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Is there a NEW theme that parks could do with doing?

slappy mcguire

slappy mcguire

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Pirates, Dinosaurs, Space, Knights, Cowboys. Too many parks rely on overused themes, and there seems to be very little inspiration or enthusiasm for new themes; Alton half heartedly tried Zombies, BPB tried Vikings, but both are largely self contained and in no real danger of becoming proper themed areas.

Are there any Themes that parks would have a sure-fire hit on their hands, if they created an themed area of?
 
^They seem to go through spells of being in vogue, and date horribly quickly, even the more expensively constructed ones, such as Space Mountain. Maybe a general 'off world' theme would be better, rather than a Rockets and Spacemen one, with eighties computer writing everywhere...
 
What? The Space Mountain "Jules Verne" theme and area was divine and retro nouveau, superb stuff and brilliantly handled. Steam Punk is also "the next little sub-culture" everyone should be into ;)

Genres are somewhat limited, and probably tied to a movie based archetype.

Haunted, cowboy, caveman, space, pirates, medieval, anything else Hollywood or RCT tells us we should be limited to.

The issue is creating a recognisable theme to the majority of people, and these things are simple for everyone to enjoy.

"1820's Gothic revival land" isn't going to be something many people respond well to, or would instantly consider a well recognised period.

How about "Bronté wilderness Yorkshire world"? No? "Redneck Wonerland"? "World of Bandha Monkey Man"?

Name film "settings" and you're pretty close to what is available to a theme park as recognised setting (though I dare the Sex theme park to have a period drama section)...

I don't care as long as it's done in an imaginative way :)
 
I suppose it's pretty hard to just say, why doesn't a park try this or that theme. I suppose it is dependant on the area where the park is and also what age they're theming it too.

One example is, you wouldn't do a Voodoo theme in New Orleans and aim the park at Children. It's just wrong.

So, yeah, thats my view on it!
 
-lofty- said:
One example is, you wouldn't do a Voodoo theme in New Orleans and aim the park at Children. It's just wrong.
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I'm sure that's just like adding say, Noah's Ark to Blackpool??? ;)
 
I'd just like to see a park do a "New York in the 80's" (1989) theme... bit of Central Park, bit of Coney Island, bit of Manhattan in the period... Ride based around a News studio... town getting struck by a storm everytime a train goes... Relatable theme to thousands of blockbusters. An epic tracklist to go. Done.

I don't mind Country and Western themes being done lots. They are exciting and fun and can always support a good atmosphere. You don't have to work hard to 'get' it. Everybody can recognise the Big Country, Rawhide or Cotton Eye Joe. I would like to see a spiced up version though rather than so generic with a more modern twist.

Any IP's tend to get a bit more attention. You see your favourite film theme in a theme park, your likely to jump for it right? Saw, Harry Potter?

I see theme parks like film sets. They have a genre to fit into. They have sensory conventions that are applyed to get the point across to the audience (guests). I think even all decent unique themes have something relating back to the generic themes because it works well, theatrically. When you have something like Hex or Nemesis (unique, awesome themes) you, to connect it to the guest, have to explain it to really see it right because its totally new to that guest, which takes time, which takes away from the theme a bit if they are looking at it like 'WTF is this, ahh ok I get it now, but the fun has now worn off after a lesson on the dam thing'.

A film theme you know the story. You konw what you are getting into if you have seen it. Same with a loose generic theme. It doesn't need to be explained. Only the scenario based around that story does.
 
slappy mcguire said:
Alton half heartedly tried Zombies
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Where?

There are a ton of themes out their, it's just getting an audience to like it and warm to it that is the problem. I always think the ancients are good themes to use, even like caveman stuff. Any historical period actually. I quite like how Alton has a sort of Victorian-y style to some of their stuff.

