Ice Age: The 4D Experience Discussion

[siralgenon]

Thought I'd bring the Ice Age topic back!

ATTRACTION IMPROVEMENTS

As some of you may know Ice Age: The 4D Experience, uses wooden '4D' benches to enhance the guests experience, using vibrations, bumps and leg tickers. For a combination of reasons including, Alton's weather (i.e. rain), the water and snow effects, and children jumping and kicking the seating, the benches were looking very damaged and dirty. Paint was flaking and wood was showing through the cover.

Anyway to the point! Seating had begun to be replaced with new plain white plastic '4D' benches with 'Ice' paintwork on the front and back. Although this design isn't as detailed as the originals the benches will be a lot easier to maintain, clean and will be more durable.

Sorry I didn't have a chance to take any photos.

 

[Scott]

Whilst these new benches sound less detailed, it is good that the old ones are being replaced when they are getting dirty and battered rather than just being left in a broken state.

 

[soundwave96]

great attraction and the effect are really good and the video is put together well but the waiting time is to long and i would recomend it to anyone a special the little kids because it is a great attraction for them because there are not meany little rides.

 

[Aly]

Having also been on the Ice Age 4D at movie park, the only thing that would really imrpove Alton's is proper 4D seating.

The actual cinema room of Alton Towers 4D looks fantastic internally, however the experience during the film lacks due the bench style arrangement. For example with proper seats the spray comes form the back of the seat infront, and their is much more in terms of better use of vibrations and movement.

 

[Rob]

I do wish that they had proper seating at Towers for several reasons, one being that the current benches really make my back ache when sitting on them for a period of time! Though I guess with proper seating the capacity of the attraction would have been reduced, and they probably wanted as higher capacity as possible.

 

[Aly]

I must admit though, on the several times I've been in, although spaces can clearly be seen on the benches people sent to sit a bit further apart (i.e not wanting to site quite close to someone they don't know etc).

Infact I've witnessed quite a lot of time being wasted by staff getting people to budge up to create more space. I suppose with proper seats, it's a bit more obvious and may actually be quicker fill as well as increase capacity as the space between people is predefined (i.e the space between the seats).

 

[Scott]

I must admit though, on the several times I've been in, although spaces can clearly be seen on the benches people sent to sit a bit further apart (i.e not wanting to site quite close to someone they don't know etc).

Infact I've witnessed quite a lot of time being wasted by staff getting people to budge up to create more space. I suppose with proper seats, it's a bit more obvious and may actually be quicker fill as well as increase capacity as the space between people is predefined (i.e the space between the seats).

You know what it's like in cinemas though... People always leave one seat between them and the next group of people. Proper seats would probably just cause as much faff tbh!

 

[Ollie]

The new benches look fine in the theatre and do not detract from the theming like I expected. They also don't have the pawprint spaces on them like the old ones.

 

[Aly]

I must admit though, on the several times I've been in, although spaces can clearly be seen on the benches people sent to sit a bit further apart (i.e not wanting to site quite close to someone they don't know etc).

Infact I've witnessed quite a lot of time being wasted by staff getting people to budge up to create more space. I suppose with proper seats, it's a bit more obvious and may actually be quicker fill as well as increase capacity as the space between people is predefined (i.e the space between the seats).

You know what it's like in cinemas though... People always leave one seat between them and the next group of people. Proper seats would probably just cause as much faff tbh!

Yeah that's true. However the issue at the minute is also spacing amongst groups. For example you get a group of 8 sitting across 10 spaces as there's to much of a gap between them, another group comes in leaves a space before sitting down etc so that's 3 spaces lost already. Doesn't sound a lot but even this across 10 rows suddenly has a massive impact on capacity. :'(

 

[Scott]

Yeah, fair point Although I love proper 4D seats that tilt and have effects built in, I don't know whether the seats extra size would reduce capacity of the attraction? Regardless of the spacing issue?

 

[Stelios]

Does anyone know if there is a way to mute the machines that use the effects? It can surely be filtered out can't it? I'd add it to the bottom left of the auditorium as nobody is near there.

 

[siralgenon]

A little off subject, but iv'e just watched a video of Gardaland Resort's version of Ice Age: The 4D Experience, which was there only new attraction this year, and it actually has less theming than Alton Towers!

Looks like we got the better version!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GZGiWZZXlE[/youtube]

 

[Maya]

Ice Age 4 is being released soon, do you think towers will do anything about that,or to celebrate it?

 

[Imagination]

A little off subject, but iv'e just watched a video of Gardaland Resort's version of Ice Age: The 4D Experience, which was there only new attraction this year, and it actually has less theming than Alton Towers!

Looks like we got the better version!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GZGiWZZXlE

Shame they have totally wrecked the Time Voyagers building - that was epic, with animatronics in the queue too and an amazing front facade.

That same building was Spongebob for a while too.


To be honest, I don't like Ice Age 4D very much, the film is poor but the lighting and effects is good in Alton's. I feel Ice Age is a poor franchise.

 

[Olii]

Took my little brother on Ice Age, thinking I wouldn't enjoy it, but I really did beautifully themed and the snow effects are brilliant

 

[siralgenon]

ATTRACTION IMPROVEMENTS

After experiencing IceAge again today I noticed a few new changes and improvements

-New announcements can now be heard within the Theatre, as well as louder audio

-The flooring outside the Theatre has been re-painted from light blue to dark blue to hide and dirt from peoples shoes!

-Now all the seating has been replaced and the paw print stickers have returned, meaning the seats contain as much themeing as before!

-The cut down tree's around Cloud Cuckoo Land have now been made into Scrat's acorns!#

All in all, great improvements which were well needed!

 

[AstroDan]

I love what they have done with the acorn! Has anyone seen the walkout acorn since the cuts?

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

 

[Dave]

Right can i now ask that Alton now go and show the same sort of care to one of their older rides...

I love IceAge 4D but would love it more if the film had some 3D effects, they could do with replacing the film with a version from the new film next year as that has actually been created as 3D

 

[siralgenon]

I love what they have done with the acorn! Has anyone seen the walkout acorn since the cuts?

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Acorn wasn't with Scrat today. Also Rita Shop, Spinball Noodles and Wobble World are still involved in the cuts.

Right can i now ask that Alton now go and show the same sort of care to one of their older rides...

I love IceAge 4D but would love it more if the film had some 3D effects, they could do with replacing the film with a version from the new film next year as that has actually been created as 3D

I think these changes only took place because 20th Century Fox is deeply involved with the attraction

 

[Dave]

I think these changes only took place because 20th Century Fox is deeply involved with the attraction

Almost certainly but if 20th century think presentation is important maybe that idea will rub-off on Merlin because at the moment the only care rides get is if an enthusiastic member of staff or middle management goes beyond the call to get it done.