Your Mission: Design a theme park...

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kronk's angel
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Your Mission: Design a theme park...

Post by kronk's angel » Mar Sat 03, 2007 5:51 am

Background: I live in a rural area, something of an outdoor-sports-type tourist destination, alongside a major interstate highway. An outside firm wants to build a coal-fired power plant in the middle of the area, which if you don't know, would be bad. Very bad.

In response, some local business people, including myself, were trying to come up with a better project to base the family-oriented area's future upon. Coming from California and Florida -- as well as being a Subsonic local -- I, of course, suggest a theme park. To my surprise, everyone thinks that sounds fantastic, someone suggests we use their acreage, and then they turn to me as one, and ask, "So. What's the theme park going to be like?!"

The Goal: Design a theme park. One good enough to secure additional funding. Everything from main concept to the designs on napkins.

Your Mission (should you choose to accept it): Offer your ideas, thoughts, concerns, and dreams of what an ideal theme park would be.

Situation: Here's the basic concept thus far: World Showcase-type park. Based around food and atmosphere, not major attractions (see "Constraints," below). Main street of shops, leading to a central hub, which includes shaded, cafe seating and a stage for performers. Areas would include an architectural or natural landmark, themed plaza with shopping, ethnic restaurant, crafts and theater (for showing area travel -- and perhaps other -- films). For attractions -- think: themed, interactive fountain, not triple-loop coaster. Areas are broadly described thus far as: Asia, Mediterranean, Polynesia, Scandinavia, and Latin America.

Constraints: Money, of course. May need to be built in stages. Must be an original concept -- no Disney, movie, or other pre-marketed tie-ins. Did I mention money?

This is a serious request for ideas and feedback. Help?!?
Last edited by kronk's angel on Mar Sun 04, 2007 5:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by js3901 » Mar Sat 03, 2007 10:37 am

it's kinda hard to ask a board full of Disney Theme park fans, and NOT make any tie-ins to them. in fact, you mention several ideas yourself with Disney-esque ties...

along those lines, how big is this park going to be (should you get the funding you need)? I think that's going to play a major part in the themeing of the park. can't really do several themed "lands" in an area the size of a parking lot (unless you could DCA).

I'll think of some possible ideas this weekend, as well as see what other people come up with. helps me to see what way public opinion goes...
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Post by Moviemaker137 » Mar Sat 03, 2007 1:25 pm

Ok so Kronk let me get this straight so I can try to help you out. I personally love these types of things and actually enjoy trying to come up with solutions for them.
So lets see... you need a theme park. Check. Supposedly going with an "Epcotesk" World Showcase theme. Check. Money is a constraint and acreage may also be an issue due to that? Is that what I'm getting?

Well if you were going to go the route of "World Showcase" and do an World themed park. Here are some elements that may be useful. First off your right Rollercoasters in that setting would be somewhat out of place and probably way to expensive at this stage to construct. So I say stick to trying to build the shops and the themed areas at this point. Develop the designs of each area and makes sure you really incorperate the heritage of each "nation" that you build. For instance if you do Asia. Asia is a large peice of land. It also has a huge ammount of culture to draw from. So focus on some historical aspects etc. that may be interesting to the patrons to learn as well as experience. To me it seems that you are building essintially hmm how shall I put this... a Sundance version of World Showcase at this point. And that is perfectly fine because in all honesty that may be a way to draw in guest is by having foreign and independent films as well as unknown music shown there. Sort of like a South by Southwest type dealio.

But those are my opinions for now. If I come up with any ideas for rides or attractions in the future I will surely send them to ya :mrgreen:

MM137 :hatter_bounce:

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Post by kronk's angel » Mar Sat 03, 2007 8:59 pm

JS3901, you are right there are some constraints, and I know we are all influenced by Disney, Disneyland being the first true themed park, with perhaps the most perfect overall design of all. But we have more than one weekend to design the basic concept.

For now, total property size: ~50 acres = 2,178,000 square feet. Some adjoining property may be available, but it also borders national forest which is unavailable. Part of that 50 acres will likely be a small resort (think Jolly Roger, not Coronado Springs), which can grow or shrink in relation to the park itself. I should note the goal is not for a park that people stay at for days and days, but rather a "half-day" park.

MM137, thanks for your suggestions. The Sundance concept is a good insight. We were already thinking of some kind of film discussion/screening program, but hadn't tied it into the overall concept. The importance of heritage is also very helpful. You're right about Asia being very large and diverse. But there are all those delicious foods that people want included, from sushi to curries.

