Best ride theming?
- Thread starter JoshJ753
- Start date
TheCoasterCruiser
Giga Poster
Chiapas is probably my favorite. Just absolutely extraordinary effort!
elephant58
Hyper Poster
Nemesis, Oblivion, Thirteen and the Smiler are good from what I've seen.
I've also heard quite a few times that Saw's is very good.
I've also heard quite a few times that Saw's is very good.
owentaylor121
Giga Poster
^Nothing in the UK even comes close to the level of theming Disney, universal or Europa ect.
The best themed ride I've seen has to be the cars land ride in California adventure.
The best themed ride I've seen has to be the cars land ride in California adventure.
GuyWithAStick
Captain Basic
Anything made by Disney and Universal.
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Sent from my VS840 4G using Tapatalk
rtotheizzo17
Hyper Poster
Tower of Terror
Radiator Springs Racers
Jurrasic Park River Adventure
Manta (Orlando)
Are a few of my favroite ride and queue theming.
Radiator Springs Racers
Jurrasic Park River Adventure
Manta (Orlando)
Are a few of my favroite ride and queue theming.
owentaylor121
Giga Poster
^Nemesis really doesn't have much theming, It has amazing landscaping, but the only piece of theming for Nemesis is the station and the truck, I don't class landscaping as theming but maybe that's a personal thing.
caffeine_demon
Strata Poster
Hex is pretty nifty too!
SaiyanHajime
CF Legend
I think Cars, by the looks of it. Not that I've been. Or Everest? Everest is my vote of what I've ridden.
Almost all examples have areas in which they lack in some way - like, whilst Black Mamba is extraordinary for a coaster of its kind, it lacks narrative or anything that ties ride vehicle to the theme. I don't personally mind that - I think coasters and rides in general are strong enough popular culture objects to exist abstractly, but when discussing the best standard of theming overall, it matters. Something like Everest is intensely themed from entering the queue to leaving the gift shop and beyond, and the hardware is part of the story being told. The theme doesn't exist to decorate and enhance the coaster, the theme is the attraction.
Nemesis, IMO, is an example of desperately trying to attach a thematic narrative to hardware when there is simply no need and it becomes somewhat of a joke. Luckily its not explicitly explained to guests and just exists for enthusiasts to be impressed by...
I hate that "Nemesis isn't themed its well landscaped" thing.
Almost all examples have areas in which they lack in some way - like, whilst Black Mamba is extraordinary for a coaster of its kind, it lacks narrative or anything that ties ride vehicle to the theme. I don't personally mind that - I think coasters and rides in general are strong enough popular culture objects to exist abstractly, but when discussing the best standard of theming overall, it matters. Something like Everest is intensely themed from entering the queue to leaving the gift shop and beyond, and the hardware is part of the story being told. The theme doesn't exist to decorate and enhance the coaster, the theme is the attraction.
Nemesis, IMO, is an example of desperately trying to attach a thematic narrative to hardware when there is simply no need and it becomes somewhat of a joke. Luckily its not explicitly explained to guests and just exists for enthusiasts to be impressed by...
I hate that "Nemesis isn't themed its well landscaped" thing.
Nemesis was the first properly themed coaster I ever saw, and I still remember that feeling to this day. Seeing the mess of track, the alien, the rivers of "blood" for the first time and just being completely mesmerized by it.
While I don't think Nemesis can hold a candle anymore against the themeing efforts of Universal, Disney, Efteling and Phantasialand rides; I still think it has a magic all it's own and was a brilliantly executed concept.
What lets Nemesis' theme down now, is that the Forbidden Valley area doesn't look half as consistent as it did in the 90's. It's hard to conjure a dark, mysterious atmosphere when you have boring blue Air trundling around in the background.
I would say Revenge of The Mummy is the best themed coaster though - amazing set pieces, great animatronics, loads of fire. The fake station bit <3
I was so captivated by the themeing on Vliegende Hollander at Efteling, that I nearly put it in my top 10 coasters - despite the actual coaster bit being rubbish.
