90s “Dragon” & “Earthquake” Drop Tower Concepts
- Thread starter Zachary
- Start date
I can definitely see why the park decided not to go for this. I can only imagine how much props and special effects like that would cost. Not only that, but the park can barely keep DarKastle's and Verbolten's effects in top shape let alone a huge dragon animatronic. Plus if the park decided to build this, it would probably have two less coasters (Apollo, Alpengeist) in its coaster arsenal. I guess it's a fitting trade-off.
It would've been cool to see, but there's no way the park could keep something like this (with all effects in top shape) for a long time. Not to mention it would probably cost about as much as Verbolten.
It would've been cool to see, but there's no way the park could keep something like this (with all effects in top shape) for a long time. Not to mention it would probably cost about as much as Verbolten.
I think it's a matter of how you implement this stuff. I mean, these don't have to be massive robotic dragons. They can be 80% statue, and the moving parts can be puppets like the Fantasmic dragon.
Mythbusters: the simplest design is the best. No reason to overcomplicate it. With the proper lighting and movement, nobody would even notice.
Mythbusters: the simplest design is the best. No reason to overcomplicate it. With the proper lighting and movement, nobody would even notice.
That's true. For example, the dinosaurs at Dinosaurs Alive at Kings Dominion really only move their heads, mouths, and tails. Coupled with the right timing and audio, however, it's very cool. Considering it only set them back a couple million (it sounds funny using "only" and "million" together like that!) for more then twenty dinos, I'd imagine a few large dragons with similar movements, plus fog, sound, and lighting, could be pulled off. Also take into account you'd be plunging by them in seconds. 
morte615 said:
If this appeared, Mach tower would disappear really soon.
"So, which drop tower do you want to go on? The cool, underground themed one, or the blue, always broken down, badly themed, unreliable one?"
"Oh, that's a tough one."
What if we just compromised and buried Mach Tower underground?
Why does everyone automatically assume multi-billion dollar effects here? And why is it assumed that Verbolen and DarKastle effects are not being maintained properly?
Honestly, all they really have to do is built a giant pit and add in themeing much similar to DarKastle. Also I just thought the fireplace effect for DarKastle could work great here. And also I would imagine DarKastle having on par the same themeing as this if not more so, so why was DarKastle so cheap compared to this?
Honestly, the park hs maintained special effects for both Verbolten and DarKastle. They purposely toned down DarKastle but the effects are still there and able to work at any moment.
Honestly, all they really have to do is built a giant pit and add in themeing much similar to DarKastle. Also I just thought the fireplace effect for DarKastle could work great here. And also I would imagine DarKastle having on par the same themeing as this if not more so, so why was DarKastle so cheap compared to this?
Honestly, the park hs maintained special effects for both Verbolten and DarKastle. They purposely toned down DarKastle but the effects are still there and able to work at any moment.
If I remember correctly, DarkCastle had a year or two where effects didn't work. The past 2(?) years they have finally worked to replace them.
During my visit to the park a month ago, I saw many one eyed wolves. I can't judge the others endings because I seemed to get the wolf ending every ride.
During my visit to the park a month ago, I saw many one eyed wolves. I can't judge the others endings because I seemed to get the wolf ending every ride.
Just let Mach crash into the ground a few more times, throw some animatronic dragons in the hole it creates and bam! you've got this ride! xD
I know BG can do puppets alright (the dude riding the flying bike before Questar was cool). I would want at least 20' tall dragons, but I would like to drop in to the cave at full speed. A talking, story telling dragon would be a must. I would also want different stories like Verbolten. They could have one where the dragons talk like a scratched cd and when the confused guest get close to the roof the dragons eyes glow red and it drops again. They could pull a few guest off at the bottom and tell the people in line they will be missed after the car comes back with empty seats.
In this concept it seems as the carriage is parked in the middle of the tower and there is a drop out floor. A catch car is already in place and raises the carriage to the top. It then sits for a second before dropping through the station floor into the dungeon. The carriage will have to sit at the bottom of the tower until the catch car can lower all the way down and reconnect with the carriage to lift it back into the station. So there would also need to be a story or something happening down there for a period of time.
Unless of course it's an S&S tower which uses air and it doesn't have to wait for a catch car, however I would not trust that system because it would have to lock in the middle of the tower as opposed to the bottom where they can use pumps to bring the carriage to a safe stop.
Unless of course it's an S&S tower which uses air and it doesn't have to wait for a catch car, however I would not trust that system because it would have to lock in the middle of the tower as opposed to the bottom where they can use pumps to bring the carriage to a safe stop.
It still costs a good chunk of money to build underground, which is probably why huge, long underground tunnels aren't as common on coasters. Not only that but even if the props are stationary with a few moving parts it would still cost a good amount of money to build (and to an extent maintain) DarKastle fire and all. Verbolten has nothing but stationary props and the price tag is still $50M. I believe DarKastle was around that general price too. DarKastle had to go through a full rehab to get its effects up and running. Verbolten's one-eyed wolves lost their other eye when I rode last Saturday.
- Not saying it wouldn't be awesome to have an underground drop tower with the floor dropping from below.
- Not saying it wouldn't be awesome to have an underground drop tower with the floor dropping from below.
I really think these places overspend on stuff. Truly. I feel like much of it could be done cheaper. I mean, according to the online inflation calculation I just did, Disneyland, in 2012 dollars, would have only cost $150 million to build ($17 million in 1955 apparently = $147 million, today).
If you can build the whole of Disneyland for 150 million (with attractions including the Jungle Cruise, the Mark Twain Riverboat, the Canal Boats, Autopia), you ought to be able to install a pit with dragon puppets for something less than $50 million.
If you can build the whole of Disneyland for 150 million (with attractions including the Jungle Cruise, the Mark Twain Riverboat, the Canal Boats, Autopia), you ought to be able to install a pit with dragon puppets for something less than $50 million.
Note that drop towers these days shouldn't be running a pricetag more than the Windseekers ($5 million), so I think everyone going "They should invest $45 million in themeing" are wishing for WAY too much to come from this ride. Digging the ditch and implementing themeing shouldn't put them more than half of what you guys are talking here.
Doc, it is all about the unit price versus the large quantity stock.
Take example those sites that sell custom t-shirts online. They are like $40 a shirt, but when you add more shirts the price goes down. The fact that your buying more makes you pay less. Why I will never understand?
Take example those sites that sell custom t-shirts online. They are like $40 a shirt, but when you add more shirts the price goes down. The fact that your buying more makes you pay less. Why I will never understand?
It turns out the “Dragon Drop Tower” concept wasn’t the only late-90s S&S tower proposal for Busch Gardens Williamsburg. This went up for auction last year...
From the auction description:
Due to the obvious similarities with the Dragon Drop concept, think it’s safe to say that the these were two different proposals for the same space/project. I guess the question now is what else were they competing against and why were neither of them pursued?
From the auction description:
Due to the obvious similarities with the Dragon Drop concept, think it’s safe to say that the these were two different proposals for the same space/project. I guess the question now is what else were they competing against and why were neither of them pursued?
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Weren't they going to go in the space in what is now the Abbey Stone Theatre (forgot the theater's name when it was Hastings)? And didn't Killarney open in the early 00's?
My $0.02 is that the rides were vying for space in the new (rethemed) hamlet and they didn't see the light of day because they didn't fit in with the concept the park had for the area at the time.
My $0.02 is that the rides were vying for space in the new (rethemed) hamlet and they didn't see the light of day because they didn't fit in with the concept the park had for the area at the time.