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London Dungeons
- Thread starter Jonathan
- Start date
nickhutson
TS Member
That's exactly the response they're hoping for. They're going for a complete re-brand - focusing on the humour rather than the horror and gore. That's very present in the new dungeon.
Anyone go today? I enjoyed it on the preview day but - like all theatre - it needs time to settle in and once all the effects are programmed, actors become comfortable with their scripts and buttons, it'll - as many are saying - become a world class attraction - and certainly the best themed attraction in the country.
Here's the commercial:
The London Dungeon TV Advertisement (Official)
The track, if you're interested, is Song for the Outsider, by Stateless.
Anyone go today? I enjoyed it on the preview day but - like all theatre - it needs time to settle in and once all the effects are programmed, actors become comfortable with their scripts and buttons, it'll - as many are saying - become a world class attraction - and certainly the best themed attraction in the country.
Here's the commercial:
The London Dungeon TV Advertisement (Official)
The track, if you're interested, is Song for the Outsider, by Stateless.
This might be odd but I don't think it's a good advert. I fear once more that like The Swarm last year it is a fantastic video, but it doesn't shout dungeons until the last minute. You could easily confuse this with an advert for horrible histories or a documentary?
But other than that it looks fantastic.
But other than that it looks fantastic.
Rose Of Dawn
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Eejanaika (Fuji-Q Highland)
The fact that the advert has Brian Blessed in it makes it more than acceptable 
Benzin
TS Member
Went today, I enjoyed it and a full review tomorrow at some point...
Not the awful thing some people have claimed (without reasons why is it so bad)...
EDIT
Have a review, hopefully it shouldn't reveal TOO many of the extra new details as to spoil any surprises if you want to visit with a clear mind, but it gives some information as comparison to the original Dungeons scenes...
It's good, very good actually... Whilst it might lack the 'atmosphere' of Tooley Street's bridge times, it has taken some of the good scenes from it, and improved them ALL... As well as taken the chance to change around the route, improving the throughput and expanding the entire thing whilst producing a few extra random bits and bobs...
So the lift intro is quite good, with a bit of interaction, we had an amusing actress for this, and the hilarity of the 'finale' of the section was just, well, brilliant, and kind of set the level of humour we will see...
Straight into the boat ride, which is SUCH an improvement on the old one, as it has THINGS HAPPENING!!! [] Then Brian Blessed appeared and all was good... It had a few extra bits on the excessive long journey back, though perhaps a few bits weren't working currently... Either way, a definite improvement...
Onto Guy Fawkes, we missed the intro portion to this due to being on the last boat, but I'm sure it's basically "Blah blah blah delay until the group all appears", anyways, into the tunnels we go, where we have a small scene regarding finding Guy Fawkes and giving him a letter before we are forced to move on through the Sewers, which included tiny low tunnels of dark... Which was annoying but still more interesting than a corridor... Then we have a VERY Horrible Histories style scene with Guy Fawkes and a Cavaliar... As a big fan of the show, this kind of humour is Benin approved...
Next, Torture scene, straight out the old Dungeons really, minimal change here aside from a reference to the previous scene...
Plague next, with bonus SMELL effects! A longer street with more random effects leading up to a chat about the Plague and what not... They REALLY loved the face projection stuff this time around... Then we had the Surgery which was much improved with the actor actually speaking rather than following the pre-recorded spiel... Also a few extra effects and jokes in there but again, similar to before but better... You then get to walk again through the Turning Room, which is, a trommel, with added effects and rats...
Then it's time for Sweeney Todd, the addition of a proper Mrs Lovett scene is much approved, with lots of really bad puns, but that's the level of humour we're working with now people, get used to it... Sweeney is similar to before but with added pre-show actor, which was different and provided a different nervy build-up atmosphere... Also a few things added on here as well... Good times...
Jack the Ripper now, and this has similarities to the original, what with the Mitre Square scene, then it goes into the Mirror Maze, which is again what it was before but with different sound effects until we eventually get let into the Pub... Which is now bigger, and SO, SO much better than the original, with a lot more going on throughout, much improved...
Then the Judge, which is it's usual hilarious self... The two here were really pushing the level of innuendo this time and it was brilliant... There was also proof of ad-libbing ("Where are you from?" "Norway" "Oh, there's Nor-Way he's getting away with this!") so whilst it may not be constant, it will still occur... Again it's similar to the old version but really they didn't have to change it much as it was good then...
