Derren Brown's Ghost Train: Rise of the Demon

[Coaster]

I still can't believe they took out the live scene, the only good part of the entire experience.

[PJ.]

I still can't believe they took out the live scene, the only good part of the entire experience.

End live bit is good too isn’t it?


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[Coaster]

2 hours ago, PJ. said:

End live bit is good too isn’t it?

 

No, the floor is broken.

[SteveJ]

When this is what we ended up with, you think back to all the rubbish that was spoken about DBGT on its launch. So many enthusiasts coming out telling everyone it was near enough better than Universal, the best attraction "the UK" had ever produced, "that I couldnt help but clap when it finished". I even had some enthusiast friends who were scorned for not having done it yet as if it was a duty to go see it the moment it opened, as if Thorpe Park was a charity and you had an obligation to support the greatest ride ever made. Honestly...

All this was said about the original version too. I wouldnt be surprised if all those people were just getting free tickets from Thorpe to say whatever the park wanted.

[Marc]

18 minutes ago, Wumbamillio said:

When this is what we ended up with, you think back to all the rubbish that was spoken about DBGT on its launch. So many enthusiasts coming out telling everyone it was near enough better than Universal, the best attraction "the UK" had ever produced, "that I couldnt help but clap when it finished". I even had some enthusiast friends who were scorned for not having done it yet as if it was a duty to go see it the moment it opened, as if Thorpe Park was a charity and you had an obligation to support the greatest ride ever made. Honestly...

All this was said about the original version too. I wouldnt be surprised if all those people were just getting free tickets from Thorpe to say whatever the park wanted.

I got a preview of the ride before it opened and I was genuinely pretty impressed my first go - it wasn’t perfect but it was damn good - I didn’t know about what the ride did so that took me by surprise and was very impressed!

 

The problem is it’s re-rideability and reliability I guess - I’ve had very few 100% perfect rides on it - though I do personally think when it is on form - certainly to people new to it I think they are impressed.

[JoshuaA]

I think my problem with the Ghost Train is that the VR's sections would be completely dull if it wasn't for some staff members grabbing your legs.. It feels kinda cheap, they spent so much money on building a complex dark ride and all that technology is completely not put to any use.. The live section and the finale are probably the best parts and those sections probably cost peanuts compared to the VR sections.

 

I honestly see this ride going in the Sub Terra direction, but this will be even worse considering it didn't cost a few pennies to build..

[Stuntman707]

They should cut their losses, close it and turn it into a real ghost train / scare maze. After doing a handful of VR attractions now, I'm not convinced it belongs in a theme park. I get more thrills and immersion from really well produced theming, artwork, lighting, effects, audio & animatronics. Save the money for a long overdue coaster. It may be the first time next year Paulton's start bringing some competition to Thorpe with Tornado Springs being more thrill focused from the predominantly family friendly park. Simply put, new coasters draw in the crowds and last longer than VR attractions like Galactica or DBGT:ROTD. (And they don't take up to 12pm to get them operational!)

[PJ.]

Have always thought it just needs cutting back to the bare bones and start again but not totally write it off.

Have more time to marvel at the hanging old train. No VR but have the windows on the trains as 8k monitors with the action playing out on them plus a hidden part of the compartment for live actors for scares in the train


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[Stuntman707]

8 minutes ago, PJ. said:

Have always thought it just needs cutting back to the bare bones and start again but not totally write it off.

Have more time to marvel at the hanging old train. No VR but have the windows on the trains as 8k monitors with the action playing out on them plus a hidden part of the compartment for live actors for scares in the train


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This is exactly what I think it should be! A real ghost train.

[Matt 236]

My favourite part of the attraction is the exit!

[Mattgwise]

50 minutes ago, Loggers Creek said:

My favourite part of the attraction is the exit!

Me too, although genuinely, the fake shop is literally the best part (and only part I like)!

[Han30]

47 minutes ago, Mattgwise said:

Me too, although genuinely, the fake shop is literally the best part (and only part I like)!

Yup me too - I don’t bother with DBGT - the only time I will ride it if I’m with someone’s who’s yet to realise how s###t it is 

[Mattgwise]

SNAP! Haha

[MattyMoo]

Like I always say - the hanging train, the building itself, the pre-show, the likeness of the tube trains are all top notch. It promises so much from that. Genuinely impressed when I saw it first - and since - with the scene when you walk on in particular.

 

Not much left of those queue line posters against fracking etc. now though. I guess people get bored when a 20 minute queue becomes 60 for no real reason

[JoshuaA]

Well at least you get to see Derren's sexy face in the pre-show, that is the single reason why I re-ride this thing.

[MattyMoo]

15 minutes ago, JoshuaA said:

Well at least you get to see Derren's sexy face in the pre-show, that is the single reason why I re-ride this thing.

Can relate. 10/10 would experience Bouncezilla with.

[ben199]

Does anyone know the throughput this thing gets? I don't think I've ever waited less than half an hour for it even when the queue looks tiny

[Coaster]

I remember when they said it would get 1,000 people per hour.  Lol.

