Merlin is bringing a new original IP to its theme parks, starting in Italy next month.
Merlin Magic Making - the company's creative design division - today shared a first look at Captain Nine Lives, a new character in the Animal Treasure Island ride coming to Gardaland this spring.
Animal Treasure Island replaces the former I Corsari [The Pirates] ride, which closed last summer. The Intamin water dark ride is getting a new cast of characters, including Captain Nine Lives, a feline "young and fascinating adventurer who embodies the spirit of Animal Treasure Island, which is a mix of adventure, exploration and emotional growth," Gardaland said in its press release.
In addition to the new characters, the ride is getting a new sound system.
"It was very important during the construction phase to be sure to combine the previous story with a new and exciting plot that comes to life thanks to a new generation of technology," Creative Producer Mollie Page said. "For example, we are installing over 250 speakers in our new 360-degree binaural sound systems, to achieve absolutely unprecedented amplification in a Merlin attraction."
"Hundreds of hours were spent creating custom tracks for each scene of the attraction, and Animal Treasure Island has 25 of them," Page said.
I Corsari opened in 1992 and was updated in 2018 to feature new projected scenes and digital mapping among its practical sets. A subtitle, La Vendetta del Fantasma [Revenge of the Ghost] was added then. The new Animal Treasure Island is set to open in April.
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This is very cute. I just don't understand the hesitance from so many parks to create, expand, and further develop internal IP. Yes, it requires some work on the legal side to protect it and typically follow on work to keep things fresh and consistent. However, attractions with just a bit of a story have so much more appeal than a boring unthemed ride. It's true that internal IP is not necessarily going to draw new guests to a park, but it significantly enhances the experience for guests who do visit and can often draw guests to make return visits.
I think that's why so many parks are unwilling to employ original IP, because it's rarely a leading cause for guests to visit a park when surveyed and original IP attractions don't always result in significant attendance increases. It's that short term memory and the flaws of surveying and trying to quantify something that is not necessarily quantifiable.
Pretty much every theme park we've visited in Europe is filled with attractions with original IP with only a small percentage devoted to popular IP. It seems that American theme parks are so focused on that quick pop, but so often those stories and characters, while popular and recognizable, don't always have the appeal and/or intrigue that draws guests to want to experience those attractions/lands again.
Something Russell didn't mention as much: longevity. Internal IP rarely loses interest in park guests because it's so consolidated -as opposed to external IP, which can lose guest interest. Example: Space mountain's iconicity vs Hyperspace mountain. I would provide a Universal example if they ever successfully had a major internal IP land.
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Original IP is awesome. I love this!