Any other thoughts are appreciated!
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Post by Moviemaker137 » Mar Sat 03, 2007 9:51 pm

NP man I am always here to help! Anyways I took a while to think it over today and came up with a few more things... however thanks for telling me how large the land constraints are. That way if I somehow have time to sketch out the design of a ride or something I know how much room I can use :). As for the ideas. I've been doing some research into some of the areas you have thrown out as the "themed" lands of the park. With that said... I hate to use Disney references because I know I want to try and steer away from them. However... when I was a young kid I remember being about 7 and going and seeing I believe it was the " Mickey and Minney Polynesian Experience" I think that's what it was called. It was like this big Polynesian hula and dance show accompanied by resturant quality food from the Polynesian islands... or Polynesian style items etc. Stuff like that would probably be interesting. Hmm... as for the others. Asia seems like it could use something like... if you could feesably build it... a Chinese boat ride. Essentially heres how it would go. First you build the track, it would probably take a small lake to be built as well. Like Small World. Then fill the water tracked exibit like a moving museum. And do like the history of China. Interesting ride... might cost a good sum though do to the audio simulations and perhaps the non animatronics but again it depends on how far you are willing to go with the budget and the park itself.

MM137 8)

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Post by FlatlandMounty » Mar Sun 04, 2007 12:09 am

I actually thought about something completely non-disney once. What if you did a little section that was themed around the "greatest generation" Have an old fashioned drug store that sold burgers and fountain sodas. Then have an outdoor concert hall with grass seating and some benches. Then you could do a 1940's swing club that has dinner shows with singers, jazz bands, a dance floor. Get a couple dancers to dress like soldiers and have them do dance numbers with girls in dresses from the era....maybe even have the club taken over by mobsters. You could make it a dinner theater thing, or just a show. Maybe have a boat ride that could take you through a naval shop yard (fascades for $$$)

I know it wasn't on your list, but you may want to include Italy. You can always find a local Italian restaurant that would probably be willing to throw in and sponsor a restaurant. Seems like every town has a good Italian restaurant. double promotion! save money!

Contact some traveling Carnivals and see if they have some cheap thrill attractions they would be willing to sell used, then set them up permanently with a little story and some paint (depends on what's available) another big money saver.

How's that sound?

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Post by kronk's angel » Mar Sun 04, 2007 9:13 am

FlatlandMounty wrote:...How's that sound?
Great! Good ideas. The idea of the big-band-era dinner and show dovetails nicely with the idea for a luau with polynesian performers. We had thought of having an evening polynesian performance (there are lots of polynesians around where we live), but hadn't thought of having a dinner and show combined, maybe with a different theme each night of the week... I know the nightly luau at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaii is a big deal for them -- another smallish, walk-around-and-look theme park... http://www.polynesia.com/alii-luau/alii-luau-menu.html

I think the idea about outsourcing the food to local restaurant(s) is an excellent one, saving money and headaches. A real possibility.

Flatland Mounty, you mentioned Italy which I agree is important. This is still very tentative, but what we were thinking is instead of featuring single nations, we could include several nations within a "land"/global region. That way we could include lots of different regional foods. Also, we could show lots of travel-type films from different nations in the areas. Possibly, we could get sponsorships from several nations as well (a long shot, but maybe...).

So here's generally what we were thinking about the lands -- at least in terms of foods (still unsure about landmarks, decor, etc.):

Asia: India, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan and China
Mediterranean: Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Israel, N. Africa...
Polynesia: Hawaii, Samoa, Tahiti, Tonga, Tahiti, (Australia?)
Scandinavia: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, (Holland?, Netherlands?...)
Latin America: N. Mexico, Oaxaca Mexico, Cuba, (Brazil?, Argentina?)...

We will look for a few signature dishes from the nations and serve those at each land's restaurant, along with snack-type foods at carts stationed around the central hub. Am I overlooking something? Oh, and American foods would be served at the end of the main street, like where the Carnation Cafe is.

Any thoughts on the lands, nations, or foods are welcome.
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Post by borjoyzee » Mar Sat 10, 2007 4:13 pm

I got ideas, and I also put them into action in Roller Coaster Tycoon 3.

I can show you one screen shot of it.


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Post by kronk's angel » Mar Sat 10, 2007 4:15 pm

Wow, fantastic image! Really nice landmark building.