[PJ.]

I remember when they said it would get 1,000 people per hour.  Lol.

They are including anyone in the virtual sections.


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[JDann]

5 hours ago, ben199 said:

Does anyone know the throughput this thing gets? I don't think I've ever waited less than half an hour for it even when the queue looks tiny

I used Fastrack on it Friday, got straight through to the door and then waited nearly an hour before being allowed in. As somebody that had no idea about how this ride operates, I was wondering if there was some sort of technical issues with it. Transpires that it probably wasn't too uncommon for this to happen. 

[JoshC.]

7 hours ago, ben199 said:

Does anyone know the throughput this thing gets? I don't think I've ever waited less than half an hour for it even when the queue looks tiny

These days, probably 400-500 an hour.

3 hours ago, Coaster said:

I remember when they said it would get 1,000 people per hour.  Lol.

I don't recall them ever saying that? Certainly, the absolute maximum throughput it could get (quoted from the manufacturer) was 925, and in practice, that was impossible (yet another problem with the whole process of this thing).

 

Ideally, Ghost Train should operate like a Dungeons attraction in terms of its flow. You have different staff at each different section, and they all need to be following the same rhythm. They need to sticking to quite strict time schedules and get guests to follow them as well. The trouble is, whereas a Dungeons will have a dedicated (usually permanent) team, Ghost Train only has seasonal staff who also work on other rides, and aren't around for very long. This is a major issue as it means those staff can't ever share the good rhythm needed for the ride to flow well and get a good throughput. Coupled of course with reliability issues, and it's just terrible.

 

In early 2017, the ride could get 750-800pph, which is reasonable for a ride like that at Thorpe I reckon (despite the money and advertising that went into it, Ghost Train isn't a major draw / headline attraction). Over time, that has just dropped down and down and down.

 

This is a mix of poor design, poor planning, and overly optimistic guarantees from the manufacturer. 

[SteveJ]

On 7/31/2019 at 7:26 PM, Marc said:

I got a preview of the ride before it opened and I was genuinely pretty impressed my first go - it wasn’t perfect but it was damn good - I didn’t know about what the ride did so that took me by surprise and was very impressed!

Thinking back to my first time on it, I made sure to go in with an open mind. I had no idea what to expect, the park had done a good job of keeping it all secret and ambiguous, but once we sat on the train things started to go very quickly downhill. I couldnt believe this was actually the ride, with a complete absence of any mystery, suspense (or Derren Brown). Just the same old 'Merlin horror attraction' tropes that reminded me of Saw Alive or the Dungeons, or Sub Terra.

When we got to the scene, I was feeling more excited, the set got large and it felt like we were in for a big moment. But it turned out to be more lame shouty acting and an underwhelming effect. Could have been great, but wasnt timed/lit right, and there wasnt much more to it—I mean we all knew there was gonna be a train crash as soon as it started. Is that really all they could think of?

And then, it was straight back to the VR boredom of the first half. Suddenly it was all over and everyone awkwardly, silently (no spontaneous applause as had been said!) shuffled to the exit.

I wondered if I'd done the same ride as everyone who was raving about it. Was I just being cynical? Id gone in ready to be surprised and would have really enjoyed a good, new dark ride. Very strange experience, that's my personal memory of it all anyway.

[Stuntman707]

On 7/31/2019 at 11:30 PM, Mattgwise said:

Me too, although genuinely, the fake shop is literally the best part (and only part I like)!

Funny isn't it? The best part of the attraction is the most themed and interactive. I'm certain making it a "real" experience over VR would make it 1000 times better. As long as the rest of it is done as well as the fake shop.

[JoshuaA]

26 minutes ago, Stuntman707 said:

Funny isn't it? The best part of the attraction is the most themed and interactive. I'm certain making it a "real" experience over VR would make it 1000 times better. As long as the rest of it is done as well as the fake shop.

Agreed. If the attraction used physical sets and scares that weren't just through a VR lens then that would radically make this thing more fun.

I think what makes this thing so un reridable is that all the scares in the VR section are always gonna be the same thing, if you have rode this ride then you know exactly whats gonna happen and when its going to happen, ruining any tension or fear to be had. Scare mazes are lucky in a sense with actors being variables. Actors tend to make every run through different and interesting, something that the Ghost Train lacks IMO.

[MattyMoo]

Yes I agree too - the fake shop part is the best bit. When it's operational.

 

The main issue though for me is that putting on the headset and trying to get it to work is never simple and seems clunky for everyone involved. I often have to hold the headset up to stop it slipping - I'm sure you can probably adjust the straps etc but it all just seems a faff and you're in a rush anyway. If the headsets weren't so heavy it'd be far more enjoyable and seamless. Far from creating the "magic", the headsets seem to take it away in some respects - the great pre-show, the awesome IMAScore iMMErSivE audio in the queue, the fantastic hanging train, the spot on recreation of a tube carriage - and then you get in and have to put this thing on that weighs a tonne. Maybe in a few years time when the headsets aren't so heavy and tempermental, it could work well, you never know.