• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

The World of David Walliams: General Discussion

Theming is better than I expected, I’m not going to worry too much about the dynamics of the ride system yet, looks like it’s really only just started testing.

no idea when that was filmed but the outside of the building was looking decidedly lacking if it was filmed in the last few weeks.
 
siralgenon said:
If you look closely there's roller screens everywhere so they'll open and close between the vehicles.
Click to expand...

For the first two months or so, maybe... while they still work. Once they break, there will be scant effort made to separate the scenes / avoid light pollution between them. Merlin / Towers record in keeping all the effects working on Duel is not exactly glowing.

Actually, glowing is probably an appropriate word to use in the wrong way, given all those bright UV LED lamps that light absolutely everything you should not see up.
 
Geez, the general negativity from many about that clip is really depressing! It's a new ride that has yet to be finished, we don't know when it was filmed and in reality we don't know when it will open so from the point of filming there could be another 2-3 months of work left. And if it opens on season opening day, there is still over a month left to go.

That ride vehicle didn't look like it was struggling to me and even if it was so what, it's clearly only testing. Remember that aerial shot of Wicker Man testing? We all thought that was struggling and was going to be very slow but look how that turned out.

Theming looks great, and you simply cannot make a judgement on the final look and feel of the ride from a 3 minute clip filmed with floodlights on and in the middle of construction! It's like judging what a night club will be like when you walk in with all the main lights on and effects lighting and music off!

I think it's great Towers are doing this - hopefully the start of a wider project to improve that corner of the park over the next few years. This is a Towers fansite and while we're all entitled to criticise the park when they do things wrong, lets at least give them the benefit of the doubt on this and reserve judgement until we have ridden it ourselves. If it's a crap experience then yes of course slate them for it but until then let's remain positive about it!
 
I really hope the area as a whole gets a nice retheme to the standard of the set pieces in the ride, it’d be a shame if the area didn’t match the ride


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
BarryZola said:
Do you think that the enthusiast adults may actually let some actual children be the first to ride this thing on opening day?
Click to expand...

The whole "it's aimed at children" excuse is so lame. A lot of Disney rides, and even those at Efteling, Europa, Paultons(!) etc are primarily aimed at children. That is no excuse for them being rubbish. In fact they're generally good. If it sucks it is because it sucks not because it's a kids ride. Don't underestimate children.

See also Disney films vs those produced by Dreamworks etc. Just because the target audience is children doesn't mean there can't be a huge difference in quality.
 
BarryZola said:
Do you think that the enthusiast adults may actually let some actual children be the first to ride this thing on opening day?
Click to expand...

Nope! It will just be a repeat of CATCF, which held very long queues for much of it's first weeks / months as it was new and lots of people wanted to see what it was like.

Sure, Towers will wheel out "Family Friendly Time" posters / signs asking guests without younger children not to try and ride before a set time (ISTR Charlie was 1pm), but it was not enforced at all, not even by ride hosts or team leaders. They got no backup from management when guests complained about the Family Friendly Time either on the day or by email, so just didn't bother enforcing it.

And as the first rule in Towers staff training says... "Guests leave their brains in their car / on the coach when they arrive here", so putting up posters / signs asking guests not to ride is futile. Won't stop them doing it though so they can say "we tried"... more like lined Leek Signs pocket with a bit more money.
 
D4n said:
The whole "it's aimed at children" excuse is so lame. A lot of Disney rides, and even those at Efteling, Europa, Paultons(!) etc are primarily aimed at children. That is no excuse for them being rubbish. In fact they're generally good. If it sucks it is because it sucks not because it's a kids ride. Don't underestimate children.

See also Disney films vs those produced by Dreamworks etc. Just because the target audience is children doesn't mean there can't be a huge difference in quality.
Click to expand...

Could not agree more. Didn't a certain Walt Disney once say something along the lines of "this is a place where the parents can have as much fun as the children" when describing his parks?

I appreciate the budget available to Disney smashes anything available to Merlin out of the water. But high quality & well themed attractions can be delivered by parks without the Disney budget clout. Just look at Europa Park & Phantasia Land. Both seasonal parks.

The hotels at both Europa Park & Phantasia Land put the Merlin accommodation offering to complete shame. The level of theming on their rides - particularly Black Mamba - puts even to Nemesis back in 1994 when it was sparkling new to shame. Look at all the detail on the ride area walls / queueline / the voodoo dolls on the footers etc.
 
Kraken27 said:
Nope! It will just be a repeat of CATCF, which held very long queues for much of it's first weeks / months as it was new and lots of people wanted to see what it was like.
Click to expand...

I doubt we'll see anything like the CATCF opening here. CATCF was a very different beast because it was a multi-generational IP - whilst it was essentially a children's boat ride, it was telling a much loved story that anyone up to the age of 50 had grown up with.

It therefore generated massive interest outside it's core market (which was half the point), which only died down after it became apparent that the ride did not meet expectations (i.e. what was there was OK, but there simply wasn't enough in the ride to make it an enduring attraction).

David Walliams on the other hand has a very small appeal in the great scheme of things. Whilst he is highly popular within the 8-12 age bracket, his children's books don't have great appeal outside that market. Even the 12+ market that grew up reading David Walliams is unlikely to be that interested in the area, as they are at most they are now going to be in their late teens, a group that is not especially known for wanting to ride on rides aimed at children, especially when there are a plethora of rollercoasters available nearby.

I think we can probably expect it to be more like CBeebies Land, which had an altogether more sedate opening period, despite predications of mass overcrowding with adult park guests.
 
With the whole David Walliams / Caroline flack situation do you think this has the possibility of backfiring? Remember he basically bullied a non convicted person live on national TV and to a theater audience for a joke. It was scripted and unprovoked, it could have lead in part to her depression and suicide.

Yet Mr Walliams walks away with a few £ in his pocket so he's ok. Alton promoting a bully is quite shameful. He's no role model.
 
^ Not to go too far off topic here but she had been accused of assault. She was (rightly or wrongly) fair game for the media, and comedians, as any other public figure would be in that situation. That's just a sad reality.

I wouldn't call Walliams a bully and there's no way he could have known her mental state.
 
D4n said:
^ Not to go too far off topic here but she had been accused of assault. She was (rightly or wrongly) fair game for the media, and comedians, as any other public figure would be in that situation. That's just a sad reality.

I wouldn't call Walliams a bully and there's no way he could have known her mental state.
Click to expand...
I don't think it's off topic... Having a land named after a person is a huge risk. I mean Rolf Harris was a major loved celebrity!

With Flack it was under handed and it was accused not convicted. I mean look at the hashtag #MatthewMcGreevy relating to the alleged grooming by Phillip Schofield. Celebrity endorsements open a whole can of worms for using them as a IP. I wonder if the payments are loaded upfront or are spread and can be claimed back if something comes out.
 
I actually think this looks great. The lights won't be on for the actual ride so I imagine it will look and feel a lot better. Then there's the audio and smell pods too.

It's a new UK dark ride and that's got to be a good thing. For the budget I reckon it will be a solid addition. Can't compare it to disney dark rides. Simply not in same league money wise.

I can see this new area being a hit.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top