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I think The Bat should be on here instead of Tomb Raider/The Crypt. They both failed, but The Bat was so much more of a ride that I feel it deserved a mention (and I never even got to ride it, since it was built a year before I was born and only lasted one year, I believe).
I rode Son of Beast twice and swore off it after that. We expected a wooden coaster to be rough, but this was ridiculous. The loop was the only smooth thing about it, and it left me with massive headaches that no amount of ibuprofen could touch. If it had been smooth and built differently, I think it would have made for an amazing ride.
No mention of Vertigo at Walibi Belgium? It was intended to open in 2006, but was delayed for a year. In 2007 it ran from mid-June to late July, so troubled by technical problems that it was closed more often than not. At the end of July, it was closed for overhauls for the entire rest of the season. In 2008, Vertigo once again opened to great fanfare on May 5 - and closed forever on May 19, as the technical problems were back with a vengeance. It was torn down in December 2008, and Walibi Belgium has not built a proper coaster ever since. 3.8 million Euros down the drain, the ride was experienced by a couple thousand riders at the highest estimate.
I rode or experienced all of these. I still hold out hope for Walt Disney Studios Paris. As it is, I think of it as an add-on to Disneyland Paris.
What about Hard Rock Park and Celebration City? Both were short-lived parks with lots of potential.
"The Bat" @ kings Island. It was suppose to be the greatest coaster ever. It lasted one year.
I don't know why you guys hate on Stitch so much. I think Stitch's escape is a fine replacement for ExtraTERRORestial. The original wasn't even around that long and replaced an unknown alien for a beloved Disney character. I agree it feels shoehorned in but worst update ever? Certainly not. That definitely belongs to Journey into YOUR imagination. To totally gut such a beloved and iconic ride into a half a ride filled with cheap optical illusions was an absolute disaster. It's ironic how it is named Journey into Your imagination as the imagineers put absolutely no imagination into the update. I don't even know how this ride was greenlit.
Oh my Gosh, I remember Skippy! I forgot completely that I had ever been on this ride. It must have been so traumatic I blocked it out the past 15 years. X_X
Does anyone remember that terrible Stitch's Superstupid--err--- "Supersonic" Celebration stage show at the Magic Kingdom Tomorrowland that lasted a whopping TWO MONTHS? Where that ugly "Tomorrowland Stage" is now?
Yep. Didn't think so.
I've often thought that if stitch had been the original attraction like that, it would do better. The problem is it is a near replication of the previous attraction minus one compnent with nothing new or different. Taking out the scary component and not really replacing it with something new is what ruins it for many. But like I said, most everyone I know that experienced stitch for the first time and didn't know about alien encounter actually loved it.
I enjoy it and make sure to go on it everytime I go to Walt Disney World. I have taken 2 Disney newbies on it and both loved it as well.
You can't forget the epic fail that was Deja Vu at Six Flags Great America.
For sure! I only saw it open once but was too afraid to ride it because it was always broke down.
I remember ExtraTERRORestrial and I do miss it but I am a HUGE Stitch fan. Though a newly created dark ride would have fit him better I am glad he has an attraction at Disney. I enjoy it regardless.
I'm surprised Dollywood's Timber Tower was not listed. That ride was a mess. It was shut down more than it ran and riders were stuck on the ride, high up in the air frequently. Even when it was working properly (which was a rarity) it wasn't thrilling at all. Now, where the ride once sat, is a patio with picnic tables.
I have to laugh at mention of the alien ride. My dad forced me on it when I was 7, nearly 8. I'm not sure if it was he that wanted to go or my older brother. But he thought it was riskier to leave me in the park alone than to drag me onto the ride.
That was one of the most terrifying moments in my life. I vaguely remember the warning signs, but dear dad didn't seem to take them seriously. That warm breath on my neck nearly gave me nightmares for months.
As far as I recall, I was not the only kid crying after that ride, which is obviously why it became a problem. Several parents seemed to be consoling their kids. I really think they should've had more of an age limit. The warning signs couldn't really explain how and why it was terrifying without spoiling the ride. It came across as simply "Ooo this will be terrifying!" like you see before a cheesy haunted house.
Very interesting read. Thanks!
Windjammer Surf Racers at Knott's Berry Farm.
If Alien Encounter would have opened at Disney Hollywood Studios instead of the Magic Kingdom, it probably would still be here today in its original format. I realize that they re-incorporated the Mission to Mars theaters and that is why it was built at the MK, but the concept was much too "mature" for the family friendly Magic Kingdom crowd.
you didn't mention Britannia park in the uk ,
it's a shame what they did the alien encounter... A crying shame!! The ride clearly had intensity warnings throughout,although ridiculous overbearing parents had to spoil yet another great staple in the World of Disney! "Parents just don't understand"!!
it's a shame what they did the alien encounter... A crying shame!! The ride clearly had intensity warnings throughout,although ridiculous overbearing parents had to spoil yet another great staple in the World of Disney! "Parents just don't understand"!!
Avalanche Run/Disaster Transport at Cedar Point. Avalanche Run's big gimmick was that it was a bobsled. It was a coaster with no track! So as you flew around curves and such it would feel more dangerous. Only, to make sure it wasn't dangerous it was slow. Very slow. And sometimes it would come to a full halt. I remember getting in the ride so excited and almost immediately realizing it was bad. And this was after the excruciatingly long "new ride" line. Go back to the park another season and Avalanch Run is "gone", replaced by Disater Transport. DP was fully enclosed inside a giant building and promised to take you on a dangerous sci-fi ride. So I was expecting an indoor coaster in the dark with maybe some filmed or mechanical dramatic "boo" moments. Wait in a huge long line which featured an okay animatronic setup of the ride's story. Get to the end of the line, get on and immediately realize, hey, this is that godawful Avalanch Run coaster. They just built a building over it so it would be in the dark and added some flashing lights and such. It was still horrible just horrible in the dark with strobe lights. It still sucked. I spent THAT whole ride bored and angry as hell I had been tricked into waiting in line and then riding that piece of garbage a second time when I swore I'd never set foot on it again.
Islands of Adventure's Poseidon's Fury was a fantastic experience when it originally opened, with a breath-taking surprise ending that left you wondering, "How in the world did they DO that?!" Subsequent re-writes and theme changes left us with a neutered, unsurprising show stripped of a lot of its initial wow-factor. Too bad...
Thank you...I was the senior production designer on Poseidon's Fury. We rented the giant dirigible hangar at El Toro Marine Base to mock up the transition finale. It was a fun project...and there were some very innovative effects, from the "water tunnel" to the bronze "Poseidon Time Lock" and, of course, the seamless transition from the Temple scene back to the first scene. My concern was how long our live actors could keep their characters fresh and on point. I haven't seen the show in years and I heard it had been through some changes. We had a great team on Poseidon's Fury and I enjoyed working on it.
So cool! It's incredibly odd now... You walk from the second chamber, through the water tunnel and... back into the second chamber? Makes for a cool transition when the lights go out and the giant temple appears around you, but it doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
Poseidon's Fury was one of my favorite "adventure" at IOA when it opened. In fact for my very first time, I was so mesmerized by the Time Lock that I thought the water tunnel was some type of projection and not real. And in addition to the cool transition at the end, it was impressive you could feel the blast of heat from the Fire Balls. I'm an architect and was just amazed how quick and soundless the transition occurred. Big Kudos for creating something that took my breath away!
I think you forgot the expensive failure of Buzz Saw Falls at Silver Dollar City in Branson Mo!