Ghost Train - NEW for 2023

[coasterverse]

22 hours ago, tactic said:

I’m going to be honest I don’t think anything changed at all. Or nothing notable that I recognised. There were maybe a few more pitch black moments on the first train ride and the actor at the end in the fake shop was in a jacket and tie. But apart from that nothing was changed I don’t think.

 

Great use of 4 whole days then... 😂

I presume the runner in the crypt is still white and the lighting's not been fixed so you can see the ghoul better? Are the TV's in the fake shop still bleeding light even when they're only displaying black so you can see the hidden door open still?

[tactic]

The hidden door was still obvious yes. I didn’t bleed light when it was dark, but the seam around the outside of the door is still clearly visible when the lights are on. Crypt scene was still identical I’m pretty sure, by the ghoul do you mean the thing that flies overhead. If so that will still hardly visible and I nearly didn’t notice it fly over.

[coasterverse]

Preshow still the same length etc? I remember them saying the downtime was mainly to try to help with throughput, so wonder what they actually did to do that...

[tactic]

Pre show was identical I’m 99% sure.

[JoshC.]

I went on Ghost Train again yesterday. There's effectively no difference to the experience, beyond a different costume for the finale actor.

 

Presumably the 4 day closure was focusing more on technical aspects, to do with computer hardware for the ride system, and similar things.

[ML27]

The Sunday before it closed, the finale actor was wearing the costume. So that wasn’t even a change during the 4 days

[Matt 236]

Had my first experience on the revised Ghost Train. 
 

Although no longer using the ‘temperamental’ VR headsets, I feel like the updated attraction and neither better nor worse than the original Ghost Train attraction.

 

The pre-show, introducing the new main character is cool and sets up the scene nicely, with some cool effects. But some background props don’t make much sense. 
 

The reveal of the updated train is alright, but lacks the wow and splendour of the original hanging carriage. 
 

The first scene was weird and contradictory. The actors did the best they could do, but there was no correlation between the story and interacting. Not to mention mixed messages of instructions.

 

The second scene (crypt) was perhaps the most disappointing part for me. It just felt like lots of random props just popped down into the room from some closed dungeons or something. Without anything making real sense if I’m honest. Disjointed storyline continues. 
 

third scene, back on the train was a little between. Cool UV effect and more actors. Still room for more. 
 

Finale just didn’t do it for me, it just lacked anything substantial and directions seems to point to something happening for sure. 
 

Overall, I liked the original ghost train at the beginning, but given the attraction she’d like milk I did go off it very quickly. Ghost Train Mk3 improves upon some flaws of the original. But still remains a white elephant for the park and an attraction I’ll probably pass on most visits ahead. 
 

And this coming from someone who loves dark rides.

[coasterverse]

1 hour ago, Exodus Matt said:

Had my first experience on the revised Ghost Train. 
 

Although no longer using the ‘temperamental’ VR headsets, I feel like the updated attraction and neither better nor worse than the original Ghost Train attraction.

 

The pre-show, introducing the new main character is cool and sets up the scene nicely, with some cool effects. But some background props don’t make much sense. 
 

The reveal of the updated train is alright, but lacks the wow and splendour of the original hanging carriage. 
 

The first scene was weird and contradictory. The actors did the best they could do, but there was no correlation between the story and interacting. Not to mention mixed messages of instructions.

 

The second scene (crypt) was perhaps the most disappointing part for me. It just felt like lots of random props just popped down into the room from some closed dungeons or something. Without anything making real sense if I’m honest. Disjointed storyline continues. 
 

third scene, back on the train was a little between. Cool UV effect and more actors. Still room for more. 
 

Finale just didn’t do it for me, it just lacked anything substantial and directions seems to point to something happening for sure. 
 

Overall, I liked the original ghost train at the beginning, but given the attraction she’d like milk I did go off it very quickly. Ghost Train Mk3 improves upon some flaws of the original. But still remains a white elephant for the park and an attraction I’ll probably pass on most visits ahead. 
 

And this coming from someone who loves dark rides.

 

This is what I find so interesting about the new Ghost Train - the opinion is very much divided down the middle by the looks of things. I'm very much on the opposite side, but also totally agree with a lot of what you've mentioned.

 

I think, personally, it's leaps and bounds better than its predecessor. Agreed, it is absolutely still a massive problem child for the park, but the fact that the attraction is no longer tied to an IP will hopefully give them the wiggle room to turn it around. Whether they'll actually do that, though, or just decide that Ghost Train's annual budget is best spent elsewhere and just let the attraction run into the ground is yet to be seen.

 

If the park continues to reinvest in the attraction and keep it fresh and new (a new storyline every year or two would be awesome, or at the very least a revised version for Fright Nights!) it'll be fantastic.

 

The preshow doesn't hit the same as Derren Brown for me, personally. Derren Brown's pepper's ghost effect was incredibly well done, Ghost Train v2 isn't. It's very much apparant (not sure if it's just because corners were cut budget-wise) that the ghost is very flat and 2D - there was something about Derren's 'ghost' that made him feel much more third dimensional. Maybe it was because it started with him sat in a physical chair and picking up an object that looked to be real just sat on the table, but the new ghost just doesn't have the same oompf. They could've just achieved the same effect by just projecting the video onto a screen.

