Skyscraper
TS Member
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Plus the rear middle seat of each car was lost due to the blaster housing having to go there.
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Trooper Looper
TS Member
Yeah, and that. I doubt it'd be hard to rebuild that seat since the others are still there. All they need to do is make a mould from the other seats, and then they're pretty good after.
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Themeparksandy1981
TS Member
I wonder what would get the most complaints 1) if they turned off all the effects and just kept the music and LED’s on or 2) if they turned off all the LED’s with all effects working.
I think with Duel been 20 years old next year it needs another re-theme.
I think with Duel been 20 years old next year it needs another re-theme.
Trooper Looper
TS Member
Definitely the 1st, just imagine going through dark rooms not lit up and only seeing dots while hearing distant music in the background. I think I'll pass on that thanks!!!
Retheme or Revamp? I do know a couple of Duel/Haunted House fans out there on the internet who would be fuming if they closed it. There's gotta be a way to satisfy everyone here, and not make it one sided, what do you think?
Themeparksandy1981
TS Member
Well as I went to the park 1st in 1993 I remember when the haunted house was so scary. It had so many scary/jump scenes. On the other hand my daughter goes on it now and all she cares about is trying to beat my score or her own best score. I do think the only thing that could save the haunted house theme is a IP.
Trooper Looper
TS Member
Reality Is often disappointing, no joke.
I remember when I first went on Duel, back then I didnt really think anything of it. My family persuaded me to use the blasters with them. That's Understandable, since it's you vs the whole family, so i guess there's that fun factor of it.
Later that day when we came across it again, so i decided to put down the blasters since last time it made my hands ache XD. Best decision of the day, Blimey!!! It differs so much when you don't have a blaster in your hand and focusing on little red dots, The details, the props, the music, the scares, the theming, even as a former Showdown of itself, from then on I've had HUGE appreciation for Duel for it was originally intended for as The Haunted House, and how brilliant of a Ghost Train it is/was.
IDK, maybe try and persuade your Daughter to try it without the Blasters. She might like it or not.
The only thing I can think can save it without an IP is either, start giving it proper maintenance and fix things, or Revert it back to what it was previously in 1992.
I really don't think it needs an IP, just a revised story and some new scenes - Squiggs' vision a page or so back would fit the area and existing facade so well and wouldn't resort to an IP.
Benjsh
TS Member
This is what us enthusiasts want but this wouldn't make them money. The GP aren't going to be excited about the Haunted House being returned to its original state.
If they were going to put significant money into it then they'd want to market it. Only way that happens is an IP.
Trooper Looper
TS Member
While I do agree with you that Squiggs' concept is good and all, I think many people seem to miss the point on what the building and style have in common, lack of storytelling. I think that what the ride lacks now is what makes the haunting feel ever more present, fear of the unknown. What is there to fear when you know what's going on around you thanks to heavy dialogue and visual storytelling. Only young children would be frightened.
To me, less is more, visually and Story wise. I still believe that reverting back to what it used to be is the best route for its first few seasons.
I'm not against his idea as a whole though, I really like some of the ideas he thought of, especially the finale scene being a dense forest instead of a Swamp. These could be great ideas if they wanted to change the ride ever so slightly over time if they brought it back to its original form and intent, like Knoebels Haunted Mansion, which also has had its few shares if scenes and scares coming and going over its years. Duel/HH still has very important history to the park, present or not.
The ride still has a very unique style thanks to its theatrical portrayal when compared to other Haunted Attractions, and should not be ignored for something new for the sake of it. The ride is like a Jigsaw puzzle, it all comes together very well when everything is put in right.
I'm all up with change, but i think its best if they did it gradual, start with the Haunted House how it looked back in its heyday, and over time, like a good 15-20 years, make it into Squiggs idea. Go with John's plan, give it something new every once in a while, that ranging from a year to 3 if they wanted.
The problem with all this, both sides on this discussion, is execution.
I doubt that Merlin would do a good job retheming it to Squiggs idea, or it reverting to its former self, because we all know that Merlin will somehow screw it up for profit and budget cuts. The only old ride in the park they properly respect is Nemesis, and everything else from that period is just a distant memory, long forgotten. the only people I trust altering that ride are the Ops and Hosts (pathetic, isn’t it) John himself, and former workers of Sparks and Rex, heck, even people who are just really passionate of the ride. Literally anyone but Merlin.
