John Wardley
Encyclopedia
John Wardley is a British
award-winning concept designer and developer for theme parks, mainly for rides such as roller coaster
s.
Wardley started off as a stage manager
at Windsor's Theatre Royal
then moved on to the film industry, including creating the special effects for five of the James Bond
movies. He was later hired by the Tussauds Group due to his experience in designing animated figures and rides for amusement parks. His first project was the creation of the animated show "50 Glorious Years" for Tussauds "Royalty and Empire Exhibition" at Windsor
.
After this he was asked by the Tussauds Group to transform the failing Chessington Zoo in London
to become a theme park. Now called Chessington World of Adventures
, Wardley's work included the design of such park favourites as the Vampire
Suspended
coaster, constructed by Arrow Dynamics
, and The Fifth Dimension dark ride. John designed famous attractions such as the globally celebrated Nemesis, Oblivion
and Air
roller coasters and The Haunted House
at Alton Towers
.
One of his other accomplishments was that he, along with the late Geoffrey Thompson, created a magic show called Mystique at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. The show was a big hit and ran for nearly 20 years.
He is most celebrated for a dark ride he designed in partnership with Spark's Creative Services for Chessington World of Adventures
, which opened in 1990. Professor Burp's Bubbleworks
was a ride that took visitors on a tour of a fizzy pop factory set in Transylvania. Wardley stated that they treated the ride is if it was a comic book and that it was his favourite ride to create. Bubbleworks was closed at the end of 2005 and was rethemed with a new sponsorship by Cussons Imperial Leather
. The current incarnation of the ride had no input from John Wardley and was met with bad reactions.
Wardley also worked with Chris Sawyer
and Frontier Developments
for RollerCoaster Tycoon 3
, a game about amusement park management. His name is also a secret cheat code in the game - when visitor's title is named after him all height restrictions are removed.
From 2000 to 2007, when the Tussauds Group was owned by Charterhouse, Wardley went into semi-retirement. However in May 2007 Merlin Entertainments
took over the company and he was asked to become actively involved once again in the group's theme parks. His new role is ride consultant - this means he has significant input in the decisions of new developments but no longer designs his own rides. His most recent projects include Saw: The Ride at Thorpe Park
and Thirteen at the Alton Towers
Resort, as well as creating effects for the "Carnival of Screams" Scarefest attraction.
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
award-winning concept designer and developer for theme parks, mainly for rides such as roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
s.
Rides Designed By John
- NemesisNemesis (roller coaster)Nemesis is Europe's first inverted roller coaster located at Alton Towers, England. The ride's concept was created by John Wardley. It is manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard and opened in 1994...
- OblivionOblivion (roller coaster)Oblivion is a steel roller coaster located at Alton Towers in England. The ride opened as the world's first vertical drop roller coaster in March 1998 amidst a large publicity campaign. The ride has a height restriction of 1.4 metres...
- AirAir (roller coaster)Air is a steel flying roller coaster located in the Forbidden Valley area of Alton Towers in Staffordshire, England. The ride was the first flying roller coaster designed by the Swiss manufacturers Bolliger & Mabillard...
- Thirteen (Ride Consultant)
- Haunted House
- Runaway Mine TrainRunaway Mine Train (Alton Towers)The Runaway Mine Train is a powered steel roller coaster made by MACK Rides of Germany. The ride is located in the Katanga Canyon area of Alton Towers in Staffordshire, England....
Wardley started off as a stage manager
Stage management
Stage management is the practice of organizing and coordinating a theatrical production. It encompasses a variety of activities, including organizing the production and coordinating communications between various personnel...
at Windsor's Theatre Royal
Theatre Royal, Windsor
The Theatre Royal, Windsor is located in the town of Windsor, Berkshire, England, directly across the road from Windsor Castle.The present building was opened on 17 December 1910 after the previous theatre had burned down on 18 February 1908, under the ownership of Sir William Shipley.With the...
then moved on to the film industry, including creating the special effects for five of the James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
movies. He was later hired by the Tussauds Group due to his experience in designing animated figures and rides for amusement parks. His first project was the creation of the animated show "50 Glorious Years" for Tussauds "Royalty and Empire Exhibition" at Windsor
Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
.
After this he was asked by the Tussauds Group to transform the failing Chessington Zoo in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to become a theme park. Now called Chessington World of Adventures
Chessington World of Adventures
Chessington World of Adventures Resort is a theme park and zoo in South West London, England. It lies south of Central London. Historically opened as Chessington Zoo in 1931, a theme park was developed alongside it, opening in 1987...
, Wardley's work included the design of such park favourites as the Vampire
Vampire (roller coaster)
Vampire is an Arrow suspended swinging roller coaster at Chessington World of Adventures theme park in London, England. It opened in 1990 in the new Transylvania area, and was designed by John Wardley. It originally featured bat-themed trains, which were later replaced with floor less models. The...
