Yooka Laylee & Shipwreck Creek. Part Three: Tonic Trouble Continues

 In Yooka Laylee & Shipwreck Creek Part One, I introduced everyone to the Yooka-Laylee property, as well as an overview of my designs for the Shipwreck Creek area that holds the Tonic Trouble dark ride.  In Part Two, I went into detail on the vehicle design, ride entry signpost, and we began entering the queue. 

Today we will continue the journey through the queue line and get on board the ride vehicle, and continue making our way through the Tonic Trouble dark ride storyboards.

Entryway into the Tonic Trouble dark ride show building

Now, we are inside the cavern behind the Bat Ship Crazy galleon we entered into through the queue, and we are continuing deeper into the cavern as we stand in line and learn about this world. Now, I should point out that I didn't design a second line as many attractions do these days. 

For those unaware, the second queue line usually runs next to the main queue line, cutting through switchbacks and things for a more direct approach to the loading area. These are quick-queuing style lanes that hold your place in line digitally through an electronic reservation system and give you a scheduled time to return. 

Fastpass plus queue line entry at one of the Disney parks

 

Showing the two-tier queue setup. Fastpass line on the left, the regular line on the right.

This type of system ultimately makes standing in line take much longer for everyone to the benefit of a few, but it frees up masses of people to be able to shop or buy food, which is probably why its so attractive to these gigantic companies. There are also privacy concerns in my opinion, as the technology that uses physical armbands or the like, enables companies to track your minor children. That's a conversation for a separate blog post in the future, but if I were them, I would quit tracking peoples kids immediately for their own good.

Now then, let's pick up where we left off in our queue line in the caverns behind Shipwreck Creek. Debris and old ship parts lie scattered throughout these caves and much of that has been put to use in this queue as you'll see shortly.

Here are some ambiance and music to give us the proper vibe:

I like the little museum area showcasing some of Yooka and Laylee's adventures and having some of their collectibles in the glass display cases. It helps to make entering into this world real for guests as well as giving some background info for those unfamiliar. Also, its nice to have cool things to look at while waiting in line.

The snake Trowzer above is kind of a trickster. A shady salesperson type of character. In the game he sells new moves to the player in exchange for collectible things found across the gameworld.  Here I had envisioned him being in a holding room (a large room that accepts a mass of guests at one time for a set time period.) This sets up how we end up breaking through into Hivory Towers and getting on the ride vehicle.

I also thought a sideways Captain's Quarters would be a really cool visual element in a place called Shipwreck Creek. I dig the vibe quite a lot.

We appear to have broken through into Hivory Towers Tour facility?! How legit is this new business venture Trowzer is operating?

Now we step through a broken place in the wall into what looks like some kind of back room of Hivory Towers. There are massive pipes around and there is a moving talking version of the ride vehicle, Hooly next to the queue line, interacting with guests. There are diagrams on the wall showing Hooly's blueprints and little baubles and parts around. So this is some kind of makeshift workshop in the back hallways. Then we step out into a tonic-patterned carpeted lobby with ornate hive elements inlaid into the ceiling. There are large oil paintings of Capital Bee on the wall. This is the waiting area to board the Hivory Towers vehicles.

We can look out the archways into a courtyard where the vehicles pass by and clearly see the loading area. The courtyard area resembles a nighttime scene, so there are soft light strings and hive shaped lighting throughout the area. There is no glass separating this lobby from the courtyard so it brings some excitement to the guest to see the loading platform and watch the vehicles disappear around the corner.

And of course, here's some area music:

More queue into the Tonic Trouble rideshow building. If you look closely, you can see the Hooly ride vehicle poking out and the holding area Captains Quarters where Trowzer sets up the ride experience.

The outdoor courtyard is an indoors space simulating a nighttime open air space. There should be sounds of cicadas or crickets in the distance

This is one of the many favorite parts I designed of this ride. I just like the visual of moving through a maintenance area of these living vehicles plugged into the wall to recharge and snoring. Delightful.

Here's a look at the full courtyard area. The arched column wall is not as obscured as it seems in this overview, but I am obscuring the turn of the ride vehicles into the maintenance area with shrubbery and short trees. There's just enough to see to allow people to see the vehicles moving through the space to give anticipation and excitement.

Come back for Part Four! We venture forth into unknown worlds! Let's answer the question: "Why is this dark ride called Tonic Trouble?"

-C