Dark Rides of Old

[djtruefitt]

Someone posted this on the TowersStreet Facebook page yesterday (could well have been someone from this thread?). Its a POV of Around the world in 80 days, I have certainly never seen on before so its very interesting to me!

It amazes me that a ride on such a grand scale was even in the same building, let alone using the same boat system that the dull, empty and boring Charlie ride uses today!

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28G-mp2Rr2Y#

And my memory was also right, there were indeed woman doing the can can near the end of the ride! My one and only memory of the ride as a child!)

 

[CGM]

Someone posted this on the TowersStreet Facebook page yesterday (could well have been someone from this thread?). Its a POV of Around the world in 80 days, I have certainly never seen on before so its very interesting to me!

It amazes me that a ride on such a grand scale was even in the same building, let alone using the same boat system that the dull, empty and boring Charlie ride uses today!

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28G-mp2Rr2Y#

And my memory was also right, there were indeed woman doing the can can near the end of the ride! My one and only memory of the ride as a child!)

I've never seen that before. It looks like Around the World in 80 Days was an excellent dark ride, particularly considering its age. I'd always assumed it was a fairly tacky and dated ride when it closed but seeing that, I reckon if it hadn't been replaced, it would still be one of the UK's best dark rides. I can't really say if it would be better than Toyland Tours as I'm massively biased in Toyland's favour but to me it doesn't look quite as polished as TT was. However, both incarnations had some absolutely massive set pieces and detailed scenes with lots to look at. Comparing them to Charlie, I think it's pretty clear that Charlie is the worst ride to have taken up residence in that building by a long way.

There is one thing I noticed though. If that video is from 1991 as the tape claims then why was there a model of the Haunted House at the end which didn't open until a year later?

Edit - Silly me, I watched it again and saw the massive poster advertising the fact that it was opening next year. If that's the case, is that the same model that was eventually used in the Haunted House?

 

[Thomas]

Around the world in 80 days looks through today's eyes to look very tacky. I'd imagine twenty years ago that it was the cutting edge of dark rides!

Another key ingredient missing in the recipe for the modern dark ride is humour, Around the world in 80 days uses stereotypes and visual gags to make the rider laugh. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, as a book is written with such humour and fun it's upsetting in a way that none of this made it to the ride. Even Duel is humourless now, I believe the skeleton in the toilet would have made sense in the Haunted House, not you're too busy shooting to find time to laugh at a skeleton on the loo.

I demand puns and I demand them now.

 

[Dave]

Inside it's as bland as the outside and the main room is where you find the only theming that the ride has to offer. What there is is good, and the sequencing of effects is fine too. But because the experience isn't carried out properly, what good there is is overshadowed (or at least for me anyway).

See this is where i don't fully understand the enthusiast community and sometimes thank heaven that geeks don't run theme parks. Even if you take pre-change Sub-Terra the themeing quality is there from the lifts at the beginning to the lifts at the end. Considering the link tunnel between the first lifts to the main room is not a place guests stay in you would be shocked maybe to consider how good the actual theming is there.

The main room again has great theming and some wonderful effects, that really do go un-noticed. And the connecting room to the exit lifts is pretty good too. In many ways people cued themselves to hate subterra from opening day and nothing since will change many peoples opinion. The fact is the big issue sub-terra had before it changed was the fact it lost all theatricality. Me and BigAl share a displeasure at complex stories for roller coasters but the addition of a pre-show to a dark ride was much needed for ST (dark rides can cope with stories). What also was needed for ST was some genuine drama in the main show which they did without adding anything much extra physically. To me the scaremaze was beyond the call for the ride and added a finale that plussed the ride rather than "fixed" it.

I often feel sub-terra gets a worse press with geeks now than it deserves, maybe its just because i have traveled to a fair few parks around Europe and see what others offer but ST is a great dark-ride as it does all you need from a dark ride. The trouble we have is dark rides are not head-line attraction unless you can afford robo-arms these days so we will never have a dark ride on UK budgets that can pull the wow that a headline attraction needs to do.

Me myself i wont say that ST is the greatest ride ever and its outdoor aesthetics are horrid but it does its job better than some here care to admit and it is a great filler.

 

[electricBlll]

I have been down many different mines, one of which was an extremely deep, dark Welsh coal mine. The experience of underground is truly unique and amazing. I thought at the time how great it would be as the basis for a themed attraction, and for a moment it looked like Sub Terra would offer that experience.

