Challenge 4: Thrill Ride
For some visitors, a theme park is all about adrenaline. Thrill seekers crave the white knuckle, high intensity attractions that provide a natural high without any risk of compromising safety. Now, it is time for you to create an attraction that caters to this crowd.
The Challenge:
For this challenge, you must create a high intensity thrill ride. What qualifies as a thrill ride? Think about it like this: Does the theming enhance the attraction, or does it make the attraction? In order words, would the ride still be exciting without the immersive environment? Roller coasters, motion based dark rides, and flume rides that feature significant drops (such as Splash Mountain) all count as thrill rides. Motion simulators are also acceptable provided they offer significant motion (such as Star Tours), but other flat rides are not acceptable for this challenge. As always, your attraction must fit into the theme of your park.
The Proposal:
For this challenge, your proposal should be 3-5 pages and should include:
-The name of your ride and its location in your park
-An overview of the attraction...think of this as what you’d find on the park’s website
-Technical specifications for your attraction, including ride type, manufacturer (if applicable), and important figures related to the thrill aspect (for a roller coaster, this would be length, height, drop, speed, inversions, etc.)
-A detailed look at your attraction, beginning at the entrance and ending at the exit
-Anything else you feel is necessary to complete your proposal
The Deadline:
All proposals must be submitted by Saturday, July 2nd at midnight.
Tweet
Space Adventures: (Unofficial submission)
This ride will be located in the Tomorrowland land of Disneyland Panama.
This metal, launched coaster is a new take on the clasic Dissney ride that is Space Mountain. It takes you from 0-85 MPH in 3.2 seconds. From there, it takes you on a series of sudden twists, inversions, and drops. The rider experiences 5G's on launch and about 2 during the whole ride.
Upon entering the queue, there is a prshow briefing from a NASA astraunat. This briefing explains not only the safety of the ride but also the goal of the mission, which is to see space in all its glory and do tests for a possible launch to Mars. Next, the queue winds towards the launch, and through mission control, where a wannabe NASA astranaut is seen breaking the controls, leading to the wild ride. As you near the boarding zone, multiple NASA maintenence personnel can be heard over the sound system, discussing the best way to fix the problem and get the astranauts home safely. As you enter the ride, one of the NASA safety inspectors will warn you about possible malfunctions before you launch.
The rode starts in a launch tunnel, not unlike the one on the clasic Space Mountain, that launches you 135 feet in the air and propels you to 85 MPH and 5Gs. The first inversion you come to is a doublehelix that rolls straight into a 50 foot drop. Then, the track let's you regain some height before inverting yet again in a loop. Following this, the coaster drops 10 feet and then rolls through a series of corkscrews. Next, you are taken through a cobra roll and then into another 20 foot drop. Then, the riders experience a dive drop, followed by a horseshoe maneuver before a quick 20 foot drop.
During the ride, conversations will be piped in as if you were listening to an actual mission control. After the launch phase, the safety specialist will commemorate you for a job well done. Then, he will notice a mistake and point it out and how to fix it, right before the first inversion. As the Spaceships wild wide continues, mission control will tell you all sorts of ways to fix the ship ranging from the comical to the serious. As the ship stops acting up mission control congratulates themselves, but forgets the ship is still up in the air leading to a few hard turns, as your unexperienced pilot tries to land without help.
The overall track is 6500 feet (aproximately).The ride reaches a maximum speed of 85 MPH and in the end, a total of 10 inversions, four sudden drops and numerous tight and sudden turns at high speed.
Like Space Mountain, the ride will be housed indoors in a dark room. Also, like Space Mountain, the ride will feature a launched section of the track. The cars on this ride will be space ship themed.
As you exit the ride, you are dispersed in a gift shop selling ride photos and souvenirs.
Demolition Day (Unofficial submission)
My amusement park is called The American Adventure. It has 6 different themed areas:
+Beach Bay, South Carolina
+Redwood Forest
+South Central District
+Ghost Town
+The Swamp
+Paimut, Colorado
This ride goes in the South Central District themed area, and is one of the 2 main attractions along with Cops vs. Robbers. It is an Intamin Free-Fall tower with a height of 224ft and a drop height of 207ft, and a drop speed of 62mph. According to Intamin's website, the hourly capacity can be up to 1,200 people per hour.
Exterior. The ride is inside an enclosed building that is meant to look like an abandoned hotel. The exterior looks rundown and faded and there are chips in the paint,torn up curtains, dead flowers, and other things like that. A sign outside says Demolition Crew Only! (This is very important later in the ride)
Queue Room 1: The queue is meant to look like the lobby of this abandoned hotel. There are many pieces of torn up furniture and such all around. There are very simple switchbacks in the middle of the room and theming on all sides. Towards the side of the room, there is construction equipment and other demolition related things. You enter through a large door that says Employees only.
Queue Room 2: This room looks like a old break room for the hotel that has been converted to the demolition headquarters. There are construction lights,desks, toolboxes, notepads, etc. This room looks very rundown, dim, and again continues the theme of long abandoned hotel. The queue is the same style as the room before. You enter the pre show through a large metal door, and the employee will count you off in groups of 24 (The max that this ride can handle at once)
Pre show: This room is meant to look like the storage room for explosives and other things. There are boxes, and wires, and pipes all around. After the door shuts, an old TV bursts to life and a construction worker is standing there. He explains to you that the city wants to destroy this hotel, but they are having a problem with one of the wires on the top floor, and they need you to go check it out. The TV shuts off and the doors open to the next room.
Loading: You enter a large circular room that looks like the maintenance department's old workshop. There is a lot of theming on the sides of the room to support this idea. In the center of the room is a large tower that looks like a construction site transport elevator. You strap down your OSTR and a "construction safety supervisor" comes and checks it. After the all clear is given, the lights dim and the ride starts.
Ride: The carts start to rise up the tower. There are circular projection screens all around showing the different floors as the elevator rises. You can see TNT on each floor with little flashing lights. The elevator hits the top floor. The voice (from the pre show) crackles on and says, Ok so the problem is over at the... wait... oh no... get out of there!... its going blow!!!! The screen shows the lights on the TNT and wires start going flashing crazily and then you hear and see a large boom. All the screens go black, and the cart falls. Once you hit the ground, the station is pitch black. Suddenly the voice comes back on and says, good... you made it... there was just a small explosion on that floor due to a fualt with the wire... lets get out of here before anything else happens. The lights dimly come back on and the restraints open. You walk out through a small hallway into the gift shop.
Gift Shop: This room looks like former gift shop of the hotel. While it is rundown, it doesn't look as bad as the other rooms in this ride. A large door leads out into the street.
Thank you for reading my sumbission. I took your comments about Wicked Tsunami: The Ride and cut down on my explaining, made sure the ride was not too intense, and had a good ending.
The Old Mill
The Pleasure Gardens - Flashback: The Theme park
Elevator Pitch
The Old Mill and Mill chute are predecessors to the modern log flume, a classic ride system that has served the theme park industry for over 120 years. A nice calm trip past some scenes, with perhaps a splash at the end.
This is not that ride.
Concept
The Old Mill at Flashback has a lot in common with the Mill Chute/Log Flume rides of the past, flat bottomed boats follow a flume course, and like many of its forebears is themed on an old timber mill. The boats are smaller than other similar rides to allow a more compact layout and tighter turns, but still fit 4 people per boat. There's also a grand finale that will soak everyone.
The mill is named “Little Hampton sawmill” (With the township of Little Hampton being part of the concept for the expansion area, if it is used).
Unlike many of those (but like the “river cave” ancestors) this ride is almost purely indoors. It takes place in a building designed to resemble a decrepid, abandoned old mill. The mill is oversized (in reality about 20 meters in height) bit looks similar in style to the one below.
Before the Ride
Guests queue through steel wire fences, topped with barbed wire and signs warning that the site is condemned. In the queue a talkback radio show from “Greater Hampton Radio” can be heard, discussing the 10th anniversary since the old mill was closed down due to… Something happening.
The news in “Little Hampton” is that some intrepid businessmen are trying to reopen the mill, the callers into the show are all aghast, each telling second hand stories of horrible or spooky events in or around the mill, some include wild claims that the mill is still fully at work with spectral workers. Guests have an opportunity in the queue to check any loose items as the loading and exit platforms are not the same.
http://www.totalthorpepark.co.uk/images/rides/saw6.jpg
The guests board at a station themed as a loading dock with timber sawn into various shapes and sizes, packed and ready for loading. Unlike your regular log flume the logs at this point are not in a flume, they’re sitting on a conveyor belt as you might expect to see in a factory. One by one the the logs are rolled through a door that only opens to admit to a log - the way ahead appears pitch black.
Before the door closes, the log rolls to a stop, creating mystery in where the ride goes from here.
The Ride
Those who have moved beyond the door are startled as their log moves straight upwards and spins 90 degrees to the left. Reaching the top of the mill, the conveyor belt kicks in again, depositing the log into the flume trough.
The Log makes its way through multiple scenes suggesting something isn’t quite right. Although the mill looks run down and decrepid, there are signs that the mill is fully at work - clearly manually operated machines are working without any physical input, some even appear to have bloodstains suggesting something gruesome happened there.