Suspended
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
coaster, constructed by Arrow Dynamics
Arrow Dynamics
Arrow Dynamics was a roller coaster and amusement ride design company based in Clearfield, Utah, United States. In 2002, the company went bankrupt but was quickly bought by fellow amusement ride manufacturer S&S Power to form S&S Arrow. During its peak, Arrow Dynamics was responsible for some of...
, and The Fifth Dimension dark ride. John designed famous attractions such as the globally celebrated Nemesis, Oblivion
Oblivion (roller coaster)
Oblivion is a steel roller coaster located at Alton Towers in England. The ride opened as the world's first vertical drop roller coaster in March 1998 amidst a large publicity campaign. The ride has a height restriction of 1.4 metres...
and Air
Air (roller coaster)
Air is a steel flying roller coaster located in the Forbidden Valley area of Alton Towers in Staffordshire, England. The ride was the first flying roller coaster designed by the Swiss manufacturers Bolliger & Mabillard...
roller coasters and The Haunted House
Duel (ride)
Duel: The Haunted House Strikes Back! is an attraction at the Alton Towers theme park near the village of Alton in Staffordshire. It is located in the former Haunted House and is similar in design to the original, but riders can now fire laser guns at animatronic zombies and other ghosts, who...
at Alton Towers
Alton Towers
Alton Towers is a theme park and resort located in Staffordshire, England. It attracts around 2.7 million visitors per year making it the most visited theme park in the United Kingdom. Alton Towers is also the 9th most visited theme park in Europe...
.
One of his other accomplishments was that he, along with the late Geoffrey Thompson, created a magic show called Mystique at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. The show was a big hit and ran for nearly 20 years.
He is most celebrated for a dark ride he designed in partnership with Spark's Creative Services for Chessington World of Adventures
Chessington World of Adventures
Chessington World of Adventures Resort is a theme park and zoo in South West London, England. It lies south of Central London. Historically opened as Chessington Zoo in 1931, a theme park was developed alongside it, opening in 1987...
, which opened in 1990. Professor Burp's Bubbleworks
Bubbleworks
Bubbleworks is a dark ride operating at Chessington World of Adventures, in Surrey, England. It uses a water based transit system, manufactured by MACK Rides, which takes riders around the factory through different scenes. The ride opened in 1990 under the name of Professor Burp's Bubbleworks, and...
was a ride that took visitors on a tour of a fizzy pop factory set in Transylvania. Wardley stated that they treated the ride is if it was a comic book and that it was his favourite ride to create. Bubbleworks was closed at the end of 2005 and was rethemed with a new sponsorship by Cussons Imperial Leather
Imperial Leather
Imperial Leather is a brand of soaps, toiletries and healthcare products manufactured by PZ Cussons. The brand originates in Britain and is now available in a number of other countries including Australia, Denmark, Germany , Pakistan, India, Kenya, South Africa, iran and Dubai...
. The current incarnation of the ride had no input from John Wardley and was met with bad reactions.
Wardley also worked with Chris Sawyer
Chris Sawyer
Chris Sawyer is a Scottish computer game developer who is best known for designing and programming Transport Tycoon and the RollerCoaster Tycoon series.-Career:...
and Frontier Developments
Frontier Developments
Frontier Developments is a video game developer based in Cambridge, England. It is a private limited company and was incorporated in January 1994. The company is still headed by David Braben, in the position of Chairman....
for RollerCoaster Tycoon 3
RollerCoaster Tycoon
RollerCoaster Tycoon may refer to:*RollerCoaster Tycoon - a series of video games in which a player must manage an amusement park**RollerCoaster Tycoon - the first game, which came out in 1999...
, a game about amusement park management. His name is also a secret cheat code in the game - when visitor's title is named after him all height restrictions are removed.
From 2000 to 2007, when the Tussauds Group was owned by Charterhouse, Wardley went into semi-retirement. However in May 2007 Merlin Entertainments
Merlin Entertainments
Merlin Entertainments Group Ltd is a British operator of amusement parks and other attractions. It is the largest such company in Europe, and globally the second largest after Walt Disney Parks and Resorts....
took over the company and he was asked to become actively involved once again in the group's theme parks. His new role is ride consultant - this means he has significant input in the decisions of new developments but no longer designs his own rides. His most recent projects include Saw: The Ride at Thorpe Park
Thorpe Park
Thorpe Park is a theme park located in Chertsey, Surrey, England, UK. It was built in 1979 on the site of a gravel pit which was partially flooded, the intention of creating a water based theme for the park. The park's first large roller coaster, Colossus, was added in 2002...
and Thirteen at the Alton Towers
Alton Towers
Alton Towers is a theme park and resort located in Staffordshire, England. It attracts around 2.7 million visitors per year making it the most visited theme park in the United Kingdom. Alton Towers is also the 9th most visited theme park in Europe...
Resort, as well as creating effects for the "Carnival of Screams" Scarefest attraction.