|
|
Create A Theme Park: Book WorldIn honor of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," let's hear your best ideas for a literary-themed park.
From Jeff Arons
I am typing this in honor of Harry Potter and the Order of $17.97 (it says that on the Amazon.com e-mail we got, I swear), a.k.a Order of the Phoenix, which I can't wait for. When the doorbell rings, I'm gonna cheer like you've never seen before.Posted June 21, 2003 at 3:49 PM Let's get back to the ranch. So, because of Harry Potter 5, I decided to type a thread about a book-themed theme park. There could be different categories of books for the lands, like "Mysteryworld" and "Historicalwonderland". Do you have any ideas?
Comments in chronological order. Most recent at the bottom. Scroll down to respond. From Robert Niles
Great thread. Unfortunately, I'll have to get back with ya tomorrow. I'm on page 185, and the gang's just left for Hogwarts.Posted June 21, 2003 at 3:49 PM
From Jeff Arons
They have? I'm only on page 120 and was afraid that Harry would be expelled (not saying any more).Posted June 21, 2003 at 4:14 PM
From Shane Falcone
its only 15 dollars where i workPosted June 21, 2003 at 8:09 PM
From Tony Lopez
you g slow im already on 500 and only got it at 2Posted June 21, 2003 at 8:39 PM
From Anonymous
Bah! Harry Potter is a thinly disguised imitation of the vastly superior graphic novel, "The Books of Magic," by Neil Gaiman.Posted June 21, 2003 at 8:54 PM
From Bryan Fear
Since IOA already has Suessland I would say that making a theme based on a book ( or series of books ) has already been done. Posted June 22, 2003 at 12:38 AM If I could make a theme park based on books I would build it based on the books of Hunter S. Thompson. You enter the park, they take your ticket and give you a square tab to put on your tongue. You go into the "park" which is just a huge room with cots and you lay down. As you drift off, Dennis Hopper is roaming the halls dressed like he was in Easy Rider while screaming "The park!... It's in your head, man!! IT'S IN YOUR HEAADD!!"
From Jeff Arons
Update: On page 350Posted June 22, 2003 at 5:56 AM
From Greg Fehrmann
We would need something for 20 Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. It could be a roller coaster that is in a huge building that has an enormous fishtank in it. Guests would depart in the launch room, and go down a huge hill. There wouldn't be to many inversions, the ride would be based more on hight and the unexpected.Posted June 22, 2003 at 6:41 AM
From Kelly G
I feel like I am way behind... I still have to read books 3 & 4.Posted June 22, 2003 at 6:53 AM Anyway, I know that some people think that the entire Harry Potter franchise is already everywhere, but if there was ever a story that would make an interesting theme park (although a small one), it would be that. Now, if you promise not to take my ideas and sell them to anyone, I will be happy to share (just kidding of course)... Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone alone as many things that could be made into attractions. For example: Similar to the Transportation and Ticket Center at MK, guests would arive and purchase tickets. Then, in order to get to the attractions, they would have to board Hogwarts Express train to get to the main entrance (similar to the monorail). Once the train arrives at the entrance, people would begin their exciting day by traveling down Diagon Alley (similar to Main Street at MK). This could be where they have souvenir shops with items such as costumes, and other merchandise. At the center of everything would be of course Hogwarts (similar to Cinderella castle). Inside could be a large sitdown restaurant design after the main room in the story. Other attractions could include a fast-moving ride through the vaults of gringotts bank, a simulator attraction modeled after a quidditch match, a dark forest playground area, and many shows or other displays showing magic. The possibilities are endless!
From Jeff Arons
Good idea Greg.Posted June 22, 2003 at 9:41 AM I just came back from launching my new rocket. I think that, however many times it has been mentioned on this site, there could be a Hogwarts walkthrough. There could be a spinning ride Potions-themed.
