Whats makes a good park layout?

When I think of my top ten favorite theme parks layout plays a role in how I rate them. The features of the park play a big part as well. But the overall layout plays a big part of the experience.
Old boardwalks and amusement parks, such as Cedar Point feature a long, narrow park plan, which reflects the nature of being on a coast. Cedar Point, which is over a hundred years of, still reflects this linear plan, as seen to the right.
When Disneyland opened Walt Disney created a new standard of park layouts. This model featured a center icon with different themed areas branching off from it. This model certainly reflects the park being themed and therefor revolving around a story, rather than the goal of amusement at older parks.
Today, this circular model derived from Disney is still used. Here is shown Universal Studio's Isand of Adventure park wchich opend in 1999. What will be the next revamp to the park layout? My thought is that it will be a model that reflects a storyline even more. Instead of symmetrical circle layouts it may be a single path which winds around the storyline of the park. It could be an experience completely revolving around one story.

Whats in a Name?

A ride's name give it a lot of personality. It may be the first or even the only impression someone gets of the ride. For instance if I hear someone say: "Have you ridden the Flight of Fear?" I start thinking about a high speed thrill ride. The sigh gives personality, a mental description of the ride. If a ride changes it name, the ride changes... atleast slightly. A few years ago King;s Island's "Beastie" was renamed and re-themed to become "The Family Odd parents coaster." The ride is still the same (except for the colors). Now, however, I don't think of the ride as "the Beat's little brother." Now the ride is disconnected from the family of thrills the Beats is in. The ride is now just a kiddie ride, for kids. I'm not saying renaming the ride was a mistake (even though some would), all I am saying is a name should be chosen carefully. Its amazing, the amount of impact a name has.

Themed ride signs can be some of the greatest examples of themed logos. The name and themed sign for the "Road Runner Express" coaster is a great example of a name that describes and supports the ride.
















Goliath at Six Flags Magic Mountain is another great example of a ride title and sign which supports a ride experience. Goliath's sign letters are even able to be walked through by park guests, making theme an interactive part of the experience.

Six Flag's other Goliath coasters, however, feature different themed signs. These two signs seem to be less costly of the first one. The image to the right, however, even seems to have a different theme. It has an appealing font, but Im sure if is says "Goliath." It seems to be more futuristic than Biblical. Maybe a different name would fit that font better. Or maybe keeping the name with a theme more like Six Flagss's Magic Mountians. Just my opinion.

Opening Scene

Don't you love the feeling of walking into a theme park. The anticipation grows as you wait in line to enter. You go through the security post, then you go through the turnstiles. As you walk forward and leave the overhead shelter you find yourself viewing the opening scene of the park. That first moment is a great one. At Kings Island, you feel the mist of the international street fountains as you view the effiel tower straight ahead. The more I think about it, the more I reliaze how designed this experience is. The opening, one point perpsective scene you see is usually crowned with the park's icon (the efief otwer of Kings Island. How interesting.
Does a sunny, onepoint perspective scene evoke happy emotions? I wonder how theme park designers design this openeing scene to fill the viewer with excitment.
Let me know if you have any ideas!

Ride Restriants

I came across this image of theme park ride restraints. I am always fascinated by restraints. Their purpose, obviously, is to retrain human bodies, but they should be analyzed on many levels. In addition to being safe, restraints should be comfortable and a part of the ride's story. Do these restraints look comfortable? Do they look like props of a story. I think they could could do better.




The next restraint, is certainly better designed. This shoulder harness for a jungle themed coaster named Kingda Ka is designed to fit a person's body. Unlike the hard, "bumpy" over-the-shoulder restraints, this restraint has thin flexible shoulder straps to give maximum comfort and freedom, in addition to safety. However, the restraint doesn't neccisarily support the jungle theme of the ride.

This final set of restraints are for a new roller coaster called the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit Roller Coaster at Universal Studios, Orlando. The parks markets the ride as a Total Immersion Entertainment and Puts Guests In The Director’s Seat. This is a very successful restraint. Not only is the restraint safe, and comfortably designed, it is also a functional part of the ride's story.
The music themed coaster is the "country’s only coaster where guests can choose the soundtrack to their ride from songs representing five different genres of music. They will use a

personal touchpad – or guest interface panel – mounted on the lap bar to make their selection. The panel is designed for ease of use and visibility. It is military-grade durable and waterproof. And it uses wireless servers to upload each rider’s music pick."

This is a super example of using a restraint for all that it can be: a safe, comfortable, storytelling piece of design.