The Future of Dark Forest

[QTXAdsy]

With all the talk about Forbidden Valley's new look being completed next year as part of Project Ocean and with X-Sector looking more likely to be the next area to see attention, we have to turn attention to what is IMO the worst themed area in the whole park and that is Dark Forest.

Some will say that either TWODW or Adventure Land are the worst but at least with the former it is something different for the park while the latter looks set to be annexed into Cbeebies Land sooner than later once Spinball has gone, but really Dark Forest is truly the black sheep of the park's themed areas of just how much of cheap job it was in which having vines covering Ug Land buildings sums up how badly it was done. It is fair to say that time hasn't been kind to it, seems to look worse by the year and is another of Towers' dark themed areas that Merlin seem to obsess with that this was the first one they did and does it show.

You can make the argument that Dark Forest badly needs attention either in a new flat ride or perhaps a total nuke job and start all over again. I suspect many on here will have their opinions on the future of the area and from how negative I've sounded I've already made my case but it's not just the fact it is such as botch job of an area but rather that there was already a spooky wood themed area on the park in Gloomy Wood which you already had.

Speaking of which you could have had Thirteen built there which I've said so many times before but either way Merlin shot themselves in the foot in which they unintentionally forced a comparison between the two areas in which made Dark Forest look worse and it is a pet peeve of mine of the park using two similar themes on the park (Forbidden Valley and X-Sector now joining this idea).

So really, whatever they might have for Dark Forest they can't do any worse so what do you think is the future for the area within the next few years and what would you like to see?

 

[s_g_k]

I think Dark Forest needs attention before X Sector. X Sector can be sorted out with the addition of two permanent flats. It’ll then be a complete area again.

Ug Land and Festival Park used to be the life blood of the whole park, and what we have there today is awful. It actually saddens me to think that the park ripped out Ug Land so soon after launching it so that they could plonk Rita on the site.

The flow of the area just doesn’t work. Walking in the main entrance, Rita dominates the area and you can barely make out Thirteen unless you decide to walk all the way down to the bottom of the area through the weird temporary looking underpass.

If you enter via the back way (where roller disco was), you could be mistaken that you’ve entered a back of house ride area because there’s just nothing there.

The area needs opening up again and the way to do that would be to either remove or relocate Rita. It’s erected on flat ground with no subterranean ground works involved, unlike all other major coasters on park.

 

[TheDuke]

Its a weird one I remember Ugg land very fondly and thought the conversion to dark forest was done in a rush and poorly. I remember the gun games and they basically just covered the cave man on the chair with a black sheet for example.

I think the theme as a concept is great given its proximity to hex and the towers. I think towers shot themselves in the foot by trying to get Rita in with its theme in ugg land which sort of worked but then building thirteen a few later as left it completely out of sorts.
Thirteen has good theming and I like the queue line but more could be added to it. This is all a long way of saying Rita needs to go, its a poor coaster that has one gimic and thats now very outdated and much better could be done ride wise and theming wise for the area.
Not sure what you'd replace Rita with of the top of my head but it would be a good opportunity to theme up the area more.

 

[Mick]

I like both rides in the area, but completely agree with the above post that it feels fragmented, mainly due to having that weird tunnel, and having Rita running over the pathways, meaning netting above and supports plonked everywhere. It feels like there’s so much wasted space, it’s not a small area at all and yet it’s only home to two coasters and a couple of kiosk eateries.

I don’t know what the answer is, even with replacing Rita it’s not the best place to have a good coaster being flat, the height restrictions and the relatively small area for the queue line, station and actual ride.

 

[TheDuke]

I didnt think about it in my post there but I agree the whole area does feel like everythings just been dropped in randomly which is probably the biggest issue.
The area is relatively large in terms of space in towers but its just horribly laid out now

 

[Josh555]

I do think there’s a bit of selective memories with regards to Ug Land.

It was a nicely, brightly themed area but it didn’t have one purpose built attraction for the theme that it was supposed to be conveying, I appreciate that efforts were made to update the existing attractions but nothing was actually built as a Stone Age/dinosaur esque attraction which is in itself a bit of a kop out when it comes to a retheme.

If it was up to me I’d just want the existing theme hugely improved so that you actually feel like you’re entering a dark forest, rather than just an area with lots of dark colours, mould and trees.

 

[waffa]

I would love Dark Forest to just have an optimistic and colourful theme again. Fitting in with Thirteen and Hex you could have a magical / travellers / folklore area that has colourful tents that feel line an encampment of folk who shun normal life for the more mystical and magical side of things. Harry Potter without the IP ha.....

 

[Zeock]

I do think there’s a bit of selective memories with regards to Ug Land.

It was a nicely, brightly themed area but it didn’t have one purpose built attraction for the theme that it was supposed to be conveying, I appreciate that efforts were made to update the existing attractions but nothing was actually built as a Stone Age/dinosaur esque attraction which is in itself a bit of a kop out when it comes to a retheme.

If it was up to me I’d just want the existing theme hugely improved so that you actually feel like you’re entering a dark forest, rather than just an area with lots of dark colours, mould and trees.

I never saw Ug Land, but from pictures, it reminds me of World of Jumanji in the fact that the theming for both areas is quite sparse.

