November 16th marked the first day of the IAAPA Expo Trade Show, this time held in Orlando (Florida, United States). The yearly event brings together many industry leaders and is known for its many exciting announcements. One of which is the announced collaboration of Daniels Wood Land and Sally Dark Rides (dark ride designer) on a brand new Treasure Hunt dark ride for Cannery Row in Monterey (California, United States).
The project carries the name Treasure Hunt: The Ride and will be a specially designed standalone interactive dark ride with a pirate theme. Cannery Row used to be home to a multitude of canning factories but has become a tourist attraction since the 80s with the opening of the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium. The ride will be constructed in the cellar of 700 Cannery Row, a former canning factory which already features many shops and experiences. Initiator Daniels Wood Land manufactures themed sets and shooting galleries and enlisted the help of famous dark ride designer Sally Dark Rides to ensure the Treasure Hunt dark ride will become a top of the line attraction.
According to IAAPA, the experience will last 20 minutes including the queue and a pre-show with animatronics. Promotional artworks grant us a glimpse into the inside of the ride. There will be a variety of physical decors handcrafted by Daniels Wood Land, enhanced by 6K media and projection mapping. Guests will enter the underground cavern, which supposedly once belonged to real life pirate Hippolyte Bouchard. They can then step into one of the 6 four-seater rail guided Cavern Cars. The cars will include special effects like onboard audio and seat vibrators as well as hand guns. These so-called Treasure Collector devices will help guests to defend themselves from sea monsters and the like and allow them to pick up treasure they find along the way. Treasure Hunt: The Ride is planned to open in 2022.
