If I were TLG and Had a Creativity Gene Series: Part 2 - Theme Parks

So after doing the first article about my thoughts on a new theme from TLG, I was really excited to try another one. I really like models and things of that nature and I would love for TLG to get into more themes that I am really interested in (right now the only two themes that really fully appeal to me are LOTR and Star Wars). So, I decided to use my own idea for this next one instead of one mentioned by another member, although I was assume many others have probably thought of this. This is: Theme Parks!

I grew up loving the game Roller Coaster Tycoon. It was so fun to be able to put together giant roller coasters and see if the game's customers liked them (most of the time mine were way too big). This is a big plus for the series because this game proved that pretty much everyone wanted to be a roller coaster or theme park designer (This game was one of the most popular games of the late 90s and early 2000s). On top of that, everyone loves to go to the theme parks, even if you like roller coasters or not. TLG also already has a precedent for sets like this in 10196 The Grand Carousel which, if you haven't noticed, is worth 5 times retail 4 years later and is sitting at an insane 49.6% CAGR (In Fact, that is better than any UCS Star Wars set) and the 4957 ferris wheel which has a respectable 21.46% CAGR.

So we have established this line would be really popular, but what sets would it have? Well, I will use the new Lego Delorian to take you into the future to see:

Bumper Cars

When I think of theme parks, I always think of the biggest rides and in doing this article, I was having trouble coming up with smaller sets to fill out the line (One of the reasons I am not TLG). This would be a very popular set because this is one of the most popular rides among kids.

I see this like a Ninjago Spinners set. The set would have a small area for the bumper cars and then two cars with a minifigure each. These would have small motors in them, as well as random driving mechanisms making them bump into each other. Maybe they could even have it so there was a timer and you had to wind them up and then let them go. They would bump each other until one stopped and that made the other the winner!

This set might not be the investors dream, but would be really popular among children if they had it at a $30 price point or so. Who knows, some of the spinners sets have done really well, and the Chime Speedorz may follow that. This could be a big time winner if it were made.

Minifigures:

• Boy bumper car driver
• Girl bumper car driver

Scrambler

I am including this set because it was one of my favorite rides growing up and would work really well as a small playset. If you aren't familiar with this ride, the middle of it spins, while the separate sections of people spin as well. This is not fast, mind you, but in a way that the spinning compliments each other. You feel you are thrown outward, pulled inward, and then thrown outward again. It's very fun, as long as you don't sit on the outside with someone 100 lbs heavier than you on the inside.

The set would include the machine itself as well as the fence around it with the line area for potential riders to stand. It would include 6 minifigures, two per section of the ride (3 scramblers). There would also be a minifigure theme park ride operator as well.

The ride itself could be turned on or manually turned itself so that it would work just as the original ride.

Minifigures:

• 6 customer minifigures of varying gender, age.
• 1 theme park operator

Ship Swing

This is another smaller scale set and a ride that is a staple of every amusement park I think I ever gone to. There are tons of different variations of this ride including everything from Aladdin to Space Ships. My favorite though are the old looking boats and pirate ships.

One, we know ships have done really well as Legos looking at the Pirates of the Carribean theme and the Pirates theme. This one could be a smaller version made in that image with a motor on the suspension system to make it swing when you turn on the ride itself. Minifigures:

• Theme Park ride operator
• 4 customer minifigures of varying gender, age.

Drop Tower

I assume you are familiar with one of these: at a lot of parks they have been called the “Big shot” or “Drop Zone”, or “Free Fall”. If you got o a lot of theme parks and like thrill rides, you know this is one of the most popular rides. Honestly most of the time I try to avoid it until very late when I am at a theme park because the line is so long. Being a big time favorite among theme park visitors, of course it would make a great Lego set.

In my eyes, it would include the base of the ride with a theme park worker minifigure and his lever that controls the ride. I would make it so that he could actually switch the lever to make it move.

The ride itself would include a fairly tall tower – I am thinking about two feet tall – with 4 seats on it for the Minifigure customers. This would include moving harnesses that would come down over the minifigures' shoulders when pressed down to keep them in. When the lever is thrown, the ride itself would climb up the tower to the top. Once it got to the top, it would quickly, but safely, drop to the bottom for play-ability sake. This set would be awesome for any kid to play with and look really good for anyone trying to display theme park sets together.

