When we presented our final project we had to give a little speech as if we were talking to a board of people who were looking to fund a theme park project and then answer any questions they might have.
I was pretty much drawing up until the point of turning it in so I had no time to prepare a speech. Which really bothers me because I really hate being unprepared, and I love to give speeches.
My speech went something like this.
The Dark Tower is my proposed theme park. It is based on the seven book series by Stephen King, that follows the last gunslinger as he ventures toward the mysterious dark tower. It blends sci-fi and western genres in a most brilliant way. The other thing that king does in these books is that he uses the lore of the dark tower to tie most of his other books to this world (Salem's lot, insomnia, IT, the stand (the list goes on)), King also ties other authors stories into these books (wizard of oz, harry potter, star wars, tons of other stuff) as well.
The books are unlike anything King has ever written, and I find myself reading them over and over again. I have always been very partial to the adventure story. As a kid I loved to read and watch movies that had these epic adventures, like the princess bride, never ending story, star wars, dark crystal, labyrinth, the hobbit (took me awhile to read lord of the rings).
And like the books this theme park would be unlike any other, and would focus on bringing the gunslingers world to life. Once you walk through the front gate you can visit anywhere in Roland's world, and all the while off in the far distance you can see the dark tower looming in the sky. Impressively tall even at the furthest distance.
This would not be a park centered around rides like Disneyland, or six flags, the idea would be to explore Roland's world, to live in his world. Now of course there will be rides, like you could get on Blaine the Mono and ride through the waste lands, riddling the computer, or escaping the slow mutants under the mountain.
But where this theme park would differ would be that you could go to any place and visit with the characters straight out of the book, because the whole staff would live in the theme park and play as their characters and carry out their daily lives. So you could visit with any character from the book. This includes Roland and his band of travelers.
Throughout the day events would take place that the park goers could go and be a part of, or just spectate. Watch or participate in the battle of Tull, or against the wolves of the Calla. Watch as the city of lud breaks into chaos as the drums from a ZZ Top song emerge from the speakers. If its in the books, its here.
There is a large portion of the books that take place in New York City. This would be planned as a sister park later on. Patricia the Mono would shuttle people from one park to the other.
All guests would take up residence in the park for as long as they wish to vacation for. All the holidays would be done in accordance to Roland's worlds rules, and travel would be by horse, or buggy, or if you wish to walk, there is also that mode of transportation, or just see the sites. Explore places only mentioned by name, or explore vistas and places never mentioned in the books.
This is the ultimate theme park, so radically different that it would not even be classified as a theme park. Instead a whole new category would be created....
I give you the first ever immersion park
The Dark Tower
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