Dark Ride Poll

[BillTracy]

Hello. I am the co-owner of a small theme park in Maryland known as Adventure Park USA. My partners have shown interest in creating a small dark ride in addition to the attractions we have all ready. We have came up with some ideas and would like your opinions. We chose to post on this site because my nephew listens to the podcast and says you "disney folk" are very creative. Please vote on the theme, and post any suggestions you may have so we can please the public. Thank you!
- Bill H. Tracy
Adventure Park USA

[Keasmom]

Well, a classic haunted house is always good. But if it is too much blood and gore, kids cannot enjoy it, and if it is too lame graown ups can't enjoy it. I like a haunted ghost ship, because atmospherically it would be easier and cheaper to create and control, plus graphics would be awesome.

That is my input. hope that helps.

[disneyfun55]

Welcome to WDW Radio Bill! I know that a lot of people here on the boards love to do "Blue Sky" type of imagining for potential ride ideas.

I have actually been to your park in Frederick and had a great time. My company held an event there when you still had the paint ball arena. We all had a blast!

That being said, I am not sure how most of the ideas would mesh with your wild west type of theming, so I voted for 'Other'.

My initial idea would be to do either a wild west ghost town with interactive targets that the riders could shoot as they go through. The ride would either keep a score for them and/or the targets would respond to being hit. Think of it as a moving shooting gallery.

My other idea would be to play off of the haunted house type of attraction, but put an ancient Aztec/Inca feel to it. The story line could be something along the lines of trying to escape the 'curse' with an ancient artifact that will save the world from catastrophe!

Just initial thoughts! Good luck! I hope it goes great for your park!

[disneymaniac87]

I pass the theme park all the time when I visit school and when I used to go down to school. I think that's great the you own it! It's cool when I see it running!

[Sharon&Randy]

This is very interesting!
Our family voted other.
The theme would be space. Now Disney is successful because they really put a lot of thought into the story of the ride. My children 12,10, and 9 came up with the story.
In the near future we are able to achieve light speed. The goal is to find a new planet
in a new galaxy. The start of the ride is the light speed. Think of going fast with stars shooting by. When you arrive to the new galaxy, you encounter asteroids and unfriendly alien ships. Here is where the western shoot out comes. Your vehicle is able to shoot and keep score during this part. At the end, you view the new planet and the ride ends.
The other issue Disney is successful with is planning it's rides for families.
Something can be exciting without grossing you out or scaring you too much.
A ride is truly successful with great creativity.
Hopes this helps!
It was fun thinking this out with the kids!

[NC_WDW_Daddy]

Welcome to the boards, I think a ghost ship or pirate ride would be fun.

[albino_pygmy]

Wow, I'm kinda torn between Jungle/Temple and Ghost ship/pirates myself.

As mentioned above, interactive rides are always an instant success. To really make it a big success is to have an original storyline and theme, and not just rely on the 'interactive dark ride box set' you can purchase from the ride manufacturers. I'm not familiar with your park at all, but it sounds like it's mostly Wild West theming. If so, is it possible to expand with other themed areas, or would you rather it all Wild West? If you do choose the second option keeping the Western feel, you could still try to force any of the other themes above, but knowing that you'd have to start Western and end Western. For example, space theme, you could be in a saloon playing cards with rowdy Jack Hold'em and then you'll see a bright flash of lights and a humming sound with dust flying around as a big metallic round object descends and then teleports you into their ship or their planet. Or temple theme: You're still playing cards with Jack and overhear Professor Calamity and his tales of this lost temple and looking for some help, so you board his jeep to this pile of ancient ruins through an old abandoned mineshaft. Have fun!

