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Thorpe Park 2017: DBGT: Rise of The Demon

DiogoJ42 said:
You actually phoned the number? They saw you coming.
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I did, from my work phone, mind. I don't want them to have another way to contact me to try and convince me to spend the night in a shipping container.

If folk want the little magic* touches, embrace them when they bestow them upon you.

*There is no magic and there never was.

Crawleyboy01 said:
I haven't rung it what did it say???
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Just the audio from the advert, but still, nice touch.
 
Rick said:
If folk want the little magic* touches, embrace them when they bestow them upon you.
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I agree! I like this kind of thing a lot. It's been done before with other immersive works (where it's been a bit better) but it's nonetheless an easy way to get the brand outside of the park gates and ultimately add to the hype.
 
Rang this yesterday but can't remember it word for word.

TRANSCRIPT:

*HEAVY BREATHING*

Derren: Don't worry... This is your stop.

*SCREAMS*

Derren: Rise of the Demon at Thorpe Park

VOICEMAIL: Once you've finished your message, hang up.

Ruins it a little bit at the end ;)
 
Has anyone been on Rise of The Demon yet? It opened this morning following previews last night, apparently the ride is much improved. Would love to hear thoughts/a description of what's new.
 
It got good reviews on the preview last year but they were unable to sustain this. Let's hope they manage somewhat better this time around. Apparently the second video has been changed/improved and there is a new finale.

:)
 
raw


But seriously, Sounds like they have done a decent job.
 
I just don't see what they could have done to make it great. I just don't like the idea of switching from VR to reality and back again. If that still stands, then it's still going to be a odd one for me.
 
Well I've just come back from thorpe, decided to go today as it was like a 10 min que time this morning, the ride still feels a little confusing. If your 14 then yes it will be pretty scary. Mostly jump scares. Still a confusing middle bit. But end was very very very good. And caught me by surprise. So good job there. Not a bad dark ride. Not something I would rush to ride again but I give it 7out of 10
 
I will say this. The ride will require HUGES amounts of investment every year to keep drawing a crowd. And I don't see merlin doing that. After riding today they must have spent a fortune to get it that way and if they don't keep tweaking it every year then it will just be a meh ride. A huge waste of money. I can't help but think that another coaster would have been better long term. In 3 years people won't go to thorpe park to have a go on this. They will go to thorpe and ride this because it's there. Unlike nemmy smiler etc people will visit the park just for these rides alone.. They pull people into the park. Derren brown won't do that unless they keep pumping the money. I think this will go the same way as saw alive and after a few seasons be a Halloween ride only
 
I don't know how long the IP lasts for but I suppose when they get a big investment in 3-5 years time then, they can change DGBT. This could easily be converted into a more family friendly ride by changing the film and removing the end. Making it more of an action ride than a horror ride. If they are able to use multiple films then they could even have it as family friendly ride throughout the season and add the horror elements back in for Halloween. That would require a long term plan from Merlin. So they'll probably just SBNO it after 2 years when it's half broken and nobody goes on it :p

If rumours are to be believed then there is a possible coaster being looked at between Swarm and Stealth. So maybe the shelf life of DGBT will be short?

Anyway the reviews sound positive, so time to enjoy it as it is. Can't wait to see how it compares. :)
 
Will be honest, right now am rather tipsy. Would appreciate a "TL: DR" summery of what has changed, for those who CBA to trek the 9 miles from home to Thorpe. ;) xxx ;)
 
Crawleyboy01 said:
I will say this. The ride will require HUGES amounts of investment every year to keep drawing a crowd. And I don't see merlin doing that. After riding today they must have spent a fortune to get it that way and if they don't keep tweaking it every year then it will just be a meh ride. A huge waste of money. I can't help but think that another coaster would have been better long term.
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A coaster also costs a huge amount to maintain, buy parts, service, pay labour to disassemble and reassemble every year, send parts off for testing and take track inspection, etc.

Difference is, that stuff is H&S mandatory, wheras Merlin don't see show & audio-visual maintenance as mandatory and never budget specifically for it, despite being so deep walleted and despite it being so fundamental to keep a dark ride working.

They shoot themselves in the foot by building DBGT to be the most expensive and technically overcomplicated thing they've ever built, and not even made it entertaining enough to justify it (judging by the wider response). It's the most expensive 'fad' ride ever. The VR will be extremely dated incoming years when everyone has much better VR in their living room and can get up, walk around using it, not sitting down on a chair watching a man talk to you and an utterly patronising, boring 'story' about drilling and gas. Yawn!

Hasn't this story been done on every Merlin dark ride ever now? Do they ever have any entertaining, surprising ideas anymore? Just swap the fictional 'company' out with a different name and a different logo, add a warehouse/facility and you have yourself a theme. It's the most boring story thread ever, no drama, just company names, corporate videos and 'company operatives' shouting in your face to get out. A terrible formula.

If Derren Brown's Ghost Train was used to its full potential, with illusion, drama and amazing theatricality, cutting the Sub Core Energy trash and VR gimmickery, then it could be a masterpiece. At least now it has a better add-on ending. But that won't save the ride for when it inevitably, quickly becomes old hat and not justifiable to spend the ridiculous regular costs just to keep it open.
 
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I know that the cost of maintaining a coaster is a big one, if done correctly, all I'm saying is for the cost of DBGT you could have a truly amazing coaster that would still be drawing in the crowds 10 years from now, and as such would see a return on the investment. Not a middle of the road dark ride that will be "old hat" in 2 and will need the constant injection of money to keep redesigning it. Honestly the end part of the ride is a completely new ground up build! And while it's good I now know what happens so will it have the same effect on me? No, so will I go on it again....I doubt it, but smiler still gets me going even tho I know the ride, it's a must do ride! It's a ride that I drive 5 hours to AT for DBGT isn't in the same league, it's a filler that's got stupidly out of hand and way over budget
 
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