In the Dark

I'm with you, Kevinj, I love "dark rides" (as well as coasters) and loved CP's old ones and am enchanted with Disney's beautifully done dark rides, too. I don't see how that stuff ever gets old or as some here have said, that kids would grow out of it. I never did and I think the droves that go to the places that do stand testament that they are still very much popular. But like you, Kevinj, I am not interested in interactive at all. I think that gets old fast and I am afraid that if CP would install one of those and its initial novelty wears off, they would consider the dark ride a failure instead of its interactive aspect.

My boys like video games, the twelve year old is much into Minecraft and things like that when he is allowed the privilege but he didn't like the newest incarnation at KI of the Enchanted Voyage (the loveliest of all the themes) and actually put his shooter down halfway through. My youngest didn't have much interest either. Then all you're looking at is a bunch of cut-outs. He stated he liked it better when it was the Haunted Mansion, and I'm very confident it isn't nostalgia talking. I liked the Haunted Mansion version, too.

From what I understand, Toy Story Mania is popular but if it was the only dark ride, I'm not so sure.

Does this go with my complaint about the shooting gallery? Ha!

How about they give us something good to look at with the option of shooting? If the show's good, this can satisfy both camps.

I'm going to add something else. I don't know what Guardian's about really, but there is something to be said about tangible three dimensional vs. video or cut-outs. That's one reason why I liked the shooting gallery and Disney rides and the old CP dark rides.

I've heard good things about Guardian, but I've never experienced an interactive dark ride so I'll have wait to come to any conclusion about that. I'm going to Toronto next month so I will certainly spend some time at Canada's Wonderland and try it out.

I think a dark ride should be somewhat spooky or scary so personally a Peanuts themed ride would be a little too cute or happy for me. I really enjoyed the Pirate Ride, I wonder if another nautical themed ride would work. Maybe something having to do with the Battle of Lake Erie and Commodore Perry?

I would love a nice "classic" spooky-type dark ride. I dig those retro style prop based attractions, much like Kennywoods haunted mansion or whatever the name is.

Count me among those of you who would prefer a "spooky" dark ride. (although the thought of a Peanuts theme DOES scare me) I'm a fan of the classics, but interactive rides seem to be what's happening now. I still enjoy them.

After I heard about WMG's issues with battery charging for the guns and how it was killing already low capacity, my interest went through the floor in seeing one for Cedar Point, Knotts, or anywhere else in the chain. The absolute last thing Cedar Point needs is a $10 million dollar ride that only cycles through 250 people an hour when it works (or maxes at a theoretical 640PPH, which is supposedly WMG's top possible number). They have several expensive rides with reliability issues and capacity problems already. I don't want another.

Pete, I was less than impressed with Guardian. As I said initially, it was an OK and unique ride (I won't give away any "spoilers" unless you've heard). The best way I can describe it is that it looks...unfinished, or like they ran out of money to complete the "feel" in all the places. There are places where any attempt at immersing you in a theme is completely lost. The transitions from scene to scene also seemed a bit awkward. That may sound a bit nit-picky to some, but this ride was advertised as being a revolution and setting a new "standard" for the industry. Not so much. As a comparison, Curse of Darkastle at BGW is a superior ride and offers a superior level of theme and immersion, and that ride is how many years old? Of course, that is not an interactive dark ride, nor is it a coaster as well, but it does rely on animation while moving you through an environment, and that environment is very nicely set up.

I would be very hesitant and not very hopeful if Cedar Point announced we were getting a similar ride at our park, if for no other reason than I simply do not enjoy the interactive component whatsoever. I'm sure they could improve the quality, but as others have noted, the enjoyment of the "video game" approach to these rides is completely lost on me. My daughter also put her gun down after about 30 seconds so she could watch everything.

I would also vote for a spookier theme. Fun and spooky can be blended well together to attract people of all age (See Pirates OTC).

Part of enjoying a family ride is enjoying the ride experience together. When I ride Pirates of the Caribbean with my daughters we are all having a shared experience and we can even talk to each other during the ride about what we're seeing, what's fun, what's scary etc. When you turn it into a video game, suddenly everyone is in their own little world and not really paying attention to the ride experience or the people around them. They're focused on shooting the cartoon and scoring points.

No thanks.

If I had my wish, in the words of the late Mr. Scott, it would involve water. :)

Very well put, Kevinj. You've articulated some of the issues I've had with interactive dark rides, particularly the feeling of isolation despite the compete-with-your-friends/family angle. They have their place (like Toy Story Mania!) but there is an inherent hollowness to the experience when compared to other dark rides. I hope some of the planning folks at the park read your thoughts and take them to heart.

You nailed it, kevinj, interactive = isolated experience. One doesn't even see the scenery either, it's not the same as laser tag where there is interaction with others. It's not really a "feel good" experience, sometimes new concepts aren't really better.

