I agree with Nic. Volcano, Flight of Fear, Backlot Stunt Coaster, even Boo Blasters on Boo Hill all have some immersive, deep theming in their own respective sense. You're transported into an expedition gone wrong on Volcano, through a federal paranormal activity bureau to an alien outpost in outer space on Flight of Fear, a movie set and an auto chase scene on Backlot Stunt Coaster, or through a swamp and a graveyard into a haunted mansion overrun with ghosts on Boo Blasters on Boo Hill. Sorry to get off-topic, but this really is about the whole industry in general. Plus, I dislike it when people lump Kings Dominion with trashy Six Flags stuff. It's no Busch Gardens, but it's still a nice park.
Anyway... Similar to what Hoopla said, I think an experience is being transported to another place. I also think there's an explanation for the track or ride, too. What does that mean?.. I think an experience, as opposed to a themed ride, is all-around theming that actually incorporates the ride, the ride vehicle, and the riders into the story to make you feel as if you're experiencing an actual event. To clear things up, let's take a look at Virginia's three car-themed coasters:
Backlot Stunt Coaster - On this ride, you're made aware that you're a stunt car driver on a chase scene (formerly for the Italian Job movie) on a movie set. Through billboards, a parking garage, police cars, subways, stairs, a special effects scene with explosions, fire, and a shooting helicopter, and even a plunge through a billboard into an LA aqueduct, you definitely feel like you went on an actual event on this ride. Only a dummy wouldn't realize it was like you were just in a car chase. The whole ride was built to give you that all-around mix of ride with full out theming to transport you elsewhere.
Verbolten - Most of us understand how Verbolten is an experience, but I'll break it down. You start by entering the Black Forest Tours and Rentals Center, passed a crashed automobile being claimed by the forest, and into the Tourist Center full of German memorabilia and Gerta of the tour company welcoming guests and warning them of the evil Black Forest. Then guests notice things go wrong with out-of-control cars, security cameras with horrible footage of the happenings in the forest, and the luggage of all the tourists! Ahh! The next thing you know, you're in the loading garage, with cameras, hubcaps, and broken luggage carousels. Then you leave the tour center, take a drive through the forest, and veer through an arch into the Black Forest, where things go wrong with wolves, lightning, and an evil spirit. You blast out of the forest, back on the "road", over a broken bridge, only to plunge off it towards the water, and make it safely back to the tour center. Not even a dummy wouldn't realize they're on a German car ride where things go wrong in the forest. You really feel like you're experiencing an out-of-control car!
Intimidator 305 Between the winner's circle-type grounds, the replica of Dale Earnhardt's car, racing memorabilia and stats, and other racing-themed props around the plaza and queue certainly give the ride a theme, and even the train looks like a big race car (or rather, a limo!). But it's not like from there you go through some out-of control race, dodging cars, archways, roads, stands, etc. At the end of the ride, it's just a coaster. A themed one, but just a coaster.
This comparison shows the difference between an experience and a themed attraction in my opinion. An experience puts you as the center of the action, there's plot with conflict, you feel like a character in the story that leaves you in awe altogether. Experiences, like those at Disney, also combine both thrill and adventure into one meaty sandwich. Themed attractions, like Intimidator, Griffon, Apollo's Chariot, have a theme, and idea. But not so much to put you at the center of the action, feel like you're actually on a journey to the sun. This is what makes an attraction an experience in my opinion! Whew, that was long!