In that sense, Sub Terra totally fails to convince that I am underground. There are many more ways of simulating the experience beyond rocky walls and fake lifts. The ride feels kind of uninspired, like it's too busy making people jump with age-old effects to focus on the experience. I think people would be much more convinced, and therefore more receptive to the effects, if there was a stronger atmosphere of being underground. In fact, it could have been amazing.

Another limitation is the ride's pushy shovy approach to introducing the Phalanx. Why is there a highly equipped, international security force (or whatever) operating in Forbidden Valley? The only context we get of the Phalanx is a boring, generic and poorly produced queueline video. The designers put little effort into characterising this organisation - therefore the public has little reason to invest in the idea.

Maybe they should have not bothered explaining the background at all. I mean, who actually finds the Phalanx interesting? What is Merlin's obsession with organisations, companies and research groups anyway?! Sub Terra could have been a blatantly frightening romp through the dark caves of Forbidden Valley; instead, it's all just "scientific research" that goes wrong. Boring!

[The only time I have ever found an "organisation" theme interesting is the X-Sector organisation, because... basket case.]

What's more, for a ride that uses Nemesis in its name, Sub Terra lacks the character and soul of the real Nemesis altogether. All through Forbidden Valley we see broken machinery, rusted objects and quarried rocks, giving an atmosphere of decay and mythicism. Sub Terra totally clashes with the imagery of the area, with its generic TV screens, 'high-tech' equipment and snazzy lifts.

I think it would have been much more entertaining to have a humorously disorganised military team unsuccessfully fighting Nemesis; using rusty, old and malfunctioning equipment; sending riders down in precarious, rickety mineshafts (as it is in reality) - which would also give reason to the unexpected drop when the egg hatches. Also, instead of relying on the tacked-on scare corridor to act as the finale, there could have been a frantic chase through a dark cave tunnel with a brief encounter with the Nemesis monster itself (before the second lift perhaps), to really take advantage of the underground setting.

Considering the link tunnel between the first lifts to the main room is not a place guests stay in you would be shocked maybe to consider how good the actual theming is there.

That area should be been integral to the theme. It's the first time you see where you are underground, yet nothing is made of it. Sure, there is some nice "theming" there, but it doesn't really have much effect. It's not like a real cave: where's the slowly dripping water, the uneven stone floor, the claustrophobic silence (could be achieved by dampening the walls)? And it doesn't have much fictional merit either - they totally missed the opportunity to have an underground blood-red Nemesis waterfall!

Nemesis Sub Terra surprised me, and have to agree it is a fantastic filler attraction. I never expected them to even attempt a Forbidden Valley dark ride, which was a nice surprise. It's still very amateurish for a park that previously pulled off Hex and Haunted House, for example, but enjoyable nonetheless. When I had my first ride, I enjoyed it thoroughly and I left feeling thrilled. But, as with most Merlin rides, it's a whole heap of missed opportunities.

 

[thefatone]

The issue there is that the ride is not meant to be a thrilling experience - they try and concentrate on the scares more than anything.

To be fair to them, the overwhelming majority of the public believe they're real lifts and believe they're underground with the current (and extensive) rockwork. There's nowhere that doesn't have the fake rockwork.

 

[BigAl]

Inside it's as bland as the outside and the main room is where you find the only theming that the ride has to offer. What there is is good, and the sequencing of effects is fine too. But because the experience isn't carried out properly, what good there is is overshadowed (or at least for me anyway).

See this is where i don't fully understand the enthusiast community and sometimes thank heaven that geeks don't run theme parks. Even if you take pre-change Sub-Terra the themeing quality is there from the lifts at the beginning to the lifts at the end. Considering the link tunnel between the first lifts to the main room is not a place guests stay in you would be shocked maybe to consider how good the actual theming is there.

I actually did mean between the two lifts (I just classed it all as one room). The fake rock is fine, what I don't like are the lifts, exterior, maze and the preshow room. For the amount they supposedly spent on the thing, considering smaller parks seem to be getting just as good theming for their rides for significantly less, I'd like to know how it came to £4 million. The lifts are no better than those found on MIB Alien Attack and those get a panning from the majority of people, yet Sub Terra's seem not to.

Also, think of how awful Chessington's Runaway Train would have been had it only relied on the fake rockwork? It's the smaller details that count, and besides the room where Phalanx display the egg and the underground bit, there are no real small details.

