The UKs Best Themed Coaster

Nemesis at Alton Towers

As someone who is known for loving theme parks and roller coasters I often get asked what my favourite rollercoaster in the UK is. Without a doubt in my mind I have always responded that it is Nemesis at Alton Towers. It is simply my favourite rollercoaster experience in the UK because of its sheer speed, ingenious layout, relentless pace and intense forces. It opened way back in 1994 and there have been many newer coasters opened in the UK since, yet Nemesis remains my favourite. I have never grown tired of it and always make a point of getting at least one ride on it in a visit.

However, I have recently been thinking about themed roller coasters and what I would consider to be the best in the UK. My favourite coaster experience may not actually be the best themed coaster at all. Given my thoughts on what makes a great theme (and you may want to have a read of my previous blog 'They Probably Don’t Even Notice…' to understand my thoughts on theming) it stands to reason that Nemesis may not win all out.

I had a think about the various, or what at least I would consider to be, themed coasters around the country and actually, there aren’t as many as you would think; many of those belonging to the Merlin Entertainments Group. The vast majority of coasters within the Merlin Company are themed and themed pretty well. In fact, I am struggling to think of many well themed coasters outside of the company.

Yet there are four coasters that for me, jump out, comparatively, as being the best themed. (If I list every single themed coaster and its story we could be here a while).

So in no particular order, first up is Nemesis. Not just a brilliant rollercoaster experience but it is also themed very well within the Forbidden Valley. The story being that the ‘Nemesis’ is an alien that laid hidden within the earth for so many years and has now been disturbed. The area is littered with the destruction of the alien’s presence and eerie music plays throughout the queue line.

Oblivion at Alton Towers

Another is Oblivion, also at Alton Towers. The story is a little convoluted but in essence the rider is taking a trip into 'Oblivion' within the X Sector. The X Sector looks very much like some kind of sci-fi military facility which certainly helps stir up feelings of anxiety… if the vertical drop doesn’t do that enough for you!

Moving away from Alton Towers there is a brand new addition at Thorpe Park; The Swarm. Opened in 2012, The Swarm is some kind of undetermined creature that is causing mass destruction and ‘abducting’ members of the public. The rollercoaster currently resides on its very own island which is littered with destroyed vehicles and a now derelict church. Tie in the sound effects of the ‘Swarm’ as it blasts past you and the ongoing disaster being reported live by the news channels and the atmospheric effect is great.

Finally and probably the one which readers may find most bizarre, is The Dragon at Legoland Windsor. As far as theming goes it is very impressive, set in its very own castle and with a 'pre-show' element as part of the coaster itself. I would say that it is a little bit let down by the fact that after the coaster leaves the castle to start the main section of the ride, it is just trees and grass. Given that it is only a family coaster too, I would be inclined to take this off the list. Still, that doesn’t diminish how brilliant the castle queue and pre show elements are.

So that leaves me with Nemesis, Oblivion and The Swarm. Initially, I would place Oblivion in 3rd place. Although the area and the coaster is very intimidating, adding to the concept of a journey into 'Oblivion', I have often felt that the area is convoluted and the queue line 'story' is a little unclear. Is it a battle between good and evil, black and white? I am not entirely sure whether an everyday visitor would understand either? It all seems a bit conflicting. Of course, that could be intentional given the general essence of the queue line videos but even so, I am not wholly convinced.

So, it’s down to Nemesis and The Swarm. My favourite UK coaster versus the new attraction…

For the most part I would argue that they are neck and neck in terms of the theming. All of the nearby buildings for both attractions have been effectively designed to fit their respective themes and both coasters have a solid back-story which I believe is incredibly important to a successful theme. Both coasters have a well suited score playing in the background and so on.

Well, actually, there is a subtle difference here. Yes, both coasters have a well written back story but that back-story is not entirely evident when you are at the attraction. Ironically, the back-story for Nemesis is one of the best I have ever heard. As part of the original marketing of the ride you could hear Tom Baker tell the story of the Nemesis monster and how it came to be treated as a rollercoaster. This is all narrated over the theme music which can still be heard in the queue line today – the music that is. Unfortunately, the story itself is not heard in the queue at all which is a real shame because throughout the rest of the attraction there is no real indication to any of it. I only know the story because of being particularly interested in theme parks et al. I have a copy of the original soundtrack with the narration intact. Would an everyday visitor have any idea what is going on? I am not convinced. The general atmosphere and even the name 'Nemesis' suggests something dark and scary and the station building does appear to be some kind of alien, perhaps, but beyond that, the story is not given to the audience. I am the first to agree that the complete back-story of an attraction does not always need to be divulged, especially if the rest of the attraction spells it out for you indirectly, but unfortunately Nemesis doesn’t. Do the riders realise that the Nemesis is an alien creature trapped on Earth? Does the audience need to know the story? I concede that is a debateable point, but I think that the audience knowing the story would only serve to strengthen the overall experience.