A supporting beam starts to appear to fall on the riders, but they’re saved by the section of trough their in falling also, turning into a ramp that deposits them with a splash into a second, lower trough. The water in this flow is faster, more turbulent, and noticeably noisier and when you can see it has white caps. This route is pitch back, except for brief flashes of light to highlight the scenes passed - they are similar to before except more intense, and with use of the pepper’s ghost effect and other classical illusions to give spectral workers a visual form. A Log being cut seems to swing over the trough into the rider’s path, but again the trough falls to create another small drop, leading to a misty room.
Before the Log riders appears to be a chute, with them at the bottom of it. The Log appears to be moving against the flow of water, and gravity, and onto and up the chute (a chain is hidden below the waterline, the sound of the water flow covers it as much as possible)). At the top of the chute the riders can see the sky, and at the top of the chute is a number of oversized saw blades.
The mist and sound of the water also cover the chute moving slightly off to the side… Just as the log nears the ascent, the log falls backwards in what is the UK’s largest drop in a log flume (at 17.5m - however there are taller Shoot-the-Cutes rides), the reverse nature of the fall adding to the thrill (the log seats are thickly padded for this reason).
The drop slides out of the mill and ends in a pond that doubles for water retention, for now, but with an eye for expanded use should Little Hampton see development. Guests exit at the end of the pond, with the logs then reversed and rolled up the conveyor for reuse (out of sight of the Loading Dock).
Other elements:
On Ride photos are available for purchase, taken from the start of the reverse-fall to catch the “surprise” of the riders.
Wheelchairs cannot be taken on the ride, however the nature of the carrage should allow for easy transfer.
Due to flashing effects in the “Second” water this ride is not in its natural state suitable for those with Epilepsy, however the ride can be run with adjustments in this section on request.
This ride is not in operation during winter wonderland. Winter elements are added to mask the scariness of the building for those who get a chance sight of it, but guests are directed away from the attraction.
Prosperity boomed in America during the 1920s and it was evident in the culture. Many forms of entertainment kept the 20s roaring - modern women known as Flappers danced to rambunctious jazz music, movies and radio were becoming an integral part of American life, and the opening of amusement parks quickly spread across the country. Amusement parks, set up outside of major cities and in rural areas, emerged as a source of fantasy and escape from real life for many Americans. Amusement parks were a big hit and within the decade, various types of "Luna Parks", "White Cities" and "Electric Parks" sprang up all over the United States, many with a trademark Shoot-the-Chutes ride and the newest thrilling roller coaster.
The 1920s became known as The Golden Age of roller coasters as various new designs were built at a frenetic pace. Estimates state that between 1,500 and 2,000 roller coasters existed during this time period, an astounding figure even by today's standards. This era saw the development of new innovations in roller coasters that included extreme drops and speeds that thrilled the riders. Americans yearned for even more exciting entertainment from amusement parks and their needs were met by roller coasters.
Roller coaster have since become one of the most beloved and recognizable thrill rides at amusement parks in the world. In Atlantic City, the Golden Age of roller coasters will be honored at Rendezvous Park & Pier with a 1920s inspired roller coaster named:
HURRICANE
Rendezvous Pier, Atlantic City
General Statistics
Type - Wood
Track layout - Twister roller coaster
Manufacturer - Great Coasters International
Trains - Millennium Flyers
Height - 120 ft
Drop - 100 ft
Length - 3,200 ft
Speed - 55 mph
Max vertical angle - 60°
Crossovers - 18
G-force - 3.5
Duration - 2:00
Capacity - 850 riders per hour
Height restriction - 48 in
Trains - 2 trains with 12 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across
in a single row for a total of 24 riders per train.
Location
Rendezvous Pier, an amusement pier with a 1920s setting on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, will feature a classic midway of amusement rides, games and concessions. The rides will include a carrousel, bumbler cars, a "whip" and a Ferris wheel. The featured attraction at the very end of the 800-foot long pier will be the "Hurricane" roller coaster. It will be seen from up and down the Boardwalk without any obstructions blocking the view of the massive yet compact, "twister" type wooden roller coaster out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
The Build
Great Coasters International (GCI), the builders of quality wooden roller coasters like Thunderhead at Dollywood, Lightning Racer and Wildcat at Hershey Park, and Gold Striker at California's Great America will design and build "Hurricane" at Rendezvous Pier. Their convoluted designs, coupled with their own Millennium Flyer articulating coaster trains, will "create an experience that emulates the acrobatic thrills of a modern roller coaster while retaining the nostalgic look and feel of a timeless, classic attraction." The choice of wood for the massive structure will be southern yellow pine with an applied weather and salt resistant clear coat that will preserve the golden hue of the lumber.
Queue
As guests first approach the "Hurricane" they will notice the circular lattice work of the structure with its predominately featured lift hill that stretches 120-feet into the air and out towards the ocean before it drops off out of sight. A beautifully structured marquee with large, bold lettering that will spell out "HURRICANE" will mark the entrance of the enclosed structure. The trains of the roller coaster will rumble overhead as they complete their circuit around the 3,200 feet of track. Once inside the queue, or eye of the "Hurricane", guests will switchback through themed ruins of buildings devastated by the storm. The ride platform of the roller coaster will be staged within a once historic hall along the Boardwalk also in shambles. Though in disarray, the inside of the hall will display photos of past hurricanes and the destruction they left behind along the New Jersey coastlines.
Ride Experience
As the Millennium Flyer trains depart from the load platform, they will turn 180-degrees and drop down to the base of the 120-foot lift hill of the "Hurricane". During the slow ascent, guests will get their first views of this twisted colossus from above. At the top of the lift hill, the trains will crests into a giant aeroplane turn to the left with nothing but the Atlantic Ocean surrounding them from 110-feet up in the air. As the trains turn back into the structure of the roller coaster, the trains will drop beneath the lift hill and down a 100-foot first drop.
At the bottom of the drop, the trains will bank to the right and perform a station fly-by into an 80° high banked turn to the right. Out of the turn, the trains will then perform two "S" turns, one to the right and one to the left, into a second high banked turn that circles the tower structure of the coaster from a lower elevation.
The trains will complete a circle around the tower structure before shooting out to the left through the on-ride photo area and into a second station fly-by into a drop down turn to the right before banking to the left and into the dynamic station fly-through.
The trains will then veer to right and into another circle around the tower structure from the opposite direction before banking to the outside of the structure and performing a wide, high bank turn close to the guests on the pier until it ends at the braking system just outside of the unload/load platform.
As guests depart the attraction, they can view their on-ride photos just outside of the ride structure in a gift shop with "Hurricane" gifts and souvenirs for purchase.
The "Hurricane" at Rendezvous Park will be the "perfect storm" of roller coasters - the right classic roller coaster elements, paired with the right modern-day innovations and technologies, designed by the best manufacturer of "twister" type roller coasters, made with the right materials, with a fun and appropriate theme, in the perfect setting, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, in the greatest country in the world - American ingenuity at its best!
Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent god of knowledge, outlawed human sacrifices amongst his people, bestowing them with the wisdom to build an advanced civilization. In honor of his generosity, the Aztec people constructed an extravagant temple for him in their capitol city of Tollen. Every year, they celebrate him in a spectacular annual festival that coincides with the spring equinox. Quetzalcoatl’s divine spirit quietly rests in the temple, keeping a watchful eye on his people and ensuring their prosperity and fortune.
For years, his brother Tezcatlipoca laid dormant in the bowels of the earth, awaiting a return and subsequent accession to power. A few of his dedicated followers have long planned to summon him back, certain of receiving fame and fortune as a reward. Bloodthirsty and cruel, just like their patron god, the cult conspired to sabotage the annual celebration of Quetzalcoatl. In place of flowers and fruits, they would sacrifice a young boy on the steps of the Temple of the Feathered Serpent, summoning Tezcatlipoca. The taboo of such a horrendous act would disrupt the energies of the universe, consequently banishing Quetzalcoatl to the farthest depths of the cosmos. Tezcatlipoca would rule over the earth, condemning humanity to a period of wretchedness and woe.
Recently, just as the people of Tollen have begun preparations for their celebration, signs of a dark presence have surfaced. A young child and four virgins, the requisite to summon Tezcatlipoca, are missing. Imprints of Tezcatlipoca’s jaguar form are appearing on the walls of alleys throughout the city. The usual buoyant party atmosphere of Tollen feels oppressed, stifled. Something’s not right.
It’s the morning of the festival. Guests are visiting Tollen for the festivities, arriving on the eve of what could quickly become a sinister ritual. As they walk around the base of the temple, a heavy silence blankets the site. Festive headdresses, outfits, and instruments eerily lay on the ground, unworn and unplayed. The “celebrate” in celebration is noticeably absent. Despite the foreboding, the priests have once again opened the temple’s inside sanctuary to neighboring tribes for this single day of the year. As Guests enter the temple, little do they know that they’re about to experience a clash between the two gods themselves.
The two tracks follow a slightly different course. The top one causes a side-to-side yaw movement, while the bottom track pitches the vehicle front to back and up and down. With the vehicles on top of the arms, the track can be hidden from the riders, creating a completely unpredictable experience.
