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Thorpe Park: General Discussion
- Thread starter Ted
- Start date
ChristmasPud
TS Member
Ahhh my sons, there are always unexpected ways to repurpose attraction buildings and earn new value from them.
Will still be limiting though and once the ride system is defunct surely that's the main value gone.
I hope they don't give up on the ride system, it's potential still hasn't been properly used!
Will still be limiting though and once the ride system is defunct surely that's the main value gone.
I hope they don't give up on the ride system, it's potential still hasn't been properly used!
imanautie
TS Member
I'm not too sure if there's a viable low staff use for the ride system.
Thameslink Rail
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- The Smiler
Does the ride system need an operator on the train?
imanautie
TS Member
Unsure, I know they have the Doors controlled locally but then again hex shows that's not necessarily required.
djtruefitt
TS Team
I imagine you could send it with no one on the train, as they must do that when testing, but im sure when it’s operating normally then the staff have to press a button to enable it’s side patch, and also do the doors.
AT86
TS Member
This probably doesn’t haven’t too much relevance to the future of DBGT, but every item of merchandise for this attraction is currently on sale in the online shop.
https://shop.thorpepark.com/search?q=Derren+Brown
https://shop.thorpepark.com/search?q=Derren+Brown
jmc
TS Member
It has been known to be a fairly good indicator of an attractions future when this has happened in the past...
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siralgenon
TS Member
ChristmasPud
TS Member
I still find it incredible that in the most expensive ride Merlin ever built, a ride host tapping your knee is what got the biggest reaction in the whole thing
jon81uk
TS Member
I think the Sweeny Todd scene at the London Dungeon is probably better with more reliable effects.
*Blows dust off account for my biennial post...*
I believe staff are needed on board the trains for DBGT as a safety thing as well. Guests have to remain seated during the ride, and it's much easier to control that with a staff member there since there's no restraints. It can obviously be run without staff on board the train (engineers do that during testing), but presumably that's in a sort of manual mode which Merlin would never allow with guests post-Smiler.
If they did get rid of the VR headsets, introduced some sort of restraints system and kept everyone on the train for the whole ride (ie - didn't make guests leave for the tunnel scene), I guess they could have the ride reprogrammed to run without staff on the train. But that requires a huge effort to change the ride's focus (you lose the illusion aspect for example), and there's big questions about how you keep 58 people entertained for 6 minutes in that train set up.
It's not an impossible task, but the size of it should not be understated, and one would have to wonder if it's worth the effort.
I'm by no means an engineer, but I don't see any particular reason why the building as is couldn't be repurposed for another ride. There's a pit which houses the motion base and helps with the illusion of the hanging carriage, but the rest of the building is effectively on one level. I don't see why that part of the building couldn't be used for a (more simple) tracked dark ride for example, especially if they were clever with the space.
Again though, something like that is not an easy task, and I imagine that it would be expensive to remove the the ride hardware. Then you have to take into account the actual design and construction of a new ride in its place. And making it a ride that Merlin would be willing to invest in. And consider the fact that Thorpe have invested minimally over the past few years, and there's arguably more important needs across the park.
There's no easy answer on how to solve Ghost Train.
I believe staff are needed on board the trains for DBGT as a safety thing as well. Guests have to remain seated during the ride, and it's much easier to control that with a staff member there since there's no restraints. It can obviously be run without staff on board the train (engineers do that during testing), but presumably that's in a sort of manual mode which Merlin would never allow with guests post-Smiler.
If they did get rid of the VR headsets, introduced some sort of restraints system and kept everyone on the train for the whole ride (ie - didn't make guests leave for the tunnel scene), I guess they could have the ride reprogrammed to run without staff on the train. But that requires a huge effort to change the ride's focus (you lose the illusion aspect for example), and there's big questions about how you keep 58 people entertained for 6 minutes in that train set up.
It's not an impossible task, but the size of it should not be understated, and one would have to wonder if it's worth the effort.
I'm by no means an engineer, but I don't see any particular reason why the building as is couldn't be repurposed for another ride. There's a pit which houses the motion base and helps with the illusion of the hanging carriage, but the rest of the building is effectively on one level. I don't see why that part of the building couldn't be used for a (more simple) tracked dark ride for example, especially if they were clever with the space.
Again though, something like that is not an easy task, and I imagine that it would be expensive to remove the the ride hardware. Then you have to take into account the actual design and construction of a new ride in its place. And making it a ride that Merlin would be willing to invest in. And consider the fact that Thorpe have invested minimally over the past few years, and there's arguably more important needs across the park.
There's no easy answer on how to solve Ghost Train.
imanautie
TS Member
Less reliance on the vr.
I've done it when they've had actors in it where they can get some good jump scares in and it really makes it pop.
MattyH
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- GIIBBB
VR is one of the main issues. You have to get on the train, take your seat, adjust the VR. Then you get off, go through the middle section, get back on the train, take your seat and then re-adjust your VR. It's a lot more faff then there should be on a ride. I want to sit down, on the ride and go.
imanautie
TS Member
I see that as more of an issue with the particular headsets they chose to use, not the concept itself
Matt N
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Shambhala (PortAventura Park)
Speaking of the VR; I know that 2016 wasn’t that long ago, but surely the HTC Vive headsets that they use in the ride must be nearly obsolete by now, if not already obsolete? As far as I’m aware, the technology hasn’t been majorly upgraded since 2016, and as much as I hate to say it, 5 years is a really, really long time in tech.
Smartphones and computers from 5 years ago are now practically obsolete; the big tech companies are beginning to end support for devices and operating systems of this sort of age. This tends to open unsupported older devices up to all sorts of dangers like cyber attacks.
If the ride has much longer left in its present form, surely the technology will need a pretty substantial upgrade before too long, because I shouldn’t think Thorpe want the technology on their ride to be open to these types of risks?
Smartphones and computers from 5 years ago are now practically obsolete; the big tech companies are beginning to end support for devices and operating systems of this sort of age. This tends to open unsupported older devices up to all sorts of dangers like cyber attacks.
If the ride has much longer left in its present form, surely the technology will need a pretty substantial upgrade before too long, because I shouldn’t think Thorpe want the technology on their ride to be open to these types of risks?