yeah Posted October 18, 2016 Report Share Posted October 18, 2016 45 minutes ago, Project LC said: You must be new to Merlin investments. Welcome to the first of many disappointments. True - everything that gets predicted is right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveJ Posted October 18, 2016 Report Share Posted October 18, 2016 Not realising it has actually been mostly broken and bodged for about 15 years, and that if they'd had some pride in it in the 2000s it would still be a brilliant ride. Its only when animations break and look shoddy, music skips, lighting gets played around with and nothing has any life anymore that it becomes "dated". Gruffalo will become dated and old much faster than BubbleWorks ever did. That being said, after 15 years of vandalism by Tussauds and Merlin, the ride needed to go. Merlin's take on BubbleWorks would have been a painful sight to see... Kerfuffle 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted October 18, 2016 Report Share Posted October 18, 2016 25 minutes ago, Kerfuffle said: And that's only the beginning of me turning away from Chessington really. The rest of the way will be made up from Chessington turning what was once a world-famous dark ride into a flipping kids ride!! But Bubbles at it's core was ALWAYS a kids ride... It was just designed (like a good kids film) to have jokes and a style aimed towards mum and dad to keep them equally entertained... SteveJ and Kerfuffle 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerfuffle Posted October 18, 2016 Report Share Posted October 18, 2016 4 minutes ago, Benin said: But Bubbles at it's core was ALWAYS a kids ride... It was just designed (like a good kids film) to have jokes and a style aimed towards mum and dad to keep them equally entertained... And although I must've worded it badly, this is why I'm against a Gruffalo ride. Purely because unlike Bubbleworks, this would only entertain the kids...and at the same time leave parents reflecting on the 90 or so minutes they spent (and wasted) queueing for something they themselves find far from entertaining, depending on the sort of person they are of course. In contrast, you were spot on when saying Bubbleworks had something that would entertain both kids and adults. yeah 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coaster Posted October 18, 2016 Report Share Posted October 18, 2016 Bubbleworks appealed to everyone. Gruffalo doesn't interest me in the slightest, and it won't last (CATCF anyone?) whereas Bubbleworks was, as an idea, timeless. yeah, Kerfuffle and Matt 236 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt 236 Posted October 18, 2016 Report Share Posted October 18, 2016 Wow, I never expected to see this coming. Next thing you know they'll announce a short lived kids IP overlay to replace a once cherished dark ride through some shoddy animal clues. I'm sure it'll be fine though like their other magic additions as nothing's more immersive than cheesy stage shows and Homebase UV lit dark rides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveJ Posted October 18, 2016 Report Share Posted October 18, 2016 Bubbleworks proved quite an unexpected hit with teenagers too when it first opened, it was obviously a family ride but the madness, naughty humour and addictiveness of it leant to its wide appeal. Merlin don't do humour however, they need to maintain their 'serious business' persona as they say. Any kind of family ride they do is processed and corporate by nature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yeah Posted October 19, 2016 Report Share Posted October 19, 2016 Someone pointed out other animals have knobbly knees such as a Pelican or something similar to a Flamingo. Maybe Chessie are doing a switch and bait? I'm not worried until we hear it has purple spikes on its back. What am I saying? This is Merlin, of course it will be the Gruffalo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark9 Posted October 19, 2016 Report Share Posted October 19, 2016 So people really are going to hold out hope to the last minute that it isn't the Gruffalo then. In spite of all the rumours and evidence suggesting it is definitely going to be Gruffalo themed. This could be a great ride you know, it could be a vast improvement on the last version of the Bubbleworks. JoshC. and CharlieN 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingNemesis Posted October 19, 2016 Report Share Posted October 19, 2016 1 minute ago, Mark9 said: So people really are going to hold out hope to the last minute that it isn't the Gruffalo then. In spite of all the rumours and evidence suggesting it is definitely going to be Gruffalo themed. This could be a great ride you know, it could be a vast improvement on the last version of the Bubbleworks. Let's just say we don't have much hope... It may be initially great but Chessington proved with Bubbleworks they can't keep up with maintenance. Unless they go for a storybook feel where everything is just a cardboard cutout, in which case there is no hope for us at all and would never live up to it's predecessor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt 236 Posted October 19, 2016 Report Share Posted October 19, 2016 Clue two is up guys and this time features an Owl. . I think this one makes it pretty obvious what new attraction they are going to announce. Harry Potter obviously because it's got owls. yeah 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenVig Posted October 19, 2016 Report Share Posted October 19, 2016 Here are the other animals that will feature in the upcoming clues. Kerfuffle and JoshuaA 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted October 19, 2016 Report Share Posted October 19, 2016 As much as we like to blame Merlin for everything, Bubbleworks was pretty awful long before Merlin bought the Tussauds parks. Over the past few years Merlin have actually made some fairly decent (non-ride) investments into CWOA - Hopefully if it is to become a Gruffalo themed attraction we see improvements! KingNemesis 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingNemesis Posted October 19, 2016 Report Share Posted October 19, 2016 47 minutes ago, Marc said: As much as we like to blame Merlin for everything, Bubbleworks was pretty awful long before Merlin bought the Tussauds parks. Over the past few years Merlin have actually made some fairly decent (non-ride) investments into CWOA - Hopefully if it is to become a Gruffalo themed attraction we see improvements! We just don't talk the ride investments! Zufari, Tomb Blaster's UV Rave Party Paint, I could go on. Don't get me wrong, I'm hoping this is brilliant, but CWOA's track record isn't exactly... smooth... Also what about the area? Retheme and just leave Vampire on it's own in Transylvania but no explanation why a vampire is hovering over the Gruffalo area? Or shoehorn in Gruffalo into the area? