John Wardley on Chessington & Alton Towers (2014)

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  • čas přidán 8. 07. 2024
  • In 2014 theme park developer John Wardley had the misfortune of meeting teenage me and generously gave his time to discuss the early developments of Chessington and Alton Towers.
    Special thanks to John Wardley.
    0:00 Career Beginnings
    1:35 Developing Chessington
    10:31 Designing dark rides, The 5th Dimension and Tussauds Studios
    15:54 Transylvania, The Vampire and Bubble Works
    22:12 Redeveloping Alton Towers, Katanga Canyon and Haunted House
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Komentáře • 14

  • @Stuntman707
    @Stuntman707 Před rokem +5

    It’s just perfect timing to have someone with pioneering ideas like John and a company like Pearson / Tussaud’s who trusted John & were willing to build it. Alton Towers is such a special park but I’d just love to see these types of attractions being built again in the UK but not solely at Merlin parks.
    For example Tulley’s Shocktober Fest continues to be such a great event because they expand every year and are always thinking bigger and better. Shame that it’s only a seasonal attraction, that team could build a great park.

  • @dwayneabsolutelydribblin3903

    He is so so passionate always

  • @Rachael8989
    @Rachael8989 Před rokem +6

    Well this was a nice surprise! Really great interview. So interesting hearing John speak about the different approach to the transit systems; I think it’s brilliant how they did it in Fifth Dimension, with so much potential for great story telling. Unfortunately this is lost in the current lacklustre version of Tomb Blaster. I loved the part when you asked John if he knew Bubbleworks would be a success and he said ‘well I loved it and I knew that everyone else would!’ ☺️ They don’t make rides like this anymore.

    • @louiswright8282
      @louiswright8282 Před rokem +1

      Well I've heard he's (potentially) involved with Duels refurb, so we might see one proper great dark ride come back to life once more.

    • @Rachael8989
      @Rachael8989 Před rokem +1

      @@louiswright8282 I really hope so!

  • @filmsforallnations
    @filmsforallnations Před 4 měsíci +1

    It is a shame that there are no college or University courses, which teaches students how to design and build theme park rides. I remember a career advisor visiting my secondary school in the 1990s and he said that the theme park industry was merely impossible to get into. I used love spending loads of time at Chessington, Thorpe Park, Legoland and Alton Towers, when I was growing up. Before the Internet age, there was no way to learn how the rides were designed and built.

  • @alexk3948
    @alexk3948 Před 2 měsíci

    When I was a kid I never really thought how clever he had been in designing the 5th Dimension but i loved that ride/show.

    • @EuroThemeParkArchive
      @EuroThemeParkArchive  Před 2 měsíci

      He didnt design 5th Dimension only contributed the idea for the ride system

    • @alexk3948
      @alexk3948 Před 2 měsíci

      @@EuroThemeParkArchive I mean how clever he had been designing the ride system - at the time it never occurred to me the complexity of the mechanics required.

    • @EuroThemeParkArchive
      @EuroThemeParkArchive  Před 2 měsíci

      @@alexk3948 Thansk to the clever folks at Mack Rides who still create fantastic ride engineering today!

  • @JustinCoasters
    @JustinCoasters Před 9 měsíci +2

    Wish you asked him about Thorpe Park and Toyland Tours

  • @louiswright8282
    @louiswright8282 Před rokem +1

    Wonderful interview!!

  • @richards6232
    @richards6232 Před rokem +1

    I love ur channel it just fascinates me

  • @jameshall432
    @jameshall432 Před rokem

    I would love the meet him. He seem really interesting to talk too