• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

2016: Theme Park Developments

Status
This topic has been locked. No further replies can be posted.
No one's started one, mainly because all that's expected is a Beastie replacement, and perhaps if we're very lucky one new thrill flat. And I don't think there are even any vague rumours about either would be in regards to manufacturer/location etc. As soon as there are any rumours there will be a thread have no doubt about that! ;)
 
Alastair said:
No one's started one, mainly because all that's expected is a Beastie replacement, and perhaps if we're very lucky one new thrill flat. And I don't think there are even any vague rumours about either would be in regards to manufacturer/location etc. As soon as there are any rumours there will be a thread have no doubt about that! ;)
Click to expand...

Cheers, i did think I had read some speculation for next year :)
 
2016...

Could we be seeing another prototype from B&M? - with Thunderbird opening 2015 and all...

Launched flyer? Launched invert? Launched sit-down? Launched floorless? *drool* Another launched wing-rider?

For a park who have (in the past more-so) a great relationship with the Swiss manufacturers, and with it having been 14 years since the last B&M, is now the time to rekindle their partnership and create another truly world breaking coaster?

Or indeed, have B&M gone 'too sensible' thus rendering this possibility nothing more than nostalgia?

Do people even want something that isn't sensible anymore, are the public happy staying with the near-force-less wing-riders, the dull, uninspired layouts & the all-too-many clones just because its big and does loop-de-loop's?
 
smudge said:
2016...

Could we be seeing another prototype from B&M? - with Thunderbird opening 2015 and all...

Launched flyer? Launched invert? Launched sit-down? Launched floorless? *drool* Another launched wing-rider?
Click to expand...

I seem to recall hearing that parks in the are reluctant to get a LIM/LSM coaster as the energy prices are way to high.
 
Russ said:
I seem to recall hearing that parks in the are reluctant to get a LIM/LSM coaster as the energy prices are way to high.
Click to expand...
Good point, especially with relatively heavy B&M trains. AT has needed an infrastructure upgrade for a long time now anyway, this must be on the cards for some point in the future if they are planning to continue expansion, which the LTDP of course states. The cost is comparative you would think, the rise in gate prices, car parking and the general cost will be factored into all pricing structures obviously including utilities.

Hydraulic B&M launch it is then? ;) Although I'm guessing one-death-a-min have patented that.
 
I've said it before and I'll say it again, B&M 4D debut - on the Air car park. It being launched would be a bonus, and don't forget they could go for their tyre driven launch again, which uses less energy yet still seems to pack a punch.
 
It's long been rumoured that B&M are working on a 4D coaster and a lot of indications seemed to suggest The Smiler was rushed in when B&M said they couldn't have it ready for SW7.

Will be curious to see what happens.
 
I hope the B&M 4D will be for Towers, and in 2016. The B&M 4D rumour has been around for far too long. Towers hasn't worked with B&M for years, it's pretty much time for B&M to get back there with a new ride.

The Smiler/SW7 was just a rushed ride, rushed concept and rushed construction. All rumours and tip-offs from people in 'the know' pointed towards a B&M ride for the Air car park, then suddenly plans appear for something on the Black Hole site.

Even though I want this to happen in 2016 and keep in with the 3 year cycle. I'd rather see a dark ride in the Duel building and SW8 postponed for a year of two. The park is pretty secure with roller coasters at the moment.
 
As much as I'd love to see a Dark Ride in 2016, I think it's far more likely we'll see another coaster. I doubt that Merlin would ever want to give a large budget to a Dark Ride, they'd see it as too big of a risk, I'd love to be proven wrong though.
 
Max said:
As much as I'd love to see a Dark Ride in 2016, I think it's far more likely we'll see another coaster. I doubt that Merlin would ever want to give a large budget to a Dark Ride, they'd see it as too big of a risk, I'd love to be proven wrong though.
Click to expand...
Completely agree, I even imagine Towers themselves would 'like' a large scale dark ride (like us), although a coaster (think The Smiler & even Th13teen) is a guaranteed return, because 95-99% of Merlin Shareholders care about return, and return alone.

Like you, Max, I would really like the UK market to leap onto the dark-ride bandwagon that is at currently at full speed in the USA at least, but the risk, I feel, is too great at the minute, much like a woody. Hopefully someone does take the risk, sooner rather than later, but I just can't see it being M£rlin. If this paramount park ever fully materializes and proves a success there is a chance, although without someone like Universal or Disney venturing into the UK, I can't see anyone stumping up the £50+m required for a fully immersive & complete dark-ride, let alone the $200-300m spent by the afore mentioned...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Max
I think Merlin are slowly easing into dark rides. They probably view it as a level of risk though as a dark ride can be very hit or miss. Sub-Terra was a key example of that.

But you never know, one way to guarantee a return will be to have either an IP dark ride (like Thorpe's rumoured Doctor Who ride), or a dark ride with a fast moving, family-thrill system (so they can milk it with advertising).
 
I really do think we will see a dark ride in 2016. There's not been much but everything we have had so far does point towards a dark ride. We'll get a better idea later this year though as if it is going to be another coaster in 2016 planning permission will need to be submitted around November/December time.

Then the next thrill coaster is more likely around 2019. With The Smiler last year the park is fine for thrill coasters right now. There are other priorities and a top class dark ride is one of these.

:)
 
I wouldn't be surprised if we don't even see something huge in 2016. With Merlin moving to a 4-year cycle at Thorpe I wonder if they will do the same at Alton with the next Secret Weapon.

Will be interesting to see.
 
I think they only swapped Thorpe's cycle because it wasn't working, a big ride ever three years was too frequent. A coaster failed as an investment. Crowds still come to Towers whenever there is a major attraction.
 
Whatever happens to Duel, it does need sorting out. Half of the lights (not literally) dont actually work anymore, so its in serious need of renovation/refurbishment.

HOWEVER, Alton was planning to make the section between Gloomy Wood and Forbidden Valley into a new entrance for the park. They cant have a ride in the dark near to the entrance as people won't know what it is, sk are less likely to ride. It also meams Alton arent showing off the best of their rides to begin with as you cant really show off a dark ride, they are in the dark.

The other problem is the price. The Smiler ckst a mere £18 million, I would say veey cheap for how it came out. However, dark rides cost a whole lot more than that, and usually there is a limit to how good they are due to the fact they have limited space. This discourages Merlin from looking at dark rides as they cant get as much mokney back, mand Merlin is all about the money
 
You'll find the lights were deliberately turned off to improve experience rather than shooting at walls for no reason.

I personally don't think they went far enough!
 
As thefatonesaid, interactive laser gun rides tend to make more sense if the targets are things worth shooting, and when the Haunted House became Duel a lot of target LEDs were just added to the walls. I presume it was done to provide plenty of targets in a ride that was originally designed to have little gaps between scenes instead of constantly passing things to shoot. I would agree that there are still too many LEDs in pointless places, and from having been on it without the target LEDs on a couple of years ago, there's a fair bit of detail that the LEDs either distract you from or mask somehow; things like the pattern on the dining room wallpaper for instance.
 
Not sure if this has been mentioned, but one of the things that JW mentioned eons ago, was now that Merlin was growing into a larger company there was more chance of them being able to split the cost of a large dark ride, such as spider man (his example), between a number of parks, the majority of the costs are on the programmiing and films, so only need doing once. So why not have a 50M ride going into Alton, and 10 other merlin parks around the world?
 
Status
This topic has been locked. No further replies can be posted.
Top