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RIP Ripsaw

Blade will be for the chop before too long also I would expect. It nearly didn't open last season if you recall.
 
The park is starting to look a real state; there's not nearly enough there now with these ride closures to justify the expense or effort of making a visit for most people.

Ripsaw was a good filler, I'm not sure how many people it could soak up per hour but it undoubtedly relieved the pressure on Air. With the Air retheme next season alongside the new restauarant (that will undoubtedly draw even greater numbers into the area), Forbidden Valley is not only going to suffer from a lack of cohesive theme and consisent aesthetic, but also from significantly larger queues across the coasters.
 
Harvey. said:
Forbidden Valley is not only going to suffer from a lack of cohesive theme and consisent aesthetic, but also from significantly larger queues across the coasters.
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Two things - Forbidden Valley hasn't had a cohesive theme since 2002. Also, the whole reason there will be less rides is because there are almost certainly going to be less people. A lot less people.
 
Rick said:
Two things - Forbidden Valley hasn't had a cohesive theme since 2002. Also, the whole reason there will be less rides is because there are almost certainly going to be less people. A lot less people.
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I disagree with that. I think that whilst the original Air was obviously visually different, it kind of worked alongside the rest of FV. It was juxtaposary, yes, but it was deliberately ambiguous - unlike what we have seen so far from the new GALACTICA SPACE LOLZ theme which is obvious and unashamedly clashy.

Any yes, there will be less people in the short-term but over the next 5-10 years, Air 2.0 and the new restaurant will still be big draws in the park whilst the guest numbers will be back up to their normal level. I just think it's awful planning to be getting rid of queue soakers permanently (you can guarantee Ripsaw won't be only casualty) when the park will be able to pick itself up in the not too distant future. When guests start returning, they'll be coming back to an even more substandard product.
 
Not that I ever rode it anyway, but it's not good seeing all these rides being removed with no replacement in sight (a la Submission)...

Amusing how Blade has out-lived Ripsaw given earlier this year though... And this is probably only the start of all this nonsense...
 
Benzin said:
Amusing how Blade has out-lived Ripsaw given earlier this year though... And this is probably only the start of all this nonsense...
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Not surprising though really. Ripsaw was pretty much dead by the end of the season, whilst blade is still working (sort of). Ripsaw could barely last a cycle without a breakdown, and the noise of rusty metal scraping was rather concerning.

I don't think it's right though to leave an area that will be the focus for a couple of years two rides down. Couldn't they have removed ripsaw sooner, and replaced it with a reliable, high throughput support ride? Of course they wouldn't; this is towers.
 
Whilst it was never a great ride' it's a shame we're losing Ripsaw as not only was one of the few flats and upside down turning rides, but took some much needed strain off Nemy & Air (as it used to be called) aside from adding a bit to the atmosphere of watching riders and the squeaks of the running ride.

That being said, I think it was probably due for removal soon anyway had the original SW8 plan gone ahead, however I have a feeling that's been cancelled for the time being.
 
For me, it's a real shame to be losing a flat that's not only fun to ride, but fun to watch. The only flat I've seen at towers that is visually impressive (and to me, a fun ride as well even if I'm alone with that opinion) was submission. Weather you were on the ride, or off, it was a great ride. At least though, it won't be left SBNO. Wonder if the same can be said of the flume though...
 
It's a shame that Ripsaw's leaving the park. It was old hat anyway, last time for me to ride Ripsaw was just recently this year in summer from July.
 
Leah said:
For me, it's a real shame to be losing a flat that's not only fun to ride, but fun to watch. The only flat I've seen at towers that is visually impressive (and to me, a fun ride as well even if I'm alone with that opinion) was submission. Weather you were on the ride, or off, it was a great ride. At least though, it won't be left SBNO. Wonder if the same can be said of the flume though...
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That's a good point, at least they've bothered removing it instead of leaving it and causing confusion with guests.

Although will they do anything to the land it sat on. There's the fountain, and queuline area (marks where it was), I'd hope they at least pave or place grass over this area (some benches wouldn't go amiss either). Given Air's getting a retheme next year it would be a shame to see a messy patch of land towards that end of Forbidden Valley.
 
James said:
That's a good point, at least they've bothered removing it instead of leaving it and causing confusion with guests.

