The Walking Dead: The Ride - Speculation and 'Construction'

[TPC]

It could always be "Derren Brown's Ghost Train: Rise of the SBNO Attraction", which could be the world's first tour dedicated to seeing a #unavailable attraction and the horrors inside of it like the poor heating system, broken effects and endless queues.

[ben199]

Is there any credibility to the Swarm VR rumours or is it like the American Horror Story 'rumours' that were completely baseless yet people still believed them?

[MarkC]

1 hour ago, ben199 said:

Is there any credibility to the Swarm VR rumours or is it like the American Horror Story 'rumours' that were completely baseless yet people still believed them?

 

The American Horror Story rumours did actually have a base to them but agreements were left too late  therefore meaning we were given 2 walking dead mazes.

[JoshC.]

10 hours ago, Project LC said:

I'm assuming its not the marketing team that decides to use the Worlds first slogan all the time and is actually something Head office makes happen because no marketing expert could possibly think at this point that the worlds first slogan is effective.

It is basically a requirement from high up, yeah, but it doesn't necessarily have to be world firsts.

 

The idea is that new additions need to have a killer image and memorable slogan / catchphrase.  You see it with practically all new rides (check any reasonably sized investment from the past 8 years across Merlin theme parks and you'll see), with the only exception that springs to mind being Tiger Rock; it has the killer image but there's no memorable slogan...yet, at least.  Of course, it doesn't HAVE to be a world first - see DBGT and 'A ghost train reinvented for the 21st century', Scorpion Express and 'A mine train with a sting in its tail', Smiler's original 'world beating' message.  It just so happens that world first's are the easiest to twist, and still do grab people's attention, though people's minds do sort of trail away after seeing 'WORLD FIRST'.  

 

It's very much the easiest way of doing things.  As can be seen by plenty of rides all across the world, you don't need that style to create a successful marketing campaign, create hype, etc., and even Smiler's original marketing worked really well in that case; the 14 inversion was only officially announced in May 2013 and it wasn't a focus.  But it's just easy, largely effective and avoids taking risks.

 

7 hours ago, MarkC said:

Come on, surely everyone knows that it’s simply The Walking Dead being opened all of next year.

Not a bad shout in fairness.  Every other Walking Dead maze that's operated across the world started off as a seasonal attraction in one form or another, before eventually becoming a permanent offering.  Makes you wonder if it's something AMC request or if the cost of the licence means that the parks have felt it necessary to milk the brand for everything they can.  

 

I don't think Thorpe really want to go down that road though.  They've got I'm a Celeb and Ghost Train actors to pay (and with IAC opening days reduced, you do wonder if they've got the budget), and it's been proven time and time again that scare attractions don't perform well in the UK outside of the Halloween period.  But I guess stranger things have happened before.

 

8 hours ago, Martin Doyle said:

Rameses revenge goes to Thorpe Park!!.... with VR!!

 

WORLDS FIRST VR TOP SPIN!!

On 21/10/2017 at 12:09 PM, BaronC. said:

(anyone who suggests a top spin in any way will be banned forever though )

You're trying my patience here.  You really are.......

 

[MattyMoo]

14 hours ago, ben199 said:

Is there any credibility to the Swarm VR rumours or is it like the American Horror Story 'rumours' that were completely baseless yet people still believed them?

 

Not until Jart appears to say otherwise.

[ProudToServe]

17 hours ago, MarkC said:

 

The American Horror Story rumours did actually have a base to them but agreements were left too late  therefore meaning we were given 2 walking dead mazes.

and the "agreements" also being rumors, creating those rumors

[MarkC]

2 hours ago, ProudToServe said:

and the "agreements" also being rumors, creating those rumors

 

American Horror Story was definately originally planned to feature at Fright Nights this year.

[CallumSyxr]

Saw Alive returns with a retheme and is open all year round like its opening years haha

[ProudToServe]

On 10/25/2017 at 3:30 PM, MarkC said:

 

American Horror Story was definately originally planned to feature at Fright Nights this year.

based on rumors 

[MarkC]

2 hours ago, ProudToServe said:

based on rumors 

 

I give up ?

[alexander]

The world's first SAW/horror themed flat-ride. It's sad, because it's actually plausible. 

[ProudToServe]

On 30/10/2017 at 4:03 PM, MarkC said:

 

I give up ?

I would, you are just going by rumours and hearsay from people who think they know, or what their freind told them who knows someone who makes the decision on what IP's are used for Fright nights.. blah blah blah

[1729]

To be fair I wouldn't be surprised if some of the "rumors" have some fact in, would make sense why there is a full project and a "off the shelf story" WD horror maze.

 

For 2018 I say we see phase 2 of rumba and hopefully a thrill flat ride fingers crossed

[Benin]

2 hours ago, 1729 said:

To be fair I wouldn't be surprised if some of the "rumors" have some fact in, would make sense why there is a full project and a "off the shelf story" WD horror maze.

 

For 2018 I say we see phase 2 of rumba and hopefully a thrill flat ride fingers crossed

 

There was a phase 1?

