Lava Field III: Rides & Attractions
This is part three, and the final installment of an ongoing series discussing the proposed Lava Field themed area. In the last section, we talked about the park's masterplan and the area's central architecture, the Geothermal Power Plant. In this article, we will explore the ride and attractions offered in Lava Field.
Guide Map
The map below details the rides, attractions, shops and restaurants around Lava Field. Here we'll focus and detail on the three anchor E-ticket rides / shows:
- The Lava Field Geothermal Plant: Roller coaster ride
- Lava Field Expedition: Scenic drive-through
- The Vulcan Legend: multi-media performance.
The Lava Field Geothermal Plant
The Back Story
The Lava Field Geothermal Plant is a thrilling rollercoaster ride that forms the centre piece of the Lava Field. The backstory of the ride is as follow:
"A new geothermal power plant was constructed after some geophysicist discovered the rich potential of the lava field, which is the backstory for the Lava Field Expedition Ride. This is no ordinary power plant. Situated in some of the most exquisite and geologically delicate lava field sites, it has attracted many visitors from around the world to see this magnificent feat of engineering. The greedy developers wanted to cash-in on this tourism boom, and decided to offer daily tours into the geothermal facility. An innovative vehicle system was developed to convey tourists deep inside the power plant. Naturally, safety was not their top priority, and the tour started operating without much safety precautions. One day, half-way through the guided tour, an unprecedented volcanic eruption struck..."
Location of Ride
The ride itself is spread across the entire Lava Field. The Geothermal Power Plant structure will serve as the main entrance and the attraction facade. Behind the structure is the queueing, ride loading & unloading, and maintenance building. There is a primary show building at the top right which houses the majority of the show scenes of the ride, and a smaller secondary show building, disguised behind rock-works, is located at the centre of the park
The Ride Loading Bay
Once guests go through the geothermal power plant facade, they will pass through a few power station control rooms before entering the main lava cave themed queueing area.
The main purpose of the queueing is to build anticipation for the actual ride ahead. This idea is cemented in the design of this room, where guests spiral down a grand lava cave before arriving at the bottom where the ride loading bays are situated. It is worth noting that the first show element after the ride has dispatched is a vertical drop into a 'void', where the queueing guests cannot see the bottom. The spiral downward queueing arrangement along with the vertical drop visually evokes the idea of journeying deep into the volcano. The (almost certain) screams from the guests onboard during the drop further heightens the tension and anticipation of the queueing bay ambeance.
Logistically, there are two loading and two unloading bays (4 platforms). Ride vehicles return to the station from the far left and far right track at the bottom of the concept art above. Vehicles will unload passengers before making a U-turn to the centre of the lava cave for boarding. Ride vehicles dispatch in alternating fashion between the left and right platform. The two tracks will merge after the vertical drop. Having two platforms allow more time and legroom for the boarding process.
The Ride Vehicle: The Deep Earth Explorer
Guests will then board the Deep Earth Explorer to begin their tour of the geothermal power plant. The ride vehicle has quite a few special features. Firstly, it has a very distinctive steam-punk finishing that echoes the geothermal power plant itself. The drilling head at the front can actually spin. However, to reduce the weight of the vehicle, it is not powered by a motor. Instead, it is simply connected to one of the wheel axes so that it will spin when the vehicle moves. There will be a few exterior section of the ride where pedestrian will be able to see the vehicle. As such the spinning drilling head is more of a show effects for the spectators, not for the riders on-board. Furthering that, there is on-board smoke effects when the vehicle is in motion during exterior sections. As such, when the coaster swooshes by, bystanders will see a trail of smoke being left behind the vehicle. This, in general, adds another dimension of visual kinetism and energy to the overall Lava Field area.
The Ride Experience
The ride itself is a hybrid of dark ride and roller coaster. The ride layout, and thus the ride story, revolves heavily around the aforementioned track arches, where the vehicle is accelerated via an inductive motor before being shot up the arched track.