Each train consists of six carts, each of which takes six passengers on the almost three minute ride. They are sculpted and painted to look like a feathered snake; Quetzalcoatl himself. The theoretical hourly capacity is 2160 riders an hour. Each cart is also equipped with directional on-board audio, a crucial component of the storytelling.
After passing through an alley off of a street in the Americas land, Guests see a dense forest, spotting the top of an Aztec temple in the distance. Signage denotes the entrance to the attraction’s queue that begins by weaving between the trees of the forest. Attentive Guests may notice the silhouette of Tezcatlipoca, a jaguar form, engraved in the trees. Through the forests, Guests are greeted by the Temple of the Feathered Serpent, sitting in the midst of a clearing. The temple itself has stone carvings depicting Quetzalcoatl in various stories. These designs are painted in dull colors, as they would historically have been. Colorful feathers and sacrificial fruits are haphazardly scattered around shrines that surround the temple, but they seem to have been abandoned in a hurry. For a day of celebration, it’s unusually quiet.
Footprints on the ground are headed away from the temple. The shrines have alters with various stone forms of Quetzalcoatl, but none seem to be well kept. The queue twists around several of the detailed shrines, building the mystery for Guests and serving as an eerie welcome into the temple. Before entering, Guests pass closely by the 365 stone stairs of the temple’s front. Some may notice blood stains dripping down the steps, evidence of a recent human sacrifice.
Once inside the temple’s dim, torch-lit corridors, detailed murals on either side of the queue illustrate the story of Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca, depicting their birth, their mutual creation of the world, and some of their previous struggles. As they twist through this queue, a distant thunder echoes through the halls, and occasional bursts of wind chill nervous Guests. If one listens closely, voices can be heard hissing from somewhere beyond the walls. “It’s time.” Guests quickly realize they are not alone.
As Guests near the loading platform, they approach the end of the hall and the end of the murals. The final one depicts a scene very much like the one just outside of the temple; numerous abandoned shrines fill the clearing, but with a shadowy figure rising from the top of the temple. The mural abruptly ends as the narrow corridor widens to a larger loading space.
Trains turn out of the loading platform and into the obvious center of the temple. A three-foot long sculpture of Quetzalcoatl sits in the center of the sanctuary, resting on a stone pedestal. Elaborate carvings adorn all the walls. The train slows to a stop inside this room, and the lights are focused solely on the sculpture. A rumbling sound quickly builds, and the sculpture appears to rise into the air. While supported by a pole, the sculpture is the sole object illuminated in the room, hiding the support. Projection-mapping sends swirling, starry tendrils whisking along the walls, and a strong breeze whips around the room. Projections animate the Quetzalcoatl sculpture, and it appears to be slowly moving as color rushes through its limbs. The sound is almost deafening now, and with a final boom and a stunning flash of light, everything goes dark. The sculpture recedes beneath the pedestal, disappearing from Guest’s view. Slowly, the entire room is lit in a dim torch light.
“I am Quetzalcoatl,” a deep voice murmurs from the onboard audio. While he can’t be seen, Guests feel like he’s right next to them, speaking to them alone. “Quickly, your lives are in danger. Come with me.” The trains slowly begin to move, now slithering across the floor with a side-to-side motion, courtesy of the CRC system. Although not explicitly stated, this change of motion suggests that Guests are accompanying Quetzalcoatl himself as he guides them through the temple. The train enters a pitch black room and begins to spiral upwards as they approach the pinnacle height of the attraction. As they rise, Quetzalcoatl continues the introductions. While speaking in a calm tone, a tinge of anxiousness can be heard on his voice.
“I am the god of knowledge and defender of humans. I may have built this civilization, but my brother Tezcatlipoca will stop at nothing to assert his dark dominion over it all. Here, on this day of celebration, his followers have summoned him back to banish me to the distant depths of the universe. We must stop him before it’s too late.”
Now, the trains are at the pinnacle of the temple. Through the window at the top, they can see outside of the attraction. They face away from the park, suspending disbelief and allowing for the outdoor portion of the track to be hidden from the view of Guests within the park. The train rests at the crest for just a second, before lights flash and the vicious scowl of Tezcatlipoca can be heard dangerously close. He’s in hot pursuit! Abruptly, the train speeds down the outside of the temple at a sharp 70º angle. The trains are rapidly hurdling, with a gentle side-to-side motion, towards the ground before pulling away at the last second. Since the track itself is concealed beneath the faux ground, it genuinely appears that the train will crash.
As the train pulls up, it speeds into the wooded forest. Over the onboard audio, Guests hear the rapid footsteps of Tezcatlipoca as he runs towards them. Whenever he loudly snarls, suggesting a lunge, the train takes a sharp turn out of the way. Because of the directional audio, he seems to approach from the left or right, letting the train avoid his attack with the appropriate dodge. Several large trees seem to block the path through the forest too, and the train sharply drops or turns away from them at the last possible moment. The concealed track makes the entire experience highly unpredictable, greatly increasing the attraction’s thrill. An intense, sharp hammerhead turn directs the trains back at the temple.
After the chase through the woods, the train begins to slow slightly. It reenters the temple through a narrow entrance at the base of the stairs. The train slithers through a hallway poorly lit by torches.
“We’ve survived his attack,” Quetzalcoatl says, clearly relived, “Now, we only-”
A sudden burst of wind blows through the hall, extinguishing the torches. Guests are suspended in complete darkness, and a thick silence enraptures them. The train enters a silent lift, preparing for a final drop sequence. After around twenty seconds, the track levels out, and the train comes to a stop.
The sound of dripping drool accompanies a few water drops that fall on Guests, and a deep panting can be heard as the vehicles come to a slow. Suddenly, the lights turn on, revealing a massive twenty foot tall Tezcatlipoca animatronic. He lunges, and the train narrowly speeds away. The track follows a tight helix down and around the animatronic figure, simulating a snake constricting motion. “Not today!” Quetzalcoatl courageously shouts, and Tezcatlipoca yells out in a painful despair. As the train pulls out of the corkscrew, Tezcatlipoca’s distant and fading scream echoing through the temple, Guests experience several concurrent airtime hills as they decelerate to disembark. Projection effects create an illusion of starry nebula and the cosmos before finally coalescing into one mass and, with a bright flash of light, disappearing.
Once Guests disembark, they walk through a final hallway of the temple. Murals depict the struggle they just witnessed, with scenes from the chase through the forest, Quetzalcoatl strangling his brother, and Tezcatlipoca being absorbed by the cosmos. Subtly, this ties the story together and appropriately concludes Guests’ adventure in the Temple of the Feathered Serpent.
The Dragon’s Fury
The Dark Forest
Disney Royal would be considered incomplete without the addition of The Dragon’s Fury, a themed roller coaster intended for thrill seekers and fantasy lovers. The ride showcases the fight between Prince Phillip and the mighty Maleficent-turned Dragon in Sleeping Beauty.
After the evil Maleficent is rejected to come to the celebration to honor Aurora’s birth, she unexpectedly arrives and gives her own “gift”: when Aurora turns 16, she will prick her finger on a spinning wheel and die. Merryweather, the last fairy to bestow her gift, changes the curse so that Aurora will only fall into an enchanted sleep only to be awakened by her true love.
The Queue
The ride picks up during the climax of the story, when Prince Philip is imprisoned in Maleficent’s Castle on the Forbidden Mountain. The queue begins her castle, where the lighting is hauntingly darkened. Cobwebbed mounted torches dimly light the passageway.
Down a dark corridor, animatronic Maleficent taunts Prince Phillip. On a wall she mocks Prince Philip with images of Aurora sleeping in her death-like trance, and of an older Prince Philip being released to rescue Aurora after many painful years of waiting.
In a dark, roped off corridor, guests pass the three animatronic fairies, who bestow to Prince Philip the “Shield of Virtue” and the “Sword of Truth”, both of which he will use to rescue Prince Aurora. As guests near the queue, they are urged to continue by the fairies, with phrases such as “You must hurry!” and “Princess Aurora is running out of time!”
The ride seats 6 people per car, with two in each row. The three cars are fashioned to resemble an armored horse, with a the head of Samson, Philip’s horse, faced resolutely forward.
Ride Experience
The ride surges forward upon initiation, and in a flash of magical light from the fairies, the dungeon’s doors burst open. The ride swerves to the right, and mounts a hill. Before them, Stephen’s castle is shown, clarifying the objective to rescue the princess.
With a cackling laugh in the distance, lightning bolts strike around the car as Maleficent tries to stop the Prince.
Maleficent, seeing that her prisoner has escaped her grasp, yells, “Now go with a curse! And see thee well, around Stephen’s Castle, cast my spell!”
The ride plummets into a wave of thorns. The car swerves left and right with slight inversions to avoid them. A corkscrew evades an enormous tangle of thorns.
“It cannot be!”
The ride quickly decelerates as it approaches an animatronic Maleficent, who glares at the guests with a fiery anger in her eyes.
“Now you shall you deal with me, prince.
And all the powers of hell!”
Suddenly she is surrounded with green flames. Rising from haunting green flames, Maleficent becomes a dragon. The dragon spews green flames several times, but the cars quickly turn each time to avoid them.
Suddenly, Maleficent the dragon howls. She is struck by the Sword of Truth, led to stab her belly by the three fairies’ enchantments. Engulfed in flames, the dragon sinks to the ground.
