RE: Zachary's Reimagining of Italy: Pompeii Hamlet & Apollo Mini-Hamlet
Thanks for the phenomenal response everyone! Seems like you people like brainstorming additions just as much as I do. Lets see if lightning can strike twice. Whether you want it or not, I'm back with another crazy idea. Enjoy!
The Underlying Concept
Though there's not much I enjoy about Griffon, the one thing I can point to and say "Hey, that's a really great idea" is Griffon's "mini-hamlet". Technically Griffon's village is still part of the park's larger French hamlet but it has a very distinct architectural style and overall feel when compared to the rest of Aquitaine. I feel small sub-areas like Griffon's can provide the opportunity for a stronger overall atmosphere and theme than an e-ticket alone can. So, with that in mind, I set my sights on what is, by far, the worst themed coaster at the park: Apollo's Chariot.
The Problems
The first problem is that for a coaster themed to something as exciting as flying Apollo's fiery chariot across the sky, walking up to and entering Apollo's queue is a very uninspiring experience. First you walk into an awful hamlet which holds no purpose other than to funnel guests to this coaster. Next you walk past a ton of ugly shops and games operated by bored games personnel who clearly haven't seen a customer in some time. Finally you get to Apollo's Chariot's entrance where you walk into a faded flat ride pavillion with a switchback queue that stretches as far as the eye can see. Eventually you make your way past a few TVs advertising QuickQueues and Dining with Elmo tickets and into the ride's station. What's the ride's story? What hamlet is it located in? What relevance does this have to anything else in the area? All fantastic questions without answers.
The second problem isn't directly related to Apollo's Chariot but is a byproduct of its location. I'm pretty sure we've all come to the conclusion that Festa Italiana is in desperate need of a renovation or, preferably, a complete overhaul and retheme. Because I (and I'm sure many others) would hate to see Apollo's Chariot rethemed and renamed, many people have suggested converting Festa into Greece so that Apollo's Chariot wouldn't need to be changed (Apollo kept his name across ancient Greece and ancient Roman cultures). While this is a reasonable solution, I think we can do better. I'd like to see a new hamlet which pushes the park in an entirely new direction and while Greece
could do that, I feel the park would be more likely to toss in a few statues of Greek gods and call it a day. So, what country would I like to see represented? Well, many people have been making very good points in favor of a Spanish hamlet as of late but Alpenghost and I have been thinking in a different direction. More on that later though. This post is going to focus on my concept for an Apollo's Chariot mini-hamlet, not a larger Festa Italia retheme though, ideally, they would happen hand-in-hand with eachother.
Thirdly, San Marco has a problem that I think Apollo's Chariot can fix. San Marco is a very, very large hamlet and though
a theoretical Pompeii-themed hamlet could bring some more action into the area, San Marco is still lacking a true e-ticket attraction. Quite honestly, it's amazing to me that San Marco has gone without one for as long as it has. It's time to fix it.
Clearly Apollo's Chariot is a broken attraction surrounded by broken hamlets in a broken area of the park. It and its surroundings are all just half-assed attempts at the quality and immersive atmosphere you can find throughout the other half of the park. With any luck, I may have a plan to help fix it.
The Plan
Armed with the general concept of a mini-hamlet dedicated to Apollo's Chariot and the dream of a true e-ticket attraction in San Marco, I opened up
Paint.net and started brainstorming. What I came up with, quite honestly, impressed me. I wasn't completely happy with my Pompeii concept but this one on the other hand, this one I love. Anyway, I give you, Festa Apollo, my nickname for a theoretical mini-hamlet dedicated to Apollo's Chariot.
Points of Interest
- Apollo's Chariot's New Queue Building: After over a decade of using an old ride pavilion as a queue area, Apollo's Chariot finally gets the queue it has always deserved. As you await your turn to take Apollo's Chariot for a spin you are introduced to the story of Phaëton, Apollo's stubborn son who attempted to drive Apollo's chariot across the sky which, in turn, resulted in his death. Will you be able to control Apollo's fiery horses and successfully complete the journey?*
- New Game Booth: Just a simple game booth to make up for the ones that are being removed.
- Apollo's Chariot On-Ride Photos & Gifts: Pretty self-explanatory. Nothing too special. Could probably use a better name.
- Relocated Basketball Game: Yes, I moved the basketball game. I hate the thing just as much as the next guy but it makes the park boatloads of cash and there's no way to really justify removing it. Instead of having it shoehorned into whatever country replaces Festa, I decided that it fit better here than anywhere else in the park. I did my best to make it a little less in-your-face as well.
- New Bridge: Again, pretty self explanatory. The current signage outside of Apollo would all be moved to the San Marco side of the bridge to make it perfectly clear that Apollo's Chariot is in that direction and that it's basically the only thing down there.
*Yes, I know, the story is a bit convoluted. If anyone wants to help, please do. It's well after midnight. 
What It Fixes
- The new area and queue building provides one of the park's greatest attractions with the opportunity to finally have a storyline and atmosphere all its own.
- It enables the free use of the rest of the current Festa Italia hamlet. No longer are the possible themes limited by Apollo's Chariot's name and theme.
- San Marco will finally have an e-ticket attraction- something to give people a reason to spend time in and appreciate the hamlet instead of just using it as a path to get from Banbury to Oktoberfest.
- By moving a game booth and the basketball court out of Festa and into a more discreet location it should reduce the overly commercial feel that Festa currently suffers from and thus, remove these things from the list of things Festa's replacement will need to house.
- Lastly, it provides a place where the Festa Italia theme can flourish long after the god-awful hamlet itself is bulldozed to the ground and I frolic in its rubble. A festival theme is much more fitting for a small plaza than it is for an entire hamlet.
So, what do you all think? Any good?
