP are. Clearly, the BBC and/or whoever deal with the licensing of their various arms have higher standards than the Walliams estate. I wouldn't necessarily equate Sealife and Dungeons as 'brands' as equivalent to the aforementioned TV and literature properties, their presence is there to reinforce the Merlin portfolio and brand rather than an external device to lure in those who might not even otherwise consider a theme park as a day out or short break.
The expectations of an IP-holder can often drive a project in the right direction. Universal's work with the Harry Potter franchise changed the industry. But when they're working with properties they can easily access - Despicable Me, Jimmy Fallon and most notoriously, The Fast and The Furious - the results have been formulaic.
I think Alton's IPs are fairly classy and appropriate, and always have been since the days of Peter Rabbit, whereas Thorpe's are almost all already dated for a younger, more trend-oriented audience. In the case of Derren Brown's Ghost Train, the problem is not so much the engimatic presence of Derren, but the experience itself.
IPs are just part and parcel of the industry. Even Europa Park, which has spent money and ploughed resources into creating Snorri, as well as modernising Ed and Eddi into more developed characters than anonymous Disney rip-offs, recognise their value. Efteling have wisely and gradually expanded their own internal IPs, whereas Phantasialand just don't have any internally or otherwise, which is their loss.
I have been visiting Alton Towers for nearly thirty years, and as much as I loved Old McDonald's Farm and Storybook Land as a child, it is indisputable that the CBeebies land corner of the park is consistently busier now than they ever were.
Yeah, those 2 areas definitely looked worn out in their last years, but the problem to is how overused the Intellectual property is. By no means I think Cbeebies Land is a bad idea in concept, what really bugs me is how much of the land they used. They've should've kept Old Mcdonalds Farm and refurbished it to reopen With Cbeebies Land just taking up Storybook Land.
As I've said earlier, HALF the Parks rides are located within these IP areas. 1/4, that's Understandable, but half? TBF I feel like the park ripped me off with £30 per adult when only half the rides are worth queuing and riding. Cbeebies Land and TWODW had so much more potential if they toned down the IP or didn't use it.
To me, TWODW is an appealing area to me, worse than Dark Forest, even though I like Dark Forest, TWODW just screams out minimum effort and greed. The rides are off the shelf, the paint job is terrible, and GG the ride isn't that great of a ride, not to mention as people have earlier how abysmal its Capacity is.
I'm all up for IPs when it comes to Parks such as Disney (excluding Epcot) and Universal, as they're literally Companies dedicated to filmmaking and Media. Alton Towers seems to be trying to be Something loke Dinset while at the same time being its own thing, and it won't do the Park any favours in the future.
I remember on an old forum, just as the Pakrs were brought by Merlin, Nick Varney, CEO of Merlin, and still is stated this in an interview.
'I was a big admirer of Disney and used to go a lot,' he says. 'Luckily, I think our theme parks are better.'
Well he clearly doesn't know a good park when he sees one.
Now tell me, would you still want a guy like that Running the UKs Top 3 theme Parks, slowly transforming them into IP monopolies?