[BillTracy]

Thank you all and a Merry Christmas! Interactive Dark Rides would be great but unfortunately, they are beyond our budget. On whatever theme we choose, it will be just a plain ride past numerous themed stunts and scenes. We are trying to add a ride that is not themed to the Wild West to give our customers a little more variety of atmosphere. We appreciate all of your suggestions and have been thinking up ideas of our owns. EOS Ride Systems will be providing the track and cars. We are going to design and make/buy the props and scenes ourselves. It seems that the most popular choices are JUNGLE and PIRATES. We might combine the 2 together with a "Lost Island" theme. Please post any more ideas and comments. Thank You!
- Bill H. Tracy
Adventure Park USA

[albino_pygmy]

Pirates hiding in the jungle? Brilliant! Why didn't I think of that?

Ok, so I took a look through EOS's dark rides, and it looks like, for the most part, they make those carny-style dark rides. I've gotta ask, is that what you're looking to build, or are you looking to house that in a more permenant looking structure which allows more theming other than just a painted metal facade? 1 story, or 2? Paper or Plastic? Would you like fries with that? Scary "spookhouse" style darkride, or family adventure darkride?

Here's an idea for a storyline:
You've just been recruited as sherrif's assistants, and word has it there are some scurvy pirates on the loose and after their ancestor's treasure they've hidden in there. Your mission: Investigate the temple without setting off all the numerous traps already set in place, make sure the treasure is safe and bring it back so we could find a new hiding place. Problem is, the pirates have already beat us to the chase, and have altered some of the traps to go off right infront of our faces as we escape several near misses, but thanks to the pirates sending us down a secret passage through a trap door and a 1 story drop, you've found the treasure hold! Pirates come around the corner through the stairs, but this time you've set off a trap that traps the pirates inside the stairwell forever, and the treasure is saved! Please remained seated until the ride has come to a full and complete stop. Please grab all your belongings and take small children by the hand, and have a great day at Adventure Park USA!

[BillTracy]

It will be inside a permanent structure. They are just providing the track system. The facade will be not be just painted on flats. It will be 3-Dimensional and have a wooden structure. Thank you all for suggestions and storylines. We will be sure to incorporate some of these ideas inside our attraction. Please keep giving ideas so we can make sure our ride is top notch. We our hoping to have the attraction built and ready by May 2011.

[albino_pygmy]

Are you sure you'd still want to go with just a traditional dark ride without interactivity? I know you've said before it is a little more expensive, but I think in the long run, would pay off more than just the plain ol' dark ride. Could there be a possibility to upgrade the dark ride to interactive dark ride later on when you can afford it? Just add new cars with guns and targets on existing sets, and voila, new interactive dark ride?

[albino_pygmy]

Going along with the dark ride to be later converted into interactive dark ride. You could start off as a tour through the jungle and exploring a nearby temple, setting off traps, running into temple raiders/pirates, snakes, spiders, other animals, and traps galore. And then to easily convert into an interactive ride, just slap on targets to all the animals you pass by through the jungle portion, on trees, other animals, inside the temple, have those targets trigger other effects, on the pirates (in between the eyes too, like MIB! :P) on some treasure pieces, etc.

I'm really loving this thread

[Sharon&Randy]

albino pygmy you are just brilliant!!!
Your second post made me laugh out loud in my kitchen!!!
I believe you are correct in trying to make it interactive.
Depending on if you are looking on the most recent impact of what the public is interested today, you might want to glean off of the Avatar avenue.
The next new planet.
Just an idea. Creativity can go a long way considering cost!
I think this is neat to think about!
Whatever you do think of a great story!!! Include in waiting for the ride!!

[pranker51502]

I think the Jungle/Lost Temple is the best. Anything else would be compared to Disney and maybe frowned upon. But I think the Jungle theme could be a way to branch out and make it your own, and for the Pirate/Jungle theme, that would be awesome.

Albino Pygmy, very good ideas!

[Dizisit]

All good stuff!
What about water effects, mist, steam, having part of the ride going through water like a boat ride?
Maybe the guns on the ride vehicles could be miniature pirate ship canons that shoot water at the targets or little puffs of "smoke" with sound effects as they fired?
What about wind effects?

Just a few quick thoughts...

Budget-busters all, probably...?!?!