The technology involved, the storyline, the theming and scale, and finally the execution ties everything together in what can make an iconic attraction like The Haunted Mansion.
Immersion is an art that is fired on all four cylinders in the best theme parks. Theme Parks tie-in the best of what we can detect, the 5 different senses. They allow music, visions, taste, scent, and even touch to dominate over us and truly transport us to another world. From Cars Land to Africa, Diagon Alley to New Orleans Square, you can see the beauty of the world in a place like no other.
Now, the topic of THRILL and how that affects how good a ride is has been bugging me for a long time now. A disclaimer I feel like I must disclose: I freakin' love coasters.
I will be the last person that says there is no place for them at theme parks, as there clearly is a demand for them. Now, at the same time, the line of sacrificing immersion for thrill is what many people would be fine with. And I say MANY. Go on any Youtube comment section, and you'll clearly see why. From people blasting Expedition Everest for being a waste of money, or that Test Track is 100 times better than Radiator Springs Racers simply because it goes faster, the list goes on and on. I understand that people like to be blown away by this sort of 6th sense feeling coasters give people, but why shed 2 or 3 grand on a Disney vacation when what these people describe can be found for far less money at a local Six Flags?
Thrill can add to a ride experience, in the sense of racing through Ornament Valley (which is the second largest artificial mountain range in the world mind you) for a big race in the world of Cars! Thrill can also be the experience: gliding through space with sharp turns and unexpected drops launch Space Mountain to one of the best rides ever built.
Indiana Jones Adventure uses thrill and technology to immerse you in the moment (vehicle tilts up, and feels as if is almost going down stairs at one point, or frantically moves side to side to avoid darts), and it creates a sort of high stakes narrative combined with the story.
Splash Mountain uses the drops to give the ride solid pacing, but most importantly it is in the story.
Even simulators follow this same philosophy: Flight of Passage, by not being stationary, is able to evoke an unprecedented realism to a screen based ride. The thrilling visuals, combined with a 4 sensory experience that allows you on top of a Banshee to see it soar, hear the score, feel it breathe and smell the colors of the wind. And the thrill kicks in to branch out immersion further by making the impossible what you are experiencing. That is what a theme park is about, and that is why I love that ride so much, and I hope that everyone can enjoy theme parks for their environment, and not just when their stomach alone is no longer connected. Your disbelief is also lossed along the way.
All rides, including It's a Small World have some form of thrill level... it could be .01%, but it is still very present. But the fundamental things the rides do with it, that add to the experience, can propel the attraction further. But it cannot stand on its own, and when it does, that's the SeaWorld result, or the Six Flags formula. It's not instinctively bad -- it works very well, but it's in no way like Disney or Universal. They can be enjoyed equally as much, but as an attraction, they have inferior quality. In a way, it's like pepper. You can sprinkle as much you like, but originally, it was used as a way to mask the taste of old fish thousands of years ago. Thrill can be used to mask what we see and feel when on an attraction, and that's a good thing; because if it weren't for thrill on many attractions, there would be no purpose. It's a different fulfillment since a bare coaster attempts to bring adrenaline rushes only, but when a 360 sensory experience meshes with what is already a wonderful concept, something magical happens. That combination mark that people miss somewhat disappoints me knowing the painstaking time and craftsmanship put into Disney's and Universal's attractions.
Remember also that 99% of the people I am describing are not diehard fans like we are. While there are varying degrees on this website, I'm pretty certain most of you reading this are here because you enjoy what the parks today, or at one time stood for. That it is a place for families, where they can be transported to another place. Clearly, Walt Disney thought coasters were a good idea with the Matterhorn, but he also saw it fit to make a point to put top notch theming into effect. The fact that it is now possible to encounter an abominable snowman as you toboggan down the Matterhorn, can waive your disbelief and cause a little magic to happen. It makes you a kid again. And that is why I justify spending a fortune on a Disney vacation, and if Walt was still alive and Disneyland was made by someone else, I would like to believe he would think the same. Quality is something he wanted to bring to the amusement park industry, and by doing that, he created something fresh, that was in another league titled theme parks. And for the fun, experiencing it with the family is something so grand it cannot be described.
This 'essay' I made was trying to justify the cost increase from an amusement park, not only what makes us want to go. Everything from the history to the memories, and the short distance from us factor in. I also love that Disney parks combine theme and thrill and the next 1/2 an hour you can spend watching a show about the Lion King.
