I was thinking a lot about Wicker Man recently. (I know, I shouldn't think so much, I'll hurt myself)
I'd say the majority of enthusiasts have wanted a Wooden Coaster at Alton Towers for years, as much as this coaster isn't what we would have asked for (it's no cross valley woodie, it's no airtime machine and it's not an RMC) but what it does do, and this contributes to Wardley's postings, is that it introduces modern Wooden Coasters to the general public, it looks to be a low entry point for younger riders to enjoy.
This is the kind of Wooden Coaster that we need, maybe not that we want, but it does fill the market in a particular way;
- Accesible to younger audiences
- Well themed (At least for now (Let's leave 2 years from now out of the question))
- Enjoyable, it looks to be a fun family thrill layout that the park is crying out for
- Throughputs, although likely to be quite low in comparison, it's certainly going to fill it's queueline and increase gate figures
I'm not one to forgive Merlin for all of it's promises, however this does look to be one of the most unique and interesting projects from them in a long time (DBGT aside because that was shambolic in presentation in its first year)
If there's anything to take away from this project, is that we should be praising Towers for at least trying to do this, rather than criticize them for the smallest thing. We're all enthusiasts and we want the best from the parks, but really, to the people slating this coaster already, let's just see what popular opinion from the public brings and hopefully if this coaster is successful, another park in the UK will build something just as good if not better.