The ride goes underground, and a scene of King Stephen’s castle is shown. The court, in all of their splendor, is locked in a still enchanted trance. An ominous green light shines over them in its mysteriousness.
The ride continues up a spiral staircase until it reaches the Aurora’s tower. An animatronic Prince Philip is shown leaning in to kiss Aurora, and finally awakening her from her enchanted sleep. Upon her awakening, the ride proceeds forward to the boarding platform.
After disembarking the ride, guests pass through a final corridor in Stephen’s castle, where they can see statues portraying Princess Aurora and her parents’ reunion, as well as Princess Aurora’s and Prince Philip’s marriage, leaving guests with final sentiments before leaving the ride.
Ride Logistics
To aid in the telling of the story and ride efficiency, both castles, King Stephen’s and Maleficent, are combined. The story begins in Maleficent’s castle, thus from the Dark Forest Entrance the ride appears to be as such. However, the queue leads the guests underground, and once the guests are resurfaced during the ride, they face Stephen’s castle on the other side. Once they reach the conclusion of the ride, they exit using a separate entrance that imitates Stephen’s royal castle.
The ride is a steel coaster manufactured by Intamin, propelled by a linear induction motor. The ride features 6 inversions, one corkscrew, and one vertical corkscrew as the cars climb the castle’s tower in the end of the ride.
Green magnesium fire is used, which cannot be extinguished in the event of rain, but can be controlled by the various mechanisms hidden at the base of the setting. Instead of wood, the thorns are made up of an ionic solid that does not melt at the temperature of the fire.
The dragon rises out of the ground using a hydraulic lift. The sword is actually attached to a well disguised thorny branch and is suspended using a strong transparent cord. When the cars reach a certain point on the ride, the sword’s holder releases, and it buries itself into the dragon. The sword retracts to its original spot after the guests go underground.
Conclusion
The Dragon’s Fury is a thrilling roller coaster which also highlights on various plot elements of Sleeping Beauty. While consistently following the Disney Royal theme, this ride also demonstrates that it is the duty of royalty to bring justice to evil forces.
The deadline for Challenge 4 has now passed. Thank you to everyone for your submissions. We will have critiques and rankings out as soon as possible, hopefully by this evening.
Unlike previous weeks, the next challenge has not yet been posted. Because the next challenge is the Redemption Round, we will wait until the results are in for Challenge 4 before posting it.
I've done a couple of unofficial critiques for the unofficial entries, rather than fill up this thread, I've put em over on the chatter thread.
TPAC4
Douglas Hindley - Perun's arrow
First, as a thrill ride, this has the potential to be incredible or a bit boring. The speed is relatively slow, and there's essentially no turns (just one constant turn in the same direction). That said, it definitely could be fun with the right amount of dips. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think your AS Eagle was outside the tree? I just don't see how that's doable in a way that won't intrude on the image of the tree for visitors. As your park's central "Weenie", you want to make sure it's clearly visible and unobstructed from as many angles as possible. Your story was good, and simple enough to follow on your ride, but I would have liked to see a more whimsical approach to this rivalry. Your park is starting to get very serious. Everything in it is very epic, but you don't have anything light and cute and fun. And I think if you want to attract family audiences, you'll need some. It's up to you what you want your park to be, but I think it's important to think about a variety of emotions guests should have on different rides.
Chad H. - The Mill
This is a really fun, and kind of spooky idea. The concepts of two water troughs, and the backwards fall, all make this a very unique flume ride. The story makes sense, but the radio intro will have to be well executed, or guests might not pick up everything you're trying to say. Your use of Peppers Ghost is appropriate, but it requires a very large show building, which is not something you demonstrated in your picture. But, the big thing about your story, is that it doesn't have an ending, a conclusion. I'm sure you've noticed, but I'm all about the storytelling. You have a great set up, but then there's no resolution. Do the businessmen reopen the mill? What happens when they encounter the ghosts? It may be better to find a way to leave them out of the intro, OR to have a ghost of some kind tell you what they'd do if the businessmen come. Otherwise, you're leaving a massive loose end. Or, you could have the guests be the businessmen, and a ghost sends them back out the way they came "Maelstrom style" (RIP). So, overall, you've got a fun ride here, but it needs a conclusion to truly be complete.
Keith Schneider - Hurricane
You know this keeps happening with your park. "It haw absolutely no theming, but that kind of fits with his theme". Your ride is good, but I feel like we need to see more creativity from you. Your park has a theme that requires little theming, but you're giving us none. I think you should open up,give some thought to multiple ideas, and try to write something truly themed. Something themed as well as Disney or Harry Potter. You have places in your park to do it. But you largely write not for the exhibition park, but for the Boardwalk. It makes it very hard to critique when you've given me next to no theming.
Andy Teoh - Temple of the Feathered Serpent
This is a really good ride with a really good story. It's a perfect fit for your park. I love that you took a risk with your ride system. The only way to improve is to experiment and see what works. This system, while certainly possible, has a lot of problems that I see. First, with this system, unlike standard coasters, the load is not always perpendicular to the track, which means it would need a lot more support to keep it up. Second, with the arm, it can effectively bend, if only a little bit, but the arm needed to be very sturdy. Third, this has a lot more moving parts than a standard coaster. This would make it really expensive to maintain. And those moving parts are under load, which would make the need for maintenance even more frequent. I think those things, along with the fact that this system doesn't add that much in terms of movement would make it much more effective to just use a regular coaster. So, that's the technical stuff. Storywise, the ride is good, but I worry that it require a lot of backstory to be accessible to guests. Just be careful that that backstory is provided. All in all, you have a great ride here, that could be even better with just a few tweaks.
Katrina Bhattacharya - Dragons Fury
You have a really fun ride here, that I think would be appealing to visitors, and thrill seekers in particular. I think it might be more effective in your storytelling to have multiple simple Maleficent Dragon AAs and maybe one spectacular one, rather than having the same Dragon, which confines you to one room, and makes the sword effect more complicated. I know it's from the movie, but saying "Hell" in a Disney park is just a huge red flag for me. If it really matters that dead people are involved, you may want to say "the underworld" or the power "within me". Basically just avoid the word and you're fine. I also worry that your story isn't told as effectively as it may need to be for guests to understand. You've also opted for a really intense coaster, which is somewhat unique for a Disney park. It may be a huge draw, but make sure you have thrill options for the whole family in your park. Overall, you have a fun ride here that will surely fill visitors with adrenaline.
UNOFFICIAL CRITIQUES FOR UNOFFICIAL SUBMISSIONS
JRTSumner2000
Your ride is great, and its really intense. I worry though, that families who have been to other parks will be totally surprised by your version, and will take kids on who shouldn't really be on such an intense ride. As for your park, I'm really questioning your choice of location in Panama. I can't see any obvious advantages. Maybe Rio or another place in South America with more tourists would be a better location.
Kenny Cook - Demolition Day
First of all, you have a land called Ghetto District. I don't know about you, but I don't want to go to the Ghetto on vacation. There's really no good connotations with Ghetto. Your ride is pretty straightforward. I'm not sure the ride truly fits here. Not that anything actually fits here. Basically, I'd scrap the entire land.
Thanks everyone for your fantastic entries, official and unofficial. Ranking was particularly hard this round!!!
Great entries, everyone! Not much else to say this time, so let's get to it...
Douglas (Perun's Arrow): I've never thought of a Polercoaster as a great option for a full fledged theme park, but you've flawlessly incorporated the design into your central icon. While wrapping a highly visible ride around the Great Oak may slightly diminish the impressiveness of the tree itself, the entire package will definitely be captivating to watch. The tale of Veles and Perun sounds quite similar to stories in other mythologies, making it a good choice for an attraction with limited expositional capabilities. Your queue is excellent and sounds long enough to hold a 2 hour line if necessary. I also like the way you've set up the story without a specific pre-show room to keep the line moving and avoid any capacity reduction. The statistics for your attraction are all reasonable and likely produce a thrilling ride that isn't overly extreme. Starting with a short dark ride section is a great idea, then once the ride starts it is literally all downhill from there. Given how much structure there is surrounding riders, I do wonder if the height will be felt on your attraction. However, even if the height aspect is largely absent you've still created a very thrilling roller coaster that is certain to please the general public and coaster enthusiasts alike. The one thing that seems to be missing is an on-ride soundtrack, which would really complete the experience of your coaster. The ending of your coaster is great, but having the story of the ride end on a down note isn't. Perhaps you could give Veles a consolation prize of some sorts. Overall, however, this is a fantastic thrill ride that ensures your park is a must visit destination for thrill seekers around the world. It also fits your theme park very nicely and is among the most well-themed roller coasters out there.
