Sally Dark Rides, a leading creator of immersive attractions, and theme fabrication expert Daniels Wood Land recently collaborated to create a brand new standalone dark ride in Monterey, California. The two firms hosted a grand pirate bash celebration to celebrate the opening of Treasure Hunt: The Ride, which is the only theme park attraction to be located on the historic Cannery Row.
The interactive dark ride opened to guests on 22 July. During the grand opening, amidst a band of pirates, a toast of grog and several hundred excited visitors, Treasure Hunt: The Ride was officially christened. The attraction was first announced in November 2021 and the final result is thanks to countless hours and committed artisanship, storytelling, and craftsmanship.
An immersive pirate tale
Treasure Hunt immerses visitors in the story of Captain Hippolyte Bouchard, the only (real) pirate to strike the US West Coast, as a reference to Monterey’s distinctive history. In the prologue, Treasure Hunt suggests that the pirate captain’s treasure and booty were lost in a number of “newly discovered” caverns beneath Cannery Row. Visitors are then fully immersed in a thrilling pirate story, narrated by Molina and his donkey friend, Don Pedro.
To present the new ride, pirates from all around the state of California were on hand to help create the atmosphere of this bygone era of high-seas adventure and treasure hunting. They welcomed invited guests and members of the general public to join them on Treasure Hunt: The Ride so that together they might achieve high scores by fending off skeleton pirates, engaging in interactive features, and locating Captain Bouchard’s treasure.
The band of pirates also posed for pictures and stormed the beach outside Treasure Hunt’s entrance which is where, according to local legend, Captain Bouchard first arrived in Monterey.
Creating a standalone attraction
Sally Dark Rides and Daniels Wood Land (DWL) developed intricate theming elements and an immersive environment to transform the story from a concept into a fully immersive theme park ride. This ensured that the final product was a quality dark ride experience comparable to what visitors have come to expect at their favourite theme parks.
“For more than three decades Sally Dark Rides has developed turnkey dark rides for theme parks around the world that entertain families and guests of all ages,” says John Wood, chairman and president of Sally Dark Rides.
“We have always wanted to develop an original tale and dark ride that could stand all on its own, outside of traditional park turnstiles. Our partnership with Daniels Wood Land enabled us to all come together to create the unique environment located beneath Cannery Row. We are all thrilled with the result and believe the millions of guests who visit Monterey, as well as those who live in the area, will enjoy it together for many years to come.”
Bringing the story to life
The Daniels Wood Land (DWL) creative team had the opportunity to build a setting that was unlike anything else visitors had ever experienced. The team made sure that the scenes of Treasure Hunt have interactive features that surprise and delight as well as complement the pirate story elements, which are delivered through various multimedia components.
“Our team became creative modern-day pirates to bring this tale to life,” says Ron Daniels, president and co-founder of Daniels Wood Land. “We took inspiration from everything in pirate lore, as well as making up some of our own. We thought to include everything and anything. There are more than 150,000 gold coins all strategically placed throughout the ride to set the scene and show our guests what it could look like if they entered a cave filled with lost pirate treasure from more than 200 years ago.”
“Together with the team at Sally we added cave walls and skeleton bones, booming cannons, and chests teeming with jewels, pearls, and gold. The result is fully surrounding guests as they travel onboard their cavern cars and work with Molina to avoid the mighty Kraken while gathering as much treasure as they can.
“Cannery Row has a special place in our country’s history, and through Treasure Hunt, we are also sharing a chapter few people know. Pirates arrived in Monterey and at long last, families can seek their lost treasure together.”
Sally Dark Rides and DWL appointed Alterface to deliver the multimedia interactivity and gameplay
Collecting treasure and dodging the Kraken
The entire duration of the Treasure Hunt: The Ride experience is close to 20 minutes. Visitors learn about Captain Bouchard and his pirate gang and hear the rumours that the crew’s loot is hidden in the caverns that lie beneath Cannery Row. They are given details about hapless Molina, a drunken resident of Monterey who was captured by Bouchard’s crew.
Everyone then gets onto a huge elevator that transports them down to the caverns. The experience goes a little awry, but in the end, it securely stops below. As the guests reach their destination, Molina himself welcomes them, accompanied by his donkey, Don Pedro. Molina describes the objective: riders must avoid both underground monsters and pirates, using interactive onboard “Treasure Collector” equipment.
Through the interactive gameplay of the ride, visitors actively participate in the narrative as they defend themselves against the spirit of Captain Bouchard and attempt to evade capture by the Kraken while also collecting riches. When everything is finished, Molina informs the players of the best scorer in their vehicle.
Power-Up Token
Treasure Hunt’s special Power-Up Token is a brand-new addition to Sally’s classic dark rides and DWL’s interactive attractions. Power-Up Tokens, an add-on to the ride ticket for the experience, significantly enhance the impact of the onboard Treasure Collectors. The Treasure Collectors receive automatic, quick bursts of power thanks to the Power-Up function, which also offers bigger visual effects. This feature also makes it easier and quicker for players to hit targets and rack up points.
In addition to enriching Treasure Hunt’s overall gaming experience, this new feature drives guests to ride again and again as they strive to get higher scores.
The six “Cavern Cars” each hold up to four passengers. Treasure Hunt: The Ride is a complete ride with a minimum height requirement of 52″ to ride alone and 36″ to ride accompanied by another visitor. It is ideal for multi-generational families, groups of friends, and anyone who enjoys gaming. With the use of unique effects including sounds, scents, light mist, themed lighting, as well as hand-crafted set pieces and lifelike animatronics, the full environment of Treasure Hunt comes to life.
Sally Dark Rides also developed the newly opened Uncharted-themed dark ride coaster at PortAventura World, in partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment and Intamin. ‘Uncharted: The Enigma of Penitence’ is a multi-dimensional indoor roller coaster with 700 metres of track and five launches, as well as audiovisual effects and immersive elements.
