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.