Minifigures:

• 1 theme park operator
• 4 customer minifigures of varying gender, age.

Scenic Train Ride

To me, this is always the ride in the theme parks I don't really care that much about because it's boring to me to just ride around and see stuff. Evidently, the thought of some kind of physical harm becoming me is more what I look for in a ride.

However, to normal people, these are widely popular. A lot of kids love train rides and they are very tame rides for parents. Plus, there is no age limit, so everyone rides them! And, I feel like Lego has done trains before and it has worked out fairly well... hmmm.

I am thinking that this set could be a train with two cars. I prefer old-timey steam engines as I think they look really cool. This would also have a system for real smoke to come out of the steam engine and it would have a little horn that could be pulled. It would also be motorized so it go around the Lego track.

The Lego track would be very large so that you could put other rides inside of it for those of us who would collect the whole theme. Also, the train set would come with a few varying exhibits maybe a small zoo area or maybe some smaller versions of theme park rides they don't do a full Lego set of.

Minifigures:

• Train Conductor
• Train guide – with a microphone to sit at the front of the trian.
• 6 customer minifigures of varying gender, age.
• Minifigure animals for the zoo area.

Chair Lift

Another staple for every amusement park out there is the chair lift. This set, while not necessarily being a big time thrill ride, would be one that would appeal to many people just like the Grand Carousel did. First off, it would include a large beautiful mountain side for the lift to bring people up to.

It would include the lift itself as well that would, of course, be motorized so that you could lift minifigures from the bottom of the mountain all the way to the top.

On the top of the of the mountain, there would be a few small modular shops for the minifigures to go into. We all know that we love getting to the top of a mountain after a long lift ride and seeing a bunch of candy shops and souvenir shops to go to. This one would include an ice cream shop, a candy shop, and a souvenir shop. These would all be small but still in the modular theme like the larger sets that are very popular. It should appeal to people who aren't really into theme park rides themselves.

Minifigures:

• Theme Park ride operator
• 6 customer minifigures of varying gender, age.
• Candy shop cashier.
• Ice Cream shop cashier
• Souvenir shop cashier.

Yes this would be a very big set, but can you really sit here and say you don't think it would be a good investment?

Roller Coaster

You knew this was coming. Now, Lego would not be the first. Kinects has had some roller coasters int heir line for quite a while and they have been fairly popular. However, Kinects is not half the company Lego is.

Lego would absolutely make the best model roller coaster ever seen. It could have a loop or two as well as several hills and a barrel roll. Of course. it would also have a chain lift so that it could lift the cars up to the top of the first hill and then of course it would be designed so that the Lego coaster cars would carry their momentum through the whole set.

It would also come with a photo booth at the end of the last big hill that would light up when it sensed the car under it so that it seemed like the minifigures pictures were being taken.

The loading section would be raised from the ground with an exit and entrance path that included ramps down to the ground. Best case scenario, the coaster would be built on a Lego ground that included Trees and Shrubs to really fill out the landscape and make it look like an actual Theme Park roller coaster.

Minifigures:

• 2 theme park ride operators.
• 8 customer minifigures of varying gender, age.

So what makes the theme viable? Well, besides the fact that theme parks are really popular and what we had discussed before with the Lego ferris wheel and grand carousel, these sets have to be done with great detail. They need to capture every feeling of the theme park experience. This could be one of those themes as well that just keeps on going and going as there are 1000s of rides that could be don. Kids and collectors could keep making their theme park bigger and bigger.

The one downside is that there aren't a lot of different minifigures, with a lot of them being customers. So Lego would need to do like the minifigure series and make each customer different in each set. They could also do some special poly-bags that included street performers or other types of theme park workers like maintenance workers. Either way, in my book, this theme would be a total homerun!

What types of theme park sets would you like to see? Do you agree that this would be a popular theme?

Note: All of the information here are my own opinions and are pulled from my experiences. You may or may not have success with these methods.