The DKE List's 2nd Giveaway Contest:
Design your own Theme Park Attraction

by Bob Schneider

On Sunday, November 4, 2001, the DKE List launched it's second Giveaway Contest. This time, we asked list members to respond to the following question, which was also our Kaiju Topic of the Week:

Suppose you were hired to design a new attraction for a theme park like Universal Studios, except with an all kaiju theme. What would you come up with?

We gave list members ten days (till Friday, November 15) to reply, then set up a panel of three judges, Robert "Sleestak" Porter, Mark J. Tannacore, and myself, to review the entries and pick the most creative post as our contest winner. After carefully evaluating more than a dozen entries, we were bowled over by Trescha Miller's immaginative theme park plans. As our first place winner, she walked away with a gorgeous, giant Godzilla and Mothra: Battle for the Earth Wall Scroll, the grand prize pictured at right. We also picked two runners up, Steve (GodzillaA) and Anker, who both won original drawings graciously contributed by our resident artist Mr. Tannacore.

Congratulations to all the winners, and thanks to everyone who participated. Thanks especially to Trescha, for describing a dream come true for any kaiju fan!

Trescha's Winning Entry

I can't think of a ticket booth design, but there would defintely be commemorative coins/tokens given out when you buy a ticket, and at opening of new rides and other such special occaisions there would be a small limited exclusive figure given out to say, the first 300 people or something.

The rides:

First ride is based on Gamera and the Gravitron. You climb a ramp into Gameras mouth and lean against the mat lining the inside walls of the circular inside area. Once everyone is aboard, the door closes and the lights go down a bit. Gamera begins spinning faster and faster, and the gavity begins to press you against the wall. Some people turn themselves upside down or climb up the wall a bit, until Gamera is spinning so fast that you can't move because you're stuck like a stubborn piece of velcro, thanks to all of the gravity forcing you down. You hear sounds of flying and kaiju roaring and hear thumps and bumps, leading you to believe Gamera is fighting another kaiju. Then it slows down, and the people slowly stumble out to the next ride...

The Baragon Haunted Tunnel. You step into a Baragon shaped car and it enters into a dark tunnel doing down hill. The walls look like dirt and rock, as if this was an earthen Tunnel that Baragon had just burrowed for us. We meander through areas where Hedorahs pop up and Megaguirius larvae thingies leap out as if to grab you. Destroyah type adolescent crab-like kaiju also pop out at you. You ride past a sleeping Rodan, dozing inside of his mountain, and you roll past an open area where there are worshipers worshiping Mothra Larvae. Then you get doused with cold water as you come out of the earhten Baragon tunnel because you just entered the water section of the park, and Godzilla is rising out of the water, fighting Ebirah and rocking your car and making people afraid they're about to get tossed into the water, but the car dodges and you end up at the exit of the ride, safe and wet.

Going to the top of a ladder, you are at the Gaos hang-glide dive. From the top of a ladder, you grap a bar that Gaos is holding onto. Gaos takes off while you are holding on, and then let go and dive into the water as Gaos flies over the water.

For the kiddies, A track that looks like Manda and little car that runs down Manda's back.

Also in this area is a Hedorah ball pit to jump in and play around in (like at McDonalds and stuff) but instead of balls.... Green Jello cubes!!!

Ummm... Oh yeah! The games! There's a game where ytou get to shoot at little Minyas much like the booths where you get to shoot the moving ducks, and a booth where they spin a wheel to determine kaiju fights and you get to place bets on the winner for a little big of gambling action... ummm... A ride where you get to sit in a seat that simulates the feel of being in a fight plane flying around and shooting at Godzilla as he swats at you.

Also, a ride where Mothra takes you high up in the sky and then drops you for a plummet of a couple hundred feet, stopped by parachute (you guys have seen those sort of rides, right?)

Then of course, the Carousel with all of the kaiju in traditional and SD forms for people to ride, People in suits walking arouind for photo shoots with people, all kinds of drinks and candies and goodes all kaiju themed - the green Hedorah toxic slush (lime!) and lemone sour freezy pops, and the like.

Ummm... I'm trying to do this between classes... um.. you get the idea though. I don't think this is nearly as creative as the others, but it was fun! I'd like to ride the carousel (one of my favourtie rides) and try the shoot-the-minya booth!