What makes you decide to shed thousands more than amusement parks on a Disney or Universal vacation?
I would love to hear!
Immersion is an art that is fired on all four cylinders in the best theme parks. Theme Parks tie-in the best of what we can detect, the 5 different senses. They allow music, visions, taste, scent, and even touch to dominate over us and truly transport us to another world. From Cars Land to Africa, Diagon Alley to New Orleans Square, you can see the beauty of the world in a place like no other.
Now, the topic of THRILL and how that affects how good a ride is has been bugging me for a long time now. A disclaimer I feel like I must disclose: I freakin' love coasters.
I will be the last person that says there is no place for them at theme parks, as there clearly is a demand for them. Now, at the same time, the line of sacrificing immersion for thrill is what many people would be fine with. And I say MANY. Go on any Youtube comment section, and you'll clearly see why. From people blasting Expedition Everest for being a waste of money, or that Test Track is 100 times better than Radiator Springs Racers simply because it goes faster, the list goes on and on. I understand that people like to be blown away by this sort of 6th sense feeling coasters give people, but why shed 2 or 3 grand on a Disney vacation when what these people describe can be found for far less money at a local Six Flags?
Thrill can add to a ride experience, in the sense of racing through Ornament Valley (which is the second largest artificial mountain range in the world mind you) for a big race in the world of Cars! Thrill can also be the experience: gliding through space with sharp turns and unexpected drops launch Space Mountain to one of the best rides ever built.
Indiana Jones Adventure uses thrill and technology to immerse you in the moment (vehicle tilts up, and feels as if is almost going down stairs at one point, or frantically moves side to side to avoid darts), and it creates a sort of high stakes narrative combined with the story.
Splash Mountain uses the drops to give the ride solid pacing, but most importantly it is in the story.
Even simulators follow this same philosophy: Flight of Passage, by not being stationary, is able to evoke an unprecedented realism to a screen based ride. The thrilling visuals, combined with a 4 sensory experience that allows you on top of a Banshee to see it soar, hear the score, feel it breathe and smell the colors of the wind. And the thrill kicks in to branch out immersion further by making the impossible what you are experiencing. That is what a theme park is about, and that is why I love that ride so much, and I hope that everyone can enjoy theme parks for their environment, and not just when their stomach alone is no longer connected. Your disbelief is also lossed along the way.
All rides, including It's a Small World have some form of thrill level... it could be .01%, but it is still very present. But the fundamental things the rides do with it, that add to the experience, can propel the attraction further. But it cannot stand on its own, and when it does, that's the SeaWorld result, or the Six Flags formula. It's not instinctively bad -- it works very well, but it's in no way like Disney or Universal. They can be enjoyed equally as much, but as an attraction, they have inferior quality. In a way, it's like pepper. You can sprinkle as much you like, but originally, it was used as a way to mask the taste of old fish thousands of years ago. Thrill can be used to mask what we see and feel when on an attraction, and that's a good thing; because if it weren't for thrill on many attractions, there would be no purpose. It's a different fulfillment since a bare coaster attempts to bring adrenaline rushes only, but when a 360 sensory experience meshes with what is already a wonderful concept, something magical happens. That combination mark that people miss somewhat disappoints me knowing the painstaking time and craftsmanship put into Disney's and Universal's attractions.
Remember also that 99% of the people I am describing are not diehard fans like we are. While there are varying degrees on this website, I'm pretty certain most of you reading this are here because you enjoy what the parks today, or at one time stood for. That it is a place for families, where they can be transported to another place. Clearly, Walt Disney thought coasters were a good idea with the Matterhorn, but he also saw it fit to make a point to put top notch theming into effect. The fact that it is now possible to encounter an abominable snowman as you toboggan down the Matterhorn, can waive your disbelief and cause a little magic to happen. It makes you a kid again. And that is why I justify spending a fortune on a Disney vacation, and if Walt was still alive and Disneyland was made by someone else, I would like to believe he would think the same. Quality is something he wanted to bring to the amusement park industry, and by doing that, he created something fresh, that was in another league titled theme parks. And for the fun, experiencing it with the family is something so grand it cannot be described.
This 'essay' I made was trying to justify the cost increase from an amusement park, not only what makes us want to go. Everything from the history to the memories, and the short distance from us factor in. I also love that Disney parks combine theme and thrill and the next 1/2 an hour you can spend watching a show about the Lion King.
What makes you decide to shed thousands more than amusement parks on a Disney or Universal vacation?
I would love to hear!
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