Busch Gardens Williamsburg Project 2024: Loch Ness Monster Renovation

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I think we should set our expectations at audio and be super surprised and impressed if something more shows up.

I, for one, would be more than happy with the physical set paired with audio cues. Theming doesn't have to break the bank or introduce costly new maintenance requirements to be effective. Subtle, environmental and atmospheric theming and storytelling elements were what made BGW so charming previously.

I just don't want people at BGW to read this discussion and think "the theme people" want or expect super expensive animatronic figures and whatnot. There's a delightful, much cheaper, oftentimes even more effective, middle ground I think we're far better off advocating for.
 
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Zachary said:
I think we should set our expectations at audio and be super surprised and impressed if something more shows up.

I, for one, would be more than happy with the physical set paired with audio cues. Theming doesn't have to break the bank or introduce costly new maintenance requirements to be effective. Subtle, environmental and atmospheric theming and storytelling elements were what made BGW so charming previously.

I just don't want people at BGW to read this discussion and think "the theme people" want or expect super expensive animatronic figures and whatnot. There's a delightful, much cheaper, oftentimes even more effective, middle ground I think we're far better off advocating for.
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I second this, Disney and universal are way out of this league and I think we tend to forget that. Mean while I like to think Dollywoods big bear is one of the best themed rides I have ever got to ride, and we’re talking about decent props a good amount of story telling and a fire sound track that’s it. If we can get that I think this ride elevate itself in a lot of our “coaster rankings”. I for one am all about some dreaming and imagination, but I do think we should try to maintain atleast a little bit of realism.
 
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Animatronic is a bar this chain has yet to clear and I really don't see any reason why they would for this project. Also, keep in mind this is outdoors. how many outdoor animatronics do you know of? That's as close to rule out as you can get.

I have to agree with Zach here and say that while expectations should be tempered, this all looks great. As a group I think we all have some concerns, and it's important that keep things realistic. With that, my 2 cents are:

1.Kevin Lembke has been a godsend for this park. While other parks are admittedly trying their best with a hostile board that only looks at the numbers, Lembke seems to be strongly advocating for solid additions that get back to the park's soul recently(This could be it's own thread).

2.This project has only added things as it's gone on. While it might not end up giving Busch an Expedition Everest look alike, who in their right mind would expect that? People have been asking to restore the LNM for about 15 years now (ask me how I know). This by that standard, this is a dream come true. The addition effects is awesome to see, but it's all just a bonus.

Long Live the Orange Stripe!
 
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Zachary said:
I think we should set our expectations at audio and be super surprised and impressed if something more shows up.



I just don't want people at BGW to read this discussion and think "the theme people" want or expect super expensive animatronic figures and whatnot. There's a delightful, much cheaper, oftentimes even more effective, middle ground I think we're far better off advocating for.
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Jwanger93 said:
I second this, Disney and universal are way out of this league and I think we tend to forget that.
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I blame CoDK for this. The theme elements at BGW were impeccable, and even its “highly immersive” ride history like BBW and EfP relied on sets and very small effects. IMO CoDK went OOT and set the capabilities at the big boy level. I want to see this new enthusiasm for this and P’25 work and be engaging because I think its going to “right size” the theming for the park.
 
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I actually sort of hope there isn’t an animatronic, at least not an animatronic person, in the shed.

Right now, I think Nessie’s theming has a certain “realism” to it, and that’s part of the charm. The equipment and props in the queue are all “real.” The cave is “real.” It’s easy to pretend that real people were involved in this expedition that you’re about to go on. It feels almost like a museum, a preservation of something that really was.

But if you add an animatronic person, suddenly you need a much stronger suspension of disbelief. Since every human animatronic I’ve seen has a level of cartoonishness to it, the addition of an animatronic means suddenly LNM’s world is not one rooted in reality, but it’s a cartoon world. It’s a world occupied by cartoonish robotic humans, one that you have to try much harder to imagine yourself occupying.

It kind of reminds me of Jaws. That movie works so well because we barely see the shark at all (in fact, we only see the entire shark for about 30 seconds in the whole film). That leaves our imagination to picture the shark as something real and terrifying in our minds. If they showed us more of the shark, it would be a lot harder for us to think of it as something scary and legitimate, since we’d have too hard a time separating it in our minds from the rubber, obviously fake movie prop shark that it is.

