I think this is pretty ridiculous..this ride has only been open for 3 and a bit months, and they're already modifying it as if they're trying to maintain the public's interest!? Embarrassing.

Wonder if they're gonna add the rumoured (when construction was going on) mirror maze section?

 

Cor imagine if that's actually what the only change was...

From what the plans seem to be stating, the new extension is going to be a shop.

So, does that mean that they are going to be removing the current shop to make way for another part of the attraction or are they extending it?

I'm interested to see what happens with this, but if they get rid of the current shop I am not going to be happy, as it's one of the best parts of the attraction (as bad as that sounds, it's quite truthful).

8 minutes ago, Cian said:

I think this is pretty ridiculous..this ride has only been open for 3 and a bit months, and they're already modifying it as if they're trying to maintain the public's interest!? Embarrassing

 

Many dark rides undergo modifications after they first open.  Admittedly it's more changing the sequence of things, or just adding extra things, but it's not uncommon.  

 

When we have no idea what this extension is bringing us, it's certainly unfair to call this embarrassing in my opinion.  

 

In saying that, it's an...interesting development.  Especially since it seems to suggest that this extension will be to build a new shop to replace the old, as opposed to an extension to the shop itself.  Once again, this attraction has made me curious...

On 15/10/2016 at 2:51 PM, Fin The Human said:

I know this isnt reliable and they could just be messing with me, but I was speaking to the ride ops on flying fish as we got the last ride, and they said that they were going to wipe out the shop and add another element to the ride.

Eyyyy, was I right?

Looks like the right size for a train carriage to me.

 

1 hour ago, BaronC. said:

 

Many dark rides undergo modifications after they first open.  Admittedly it's more changing the sequence of things, or just adding extra things, but it's not uncommon.  

 

When we have no idea what this extension is bringing us, it's certainly unfair to call this embarrassing in my opinion.  

Well in the DBGT's case it kinda is..

Its a major investment in the park, and the attraction is unreliable beyond belief..

It isn't even like the dark ride is a masterpiece either, its practically some alright VR with some cheap leg grabbing..

DBGT is a joke for the scale of the investment it is IMO..

Edited October 19, 20168 yr by imindetonator
Pressing the post button by accident before finishing a setence!

1 minute ago, imindetonator said:

S

Well in the DBGT's case it kinda is..

Its a major investment in the park, and the attraction is unreliable beyond belief..

It isn't even like the dark ride is a masterpiece either, its practically some alright VR

 

Cian's point, as I read it, was saying it's embarrassing that they're modifying the attraction's experience to presumably maintain public interest.  It's unfair to say that when we don't know what they're doing to the attraction, or even why.

 

If you feel the attraction's current state is embarrassing, then that's an opinion you can form fairly on your experiences.  But to say it's embarrassing that they're making modifications, at this stage, has no basis.  Equally, no one can fairly say this is something that should be taken pride in (or whatever the most appropriate opposite of embarrassment is in the situation) at the moment.

Apologies, very unfair of me to state that. I just think that a sudden constructional investment into the attraction is pretty silly, considering it's only been open for 103 days. I suppose it could be something of high importance that's being implemented, but for the meanwhile I'll remain a tad confused.

Well this is a surprise, as I honestly thought the only changes would be the VR.

 

As long as this is shipping container free and the new shop is heavily themed, then it's an acceptable change.

 

They better not be using the space of the existing shop today for a stupid cheap walk-through section with actors jumping out at you just like they did with Sub Terra later down the line back in 2012. The shop and exit is fine as it is, do not fix what ain't broke.

 

This does raise another question though if this was to be the case. Does the baggage hold room close as well? I can't see any other way it can be relocated if the exit is to be re-routed further back from the entrance.

 

In terms of going through the long list of "things to fix" for next year, this would be low on the list for me. Number 1 would be reliability first, followed by operations next. Guess we will find out soon what the park believes should be done to improve the frankly dismal feedback it has received from guests this season.

5 minutes ago, Martin.C said:

They better not be using the space of the existing shop today for a stupid cheap walk-through section with actors jumping out at you just like they did with Sub Terra later down the line back in 2012. The shop and exit is fine as it is, do not fix what ain't broke.

 

This does raise another question though if this was to be the case. Does the baggage hold room close as well? I can't see any other way it can be relocated if the exit is to be re-routed further back from the entrance.

 

In terms of going through the long list of "things to fix" for next year, this would be low on the list for me. Number 1 would be reliability first, followed by operations next. Guess we will find out soon what the park believes should be done to improve the frankly dismal feedback it has received from guests this season.

