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Corkscrew

Bowser said:
The park has finite space and over time people demand new attractions.

I think what replaced it was an improvement (Thirteen), which should always be the minimum expectation when doing so, particularly for an iconic ride.
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Don’t forget Th13teen was one of the rides that kicked off the trend of family-thrill rides becoming a cornerstone of very major theme park, particularly having ‘trick’ elements that are appealing to a wide range of audiences.

13 was one of the first of a new era of coasters, which comes at the cost of not being the best executions of it’s concept. Still a solid ride that can hold its own, especially when it’s warmed up a bit. Doesn’t need to be everything when Wicker Man is also in the same park, same vibe but totally different direction.
 
Hid said:
Do any of you think Corkscrew removal was a mistake when it could of been refurbished like Python was at Efteling
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I remember being disappointed when I heard it was going (although I'd only ridden it once, I think)

What made it worse was that I personally thought that the ride that replaced it (Thirteen) was worse (if it had been replaced by The Smiler then I would have seen it as a huge upgrade, though!).

However: John Wardley said in an online interview that even though guests said they liked Corkscrew, very few actually rode it by the end, and the locals didn't appreciate the noisy Vekoma motor at the top of the lift hill.

I suppose Nemesis et al made Corkscrew seem somewhat basic by comparison, but you could argue that Oblivion is also a basic one-trick pony as well; perhaps the difference is that Oblivion doesn't take up much space, though.

P.S. Speaking of Corkscrew: I personally preferred the purple colour scheme to the yellow, but at least changing colour proves to guests that it has definitely been repainted.

My only worry with repainting it yellow is that it could be interpreted as yet another sign of Alton Towers being stuck in the past.
 
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Hid said:
Do any of you think Corkscrew removal was a mistake when it could of been refurbished like Python was at Efteling
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I guess Efteling spent a large proportion of what a brand new coaster would’ve cost to re-track Python but they did that because it was a much loved attraction that they really wanted to preserve (and it is now a glassy-smooth ride!).

The weird thing about it is that it has very little ‘theming’ (other than scales painted on the train). It’s a bit of an outlier compared with the heavy theming in the rest of the park!

The corkscrew served it’s purpose but I’m glad it was retired to make way for a ride with actual theming.
 
Although I never rode Corkscrew nor remember seeing it in the late 2000's, looking at pictures area of Ug Land looked so much better with Corkscrew present especially when Rita was new alongside. And the area had Ug Swinger and Soakasaurus
 
Hid said:
Do any of you think Corkscrew removal was a mistake when it could of been refurbished like Python was at Efteling
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Think with Efteling given the issues they had with planning permission building it initially they were probably worried if they removed it to build a replacement they'd never get planning permission, so the track replacement instead was something they could definitely do without falling foul of the planning regulations.
 
John_P said:
Think with Efteling given the issues they had with planning permission building it initially they were probably worried if they removed it to build a replacement they'd never get planning permission, so the track replacement instead was something they could definitely do without falling foul of the planning regulations.
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I’m no expert on Dutch planning regulations but surely you’d seek permission before removing the existing ride?

According to the park they rebuilt it to preserve the heritage... and the whole retrack only took 3 months!

"At Efteling, we like to build for eternity and the Python roller coaster with loops is certainly a part of that future. Many guests have special memories of the Python, and we want future generations to be able to look back upon their rides on the roller coaster in the same manner. It's great to see again how the first children at the entrance judge whether they are tall enough. And then the happy looks on their faces after their ride on the renovated Python", explains Fons Jurgens, Chairman of Efteling's Board of Directors."
www.efteling.com

Efteling’s Python roller coaster with loops re-opens to visitors

As of today (31 March), Efteling visitors can once again enjoy a trip on the Python roller coaster with loops. Over just 12 weeks, the 37-year-old Efteling roller coaster has been almost entirely dismantled and reconstructed to complete the €4.5 million renovation. The renovated Python roller...
www.efteling.com www.efteling.com
 
Bowser said:
I’m no expert on Dutch planning regulations but surely you’d seek permission before removing the existing ride?
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Maybe Efteling spoke to the Dutch government off the record and were told that they probably wouldn't be allowed to build a new ride, and so their best bet would simply be to refurbish the existing one instead?

I think Drayton Manor has a similar issue, as they are somehow aware that they probably can't replace Shockwave due to its proximity to nearby houses and so chose to refurbish it to The Wave instead (by contrast, they scrapped Apocalypse and Pandemonium and may struggle to ever get permission for similar rides again - but this was a sacrifice that they were apparently willing to make).

