River
Caves, Pleasure Beach Blackpool
It would be
easy to think that Disney was the pioneer or dark rides. Rides like
Pirates of the Caribbean or Phantom Manor are among some of the most
famous theme park rides ever built, and have become the yardstick of the
their genres. In reality, the basic idea for such rides had been around
for decades by the time Disneyland first opened its doors, and as with
so many things, Blackpool Pleasure Beach was there from the beginning.
Britain
doesn't exactly have a formidable array of dark rides. Most UK parks
gear themselves towards thrill rides and don't tend to use dark rides as
a major attraction. Why is this? Well, one reason is that Britain
doesn't yet have any parks owned by film studios, and so there are few
park owners with the right mixture of determination and expertise to
even attempt large-scale special-effects driven rides. As a result,
Britain has acquired a culture where visitors tend not to get too
enthusiastic about rides that place the emphasis on what you see and
hear, rather than what you physically feel.
However, when
we start making generalisations about British parks, there's always one
thing that needs to be remembered: Whatever the rule, Blackpool Pleasure
Beach will be the exception. BPB has always been home to the biggest
selection of dark rides in Britain, the quality of which varies
enormously. From the almost disturbingly surreal Magic Mountain, to the
quaint charm of Alice in Wonderland and the strangely engrossing Gold
Mine, Blackpool is as much a haven for dark ride fans as it is for
thrill-seekers.
The River
Caves sits right at the heart of the Pleasure Beach. Almost entirely
surrounded by the tracks of various coasters, it looks slightly out of
place with its tranquil setting. The ride's exterior has a slightly
quaint look, with a corner of a square building showing the park's
"Mr Funshine" logo, and the rest covered in a rocky façade. A
few characters are dotted around the rocks, while a water wheel nicely
completes the scene, despite serving no obvious purpose. The ride is
built at ground level, but the adjoining pathway is sloped, creating a
handy balcony from which spectators get a good view of the boats as they
emerge from the cave and head down a small drop into the crystal-blue
waters below.
From the
understated entrance, riders are led through a queue area where a
variety of scenes give a preview of what you'll see on your voyage. As
you leave this room, you head straight through the turnstile and onto
the loading platform. The boats are pretty basic, but nice and snug.
Seating consists of three two-seat wooden benches, with no seat
dividers, restraints or even back rests. Fortunately, the ride rarely
gets a queue, and so groups tend to get a boat to themselves.
Although the
boats look and feel quite ancient, they help to create the ride's cosy
atmosphere. Unlike more recent dark rides that use boats of a dozen or
more seats, these relatively tiny boats help to emphasise the feeling
that this is your personal vessel in which to make your journey around
the globe. There
is also something quite endearing about riding in a
boat that has clearly completed more voyages than Michael Palin and
Popeye combined.
Unfortunately,
the ride begins by sailing under a sign saying "Tunnel of
Love". While it may seem strange that a Tunnel of Love should sport
six-seater boats, the sign is in fact a relic of the ride's appearance
in the soap opera "Coronation
Street", when the story required one of the characters to get
dragged into a Tunnel of Love by an unwanted admirer. Unfortunately,
this sign is clearly visible from the spectator area, and it is
difficult not to feel self-conscious if you’re heading toward it with
anyone other than your beloved!
As with many
dark water rides, the entrance to the building is guarded by a waterfall
that turns itself off as you approach. Once through a very narrow
tunnel, the boat bobs straight into the first scene, which isn't the
most logical way to start a ride. A Chinese emperor greets you, while a
rather weedy voiceover recites "Welcome to the River Caves at
fabulous Blackpool Pleasure Beach" before becoming totally
incomprehensible. And with that, the great nation of China is done and
dusted. Let’s move on.
Evidently, the
River Caves is not only a journey around the world, but also through
time, and we go right back to the beginning with the dinosaurs. While
the models are nothing extraordinary, their settings are very tranquil
and atmospheric. Although not exactly spacious, the ride uses the lack
of space to create a tremendous sense of intimacy. At one point, the
rock face lowers, and you have to duck down in order to see the model,
almost as if you are spying on the dinosaur, and trying to get out
before it spots you.
From the
primordial soup of the dinosaur era, we pass to the depths of the ocean,
where we see a shark that is, frankly, far too "cartoon-y" for
the ride. A big papier-mâché shark with a wide grin on its face may be
fine for some of the park's more humourous dark rides, but sticks out
like a sore thumb here. Thankfully, this is the ride's only really weak
scene, and the standards are immediately raised in the next scene, the
Inca civilisation.
Riders with an
interest in the park's history may well recognise this scene's Cubist
look, a style characteristic of Joseph Emberton and Percy Metcalfe,
architects of many of the park's buildings in the mid-20th Century
(including an earlier incarnation of the River Caves frontage, again in
a Cubist style). With its distinctive look and unique atmosphere, this
is possibly the best single scene in the whole ride. The eye is not
drawn to any specific item, but the whole tableau has a warmth and charm
that makes it stand out as one of the ride's highlights. Towards the end
of the scene, the depiction of the Sun God is
surprisingly attractive,
especially as it’s quite obvious that it didn’t exactly blow a
gargantuan hole in the park’s budget.
From this
reasonably large room, the boat meanders into a tunnel barely big enough
to accommodate it, before opening back up into the biggest scene on the
ride, the Blue Grotto of Capri. The boat follows the outskirts of a
quite magnificent scene of stalactites and stalagmites. Again softly
lit, with a soft mellow soundtrack, this scene is perfect. However, just
in case you've forgotten where you really are, it is here that the
Pleasure Beach's bizarre logic rears its head.