Although will they do anything to the land it sat on. There's the fountain, and queuline area (marks where it was), I'd hope they at least pave or place grass over this area (some benches wouldn't go amiss either). Given Air's getting a retheme next year it would be a shame to see a messy patch of land towards that end of Forbidden Valley.
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Given that submission (in what was essentially the focus area that season) was replaced by a tap, I'm not expecting much. High possibility of a fastrack stand (or any other upselling kiosks) though. Is there a chance though that -in order to reduce faff - you will be able to order/book VR from the ripsaw site, in a similar way to how you booked tickets for vampire at chessington from a kiosk outside the queue.
 
Jordan said:
I wish there'd been at least an announcement from the park about it by now.

They'll have to, er, cut it from that showreel video that plays on loop in Margs...
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As those videos still feature submission and the farm I imagine ripsaw still has plenty of life in those videos!
 
That area is prime for redevelopment with Ripsaw gone and Blade on borrowed time. Sit tight.
 
Harvey. said:
The park is starting to look a real state; there's not nearly enough there now with these ride closures to justify the expense or effort of making a visit for most people.

Ripsaw was a good filler, I'm not sure how many people it could soak up per hour but it undoubtedly relieved the pressure on Air. With the Air retheme next season alongside the new restauarant (that will undoubtedly draw even greater numbers into the area), Forbidden Valley is not only going to suffer from a lack of cohesive theme and consisent aesthetic, but also from significantly larger queues across the coasters.
Click to expand...

I think it's getting to the point where the park offers no real escapism any more in terms of its thematic environments. With Ripsaw leaving (and Blade inevitably at some point) this is pretty much the nail in the coffin for Forbidden Valley as a relatively cohesive area. Knackered as it was, Ripsaw was still a fantastic spectator attraction, popular with guests and talked about across the park.

As for the rest of the park. Mutiny Bay looks very low budget and it has The Flume. X-Sector and CBeebies lack any craftsmanship and are tacky. CCL and Towers Street are mismatched and shabby. Dark Forest.....well no explanation needed. So that leaves Gloomy Wood and Katanga Canyon as the only half immersive areas on park. The former is barely an area and the latter is tired and jaded. Even the hotels aren't what they once were with Splash turned into a crèche and vinyls plastered across ATH.

I hope these ride closured mark the cusp of the start of a new era of quality investment from 2017 onwards or else I will never return to Alton Towers. There are encouraging signs, but I'm sure you will forgive my scepticism considering the company we are dealing with and their track record.

They need a masterplan like they had in the 80s and 90s with somebody at the helm with a vision of what to do with the place like Broome and Wardley once had. It seems the marketing department have run the show for too long in recent times concerned only for naff USP's and getting people through the gates rather than offering a decent overall product when they arrive.
 
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I was unaware that we had so many mechanical engineers in the Towers community. Would someone mind giving me a breakdown in bullet points of how Ripsaw was so 'knackered' exactly?

The line up of rides, attractions, and shows for 2016 must be the smallest it's ever been in Towers history as a theme park?

We're witnessing the penultimate death of the park. I wonder if Towers will actually make it to Paramount's opening date or if it'll be gone by then already? :tearsofjoy:
 
Forbidden valley is essentially left with 3 rides (one of which might not survive the season, and another that I expect will have a lot of downtime). The only reliable ride in FV is nemesis, and it will have a lot of strain on it if air goes down.
 
CoasterCrazyChris said:
I think it's getting to the point where the park offers no real escapism any more in terms of its thematic environments. With Ripsaw leaving (and Blade inevitably at some point) this is pretty much the nail in the coffin for Forbidden Valley as a relatively cohesive area. Knackered as it was, Ripsaw was still a fantastic spectator attraction, popular with guests and talked about across the park.

As for the rest of the park. Mutiny Bay looks very low budget and it has The Flume. X-Sector and CBeebies lack any craftsmanship and are tacky. CCL and Towers Street are mismatched and shabby. Dark Forest.....well no explanation needed. So that leaves Gloomy Wood and Katanga Canyon as the only half immersive areas on park. The former is barely an area and the latter is tired and jaded. Even the hotels aren't what they once were with Splash turned into a crèche and vinyls plastered across ATH.

I hope these ride closured mark the cusp of the start of a new era of quality investment from 2017 onwards or else I will never return to Alton Towers. There are encouraging signs, but I'm sure you will forgive my scepticism considering the company we are dealing with and their track record.

They need a masterplan like they had in the 80s and 90s with somebody at the helm with a vision of what to do with the place like Broome and Wardley once had. It seems the marketing department have run the show for too long in recent times concerned only for naff USP's and getting people through the gates rather than offering a decent overall product when they arrive.
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If Towers, along with Thorpe and Chessie, was a child, we all would've reported Merlin for child abuse by now! Pity we can't do that with parks sadly.:(
 
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