 

[Dave]

Inside it's as bland as the outside and the main room is where you find the only theming that the ride has to offer. What there is is good, and the sequencing of effects is fine too. But because the experience isn't carried out properly, what good there is is overshadowed (or at least for me anyway).

See this is where i don't fully understand the enthusiast community and sometimes thank heaven that geeks don't run theme parks. Even if you take pre-change Sub-Terra the themeing quality is there from the lifts at the beginning to the lifts at the end. Considering the link tunnel between the first lifts to the main room is not a place guests stay in you would be shocked maybe to consider how good the actual theming is there.

I actually did mean between the two lifts (I just classed it all as one room). The fake rock is fine, what I don't like are the lifts, exterior, maze and the preshow room. For the amount they supposedly spent on the thing, considering smaller parks seem to be getting just as good theming for their rides for significantly less, I'd like to know how it came to £4 million. The lifts are no better than those found on MIB Alien Attack and those get a panning from the majority of people, yet Sub Terra's seem not to.

Also, think of how awful Chessington's Runaway Train would have been had it only relied on the fake rockwork? It's the smaller details that count, and besides the room where Phalanx display the egg and the underground bit, there are no real small details.

I would imagine digging and re-enforcing the hole the thing sits in played a part in the cost. If you have a look around the two link rooms there are some nice details as there are in the two lifts. The pre-show room is horrid to look at as is the outside of the building. The exit is a bit of a mish but there are some nice details that have been enhanced since they had to increase the lighting in there. Though the exit is at the end of the day lacking in detailed theming, probably as it was such a rush job getting it done.

I also strongly disagree with Electric-Bill that the queue videos are poorly produced, they are really well done as is the logo. There are some continuity issues in the queue-line vids though.

As for other smaller parks getting as good theming for less there are two points, Merlin parks seem to be locked in to using Merlin Studios who over-charge the parks, but the primary one is take Wallace and Gromit, Hobbs Pit, Neverland at oakwood. They are either taking existing rides and adding a new theme or have bought old second hand rides dirt cheap. Towers always buy brand new and have to work the site to fit the attraction in.

That was the big mistake with Charlie, they could have used the budget to make a great dark ride but they wanted a new element to the experience so it all got blown on the elevators.

Having traveled to a fair few parks around Europe and the UK, sub-terra does not seem as shoddy as some make it out to be in comparison. It's not world class by any stretch but its not embarresing neither. It is what it was intended to be which is a filler attraction to add park capacity. It would have been nice if the exterior was more appealing but Merlin Studios don't seem to build appealing looking exteriors on their buildings (The Smiler station).

 

[electricBlll]

I also strongly disagree with Electric-Bill that the queue videos are poorly produced, they are really well done as is the logo. There are some continuity issues in the queue-line vids though.

Those videos are nothing that I couldn't make myself (apart from the graphics), really nothing special. The queueline video in particular is charmless, wordy and forgettable, existing solely for boring exposition. Some ambient audio or props of some sort would have been a much better preshow. The video before the first lift is nicely quick and snappy, but still shouldn't be a substitute for a proper experience.

Basically, the production design is lazy. Either that or the sets aren't lit well enough to reveal all the details. Of course, most guests come off feeling thrilled, so the ride is a success. But, if people are already getting fooled by those very fake lifts and a fleeting trip past some rockery, then imagine how their minds could be blown if Sub-Terra put more effort into the immersion!

It's not world class by any stretch but its not embarresing neither. It is what it was intended to be which is a filler attraction to add park capacity.

I agree, I never found it embarrassing personally and think it's a great asset for the park. Really fun. However, I can't see it lasting very long in its current form: in a decade the actors will be long gone, effects will become myth and the element of surprise completely lost.

 

[Daveylambo]

Hello, I just had to join Towersstreet and add to this topic. I too am fascinated by UK dark rides and in particular The history of The 5th Dimension. I was 6 when I visited Chessington zoo in 1986, the year before it became World of Adventures. I have vivid memories (I think this is what started my obsession with theme parks) of seeing the runaway mine train's rock theming being built from over some construction fences and the main drop of Dragon river with its two stone faces covered in some protective plastic being finished. I picked up a leaflet detailing the work that was happening, I have it somewhere. In there on the last page is a logo for the 5th Dimension and all it said was 'what and where is the 5th Dimension? Find out next year at Chessington World of Adventures'.

