Scooby-Doo needs some love

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

I doubt the Green Lantern ride operators would have much to contribute towards ride effects - Tech Services probably has less to do without GL though...

[Theme Park Girl]

Ok after today I've concluded that the end Scooby is completely random and erratic! I rode it with my daughter around 4, and yep, mouth was moving - and very erratically, as it was doing it even before/after the voice audio had played lol. 

Daughter went on again with hubby around 4.45pm. She said that time round, the end Scooby's mouth wasn't moving. 

Strange, huh?

In other Scooby coaster news, it seems it's been under a bit of minor maintenance in the past week. A lot of the lighting effects both in the castle and on the actual ride have indeed improved, seems quite a few broken light bulbs have been replaced. Even the fake fire lanterns above either side of the hallway entrance are working again. 

Sadly enough, the red vertical lights in the warehouse are still nowhere to be seen, though  They really need to bring those back! 

 

[rappa]

Why do people like them so much? From the first time I wrode the coaster when new I thought "it's amazing, just turn off the awful rope light that lights up half the room and spoils the effect"

But seems a lot of people are annoyed they have been removed... I'm curious as to what they liked about them??

[Reanimated35]

For me they always lit up the fact that you're in a lift too much. IMO that should be the darkest part of the ride.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

Reanimated - the rope lights weren't just in the lift - they were also vertically mounted all around the disco room (i presume on support beams or similar). I think the lights in the lift WERE great - it added to the 'tilt' sensation you get.... but in the rest of the room - yep  -  way too bright (just like the spotlight that is on the spider...). I think they'd actually be better if they 'counter-rotated' in the lift well - ie - the angle of the ropes tilted the opposite way to the lift to exaggerate the tilt.

I know this is the space mountain geek in me, but i'd like to see less static lighting in the disco room, and more 'effect projectors'. The lasers are good, but there just isn't enough - what i'd like to see is the kind of effect you get from those $30 lasers you see at christmas light displays (and on the back of WC floats) with red and green lasers 'prismed' so there are thousands of beams of light (except on Scooby they'd have to be a lot brighter). Effects projectors that do a starry sky, or water\fire type projectors where theres just lots of movement etc going on everywhere.

Hell - some blacklight and fluoro paint wouldn't go astray here and there either...

[Theme Park Girl]

Why do people like them so much? From the first time I wrode the coaster when new I thought "it's amazing, just turn off the awful rope light that lights up half the room and spoils the effect"

But seems a lot of people are annoyed they have been removed... I'm curious as to what they liked about them??

​I agree with a previous poster who said that the red lights created a height illusion effect, making you feel like you were up a heck of a lot higher. After watching an older video yesterday of Scooby when it first opened, it brought back memories of when I first rode it and it gave me the exact same feeling. Plus I think the room looks cooler. But also worth noting that red is also my fave colour lol

For me they always lit up the fact that you're in a lift too much. IMO that should be the darkest part of the ride.

​You would have hated it a few weeks back then, when they had a bright spotlight turned on at the bottom of the lift shaft, so you could see exactly what your car was pulling into I actually thought it was an odd new permanent addition at the time, alas its gone now lol.

[pushbutton]

Sounds like tech services probably left one of their lights on. A careless thing to do as it did spoil the effect a bit.

[Zanstabar]

Hell - some blacklight and fluoro paint wouldn't go astray here and there either...

Some flat set pieces around the room could look quite nice, especially if they are done in the classic Hannah-Barbera style.

[pushbutton]

Some of the effects shown in this video would be perfect

 

 

[Gazza]

Why do people like them so much? From the first time I wrode the coaster when new I thought "it's amazing, just turn off the awful rope light that lights up half the room and spoils the effect"

But seems a lot of people are annoyed they have been removed... I'm curious as to what they liked about them??

I agree actually. Rope light just looks too much like bunnings Christmas decorations, and doesn't fit with the lasers.

My fantasy for Scooby is ghost projections etc.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

Whilst HB is a fond memory for me, I think the above suggestions would be 'crossing the streams' so to speak. SDSC is based on the WB live-action FILM rather than the HB cartoons... Whilst I recognise the current WB ownership would allow them to 'mix and match' if they wanted to, the fact is the ride would lose it's 'theme' if we started to blend things in... the theme of the ride being the ride based at 'Spooky Island' in the film... the HB elements have no place there...

Otherwise, next thing you know we'll have this inside JL, Atop Arkham, or appearing daily in Main Street...:

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

My fantasy for Scooby is ghost projections etc.

​I'd like to see them make use of scrims and projection for such effects... but it's probably outside the 'fixer upper' budget that a ride of this age would receive... it is getting on in years...

[Zanstabar]

Whilst HB is a fond memory for me, I think the above suggestions would be 'crossing the streams' so to speak. SDSC is based on the WB live-action FILM rather than the HB cartoons... Whilst I recognise the current WB ownership would allow them to 'mix and match' if they wanted to, the fact is the ride would lose it's 'theme' if we started to blend things in... the theme of the ride being the ride based at 'Spooky Island' in the film... the HB elements have no place there...

Otherwise, next thing you know we'll have this inside JL, Atop Arkham, or appearing daily in Main Street...:

​Holy Bat-Nipples Batman!

 

I would much prefer the park to focus the rides theming on the cartoon rather than the live action property. The film hasn't really aged well or lasted in the zeitgeist. However, I wonder if WB even owns the rights to the cartoon.

