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Towers Needs a Simulator Ride

PeteB

PeteB

TS Member
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Just saying.

Not expecting Spider Man, but something based a long the lines of a moving vehicle put in front of a screen is exactly what Towers should build.

They're fashionable.

They require little theming.

You can build it based on an IP and then easily change/update it later.

The ride hardware and technology has been around since the 80's so surely can't be all that expensive to build nowadays, and with high end AV equipment continously becoming more affordable, you would think even more so this is something Merlin could pull off.

VR sucks.
 
The last person I'd have expected to see writing that would be you @PeteB! Especially given the huge over reliance on them in big Universal rides of late - they're lazy. And that's probably why (at least, I can only presume it was part of the thought process) they went with VR on DBGT - just because it was something different. Even if it has proven to be inferior ultimately.
 
Haha! Well I'm just thinking objectively. Yes there's an over reliance on them in the big parks, but that just means Towers aren't keeping up appearances if they don't build at least 1.

It struck me that some of these kinds of rides were being built in the late 80's and early 90's by the big players, and yet 30 years on the UK's (supposedly number one) park has never really gone for it. Even the American Adventure had that Motion Master thing, which I actually quite enjoyed.

VR on DBGT is nothing Merlin should be congratulated for. VR is just the latest craze rolling out everywhere, and is undoubtedly mega cheap. Mega crap too!

I guess the closest we've seen to anything like a simulator ride would be Charlie's glass lift, and that was done during dark times.
 
Simulators are crap...a ride substitute.
VR is crap, a passing fad that will be gone in a few years.
What's wrong with a good selection of coasters, water rides and flats?
Simulators and VR are the inbred cousins of decent theme park rides.
 
I would like to see a Flying Theatre, those seem to be trending recently, I don't care how much it costs, Merlin have the money and adding a Flying Theatre would make it worth the £60 some odd amount it will be in the future. It would easily marketable every few years to bring in gets with minimal effort. And not to mention we would like another long indoor attraction as this is the UK!
 
Simulators like Star Tours are of good enough quality and can be a good addition to a park...

However do we really think Merlin would put in such an effort? More likely to get something like at Warner Madrid or Movie Park Germany...

Flying Theatres are more boring simulators with the addition of FEET...
 
rob666 said:
What's wrong with a good selection of coasters, water rides and flats?
Click to expand...

What's wrong with a proper selection of coasters, flat rides, water rides, kids rides, dark rides, simulators, interactive shows, live shows, 4D films and themed pathways.

Every one of the Florida parks has most of this list ticked off, but in the U.K. we don't seem to value dark rides and simulators as highly. DBGT really should have been a dark ride simulator hybrid like Spider-Man or Transformers.
 
Interesting idea, I'd love to see the reaction amongst enthusiasts if Towers did annouce some sort of simulator/screen based attraction, I think it would be somewhat negative.

I would not be totally against it though. Simuator rides can be brilliant when done well however I do feel that they need a good story to them for this to work. Do I trust Merlin Magic Making to pull that off? Probably not. I could imagine it just being a glorified 4D cinema.

If they could do something along the lines of Voletarium at EP with a solid backstory and some decent theming then I'd be happy. Flying over Staffordshire (or England) - that would be very Alton Towers to me!

:)
 
I don't think Merlin Magic Making could ever do just (just?) a simulator/tracked dark ride. They are too focussed on chasing gimmicks they deem to be "marketable", but seemingly always fall flat.

It would have to have two pre-shows, a baggage hold, three photo points, and some kind of exit maze (I hear they're all the rage now).
 
I dont particularly like simulators myself, though the lift in CaTCF wasnt too bad I suppose. However, give me a proper real ride anyday, none of this simulator and VR malarky!
 
rob666 said:
What's wrong with a good selection of coasters, water rides and flats?
Click to expand...

Because theme parks are all about dark rides. Dark rides, dark rides.... and more dark rides! I'd put these simulators firmly in the dark ride category. :D

When you look at all the major theme parks around the world, they are not overwhemingly filled with coasters, like Towers is.

Going this route would solve a number of problems for the park, namely:
  • Towers have a noise problem, so build more indoor attractions.
  • The park has a height problem, only so many coasters you can squeeze in.
  • They can't build a building large enough to house an indoor coaster, so build dark rides instead.
  • They're always at the mercy of British weather, so build more indoor attractions, increasing uptime.
  • Construction wise, it elminates peeping toms from seeing the secret/marketable element, bringing back a sense of surprise with new rides.
  • Indoor rides are generally family friendly, Towers wants to be a family park with a few thrills. It's perfect!
I'm not just on about simulators now, but all indoor attractions would be a good idea for the park - live shows, 4D cinemas, boat rides, indoor flats, and so many more. We've lost 3 indoor rides recently - CATCF, ST, and Ice Age. None were amazing but all were fairly decent. We almost lost Hex had it not been for the outrage by both enthusiasts and the public at it's closure.

I'd love a tracked dark ride, with or without screens, but I think a simulator type ride would be more affordable in the park's current position.

jon81uk said:
DBGT really should have been a dark ride simulator hybrid like Spider-Man or Transformers.
Click to expand...

YES!! I would have loved to have seen that. For the kind of money they spent on DBGT it probably would have been possible.
 
The question is where, though; they don't really have a lot of space for a large building.
 
Rob said:
If they could do something along the lines of Voletarium at EP with a solid backstory and some decent theming then I'd be happy. Flying over Staffordshire (or England) - that would be very Alton Towers to me!

:)
Click to expand...

I'd love to see this, I can imagine they could include bits and pieces of the park, and have it guided by Sir Algenon or something, plus they could throw in a couple of cheeky bits about resort and make it a marketing opportunity...
 
skyscraper said:
The question is where, though; they don't really have a lot of space for a large building.
Click to expand...
It could be built in the old coaster cornner behind Ice age I. Cloud cuckoo land. There's tonnes of space there.
Could a ride like this be built in the Duel building?
It could be extended.
I really like the idea of a flying theatre that takes you through the corridors and over the gardens in the towers hundreds of years ago. It could take you from the construction of the towers through to the height of the earls time and then it could sweep over the resort today. Could have a really cool narrator and could even have so form of made up story similar to Hex. Don't know where I would build this or exactly how it would work just an idea.
 
skyscraper said:
The question is where, though; they don't really have a lot of space for a large building.
Click to expand...

Transformers at Universal is double height with a lift to get to the second trackway. Could easily fit in the Derren Brown space, would just be taller. But Merlin like themed sheds so would have worked :)

At Towers extend the old Nickelodeon building and use that dead space behind the street and the Towers. Or replace Duel....
 
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