Then again: I tend to think that planning restrictions loosen over time (rather than tighten*), as technology improves (e.g. noise dampening), people's fears are allayed, people's attitudes change (especially if they move into an area with the full knowledge that there is now a theme park nearby, which the original residents did not), and they see the economic benefits of the park, and thus perhaps Efteling could have built a new ride instead?

(*I realise that this isn't always true, as I suspect that Drayton Manor's neighbours possibly got fussier over time, given that they didn't tend to object to Sky Flyer in 1989, but had begun complaining about Pandemonium and Cyclone decades later)

EDIT: I haven't ridden Python, but its layout looks more interesting than Corkscrew, which may be why they chose to save it?
 
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Secret Weapon said:
Maybe Efteling spoke to the Dutch government off the record and were told that they probably wouldn't be allowed to build a new ride, and so their best bet would simply be to refurbish the existing one instead?

I think Drayton Manor has a similar issue, as they are somehow aware that they probably can't replace Shockwave due to its proximity to nearby houses and so chose to refurbish it to The Wave instead (by contrast, they scrapped Apocalypse and Pandemonium and may struggle to ever get permission for similar rides again - but this was a sacrifice that they were apparently willing to make).

Then again: I tend to think that planning restrictions loosen over time (rather than tighten*), as technology improves (e.g. noise dampening), people's fears are allayed, people's attitudes change (especially if they move into an area with the full knowledge that there is now a theme park nearby, which the original residents did not), and they see the economic benefits of the park, and thus perhaps Efteling could have built a new ride instead?

(*I realise that this isn't always true, as I suspect that Drayton Manor's neighbours possibly got fussier over time, given that they didn't tend to object to Sky Flyer in 1989, but had begun complaining about Pandemonium and Cyclone decades later)
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And as Phantasialand have shown, if you’re creative you can still build some of the world’s best coasters in spite of urban planning restrictions… though a healthy budget helps.
 
I think I only rode Corkscrew once - around 2004 (over 10 years after I first rode Nemesis)

I remember being impressed with it, because the track seemed so much bigger than Python at Drayton Manor (which is the ride that I compared it to - not the B&M beasts at AT)

But, looking back at POVs of the ride now, the layout seems very dull (other than the 2 corkscrews) and needlessly long

Even by 1980s standards, the ride looks more boring than the standard Vekoma Boomerang type, and less punchy than the Thunder Looper (although I sadly have never ridden either, so cannot verify this)

I was disappointed when it went (especially as I found its replacement underwhelming), but I also remember being surprised at the huge nostalgia rush and celebrations when it closed, for the simple reason that it was a generic clone ride (even the name itself was unoriginal), and I believe there was still another 'Corkscrew' ride at Flamingo Land at the time, that people could still have gone to?
 
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Secret Weapon said:
Even by 1980s standards, the ride looks more boring than the standard Vekoma Boomerang type, and less punchy than the Thunder Looper (although I sadly have never ridden either, so cannot verify this)
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Thunder Looper was 90s. The Corkscrew was in the park for 10 years before it was built.

Corkscrew was a massive success for the park. I believe it doubled attendance. The park basically wouldn’t exist without it.

As an 80s child it was very much NOT boring by that periods standards. It was revolutionary. People travelled from around the country to ride it. Yes there were other coasters that inverted you but this was the 80s and most people were unaware. AT had national promotion.

It was terrifying. First year i was too scared to ride it (and possibly too short) but mesmerised watching it. People going upside down! Twice!! Will i fall out?

Thunder Looper was a lot more intense but like i say, it was a decade later. We’d soon be seeing Vampire, Nemesis and The Big One, the industry had changed.
 
Bowser said:
Thunder Looper was 90s. The Corkscrew was in the park for 10 years before it was built.
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Thunderlooper was a 90s ride at Towers but was built in the late 70s and had been at two other parks prior to opening in Thunder Valley. It may have represented an advance for rides in the UK but isn't a reflection of progress in the industry as a whole
 
Alton Towers in the 80's added far more rides then any other like 1981 both The Flume and Around the World in 80 Days were added in the same year and 1984 was just as big with Wave Swinger, Black Hole and Enterprise. This is surface level what they added but every season had multiple new rides.

And some wouldn't last long like the shortest lived attraction that being Space Boat
 
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