Daily Debate: How Should a Zelda Theme Park Attraction Work?

Last week, Nintendo announced a partnership with Universal that will bring its biggest game franchises to Universal theme parks. While this is certainly huge news, Nintendo didn’t offer any specific information other than that attractions will feature its “popular games, characters, and worlds.” The Legend of Zelda is obviously one of those “widely popular games,” so it’s not hard to imagine that a Zelda attraction will eventually come to be. With that in mind, we want to know what type of attraction would work best for the world of Zelda.

I expect many fans to suggest a Zelda rollercoaster. While I think a rollercoaster set to iconic Zelda music could definitely work with the excitement and thrills of the games, I have another suggestion. As a fan of dark rides like those seen in Disney parks, I think The Legend of Zelda work best in that kind of theme park environment. For those unaware, dark rides like Pirates of the Caribbean guide attendees through a series of scenes that tell a loose story. Through lighting, sound, and animatronics, dark rides are designed to show riders exactly what they need for a dramatic experience.

Unlike rollercoasters, dark rides are less focused on speed and thrills, and more on senses of discovery and wonder. Discovery and wonder are exactly what The Legend of Zelda are built upon! A dark ride that guides riders through the plot of a Zelda game, presenting major events and epic vistas as it moves along, would work amazingly. Perhaps the ride could even lead riders through a dungeon or two; the ride could hold some bursts fast-paced excitement for a fight or boss segment. If more virtual screens and simulated 3D movements were incorporated, the ride could even offer a different dungeon or experience every time you ride (such as Disney’s Star Tours). In my opinion, the speed of F-Zero is best suited for a rollercoaster and the adventure of Zelda is best suited for a dark ride.

How do you think a Zelda theme park attraction should work? Should Zelda be incorporated into a rollercoaster or dark ride? What other attraction possibilities are there? Let us know in the comments, and Join the Daily Debate!

Rod Lloyd

Rod Lloyd is the Editor-In-Chief at Zelda Dungeon, overseeing the news and feature content for the site. Rod is considered the veteran of the writing team, having started writing for Zelda Informer in 2014 as a Junior Editor. After ZD and ZI officially merged in 2017, he stepped into the Managing Editor role and has helped steer the ship ever since. He stepped up to lead the writing team as Editor-In-Chief in 2023.
You can reach Rod at: rod.lloyd@zeldadungeon.net