The Future of Europe In The Air

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WiiThePeople

WiiThePeople

Apr 15, 2012
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I'm creating this because it seems the "Europe in the Air Replacements" thread has been locked. If this post belongs somewhere else, admins help me out. I'm still new to this.

Has anyone heard any rumors about the fate of this ride? Three things happened this summer that would put its future into question in the eyes of someone uneducated as myself...

1. Early Closing, Again - As has been tradition now for the past couple of years, the park has closed EITA early to "begin constructing the Howl-O-Scream maze" but what seems to be more for low ridership and budget cuts to save money. It's been about three years in a row now, but never has the ride closed as early as it did this year.

2. Infamous Shutdown - They had that never before seen shutdown situation towards the end of the summer that I'm sure we all heard about. As I understand the ride was closed for many days after that in order to "correct the situation," but then closed permanently some time after to "prepare for Unearthed," again, as is tradition. A shutdown of that caliber more than likely prompted digging up the "renovation" idea.

3. There seem to be rumors surfacing (can not confirm, speculation, heresay, banter) that the park intends to do something with the ride/ride systems/AV/interior now that it has been such a poor ROI from the initial 2010 installation. After years of low ridership, early closings, and now this unique shutdown, it seems as though the park has a bit of a thorn in their side now. As I flipped through previous threads on EITA/CSH, it seems as the the consensus seems to be that BGW no longer has "rights" to replicate the original CSH show/ride. However, I have heard guests asking Ireland TMs and it seems that the ride discs (It's a big computer essentially, ride/show is stored on discs) are still on location and could be used (would need to be retro-fitted to the new hardware post EITA upgrade) but feasibly could be done.

What do you guys think? Are we perhaps going to see some sort of "Return to Cork Screw Hill" idea in the future? This would allow Busch to create a new storyline (bypassing the need/ability to retrieve original footage from original company.

Imagine that!
 
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I've thought of a couple of options. Some are more realistic than others.

1. Operate the ride seasonally. While this still doesn't address many issues surrounding the ride, it could greatly reduce operational costs during low-attendance days. Operating EitA only in the summer, just on peak summer days, or on a shortened schedule (open noon to 5?) would reduce the monetary impacts of the ride.

2. Bring back Corkscrew Hill. The much-beloved predecessor to Europe in the Air could make a fairly easy comeback. Yes, the picture resolution is less than ideal, and it may be outdated, but it was popular and heavily preferred to the current attraction. Plus, 2016 is the 15th anniversary of Killarney and Corkscrew Hill- a perfect excuse for the return of a past attraction.

3. Put in a new film. The park doesn't even need to custom-make a new movie. Plenty of simulator-ride videos can be purchased by parks for surprisingly low costs. Maybe a new, less nauseating adventure is what the building needs.

4. While this doesn't address the main season's issues, a Polar Express-themed overlay for Christmas Town, much like the holiday overlay for Wild Arctic at Seaworld Orlando, could prove extremely popular.

5. My crazy idea: a Sally interactive dark ride. Makes use of lots of physical sets as well as the cavernous effect of what is currently through queue, and tells some story related to Irish folklore. Sure, it's super impractical, but it would also be super fun.

6. Just close it. This is the cheapest and easiest option of the bunch. Remove the sign, seal off the door, and put a flower bed in front of old entrance, and the building will just blend into the architecture as if it was never there.

7. As a slight variation to 6, seal off the main entrance but open up the wide exit hallway. Put in some tables and you've got some extra air-conditioned seating for Grogans. If they want to be thematic, they could put some Irish decor inside and maybe a put a "Grogan's Inn" sign or something out front.
 
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As Maz said they should gut the entire set-up. The queue and pre-show have been the same since King Arthur's Challenge which was opened in 1996, twenty years ago.

Personally I'd also like to see them gut COS and connect the two-show buildings. The EITA show-building isn't an ideal amount of space so expanding would allow for a decent size dark ride. My dream is a dark ride that uses the trackless system created by Oceaneering that was used in Antartica.

The story of the ride would be Aaron has opened up the castle to the public for tours and has a You would enter the ride where COS is located and go through the queue . The queue would go through the chambers of the Castle and lead up to an elevator similar to the stretching room in the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland where you actually lower. This portion of the queue would tell you the backstory of COS and lower you into what would be the level of the EITA show building. (I assume they are of different levels, if not than it would just be a pre-show and not move.) You would enter the dungeon of the castle where you would see the infamous mirror and that it appears to be glowing.
 
Joe said:
I've thought of a couple of options. Some are more realistic than others.

1. Operate the ride seasonally. While this still doesn't address many issues surrounding the ride, it could greatly reduce operational costs during low-attendance days. Operating EitA only in the summer, just on peak summer days, or on a shortened schedule (open noon to 5?) would reduce the monetary impacts of the ride.