 For a small theming change, would they have to go through a large legal debacle? Or could it be as simple as just swapping out some animatrioncs mannequins?

[pushbutton]

I disagree. I think the film is still as good as it ever was, and quite entertaining. Given that the film was made by Warner Brothers in the Gold Coast, and given that the movie actually features the ride in it, it's a real authentic experience of virtually being in a movie set. That's really what Movie World was always meant to be about.

[westical]

​I would much prefer the park to focus the rides theming on the cartoon rather than the live action property. The film hasn't really aged well or lasted in the zeitgeist. However, I wonder if WB even owns the rights to the cartoon.

​Warner owns (the defunct) Hanna-Barbera.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

^^For once I agree with Push. Yes the film is getting on in years... but so is the ride!

Yes, WB owns HB... however one thing to remember is that VRTP are only licensing the names and imagery from WB. If they wanted to go down the cartoon licensing - they might be asked to pay extra, if their license only allows them to use the film.... which comes back to: "how much do you want to spend changing a ride that is getting on in years"?

Just because you think a 2002 movie is less relevant than a saturday morning cartoon series that started in 1969 and "at best" finished in 1991 with "A pup named Scooby Doo" (which mind you is the eighth reinvention of the concept under HB alone), and "at worse" died when they introduced Scrappy Doo in the 1979-80 season... doesn't mean everyone else does...

(The video posted above of the flume... showing all the HB artwork... wasn't that titled 'last ride'? As I understand it - that particular version of the Scooby Doo Haunted Mansion at SF St Louise closed down last year... what a perfect time to use a theme... when other parks decide to get rid of it!!!)

I grew up with the SD series of cartoons - even the cringe-worthy Scrappy-Doo ones - but I find them less relevant today than a film that is currently 13 years old (as opposed to over 45 years old), especially when that film has specific ties to the gold coast as a location and is one of the few themed rides in the park that is actually relevant to the film industry on location.

Yes - children's networks do show Scooby Cartoons these days - but they aren't (for the most part) the HB years - they are WB Kids and Cartoon Network remakes... and are unworthy of inclusion.

[Zanstabar]

Firs things first, nice rebuttal.

I can see where you are coming from. I just see that the original cartoon is known to a lot more people in the current day rather than the film in the 2000's. But what do I know, right?

 

At the end off the day, the Scooby Doo name is known worldwide, and that's all they really need. 

Edited June 1, 2015 by Zanstabar

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

So.... gut the ghost-train part of the ride? change the carriages, *gasp* even drop the MXPX 'film' version of the theme song so that we can go backwards?

Look - granted, most critics gave the film poor reviews, however those that responded positively all said 'if you loved the cartoons.... then you'll love this'.

SDSC's theme was relevant at the time it was constructed. The coaster opened June 2002, 3 days ahead of the theatrical release. Perfectly timed. Sure - the film has less relevance now, but how much money do you want to throw at the ride to change it to the animation? it's not just throwing up 'HB styled' set pieces... plus the IP owner probably wouldn't want the two 'mixed' so you'd have to de-brand all the film set pieces too... so many of the castle theme and elements, and a lot of the ghost train section would need to be changed too.

Sorry - Scooby's "FILM" theme is staying. HB is not coming... EVER.

So can we please discuss realistic improvements to the ride - ones that stay within the existing theme and don't rely on 40+ year old artwork?

[Zanstabar]

I see what you're saying and there's no reason to get angry. I was just sandboxing with what could happen to improve the ride.

Honestly, I don't know what could be improved. I haven't been on enough indoor coasters to know what works and what doesn't.

Edited June 2, 2015 by Zanstabar
Terrible Autocorrect

[Richard]

The ride's theme is vague enough that it really doesn't rely on the film in any way. Even if you've seen the film, the tie-in doesn't go much further than "oh, those are the carriages from the movie". The theming is immersive and impressive enough as is, I can't see any reason or way to add more to it beyond giving the AV in the coaster section a complete revitalisation.

It is worth pointing out however that the ride's own signage betrays this separation between cartoon and film. The cringe-worthy Scooby-Doo portrait replaces the old cringe-worthy AOL sponsorship logo.

[pushbutton]

The only part I'd like to see a bit more theming in is the wild mouse section. There's not very much about it that's spooky.

It should definitely be  darker so you can't see the next bend coming.  Maybe a spookier soundtrack in that area would help too, and just a few big scary things that drop down in front of you here and there (illuminated by quick flashes).

Regardless, it's one of my two favourite rides in the Gold Coast. The other being Wild West Falls.

[Gazza]

Richo they've since put a pic of the CGI Scooby from the live film in the ticket booth.

[joz]

Scooby Doo is the only Movie Themed ride in the park.  I think it's perfectly relevant considering it was filmed in the studios, and the ride is so well done it goes beyond the source material anyway.

 

As for putting monsters or props in the disco room, personally I think if you're going to do anything with that room, either 100% theme it or just add more lasers with a reliable hazer. For my tastes that's really all it needs. 

[westical]

ha, I never realised that was a ticket booth.

[rappa]

I'm with Joz. 

Just go all out and do some serious lighting install in the 'disco room' and leave it as just that. 

But justifying spending 100s of 1000s of dollars on an older attraction is very difficult to do unless it's something iconic like space mountain  because it just doesn't give any return on investment.