 

Although the attraction has been in the works for over a year, I really do think this iteration of the Ghost Train is a stopgap until there's more budget to tie up the loose ends either next year or at some point in the not too distant future.

 

The attraction is clearly a massive improvement (in my opinion) over Derren Brown, but there's definitely still missing pieces to the puzzle. The crypt definitely needs some sort of low-laying fog on the ground when you enter it to give it that sense of being a graveyard. A couple of scattered tombstones inside of it could really help sell the effect too - and for not much money either as the fog would do most of the heavy lifting. I mean, the floor has still got the fake train tracks running along it! Doesn't make sense for a crypt whatsoever.

 

The costumes for the finale need improvement too - it's so horrendously generic.

 

The storyline is definitely there, it just needs streamlining to make it more linear. It gets set up pretty perfectly in the preshow, but gets lost in translation after that point I found.

 

I have massive high hopes for the attraction, and I hope there's some budget left over for 2024 to give it the final bit of TLC that it deserves - providing it doesn't all get eaten up by Exodus.

[ML27]

I’m of the opinion that they shouldn’t invest more time or money into the attraction or building now.

 

They have an attraction which “works” it’s got a beginning, middle and end. Regardless of how clear the story is throughout, it manages to get there.

 

Ride experience will be consistent and it’s an indoor ride to take the queues and to experience something different.
 

They’ve put the bare minimum in the crypt room to keep the story going as simply the rooms too big with what money they wanted to put into it. 
 

The costumes are ok but I’m not a fan of the T.R written on the caps with chalk or similar. 
 

You start adding stuff to this attraction now, they are wasting money as it works as is and it’s got a life span. It simply not worth it to me.

[coasterverse]

Oh yeah don't get me wrong I'm totally not expecting them to invest tonnes into it now, I think for the most part this is as it shall stay until the next attraction comes along - however I do think that minor thing such as additional scenery and better costumes would help improve the overall experience tenfold. I think it's so close to actually being a decent dark ride attraction at this point, it just needs a couple of bits finetuned to get it finalised.

• Something to give a stronger illusion of movement inside the train - curtains and LEDs is the cheapest option if screens in the windows is out of the question
• Low-laying fog on the ground in the crypt to give it the eerie atmosphere that it needs. Perhaps some gravestones scattered around too
• Paint the runner for the overhead ghost in the crypt
• Get higher quality nun costumes for the final train scare
• Move the TVs back to behind the counter as they were on Derren Brown so the hidden door in the fake shop is less obvious

Those are my only remaining niggles with the attraction as it currently stands. They are all inexpensive to do for the most part (on a Merlin budget), but none of it would change the experience in any way, just enhance what's already there - which is what I feel the attraction needs.

 

This is all stuff that could easily be done over closed season and I really hope it does.

[MattyMoo]

They need to bring back being asked if anyone is scared of spiders in the "plinth" room after the pre-show I think.

 

I might get to ride experience if/when I get to FRT NTS this year, otherwise, it'll be 2024 when they bring back the Demon.

[coasterverse]

7 hours ago, MattyMoo said:

They need to bring back being asked if anyone is scared of spiders in the "plinth" room after the pre-show I think.

 

whilst we're at it, bring back the hanging carriage, the virtual reality, fake train in tunnel, staff brushing your legs on the train, generic coughing man in white tshirt, and put derren brown back in the preshow please

[Benin]

Bring back the Arena and the 2003 Spiderman show instead.

[ML27]

Think that might be best to be honest, the constant negative reviews on facebook must be gutting for everyone involved.

 

Comment after comment saying don’t waste your time, its quite passionate about one attraction. 

[Benin]

18 hours ago, ML27 said:

Think that might be best to be honest, the constant negative reviews on facebook must be gutting for everyone involved.

 

Comment after comment saying don’t waste your time, its quite passionate about one attraction. 

 

End of the day those who were involved in the reimagining were completely hamstrung by the system in question. 

 

The improvements haven't exactly made it seemingly any better than a "ride if queues are short"; and it's position without Thorpe's lineup and clientele is a bit weird considering it's not exactly the scariest thing ever.

 

Will be the white elephant for a fair few years. 

[MattyMoo]

I still think the idea of some pre-booking "extreme" up charge type situation is the only short term future for the "experience" before it's moth balled.

 

Pre-booking & up charge means you know what money is coming in to justify the staffing and costs of powering the thing on in the morning.

 

As previously mentioned, customer feedback on Facebook is particularly awful, good comments are about 1 in 30 I'd say. 

[ML27]

16 hours ago, MattyMoo said:

As previously mentioned, customer feedback on Facebook is particularly awful, good comments are about 1 in 30 I'd say. 

I’d even argue that the comments which are positive even have a Thorpe Bias. Either being passholders, or just fans of the park.