And like furie said, steam-punk, it looks cool and is infinitely adaptable to the world of theme parks.
 
furie said:
What? The Space Mountain "Jules Verne" theme and area was divine and retro nouveau, superb stuff and brilliantly handled. Steam Punk is also "the next little sub-culture" everyone should be into ;)
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Mmm; I do love the outside of that area generally, it's more the inside to the ride that I was thinking of, which becomes a little 'eighties', but fair point nonetheless.

furie said:
I don't care as long as it's done in an imaginative way
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Which is why I suspect that Chessie gets a lot of love, despite not adding the next big thing every three to four years; Thorpe and Alton have well themed areas, but sometimes seem to lack imagination or just the same little spark something like Wild Asia has. That single point is probably also the reason that a near thirty year old ride like Raptor Attack was relatively well received, because the retheme was done with imagination.

Maybe ultimately that's why so few of our parks in the UK can hold a candle to their European and American brethren.
 
There has been similar themes, I always do this in my RCT parks, has anyone done like a Bermuda Triangle theme yet? And also other themes I usually use in my parks that aren't used that much are Volcanic, Arabic (like a Sultan's palace) and I always put the typical ones in there.
I did think medical, but then I thought they had done that with like horror mazes and stuff, and all together it would be a pretty crappy theme.
 
I personally think Port Aventura (Minus Far West) has some great themes that aren't done a hell of a lot anywhere else. Like Mediterranea, Polynesia, China and Mexico. The themes are pretty rare in the theme park industry and are done extremely well.

In terms of rides, I love the ride "RESET: Year Zero" at Mirabilandia. I haven't rode it but in terms of theme, it's fantastic!
 
Furie said Jules Verne AND Steam Punk in the same paragraph......... I *knew* there was a reason I have an unnecessary infatuation with him! :lol:

I totally disagree with the comment that 'Space Mountain got dated very quickly', as it's sort of impossible to happen if the date it's been themed to has already come and gone! ;)

I also believe that, like others, there IS a limit to the amount of general base themes out there (a bit like how you can supposedly break-down any film into one of only seven basic story/plot lines). But when they're given the park's unique little twist, be it branding (ie- Disney, Universal, Asterix, LEGO) or their own personal take on a generic theme (Phantasialand, Efteling, Toverland, PortAventura) it makes it specific to them. You can't say Disney's "Pirates" is the same as Legoland's "Pirates" is the same as Alton's "Pirates".

Oh dear, a mostly serious post. I think I need to sit down!
 
nealbie said:
I totally disagree with the comment that 'Space Mountain got dated very quickly', as it's sort of impossible to happen if the date it's been themed to has already come and gone! ;)
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Like I say, I more refer to the inside, not the outside; the whole gun club and Verne styling is magnificent; the interior queueline just feels like the one for the black hole at Alton, and feels somewhat out of kilter with the rest off the theming. A better example of the space/future feel quickly dating would have probably been the X-Sector at Alton, however.
 
Agreed on steam punk. And I also would love to see more post apocalyptic themes like Reset at Mirabilandia, awesome ride! Other than that I really like historical and mythological themes like Dragon Khan. Theres a lot of ancient myths that could be great using them as coaster/ride themes!
 
Paris' Space Mountain WAS probably my favourite theme in the World. It was so unique and so fantastic, and then it got ruined by idiots. The entire area was just such Bioshock <3

In fact, Bioshock The Ride. Do it someone.

I'd love to see more historical European themes as well, like Renaissance Italy or Revolutionary France. Those won't happen though.
 
In response to Ben's Bioshock idea, post-apocalyptic themes would be amazing. Are there many out there? Doesn't.... Mirabilandia have one?
 
There's also a Bermuda Triangle theme in Sea World Australia isn't there?

In terms of it "Getting ruined by idiots" Ben, do you mean in terms of followers of Steam Punk Fans/Followers? Because if it is, Steam Punk has been going since around the 80's and some believe it is a derivative of The Original Frankenstein Monster in 1931.
 
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