To elaborate more on my post yesterday, I believe this recent trademarked has actually strengthened the case for Phantom Spire rather than weakened it (basically, why I think Gargantuan Vertical Vengeance is a red herring). The biggest thing some are overlooking is that the teasers may be leading us in the direction of the
theme of the ride, not necessarily the
name of the ride. My main takeaways:
Creating a world rather than just a name: Now that we have these dangerous sea creature clues, I've seen a lot of people assume that the ride's eventual name has to directly relate to the creature. Those
can be two different things. Especially with this new direction of Cedar Fair-quality theming, I would expect this ride, like many others, to be built around a broader story where the ride name is just one component. In that scenario, all of the recent teasers make perfect sense without needing the ride's name to be Kraken, Leviathan, Behemoth, or something creature-related. That's why I'm not convinced that the creature clues are
necessarily intended to point us toward the ride's name. I think they're intended to establish a basis for some world-building around this attraction.
Subtleties can go a long way: What strengthens the case for Phantom Spire is that it sounds like a place, a legend, or a landmark. It doesn't sound like a monster. It sounds like something people would talk about as some kind of myth or legend. Also, it's very subtle, but the inclusion of those cargo ships in the distance of the "It's Rising" poster gives this more of a maritime edge rather than just a sea monster theme. That was definitely intentional, and had it been just an empty ocean landscape, I think we would have more reason than not to believe otherwise.
Throwing targets off the scent: The teasers have gotten everyone focused on some kind of creature itself, while less attention has now been given to the structure that is at the center of all of this. Yet the one trademark we've known about since January is Phantom Spire. If the recent teasers are meant to establish the broader story, then it's entirely possible that the sea creature is only one piece of that story; an accessory to the centerpiece. If that is the case, then the recent sea creature-focused teasers are accomplishing exactly what they're intended to do: getting everyone focused on the threat in front of them, the mystery, and the story while drawing attention away from the actual centerpiece. Throwing their targets off the scent. It has certainly shifted discussion away from Phantom Spire and toward creature-related names, which is why I don't think the apparent disconnect between the trademarks and the teasers is as significant as some are making it out to be.
Everything is intentional.
Another thing worth noting is timing: Phantom Spire was trademarked long before most of the public storytelling campaign began. To me, that suggests the park may have already settled on the ride name while still developing the lore and marketing narrative supporting it. Also, people caught wind of the Gargantuan Vertical Vengeance trademark the same day Shoreline Pier soft opened and we got our first look at a wave of new sea creature-themed teasers... feels just a
little too perfect of timing doesn't it?
Could this new trademark be the actual name? Sure, it could. But right now, one or some combination of three things is happening:
- Phantom Spire is the real name and the recent teasers are about the ride's theme, not its name
- Gargantuan Vertical Vengeance was filed as an alternate option or even simply to protect multiple naming possibilities while things are still being finalized. Or, again, to throw people off the scent.
- There's still a third trademark we haven't seen yet (very much possible, especially if the name is so niche that they're pretty certain nobody is going to trademark it in the meantime)
The recent teasers have made me more interested in the story they're building, but GVV showing up late and unannounced doesn't have me convinced that the Phantom Spire trademark is suddenly irrelevant. I'm not saying anybody is wrong, this is all just fun speculation that will all be settled in the next month or two. But I think some people may be trying to use the teasers to answer the wrong question.