JRTSumner2000 (Space Adventures): Your coaster reminds me a lot of Space Mountain: Mission 2, but taken to Six Flags levels of intensity. Unfortunately, by keeping this ride at a Disney park I feel the intensity is a detriment given your target audience. The queue of your attraction is pretty good, though you probably don't want to portray a NASA astronaut sabotaging the mission, particularly before boarding. Instead, have the ride start and then something goes wrong. Your height and speed are feasible (though 85 MPH is very fast for a 135 ft. tall coaster), but a 5 g launch is not. Most roller coasters launch at 1-1.5 g's and generally do not pull any more than 4-4.5 g's at any point during the ride. There are exceptions, but generally the more intense a coaster is the fewer riders you'll get. You're also going to have a hard time cramming 6,500 ft. of track inside a building. The coaster itself is a very intense thrill ride that would certainly please coaster enthusiasts, but would probably be too much for the average Disney visitor. Additionally, your story is very hard to follow and doesn't really seem to fit the motion of your coaster. It sounds as if there are several break points in your ride as problems are fixed, but the coaster never has a lift or stops on a brake to provide a moment of relief. Overall, I think you've got a very sound concept and just went way too far with elements of it. My suggestion is to re-think this attraction as simply a space flight gone wrong: Riders are launched successfully, then something breaks and mission control must repair it and get the astronauts back safely. Riders spend the ride hurtling through space and nearly colliding with various celestial bodies until control is restored and everyone makes a successful landing. Lastly, for a Disney attraction I would look at Space Mountain: Mission 2 and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster as examples of the upper intensity limit for average visitors to these parks.
Kenny (Demolition Day): First off, Ghetto District? That definitely has the potential to offend visitors, and even if it doesn't it sounds like an excuse to skimp on upkeep in a section of the park. Secondly, while it is a thrill ride, an Intamin Free-Fall is considered a flat ride and is not an acceptable submission for this challenge. If you choose to compete officially in a future Theme Park Apprentice competition, please make sure that your submission meets all challenge criteria. Anyway, the facade and queue of your attraction do a great job of setting up the attraction. However, it is not a place guests would want to visit, so make sure you introduce a reason for them being there as soon as possible. Even if it is just some help wanted posters for electricians placed out front there should be something. The ride itself is pretty basic, but it definitely provides a good thrill. I'm also glad that you've enhanced the basic drop tower with surrounding effects. Even if they are simple, they're effective. Lastly, this may be the only ride out there where avoiding a gift shop at the exit would actually enhance the theme (though exiting through an abandoned gift shop would be great). Overall, this is a very good thrill ride for a regional theme park and would have been an excellent submission for the flat ride round. When compared with a roller coaster, however, it lands in good but not great territory. Lastly, this is a significantly better submission than Wicked Tsunami and I hope you continue to improve.
Chad (The Old Mill): Themed water rides are tricky because they tend to fall into the gap between a thrill ride and a dark ride. However, I think you've done an excellent job of creating a thrilling log flume. Themeing the attraction to a mill is also a great choice for your park. The queue for your attraction is pretty basic, but having radio playing works to set up the story. Starting off with an elevator lift is sure to be a surprise for first time riders and is a great way to get adrenaline going immediately. The various scenes of ghosts operating the mill are great, and you've done an excellent job of incorporating the drops into the story of the attraction. The reverse drop at the end of the attraction is an excellent finale, adding a new thrill to your attraction for those who have never ridden it before. Unfortunately, it's difficult to visualize exactly what happens during your attraction. I would have liked more detail on what scenes are present in the ride and how many there are, as your ride feels pretty short with the limited detail provided. Given that you've got 3 drops, I'm assuming you're going for a 5-6 minute flume ride, but the limited descriptions do make it feel almost like lift, scene, drop, scene, drop, scene, lift, drop, end. Overall, this is a great concept that needs to be fleshed out more. Add more scene descriptions that give the ride a coherent story, and you'd have a winner on your hands.
Keith (Hurricane): You are pitching a basic wood coaster in a theme park competition, and despite what some may say I feel this is the right option for your park. I am a huge fan of GCI (they're my favorite wood coaster company), so I'm glad to see you opted for a "modernized classic" design from them. The size of your coaster is appropriate for your park and all your statistics are pretty much spot-on for a ride of this size. The queue for your attraction is great for a pier park and nicely fits the name of your attraction. I like the theming that you included in the queue to keep it a notch above a basic switchback queue without straying too far from what would be expected at your park. The roller coaster itself has a great layout and would probably be among the best traditional wood coasters in the country. You've nailed the flow of a GCI coaster and have a good collection of elements to thrill all riders. Lastly, the views from the ride will likely be outstanding as well. Overall, this is a nearly perfect roller coaster for your park and would probably be in the top three traditional wood coasters on the East Coast (along with Boulder Dash and Phoenix). Your attractions have become more and more difficult to judge because what works well in your park (particularly the pier portion) would not work in most other major theme parks and vice versa, but personally when it comes to thrill rides I'd take a top tier unthemed coaster over all but the best highly-themed attractions. Also, as a side note, I'm curious if either of the other judges will be able to identify the roller coasters in the pictures you used...one was easy, but one required some RCDB confirmation.
Andy (Temple of the Feathered Serpent): You always have the most detailed backstories for your attractions, and this one is no exception. I must admit that I was originally expecting a dueling coaster, but using the cantilevered coaster system works surprisingly well here. Your ride has excellent capacity for a roller coaster, though I would have liked to see some other statistics as well. The queue of your attraction is outstanding, setting up the story of your ride effectively without any elaborate tricks. The first scene of your attraction is excellent, and you've created an extremely convincing illusion that guests are actually being ferried around by Quetzalcoatl. It does seem like your attraction takes a little while to get started with a long spiral lift, but you have utilized that time well to set up the story. Once the coaster reaches the first drop, it becomes an excellent high speed terrain coaster. I do wish you had a little more coaster thrills instead of simply dodging trees, but either way the ride is intense. The break before the finale is a good choice to avoid overwhelming casual visitors. The finale itself is possibly the best part of the ride and appears to be the most intense sequence of your attraction, though not too intense for the typical rider. Lastly, the resolution is great and you've done a nice job of tying everything together as guests leave the ride. Overall, this is an outstanding attraction that, while primarily appealing to thrill seekers, may also appeal to those who don't care as much for roller coasters. You've done a great job of utilizing the innovative ride system, and while I feel the coaster itself isn't particularly noteworthy the entire ride experience may be one of the best in the country.
Karina (The Dragon's Fury): You have created a very intense coaster by Disney standards, and unfortunately I worry that the audience of your coaster and the demographics of visitors who are interested in Sleeping Beauty won't overlap much. However, for the thrill seekers in your park this will likely be a very popular ride. The queue for your attraction is detailed, but something that sets up the story a little better would be beneficial. I fear those who haven't seen Disney's version of Sleeping Beauty may be a little lost here. The beginning of your coaster is pretty good, though I do have to wonder what a slight inversion is supposed to be. Overbank turn, perhaps? However, having the ride spend so much time around a single Maleficent dragon animatronic is going to significantly hurt capacity. Assuming this sequence (including reset time) is around a minute and only one train is present at a time, your capacity will be 1080 at best, a borderline value for a major Disney attraction. The ending of your attraction is a little weird...does the coaster end with a lift hill? If so, that is anticlimactic and really hurts the pacing of the ride. Overall, you've got a decent roller coaster, but there are just too many issues to call this a great attraction in general. Capacity is marginal, the ending is anticlimactic, and the ride is likely too intense for its target audience, so I fear this is something that just may not appeal to most visitors. The concept and story are good, but a roller coaster more like Expedition Everest or Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars would probably be a much bigger draw here.
Thanks again for your submissions! Results will be available shortly.
Marquee thrill rides are typically a theme parks high selling attractions. These are the big and 'sexy' rides which are talked about the world over—the ones which everyone wants to ride first and do over and over again. Without a quality thrill ride, a theme park can quickly stagnate and attendance plummets. This challenge definitely produced some very good and varied attractions and all of them were fantastic. It's getting tougher and tougher to judge these entries as they seem to be getting better each week. Without further ado, onto the critiques.
PERUN'S ARROW-DOUGLAS HINDLEY
PROS:
-Once again, your attention to theme and detail is breathtaking. This is a perfectly themed attraction. The addition of the Polercoaster to the Park-defining World-Tree is outstanding. This would no doubt be the park's iconic attraction, both in theme and guest interest.
-The story for this attraction is also pitch perfect and would solidify the mythic and epic scope you are striving for with the land and the park in general.
-Your concept renderings are outstanding. I'm amazed that you could produce such quality work in such a short amount of time. You've successfully created a near-perfect visual representation of what your proposal describes. This was an invaluable tool in assisting me as a judge in getting a better visual understanding of what you were attempting to create.
-The ride experience itself would certainly be a rush to any rider. Couple this with the fact that you have successfully themed it to interact with the park's weenie as well as other attractions and it becomes very difficult to find a flaw in this attraction.
CONS:
-As stated above, this is really a great attraction, though I fear that, while this is the Thrill Ride round, this may be a little too intense for some guests. You've taken two of the most terrifying elements for many riders (height and an intense roller coaster) and have melded them into one mega-attraction. While it would certainly be an amazing experience, it may be too intense for some. This isn't so much a con as it is a reality of what you're attempting to create.
-I'm a little concerned with how the support structures would look attached to such a beautiful and heavily themed weenie. While you've done a good job to conceal as much as you can, I fear that many of the supports would still stick out like a sore thumb, thus decreasing a bit of the sense of immersion the World Tree is striving for.
