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3. The ride design company has quite the pedigree

Image: Universal

Now, while Cirque du Soleil is the main creative brand behind the theme park, they aren’t going to be the ones doing the actual engineering. For that, the two entities have contracted The Goddard Group to help put together the actual themed experiences in the resort.

What is the Goddard Group? Glad you asked.

The Goddard Group was founded by Gary Goddard, who is a candidate for one of Disney Imagineering’s most notable “ones that got away.” Goddard started his career working on the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue at Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground at Walt Disney World, even rising to the role of director for the show.

From there, Goddard briefly moved into Imagineering, before setting off on his own to design attractions and direct theater. His resume includes Universal’s Terminator 2: 3D and Jurassic Park: the Ride, as well as one of the most critically acclaimed attractions of all time: The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man at Islands of Adventure.

Spider-Man and Terminator 2:3D both pushed the envelope on themed attractions. Terminator 2: 3D toyed with the idea of 3D projections interacting with physical actors and props, while Spider-Man perfected it in combination with a multi-axis, moving motion simulator.

It’s a good bet that when combined with Cirque du Soleil’s aesthetic of immersion, the resulting attractions will be unlike anything we’ve seen before. Whether or not it combines actual, physical performers with a show or ride vehicle, it's a good bet that some form of interactivity and use of multiple media will be involved.

4. With all these parties involved, the possibilities are endless

In a post to their company’s Facebook wall, the Goddard Group said this about the forthcoming theme park:

“While we can't get into too much detail at this point, we can say that the "star" attractions here are completely new experiences that don't yet exist in the world.”

The key words in that are “don’t yet exist in the world.” Think about that for a second.

While we’re in the middle of another boom in the themed-entertainment industry, it also seems to be a time when it feels like there’s nothing new under the sun. Disney’s newest stateside attractions have mostly used minor updates on existing technology, while even the bleeding-edge innovation of Universal hasn’t quite made a major leap since Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. In that environment, it’s encouraging to hear someone boast about experiences that don’t yet exist in the world.

And more uniquely, the Cirque du Soleil park has another benefit: it’s not based on an existing media brand.

Universal’s newest attractions have been based on everything from Harry Potter to Transformers to King Kong. Meanwhile, Disney’s rides are focused on classic films such as The Little Mermaid and modern entries like James Cameron’s Avatar. Cirque likely won’t follow in that same mold due to their lack of intellectual property licenses. This gives them the freedom to come up with completely new experiences untethered to any existing property.

Ultimately, that’s what makes this entire project so exciting: a company with a remarkable theatrical aesthetic is combining with a designer with an unparalleled sense of technological innovation to create something that they hope will change the face of the industry. That’s a large goal, but so far, Cirque has earned the benefit of the doubt – and if the final park looks anything like that concept art, 2018 can’t come fast enough.

 
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