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Wicker Man - General Discussion - Part Two

Not making excuses for them but I'm sick of the "BPB can do it, why can't Towers" that I thought we'd got past a couple of years ago (and that's as a BPB pass holder who hasn't even been on Wickerman yet).
Yeah, I'm getting tired of it too. Some time last week or the week before I read in a tweet that Icon was on 1 train as the other two were broken. Barely a mumble, yet Wicker Man drops to 2 trains from 3 and it seems to be a national disgrace and Merlin should be ashamed of themselves!
 
According to Towers Street FB, Wicker Man was testing all three trains at the end of today.
Finally got on this today, have to say I was quite disappointed, whilst the theming is amazing the ride has no thrill factor, was a bit boring and is nothing more than a glorified runaway mine train!

It’s an average wooden coaster but try riding again at the end of the day as like all woodies it warms up. It’s nothing mind blowing though.
 
Yeah, I'm getting tired of it too. Some time last week or the week before I read in a tweet that Icon was on 1 train as the other two were broken. Barely a mumble, yet Wicker Man drops to 2 trains from 3 and it seems to be a national disgrace and Merlin should be ashamed of themselves!

Broken, no. Wheel change, yes.

And the difference is, BPB selected a quiet time when they could take 2 trains out of service and get them ready for the weekend, which of course meant a one train service which resulted in a queue *almost* hitting 30 minutes.

Now remind me, what is the average queue time for WM this year?

That's why no one particular became upset about a few days on a 1 train services. I'd take a couple of days on 1 train to make long term adjustment's that cure a potential problem over 6 month running at capacity with daily (sometimes hourly) breakdowns.
 
Maybe I am expecting too much for what it is? In my mind, the latest SW should be more intense, scary and thrilling than its predecessor in this case Smiler. My other problem is I am compering with 50 years+ woodies from Blackpool where the age and lack of smoothness gives a more interesting ride.
Don't get me wrong its a welcome addition to the park but I don't think it should have been given a SW tag, (I feel Rita is more deserving of a SW tag as it is more intence but never got one), its like they were desperate to use the SW marketing but not the budget to make something super amazing.
 
I don't think it has to be scarier necessarily, provided it is of a good enough quality - which I personally think Wicker Man is. I'd much rather parks prioritised building a fun, quality coaster over one which "has the most loops" or "has a more than vertical drop and therefore is the world's scariest coaster."

Wicker Man and Icon are the best thing(s) that have happened to the UK industry in years, IMO.
 
If you went in expecting a more intense ride than The Smiler, then you were going to be underwhelmed.They're just not the same kind of ride.
 
Maybe I am expecting too much for what it is? In my mind, the latest SW should be more intense, scary and thrilling than its predecessor in this case Smiler. My other problem is I am compering with 50 years+ woodies from Blackpool where the age and lack of smoothness gives a more interesting ride.
Don't get me wrong its a welcome addition to the park but I don't think it should have been given a SW tag, (I feel Rita is more deserving of a SW tag as it is more intence but never got one), its like they were desperate to use the SW marketing but not the budget to make something super amazing.

The SW tag is always used as a code name for a new attraction that requires a huge investment, nothing to do with how big or scary the ride is. Rita was much cheaper than the other Secret Weapons so didn't get the same treatment in the planning stages.

EDIT - Also, no SW has ever been more intense than Nemesis, so I don't know why you would expect them to get more intense with each installment.
 
We've had this same discussion thousands of times lmao.

For me, it smashed expectations. Largely because it was so low but I actually like the layout more and more.

I'd call it a solid 7/10 with Nemesis being a 8/10 and Icon being a 7/10. However they are hard to compare, they are different kind of rides. I do think calling it a glorified RMT is doing it a bit of disservice though.
 
I have to say (IMO of course) it's very mid table. It lacked the intensity I crave from a wooden coaster, as well as airtime (either ejector or floater, I love either which is why I love all 3 BPB woodies, you get such a wide range of enjoyment) and up against those 3 it simply doesn't delivery.

What I will say in its defence is we had the misfortune to ride on its first day of public running, after spending more time closed than open, so it's possible it simply needs to run longer. I certainly haven't written it off, but I don't think we saw it at it's best. That said the theme and pre show is very impressive. I would love to go back, but unfortunately the way the park has been run has stopped that happening. I can't and won't subject my fiancee and step son to those kind of queues. No one enjoyed the last day we had their and while we do all want to go back, the parks performance has thrown a spanner in the works every time the idea has been considered.

As for its labeling as an SW, it fully deserves it. A great deal of time and thought went into its planning and it's location, (unlike Rita which looks like it was dropped from the sky and opened wherever it landed) and as I said above, it's theme is really impressive.
 
I look at SW as an intention to drop something big and WM was something big. Apart from being the first woodies in years it delivered a new experience and filled a gap in ATs lineup.

It wasn't the ride I wanted, but it was the ride the park needed and as much as my heart sank when I saw the layout, I was really impressed when I rode it. More importantly it blew the socks off my gp type friend's, even if they were somewhat disappointed by the lack of fire and water jets in the face.

I think in time, like 13, this ride will earn its place as a SW and it's good to have a nice smooth woodie with a decent kick.
 
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