Derren Brown's Ghost Train: Rise of the Demon

[StevenVig]

Could just be themed ride hosts

 

You don't seriously think this do you?

 

This is Merlin not Disney

[Coaster]

Themed hosts can just mean ride ops with a different uniform - anyone remember the "Evacuation Team" uniform from Swarm back in 2012?

[JoshC.]

You don't seriously think this do you?

This is Merlin not Disney

Considering Towers do it with Smiler I don't think it's completely out the question.

[StevenVig]

Themed hosts can just mean ride ops with a different uniform - anyone remember the "Evacuation Team" uniform from Swarm back in 2012?

 

Wearing a bright yellow high visability jacket over your normal TP uniform, does not count as "themed hosts"

[Coaster]

Wearing a bright yellow high visability jacket over your normal TP uniform, does not count as "themed hosts"

That is very true - but the point I was making is that themed uniforms are not out of the question for Ghost Train.

[Benin]

Also Sub Terra...

 

Its doable, depends if the park bothers...

[StevenVig]

Also Sub Terra...

 

Its doable, depends if the park bothers...

 

I hope they do, and if part of this experience is actor led it will be interesting to see how long Thorpe keep this up. They will no doubt cut the actors from the experience at some point, but I hope I'm wrong.

 

My estimation, by the end of season

[Marc]

I hope they do, and if part of this experience is actor led it will be interesting to see how long Thorpe keep this up. They will no doubt cut the actors from the experience at some point, but I hope I'm wrong.

My estimation, by the end of season

They likely have an agreement with Derren Brown - if actors are part of the attraction they will not be cut.

[JoshC.]

Nothing exciting, but this is from Derren's Facebook:

A day of working on the ghost train, with its phenomenal team that look after the VR element. Now back to do tonight's show. Splendid day.

[Glitch]

I hope they do, and if part of this experience is actor led it will be interesting to see how long Thorpe keep this up. They will no doubt cut the actors from the experience at some point, but I hope I'm wrong.

 

My estimation, by the end of season

I think there will definitely be more than one season of hype around this attraction. No need for actors to be cut.

[StevenVig]

I think there will definitely be more than one season of hype around this attraction. No need for actors to be cut.

 

Budgets! Budgets! Budgets! If Merlin can save a penny or two they will do it. This isn't new, we all already know this

 

Look at Saw: The Ride, the actors that were supposed to be in The Rack in the indoor queue were supposed to only be there during peak times (Holidays, Special Events etc), but they couldn't even keep that up.

 

There's also been countless times I've been through Saw Alive and there have been a minimal amount on actors

 

Even during Fright Nights, I once walked through The Asylum and counted six actors in the whole attraction, many running in front of me so they could perform multiple scenes. 

[Graw]

Budgets! Budgets! Budgets! If Merlin can save a penny or two they will do it. This isn't new, we all already know this

 

Look at Saw: The Ride, the actors that were supposed to be in The Rack in the indoor queue were supposed to only be there during peak times (Holidays, Special Events etc), but they couldn't even keep that up.

 

There's also been countless times I've been through Saw Alive and there have been a minimal amount on actors

 

Even during Fright Nights, I once walked through The Asylum and counted six actors in the whole attraction, many running in front of me so they could perform multiple scenes. 

 

there were actors in the SAW queue? when was this? :-)

[Ryan]

there were actors in the SAW queue? when was this? :-)

 

In it's opening year I remember then being there around Easter I think it was.

 

There's a big difference between having actors in queueline of a coaster and having actors as part of the ride experience in a £40 million attraction.

[Mattgwise]

Yes I remember this. Just staff wearing pig masks that would come up close in the queue. There was also a person in the rack by the stairs trying to escape from the trap.

[Mattgwise]

Yes I remember this. Just staff wearing pig masks that would come up close in the queue. There was also a person in the rack by the stairs trying to escape from the trap.

[L7123456]

Yes I remember this. Just staff wearing pig masks that would come up close in the queue. There was also a person in the rack by the stairs trying to escape from the trap.

They didn't last long, as there hasn't been any actors in the Saw q line for years.

There probably will be minimal actors in the attraction however only actors that are required, to keep paying them at a bare minimum.

[Dodge2002]

I know this is heading off topic but I'm pretty sure the only reason Saw's queue had actors was because when Saw Alive had its fire they had no other place to put the actors.

[Ryan]

I know this is heading off topic but I'm pretty sure the only reason Saw's queue had actors was because when Saw Alive had its fire they had no other place to put the actors.