The Swarm at Thorpe Park

Comparatively, or more so in contrast, The Swarm does divulge its story to the audience and not just in a narrative storytelling way either. As I mentioned previously, the queue line features several television monitors which run an emergency news broadcast (which has clearly taken its design cue from the BBC), all of which tell you what you need to know via the newsreaders and reporters in the field. The irony is that ambiguity of what The Swarm actually is has become part of the story. Just like with Nemesis, the riders are not necessarily any wiser as to what The Swarm actually is, but that is played upon in the news reports, the idea being that this is all happening live and therefore many facts are still unknown. Personally I think the whole notion of the events happening live is a very clever stroke. By indicating that the events unfolding are 'live' and not a recollection of a past event, there is a plausible ambiguity which only serves to intensify the atmosphere. From 2012, people may argue that the Nemesis back story is being told via the attraction of Nemesis: Sub Terra. Indeed, the new attraction for 2012 at Alton Towers digs into the legend of the Nemesis to a degree and certainly lends a little bit more exposition. The SubTerra ride does tell some of the story but even then, it still is not very clear with relation the rollercoaster. Obviously this relies on a visitor riding both attractions, which again, I am not convinced will always be the case. Should you have to ride two attractions to understand what it is going on in the other? The SubTerra attraction certainly does add more sense of the story to the Forbidden Valley as a whole, but in terms of Nemesis, it doesn’t quite work on that level (for me).

So, ultimately, I would argue that with its multi attraction story levels and very consistent design (excusing Air), the Forbidden Valley at Alton Towers is certainly the best themed 'land' at a UK theme park. That wasn’t the topic of my blog though! As an individual coaster Nemesis remains as my favourite rollercoaster however, my favourite and what I think is the best themed rollercoaster has to be The Swarm.

They Probably Don't Even Notice

It has always irked me when I hear a person say that! Especially when it is with regards to theming at a park. To me personally, the suggestion that the theming does not get noticed is a little ludicrous. Nevertheless, there are many out there that believe that theming is just a background function that actually has no impact on the visitor and his or her experience. I have heard it said that the average visitor doesn't even notice the theming. Far more surprising is that certain 'theme' parks have been reported as having this opinion themselves! If they honestly believe that theming goes completely unnoticed I would go so far as to say that they are rather naïve and probably in the wrong business. A bold statement perhaps? I realise I could be calling into question a professional’s whole career, but hey, that's the kind of guy I am I suppose.

In order to understand the importance of good theming you have to look at what is trying to be achieved. In my humble opinion, one of the greatest players in the industry when it comes to theming is Disney and I would say that a large majority of theme park goers would agree. Disney work rather impressively to achieve a totally immersive environment in their attractions. Everything about an attraction and its surroundings in a Disney park is designed to tell an overarching story. Whether it be the colour of the walls, the style of the rubbish bins (or trash cans for my lovely American readers :-P) or the music and sound effects playing. The whole experience is designed to be cohesive and to tell that overarching story and place the visitor in a very specific environment.

BTMR in high-speed action.

As an example, Frontierland in the Disneyland Park, Disneyland California is designed to have a fantastical view of the American Wild West. It is very clear in design what the area is supposed to represent. Every building, attraction and shop has its own story which takes places within the story of the surrounding area. Some of this storytelling is very plain to see, however some of it, is not. But hang on, didn't you just say that the suggestion that the theming does not get noticed is a little ludicrous? Surely, if the theming is not plain to see it could easily go unnoticed. I will concede that on the surface of it, you could argue, that those more 'obscure' elements of storytelling , such as the name of the town in which the 'runaway mine train' Big Thunder Mountain Railroad resides is totally irrelevant. After all, who actually cares about the name of the town? You just want to ride the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad don't you? Disney do not seem to think so. In fact, they wrote  a whole story as background to the attraction.

Let me summarise that story for you. The 'legend' of the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad tells the story of a town once called Rainbow Ridges (side note: the name Rainbow Ridges is actually a reference to 'Mine Train Through Natures Wonderland', a previous attraction that existed in the same location and is the name of the village that can be seen adjacent to the tracks returning to the station and the name Big Thunder is actually a reference to the name of a waterfall that was part of that attraction) in the middle of a gold rush in the 1800s. Overnight, settlers flocked to the town, to enjoy the prospects of such a find.In order to transport all the masses of Ore found in the mountains known as Big Thunder Mountain, the Mining Companies set up extensive mine lines. However, unknown to the settlers, those mountains were a sacred place to the local Native Americans and is cursed! As far as curses go, they normally end in disaster and of course, Big Thunder suffered a tragedy when the settlers desecration of the land caused an Earthquake which led to the town and the mines becoming abandoned. Years later, the trains were found still racing around the mine lines under their own steam, without any engineers or crew. This led to the founding of the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad which attracted and enabled tourists to come and take a trip on the possessed trains

So why?  Why do all of that work to create a story if they – the visitors – 'don't even notice'?

