Ghost Train Behind Scenes Tour
We recently experienced a Behind the Scenes tour of Ghost Train. Over the last couple of years, the park have significantly expanded their VIP offerings, and these have included several Behind the Scenes tours.
The Ghost Train Behind the Scenes tour takes place after park close. The experience starts in the Angry Birds 4D theatre, where your host runs through a presentation talking through the change from “Derren Brown’s Ghost Train” to the “Ghost Train” we have today. The retheme, codenamed Project Casper, had been planned for over a year, and this presentation shows a selection of concept art images for the final design, construction photos during the retheme and proposals for other ideas too.
One of the key aims of the retheme was to improve both reliability and operations. The removal of VR helps with the relibaility of the attraction. The timings of each scene mean the ride operates significantly more efficiently. It is also designed to operate on 2 trains, rather than the 3 that Derren Brown’s Ghost Train was designed for.
Afterwards, your group is taken to Ghost Train, for an access-basically-all areas tour of the ride. Starting off in the ride’s console, we were shown the operating system for the ride. The ride features two operators, one who controls the ride hardware, and the second who controls the ride’s effects.
The ride features several ‘sections’. These are:
-Pre Show
-Buffer Area
-Platform 13 (onload)
-Train scene 1
-Station 1 (leaving at Chapel Station)
-The Crypt
-Station 2 (getting back on the train)
-Train scene 2
-Offload
-Post show (the shop)
After getting a look underneath Platform 13 (including seeing how the original hanging carriage scene worked – lots of smoke and mirrors…literally!), we made out way to Station 1. Here you see the traverser which moves the trains between Station 1 and Station 2. The ride system for the ride is deceptively simple. It runs in a rectangle, with the trains moving in opposite directions at any one time, and 2 traversers allowing the trains to run in these opposite directions.
A look inside the Crypt followed, showing all of the effects currently in place. A fun fact which you don’t get to appreciate in ‘Show Mode’ is that there are ‘graves’ with the names of people who worked on the project engraved in.
We then got a look on one of the trains. The scenic detail here is really cool, and the amount of effort that was put into this is astounding. We were also shown the areas where the finale actors hide…a cool little secret!
The third train for the ride was not rethemed, and now sits in the ride’s workshop constantly. It is used for spare parts, a conscious decision that was made again to improve the ride’s operations.
The tour gives an excellent look at how the ride system works as well, including the motion base (which currently is not in use…but could well be soon!).
The Behind the Scenes tour ends with a look at the Pre Show, Platform 13 and the end show. Again, this gave us a chance to fully appreciate the theming on show, as well as seeing areas you wouldn’t normally see and being given lots of cool facts!
The tour took about 2 hours in total, and our VIP hosts were able to answer all questions and give a fantastic amount of detail. The tour was extremely interesting, and gives you a complete understanding of the attraction and the amount of work that went into the recent retheme!
As well as the tour, you get a VIP lanyard and pin badge, and an exclusive Ghost Train poster to commerate your tour. Charged at £65pp, or £52pp with Annual Pass discount, the tour is on the pricey side, but definitely worth it!