This kind of track is not new by any means, my favourite being Stealth at Thrope Park in UK. However, they have always been used in a very limited way. In particular, there is usually only just one single arch, and they are usually in amusement parks (i.e. without theming). In the Lava Field, these arches are integral to the story of the ride as it re-creates the experience of a volcanic eruption.
For the arches to look like volcanic eruptions, they cannot afford to have the intrusive supporting columns and beams like to case of Stealth. As such, the arches must be able to stand on it's own. I propose a few possible arch type that can be used:
A catenary curve is the most obvious solution when it comes to free-standing arches. It is frequently used in civil engineering because it optimises the loading and forces so that no bending moment is resulted. The Gateway Arch in St. Louis is a classic example.
However, from a theming perspective, a parabolic curve is more appropriate since the arches themselves are suppose to represent exploding lava from an active volcano. Lava (and just about any object) being thrown upward follows a parabolic trajectory. However, I am unsure whether a parabolic curve is structurally sounding when it is standing freely without supporting column.
Another consideration is the ride experience. The parabolic curve optimises the g-forces and reduces nausea at the top of the curve. On the other hand, an elliptic curve would deliver more extreme sensations, falls and g-forces. Now, ultimately, I am unable to determine which family of curve should be used. It's up to the civil engineerings to tell me which one works best!
Having settled on the arched track, we can now take a look at the ride itself.
After leaving the loading station, the ride vehicle takes a tour around the Geothermal Power Plant (with an on-board audio guide). Mid-way through the tour, there is an unexpected volcanic eruption. After momentary confusion with loud sound and smoke effects, the vehicle accelerates and is shot up the first arch before tumbling down the earth. At high speed, the ride vehicle navigates through a series of tight lava tube. Then, the riders reach a dead-end and stop. The onboard tour guide (audio) desperately tries to call for help and keeps ensuring the guests that it will be fine. Before the tour guide can finish his call for help, an earthquake strikes yet again. The ride vehicle accelerates again, and is shot up the second arch. After the fall, the riders find themselves in a large lava cavern with red hot flowing lava. It is now clear that the tour group is now in grave danger. Suddenly, the lava cavern vibrates as a loud thundering sound comes from a distance. Turns out, the cavern is caving in rapidly as boulders fall from above. The tour guide tells the passenger to hold on tight as the vehicle accelerates as fast as possible to dodge any falling debris. Making a turn, they see a beam of bright sunlight coming from far ahead. Hoping that it's an exit, they drive towards it. Moments afterwards, they find themselves flying across the sky (on the third and fourth arch) before landing on the geothermal power plant again.
Physically, the ride is spread across multiple show buildings as seen below:
- Ride loading bay;
- Vertical drop before the two tracks merge;
- Ride vehicle maintenance bay (during the actual ride, vehicle bypass this area)
- Geothermal Power Plant towers
- Visiting the interior of the power plant
- Volcanic eruption and first acceleration
- Lava tube scenes
- Lava carven scenes
The Vulcan Legend
The Vulcan Legend is a multi-media performance in a dedicated theatre. It celebrates the ancient myths and legends that surround the volcano.
The theatre sits at the far side of Lava Field. From the outside, guests will only see the tip of the volcano. Only when they enter the theatre will they realise the body of the volcano is actually made up of Pele, a Hawaiian Goddess of volcano, and the lava is actually her beautiful flowing hair.
The theatre has a curving shape, which echoes with the flowing lava. The overhead trusses keep the theatre's theme cohesive with the more industrial looking geothermal power plant.