Finally Extremis 2, after a build-up to the long drop stuff from another actor, we get taken into the ride section, which I'm not sure if I prefer the drop of the original or the new one, but regardless it was rather good though I think in the end... I did adore the floor of the ride with it's rotating floor slats though, little bit goony but whatevers []
And that's it... And overall, whilst some may not like the lack of Tooley Street atmosphere, they took this chance full-fold, removing the rubbish scenes (Great Fire and Heretic) and improving a LOT of the scenes that were transferred... Some bits remained consistent but those were good beforehand...
Well worth a visit, good fun, good theming, very enjoyable...
Not the awful thing some people have claimed (without reasons why is it so bad)...
EDIT
Have a review, hopefully it shouldn't reveal TOO many of the extra new details as to spoil any surprises if you want to visit with a clear mind, but it gives some information as comparison to the original Dungeons scenes...
It's good, very good actually... Whilst it might lack the 'atmosphere' of Tooley Street's bridge times, it has taken some of the good scenes from it, and improved them ALL... As well as taken the chance to change around the route, improving the throughput and expanding the entire thing whilst producing a few extra random bits and bobs...
So the lift intro is quite good, with a bit of interaction, we had an amusing actress for this, and the hilarity of the 'finale' of the section was just, well, brilliant, and kind of set the level of humour we will see...
Straight into the boat ride, which is SUCH an improvement on the old one, as it has THINGS HAPPENING!!! [
] Then Brian Blessed appeared and all was good... It had a few extra bits on the excessive long journey back, though perhaps a few bits weren't working currently... Either way, a definite improvement...Onto Guy Fawkes, we missed the intro portion to this due to being on the last boat, but I'm sure it's basically "Blah blah blah delay until the group all appears", anyways, into the tunnels we go, where we have a small scene regarding finding Guy Fawkes and giving him a letter before we are forced to move on through the Sewers, which included tiny low tunnels of dark... Which was annoying but still more interesting than a corridor... Then we have a VERY Horrible Histories style scene with Guy Fawkes and a Cavaliar... As a big fan of the show, this kind of humour is Benin approved...
Next, Torture scene, straight out the old Dungeons really, minimal change here aside from a reference to the previous scene...
Plague next, with bonus SMELL effects! A longer street with more random effects leading up to a chat about the Plague and what not... They REALLY loved the face projection stuff this time around... Then we had the Surgery which was much improved with the actor actually speaking rather than following the pre-recorded spiel... Also a few extra effects and jokes in there but again, similar to before but better... You then get to walk again through the Turning Room, which is, a trommel, with added effects and rats...
Then it's time for Sweeney Todd, the addition of a proper Mrs Lovett scene is much approved, with lots of really bad puns, but that's the level of humour we're working with now people, get used to it... Sweeney is similar to before but with added pre-show actor, which was different and provided a different nervy build-up atmosphere... Also a few things added on here as well... Good times...
Jack the Ripper now, and this has similarities to the original, what with the Mitre Square scene, then it goes into the Mirror Maze, which is again what it was before but with different sound effects until we eventually get let into the Pub... Which is now bigger, and SO, SO much better than the original, with a lot more going on throughout, much improved...
Then the Judge, which is it's usual hilarious self... The two here were really pushing the level of innuendo this time and it was brilliant... There was also proof of ad-libbing ("Where are you from?" "Norway" "Oh, there's Nor-Way he's getting away with this!") so whilst it may not be constant, it will still occur... Again it's similar to the old version but really they didn't have to change it much as it was good then...
Finally Extremis 2, after a build-up to the long drop stuff from another actor, we get taken into the ride section, which I'm not sure if I prefer the drop of the original or the new one, but regardless it was rather good though I think in the end... I did adore the floor of the ride with it's rotating floor slats though, little bit goony but whatevers [
]And that's it... And overall, whilst some may not like the lack of Tooley Street atmosphere, they took this chance full-fold, removing the rubbish scenes (Great Fire and Heretic) and improving a LOT of the scenes that were transferred... Some bits remained consistent but those were good beforehand...
Well worth a visit, good fun, good theming, very enjoyable...
Have there been many script changes, then? Obviously I'd expect the torture scene to be the same (given that it's identical in Every. Single. Dungeon.) but this could've been a nice opportunity to give the judges etc. some new gags... Especially given that this is being marketed as a new experience and I expect a percentage of previous Dungeon visitors will come back to do it
nickhutson
TS Member
Yes - 95% of the scripts are new. The torture scene has two new items, too - along with the Tongue Tearer and the Chappy Chopper. A tip for the torture victims in the chair and the cage... keep your wits about you - you never know what might pop up... or pop down!
nickhutson
TS Member
Yep. I meant two new items are used now, along with the familiar two from th old attraction.
