The stowaway ride

[thecharlady]

Hi all, I'm new to the forum but have been following the campaign for a good long while - can't wait for 2014! I thought I would ask a question that has been bothering me for a while and I hope one of you can answer!!

As a child in the 90s I used to love the stowaway ride - it was a river caves effort in the entrance to the park in the cinema building where the amusements were, and it was the one with the giant octopus. I also seem to remember a "scene" where a man/pirate was sat with a tarantula on his face which has stayed with me thanks to my acute arachnophobia- my question is did this spider man exist or are my memories false?

If any of you can shed some light on this I would be grateful, especially if there is any photographic or video evidence of it! Would love to see it, or any part of the ride, once again as I have yet to find anything related to it online.

Thanks!

[dave771]

As far as I am aware all of the features of the Stowaway ride have been removed. I think the man you were referring to was as you left the station, he sat in a rocking chair next to the very annoying parrot that used to tell jokes. I have no images or video footage of this ride but will keep my eyes open for you.

[thecharlady]

Thanks for replying Dave, I seem to remember him being near the start of the ride but can't see why I would have been scared by a parrot...! That's great, thanks

[vann98]

For years I have had a deep interest in the old stowaway ride. It is one of those attractions that I remember being there but can barely remember a thing about it.
I have searched all over the web for just one picture of the old ride and yet, nothing. The only thing that came close was a tiny picture on the left hand side of a 1997 brochure.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/trainsandstuff/2996559379/in/photostream/

Sorry I couldn't answer your question, but I hope someone else has some pictures of the old scene/and or others somewhere.

[thecharlady]

Thanks, Vann! It's more than I've been able to come across so far. Let's hope somebody does

[Gary]

Hi thecharlady.

Sorry cant help with the spider nightmare other than to offer up a bit of history about the ride from somewhere out there in Google Land

A river caves ride (‘the Stowaway’) was added to the Cinema building at Dreamland.

"A Ride That Will Shiver Your Timbers."

The Stowaway ride was heavily hyped and was hoped to be the savious of Dreamland as it was then:

Strange example of which, now follows:

"..Most amusement park rides are designed to scare the wits out of customers -- but there's a ride being built in England that's scaring the daylight out of the workers constructing the ride.

Workers at the Dreamland amusement park are refusing to continue construction of a new ride called the "Stowaway" at night because they claim the ride is haunted.

The workers say they've been hearing strange sounds, weird whispers and feeling "cold ghostly sensations" during nighttime construction.

Dreamland spokesman, John Nurden, says the park has received reports of a mysterious teen-aged ghostly girl who prowls the grounds at night.

Nurden says legend has it about 100 years ago a pretty teenaged girl -- who may have been a prostitute -- was killed in the old park by a kinky circus strong man after she denied him sex.

Ever since then, she has been haunting the amusement park.

Nurden says the park plans on hiring a ghostbuster to perform an exorcism so the workers will be able to complete construction of the ride by the start of summer..."


In reality it didn't live up to expectations. They tried various publicity stunts along the line of it being haunted during the construction which ensured media coverage - but sadly - it wasn't enough.

"..Unfortunately one of the star rides, the Stowaways, was removed from the entrance plaza for the start of the current season. It was like a smaller version of Professor Burps Bubble Works at Chessington. Scenes included a bustling port where sailors preparing for a voyage. The engine rooms, a storm (including fans and a waterfall) and under the sea with a giant shipwreck..."

The Stowaway was dismantled and moved to Loudoun Castle, where it operated as an open-air attraction: The Drunken Barrels.

Loudoun Castle images courtesy of UK Rides:

http://www.ukrides.info/col/loudoun/drunkenbarrels.JPG

http://www.ukrides.info/col/loudoun/drunkenbarrelsa.JPG

In September 2010 it was announced that the Loudoun Castle park had closed, Bembom stating that it was "no longer economically viable."

[Jim Douglas Jr.]

Not much excitement as an open-air. The gimmick was the scenery, not floating in a slow, round boat.