Skyscraper
TS Member
Given the fact that Merlin have recently partnered with Jumanji, could that be a possible re-theme for Duel? I think Ghostbusters would fit the original facade better though mind.
Doddy
TS Member
I don't think they will use a ip in more than one park it kinda steals the unique selling point of the other attraction.
Ghostbusters would be better bit it gives me motiongate Dubai flashbacks.
Matt N
TS Member
They’re using Jumanji in Chessington as well, and based on the wording of the deal announced recently, that would suggest that Gardaland and Chessington alone won’t be the full extent of the Jumanji deal.
Doddy
TS Member
Ah I didn't know about Gardaland. I would think that they would limit there selves to using it in one park per country. I could be wrong of course but to me it wouldn't make sense.
Squiggs
TS Team
The problem I have with IPs is that in a business like Merlin, it basically means that when they decide to use an IP they are effectively choosing a theme that will maybe only last five years, perhaps extended to ten if it turns out to be extremely popular. Therefore, they end up designing a ride that is only intended to last five years.
This wouldn't necessarily be a problem if that didn't then lead to a natural degradation in quality. If you know that what you are building is likely going to be ripped out again in 5 years, are you going to invest in high quality set pieces and animatronics? No. You'll choose to go with cardboard cutouts, projection, perhaps slap some vinyl up here and there. If you're lucky, you might have the budget for one static 3D figure per scene. We've seen it time and time and time and time and time and time and time again. Now by no means are all of these bad attractions... just most of them, but the one thing they have in common is an extremely temporary and often very cheap look. And this does not a 'world-class' theme park make.
This isn't a problem that Disney (and to a certain extent Universal) have, because broadly speaking they own the IPs that appear in their parks, so they know that an attraction can remain in their parks for perpetuity if needs be - the lifespan of the ride only comes down to the build quality and the continued popularity of the IP, not ongoing licencing fees.
Ideally if you're investing in an IP you do not own, you also need to have a really solid and much more extensive marketing budget in place to maximise/justify the IP, otherwise you may well be able to get customers through the gate once, but it will only be the once if the attraction quality is not there. This is why so many Merlin IP attractions are headliners for a single year and then become very expensive filler attractions from then onwards. (Consider, for example, how often you've seen Alton Towers promoting or talking about The World of David Walliams or Gangsta Granny in 2022)
Long and short, IPs are more expensive, less flexible and unless you put extra budget towards a quality attraction and next-level marketing them they won't actually lead to any significant attendance bump beyond what you could have achieved with a well marketed non-IP attraction.
This wouldn't necessarily be a problem if that didn't then lead to a natural degradation in quality. If you know that what you are building is likely going to be ripped out again in 5 years, are you going to invest in high quality set pieces and animatronics? No. You'll choose to go with cardboard cutouts, projection, perhaps slap some vinyl up here and there. If you're lucky, you might have the budget for one static 3D figure per scene. We've seen it time and time and time and time and time and time and time again. Now by no means are all of these bad attractions... just most of them, but the one thing they have in common is an extremely temporary and often very cheap look. And this does not a 'world-class' theme park make.
This isn't a problem that Disney (and to a certain extent Universal) have, because broadly speaking they own the IPs that appear in their parks, so they know that an attraction can remain in their parks for perpetuity if needs be - the lifespan of the ride only comes down to the build quality and the continued popularity of the IP, not ongoing licencing fees.
Ideally if you're investing in an IP you do not own, you also need to have a really solid and much more extensive marketing budget in place to maximise/justify the IP, otherwise you may well be able to get customers through the gate once, but it will only be the once if the attraction quality is not there. This is why so many Merlin IP attractions are headliners for a single year and then become very expensive filler attractions from then onwards. (Consider, for example, how often you've seen Alton Towers promoting or talking about The World of David Walliams or Gangsta Granny in 2022)
Long and short, IPs are more expensive, less flexible and unless you put extra budget towards a quality attraction and next-level marketing them they won't actually lead to any significant attendance bump beyond what you could have achieved with a well marketed non-IP attraction.
Trooper Looper
TS Member
Just checked the App today, and Duel has a whopping 25 minute queue at the Moment!! It's rare for Duel to have a queue of this size not during scarefest.