A question: which is better: authentic regional music, or new age-y approximations of the regional music?
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Post by Esmeralda » Mar Sat 10, 2007 4:52 pm

I'd say if you're going with authentic food, stick with authentic music just to tie the whole thing together. Keep us updated on what happens!
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Post by TikiTikiRoom » Mar Sun 11, 2007 12:04 pm

Oh man....I have Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 as wel....but I've never pulled off something like that. Even now I'm trying to recreate the Magic Kingdom again considering the last one failed. Awesome building by the way....amazing skills you have at Roller Coaster Tycoon 3.
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Post by ambiguity123 » Mar Fri 16, 2007 11:56 am

What a great opportunity you have!

I have a few suggestions. Careful on how you do Disney. Always keep in mind the purpose behind why they do something. If you go out there and just "make it look like Disney" without thinking about the "why," it will fail and feel hollow. Kind of like the Cargo Cults.

Going on into what it could look like, I love the idea about the resort hotel on property. I'm not sure what rural area you live in, but I know those resort hotels with the indoor water theme park are pretty popular. Perhaps you could even get one to build next to you. What can you do to make the hotel special? Would it have to be an off the shelf square, rectangular building? Or could it be something more, something to really fit in with the world theme? What kinds of things could you do to theme it? Could you hire people from different countries to work in their area of heritage? In the hotels I like, one common feature is a gathering place. What could your hotel do to encourage people to gather together and tell stories, or play games, or watch the sun set out doors with a gormet dinner overlooking a gorgeous, unspoiled landscape.

Where will the places of action and energy be? How about the areas of peace and tranquility? How will you designate these areas and create these feelings in your guests?

These are exciting questions and can spill over into the theme park as well. Even though it is a half day park, maybe you could make the resort, the other half day park.

Good luck, and when you need a graphic designer/photographer/web master, I may be available...
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Post by Moviemaker137 » Mar Fri 16, 2007 1:12 pm

Kronk I had one question though about possible ride choices ect.... is this park more of an educational experience or thrill park experience?

As for rides and such I'll try to figure some out later... but I love the concepts for the park that have come up so far :) Man sometimes I wish I had an oppertunity like this around my area so I could actually help construct it. Hope all is going well with the plans!

MM137

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Post by kronk's angel » Mar Sat 24, 2007 3:56 am

Sorry for the delay in responses. It's a busy time.

Esmerelda, that's a good point about authenticity in food and music. Appreciate the insight.

Thanks, Ambiguity, I do feel really lucky, and am working hard to make things happen. You make several good points. No, we don't want to simply copy Disney. There's certainly nowhere near enough money to really make an attempt, and even if we succeeded, as you say, it would end being just, "Wow, this is sort of like Epcot, except lamer since it's not at Disneyworld."

But that doesn't mean our park couldn't provide immersive experiences, with a consistent level of quality throughout. Your questions about focusing on the resort's theming are excellent. Moving things beyond the conventional often seems as though it mostly just takes some extra thought, and we appreciate your suggestions. We will be trying to hire people from around the globe. Your questions about gathering places, and active vs. relaxing areas are well-taken. The specific answer is: "I don't know -- yet." :) But we will take them into careful consideration as we move forward. Thank you. And by all means, please post a link to your resume -- I think everyone should. Always happy to support the Subsonic "family."

Moviemaker, that's a good question. I think it is more of an "educational" park, if you will, rather than a thrill-ride park. The keynote thus far seems to be on relaxation. Attractions conceived of thus far are pretty low key -- like a polynesia-themed interactive fountain/play area and latin america-themed playground for children, and tethered hot air balloon rides for older folks, etc...

Additional thoughts and suggestions are welcome -- including any thoughts for relatively low-cost attractions...
:D
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Post by Moviemaker137 » Mar Sat 24, 2007 11:21 am

Good to see things are going smooth kronk :) Seems like you have the game plans all worked out and now are just trying to get people to put the peices together 8) Personally I would love to help in person but with the distance and the fact that I'm still going to college most of the time eh. So the best I can give you is online support here at the forums. But I'm rooting for ya! Hope everything comes out the way you want it and can't wait to see the finished result. If I come up with any more attractions I'll let you know... wait you know I was thinking my state fair actually used rides donated from other fairs and then referbished them... maybe you can buy used state fair attractions or carnival rides :)

MM137

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