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian-S Posted October 19, 2016 Report Share Posted October 19, 2016 Could someone please tell me what a fraking Gruffalo is? I havn't got a clue, I seem to have skipped whatever craze this is, my son doesn't know either and he's still just about their target audience. Now Hotel Transylvania I get, and it would be a good fit with Vampire next door, but Gruffalo????? Oh and LOL at the pic above, did they not realise how much that looks like Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted October 19, 2016 Report Share Posted October 19, 2016 16 minutes ago, Ian-S said: Could someone please tell me what a fraking Gruffalo is? I havn't got a clue, I seem to have skipped whatever craze this is, my son doesn't know either and he's still just about their target audience. It was a children's book from the 90's that has been made into film/theatre in recent years. http://www.gruffalo.com/ Ian-S 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyMoo Posted October 19, 2016 Report Share Posted October 19, 2016 29 minutes ago, KingNemesis said: Also what about the area? Retheme and just leave Vampire on it's own in Transylvania but no explanation why a vampire is hovering over the Gruffalo area? Or shoehorn in Gruffalo into the area? The latter is 100% exactly what will happen - I doubt it'll even be shoehorned in, nothing will change apart from the sign from the outside KingNemesis 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian-S Posted October 19, 2016 Report Share Posted October 19, 2016 49 minutes ago, Ryan said: It was a children's book from the 90's that has been made into film/theatre in recent years. http://www.gruffalo.com/ Thanks, so we're getting "Boris Johnson - The Ride" then, fantastic... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveJ Posted October 19, 2016 Report Share Posted October 19, 2016 Gruffalo doesn't necessarily need to 'fit in' with the theme naturalistically, it is a Europeany concept and isn't too out of place. Hotel Transylvania (which was actually considered when the Gruffalo 'almost' pulled out in recent years) however would have been so crass. The Gruffalo Franchise may be the Merlin equivalent of childrens literature but at least it has more class and potential than an unsuccessful flash in the pan kids film. But will the Gruffalo ride be any good? Who cares? Children of a certain age bracket might do. Let's hope they have their own original idea to replace the fountains, keeping them would be rather insulting to be honest. One of the few reasons IL Bubbleworks was remained such a hit with children even after it was trashed is because the fountains were retained (the fountain room kept in a poor state but they are a fun novelty nevertheless) KingNemesis 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian-S Posted October 19, 2016 Report Share Posted October 19, 2016 Should have gone for a Minions, they could have populated the ride with stuff from the film, every kid I know loves the T-Rex, the Vampire etc. They could keep the kids/adult humour/jokes style of the original ride and who doesn't find a farting/burping yellow blob with googles and a high pitched laugh amusing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted October 19, 2016 Report Share Posted October 19, 2016 4 minutes ago, Ian-S said: Should have gone for a Minions, they could have populated the ride with stuff from the film, every kid I know loves the T-Rex, the Vampire etc. They could keep the kids/adult humour/jokes style of the original ride and who doesn't find a farting/burping yellow blob with googles and a high pitched laugh amusing. Universal have the rights to that don't they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark9 Posted October 19, 2016 Report Share Posted October 19, 2016 11 minutes ago, Ian-S said: Should have gone for a Minions, they could have populated the ride with stuff from the film, every kid I know loves the T-Rex, the Vampire etc. They could keep the kids/adult humour/jokes style of the original ride and who doesn't find a farting/burping yellow blob with googles and a high pitched laugh amusing. Pixar fans. Ian-S and Cian 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieN Posted October 19, 2016 Report Share Posted October 19, 2016 3 hours ago, Ian-S said: who doesn't find a farting/burping yellow blob with googles and a high pitched laugh amusing. Me I'm afraid. They were always my least favourite part of despicable me (and I do realise I'm certainly not their target audience by the way.) Ian-S 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted October 19, 2016 Report Share Posted October 19, 2016 Minions were a great comedic sidenote in the first film, unfortunately popularity saw to a dreadful level of overexposure which peaked with their dedicated film... As Ryan said, Universal hold the rights to that little pie of money making... Ian-S 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yeah Posted October 19, 2016 Report Share Posted October 19, 2016 If this doesnt become the Grufallo I will eat a meal from the Burger Kitchen at LEGOLAND. EDIT And if this turns out to be the new carousel I'll just laugh. (But it won't so yeah) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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