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Dreamland Margate: General Discussion

owenstreet7 said:
That is a shame they're not reopening it although it does seem they are "Noah's Ark'ing" it like Blackpool did and reimagining it in some shape and form.

If it was me, I would've got Gravity Group to redo the ride but the practicalities and complexities of it (listed structure) might've prevented this from happening.

I'm hoping that whatever they decide is going to allow visitors to enjoy this for years to come.
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They're asking people to submit ideas for "repurposing" it, and memories as well.


From: https://www.facebook.com/dreamlandmargate/posts/pfbid02amxDhPhihvbqL1kKtGjYBQ2m8nWnGrkFkkhXyibGbT2KLMKKFbpQWPRC3bZaFAT5l
 
Poisson said:
They could have carried on maintaining it but the place has always seemed like it saw the Scenic as a problem rather than an asset.
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The key issue is that the ride was left abandoned for a number of years including being affected by fire which may have contributed to the problems

Skyscraper said:
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They're asking people to submit ideas for "repurposing" it;


From: https://www.facebook.com/dreamlandmargate/posts/pfbid02amxDhPhihvbqL1kKtGjYBQ2m8nWnGrkFkkhXyibGbT2KLMKKFbpQWPRC3bZaFAT5l
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I saw that, I'm imagining this will be some form of sculpture with the train being fixed into place (being creative). Part of me would love to see it used as a restaurant or similar inside one of the turnarounds.

It would be nice if they've got one of the woodie manufacturers to build a spiritual successor nearby to the ride so riders can enjoy something similar in years to come.

It is a very creative idea either way and I hope something good comes of it.
 
As someone in the county I can't follow the pace of Dreamland. We all know Margaret is the effluent out spill of London in the summer, so avoid it. Parking is so dam expensive next to it.. and it's more like a concert venue than amusement park these days.

Pricing structures kept changing and the availability and quantity of rides goes up and down like a yo yo.

Personally everything looks like a cheap addition and covered in bright paint when I've been. (Apart from the scenic). It's a great shame it's going to be SBNO . It was the draw to go to Dreamland and I can see the rides being slowly pulled out one by one. The original idea was a vintage / retro park. It never quite fulfilled that and I can't see how how it operates against the 'arty' back drop of the dump that is Margate.
 
Dreamland is quite possibly the most skint amusement park in the northern hemisphere. I'm sure they wanted to keep the ride going but simply couldn't afford to.

They have made some small investments in recent years but nothing seems to be bringing the punters in regularly.

Great venue for a gig though tbf.
 
DiogoJ42 said:
I just don't understand this mentality. First Ultimate, now this? When your park is known for one ride, and one ride only, closing it is commercial suicide. Any park this stupid deserves to fail.
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I don’t agree. I think that the ride being listed was one of the worst things to happen (although admittedly it did mean that it remained an amusement park rather than a housing estate to be fair)

The problem is that Dreamland have spent 10 years and a huge amount of resource into getting, and keeping it operational, but it’s been really unreliable, making it something of a white elephant for them.

My wife went to a concert there last summer and not a single ride was open. They seem to be having more success as an events venue. Whilst I want it to remain an amusement park, the Scenic wasn’t exactly a very exciting ride, even for a younger audience. In an ideal world, I think that the best thing they could do now is apply to lose the listing (if that can be done) and replace it with a modern, more reliable and more thrilling family woodie, like the ones from Gravity Group and GCI, such as Wild Buffalo, Timber or Wood Express (France seems to love a family woodie!)
 
As someone that lives in Canterbury and has ridden it a few times I’m going to make the unpopular opinion that it’s actually not a very good ride.

A shame from a historical perspective of course but I only ever rode it because there wasn’t much else, it’s quite a boring experience for me.
 
Poisson said:
They're not building a new permanent coaster and they're definitely not building a new woodie. They just want a music venue.
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This indeed does seem to the all the operaters wanted. A cheap music venue, within easy reach of a huge amount of the population, in a 'historically cool' venue. Easy and cheap to market, perfect for them. But it makes no long term sense, and it always amazes me at how much they've failed to actually do anything sensible.
When the park was saved it should have been given a non-for-profit status, with all profits reinvested in the park, with it being treated as a vintage attraction. They had so much potential for this, lots of which could have been done relatively cheaply. Even the current operators could have gone this direction, and I think they would have been far more successful as it would be easy to market and unique for the country.

Keeping the scenic as an art sculpture is frankly an insult to history, to the people who worked to save it and to so many more people. It is a shame there is no legal protection that forces them to operate it, although I understand the reasoning as to why this doesn't exist in law.
 
Josh555 said:
As someone that lives in Canterbury and has ridden it a few times I’m going to make the unpopular opinion that it’s actually not a very good ride.

A shame from a historical perspective of course but I only ever rode it because there wasn’t much else, it’s quite a boring experience for me.
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I rode it back in the eighties...no recollection whatsoever.
The Belle Vue one was much better.
 
rob666 said:
I rode it back in the eighties...no recollection whatsoever.
The Belle Vue one was much better.
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it’s not great and feels more like a fast tram than a rollercoaster, a kind of guided experience.

Again, shame from a historical perspective but I can’t say I’ll miss actually riding it, which is probably why I’ve been on it about 4 times despite living here for 8 years.
 
Damn it! I went on holiday to Canterbury in 2019 and very nearly got to visit and ride Scenic, but the park was closed the day we were going to visit and we wound up going to Whitstable for the day instead, where to rub further salt in the wound, I could have sworn I saw Adventure Island from across the Thames Estuary…

That’s a cred I’ll now never get, and a pretty unique one at that… the demise of the Scenic does probably take Dreamland off my list of semi-major UK parks left to visit, though, as Scenic was probably the only thing justifying the journey from my neck of the woods.
 
As much as this saddens me as an enthusiast, i think this was inevitable with their move away from amusement rides and new focus on events and repurposing as an arts/cultural centre.

UK seaside fairs and theme parks are struggling more than ever so i’d rather see Dreamland evolve than die. Their summer events are hugely popular and draw loads of people from London, and honestly the setting is so nice to see live music in.

As for the railway, it’s confusing why they would spend so much money refurbing it to only close it again. A roller coaster as a structure best serves its purpose as.. well.. a functioning roller coaster.

Something that comes to mind is if they can modify the track with stairs and more sufficient handrails to create a high line style walking route / vantage point of Margate and the rest of Dreamland. Perhaps lights and audio round the track would make it even more immersive, or plaques with the history of the ride chronologically as you walk its layout.

Non intrusive tent structures, similar to O2 arena inside the turnaround sections could also create spaces for a small museum or music / arts tent. The downside is that to include the structure in a meaningful and contextually relevant way is quite difficult, especially as it’s listed.

I feel like i need to visit more niche UK parks before it’s too late!
 
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