I have no idea if any of this makes sense. But I think, even with all the budget in the world, LNM is better off if the park suggests the presence of people and monsters through creative approaches like sound effects, props, lighting, etc., rather than outright showing us. Help us let our imaginations run wild.
 
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I completely agree with @Mushroom and @Zachary.

What made Nessie's theming work so well in the past were the sophisticated, subtle touches (like the "rope" on the station doors) and the coherent storytelling across the queue and building architecture. It never needed a random animatronic to immerse guests in its universe. You walked through the research site and ended up on the mythical beast, herself.

If the park can bring back the sense that you are experiencing a complete story, they will have done everything they needed to. Implying that they have somehow fallen short by failing to add expensive and unnecessary theming elements, in my mind, sends a terrible message ("next time don't bother") and fails to highlight what we have been asking for across the board (immersive, hamlet-appropriate storytelling).
 
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BGW has the advantage of natural beauty that adds a sense of magic to the rides for free. Truthfully, no coaster at BGW really needs any more theming than, say, Mystic Timbers (which I absolutely love). The coasters like Verbolten and, yes, DarKoaster, are more than what's necessary, but I won't complain. BGW doesn't need to be Phantasialand to be immersive and retain its sense of wonder.

The level of theming here seems to be about Mystic Timbers level, maybe a bit higher. Like I said, that's more than welcome. I'd love to see something like this happen for Alpengeist next.
 
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I disagree.

Gilroy Gardens is a vibey park. It is lovely and charming, but it doesn't have immersive storytelling. BGW's strength used to be its placemaking on the paths and the continuity of its immersive rides. A pretty setting is pleasant, but it isn't what BGW is supposed to be. It isn't a well-decorated version of a good Six Flags.

The theming that used to typify BGW attractions (I don't think DarKoaster has them, BTW) was what elevated the experience from an amusement park to a destination theme park. You were pulled into a place and a story, you didn't ride past some nice decorations. The music, sounds, design, layout, décor, and placement of everything across the park came together as a cohesive, immersive experience that was much more than a pretty setting and thrilling rides.

BGW should not be downgrading the quality of the experience they provide guests, just because they still have the bones of a pleasant park.
 
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I also second the idea that the ride doesn't really need animatronics. Obviously if they magically got the funding for a Na'Vi Shaman-level figure a la Na'Vi River Journey, that would be awesome. But realistically, we'd be stuck with an outdoors, limited-movement Sally Dark Rides piece of work that's shut off about 75% of the time. I'd rather it be a small, decently-themed shed with radios playing comm chatter, and some monster-hunting equipment lying around.
 
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Is there any information on when it will reopen? I'm going to make a trip this year, but only one, and I definitely don't want to miss revamped Nessie.
 
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Crunchewy said:
Is there any information on when it will reopen? I'm going to make a trip this year, but only one, and I definitely don't want to miss revamped Nessie.
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I’d suggest planning for like August. Let them get it open and broken in a bit. That way you’re not disappointed if there are delays. Once it opens, it’s not going anywhere for a while.
 
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Nicole said:
I disagree.

Gilroy Gardens is a vibey park. It is lovely and charming, but it doesn't have immersive storytelling. BGW's strength used to be its placemaking on the paths and the continuity of its immersive rides. A pretty setting is pleasant, but it isn't what BGW is supposed to be. It isn't a well-decorated version of a good Six Flags.

The theming that used to typify BGW attractions (I don't think DarKoaster has them, BTW) was what elevated the experience from an amusement park to a destination theme park. You were pulled into a place and a story, you didn't ride past some nice decorations. The music, sounds, design, layout, décor, and placement of everything across the park came together as a cohesive, immersive experience that was much more than a pretty setting and thrilling rides.

BGW should not be downgrading the quality of the experience they provide guests, just because they still have the bones of a pleasant park.
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For the record, I was agreeing with your previous statement. Mystic Timbers is really well-themed, imo. That level, plus BGW's natural beauty is more than enough for me. To me, that would be on par with the BGW of old. Just give me some atmosphere.
 
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