Evidently,
there are substantial mineral deposits in the Grotto, as you'll often
see cars from the Gold Mine ride clattering by overhead. Even more
surreal is the fact that the Grotto is also overlooked by one of the
park's many restaurants. I’m no geologist, but I somehow doubt that
the real Blue Grotto has such features. If this were any other park in
the world, it would seem ludicrous, but somehow BPB has a knack of
getting away with these things. Incidentally, if you make the effort to
search out and visit this restaurant, you will realise that the River
Caves actually ventures a lot further from its starting point than you
might have imagined.
While the
diners continue to tuck in, and the Gold Mine riders head back to the
rock face, we venture forth towards a sign that reads "Valley of
the Kings", the most prolonged section of the ride, and the only
theme to continue through multiple rooms. As the boat passes under the
sign, the tunnel again narrows right down, and then opens up into a
corridor lined with Egyptian pillars, all covered with hieroglyphics.
Our long-lost narrator friend re-appears to inform us of the wonders of
the ancient Egyptian civilisation.
At the end of
the corridor, we turn off and head through a series of tombs. As ever,
these scenes have no particular focal point, and no special effects, but
rely on creating a dignified atmosphere of wonder. It would have been
very easy to fail in this, but it somehow works beautifully. Although
some of the rooms in this section are tiny, and therefore occupy only a
couple of seconds of your time, the level of detail is far greater than
you'd ever expect to find, certainly in comparison to the cheap &
cheerful feel of other BPB dark rides.
Emerging from
the tombs, we go straight into the final scene, the temples of Angkor
Wat. Our narrator again chips in, giving a few details of these
Cambodian temples, without directing your attention to any particular
feature. Angkor Wat is probably the most detailed scene in the whole
ride, with lots of small touches on offer for those prepared to search
them out. This is fortunate, as you are likely to spend a lot longer
here than anywhere else. Why? Because the scene includes a small
log-flume style lift hill, which tends to operate in a quite clumsy
manner, meaning you may well spend quite a while stationary, waiting for
your turn to leave Angkor Wat and return to 21st Century Blackpool.
At the top of
the lift, the boat rumbles along a wooden trough, powered by
tyre-boosts. After the tranquil nature of the ride, this somehow seems
inappropriate. As the boat emerges into the open air, it will usually be
held at the top of the drop for a moment. The drop is nice, and nothing
to concern even the most timid of riders. The splash down is nothing to
worry about, as very little water finds its way into the boat. Although
the drop gives the ride a nice dramatic climax, it doesn't really
justify all the messy stop-start preparation it requires. Sitting at the
top of the drop, with a crowd staring down at you in your stranded
vessel, it's difficult not to feel a little awkward, as if they are
waiting for you to start entertaining them. Maybe you should brush up on
your party-piece ready for this moment, as you'll be given plenty of
time to perform it while you wait for the drop.
In judging the
River Caves, it is important to remember the fact that it is not a
multi-million pound special effects extravaganza, and was never meant to
be. Not only does the ride overcome this handicap, but actually thrives
on it. Nothing in the River Caves is going to make you shriek with
amazement, but the ride has an atmosphere and a charm that makes it a
perfect way to relax between thrill rides.
Unlike BPB's
other dark rides, there is very little about the River Caves that relies
on "tacky-charm" to be entertaining, it is just a genuinely
pleasant ride. Unlike many dark water rides, the sense of relaxation is
helped by the fact that the boat really feels like it is floating along
the course, never makes you think that you are rumbling along a
water-covered track, enhancing the sense of authenticity. Similarly, you
are unlikely to see any other boats for much of the ride, which makes
the ride feel very personal and private, and eliminates the
"conveyor belt" feel that some dark rides unintentionally
convey. Riders are never going to leave the boat humming the ride's
soundtrack, but the music and sound effects do an admirable job of
blending into the background and maintaining the ride's sense of
ambience.
The River
Caves has something which very few dark rides can offer, and that is
real personality. Although there is no story to follow, no characters
guiding you through, the feel of the ride more than enough charisma to
compensate. The feeling
that the boat is aimlessly drifting between the larger scenes,
interspersed with dark narrow tunnels, gives a real sense of
exploration. Thankfully, the poorest scenes are at the beginning, and so
it is the second half of the ride that sticks in the memory.
The fact that
you simply pass through scenes, without any particular special effects
waiting for you, gives a peculiar sense that you really are simply
drifting past, almost as if your presence is going unnoticed. This is in
stark contrast to rides like Valhalla, where you enter a room, something
happens (or is supposed to, at least) and you leave again.
The River
Caves does not try to engage you in such a direct manner, and has a very
passive feel. As such, it makes a very welcome change to be on a dark
ride which allows riders a sense that they are exploring what is on
offer, without conveying the feeling of an overly-rigid guided tour.
This gives the ride a sense of timelessness that is highly appropriate
for the kind of scenes it seeks to recreate.
The River
Caves could very easily have been ghastly. You only have to look at
Valhalla to see what can go wrong when you a park tries too hard to
create a spectacular dark ride. Against the odds, the River Caves is a
genuine triumph. OK, it is unlikely to be the thing that is foremost in
riders' memory as they leave Blackpool, but in it's quiet unassuming
way, the ride is a perfect example of the kind of gem you will discover
at BPB once you get past the headline-grabbing rides. The park may be
famous for its white-knuckle thrillers, but there has never been a ride
so perfect for unwinding as the River Caves.
JP 02 October 2003
Good points:
▪ Another Pleasure Beach
ride steeped in history
▪ One of the most
endearing dark rides at Blackpool Pleasure Beach
▪ No added baggage such
as getting wet - everyone can enjoy River Caves
Bad points:
▪ Obviously not a ride
for thrill seekers
|
|