-Your hourly capacity isn't terrible, but for such a high-profile attraction, I fear it may generate some very long queues.
-The splashdown is welcome and seems awesome, but I fear you may break the immersive effect of the attraction by having it veer away from the tree and into a 'regular coaster' portion. While the Immelmann loop seems exciting, I'm not entirely sure its necessary at the end. You've gone to great lengths to keep the attraction 'in-theme' so any addition which would break the theme seems more like a negative in my opinion.
THE OLD MILL-CHAD H+
PROS:
-You've done something pretty unique here, which is take the standard log flume ride and turned it into a hybrid scary/spooky ride. This is a great way to get two types of attractions for the price of one (a haunted attraction and a major log flume). I really like this approach to this challenge. It was unexpected and welcome.
-With a historically minded theme, I'm glad to see you've incorporated a haunted attraction. It is both thematically relevant and wholly appropriate. The story is also appropriate to your parks British setting. Well done.
-The inclusion of classic effects such as pepper's ghost is always a guest favorite when done well.
-The final drop sounds like it would be fantastic if the effect is achieved successfully. I'll put this as a pro, but I do have some reservations about it.
CONS:
-As stated above, while the finale sounds exciting and unique, I'm a little vague on how you would achieve this effect. Would it be something similar to the 'boulder smash' effect generated in the Indiana Jones Adventure? Or would it be something else? Again, the final seems great, but without more particulars, I'm left wondering how exactly this would be achieved.
-I understand that in order to set the mood, the ride must be dark. I can't, however, overlook the long sections of pitch black in the ride. While pitch black sections can be great if used effectively, they are best used in short bursts, to add to a sense of disorientation and helplessness. Yet whole long sections of pitch black typically end up becoming boring and unintersting.
-As much as I like the ride, I feel like their could be room for a lot more. From what you've described, you've got a basic ascent, a couple 'close-call' gags, and some pepper's ghosts effects. Outside of this, there isn't much to see. I would have like to see a few more extended scenes, perhaps touching on what happened at the Mill that caused it to be a hotbed of ghostly activity.
HURRICANE-KEITH SCHNEIDER
PROS:
-A classic woodie is something I not only expected to see in your park, but is something which I probably would have judged you negatively on had you not included it (at least in your full park buildout). The wooden roller coaster was the dominant coaster and the top-of-the-line thrill ride for the era your park is themed to. I'm glad to see it implemented here.
-Your placement of the coaster is also smart. It is historically relevant and visually arresting; giving your park the much needed 'weenie' and kinetic energy which one comes to expect from a classic boardwalk amusement park.
-I'm glad to see you've taken time to add themeing to your queue. I was worried that you would be tempted to go the 'cheap' route and leave the queue as nothing more than a set of switchbacks. Decorating the queue in the time appropriate manner certainly adds to the aesthetic of the attraction.
-The attraction itself seems exciting and well designed. A good woodie is hard to beat and it looks like you've detailed one of the finest in recent memory while also steering clear of the temptation to build one of the hot new 'twisted wooden coasters' which are all the rage right now.
CONS:
-I've got to be honest, while the coaster is perfectly themed, I'm left wanting a little more in terms of a unique ride experience. I understand that your park is meant to be historically accurate and you have achieved this end admirably, but I'm left wanting more. I know this sounds contradictory, and perhaps it is, but I think of all the entries, yours is the most 'generic' so to speak. The coaster itself seems awesome, but it doesn't exactly offer a unique experience which can't be found elsewhere in the State-side parks.
-I'm also concerned with the amount of land that this coaster would eat up. 3,200 ft. is nothing to sneeze at, and if you plan on putting this on your boardwalk, I feel like it would eat up a significant portion of your already small footprint. I could be wrong in this regard (it's hard to tell without more hard statistics of your park), but I could envision this coaster forcing you, as the park designer, to play Tetris with your other attractions.
TEMPLE OF THE FEATHERED SERPENT-ANDY TEOH
PROS:
-Like Douglas, you've hit the nail on the head in regards to themeing. The Quetzacoatl myth is well known around the world and situating the attraction at the heart of your America's land is a smart choice.
-The Cantilevered coaster is a coaster type I DEMAND to see implemented somewhere. I'm glad to see you've chosen this unique and exciting ride system for this attraction. It fits the story and setting perfectly and allows for fluid and unexpected movements.
-The dark ride elements of your attraction seem Disney worthy and would surely cause a fuss among even the most elite of ride design teams such as WDI and Universal Creative.
-The storyline is both easy to follow and exciting and flows with your ride experience perfectly.
-Speaking of storyline, your queue does a fantastic job of setting up the story in a visual way. This is a great way to convey the story to a multi-lingual audience
CONS:
-I wish you did a little more with the chase sequence. As it stands, you wrote that, “Whenever he loudly snarls, suggesting a lunge, the train takes a sharp turn out of the way.” While the audio queues are great, a visual queue would really tie these scenes together. Leaving the 'close calls' to the imagination is a bit much in this instance, even with the audio assistance. I think even having static statues of Tezcatlipoca would have been a smart choice, as the speed of the coaster, coupled with the last second bob-and-weave motions, would achieve what you were going for much better.
-The constant side-to-side motion does a good job of conveying that you are with Quetzacoatl, but I fear this would add a significant level of nausea to the ride experience. Perhaps toning the movement to the dark ride portions would have been more prudent.
-The finale of your ride, while spectacular, would be very abrupt and quick in reality. This is something I think deserves more resolution, especially given the buildup of the storyline and the initial dark ride elements you placed at the beginning of the attraction
THE DRAGON'S FURY: KARINA BHATTACHARYA
PROS:
-Of all the attractions listed in your initial entry proposal, this was the one that piqued my interest the most. You've wisely taken one of Disney's most iconic scenes and made it a high-adrenaline thrill ride.
-You've also successfully kept in theme with your park's overall theme. The Royal theme is great, but it does limit some of your options in terms of thrill ride attractions. This was a pitch perfect choice for your overall theme.
-This would (probably) be your parks marquee E-ticket and would be something which WDI would be might proud of. You've taken a classic Disney IP and turned it into a next-generation attraction worthy of Disney standards.
-The animatronic dragon would no doubt be the talk of the theme park industry for years to come if fully realized. The fact that you added the sword stabbing scene only adds to the sheer awe this scene would bring to riders.
-Your queue does a great job of setting the atmosphere and scene of your ride.
CONS:
-I think this has been your Achilles heel throughout, but I'm left wanting more details. As it stands, we still don't know what type of roller coaster this attraction is, the estimated length of the ride, or the amount of inversions. Without further detail, it's hard to come to a conclusion as to how satisfying this attraction truly would be in a real world setting.
-The narrative of the attraction is a little disjointed. We are led to believe that Prince Phillip is the one destined to slay Maleficent, but in the climax of the ride, it's the fairies who save the day. Then, suddenly, Prince Phillip is kissing Sleeping Beauty. While I understand that this follows the film, it's a little unclear if Prince Phillip is the one to throw the sword or the fairies. Again, details are important.
-This is a pretty terrifying attraction, especially for Disney. While I understand that the goal was to create at thrill ride for this challenge, the story and setting seem a little too intense for the target audience you would be shooting for with this attraction. The height restriction would limit many smaller guests, but this could still be a pretty frightening experience for a park which centers on prince and princesses.
Again, this was a great round of entries and it's becoming harder and harder to judge as the competition continues to tighten.
Kenny and JRT, I will critique your unofficial submissions at a later date. I had a last minute work assignment thrown on me this morning and haven't had time to give you a proper critique but I will have one up before the week is over. Thanks for your participation, even though you aren't official competitors this season.
Now that all of the critiques have been posted, here are the rankings for Challenge 4.
Challenge 4 Rank:
1. Douglas Hindley
2. Andy Teoh
3. Chad H
4. TIE: Keith Schneider and Karina Bhattacharya
Congratulations to Douglas Hindley for his winning submission, Perun's Arrow!
As a reminder, this week is the week of the Redemption Round. For those of you in the competition, this is your week off, but you are welcome to submit a proposal unofficially if desired. Challenge 5 will begin on Sunday, July 10th.
It appears that we have a tie for last place between Keith Schneider and Karina Bhattacharya. Per the rules of Theme Park Apprentice 8, both of you will now compete in a 48 hour tiebreaker challenge. The winner of the challenge will continue in the competition while the loser will be eliminated. However, the loser will still be eligible to win the Redemption Round and return to the competition. Now, here is your challenge...
Tiebreaker: Quick Service Restaurant
Keith and Karina, you have both tied for last place. To determine who continues and who gets eliminated, the pair of you will now face off in a tiebreaker challenge.
The Challenge:
This challenge is quite simple...design a quick service restaurant for your park. A quick service restaurant is a restaurant where guests typically order at a cash register, wait for their food, then take it to a table to eat. Think of it like a fast food restaurant minus the drive thru component. There is only one additional rule...you must design the restaurant for the same section of your park that you used for your main attraction in this challenge. Therefore, Keith, you must place your restaurant in the Rendezvous Pier section of your park, and Karina, your restaurant must be located within the Dark Forest.
