I'd love to say Mission Ferrari IF I GOT TO RIDE IT!!!!!
To take things in a different direction - there is something to be said for simple touch theming of large roller coasters; there isn't need for full "immersion" or reorienting riders to a specific mindset per say, but things like in station theme-song/audio or other visual cues can be surprisingly effective to "get hyped". Couple examples:
To take things in a different direction - there is something to be said for simple touch theming of large roller coasters; there isn't need for full "immersion" or reorienting riders to a specific mindset per say, but things like in station theme-song/audio or other visual cues can be surprisingly effective to "get hyped". Couple examples:
- Steel Curtain - the entire coaster is an homage to the Pittsburgh Steelers (obviously). The lift hill up plays Renegade by Styx, which is the Steeler's third down theme song (for non-American football folks, this means the offense has one more play before needing to punt/turnover the ball, so there's a fun tradition of the home team playing a tense song to up the pressure). It's a great theme song as you ascend to the Drachen Fire drop, with an overview of the Pittsburgh/West Mifflin valley!
- Intimidator/Intimidator 305 - it's just a simple "Gentlemen, start your engines!" audio cue, but a great touch to make the lift hill feel like it's going just a bit faster in "driving" off.
- Top Thrill Dragster - We are all hoping for some resurrection of the TTD launch sequence, even if the launch will have a little less uumph than TT2. Again, good audio design makes for rumbling engines, and launch sounds that add so much more to the experience.
- Millennium Force - If you'll indulge me in bumping a second Cedar Point coaster in here, MF still rocks a fit-for-2000 station design and theme song that still seems to just, work. Basic electric techno gets riders in the mood, and adds a certain je ne sais quoi, especially during night rides and the great light package on the lift hill, that elevates the experience. In many ways, MF's theme is the coaster.
- Flying Turns - my last in the meta, but another good example of "the theme is the coaster"; Knoebels has a lot of proud displays for historic wooden bobsleds in the queue and surrounding the coaster (aka examples of how insanely dangerous these coaster types are!). In many ways, the immersion is just witnessing how this coaster exists and getting to ride coaster history.