The Experience

Walk through a small arch-way with the signature old man and donkey characters of the cereal, and ride sponsors, Golden Nugget’s. You will be confronted by a very tight cattle grid queue line. This weaves its way forward until it becomes a queue in the shelter of the Wild West Shoot Out building. Look down and you’ll find you’re standing on a metal grid on top of a pretty deep hold on the ground, giving the impression of a dark, sinister canyon. Nearing nearer the on-load platforms, you will find little mine train carts seating 4. With 2 rows, each row will seat 2 people. In front of each seat you will see a ‘pistol’ type gun, and with an electronic score board on the wall it becomes apparent that this is a warehouse type ride where you have to hit target’s in order to gain points.

You board the cars, which lie stationary behind the ride instructor, and then they advance forward into a room. Getting your gun out, the train weaves around a corner and reveals the first target… some chickens. Hitting the trigger on your gun, it does neither make a noise nor send out a laser, but have faith in them. They work. Hitting the target will make the bull-eye dot light red, and make said theming interact. You turn another corner where to rider's disappointment it appears there is only one room to the ride. Nevertheless you begin to look for targets and fire away. With no interaction with the gun it makes it very hard to successfully hit targets, as does it destroy some of the fun to be had. The interactions become increasingly pathetic, whilst you wonder if it is such a bad thing the ride is so short after all. The car progresses until it comes to a halt, where you will see the queue you were just in.

If you are looking for a ride like Alton Towers’ Duel then this isn’t the ride for you. It is extremely simplistic, and advisable for young children to ride as apposed to teenagers. It does not rate highly, and if the park is busy it is best to leave Golden Nugget’s Wild West Shoot-out for perhaps another visit.