The theatre is open-air, which is partly inspired by the Roman Tarragona. The open-air nature of the theatre also allow pyrotechnic effects during the show. The seating area forms a 'V' shape, with three levels of seating area on each leg. The opening on the lower right hand corner of the show building is the queueing / waiting area for the performance. I have not thought through the exact performance yet, but I imagine it to be based loosely on the Hawaiian legend of Pele. I'd refer you to this website to learn more about her story:
"... Hawaiian legends tell that eruptions were caused by Pele, the beautiful but tempestuous Goddess of Volcanoes, during her frequent moments of anger. Pele was both revered and feared; her immense power and many adventures figured prominently in ancient Hawaiian songs and chants. She could cause earthquakes by stamping her feet and volcanic eruptions and fiery devastations by digging with the Pa'oe, her magic stick. An oft-told legend describes the long and bitter quarrel between Pele and her older sister Namakaokahai that led to the creation of the chain of volcanoes that form the islands... " extracted from Crystalink.com
The Lava Field Expedition
The last attraction in the Lava Field is the Lava Field Expedition. It is a ride that simulates a real scientific expedition on the Lava Field. The following photo highlights the entrance to the ride, but the ride itself span a large area of Lava Field
The story for this attraction is simple. You have been invited to join an expedition to a remote Lava Field where geologists have recently discovered. You goal is to collect some rock samples and do some analysis on the area to determine whether it is suitable for the development of a geothermal power plant (which, of course, ties neatly into the Lava Field Geothermal Plant ride).After a short briefing of the mission, guests will then board the L.P.V (Lava Pioneer Vehicle).
The L.P.V. is very much a NASA inspired vehicle. It features a wide windscreen which can afford excellent panoramas during the ride. The ride vehicle sits four people in a row, all facing forward along the windscreen. Three will be just passengers, whilst the remaining one will be the driver! Consider the Lava Field Expedition as a twist to the classic Disneyland ride, Autopia.
The driver will have a small degree of control over the direction of the vehicle which is confined within a path, and have some control over the speed with the pedal. Note that the driver cannot stop the vehicle due to the pacing of the ride itself. However, he can control the speed, which will in turn determine the bumpiness of the ride (faster = more thrills). Though, the speed is tuned such that, even at the fastest speed, the L.P.V can never catch up the vehicle in front to prevent collision.
The drive itself spans about a third of the Lava Field area (Huge!), and I anticipate it to take about 2-3 minutes at most, depending on the driving speed. There will be on-board audio guide which conveys information about the landscapes the guests are witnessing.
And here are some highlights from the ride experience:
Other Attractions
Besides the three main anchor attractions, there are other point of interests. Most notably, the Fumaroles Play Area, which is a free-form play area where children and adults can run around in steam-filled area. (actually, steam-looking smoke. We have no intention of cooking anyone at Lava Field!)
Fomaroles, the latin word for smoke, are actually openings of earth's crust. They emit gasses like carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide and sulphur dioxide. Fomaroles in Iceland always attract and fascinate children and adult alike. The smoke they generate will also propagate across Lava Field, the area more visually exciting and mysterious. Plus, they are great photo opportunities.
The wall behind the Formaroles Play Area is temporary. For now, it features some weird and curious lava formations as seen in the photos below. However, if needed, the wall can be knocked down for future expansion of the Lava Field (i.e. new attractions and offerings etc.)
Concluding Remarks
I hope I have gotten you excited about the Lava Field. I think it will be a unique and immersive experience for everyone who visits. However, there are still a lot left to be designed, including the actual show scenes for the Lava Field Geothermal Plant ride, the performance of The Vulcan Legend, the detailed plan of the rocks and volcanoes etc.
Can it be built? Yes. Will it be expensive to build? Yes. I have designed Lava Field to be practically possible to build. At about 10 acres, the land needed is not particularly huge. Any new theme park can easily incorporate it. The Lava Field will require a huge amount of rock-work though. This has never been done before in any theme park. Most theme park have rock-work that is placed at the centre and guests will walk around it (think Big Thunder Mountain). Even the impressive rock-work in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure is still a one-dimensional backdrop. Lava Field proposes an immersive three dimensional rock-work, which will surely be expensive to build and maintain. However, I can reassure you that the end-result will be stunning.
If you have any comments and suggests, please leave them in the comment section below. Perhaps you have some brilliant ideas on how to take the Lava Field to the next level, or you might foresee some unexpected flaws in my design above. Please let me know!