 

I'm sure Saw had actors in queueline in it's opening year, before Saw Alive.

[TraX]

There's a big difference between having actors in queueline of a coaster and having actors as part of the ride experience in a £40 million attraction.

So you think any actors will stay at the attraction? I assume you're joking?

[OldFarmerDean]

In 2009 fright nights, my first ever visit to Thorpe, they had actors with gas masks, and the pig masks etc. In the indoor queue and exit... I have never seen them since, presumably due to saw alive the next year.

I personally think the staffing will be kept to a minimum, but will probably be like sub Terra with specific uniforms

[Ryan]

So you think any actors will stay at the attraction? I assume you're joking?

 

No I'm not joking, how am I meant to know if actors will stay at the attraction without knowing how successful it'll be? We don't even know if actors will be used at all yet. Even if they are used, we don't know the contract Derren might have with the park, there may not even be a choice to cut down on actors or not.

 

My point was that you can't compare the use of actors that may be needed to tell the story in a £40million attraction to those used in the queueline at peak times on a rollercoaster.

[TraX]

If they include actors in the attraction which operate from the entertainments department, I can assure you they will be cut in the future.

Ride staff in costume would be a very different matter.

[JoshC.]

Re Saw's queue line actors.  It was originally said when the ride opened that they'd be around during peak times (Easter, Summer, FN, like Ryan said).  They lasted a couple of weeks at the beginning of the season, and then came back at FN09 for 'Saw The Ride Comes Alive'.  They occasionally were there over the next 2 years (I think they appeared in Summer 2011 briefly) before disappearing in 2012.  They were never intended to be a permanent thing, just something to help entertain people during the busiest times.

 

If Ghost Train has actors, I'd fully expect them to be a necessary part of the experience.  So the idea of cutting them would surely be out of the question.  Then again, I'm still not sure now that there will be actors, since live action does not necessarily mean live actors.  I'd more expect themed ride hosts in a similar fashion in Sub Terra, and maybe them encouraging you to make an active choice (something we know there will be in the attraction).  That's live action.

 

There's also been countless times I've been through Saw Alive and there have been a minimal amount on actors

 

Even during Fright Nights, I once walked through The Asylum and counted six actors in the whole attraction, many running in front of me so they could perform multiple scenes. 

 

Interesting view.  Surely a minimal amount of actors is acceptable though, since that's the minimum number they'd need to make the attraction to standard?  Not saying they should only ever have the minimum number, but it feels like an odd complaint to me.  

 

Mazes are difficult environments to control, so it must be difficult to ensure there's always a suitable number of actors about.  Especially in something like Asylum where actors surely needed regular breaks because of the strobes, the odd occasion where there were less actors - whilst not good - seems excusable to me.  

[StevenVig]

Re Saw's queue line actors.  It was originally said when the ride opened that they'd be around during peak times (Easter, Summer, FN, like Ryan said).  They lasted a couple of weeks at the beginning of the season, and then came back at FN09 for 'Saw The Ride Comes Alive'.  They occasionally were there over the next 2 years (I think they appeared in Summer 2011 briefly) before disappearing in 2012.  They were never intended to be a permanent thing, just something to help entertain people during the busiest times.

 

If Ghost Train has actors, I'd fully expect them to be a necessary part of the experience.  So the idea of cutting them would surely be out of the question.  Then again, I'm still not sure now that there will be actors, since live action does not necessarily mean live actors.  I'd more expect themed ride hosts in a similar fashion in Sub Terra, and maybe them encouraging you to make an active choice (something we know there will be in the attraction).  That's live action.

 

 

Interesting view.  Surely a minimal amount of actors is acceptable though, since that's the minimum number they'd need to make the attraction to standard?  Not saying they should only ever have the minimum number, but it feels like an odd complaint to me.  

 

Mazes are difficult environments to control, so it must be difficult to ensure there's always a suitable number of actors about.  Especially in something like Asylum where actors surely needed regular breaks because of the strobes, the odd occasion where there were less actors - whilst not good - seems excusable to me.  

 

But that's just it isn't it? Cut as many actors as possible, save a pretty penny, work with the bare minimum. That's the Merlin way, hence my lack of confidence here

 

Its trading off experience to save money

[JoshC.]

My point is more the minimum number of actors *is* enough, surely? Otherwise it wouldn't be the minimum. I of course want to see as many as possible, and preferably more than needed, but as long as it's the minimum amount, I'm...happy(?) with that.

I see the concern, and think it's perfectly justified, but I don't think they'd outright cut actors altogether so quickly, if they are indeed part of the experience.