This goes back to whether you believe that visitors notice or not. Personally, I believe they do notice. Of course, it is not always in the literal, 'I have just seen the name of the town and I will remember it' kind of way. They notice, but on a subconscious level. Even if only on a subconscious level does your mind recognise something, a subtle background noise or a smell coming from a certain area. Your mind receives that information and adds it to the 'picture' that has been more obvious. It adds to the authenticity of the experience and the story that they are trying to tell.

Disney approach their attractions as an opportunity to tell a story, so every last element of the attraction and its surroundings must support that story. Going back to the tale of the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the station building for the rollercoaster, on closer inspection is actually the offices for the mining company; the red mountain formations are based upon the real red rock formations of the American southwest; within the caves you can hear the sounds of bats and so on…

The Big Thunder mountain range

I really could go on forever mentioning all of the various elements of the story but I will stay "on track" and only indulge in just one more: the imagineers took special care to ensure the mountains were designed to look like real mountains that were there first and that the train tracks were added later. Of course, in the real design process, it is likely the rollercoaster would have been designed in conjunction with the mountains or even before the mountains. At whatever stage those mountains were designed, they were made to look as though they pre-dated the train tracks and to look exactly how those mountains would have existed in the story(and in reality no less). If you take a look at some other runaway mine train rollercoaster you can sometimes see how the mountains are clearly designed to fit around the layout of the rollercoaster.

Again, I appreciate that some may question just how important that is, but it is that level of detail that makes a complete theme which in turn adds to the overall experience a visitor has. Each and every obvious and subtle design element refers back to that original story, whether you notice it consciously or subconsciously. By having such a strict back-story and with every single design element reflecting that story, Disney has created an 'immersive environment'. The standard and consistency in that immersive environment enables the audience or visitor to truly lose themselves in enjoying the experience, whether they notice they are doing it or not.

In terms of whether theming goes unnoticed I think it is safe to say, that even the most subliminal of theming is indeed noticed at some level and therefore to a 'theme park' it is incredibly important. After all, isn’t that the whole point of a THEME park? Ironically, I would say that it is even more noticeable when an attraction has been poorly and inconsistently themed. This is possibly another subject for another blog!

The interesting question comes when looking at other amusement parks and asking 'Does a rollercoaster have to have a theme in order to maximise the experience?' which is again, another discussion for another time.

Welcome

Hello there and welcome to The Theme Adventure, a new blog and journal, bringing you thoughts and opinions relating to the ever changing theme park industry.

First, I think I should introduce myself. My name is Mark and I have been a Theme Park enthusiast for more years than I care to count. (Note the term theme park enthusiast; I will come to that later). I have experienced many different theme parks around Europe and a handful in the USA and of course, I fully intend to travel more of the world in future. I have was a member of www.coasterforce.com for just over 9 years which has given me a whole wealth of knowledge and experience of theme parks. I have even had the luxury of presenting several documentaries over the years which feature on the CoasterForce YouTube channel.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am by no means an ‘expert’ in the technical side of theme parks. I have met and spoken with many that are far closer to expert than I am, but I do have a strong sense of passion and enthusiasm for them and have strong opinions to boot. And there is that term again… enthusiasm.

There are many out there that have an enthusiast interest… train enthusiasts, car enthusiasts, art enthusiasts and of course rollercoaster enthusiasts. Many people think I am a rollercoaster enthusiast, because I spend a great deal of my time travelling to theme parks to ride rollercoasters. I am not a rollercoaster enthusiast and ironically, I have really grown to dislike the term (again, I will blog about this some other time). For me at least, the scope is much larger. By definition, a theme park is “An amusement park in which all the settings and attractions have a central theme, such as the world of the future”. It isn’t just the rollercoasters that spark my interest, but theme parks in a more general sense. Over the coming blogs I will get into that notion of ‘theming’ and what it means to me personally. Naturally, this doesn’t mean I will shun the non-themed amusement parks of the world by any stretch, but I wanted to give you an idea of what I look out for.

Part of the set up of this blog will also involve journal entries. The journal entries will be a report from an actual visit. I wanted a place to share my thoughts and opinions of the theme park industry as a whole, but also a place where I can chronicle my ‘adventures’ too. Naturally, journal entries will happen as and when the visits do. I am also open to discussion and debate. I really like to compare my opinions with others, so comments are always welcome. Likewise, if you have a topic that you think I should cover or a question, let me know, and I will do my best to reply.

 

Finally, I wanted to make it clear that this blog is not just for those that follow the theme park industry. I want it to be accessible to all. Wherever there are technical details or terms I will endeavour to give some explanation. I want everyone to be able to get something from this blog and so I will also be doing some 'glossary' style articles where I explain the technicalities or some of the terms people may hear associated with theme parks.

So, as an introduction, that is about it really. I hope you enjoy the adventure.

Mark