 

[s_g_k]

Would the area work without Rita and with Thirteen as the headline attraction? Rather than it being a Dark Forest, they could go down the Enchanted Forest route just to lighten it up a bit. It could be a good 1.2m area that way. Thirteen could be the headliner, and then you could install 2 or 3 flats, a play area and then liven up the knackered old food kiosks.

 

[TheDuke]

I do think there’s a bit of selective memories with regards to Ug Land.

It was a nicely, brightly themed area but it didn’t have one purpose built attraction for the theme that it was supposed to be conveying, I appreciate that efforts were made to update the existing attractions but nothing was actually built as a Stone Age/dinosaur esque attraction which is in itself a bit of a kop out when it comes to a retheme.

If it was up to me I’d just want the existing theme hugely improved so that you actually feel like you’re entering a dark forest, rather than just an area with lots of dark colours, mould and trees.

I'd agree there though I said I remembered it fondly which I do it was still ramshackle. I'll also say that as much as the corkscrew was the ride that started the park in its modern form it was a stock layout ride.

 

[Josh555]

I never saw Ug Land, but from pictures, it reminds me of World of Jumanji in the fact that the theming for both areas is quite sparse.

It was a nicely themed area, but I think all of us probably suffer from rose tinted memories a bit. It’s the same with how people remember the Corkscrew and Black Hole; both were good rides but ultimately people were saying for a good 10 years before they were removed that they were in need of removal.

The issue with Dark Forest is the fact that not enough time and investment was put into theming it rather than what it replaced as I’d wager that if you did a survey at the time as to which area of the park needed a retheme the most popular choice would have been either UG Land or Merrie England.

 

[QTXAdsy]

The issue with Dark Forest is the fact that not enough time and investment was put into theming it rather than what it replaced as I’d wager that if you did a survey at the time as to which area of the park needed a retheme the most popular choice would have been either UG Land or Merrie England.

Even without the rushed time and lack of money to fully flesh out the area, it still suffers as I've mentioned already that we already have a spooky woodland area in the shape of Gloomy Wood which does that whole theme far better albeit using the existing landscape to its advantage but nonetheless it makes Dark Forest look worse in comparison.

What Merlin were thinking if they thought two almost identical haunted wood themed areas on the same park was a good idea baffles me and they look to have repeated this idea with Forbidden Valley and X-Sector though at least X-Sector does seem like it will have a change in due course.

Maybe if Dark Forest could have been a more fantasy wood area to help act as a opposite mirror image of Gloomy Wood then perhaps it could have worked and plus acted as a more 'lighter' theme. Then again even if that had happened, it still would have looked pants if Dark Forest is anything to go by.

The fact they have barely touched Dark Forest since opening other than plonking a Retrosquad ride there does seem to indicate that Merlin know they made a mistake with the area.

 

[TheDuke]

The thing about the gloomy wood is I wouldn't count that a full theme'd area because of how small it is, its essentially a one ride area and it'll be whatever theme that ride is.

 

[sock]

I didn't even notice that there was supposed to be a theme when I visited, I thought they just couldn't be bothered so left it as a wood. Something more magical and fun would be my personal preference for the area, even the parts of the park now that have more 'light' themes seem to only be aimed at very young children (although I admit I've never stepped foot in cbeebies land or walliams).

 

[rob666]

Perhaps having both a gloomy wood and a dark forest is a big clue to how many trees there are in the park.

 

[sock]

Perhaps having both a gloomy wood and a dark forest is a big clue to how many trees there are in the park.

Those are separate places??? I really must not have been paying attention when I visited haha.

 

[TheDuke]

Perhaps having both a gloomy wood and a dark forest is a big clue to how many trees there are in the park.

 

[dave___]

Those are separate places??? I really must not have been paying attention when I visited haha.

Gloomy Wood by Alton Manor works fine I think, with the random gravestones, sculptures and so on.

Dark Forest I just don't really understand. Rita and 13 seem completely at odds with each other theme-wise and the path down there is just a chokepoint as next to no one goes the back way out of it along the walls.

I think they could stick with some kind of forest theme if they wanted but lean heavily into the fairytale aspect of it - an Enchanted Forest with toadstools and gnomes etc all over the place or like something out of The Legend of Zelda. something bright and fun but mysterious at the same time, but without the tackiness of David Walliams

 

[sock]

Gloomy Wood by Alton Manor works fine I think, with the random gravestones, sculptures and so on.

Dark Forest I just don't really understand. Rita and 13 seem completely at odds with each other theme-wise and the path down there is just a chokepoint as next to no one goes the back way out of it along the walls.

I think they could stick with some kind of forest theme if they wanted but lean heavily into the fairytale aspect of it - an Enchanted Forest with toadstools and gnomes etc all over the place or like something out of The Legend of Zelda. something bright and fun but mysterious at the same time, but without the tackiness of David Walliams

I agree, I like the curse at Alton Manors area, I got them a bit mixed up as I've only been to towers once (although I'm visiting again this week!). Love your idea for the dark forest, it sounds like a magical place to visit.

 

[Blackhole_Sun]

Ug Land was exceptional for me. We haven’t seen this high level of themeing since, we likely never will again.

Pulling Corkscrew out was a mistake. I would happily sell Rita and 13 and start again from scratch.