From Ben Mills
I am I the only one who doesn't understand why everyone like Harry Potter? It seems to me that its success was only based on the hype machine, not quality. Certainly not originality. There was an interesting article in the Guardian about it today, written by an anti-Potter 11 year. If I can find it, I'll post a link.Posted June 22, 2003 at 8:30 AM And just a note: over here, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is known as Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone over here. And there is a slightly more appropriate thread for Harry Potter ideas, here. Still, this might be a good place to see some crossovers. Seeing Artemis Fowl vs Harry Potter might be quite cool.
From Shane Falcone
Please post. I think Harry Potter is a cult to control all the kids in the world.Posted June 22, 2003 at 9:06 AM i found it
From Jeff Arons
Hey Ben? That's cheap advertising.Posted June 22, 2003 at 9:41 AM
From Francois Chan
Actually, I'm intrigued by the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Coaster that was suggested earlier--Disney made Space Mountain, a roller-coaster in the dark. How about a roller coaster inside an aquarium? You could place the coaster inside a huge, clear dome within the aquarium--how cool would that be?Posted June 22, 2003 at 12:02 PM Ah well, probably would never work. The constant coastering and screaming riders would undoubtedly traumatize the fish.
From Jeff Arons
It would. Nice word, traumatize.Posted June 22, 2003 at 1:45 PM NBA Live 2003 gets boring and I had to read some more of Harry Potter V. "WEASLEY CANNOT SAVE A THING! HE CANNOT BLOCK A SINGLE RING! THAT IS WHY SLYTHERINS SING! WEASLEY IS OUR KING! WEASLEY WAS BORN IN A BIN! etc. etc." Does that sound familiar to anyone? How about a 2 laned steeplechase with brooms instead of horses! The theme could be Quidditch, and it would be a battle of the seekers!
From Zach W
Jeff I like the topic you created. But, please try not to drop parts off of the book because some of us aren't as far in as you are yet.Posted June 22, 2003 at 2:31 PM
From Jeff Arons
OK. It doesn't really matter, there were at least 1000 more important parts in the book so far anyway. Sorry.Posted June 22, 2003 at 4:45 PM
From steve lee
Didn't a park (I want to say somewhere in Austrailia) do a Diagon Alley walkthrough in relation to the film?Posted June 22, 2003 at 7:01 PM I just finished Order of the Phoenix. Color me unhappy.
From Robert Niles
I think I might be with you steve. Not as good as the previous four. Rowling set up some wonderful conflicts, and backed away from or ignored every one.Posted June 22, 2003 at 9:34 PM Anyway, back to the thread. Tesseracts, anyone? It'd beat the heck out of my beloved shrinking microscope from Adventures in Inner Space. Throw in some Echthroi as baddies out to stop us, and you've got a winner of a dark ride there.
From Anonymous
I can't believe no one has mentioned "Lord of the Rings" as a book on which to base a theme park. There are so many obvious "lands" within the varying regions/villages in which the stories take place, and many great ride possibilities (the towers and Mt. Doom thrill rides, Hobbiton for little kids, etc.)Posted June 23, 2003 at 8:44 AM
From T.Holland Creative
I love the Potter series (Was at the store at midnight last Saturday. Currently on chapter four of Phoenix).Posted June 23, 2003 at 10:17 AM When I first read 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone' I thought it read like a concept narrative for a theme park. Anyway, if you are intrigued by the concept of a Potter theme park check out the link below. This guy is a RABID Potter fan and has created a "virtual theme park." http://www.angelfire.com/tx5/worldofmagic/hogwartsfaq.html
From Jeff Arons
This is turning into more of a Hogwarts park than a book park.Posted June 24, 2003 at 4:19 AM 20,000 Leaks Under The Sea: You are in a submarine simulator, when all of a sudden water starts gushing in because of 20,000 leaks. :-)
From Marc-André Routhier