 

The bag room hasn't been used for a few weeks now - I guess the sudden closure of it makes sense if they are to use that space - Assuming they are going to use up the bag room and atleast half the shop they have a fairly large space to play with... much bigger than a maze would be?

 

Also I agree with the reliability but I'm sure they will work hard on that over closed season regardless of this. 

As far as I'm aware the only thing mentioned in that article is it'll "enhance guest experience". Remember this can mean anything from adding new section to the attraction, to extending the shop so it's not as crammed on busy days. If I've missed something I apologise, however I'm not sure that getting excited about entire new sections is wise - just in case you end up being disappointed.

4 hours ago, Ryan said:

Planning has gone in for a small extension to the Ghost Train building.

 

http://www.southparks.co.uk/2016/10/19/extension-proposed-for-derren-browns-ghost-train/

 

Hopefully, looking at the plans, this means the majority of the red building will finally be covered up! And the fact this is assumedly the new ending really gets my attention!

Please don't be a maze

What would be good is to have another live bit after the warehouse which is Victorian themed to tie in more with the suspended train illusion.

8 hours ago, Owen said:

As far as I'm aware the only thing mentioned in that article is it'll "enhance guest experience". Remember this can mean anything from adding new section to the attraction, to extending the shop so it's not as crammed on busy days. If I've missed something I apologise, however I'm not sure that getting excited about entire new sections is wise - just in case you end up being disappointed.

 

The plans suggest that the building is being extended to build a new shop.  Which would suggest that the current space occupied by the shop will no longer be used for a shop.  Thus leaving a massive gap between the end of the experience as it stands and the new shop, meaning that the addition of something else isn't too far fetched of an idea.

Why would they be looking to add something else when what's there already needs urgent attention?

34 minutes ago, Coaster Jamie said:

Why would they be looking to add something else when what's there already needs urgent attention?

 

One would assume that in addition to this new section the current issues will be fixed and sometimes that can happen in you look at other rides. But this just feels like a quick and cheap solution to a problem that does not exist and is not what people are complaining about.

Not jumping to conclusions about this yet as we do not know the full details on what it entails, but if adding a maze section to the end is what the park believes is the solution to people's complaints about the ride, that's just plain lazy. Completely agree that what exists at the moment should be sorted before any additions are made. Whether this will happen or not we don't know yet.

Quality should always come before quantity.

44 minutes ago, Martin.C said:

but if adding a maze section to the end is what the park believes is the solution to people's complaints about the ride, that's just plain lazy.

Agreed

 

Towers tried that with Sub Tera, 

you all know what happened after that?

Its probably a HB Leisure Side Show. 

I'm struggling to see how people are finding negatives with this. One of the big complaints about the ride us how the ending is just crap fire going around you. Adding a good ending to the ride as well as fixing the problems it's having/redoing that 2nd VR section is exactly what they need to do (and what I believe they will do).  

People complained about the original ending of Terry too...

 

Assuming it ends up with a scare corridor ending, would people think that it would be a suitable/satisfactory for a £30m attraction?

I agree the ending is what needed significant attention, and if they are in fact building something completely new and swallowing their pride then thats a big step forward. Reinvent the whole ending to the attraction, brilliant.

 

However, I do find it easy to see how people are finding negatives, because of this team's pathetic track record of making decisions on pretty much every attraction theyve made ever.

 

I fear the process was:

Guests comment "wot that wasn't scary/ is that it?"

Market 'research' (exit surveys) concludes 'guests don't find it scary enough'.

MMM 'We need to make it scarier, let's add a shipping container scare maze ending' or something quick and basic.

 

The scariness isn't the ride's problem. If it was entertaining enough and really hit the mark, then people would come out having experienced something really great and wouldn't be feeling disappointed. Many people probably went in thinking it was going to be "the scariest thing ever" not knowing what Derren Brown's brand of entertainment actually is or understanding the ghost train idea. Why would you want to dumb down the concept to appeal to this misunderstanding, when you could potentially surprise them in much more ingenious ways?

 

Scaring people is easy to do. Its as easy as having some flashy lights in darkness, loud noises and an actor jumping out at you. Please please don't do a Sub Terra with that awful cop out ending tacked on. Please don't do actors that will inevitably get cut within 3 years. Please don't always make the most obvious, superficial response to market research.

I agree with Owen, I refuse to invest any hope in this. Even if it does entail a new element to the ride - what else could they do apart from a maze?!? Sure you could potentially have a Derren "post-show" but what would be the point in that?!?! As Archive very eloquently put it, they want to scare people, not entertain, which defies the entire concept of the attraction.