The Proposal:
For this challenge, your proposal should be 1-2 pages and should include:
-The name of your restaurant
-A description of the restaurant, including the general layout, architecture, and theming details
-A sample menu consisting of at least three entrees, two sides, and two desserts, all with approximate prices
-Anything else you feel is necessary to complete your proposal
The Deadline:
Your proposal must be posted in this thread within 48 hours of the timestamp on this post. If you do not submit your proposal on time you will be automatically eliminated.
If you have any questions on this challenge, please post them in this thread. Other than that, good luck!
Quick Question: Can the guests get their different foods from different stations, and then pay it in a central area before eating?
Yes, but they need to collect everything before going to their table. You may not have any form of waiter service.
The Woodland Cottage Kitchen
The Dark Forest
The Woodland Cottage Kitchen is a small jewel in the mysterious Dark Forest, modeled after the Seven Dwarves’ cottage. With fast service and kid friendly menus, the Woodland Cottage Kitchen is a treat for the entire family!
Location
The Woodland Cottage Kitchen is located near the entrance to the Royal Waters land and the New World. This central location makes the restaurant easy to find on a map.
Decorations
The quick service restaurant is decorated with many woodcarvings of various animals and dwarf figurines. Almost every element, from the chairs to the lights, are intricately decorated. The lights are colored with crystals from the Dwarven mines. The staff at the counters are dressed in costumes to resemble characters from Snow White, such as Sleepy and Doc.
Interactive Game
Hidden among the animal woodcarvings are figurines of the seven dwarves, hidden around the seating portion of the restaurant. Using the Disney Royal app, guests can scan the figurines and unlocked deleted scenes from the 2001 Snow White movie.
Layout
The foodservice portion of the restaurant is split up into two sections. One sells the entrees and sides, and the other line sells desserts. After picking up their food, guests proceed to the cashiers, where they purchase their meals and take their seats.
Menu
Some menu items are adapted from foods featured in Snow White.
Entrees
Shepherd’s Pie Meat pie with a mashed potato crust. $8.85
Vegetarian Stew With fresh picked vegetables, picked at the height of season’s freshness $9.95
Garlic Mozzarella Chicken Cooked in a wood fired oven. $9.95
(For Kids) Popcorn Chicken With your choice of a junior side.
Sides
Snow White’s Soup While cleaning the house, Snow White prepared a delicious soup for the seven dwarves. $4.95
Sweet Potato Fries - Made with only the best sweet potatoes. $6.95
Desserts
Cherry Pie After Grumpy’s affectionate request to keep her safe, Snow White decided to return his kindness by baking him a pie. $1 Piece 3.95, Full Pie $12.95
Candied Apple These apples are laced with candy, not poison! $4.95
Conclusion
The Woodland Cottage Kitchen is the perfect place to grab a quick bite before adventuring in the Dark Forest. With friendly service, a variety of delectable meal options, and captivating decorations, the Woodland Cottage Kitchen caters to all guests at Disney Royal.
Karina Bhattacharya
You've created a really fun restaurant that people will love to eat at. One of my few reservations is about your food set up. If a person wants a meal and a dessert, they essentially have to stand in line twice. It would probably be better to either have stations, or just have one line. Aside from that, you've created a fun ambiance with seemingly great food that will live up to Disney standards.
Karina, The Woodland Cottage Kitchen is a top notch quick service restaurant with an excellent theme. It is very attractive to look at and appears to be right out of Snow White. I can't tell whether guests need to wait in two lines or whether the line loops around...the latter is a really good idea but the former would be a bit of a problem. Your menu is good though a little bit limited for a signature restaurant. Overall, you did really well in this challenge and I feel you've created a great restaurant that would be very popular among park guests.
Keith, unfortunately you did not submit a proposal by the deadline and are hereby eliminated from Theme Park Apprentice 8. However, if you wish to return to the competition you may attempt to gain readmittance by winning the Redemption Challenge, currently in progress. Remember, you only have until Saturday, so get to work immediately if you want a shot at returning to this season of Theme Park Apprentice.
Good luck, Karina! And good luck to the other competitors.
I have chosen not to continue. Unfortunately, I feel Rendezvous Park & Pier will not be successful in this competition. The park is firmly rooted in reality and it does not have a budget for a 400-foot tree housed within an ornately decorated Russian egg. While I enjoy the creativity behind such suggestions, I do not understand the practicality of it. I hate to say it but this competition truly does live in Fantasyland.
For me to follow a suggestion of theming a roller coaster in a regional theme park, in Atlantic City, using the budget of a Disney or Universal attraction is absurd. There is more going on in the theme park industry other than Disney and Universal, there is more than one model of theme park in the industry. Unfortunately, I feel some of the judging in this competition has been one-sided with a Disney and Universal point of view.
AJ and Blake, thank you for your critiques. I really did appreciate them. Good luck, everyone!
Karina,
Your restaurant is perfectly themed. I think you made a smart choice of having a lighthearted restaurant in a more dark-themed area. The choice of the Seven Dwarves cottage is both relevant and welcome and you've gone to great lengths to ensure that it is incorporated into your land. The interactive element is nice but I'm not entirely sure it's as satisfying as it could be. Unlocking deleted scenes is a cool little easter egg, but for most guests, I don't see this being very appealing, especially if they haven't seen the film or have no reference to when the deleted scenes would be inserted into the film. Again, it's a nice touch, but I think you could have done something a little more emotionally satisfying to appeal to a broader audience (Maybe unlocking a special ringtone, background, or something along those lines would have been a nice little perk). I'm glad to see you've taken our advice on more details. For such a short challenge, you've done an admirable job of given enough detail without getting too long-winded.
Your menu is appropriately themed and pretty solid for a quick-service restaurant. It's diverse enough to entice guests to try something new but not so exotic that it would detract a large portion of guests. I would have liked to have known what exactly was in the soup as it's hard to say how good it would be without knowing more specifics.
Keith,
I'm sorry to hear you won't be continuing. For what it's worth, I felt your park was an inspired and successful attempt at a real world creation. For me personally, theme takes center stage. I do consider costs of the attractions put forth in proposals, but, as you identified, costs aren't factored into final judgements so much as other factors. It's a shame you're bowing out, as I would have loved to have seen what else you could have come up with. In regards to the Thrill Ride challenge, while your coaster was themed appropriately and fit nicely within your park, I felt like it may have been the "easy route". Your flat ride, dark ride, and Dining Experience proposals were stellar, and after seeing such quality from you in those rounds, I was hoping for something more unique and innovative. These are just my thoughts and I felt I owe it to you to be honest. Not to compromise the Judging process and other judges, but you consistently came in the top 3 of my votes in the challenges.
Thank you, Blake.
Keith, it saddens me to hear you aren't continuing. I appreciate your valiant efforts to keep your park in the realm of reality. But, unfortunately, the type of park you had made no theme a perfect fit. For me, theme and story come first, and your park had an extensive amount of great aspects, but it lacked in those areas. Particularly with this challenge. I'll miss your innovative ideas, and hope you consider competing again in the future
Keith, thank you for participating in Theme Park Apprentice 8. I'm sorry that you've chosen not to continue, but I understand the reasoning behind it. The park you've created is an outstanding pier park that would be an excellent throwback to those of the 1920s, but it is definitely one that could struggle when compared directly against the fully immersive themed worlds that exist today. I honestly feel your park is more viable and more realistic than many others in this competition, but in a way that does make it a difficult concept to use when we chose to emphasize immersive themes over realistic constraints this season. After reading your work in multiple competitions, I do think you have consistently improved each time and I hope you will consider competing again in a future competition.
Thank you, AJ.
This discussion has been archived and is no longer accepting responses.
PERUN’S ARROW
The Great Oak Hill, Buyan Park
“Join forces with the trickster god Veles as he commandeers a golden chariot and climbs the Great Oak. But beware of mighty Perun’s lightning bolt!”
Long ago before history began, there was peace amongst the gods. Each immortal was master over select elements of creation. Perun commanded the skies, the weather and livestock. Veles ruled the groundwater, the serpents and the harvest. But Veles grew envious of his brother’s power, represented by his golden cattle. And thus did Veles challenge Perun’s dominion. War waged in the heavens, until Perun emerged triumphant and banished Veles to the underworld.
Veles bade his time in the dank roots below the Great Oak. Never satisfied, time and again he would sneak back to steal Perun’s golden cattle. Without fail, Perun would unleash his mighty arrow - the lightning bolt – and chase Veles deep below the surface of the Earth. So it goes, even today. Whenever you see a thunderstorm, or witness lightning strike a tree, remember that it is Perun and Veles in a never-ending struggle of equilibrium.
Now, guests to Buyan Park may experience this eternal battle, so central to Slavic mythology, upon “Perun’s Arrow,” a magnificent polercoaster which twists and turns around the park’s towering central landmark!
The Great Oak
At the center of the world is Buyan Island. At the center of Buyan Island is the Great Oak, a World Tree, a Tree of Life, the axis of the world. In its branches sit the heavens, where the Slavic pantheon holds sway. Deep in its roots, Veles dwells alone in the underworld. Around its trunk is the world of Man. All the world’s winds and waters spread out from the Great Oak into all the known lands.
