If you're going to be in Vegas, and will be wishing you were at Universal, then you have to make time for the Star Trek Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton.
I know, I know, we all think that because this is a non Universal or Disney attraction, that it's just some second rate simulator ride, but it's so far from that that it'll surprise you.
First off, it's two attractions, the original Klingon Encounter, and the new Borg Invasion 4-D, and, yes, there are a few things about them that lack a certain "Dinseyversal" quality, but thats made up by innovative touches that the big two can learn from.
Klingon Encounter starts off as a sort of theme park attraction spoof, with a very, very cool effect that still has me baffled (if anybody knows how they did what I'm talking about, drop me a line), and the way that its sort of tied in at the end is very clever and original.
The main perk of these attractions are the actor interactions and the pre-shows, which are less pre-show an more pre-experiences. In Klingon Encounter, youre beamed onboard the Enterprise, and are able to walk through a few sets, including the Bridge, as actors talk and interact with you. When the titular Klingon encounter starts, you're ushered into an elevator, which malfunctions and begins to plunge a couple hundred stories... and this isn't even the proper ride yet, it's still part of the pre-show experience.
The new Borg Invasion takes this a step further, by placing you even more into the action. Youre on a space station when the Borg begin to attack. The actors playing Starfleet officers rush you into battle damaged corridors to try to get you to escape pods. Thats about fifty people rushing through dark, narrow hallways that are strewn with debris and shooting electrical sparks. Thats when the actors playing the Borg begin to appear and start knocking off the Starfleet officers that are leading you to safety. This is all happening around you... not on stage, and its all still just part of the pre-show. The ride itself is also a lot of fun, and manages to use the 4-D effects in new and creative ways, but your able to truly get into it due to the pre-show experience.
I believe that the way that highly themed attractions started become the norm, and then highly themed pre-shows, and then highly themed queues, the next logical step will be the more standardized use of pre-show interactive experiences.
-Kevin
