Merlin's global expansions

[marc]

All looks good but I am still a bit shocked as I thought they would build this near Legoland, which is the place they need to get people to go to. When we were there no one seemed that interested in it and there was zero advertising.

I am just not 100% sure how all this fits in tbh. They originally said Madame Tussauds would be near Legoland and this clearly is not anywhere near.

The Orlando Dungeon would be good simply due to it being the only kind of attraction and agree Sea Life Centre there is no point as they own Sea World anyway.

Sorry I just feel all this is in the wrong location, it needs to be near Legoland and create a resort there.

 

[T0M]

I see no car park on that impression, could mean higher entry fees :lol:

 

[Gavin]

I'm shocked to agree with Ollie!

A "dungeon" would make no sense whatsoever. All of the other dungeons are based around local history and myth. How could that possibly work with Orlando? Wasn't the whole place basically a swamp until Disney moved in?

A generic horror attraction, which is all this could really be, doesn't suit the "dungeon" branding at all.

 

[T0M]

We'll see if Merlin continue the local history theme when they open one at Blackpool later this year.

What is the one at Warwick Castle like?

 

[Ben]

They could do it more as an "American Dungeon" as opposed to "Orlando Dungeon", and you could have a Salem Witch Trail section where they burn you if you're different, a bit where they have a Civil War over who's a racist and who isn't, a bit where Ed Gein tries to skin you (or Ted Bundy to make it a fab Florida serial killer) and maybe a part where they throw mud at you and then chase you with a flaming cross?

I actually think it could be done really well if they looked at the country as a whole...

 

[Ollie]

We'll see if Merlin continue the local history theme when they open one at Blackpool later this year.

What is the one at Warwick Castle like?

The Blackpool one will have scenes like the witches of Pendle Hill and stuff.
All the Dungeons have generic scenes like the court scene, torture room and the mirror maze, but they don't make up the Dungeon as they're just fillers in-between the scenes about the local history.

Even the generic scenes wouldn't fit in in an Orlando Dungeon as they're all from many years ago in the Medieval period and stuff. Whats Orlando going to have? Scenes about mud and empty land and then the history of when Disney was built?

 

[Ben]

^*repeats self*

They could easily do it about American history as a whole as there are enough well-known horrific events to make a whole range of Dungeons out of it they use just an ounce of creativity.

 

[nadroJ]

^I agree with Ben, America has a really bloody history anyway, they could very easily turn it into a dungeon attraction. Serial killers, witches, paranormal activity (maybe even alien abductions?).

My only beef with something like this is calling it a 'Dungeon'. America doesn't have dungeons. Dungeons are found in castles and such, therefore the idea wouldn't tie in that well I don't think.

Who knows, maybe they're doing something completely new.

 

[Ben]

Well, the thing is, the term "dungeon" ISN'T just to do with castles, it's any cell or prison really, it just mainly applies when they're underground.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dungeon

For instance, what Buffalo Bill keeps his victims in in Silence of the Lambs is a dungeon, what slaves were transported in was really a dungeon, witches were kept in dungeons, dungeons were used in the Civil War... So, they do exist in America, and it's thus a legitimate name. Of course, it could be that dungeon isn't used THAT much in America, so they're coming up with an appropiate name for a very similar attraction? I'd personally LOVE to see an American Dungeon if it was done well, American history is frankly sick at a lot of times, it could be fantastic.

 

[nadroJ]

I did think of Buffalo Bill in SotL actually, but I suppose I'm thinking with a British head on. Maybe Americans would more associate the term dungeon with that of the lairs of serial killers and things?

I definitely agree that it could be sooo sweet and sick, for some reason I keep thinking of something along the lines of The Murder Ride from House of 1000 Corpses, with all the different serial killer scenes. I'd love to see a walk through a Ted Bundy style scene, where we see a woman being bundled into a car then follow through to his 'dungeon'.

I want this now....

 

[T0M]

This issue is about the name as a brand being used. I don't think many people would want London, York and Edinburgh bracketed with something in America which features high school shootings and other recent events if they were to go down the route of American history.

They should just call it something else if they are to make that type of attraction. But I'm not sure these sort of things are that popular in the States unless they are much more extreme than our Dungeons are anyway? Chances are they will build it under a different name - if indeed that's what's coming!