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Drayton Manor Park
- Thread starter Matty
- Start date
Skyscraper
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Nemesis
Yeah I definitely hope the Looping Group will have something up their sleeve!
Personally I think it's more likely that we'll see something else in that building, but it would be great if they kept the original ride system.
Everyone seems to be in continual argument about how much of pirates adventure is still left. So whether they can just revitalise it or whether it will need to be something completely new I do not know. Personally I'd like to see something in there and I'd like to see them stick with the pirate theme.
There has been many rumours going around and no one is really certain. Although one rumour I have hard (no idea how credible it is) is that of a Zamperla Factory coaster with a small outside section. As much as I think this is somewhat unlikely I really like the idea. Especially if its pirate themed. We really don't have anything like it in the UK and it would provide a unique family experience which is what Drayton really needs.
Factory coaster on Zamperla's website: https://www.zamperla.com/products/factory-coaster/
Another common idea flown around is that of a new boat ride, something I would be entirely happy with as well. The UK really needs more dark rides and I really think they could do a good job of one especially with the quality of Adventure Cove.
Anyway I don't think it will be for a few years yet as they will probably add another 'wave' to Adventure Cove next year but I really hope they decide to use the space for something as it has a lot of potential.
DistortAMG
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- POTC Disneyland Paris
Most of it is now gone, is what I've heard from a few reliable people. Seeing the pirate ride in Europa burn in a huge blaze made them realise they potentially had a huge ticking time bomb on their hands. Not to mention that because the ride had be drained for a long time, the huge amount of timber in the ride was very very dry. They did not have the funds to open it, so the decision was made to gut the building. Which is now mostly done.
Had the ride gone up in flames, it would have caused significant damage in the heart of the park. So as it wasnt open, it made sense, after sitting empty for a long time.
I would love to see something there, but Pirates as we knew it, most certainly wont be back. That doesnt rule out another Pirate themed ride, but the one we loved and knew, does not exist any more.
The rumour about a coaster inside is nothing new, Pirate Adventures sister ride in Belgium, which shared the same layout but different scenes, has had a rollercoaster put inside the building, with an outside section.
Unfortunately this is true. They can't just re-open it. Plus what would be the point in spending million to re-build exactly what was there before. Not really a very good marketing move. Personally I would like to see something completely new but preferably keeping the pirate theme as the area around it is perfectly fine (although could to with a bit of a spruce up)
Themeparksandy1981
TS Member
Technology has moved on in the past 30 years but if the looping was willing to spend all this money on the rapids bringing them back and you could tell how much guests have missed them as I haven’t seen the park so busy in years and imagine how busy it would be if they did bring back the pirate adventure with new scenes, effects and pirates.
The theming from the original Pirate Adventure is now long gone, either put in a skip or sold at the auction in 2020. The ride system is, from what I hear, still in tact, as well as the water filtration system. It would be challenging but totally do-able to bring the ride back.
Themeparksandy1981
TS Member
I think it would cost the looping group a lot more to remove the ride system and fill in the channels than to try to to restored it. With it been indoors and drained it be in a better shape than the rapids were left outside drained for 4 years. With the building still themed to fit pirate cove and can be seen from all areas of the park and having 2 attractions next to it also themed to pirates they could also extend it to include the Bounty and the arcade. The rapids look so much better than they did when it 1st opened in 1993 so you can never say never to neither the building been removed or used again.
It 100% definitely would be quicker and cheaper for them to call in a few ready mix lorries than it would be to get it running.
Call me a cynic but I very much doubt that equipment will be any good now, of course the only way to try it would likely be to fill the trough which in itself could be non-trivial given the amount of time it has been dry.
DistortAMG
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- POTC Disneyland Paris
It would cost more money to remove a ride system that is mostly and essentially two steel plates on their side to make a canal and fill the old lakes in with dirt, than it would to re theme a large empty warehouse to the high standard required for a dark ride?
What you been smoking pal?
Let's not forgot, the ride system was having issues due to its age, specifically around the lift hill sections. If you look at Mack's new free float boat rides they use a very different system now. So it would be just a challenge now to get spare parts as it was then, a major overhaul of the ride system would be needed.
I think it would be cheaper to actually remove the current one and put a new boat ride system in than it would be to sort out the old system. What do you think?
Personally if they did spend the money to sort the old system rather than buying something new I think it would end up with loads of downtime which is just not practical.
Skyscraper
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Nemesis
Do we know if the queue line is still in place as well? If that's also been gutted then PA definitely won't be coming back in its original form.
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Rick
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Crux
Feels almost certain it's not going to come back in its original form. They suggested it was pretty gutted and a lot of not insignificant stuff was sold.
Rebuilding something that they just ripped out, either through choice or necessity doesn't feel like a particularly compelling move.
They're not having the bits I bought back, anyway !
Rebuilding something that they just ripped out, either through choice or necessity doesn't feel like a particularly compelling move.
They're not having the bits I bought back, anyway !
Themeparksandy1981
TS Member
I don’t smoke
What you got to remember the ride on 2 levels so just in the queue line loads of walls will need to removed. Maybe just behind them is the supports for the lift hill and top section/scenes with the rest of the ride below ground level. Looking at the catalogue from the auction and Shawn’s videos the queue line itself is still there with some theming still up and the Air gates in place. The top section on the left has been stripped back to the wooden frame but as when the pictures were taken the town scene was still there.
