Drop Towers

[Jables]

I don't know if it's just me, but I think drop towers can sort of ruin the way an area feels inn a THEME park. Let's take Hurakan Condor at PA for instance, it sticks out the ground like a sore thumb and I think it can ruin the look of a themed area. Obviously some drop towers like TOT at the Disney Parks are an exception. But I simply find most drop towers to be quite an eyesore..

What's everyone elses thoughts on this?

 

[Burbs]

I've never really thought about this tbh. I suppose in a really badly themed area of the park *cough*Drayton Manor*cough* it doesn't matter too much, but if they put a drop tower in the middle of KC or FV at Towers, it wouldn't look good at all.

 

[smudge]

Like Detonator in 'angry birds land'.... I see your point.

 

[Laura]

Personally I think Hurakan Condor is one of the better-themed and appropriate drop towers out there.

It had a backstory when it was in development, about the riders being sacrifices for an angry god...chucked off the tower to their death. Tasteful.
But none of that found its way into the actual ride/theme/anything.

Still it has a wonky roof thing and a broken temple station, that's better than most!

 

[Rollercoasters4Life]

Personally I think Hurakan Condor is one of the better-themed and appropriate drop towers out there.

It had a backstory when it was in development, about the riders being sacrifices for an angry god...chucked off the tower to their death. Tasteful.
But none of that found its way into the actual ride/theme/anything.

Still it has a wonky roof thing and a broken temple station, that's better than most!

There used to be a show on in the summer months of the first few years of HC opening but they stopped it eventually. Used to have people dressed up standing on the side of the walls that encase the tower and parts of the walls would extrude - they would send the 5 sides up at once and keep them there for about 30 seconds then they would all drop at once.

The wonky roof is wonky for a purpose, if you view it from a certain angle from the bottom of the tower (from the outside obviously) it lines up perfectly with the top piece. Very cool. Also think Hurakan Condor is one of the better 'placed' drop towers compared to other drop towers in other parks.

 

[Mark-Cal]

I say get rid of all drop towers, I don't care if they ruin the ambience of a park or not, I'm just very very scared of them !

 

[djtruefitt]

I suppose its quite hard to theme a drop tower, OK inside you can do all kind of themeing to the queueline and area, but there is still a tall tower. Unless you put it inside something like at PhantasiaLand, but even then it looks rather out of place. Again the only other way to hide it would be to dig down deep, but then the ride wouldn't look half as impressive as a tall tower.

 

[John]

A good drop tower is almost always my favourite non-coaster ride in a park. ToTT, Mystery Castle, Apocalypse, Detonator and Scream are all amazing ride, and Huracan Condor's stand up side probably is too (but as you can't choose your side I've only been on the sit down sides).

They're not appropriate for every park, but it is possible to theme them and they can be absolutely spectacular.