Since last winter, Fantasy Island (Skegness, U.K.) has been working on their newest ride: Harrington Flint’s Island Adventures. The interative dark ride revolves around the fictional figure of Harrington Flint, explorer and treasure hunter, who requires the help of the riders on his newest quest. Riders are supposed to use interactive guns to help Flint. The ride system was obtained from a defunct ride in Dubai, but the Mellors group (owning the park) built a completely new experience around it. The new dark ride opened last friday, 22 July.
Last friday, no-one less than Harrington Flint himself showed up at Fantasy Island Skegness to join the opening of his brand new dark ride. Apart from Mr. Flint, the opening was attended by James Mellors, representing the Mellors Group, and Leonard Hemingway, acting chair of Ingoldmells Parish Council. Together, they cut the ribbon to open Harrington Flint’s Island Adventures to the gathered public. According to Mr Mellors, the ride has been long in the making, with the idea being in the works already before the Covid-pandemic. “It’s been a dream really. Ever since we first opened Fantasy Island we wanted a dark ride, but not just a ride that does the job, but one that competes with some of the better ones that’s out there,” as Mellors said to Lincolnshire Live.
In Harrington Flint’s Island Adventures, riders join the explorer on a quest. Here, Harrington Flint once again comes face-to-face with Professor Crow, his old enemy. Professor Crow has found the cursed book of Xibalba and is on a mission to raise an ancient Mayan god of war and take over the world. Only the riders can help Harrington Flint to defeat Professor Crow by fighting off his army of the dead. The interactive dark ride uses a combination of physical sets and interactive screens to immerse riders in the ride.
Harrington Flint’s Island Adventure is located inside the Pyramid, the central indoor hall in Fantasy Island. It re-uses the ride system and interactive system of Resident Evil: Bio Terror, a ride in defunct Hub Zero in Dubai (U.A.E.). Both Alterface, who delivered the interactive systems, and ETF Ride Systems, who delivered the vehicles, were involved in the relocation of the ride. “Alterface and ETF were great to deal with, and had a lot of patience when working with our guys on site. Among other things, they changed the intensity of the guns to make the shooting quicker and more responsive,” said James Parker (Director of Operations and Business Development at Fantasy Island) in an earlier press release.