[L7123456]

"Meet you at the safe zone in 2018"...
I'm intrigued as to what this means. One of the Walking Dead mazes becoming permanent? Containment related? Or something completely different..

[alexander]

Why do I feel like it could be SWARM related?

[CharlieN]

Good, glad the park have started teasing 2018’s additions - no matter how underwhelming they will be. I assume this will be something regarding the Walking Dead IP, probability just making Living Nightmare a permanent addition to the park. 

 

And Thorpe, was 2017 a blast? Because the park seemed more meh this year than any other years that I’ve been attending.

[Coaster]

This year has been the worst I can ever remember for Thorpe.

 

The park doesn't need a new gimmicky attraction for next year, it needs Loggers back open and a general focus on getting the park back up to even approaching an acceptable standard for the paying customers who visit.  In my opinion of course!  

[JoshC.]

Safe Zone would imply The Walking Dead (being a big theme of the show and also mentioned in park wide theming...), and likely Living Nightmare becoming permanent...

 

Following the X rumours, that would at the very least suggest X isn't being demolished if they're still using the building for a maze, but who knows.

[alexander]

I haven't visited Thorpe this year but what baffles me is they should KNOW that all-year round mazes don't work - not the way Merlin pulls them off anyway. They've had SAW Alive, IAC, Sub-Terra maze add-on and that one in Heide Park(?) - as far as I'm aware, that hasn't been doing too hot either. I get that Walking Dead is a huge IP, way more popular and well-received than SAW, but I just can't see this working, regardless of how good Living Nightmare has been (has it? I genuinely don't know).

[Marhelorpe]

So just in case Saw Alive, Nemesis Sub-Terra, I'm a Celeb and Derren Brown's Ghost Train weren't big enough indicators that actor-dependant, year-round attractions simply do not work for Merlin cost, staffing & feedback-wise, there's speculation about yet another one being added for 2018 which honestly was mediocre at best and technically can't be classed as new after this year's Fright Nights?

 

Give me a break. 

[Marc]

For all of Ghost Trains issues, i wouldn’t say it’s unpopular. 

 

To be fair I don’t think Saw Alive was un-popular either - I think that closed mid way in 2012 when visitor numbers took a bit of a dip, rather than a result of Saw alive being unpopular.

[Marhelorpe]

Should've worded that a little better because what I meant by feedback-wise wasn't the popularity of the attraction, but the general opinion and impressions from the public, because lets be honest, none of those attractions mentioned have had an overwhelming positive response since they debuted:

• Sub-Terra was awful when it opened and after some adjustments still provided mixed opinion.

• Saw Alive might look all pretty but has remained unchanged and doesn't deliver the scares or promise of being the "world's most extreme live-action horror maze".

• I'm a Celeb is identical to Saw Alive - looks pretty inside but that's as far as it goes. The rest is abysmal.
• Derren Brown's Ghost Train is the most overhyped and unreliable white elephant in the park's history, operated appallingly during it's opening year and still has an endless stream of cost and reliability issues today.

The fact most, if not all the park's flat rides still draw big queues and positive opinion with guests all these years later should tell the park something. Not only would a newer flat/thrill ride be more sustainable in the long-term, but I'm certain feedback would be a lot higher for it. For instance, I can picture the perfect replacement for Slammer which would undoubtedly make it the best flat ride in the park if built, but it's sadly never going to happen, which is why I find it frustrating the priority for a few years now has been to ensure any new attraction is a world first, have an IP and be very marketable. Forget building a superb killer thrill ride, just as long as whatever comes along is marketable, that's all that matters now.

[JoshC.]

18 hours ago, 1729 said:

For 2018 I say we see phase 2 of rumba and hopefully a thrill flat ride fingers crossed

 

8 hours ago, Martin.C said:

The fact most, if not all the park's flat rides still draw big queues and positive opinion with guests all these years later should tell the park something. Not only would a newer flat/thrill ride be more sustainable in the long-term, but I'm certain feedback would be a lot higher for it. For instance, I can picture the perfect replacement for Slammer which would undoubtedly make it the best flat ride in the park if built, but it's sadly never going to happen, which is why I find it frustrating the priority for a few years now has been to ensure any new attraction is a world first, have an IP and be very marketable. Forget building a superb killer thrill ride, just as long as whatever comes along is marketable, that's all that matters now.

I'm always interested as to what flat rides people think Thorpe should get.  They have a vast selection of thrilling flats which covers most bases of what flat rides can do, so most rides which Thorpe could invest will have the issue that they're either too similar to what they've already got, or wouldn't be suited in terms of throughput, etc.  

 

So yeah, I'd be interested to see what you think the park could add that would be worthwhile and suitable.

[Benin]

1 hour ago, BaronC. said:

 

I'm always interested as to what flat rides people think Thorpe should get.  They have a vast selection of thrilling flats which covers most bases of what flat rides can do, so most rides which Thorpe could invest will have the issue that they're either too similar to what they've already got, or wouldn't be suited in terms of throughput, etc.  

 

So yeah, I'd be interested to see what you think the park could add that would be worthwhile and suitable.