Hello everyone!Posted June 24, 2003 at 6:07 AM I will probably be the only one thinking like this but I sincerly believe building a theme park a on single story is a great mistake. Why so? Because the Harry Potter story may not last for a long time. Walt understood that. He built a park with themed lands not themed stories. Walt knew that the story would support the land not the opposite. For exemple, Pirates is supporting Adventurland. When you are in Adventurland, you really believe your are in it due to those rides. The fact you feel like in those world give the experience a great value. The fact you build and adventurland help us create an infinite number of new rides. With Harry Potter you are bound by the story. Also I'm almost certain that with a story of that magnitude, fans would constantly complain and argue about any decision made on the type of rides to be built. It would be very though to reach unanimity. This is why Walt never built a land based on a story. He didn't wanted limits and new that when you base a theme land on a story, you are bound by it. MA Routhier
From alan dadmeister
Harry Potter has to be the most unoriginal book ever foisted on children so why are you adults reading it? Tolkien did it better, Pullman does it better and Ursula Le Guin does all of it better. Potter recreates everything that people think of the English and dwells on it. Class based, racist, anti-women, the Potter books are Enid Blyton. How did anyone with any imagination ever think it was good?Posted June 24, 2003 at 6:52 AM
From Bryan Fear
Marc-André Routhier has a valid point. First of all, books like Harry Potter are contemporary. These can gain/lose popularity with the winds of time and fade as fast as they came. The stories that Walt used are what are commonly accpeted as "classics." I don't care how much someone loves Harry Potter, it's not a "classic". Get back to me on this in another 50-100 years and we'll see if it was a passing fancy or qualifies as a classic or not.Posted June 24, 2003 at 11:44 AM For those of you who argue that LOTR is a classic and should therefore be built into a theme park, consider that while it HAS reached "classic" status, it's audience is not as universal as you might think. It's definitely a little clique of devoted people. ( Please don't confront me with statistics of how many fans there are worldwide, I'm not interested and it's not a viable argument. ) A million broke fans don't patronize a park as much as a thousand fans with money to burn. For this reason a park has to pick an audience and know what that ( paying ) audience likes. make it to clique-specific and you've shot yourself in the foot.
From Anonymous
I recently saw LXG and it gave me a few ideas for a book theme park. Posted August 1, 2003 at 11:15 AM What about a Captain Nemo resturant? Only seafood. Underwater of course. The Strange Coaster of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. There are two possiblities for this one. One would be a Hulk type coaster. The other, a dueler. A launcher that is themed to Dr. Frankenstein. He locks you onto the ride and it turns out to be an indoor lightning rod. I also know that Doc Frankenstein wasn't in LXG. Gotta go. I'm working on a new JP attraction. It combines INDIANA JONES ADVENTURE ride system, animatronics, and 3-D effects. It's a jeep ride.
From Anonymous
Alan,have you read the Harry Potter books?Posted August 5, 2003 at 12:33 AM These books are great,but yes,they aren't considered classics yet. And whoever made the point that the Potter mania won't last forever (I can't remember names..),you're right,so It'd be nice to at least have a Potter attraction or even a themed land,but not an entire park. By the way,I've already read Order of the Phoenix about 4 times and am rereading it again.Depressing but wonderful book!
|
Search Theme Park InsiderReader Reviews, by Theme ParkUnited States/Canada Top 20 *
Other U.S. parksInternational parksWater parksTheme Park Insider on Twitter
New HD video of Cedar Point's Millennium Force: http://bit.ly/5u8iiI That'll fire up your Friday! By the way, @HolidayWorld. We're demanding cranberry sauce on the turkey next time! :-) http://bit.ly/6zDSup Our vote of the week: Holiday traditions and cranberry sauce: http://bit.ly/6zDSup Five Disney legends recall Walt's management style: http://bit.ly/uhv5B #IAAPA2009 Theme Park Reviews, Features, Advice
Theme Park News Archive2009Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov.
2008Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec.
2007Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec.
2006Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec.
2005Dec.
2004-2005Staff column archive
|