I also agree with ECG, Valhalla at Blackpool is good - especially for a UK ride.
While I don't think Nemesis can hold a candle anymore against the themeing efforts of Universal, Disney, Efteling and Phantasialand rides; I still think it has a magic all it's own and was a brilliantly executed concept.
What lets Nemesis' theme down now, is that the Forbidden Valley area doesn't look half as consistent as it did in the 90's. It's hard to conjure a dark, mysterious atmosphere when you have boring blue Air trundling around in the background.
I would say Revenge of The Mummy is the best themed coaster though - amazing set pieces, great animatronics, loads of fire. The fake station bit <3
I was so captivated by the themeing on Vliegende Hollander at Efteling, that I nearly put it in my top 10 coasters - despite the actual coaster bit being rubbish.
I also agree with ECG, Valhalla at Blackpool is good - especially for a UK ride.
nadroJ
CF Legend
Tower of Terror in Orlando for me. I love it, it's such a journey. The theme begins even when you're outside the park, it just stands there looming over you, daring you to ride. The way it towers ominously at the end of Sunset Boulevard. I know it's not, but I feel even the streets and the shops all add to the pure authenticity of the attraction.
Now add into that the fact that once you enter the gates to the grounds of the Hollywood Tower Hotel you are completely swallowed into the Twilight Zone World. The trees physically cut you off from the 'real world' (however real a world inside a theme park can be anyway), the eerie old ballroom music cuts you off from the real world phonetically and the old tired appearance of the grounds, complete with signs to the swimming pool and tennis courts that you feel you could truly find if you were to venture past the confines of the queue line chains. Even with no queue you walk through this section briefly and it totally sets the scene.
Then we enter the beast itself and everything is so precise, so deliberate, and yet it feels as if it were all left accidentally. The strange happenings within the tower occurred within an instant leaving the lobby a frozen picture in time that we again wander through and soak in and we mentally prepare ourselves for the terror that lies within.
And then the library, so many storytelling artefacts stuffed into one dusty room and then with a flash of lightning we are transported, live into an episode of the Twilight Zone. The live, voice-led storytelling continues until the very last moment of the ride's finale, recommencing once the trauma is over. From here the journey continues all the way through to the gift shop where clues and hints of the characters of the story we have just lived are scattered all around the place.
All of this alongside an amazing ride and some super creepy bellboys makes this the best themed attraction anywhere for me. With Everest I think you get the gist of what is happening but in ToT it is undeniable, and that is extremely impressive.
Now add into that the fact that once you enter the gates to the grounds of the Hollywood Tower Hotel you are completely swallowed into the Twilight Zone World. The trees physically cut you off from the 'real world' (however real a world inside a theme park can be anyway), the eerie old ballroom music cuts you off from the real world phonetically and the old tired appearance of the grounds, complete with signs to the swimming pool and tennis courts that you feel you could truly find if you were to venture past the confines of the queue line chains. Even with no queue you walk through this section briefly and it totally sets the scene.
Then we enter the beast itself and everything is so precise, so deliberate, and yet it feels as if it were all left accidentally. The strange happenings within the tower occurred within an instant leaving the lobby a frozen picture in time that we again wander through and soak in and we mentally prepare ourselves for the terror that lies within.
And then the library, so many storytelling artefacts stuffed into one dusty room and then with a flash of lightning we are transported, live into an episode of the Twilight Zone. The live, voice-led storytelling continues until the very last moment of the ride's finale, recommencing once the trauma is over. From here the journey continues all the way through to the gift shop where clues and hints of the characters of the story we have just lived are scattered all around the place.
All of this alongside an amazing ride and some super creepy bellboys makes this the best themed attraction anywhere for me. With Everest I think you get the gist of what is happening but in ToT it is undeniable, and that is extremely impressive.