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Paultons Park: General Discussion
I think they will want accomodation open by 2030. Beyond that the Critter Creek/ Teacups area is probably the last area of the park they could realistically turn into a new area, all be it a smaller one. There is an expansion plots near tornado springs as I've pointed out. Could definitely see them doing another dark ride here at some point but I don't think it will be near the river area, it's far too pretty to have a massive building lumped there.
GooseOnTheLoose
TS Member
Blackstone only own about 25% of Merlin Entertainments. At least 50% is owned by Kirkbi.
It doesn't take a genius to work out why a themed attraction company, primarily owned by the parent company of the Lego group, keep building Lego attractions.
I'm not sure if you intended it, but this does come across as a little bit xenophobic and ignorant.
It's generally expected that a themed attraction company, which operates globally, would build new attractions around the world.
Considering that they only own a single site, this isn't the prudent but of sage wisdom you think it is.
Paulton's Park is a relatively small regional park.
TedShatner10
TS Member
A big distracted firm (with a lot of a cooks) building new risky theme parks overseas in arguably autocratic countries with wobby human rights, while their other older UK and European parks get overlooked for years, just doesn't sit well with me, sorry (and even Disney Land Paris was a risky overseas venture that indirectly sunk a lot of Disney US projects in the 90s/early 00s, and contributed to CEO Bob Iger getting eventually ejected).
A massive new Turkish theme park is supposedly sitting virtually empty for similar reasons (though Legoland Dubai hasn't flopped that hard yet, thankfully).
Paultons, meanwhile, going against Merlin's "line goes up" mentality a bit, concentrating more on self-care and sustained growth in one place (not half a dozen parks worldwide), is now a regional park punching above its own weight (like the more successful mainland European parks).
GooseOnTheLoose
TS Member
The mental gymnastics one has to perform to get to this comparison and conclusion are exhausting.
I really like my local independent pub. It's much nicer than any JD Wetherspoon. I could compare site against site, and I'm pretty confident that my local would always come out tops. Comparing a single site pub against an entire chain, in terms of longevity, worldwide impact and business strategy is illogical and also a little reductive.
Praise be to Paulton's, as much as you want, but there is absolutely no need to try to compare it to an international conglomerate in every post you write. It achieves little and we end up going in circles.
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Skyscraper
TS Member
I know Towers do, but their program is exclusively for content creators and not forum members like us.
It'll be on the go-karts site
LF22
TS Member
I know Towers do, but their program is exclusively for content creators and not forum members like us.
It'll be on the go-karts site
That’s a shame - they are missing out! Haha
jon81uk
TS Member
Attraction Source (what was Towers Times) organise some big enthusiast events, often with speakers from the parks https://www.attractionsource.com/events/
Also RCCGB (Roller Coaster Club of Great Britain) organise many events for their members.
I don't think the Merlin parks do their own fan events any more, they sort of rely on the Attraction Source ones. Alton Towers did a few 20 years ago but no longer.
Leigh
TS Member
You can add European Coaster Club to that list as well. Lots of events both in the UK and abroad in collaboration with the parks.
Dave
TS Founding Member
They don’t rely on attraction source for it, they are just disinterested in doing them. They only do the attraction source ones because they make money off them.
QTXAdsy
TS Member
Would rather not go for a pirate theme, we've already have about a million of them in this country and not to mention that dinosaur and viking themes have already been done which is honestly my only criticism of Paultons is that they are going for quite conservative choices for themes even if they are tried and tested.
Going for a steampunk theme or maybe more fantasy based would be worthwhile. However given how much they have been making new themed areas over the past few years this new viking area will be the last for a whole I feel in which we might not see expansion until they make this new resort complex.
Cyber Punk, Solar Punk or Futurstic themes have not been done really in the UK
Benzin
TS Member
Given what most enthusiasts are like I'd want to keep them at arm's reach if I owned a park.
The_bup
TS Member
It’s kind of like a maximalist love child between rural areas, solar panels and Apple. High tech with a bit of dirt and soil.
It’s quite unique, certainly would make a very interesting theme park area. Definitely a more positive theme too.
Darn. @Hid beat me to a response…
It's the combination of nature and technology into a building so using Solar Panels, light textures and plants. Could be nice especially if Paultons wants to shift into more green eco methods
jon81uk
TS Member
Thats not an escapist theme park theme.
A theme park should (as the sign at the entrance to Disneyland states) help you "...leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy". It shouldn't take you to the Apple Store.
Thinking about the current Paulton themes, Tornado Springs is yesterday (the romanticised American South of years gone by), Peppa Pig is fantasy (talking pigs unfortuantly don't exist), dinosaurs and vikings are obviously yesterday.
"Solar Punk" could be tomorrow, but sounds closer to today really. Its hard to do future theme nowadays, hence most space themes either focus on fantasy of aliens or the classic space age of the 1960s or the sort of 2001 type stuff. You lean more towards a fictional "space" rather than anything too current looking of just doing "future".
Also what actually would steam punk look like other than gluing cogs on everything? Unless you do the Jules Verne style retro-future thing.