Just in case some of you want to see exactly what WMG is, CoasterForce has posted a *legal* POV of the ride (FULL HD):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CBuC6EZgnM

I have a question, because something seems weird. The cars sit 4 riders back to back, and they don't rotate. The guns seem mounted to the front of the car. The scenes are along the wall, obviously, so do the riders have to twist around and shoot to the right wall if they're on the right side and to the left if they're over there? Seems less than comfortable, and not the best way to view a 3-D image. And I assume the same scene projects on each wall, so everyone gets the same shot, right?

I agree that the ride seems less polished than some other dark rides out there. In certain spots (anywhere there's light) it has a definite warehouse look, not an immersive environment. And if the concept is to go in the dark and shoot at some movie screens, then... Ok.

I wasn't sure what the reason for the short coaster section would be, either, as it seems like a good way to reduce capacity on a ride that already doesn't seat many. It also isn't very thrilling unless, maybe, your seated backwards. Then I saw the "surprise" at the end and guessed it was also a way to elevate the cars into an upper level of the mountain. I'm not sure it's worth it, and I hope if Cedar Point (or anyone else) gets round two of this company's effort they make some changes.

RCMAC said:
I have a question, because something seems weird. The cars sit 4 riders back to back, and they don't rotate.

They do...a little bit. Basically the seats can rotate 90 degrees to face the screens.

I agree that the ride seems less polished than some other dark rides out there. In certain spots (anywhere there's light) it has a definite warehouse look, not an immersive environment. And if the concept is to go in the dark and shoot at some movie screens, then... Ok.

I wasn't sure what the reason for the short coaster section would be, either, as it seems like a good way to reduce capacity on a ride that already doesn't seat many. It also isn't very thrilling unless, maybe, your seated backwards. Then I saw the "surprise" at the end and guessed it was also a way to elevate the cars into an upper level of the mountain. I'm not sure it's worth it, and I hope if Cedar Point (or anyone else) gets round two of this company's effort they make some changes.

Well, clearly by placing it in a big hollow mountain and having you shoot at stuff like dragons, "shoot things in a warehouse" isn't the intention. My biggest issue is that when the car enters the mountain, it completely exposes the attraction's blank screens and what not. If they could have darkened the space (say, quick opening/closing door, a la Test Track) more and spun the cars into the rotated position, it would be less obvious.

Oh, ok. I didn't realize they rotate. Good.

You're right about the entrance to the mountain. As for the warehouse observation, and I'm only going by the vids I've seen, there are plenty of places besides the curtain where more thoughtful theming mightve been included. (that issue couldve been easily solved by either turning the track a couple of times or installing two curtains). The beginning and the end of the ride look particularly bad, like a backstage loading dock area. But like I say, I've never seen it in person.

It's expensive, I realize, and not everyone is Universal Studios. But for future installations maybe they should go ahead with the hardware but rethink whoever is supplying the environment.

The fact that you can see the blank movies screens was my biggest criticism of the ride based on the POV video. A good way to handle that would have been to have a type of "airlock" door system. Have the car go to what seems like a dead end, which are really doors. Stop the car, close a set of doors behind the car, turn off the lights to make everything pitch black while the video screens activate. Open the "dead end" doors and riders will see the video on the screens and never see the blank screens with the warehouse look.

Well at least now you can all see what I was referring to. Not only can you see the screens, but yes, the best way I can describe the station is that is looks like someone's basement half-decorated for Halloween. It just looks completely unfinished (that's what I meant by that).

That ride looks terrible.

And from the looks of it, SUPER low capacity at a very busy park. I sure hope we don't end up with something similar.

I think it looks fun, myself. I will hold off all judgement until I ride it.

Not sure if you'd call it a dark ride, a coaster, or some sort of hybrid, but what about something along the lines of Revenge of the Mummy at Universal Orlando?

Revenge of the Mummy and Spiderman at Universal Orlando are two of my favorite rides there, along with HP's Forbidden Journey (although all very different types of rides). However, I think CP would have a hard time constructing a ride that was not based on a movie already. Not impossible, but I don't think that it would have the same impact to the riders.

I won't be back at the park until later in the year. Not that it has anything to do with a dark ride, but someone mentioned some markings near the Point Pavilion. Out of curiosity, do they extend near/around the old Pirate Ride building?

I don't think there needs to be a movie first for the ride to have an impact at all. Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion both inspired a movie, not the other way around. Curse of Darkastle has no movie attached, etc. The list goes on.

That's a bit like suggesting any themed ride needs to have a pre-existing popularly known entity attached to it in order to have an impact. Not so.

CW's WMG has me concerned for what's in store for CP.

Why did they bother making this thing a coaster-dark ride hybrid? Is that simply because they had more vertical than horizontal space to work with? Based on the video, there's very little use made of the fact that it's a coaster.

I sincerely hope that whatever they have planned for CP isn't anything like that. Rather than spend money on coaster track, etc., they should focus their resources on making it an immersive dark ride experience, rather than a sorta-immersive coaster in a dark building. After all, haven't they already been down that road?