Rose Of Dawn
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Eejanaika (Fuji-Q Highland)
I went there today on the mini-meet, and I quite enjoyed it. Here are my thoughts:
The good
Henry's Wrath
The boat ride isn't perfect. There's a 20 second gap of complete darkness (which I'll talk about later), and Brian Blessed is severely underused. But then, 10 seconds of Brian is better than no Brian at all! The ride itself is pretty fun - you do get wet, and the backwards drop is pretty interesting. Maybe they should make more use of Brian Blessed (I was expecting him to shout 'Gordon's alive!' at some point), but overall it was pretty fun.
Guy Fawkes
Another bit that was done quite well, and one of the funnier parts of the tour. The theming was a bit inconsistent (why was Fawkes' severed head under parliament?), but it didn't matter as the whole scene was thoroughly enjoyable.
The judge
I understand that this is a Dungeons stable, but I really liked it. I thought the interaction was the best of the tour (being the one point that it really deviated from the script), and I found it really funny.
Jack the Ripper
This was the best done part of the entire tour. The acting was good from the start, the mirrors in the labyrinth worked really well, but the best part was the Ten Bells scene. This really was the highlight of the entire dungeons, as for once they actually used the darkness to their advantage, putting on a truly impressive performance.
The bad
The gong farmer
Mostly forgettable, and the least thought out part of the tour. It happens right on the exit of Henry's Wrath, so you constantly have guests joining the scene. Unfortunately this meant that the gong farmer kept restarting his scene over and over as more people got off the boats. With the exception of the arrows, the effects were rather dull, and the actor really wasn't into the role at all. There's probably not much they can do to improve this bit.
The darkness
I get that the dungeons are meant to be dark, but all too often you'd have to walk down dark corridor after dark corridor with nothing happening. It seemed cheap, and it really hampered what were otherwise great sets. Henry's Wrath suffers in particular, as they really could have done with more theming rather than pitch blackness.
Sweeney Todd
My least favourite part of the dungeons. It started off okay, although Mrs Lovett's modern glasses ruined any believability in her role (which was a shame as she was otherwise pretty good). But the actual Sweeney Todd scene ruined the tour for me.
I must point out that I suffer from an anxiety condition, and I also understand that the Dungeons are meant to be all dark and have things jump out at you (although there isn't much of that, truth be told). But I found the whole scene really uncomfortable, to the pony where I could feel a panic attack coming on. It's all done in pitch darkness (again with the darkness), and not exactly knowing whether the scene would deal with air jets or an actor jumping out or what really triggered my anxiety. But even on a practical level, the darkness was really cheap. My thoughts on what might happen were much scarier than what was really happening, and the whole way it ended was anticlimactic. Nevertheless, it set me up in a bad way, and set off my anxiety to the point where I refused to ride Drop Dead (which I was later told was terrible, anyway).
Bad points aside, I did enjoy the London Dungeons, and will probably enjoy it more the next time I go.
The good
Henry's Wrath
The boat ride isn't perfect. There's a 20 second gap of complete darkness (which I'll talk about later), and Brian Blessed is severely underused. But then, 10 seconds of Brian is better than no Brian at all! The ride itself is pretty fun - you do get wet, and the backwards drop is pretty interesting. Maybe they should make more use of Brian Blessed (I was expecting him to shout 'Gordon's alive!' at some point), but overall it was pretty fun.
Guy Fawkes
Another bit that was done quite well, and one of the funnier parts of the tour. The theming was a bit inconsistent (why was Fawkes' severed head under parliament?), but it didn't matter as the whole scene was thoroughly enjoyable.
The judge
I understand that this is a Dungeons stable, but I really liked it. I thought the interaction was the best of the tour (being the one point that it really deviated from the script), and I found it really funny.
Jack the Ripper
This was the best done part of the entire tour. The acting was good from the start, the mirrors in the labyrinth worked really well, but the best part was the Ten Bells scene. This really was the highlight of the entire dungeons, as for once they actually used the darkness to their advantage, putting on a truly impressive performance.
The bad
The gong farmer
Mostly forgettable, and the least thought out part of the tour. It happens right on the exit of Henry's Wrath, so you constantly have guests joining the scene. Unfortunately this meant that the gong farmer kept restarting his scene over and over as more people got off the boats. With the exception of the arrows, the effects were rather dull, and the actor really wasn't into the role at all. There's probably not much they can do to improve this bit.