[coasterverse]

On 6/30/2023 at 4:27 PM, MattyMoo said:

I still think the idea of some pre-booking "extreme" up charge type situation is the only short term future for the "experience" before it's moth balled.

 

I'd ruddy love that. Thorpe as a fully fledged thrill park should've leant into this hard and just gone for an all out, super scary attraction. I was saying to my friend just the other day that I think theme parks should be more ballsy and do something like this, and a park like Thorpe would be the perfect location for an all out scare attraction designed from the ground up for thrills.

 

I agree that Facebook seems to be the cesspit of negative reviews for the attraction, which (to be fair actually) probably best represents the general public out of any social media platform. But elsewhere, I'm definitely seeing more of a 50/50 split - which regardless of how you see things is still a massive improvement from Derren Brown, which was universally slated by a much larger portion than 50%.

 

Unfortunately because of the transit system limitations, I don't see this being a fixture for any longer than 4/5 years before making way for another dark ride attraction, totally gutted (possibly even demolished and rebuilt) and literally done from the ground up again. It's a shame that it couldn't be made to work - had the limitations not been so strong such as there not being enough room in the tunnels to allow for adding screens into the windows, I really think this attraction could've worked.

 

Ultimately it all comes down to the fact that it was built from the ground up for virtual reality. The idea of the virtual reality being the thing that held them back clearly didn't come across their minds at all, and now they're stuck with a ride not big enough for any modifications to make it really work without it.

 

What it tries to do I think it does very well, but definitely no longevity.

[MattyB]

I would love them to do a version of the Alien Encounter experience that used to be at Magic Kingdom (a "theatre in the round" attraction). I heard it was quite extreme, thus Disney had to eventually remove it. I rode Stich's Great Escape and whilst this got a lot of flack as it was nowhere near the level of its predecessor, I could see (and hear lol) the potential.  Maybe they could split the building in two, one half as the theatre, the other half as a walkthrough/Fright Nights maze.  

[JoshC.]

Did Ghost Train yesterday. A couple of notable changes:

 

-There is now only 1 nun actor on the carriage.

-The finale actor has a cloak when they appear through the wall, making them look like a druid/monk/wraith.

[coasterverse]

1 hour ago, JoshC. said:

Did Ghost Train yesterday. A couple of notable changes:

 

-There is now only 1 nun actor on the carriage.

-The finale actor has a cloak when they appear through the wall, making them look like a druid/monk/wraith.

 

The finale actor definitely an improvement, hopefully the nun was just down to a lack of actors yesterday. Keeping my fingers crossed for new nun costumes for next season, because they are god awful currently!

[MattyMoo]

Just saw an ad on TV featuring Ghost Train - new, or do I just not normally watch ads 😂

[MattyMoo]

Truly depressing seeing the state of the posters in the queue line on Ghost Train. Can't quite believe they'd make the same mistake again to be honest, could they not have some sort of plastic cover over the top? Appreciate someone might scratch it but the posters would still look good from a distance.

[coasterverse]

18 hours ago, MattyMoo said:

Truly depressing seeing the state of the posters in the queue line on Ghost Train. Can't quite believe they'd make the same mistake again to be honest, could they not have some sort of plastic cover over the top? Appreciate someone might scratch it but the posters would still look good from a distance.

Honestly, feeling the quality of the posters when I went on opening day, it genuinely felt like they were almost printed on a plastic-type material rather than the paper ones that the Derren Brown posters were printed on so I'm pretty surprised these have ended up in such a state.

 

I think the park wanted an authentic experience with the posters, hence why they opted not to cover in a plastic frame - but clearly this is why we can't have nice things and it's always the minority that ruin it for everyone else.

 

On another note - it was the VIP behind the scenes tour of Ghost Train last night! Genuinely upset I couldn't attend, but that £80 passholder discount (£100 for non-passholders!!) was definitely outside of my reach this month. I'm hearing that they're planning on releasing some normal behind the scenes Ghost Train tours in September which shouldn't be as expensive, so I'm holding out for that. I think for the extra money you took the tour with some of the people who actually designed the attraction, plus some 'free' merch and a doughnut time doughnut. The only thing that I'm a little gutted I missed out on was being there with the people who designed the attraction, but I can take or leave the 'free' merch to be honest (especially when it's clearly just factored into the price instead 😂).

 

Did anybody from here do it last night? Not sure if taking pictures was allowed, but I'm still yet to see anything from it on social media - but will defo keep looking.

 

On another note, I found this video the other day of a behind the scenes of Derren Brown's Ghost Train which gives a super cool insight into the attraction that's never really been seen before:

 

Not really sure what I expected exactly, but look how much room there is!! I really hope when the inevitable day comes that this attraction is no more that they just completely gut the innards and install some sort of trackless darkride in here instead. I bloody love the exterior of the attraction and the showbuilding itself is mental.

[tactic]

Shame to see the state of the posters in the ghost train queue line. It’s a small minority of people that ruin the experience for everyone unfortunately.

 

Hopefully the park can find a solution as replacing the posters will just result in the being ruined again.