The Great Oak sits 400’ tall in the very center of Buyan Park, enclosed entirely within the Buyan Egg. The Great Oak serves a great many purposes: thematically, it unifies the park; structurally, it supports the Egg; practically, it houses numerous attractions. Within the trunk, guests find the “Buyan Winds” drop tower. Should they take a stained glass elevator to its peak, they shall enjoy “Nav,” our flagship restaurant. And wrapped around the entire tree from branch to base, conjuring up activity and excitement, is “Perun’s Arrow!”
Even upon entering the central hub land of The Great Oak Hill, guests cannot help but be entranced. This vertically-oriented “polercoaster” is among the first of its kind worldwide (to date none has been built; “SkyScraper” in Orlando should begin construction this year). Roller coaster tracks are painted shades of green, with gigantic leaves attached to their supports, to resemble a creeper vine encircling the tree. Shimmering golden chariots race down this vine from the heavens above. The Buyan Egg, 400’ tall and 300’ wide, provides stupendous skyward views. Adding to this, the entire base of The Great Oak Hill is surrounded by a non-structural circular “apse,” which increases walkways and overhead viewing space.
Queue – Shrine to the Gods
We begin near the waterways which guard the Great Oak. A pre-Christian Slavic shrine stands before us, designed to subtly suggest the beautiful wood churches of Kizhi Pogost. The final green stretch of track twists up from the rivers into the shrine’s side-house nearby. The shrine’s thick oak doors boast a runic bas-relief of the Great Oak and all its ethereal levels.
Within the shrine, beside the rumbling tracks, is an airy wooden catacomb of rafters similar to a Viking longhouse. (Slavic mythology borrows heavily from the Norse tradition. Note how well Loki and Thor resemble our current subjects.) A primitive mural on a far wall portrays the duel between Perun and Veles. Carved lightning bolts seem to sparkle with magic from within.
The queue passes smaller shrines erected to the entire Slavic pantheon: Jarilo, Dazbog, Svarog, Morana, Triglav, Rod. One by one, each deity’s statue comes to life to move and speak simplistically of its power and strength. Every exhibit holds sacrificial totems and glows with a freshly-lit torch...except for Veles’. His alcove is abandoned and dusty, a sign of his singular shame.
The Willow Grove
A bridge leads out from the shrine, over the spring waters, to a secluded willow grove at the base of the Great Oak. Streams cascade magically from cracks in the gigantic tree. While the oak is symbolic of Perun, these willows signify Veles. A pathway carries guests past idols of Veles, hewn from dead trunks. This meandering, haunted trail permits guests plenty of time to study the polercoaster and harden their mettle.
Roots of the Underworld
Through a gnarled crack in the bark, guests enter the interior of the Great Oak. A recently bored tunnel carries them ever downwards into the earth. Oversized roots spread about wildly on all sides. Mixed with these meandering roots, guests catch glimpses of a massive serpent pulsating in the stone.
The path circles through an underground grotto. Water drips from above. The space is verdant with moss and ferns. An animatronic Veles sits in the center, clad in a cow’s hide, his lower half a serpent’s tail – the serpent previously seen. Veles silently assembles a golden chariot, using sorcery to “weld” it together. Pinned to the living stone are moving parchments which outline as though by magic (projection effects) Veles’ scheme: With his flying golden chariots, guests shall fly to the Golden Oak’s topmost branches. Here they shall steal Perun’s cattle.
Loading - Veles’ Domain
In the deepest pit of the underworld, guests gather. An unearthly glow comes from within the rocks. Shadows on the walls depict the souls of the dead – nearly shapeless entities shuffling listlessly. Cast members clad as shamans assist guests to fully-assembled golden chariots – the perfect incursion vehicle for Perun’s lair. Each chariot travels individually, with two rows of four.
For efficiency, chariots load and leave the station two at a time. They round a cavernous corner, where the first chariot dips down out of sight. Dispatch is in 25 second intervals. The second chariot remains, witness to Veles’ shadowy form projected on the limestone wall. At last this chariot drops away and riders are set forth on their thrilling adventure!
“Perun’s Arrow” Stats
Ride type: Polercoaster
Manufacturers: Intamin & US Thrill Rides
Tower height: 400 ft
Tower diameter: 80 ft
Ride height: 375 ft
Track length: 4,000 ft
Top speed: 54 mph
Inversions: 5
Ride duration: 2:40
Height restriction: 48”
Hourly capacity: 1,150
Since no polercoasters yet exist, this video provides a sample of the thrills which await steel-willed riders
Ride Experience – Within the Trunk
The chariot enters a dizzying vertical shaft within the Great Oak’s trunk – a space shared with the altar-shaped vehicles of “Buyan Winds.” Riders proceed up a perfectly vertical lift hill, propelled via LSM electromagnets. Veles’ magic compels the chariot upwards at a stupendous rate, lightning fast. It takes a mere 15 seconds for riders to rocket skyward a whopping 375 feet!
Veles’ voiceover accompanies this wild ascent: “Fly, my heralds! Fly! Retrieve for me Perun’s golden cattle!”
Perun’s Heavenly Throne
The chariot peacefully enters the heavens. It proceeds slowly, almost at a dark ride pace, through the tower’s interior. Branches and twigs define these heavenly halls. Screens held between them reveal Perun’s golden herd, stretched as far as the eye can see, emitting a soft yellow hue. This is genuinely a remarkable sight.
A quick 180 degree turn sends the chariot suddenly – too suddenly – out onto the precarious treetops. The chariot now proceeds counterclockwise along the tower’s edge. Screens show a terrible thunderstorm brewing, the manifestation of Perun’s wrath.
The chariot slows. Straight ahead is Perun (animatronic) seated on a monolithic throne, a golden arrow in one hand, an eagle on his shoulder. Perun glowers and lifts up his sparkling arrow like a firecracker...
“Thieves! Traitors! Trespassers! I banish thee!”
Tremendous tendrils of lightning shoot from Perun’s arrow. The chariot topples down a beyond vertical drop! It plummets at a 100 degree angle. While this drop is but 75 feet, it is all the more terrifying for the sudden reveal of the ride’s overall height! Earth feels ludicrously distant, well over 350 feet below!
A Maze of Branches
The chase is on! The chariot evens out along the vines and charges forward at 46 mph around the Great Oak! It spins in a counterclockwise helix with many sudden drops, made even wilder by near-misses with giant branches. (The Great Oak’s limbs are topped with a dozen types of pre-fabricated leaves, affixed randomly to create an organic impression.)
Ahead, a gargantuan animatronic Golden Eagle rests in its aerie. Perun’s pet screeches the alarm. Lightning bolts sparkle through all visible branches! The chariot evades via a dive loop inversion, plunging downwards 60 feet!
Rampaging now clockwise around the Oak, the chariot enters a tangle of gigantic spider webs. The track undulates wildly! It charges upwards, past silky sinews, only to cut downwards with fantastic airtime. A series of camelback hills propels riders past ancient knots of bark.
The Vertical Trunk
Another substantial drop hurtles the chariot down the sheer, unadorned tree trunk. Rounding a corner, the vine carries riders straight through a colossal beehive. The chariot performs a heartline roll inversion within this buzzing nest!
Chariots slow. Riders hear the sound of crackling thunder. With an explosive burst, the chariot performs another dive loop – directly past a still-burning lightning scar etched vertically along the tree!
Once again riders circle the Oak counterclockwise. The chariot picks up pace, charging 56 mph through a death-defying helix. The vine threads its chaotic way amidst a forest of massive, Brobdingnagian mushrooms – “chicken of the woods” fungi which jut out horizontally from the tree, inches from riders’ heads! The chariot leans into an overbanked turn, then avoids a thicket of mushrooms with a gravity roll inversion!
Splashdown in the Roots
A 75 degree dive suddenly, shockingly plunges riders past the tree’s base, down, down, down into a watery trench! Waves shoot up from jets, a simulated splashdown! The chariot charges past splintery roots alongside the Kizhi shrine. A climactic Immelmann loop lifts riders upwards upside-down over the walkways, twisting, looping and weightless. Flipped around, riders charge back into the shrine.
In quick succession they pass through the shrine halls, through the Oak’s bark, through cavernous tunnels back into Veles’ underworld prison. The chariot ultimately eases to a crawl on a brake run. Riders catch their collective breath. Here is an animatronic Veles, singed and roasted but still undefeated. He shoots riders a look of fierce determination, and utters one of many encouraging battle cries:
“Almost had ‘em this time...Let’s try that again! ”
Guests depart at the loading station. The post-ride walkway merges with the exit of “Buyan Winds.” Both empty near a shared shop experience, The Firmament, where guests may purchase mystical talismans, sacred totems, and on-ride photos.
***
“Perun’s Arrow” is a record breaker intended to attract thrill seekers the world over. Not only will it be the tallest roller coaster in Europe (roughly sixth tallest worldwide, including its polercoaster brethren), it will be the world’s longest and tallest indoor coaster! But what really sets “Perun’s Arrow” apart from other white-knuckle adventures is its immersive theming, a rarity in coasters so intense. Once again, Buyan Park delivers with its dedication to Russian heritage. And while the entire Great Oak complex is our priciest feature, this is justifiable as the central landmark, icon and flagship, the first thing seen on advertisements and the first thing talked about by guests. “Perun’s Arrow” truly helps Buyan Park take root.