June 4, 20178 yr comment_250140 Last tuesday...so not that long ago prior to ArtfulRaceHorse going. Seriously though, just because one effect hasn't worked on the one ocassion, it doesn't mean people can turn their backs and say "Oh well that wasn't going to last long anyway".
June 4, 20178 yr comment_250143 All effects WILL break temporarily, even the best ones. But whether they stay broken or not is what is most telling. Disney for example will test their effects at the start of every day and service them at least weekly. In the UK, from what I witnessed, a physical animation will get serviced about once every 10 years or never (ridiculous) and AV or tech will get fixed if/when the relevant technician notices it is broken and if the park cares to pay for it. After 4 years or so, the money stops, and people stop caring.
June 5, 20178 yr comment_250162 14 hours ago, Wumbamillio said: All effects WILL break temporarily, even the best ones. But whether they stay broken or not is what is most telling. Disney for example will test their effects at the start of every day and service them at least weekly. In the UK, from what I witnessed, a physical animation will get serviced about once every 10 years or never (ridiculous) and AV or tech will get fixed if/when the relevant technician notices it is broken and if the park cares to pay for it. After 4 years or so, the money stops, and people stop caring. This. This is why Merlin for example, will forever be only second to Disney, realistically they are probably third or fourth, as I can think of a couple of independent attractions that run much better than any ME park
June 5, 20178 yr comment_250164 I'd say there's definitely more than a 'couple' of independent attractions run better than any Merlin park, from an operational point of view...
June 5, 20178 yr comment_250167 Of course, it is true to say that in terms of attendance figures, Merlin (including theme parks, Legolands and midways) is second only to Disney. But as everyone knows, quantity does not equal quality.
June 5, 20178 yr comment_250168 Merlin constantly compare themselves to Disney in their weird Power point propaganda for staff. Every staff member for any role gets inducted with a "catch the mouse" presentation where Disney are made out to be the enemy and Merlin the brilliant competitor. Last I heard it had been updated to "crush the mouse". Uhh. And nothing really to do with visitor numbers, that's just the numerical way Merlin back up the claim. They want to open a new Legoland every other year until they reach the top spot for visitor numbers, for the only company benefit of being able to say they are "first in the world". They are more like the most incapable theme park attraction company in the world, desperate for expansion without knowing how to properly run a theme park, and winning by buying out so many commercial brands.
June 5, 20178 yr comment_250169 I just find it surprising yet amazing how independent parks can be capable of creating such brilliant theming and effects. I'm pointing all ten fingers at Efteling and Phantasialand here. Baron 1898 has theming Merlin have NEVER touched the quality of.
June 5, 20178 yr comment_250170 Efteling do kinda have the benefit of being a charity so don't have to give a damn about profits, Phantasialand haven't always been ones for the real high quality we've seen in their investments since Black Mamba... Half the time it's all relative anyway, since few parks can build a Baron or Ghost Train... But it's when places like Hansa Park are building things that wouldn't look out of place at Disney is when you have to be questioning where the money actually goes in Merlin's ones...
June 5, 20178 yr comment_250172 Does using Merlin's overall figures doesn't really add weight to their attendance figures as a theme park operator - given that the majority of their attractions are Sea Life aquariums or midways? I'd argue that a "theme park operator" is a different thing altogether and only makes up a small part of Merlin's overall figures.
June 11, 20178 yr comment_250223 Went on just now. Theres some new lights in the snake section - it's as dark as it was before with some twinkling lights in the grass. Meanwhile, surprise surprise, the mist screen still wasn't working. Neither was the Gruffalo's eyes in that scene or the audio.
June 11, 20178 yr comment_250228 A small interview with the project manager of Gruffalo... http://backstage.merlinentertainments.biz/bringing-the-nations-favourite-bedtime-story-to-life/
June 11, 20178 yr comment_250234 Quote We employed brand new technology, combining traditional 3D models with projection mapping, scent pods, and theatrical lighting,” said Michelle, of which her favourite aspects of these are the haze and smoke effects. “Seeing these come together is the best part for me because they are the most complicated to work in conjunction with all the other aspects of the ride This is total rubbish right here. Not a single one of these effects are new. Projection mapping has been around for years now and is usually done much better by much smaller firms than Merlin. Aroma machines (or "scent pods" as they seem to have been rebranded) have been done for decades, earliest I know is the mid 70s. And lighting should be done to a high standard on all dark rides, like they used to be. Haze and smoke effects need to be done with consideration for the rest the building like fire alarms and ventilation, etc. Other than that, what's so "complicated"? Good smoke control gear for rides has been around for years now. Merlin want to flog their commercial projects as being the most cutting edge thing ever in the UK - they simply aren't and Gruffalo in fact has far less effects (animated figures, animated lighting, aroma, water FX, misters, etc) than the original ride did in 1990. It's a decent family ride but I wish they would let people see for themselves and stop exaggerating their own work with misleading PR.
June 15, 20178 yr comment_250288 Recently did Gruffalo and I'm pleased to say that all effects were working on my run... I stand by my previous thought that the biggest issue is that each scene requires you to be looking in a certain direction, which can cause issues when people are sat in circular boats. Also, having now experienced at normal speed (rather than the sluggish speed of my previous ride), I do feel like things unfold a bit too quickly, and you're not given enough time to take in every scene. I guess that will always be an issue though, you could slow the ride down in theory, but you reduce the throughput, which you don't really want to do for a major attraction. And to throw a spanner in the works - I've seen loads of people on forums and Facebook pages saying it's too dimly lit (and hence 'dark'), which is scaring little kids. My little brother was fine, actually enjoyed the experience to be honest. For comparison, he screamed all the way through Bubbleworks last year.
