340+ PROJECTS AND COUNTING

The entrance to LEGO movie world with a crane made out of LEGO holding the sign
DARK RIDES
Dark ride attractions are often among the most popular at a theme park. Aiming to immerse guests in rich, imaginative worlds, dark rides regularly feature media, lighting and special effects to offer compelling experiences. Narrative is often central to the design here and plays an integral role in providing a journey that unfolds across the ride experience. It’s for this reason that dark ride design frequently makes use of pre-existing IP for theming, working with films, TV shows, or video games to connect with a fanbase and employ pre-existing storylines or characters. Our team of designers at Scruffy Dog Creative Group are specialists in dark ride design, incorporating an enormous range of elements for storytelling and theming to bring these amazing attractions to life. Having created rides for theme parks across the globe, we prioritise guest journey design to curate unforgettable experiences for visitors.
Case Studies
GRUFFALO RIVER RIDE – CHESSINGTON WORLD OF ADVENTURES, UK
A concept image of the outside of The Gruffalo ride with people walking into the entrance
A concept image of The Gruffalo ride with 2 people in a boat
A concept image of The Gruffalo ride with 2 people in a boat
The outside of The Gruffalo River ride entrance which include blue and green walls
The loading area for The Gruffalo river ride and boats in the station
A scene from the Gruffalo river ride with a boat and a large Gruffalo figure
GRUFFALO RIVER RIDE – CHESSINGTON WORLD OF ADVENTURES, UK

Scruffy Dog Creative Group were responsible for the dark ride design of the immersive and enchanting Gruffalo River Ride at Chessington World of Adventures. The creative scope of works for this project included adapting the narrative into an entertaining and workable ride format before producing concept design, and detailed development as well as schematic design services. We also provided a 3D flythrough for the entire experience. Our concept artists provided dark ride design concepts for not only each scene of the ride itself but the ride exterior, queue line, loading/unloading station, and the ride retail gift shop. Separate from the dark ride project itself, we also provided unique designs for a selection of Gruffalo highly themed hotel rooms which accompanied this attraction.

GHOSTBUSTERS 5D – HEIDE PARK, GERMANY
Ghostbusters 5D entrance sign
Inside a Ghostbusters themed shooting ride
People on Ghostbusters themed ride close-up
Scaling images for Ghostbusters themed carriage
Inside a Ghostbusters themed shooting ride
Inside a Ghostbusters themed shooting ride
GHOSTBUSTERS 5D – HEIDE PARK, GERMANY

In 2017 Heide Park, one of Germany’s biggest theme parks, unveiled a brand new interactive dark ride based on the globally renowned IP; Ghostbusters.

Heide Park called Scruffy Dog Creative Group to provide the Initial concept & development, schematic design, themed production and realisation for all the theming for innovative Ghostbusters dark ride attraction.

On the ride, visitors join forces with the Ghostbusters team and become part of the action as they battle against supernatural creatures and ghosts. The ride combines state-of-the-art technology with impressive special effects to create a spectacular, interactive 5D experience.

It begins in an old abandoned fire station which serves as the headquarters for the Ghostbusters and the attraction’s ride station. Visitors are then equipped with 3D glasses and enter the ride vehicle, designed to look like the iconic Ecto-1 car from the movies. As the ride begins, visitors are transported into another dimension and taken on a thrilling journey through ghost-infested streets and haunted buildings.

When it opened, the ride garnered a resoundingly positive reception across the globe; it was a hit with fans of the franchise and attracted fresh attention to the movies, series, and games.

THE WALKING DEAD RIDE – THORPE PARK, UK
Outside the Walking Dead The Ride entrance area
Loading area for Walking Dead The Ride
Drawing concept of outside The Walking Dead The Ride
Concept image for The Walking Dead the Ride
Concept image of a room inside the Walking Dead The Ride
Concept image of outside The Walking Dead The Ride
THE WALKING DEAD RIDE – THORPE PARK, UK

‘The Walking Dead: The Ride’, based on the titular zombie apocalypse-themed TV show, opened at Thorpe Park in 2018.

This project serves as a great example of how Scruffy Dog Creative Group succeeded at transforming an existing experience into a highly attractive, revitalised experience. In this case, an indoor rollercoaster transformed into a new concept with a strong IP.

Paying close attention to guest journey design was pivotal during the development process. The Walking Dead IP required an exhilarating horror theme to fully deliver on the expectations of franchise fans. Our team of dark ride designers provided concept design, development, schematic design, themed production, and realisation services for this project.