Villains Land
Attractions
Bald Mountain Ride
16 of our doomed visitors load into a soul barge, a wooden ship meant to ferry it’s passengers to their final destination. The outside appears to be worn wood, notched, scratched, and aged; possibly made from the same oak as the barrels in the cellar of the Heroes’ Hall. These transports float in the eerie, almost glass-like water by the dock (loading area), which is made all the more unnerving by the sound of running water – and the occasional blood curdling scream – heard in the distance. The entirety of the lighting in this room is provided by the lanterns hanging upon the wall, and those on the back of each barge, emanating their dim, green, ethereal glow. The ghastly minions which helped guide the guests to their final seats now advise them of the following (after an appropriately frightening safety warning): “You’ll come to find the Cherning waters are the most tempting of all”.
With their restraints firmly in place, and their courage hanging by a thread, the anxious travelers grip their loved ones and the ride’s restraints with white knuckles, as they are set adrift. There is no turning back now, as the barge has already begun its steady march into the dark, cavernous abyss. The ferry is soon far too distant to benefit from the dim glow of the lanterns by the docks; guests are now solely reliant on what little light they can glean from the lantern along the back of their barge. Once their eyes have adjusted, they notice that their body of water is quickly narrowing, and the stalactites hanging from the ceiling appear to be closing in on the boat. That’s when the previously distant but growing sound of rushing water turns into the roar of a waterfall, as guests plummet into the depths below. Following rapid twists and turns through the cave, the now racing barge quickly begins to decelerate as it approaches a pristine, underground lake. This space has incredibly high ceilings, and must have a hole that leads to the surface, as moonlight is filtering in.
The light in the room allows guests to make out the barrels floating near them in this otherwise untouched natural wonder. Anxious visitors jump at the sound of a splash within the lake, but are reassured upon noticing it is nothing but a fish. As guests take in the incredible sight, hidden speakers within the barge quietly begin to hint at sounds of shifting rock; almost similar to the sounds one might imagine a statue coming to life would make. Unperturbed, guests on the barge begin to appreciate the beauty of their current surroundings, as they slowly drift underneath the skylight through which the moon is gracing their secret location. However, the second guests pass underneath the hole, the speakers begin to rumble! Our travelers snap out of their sense wonderment, and jerk their heads skyward, where something near the top of the mountain resembling a giant wing blocks out the very light from the moon. The light was only gone for but a few seconds; that being said, passengers feel their sense of foreboding instantly return.
The barges glide along to the end of the underground lake, and towards another dark (but short) river. This river leads the boats to one of six show rooms, which are actually water locks. From the six show rooms, using forced perspective, guests are given a different view of what appears to be a giant (but is actually medium sized) Chernobog animatronic calling them upwards with his mountainous claws. The locks – one showroom at a time – slowly carry the barge up, as the menacing villain tempts our riders to heed his call. Projected spirits race along the walls, hoping to be the first to fulfill their master’s beckoning. Green lights also emanate from the water which continuously lifts the barge towards its destination. Only two showrooms are able to see the Chernabog animatronic at a time, and he is only visible as they near the top of their lock.
Once the lock has fully filled, guests hear Elio Cyrus running towards Chernabog, and screaming that they must make their way to safety before it is too late. At this point, the barges have been locked into the roller coaster’s track. Without notice, the Chernabog’s soon to be victims see Elio flash into view with a quick burst of bright light! The arm Chernabog was using to summon our visitors quickly falls to his side, and the barge begins its race down the inside of the mountain. Dodging spirits and stalactites requires full attention as our barges wind, race, and corkscrew their way through the inside of the mountain at breakneck speed.
The barge slows down, and begins to transport our guests towards an exit from the mountain. They can even see the river which leads to the bridge at the entrance of Heroes’ Hall, and they assume the ride must be coming to an end. This makes the next moment all the more surprising: right before reaching the mountains exterior, the track ends, and the barges (along with the section of track they are on) begin lifting towards the top of the mountain – similar to Cobra’s Curse. At this point, guests looking up see a giant Chernabog animatronic conducting an orchestra of souls, as ghastly spirits race to his call. As guests near the top, our fiendish villain summons them with both arms, demanding that his prize does not escape him once more; it’s at that very moment when guests see Elio Cyrus walk out to their left and, with all the power he can muster, shout out: “CHERNABOG, I DEMAND YOU RELEASE THEM!” A blinding light emanates from our protagonist, and his distraction has served its purpose as Chernabog has returned to stone, and our elevator has connected to its track.
The guests are free from Chernabog’s ghoulish grasp, but their adventure only continues as their barge falls backwards through the track, racing inside and outside of Bald Mountain (all on the backside of the mountain, so as to not ruin the surprise) until they slow down and reach a dock along the river near the backside of the mountain. As our survivors disembark, they notice old signs alerting them that the townspeople planned to clear the caved in path; with their newly gained wisdom, our visitors can’t help but think it’s probably best that path remains blocked, and keeps the evil trapped within.