We visited as soon as the new chessington opened. Again I have pictures somewhere that I will look for. The theming throughout was brilliant, the two main areas - Calamity Canyon and The Mystic East where unlike anything I had experienced (this is pre-Disney and universal holidays) as I remember you could buy bubblegum flavor ice cream in a really cool ice shop in Calamity Canyon.

The 5th Dimension was in between the 2 areas and, as has been written before the exterior was a corrigated metal wall, red I think, there was no clue as to what was inside. I have seen a picture on line of the queuing area. On that first visit the video playing in the queue area before the sliding door was not the one on youtube, it wasn't the animated video. From what I remember it was a man in a suit in a office looking into camera warning people of what was in the building. There was a creature or something. He never got round to saying what it was because a loud growl would startle him, the video kept cutting in and out. Edit: just retread the original ride script on reride and it's the opening few paragraphs from that that the guy says.

Once through the door you then boarded the vehicle, the think the lap bar came down as you pulled away, you went though the miniaturization bit and then saw the giant books, pencil and up through the screen. I'm sure it was a slight climb towards a light and then a siren kicked in and Zqppomatic was revealed. I always remember his last line in the first scene 'he's in here.... Somewhere....' In reference to the monster at the end. We used to always say this at school!

The swamp scene had giant spiders above you which I was slightly scared of at the time, during the final scene where you hit the buttons to defeat the monster, I really thought they worked and hit them so hard and fast! The last time you see zappomatic is above you as you go through the tunnel into the station. I think he had crashed into the wall on his flying machine and he says goodbye.

There must have been a shop as you leave as I remember they sold the ride soundtrack on cassette tape, I never bought one and hugely regret it now. I wish I could remember the other things for sale in their but just can't.

I'll try and remember more by regression later but for now that's it.

I've been on a few of the other rides mentioned here so will try and remember any more details.

I rang chessington a few years ago and asked what they had done with the Zappomatic model, they said they didn't know, so there's hope that he could return one day.

 

[electricBlll]

Fascinating to hear your memories of Chessington's transformation. Thanks for writing all that... It's a great story to tell.

Yeh the Fifth Dimension had a shop and it's still there in Tomb Blaster, but now only sells on-ride photos. I think they stopped selling merchandise there when Terror Tomb opened, when they built a new shop out in the courtyard (which quickly became a restaurant after Rameses opened up its own shop the following year).

:twirly:

Zappomatic is a bit of a mystery and I don't think anything from the Fifth Dimension is stored at Chessington anymore.

 

[josht]

Really enjoyed reading that

 

[Daveylambo]

No problem, great to read all the other info on here. In line with the previous discussions' on here and theming on dark rides etc, I was really shocked to see the mine train rocks and the faces on the dragon river gone this season. There's a competition to redesign them both but its weird its gone that route. What happened to the design/ theming department, have they really run out of ideas? I'd love to see a proper ghost train type ride at Chessington or thorpe park but just don't think it will happen now.

 

[electricBlll]

Re: Rark Ides of DOld

Well the competition is just a competition for the fun of it - The real job is being done professionally and the final plan would have already been completed by now, I would imagine. That doesn't mean some sent-in ideas might not get a nod in the finished redesign, however.

 

[Sazzle]

Wow. This topic is an absolute delight to read - the information and memories you guys have is astounding!!

Sent from my HTC One S using Tapatalk 2

 

[electricBlll]

Something that people here might be interested in...

Michael Eley, who runs the HauntedOne website, has self-published a book about the Alton Towers Haunted House. This is the book that was mentioned in John Wardley's autobiography and includes a foreword by him.

His website alone is certainly extremely revealing of the Haunted House's creativity and chronic misfortune, so this could be great as well...

I would love to see some reviews of this book before I buy it myself, although I don't want to look like I'm advertising someone else's work. It's 118 pages long.

 

[nickhutson]

Ordered the book today. Very excited. The reviews on amazon are good.

Just goes to show what an amazing ride it was to be able to devote 120 pages to it! It'll go along nicely with my Disney haunted mansion book - and John's book!

 

[electricBlll]

Watch this incredible video.

Terror Tomb - Chessington at its very best (and silliest). It's like a nightmare of pulsing lights, cackling laughter and clunky animatronics!

You would never get a full scale dark ride like this in the UK today! Even if people had grown bored with Forbidden Tomb after several years, they sure did a good job of removing its soul in 2002.

 

[Laura]

We queued three hours for this (the only time I've been to Chessington) and the snakes petrified me D: What an amazing video!