Portal Entrance Analysis

 

 

What characteristics make an ideal Portal Entrance to a theme world? The portal should draw the visitor in, it should also set the mood/setting and get the visitor in the story world mindset. The portal is the completion to the puzzle. You can have all the best rides in the world but if you lack a memorable entrance, the visitors will not have a set mindstate. For instance, when you enter Universal Studios you are greeted with theme music from several of Universal's movies. Even the parking lot carries the themes of the park. Once you arrive at the gate you are greeted with a rotating globe and the theme of "Ride the movies." At Islands of Aventure you are greeted with a Search Light tower to reinstate the idea of it being an island. The portal entrance should be something to draw u into the theme of the park.

The best portal entrance I've ever seen is at Islands of Adventure during their days of Halloween Horror nights. At the gate you are greeted by people in costumes and scary music. There is also a dense layer of fog to hinder your vision. It is almost hard to describe with words how well this setup is. Ever since my first visit to Horror Nights I go back just to see how the entrance will be changed the following year. This tells you how important the portal entrance is to a park. It can literally make or break the park. By definition a Portal Entrance is a gateway into something and this is exactly what it should be. The portal entrance should be a gateway from reality into your false reality of never ending fun. Once they enter the portal all their worries and problems should be left at the gate and they should be enticed to explore the park. If you can accomplish this task you have created a successful Portal Entrance.