What we’ve seen so far from The Looping Group is certainly very promising. The re-themed rapids has some cool features like the smoke coming out of the chimney. One thing Drayton Manor’s never been very good at is music, so it’s good to see them addressing that. It’s also nice to see a UK park getting a brightly coloured area that’s not aimed at children. As Maelstrom said, they’ve gone for the top level manufacturers. Considering a lot of us wondered whether we’d ever see Splash Canyon running again, it’s a big step forward.
We have seen a few examples in other countries of chains taking over largish parks that have fallen on hard times. Plopsa and Holiday Park comes to mind, as does Compagnie des Alpes and their work with the Walibi parks. Obviously, it’d be awesome if Drayton Manor carried on in that direction.
Nonetheless, I’m weary about getting my hopes up too high. Building a major coaster that would feel like a satisfactory replacement for Apocalypse, Pandemonium and The Buffalo will be a significant investment, as will putting a major new ride into the Pirate Adventure building. I’m not saying they wouldn’t do it, but the Looping Group has never run such a big theme park before, so we still haven’t got a lot of track record to go on. I’ve been an enthusiasts long enough to know that a lot of the exciting projects rumoured for British parks haven’t materalised. Particularly for the non-Merlin parks.
We have seen a few examples in other countries of chains taking over largish parks that have fallen on hard times. Plopsa and Holiday Park comes to mind, as does Compagnie des Alpes and their work with the Walibi parks. Obviously, it’d be awesome if Drayton Manor carried on in that direction.
Nonetheless, I’m weary about getting my hopes up too high. Building a major coaster that would feel like a satisfactory replacement for Apocalypse, Pandemonium and The Buffalo will be a significant investment, as will putting a major new ride into the Pirate Adventure building. I’m not saying they wouldn’t do it, but the Looping Group has never run such a big theme park before, so we still haven’t got a lot of track record to go on. I’ve been an enthusiasts long enough to know that a lot of the exciting projects rumoured for British parks haven’t materalised. Particularly for the non-Merlin parks.
Craig
TS Administrator
Yup the key thing for Looping Group is being able to maintain the consistency in the changes/additions they make now, so I'm in the same boat where I won't be singing their praises just yet. As a new owner to the park, it's no surprise to see some money being spent.
The issue will be what they're expecting in terms of guests/revenue in return. If they're overly keen in their projections and they don't meet those expectations do they just panic and cut back left right and centre, or do they have a longer term plan to continue investment?
The issue will be what they're expecting in terms of guests/revenue in return. If they're overly keen in their projections and they don't meet those expectations do they just panic and cut back left right and centre, or do they have a longer term plan to continue investment?
That's true, although of course it'll be a bit difficult to measure how successful it's been, at least initially, because the Covid situation is so unusual. There are a lot of variables at the moment. Having made a start and boosted the park's capacity, I suppose there's a question of whether they push forward with more plans, or whether they wait for things to settle down a bit.
To be fair, even Disney and Universal have put some plans on hold, so to an extent you couldn't blame them if they did slow down a bit.
To be fair, even Disney and Universal have put some plans on hold, so to an extent you couldn't blame them if they did slow down a bit.
Rick
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Crux
I think their first job is to decide what Drayton needs to be to work financially. There was likely some reflection on that at the point of purchase, but the strategy will evolve over time, it always does.
Reopening a core attraction is a sensible first step and the Wave Swinger is a great bonus. As said, the fact they haven't cheaped out on either is a positive sign.
I think they will quickly establish that if they are wanting to keep Drayton on a similar path to the one it was on under family ownership (with some tweaks to make it profitable), or if they want to diverge from it. Arguably, Drayton's approach in 2019 wasn't vastly different than it was in 1999 but the game had changed and the rulebook had been ripped up.
There is some discussion about Looping Group that makes me scratch my head a little, it's not a group of benevolent French businessmen who love roller coasters, it's backed by Mubadala Capital, which is an arm of Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund. They are going invest - how much remains to be seen, but there will be an expectation of short to medium growth in each division for an almost inevitable flip, at some point.
Reopening a core attraction is a sensible first step and the Wave Swinger is a great bonus. As said, the fact they haven't cheaped out on either is a positive sign.
I think they will quickly establish that if they are wanting to keep Drayton on a similar path to the one it was on under family ownership (with some tweaks to make it profitable), or if they want to diverge from it. Arguably, Drayton's approach in 2019 wasn't vastly different than it was in 1999 but the game had changed and the rulebook had been ripped up.
There is some discussion about Looping Group that makes me scratch my head a little, it's not a group of benevolent French businessmen who love roller coasters, it's backed by Mubadala Capital, which is an arm of Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund. They are going invest - how much remains to be seen, but there will be an expectation of short to medium growth in each division for an almost inevitable flip, at some point.
I agree it’s is too early to sing the praises in terms of long term future and investment plans. I think in the short term we will mainly see some refurbs and tidying up of areas, rather than anything major.
it’s intersting time at the moment with many parks across the world pausing or delaying projects. So for a theme park operator do you delay investment and see how things pan out over the next season or so. Or do they take a risk and invest in new attractions/hardware while others aren’t as i am sure at the moment with the manufactures suffering lower sales you might be able to get a good deal from some ride manufactures.
it’s intersting time at the moment with many parks across the world pausing or delaying projects. So for a theme park operator do you delay investment and see how things pan out over the next season or so. Or do they take a risk and invest in new attractions/hardware while others aren’t as i am sure at the moment with the manufactures suffering lower sales you might be able to get a good deal from some ride manufactures.