The darkness
I get that the dungeons are meant to be dark, but all too often you'd have to walk down dark corridor after dark corridor with nothing happening. It seemed cheap, and it really hampered what were otherwise great sets. Henry's Wrath suffers in particular, as they really could have done with more theming rather than pitch blackness.
Sweeney Todd
My least favourite part of the dungeons. It started off okay, although Mrs Lovett's modern glasses ruined any believability in her role (which was a shame as she was otherwise pretty good). But the actual Sweeney Todd scene ruined the tour for me.
I must point out that I suffer from an anxiety condition, and I also understand that the Dungeons are meant to be all dark and have things jump out at you (although there isn't much of that, truth be told). But I found the whole scene really uncomfortable, to the pony where I could feel a panic attack coming on. It's all done in pitch darkness (again with the darkness), and not exactly knowing whether the scene would deal with air jets or an actor jumping out or what really triggered my anxiety. But even on a practical level, the darkness was really cheap. My thoughts on what might happen were much scarier than what was really happening, and the whole way it ended was anticlimactic. Nevertheless, it set me up in a bad way, and set off my anxiety to the point where I refused to ride Drop Dead (which I was later told was terrible, anyway).
Bad points aside, I did enjoy the London Dungeons, and will probably enjoy it more the next time I go.
Stevie
TS Member
By the sound of a few reviews I've read recently, it seems that the Tooley Street version was superior (which I originally thought to be honest).
However, I'm gonna reserve my judgements until I experience it later this year. I won't be able to compare it to much, due to the fact I only experienced the original Dungeons once.
Can I ask, what's the problem with Drop Dead and why is it not as good as Extremis?
However, I'm gonna reserve my judgements until I experience it later this year. I won't be able to compare it to much, due to the fact I only experienced the original Dungeons once.
Can I ask, what's the problem with Drop Dead and why is it not as good as Extremis?
You have to remember, though, that the Tooley St. attraction had the boooring Great Fire scene, the dull Jack The Ripper street scene, the mind-numbing 'Watch this video about Jack the Ripper...now look at this really obvious flamethrower.' bit, and the "HERETICS! BURN!" etc. scene, which was only fun if you were the one getting burnt (believe me...THAT was fun )...oh and a decidedly average boat ride.
Looking forward to seeing what the new one has to offer, though disappointed by what I've heard of Drop Dead!
)...oh and a decidedly average boat ride.Looking forward to seeing what the new one has to offer, though disappointed by what I've heard of Drop Dead!
Having been to County Hall and Tooley Street, I do find the new one to be far superior.
There is a lot more humour and a couple of shows are more intense.
Theming is a little sparse in a couple of places but this does not detract from the enjoyment.
Although a lot of effects were not working on the day, I am sure the experience will be more entertaining over the coming weeks once everything is working.
There is a lot more humour and a couple of shows are more intense.
Theming is a little sparse in a couple of places but this does not detract from the enjoyment.
Although a lot of effects were not working on the day, I am sure the experience will be more entertaining over the coming weeks once everything is working.
nickhutson
TS Member
MaXtreme said:
What effects weren't working today? Were
barrels falling on the boat ride
Tim
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Air / Blue Fire
LiamC said:
Sounds like the same problem Sub-Terra has. By adding the top loading floor (which I assume drops with you?) there's more drag and so a less impressive drop. I had a feeling we'd be seeing these issues again when they announced the former (very forceful) Extremis was being replace.
Having said that I'm not a fan of drop towers so for me I actually prefer the less forceful ones if they are part of an experience based ride that I want to ride multiple times.
I was on a tour with you
Nope that was not working on the Tuesday afternoon, which was a shame.
Pretty sure you were on that 3pm tour as well?
In regards to Drop Dead, it's a fun ride but it was never going to be too forceful. Extremis had a surprising amount of force for its size, but nothing too impressive. To be honest, I found Drop Dead just as intense as Extremis.
nickhutson said:
Nope that was not working on the Tuesday afternoon, which was a shame.
And the trommel thing wasn't working either.
Pretty sure you were on that 3pm tour as well?
In regards to Drop Dead, it's a fun ride but it was never going to be too forceful. Extremis had a surprising amount of force for its size, but nothing too impressive. To be honest, I found Drop Dead just as intense as Extremis.
Benzin
TS Member
Tim said:
They do try and combat that with the epic rotating floor slats...
I would say it was about the only Tooley Street version that was actually better than the new one... But everything else that moved has improved greatly...
Most effects seemed to be working on my visit, although once the solve the numerous times of darkness and the actors get used to their scenes, it will improve... However the mass transitions between scenes are a result of County Hall being a maze on the inside, and could not be avoided...