How to Design a Theme Park (To Take Tons of Your Money)

How to Design a Theme Park (To Take Tons of Your Money)

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Writing by Sam Denby and Tristan Purdy
Editing by Alexander Williard
Animation led by Josh Sherrington
Sound by Graham Haerther
Thumbnail by Simon Buckmaster

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37 Responses

  1. Man Carrying Thing says:

    Wendover making theme park content is the kind of gift I was not expecting today

  2. Vigilant Cosmic Penguin says:

    I’m looking forward to when Sam inevitably uses this knowledge to create his own theme park, Half as Amusing.

  3. Stephen Zaksewicz says:

    Huge theme park and Disney fan AND Wendover fan, avoided YouTube spoilers for years so as not to ruin the first ride experience, got to Galaxy’s Edge for the first time YESTERDAY, got to enjoy the full new Wendover video on the day of its publication today 😀

  4. David Feltheim says:

    And the existing land is the scaled down version. Initially Imagineers played around with the idea of recreating existing planets like Tatooine and Endor but dropped it for the sake of creative liberties and tying it into the sequels, and Black Spire was going to be designed around a transportation motion simulator riding a large Batuu creature as well as some experiences they dropped to put in the Star Wars hotel. Even the sit down dining experience at Oga’s cantina hasn’t been built yet.

  5. Wesley Gill says:

    I think this is something that VR games need to capitalize on. The idea of experiencing a story is something that ive only seen half life Alyx do well, and I think that if the industry is ever going to blow up, it needs to be able to offer that.

    • Adog312 says:

      @Shawn Elliott Headsets are pretty light and compact nowadays. You don’t want it to be sunglasses, you’d understand if you tried VR. That would give you light leak, no adjustment on the lenses, it would suck.

    • TheBillerator says:

      @johan13135 Source? I can play for hours without sickness, that literally makes your statement false.

    • Shawn Elliott says:

      VR will never blow up as long as it requires bigass goggles on people’s faces. Get back to me when they can do it with something the size and weight of a pair of sunglasses.

    • Tinil0 says:

      I think the bigger problem is that these experiences can actually simulate motion and VR will never be able to do that. Simulated motion is such a massive part of being immersed because our sense of proprioception is way more relevant than we realize. VR utilizing actual movement is risky because of, you know, limited room in your front room. VR can provide the story, but it’s just going to feel hollow and fake.

    • LeTtRrZ says:

      I can’t speak for everyone, but I personally don’t like to put on an eye-straining device to play games. If they somehow got more light weight glasses that can impose holograms over real life, or in the more distant future had that Black Mirror thing that you stick to the side of your head, I’d be all for that.

  6. Dakota M says:

    Having been to both Disney and Universal, Harry Potter World is the only only theme park I would go back too, partially because I’m a huge fan and as of today that’s the closest you can get to experiencing the world. Even waiting in line was a wonderful experience and part of the ride itself. I for one hope more theme parks are built so well so that other people can have the same joy I had with whatever worlds defined their childhood.

    • Badr A says:

      Waiting in line has to be good cause that is the worst part of a theme park and where you spend most of your time

  7. Ewan Tennant says:

    This is probably the best wendover video yet. Not just because I’m a huge theme park geek but also because it follows a story so well and brings so many topics into one video. I would however like to point out that galactica is not rated top 50 in the world and never really was

    • Daniel González says:

      I henceforth declare it to be top 49 in the world. Gotcha.

    • Biden Lost says:

      It’s pretty stupid that there’s fifty in the world to rank.

    • James Salisbury says:

      “In Amusement Today’s annual Golden Ticket Awards, Air was ranked in the top 50 steel roller coasters numerous times following its opening. It peaked at position 24 in 2003,[26] before dropping to position 34 in 2004 and 36 in 2005.[27][28] In 2006, it tied for position 49 with another Bolliger & Mabillard flying coaster, Superman: Ultimate Flight.[29] It would not appear in the top 50 again until 2015 when it peaked at 38.[30]”

    • EvanAviator says:

      I agree I really enjoyed this vid

  8. Leon Hill says:

    My now wife and I visited Hogsmeade / Diagon Alley near when it first opened. It blew us away. Unlike anything we’d ever experienced. The entrance to Diagon Alley was just perfect. Slightly occluded, a little bit of music to set the tone, and then BAM you’re in a whole new world. The Hogwarts Express to take you between the two parks and having to pad admission to both was a clear money grab. But we paid it with a smile and would do so again.

  9. Chris Bueneman says:

    As a lifelong Star Wars fan and only a casual Harry Potter fan, it’s no contest as Universal’s Harry Potter World wins by a mile. Galaxy’s Edge feels like the equivalent of Disney making a Harry Potter land that only Included characters and settings from the Fantastic Beasts trilogy.

    • ProcrastPerfection says:

      I completely agree

    • Tetsuron says:

      Kathleen Kennedy convinced Iger that they should build the attraction based on the sequel, I forget the exact argument but it had to do something with looking into the adventures of the future instead of the past.

      Either way it was dumb decision, because millions of people already _had_ an existing emotional connection with the _old_ characters they could make use of, instead of their own untried version of the property. Which, at this point, isn’t popular with anybody. If they were to build an attraction and then add new content later, they should’ve started with OT and then added sequel content once those waters had been tested and proven worthwhile.

    • schnee jacques says:

      I felt the Avatar land was much more better than stat wars land.

    • maxwell yedor says:

      Same. I liked Galaxy’s Edge, but honestly one lap through and I was good. It won’t be my first stop on my next trip to Disneyland, oddly I’d rather go back to Cars Land than GE. Harry Potter Land at Universal was awesome, and while smaller, is done better IMO. There’s less merchandise just laying about, it’s in the shops behind windows that are full of entertainment, makes it feel much more immersive. Butter beer was a stroke of genius, I felt zero need to have a Star Wars themed Coke, I wasn’t thirsty and know what Coke tasters like, but I had to get a Butter beer, and there’s only one spot you can get it. The rides at GE are better, but the area is way less cool.

    • Bradley says:

      Galaxy’s edge is good but Harry Porte that’s 3 more rides if it had more rides it would be better
      But hey at least it’s muuuch better than Avengers Campus.

  10. DavidinSLO says:

    Visited Disneyland’s Galaxy’s Edge in July 2919 (before “Rise of the Resistance” opened – which I understand is an amazing experience).
    “Smugglers Run” (the Millennium Falcon ride) was very well themed, but the ride itself was “just ok”.
    Overall, I was unimpressed with the overall land. Felt like a Star Wars “inspired” shopping mall — with ZERO emotional connection to the beloved original franchise or original characters. Which makes absolutely no sense. Talk about an incredibly wasted opportunity. Whatever … my family and I left to enjoy the rest of Disneyland/California Adventure.

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