June 16, 20178 yr comment_250295 On 6/15/2017 at 9:54 PM, BaronC. said: I've seen loads of people on forums and Facebook pages saying it's too dimly lit (and hence 'dark'), which is scaring little kids. My little brother was fine, actually enjoyed the experience to be honest. For comparison, he screamed all the way through Bubbleworks last year. To be fair, they have made it brighter in the areas where it used to be very dark.
June 19, 20178 yr comment_250306 On 6/15/2017 at 9:54 PM, BaronC. said: And to throw a spanner in the works - I've seen loads of people on forums and Facebook pages saying it's too dimly lit (and hence 'dark'), which is scaring little kids. So they want a dark ride to be brighter inside eh?? Well little do they know this is where guest feedback ruins the ride I guess... "Do you want to see animatronic parts, metal walls and the ceiling?? Because that's how you see animatronic parts, metal walls and the ceiling!"
June 19, 20178 yr comment_250312 Perhaps if the scenery was designed to accommodate lighting levels to a higher degree it wouldn't be an issue? Bubbleworks was never darkly lit for example...
June 19, 20178 yr comment_250313 3 hours ago, Kerfuffle said: So they want a dark ride to be brighter inside eh?? Well little do they know this is where guest feedback ruins the ride I guess... "Do you want to see animatronic parts, metal walls and the ceiling?? Because that's how you see animatronic parts, metal walls and the ceiling!" The Gruffalo is a book for five year olds and below. Why would you make it almost pitch black with massive props that are definetly going to scare the target market? Its a decent ride but for who its designed for its a literal nightmare.
June 19, 20178 yr comment_250315 Just to restate my point: I didn't find the ride last week any lighter than my ride in April (the waterfall projection seemed less bright, but that was about it). My little brother was fine. I know there's complaints about it being too dimly lit, but it might be the case that it's not as common a complaint as people are suggesting.
July 3, 20178 yr comment_250597 On 19/06/2017 at 8:18 PM, Benin said: Bubbleworks was never darkly lit for example... It was pretty dimly lit in the early days, especially in the UV scenes - the old wind tunnel and fairground. Not as dark as Gruffalo (which is mainly a smart way to hide the distinct lack of scenery in most scenes) but nothing like Bubbleworks in its later years when the ride & station were lit up like a dentist's waiting room.
September 24, 20177 yr comment_252860 How long will the Grufalo rides sponsorship last and is the ride and all effects still working.
September 26, 20177 yr comment_252944 After re-riding Gruffalo several times with my little brother, I really do think Chessington have hit the nail on the head with this attraction. There are still flaws, and I'm not a fan of the 'you need to look in a specific direction for every scene' thing it's got going, but it does work. Most importantly, I think they've got something that is timeless for the next generation to enjoy for years to come. Gruffalo is a popular story, and even if you haven't read the book, you get the gist of it quickly. The ride sparks imagination and wonder for younger children, and is something which I think it always will do. It is also something which an older audience can enjoy and appreciate. Sure, it's not the same heights as the original Bubbleworks, but that's an extremely high bar to reach. But it's definitely a fantastic investment, one which will truly last, and arguably the best thing Chessington have done this century.
September 26, 20177 yr comment_252952 2 hours ago, BaronC. said: After re-riding Gruffalo several times with my little brother, I really do think Chessington have hit the nail on the head with this attraction. There are still flaws, and I'm not a fan of the 'you need to look in a specific direction for every scene' thing it's got going, but it does work. Most importantly, I think they've got something that is timeless for the next generation to enjoy for years to come. Gruffalo is a popular story, and even if you haven't read the book, you get the gist of it quickly. The ride sparks imagination and wonder for younger children, and is something which I think it always will do. It is also something which an older audience can enjoy and appreciate. Sure, it's not the same heights as the original Bubbleworks, but that's an extremely high bar to reach. But it's definitely a fantastic investment, one which will truly last, and arguably the best thing Chessington have done this century. I do think it's a good ride, much better than expected, and it's good that Merlin are keeping on top of it (for now). I also think they've improved it in terms of it being too scary for kids. I haven't, however, heard one non enthusiast say it's better than Bubbleworks. There was one little kid, in a Gruffalo shirt no less, under the Transylvania arch who got really excited, and yelled "Yay Bubbleworks!". His mum said "No, it's not Bubbleworks anymore, this is the Gruffalo ride!" And the kid got so sad they didn't end up going on.
October 12, 20177 yr comment_253302 It's not necessarily better or worse than BubbleWorks, they were two very different rides. (Talking about the real BubbleWorks here when it was actually entertaining, not the Imperial Leather advert nothing-actually-does-anything-anymore version) Gruffalo is aimed more at just the younger children, BubbleWorks had a wider range of appeal to families. The Gruffalo is more of a relaxed fairy grotto rather than the wildness & surprises of the original BW. It's a shame it doesn't really entertain with energy anymore, but that disappeared from the ride a long time back. Gruffalo's pretty generic but it isn't bad, the team appeared to do their very best given Merlin's usual inadequate theming/effects budgets and rushed time scales. It's average but it definitely isn't bad
March 1, 20187 yr comment_256226 There will be a Gruffalo themed dance show in the main arena this year, entitled 'The Gruffalo Groove': https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10156139450454035&substory_index=0&id=21321734034
March 1, 20187 yr comment_256232 Certainly a step up from showing the movie on a big screen, hopefully it’ll actually be good. I guess I’m in the minority that actually liked Cheesy Dibbles.
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