2. Bring back Corkscrew Hill. The much-beloved predecessor to Europe in the Air could make a fairly easy comeback. Yes, the picture resolution is less than ideal, and it may be outdated, but it was popular and heavily preferred to the current attraction. Plus, 2016 is the 15th anniversary of Killarney and Corkscrew Hill- a perfect excuse for the return of a past attraction.

3. Put in a new film. The park doesn't even need to custom-make a new movie. Plenty of simulator-ride videos can be purchased by parks for surprisingly low costs. Maybe a new, less nauseating adventure is what the building needs.

4. While this doesn't address the main season's issues, a Polar Express-themed overlay for Christmas Town, much like the holiday overlay for Wild Arctic at Seaworld Orlando, could prove extremely popular.

5. My crazy idea: a Sally interactive dark ride. Makes use of lots of physical sets as well as the cavernous effect of what is currently through queue, and tells some story related to Irish folklore. Sure, it's super impractical, but it would also be super fun.

6. Just close it. This is the cheapest and easiest option of the bunch. Remove the sign, seal off the door, and put a flower bed in front of old entrance, and the building will just blend into the architecture as if it was never there.

7. As a slight variation to 6, seal off the main entrance but open up the wide exit hallway. Put in some tables and you've got some extra air-conditioned seating for Grogans. If they want to be thematic, they could put some Irish decor inside and maybe a put a "Grogan's Inn" sign or something out front.
Click to expand...

A lot of really good stuff here. I guess I should have reworded my origina post a little more clear than I have. All the fan ideas and projects are great, but I was more wondering if anyone had heard any concrete rumor (if that even exists) about the future of the ride or any plans BGW has for it.
 
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Joe said:
I've thought of a couple of options. Some are more realistic than others.

5. My crazy idea: a Sally interactive dark ride. Makes use of lots of physical sets as well as the cavernous effect of what is currently through queue, and tells some story related to Irish folklore. Sure, it's super impractical, but it would also be super fun.
Click to expand...

I don't know why, but upon reading this idea, all my brain thought about was the Norway ride Maelstrom at EPCOT (now Frozen themed.) I know it's more of a boat/water ride, but that kind of folklore theming I thought was fun. TROLLS! haha.. I've never experienced the EITA or CSH rides. We only came down in October and it was already closed for Howl-o-Scream.
 
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Thomas said:
Station for a new woodie.
Click to expand...
RMC.

The things I don't like about the idea are (1) losing the idyllic look and feel of the bridge/fountain area due to the structure/noise of the ride, (2) the fact that it isn't strictly necessary to cram a ride into that area, and (3) the notion of losing BGW's simulator platforms which are said to be pretty decent hardware.

Still... A hybrid ride screaming up the bottom of that ravine beneath the England parking lot bridge, playing around in the large wooded area between the lots, and then rocketing back down that ravine... add some interaction with the underside of the Killarney bridge at both ends of the ride and it could be something special.

Cast my vote for locating a coaster elsewhere instead, but it's still compelling to imagine.
 
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I absolutely vote bring back Corkscrew Hill or Questor. I LOOOVVVEEEDDDD those two rides!!!!!!! I would lose my shit if either of those came back. I even loved the fairy whispering voices and glitter in the caves for Corkscrew Hill and the cave drawings for Questor.
 
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I have heard rumors that the building will need something done to the structuring in the next three years or so. Apparently it has something to do with how the building is built on a slope, as the building itself is slowly shifting.

I would assume this could become very hard on the ride mechanisms. BGT supposedly had mechanical issues with their simulator before it was decommissioned. That said, they had a few different issues with getting replacement parts, so it could be different for BGW.
 
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If that is true, then I wonder what role might have been played by the massive dynamic forces applied to the foundation/ground by the two simulators in motion over the years. The reaction forces must be immense.
 
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I wonder. One day, I was stuck in a code purple(?) storm, and so I sought out refuge in the Europe in the Air building. I was sitting in the room right before the first pre-show room. As soon as they started testing, I could feel the ground shaking like a mini earthquake. It was somewhat exciting, actually.
 
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Questor was the best; all of the others that came after were just okay, but not interesting. King Arthur's Challenge made me violently ill. Corkscrew Hill, while interesting, eventually also made me ill due to lack of upkeep of the 3D screens. I can handle Europe In the Air, but it's no Questor. I know the tech for Questor is super old now, but I'd love a reboot of that.
 
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I honestly don't like sim-rides in general. However I have to agree with Imaginique, Questor was the best. I found Corkscrew hill to be cringe worthy, EIA to be just bad, and... lets not discuss KAC.
 
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