Rita Launch Scaffolding

I'm actually going to start this thread by saying that I have actually warmed to rita due to its thrills, it really packs quite a punch, buy god does its theme let it down!

I understand the scaffolding under the launch is for health and safety reasons, but surely there must be a more aesthetically pleasing solution? For instance why not enclose the launch track completely with a permanent themes structure, then have themes walkways underneath etc.

Its current situation is quite frankly embarrassing. A world class park adding scaffolding underneath a launch track and calling it theming? It just doesn't feel like escapism to me, it just feels like a building site.

On th13teen and hex it works, its part of the theme of restoration work etc. But rita is supposed to be a desolate racetrack, not an un-used racetrack being refurbished!

I know its just a temporary solution, but honestly they could at least line it up with the path borders properly instead of having a big square box at a random angle under the launch. In my opinion the park needs to do something about this soon, because its just not what alton towers represents!

On a side note though, I really enjoyed my last visit, It did feel very magical for the most part, marketing not as in you're face as it was. The Smiler too also adding to the line up, is a welcome addition to the parks selection of thrill rides.

I just with the whole dark forest area was given some attention to make it a more worthwhile area. It certainly has the potential to be fantastic!

Anyone else see where i'm coming from?

Blizzard said:

For instance why not enclose the launch track completely with a permanent themes structure, then have themes walkways underneath etc.

Click to expand...

Because it's Merlin...scaffolding is their bread and butter. They never go back and do a proper job on something when it begins to look awful unless they're doing up the whole area - look at the Nemesis monster, or the Air Tunnel.

Alastair said:

Blizzard said:

For instance why not enclose the launch track completely with a permanent themes structure, then have themes walkways underneath etc.

Click to expand...

Because it's Merlin...scaffolding is their bread and butter. They never go back and do a proper job on something when it begins to look awful unless they're doing up the whole area - look at the Nemesis monster, or the Air Tunnel.

Click to expand...

Don't see why you blame Merlin.. Stealth has had slight changes to its launch fencing over the last winter and the whole area is open as before, no scaffolding in sight..

simps100 said:

Alastair said:

Blizzard said:

For instance why not enclose the launch track completely with a permanent themes structure, then have themes walkways underneath etc.

Click to expand...

Because it's Merlin...scaffolding is their bread and butter. They never go back and do a proper job on something when it begins to look awful unless they're doing up the whole area - look at the Nemesis monster, or the Air Tunnel.

Click to expand...

Don't see why you blame Merlin.. Stealth has had slight changes to its launch fencing over the last winter and the whole area is open as before, no scaffolding in sight..

Click to expand...

This isn't Thorpe Park though. This is Alton Towers, and Rita - and the scaffolding has been there for a full year now. If they were planning to do anything about it, they would have done it in the closed season. Instead what they did was seemingly to make it more permanent by adding more of it, putting on the vine "theming" and widening the walkway.

If the protection is to become permanent, they could do so much better.

A specially design and build the structure that does not have area blocked off with fencing. have the structures uprights in tree trunks, so it give the feeling of walking though a little wooded area to get to thirteen.

They could have big branches coming up both side of the launch track, with smaller branches coming off the end of them. to give the feeling of tree hands trying to catch the car as it tries to escape the forest. this would fit with the audio "you must escape, Go,Go,Go"

This would also pull Rita closer to the theming of the rest of Dark Forest.

It actually has a proper catch tray now anyway. There is 0 need for it and the HSE don't require it but Alton Towers' own Health and Safety busy body demands it.

Alastair said:

simps100 said:

Alastair said:

Blizzard said:

For instance why not enclose the launch track completely with a permanent themes structure, then have themes walkways underneath etc.

Click to expand...

Because it's Merlin...scaffolding is their bread and butter. They never go back and do a proper job on something when it begins to look awful unless they're doing up the whole area - look at the Nemesis monster, or the Air Tunnel.

Click to expand...

Don't see why you blame Merlin.. Stealth has had slight changes to its launch fencing over the last winter and the whole area is open as before, no scaffolding in sight..

Click to expand...

This isn't Thorpe Park though. This is Alton Towers, and Rita - and the scaffolding has been there for a full year now. If they were planning to do anything about it, they would have done it in the closed season. Instead what they did was seemingly to make it more permanent by adding more of it, putting on the vine "theming" and widening the walkway.

Click to expand...

I know the point I was trying to make was its silly to simply say "because it's Merlin" when the problem seems to be more at just towers.

The scaffolding was taken apart over winter, they did do some work however it was proven inadequate (as I believe documented months ago on here), and the scaffolding returned with a completely different route, tunnels and theming.

Wouldn't be surprised if they tried again over winter for a solution.

As far as I'm aware it is perfectly safe without any scaffolding whatsoever - it's just there again because of the parks H&S staff going mad.

They would bubble wrap the whole park if they could.

Dark Forest will forever remain one of the most un-themed, lifeless areas in the park. Since Rita came the area has been ruined and H&S have just gone and ruined it even more. Until Rita is gone it will forever remain an ugly area. Which is a shame really as 2010 was their chance to redesign the area and make it feel like the original Ug Land once did.

Scaffolding by its very nature is temporary - and when used in this way is likely to need quite a bit of maintenance itself over time to stop it becoming unsafe. :S

It strikes me as short-sighted and a tad silly to use scaffolding, which makes me think that there must be a desire within AT's management to provide a permanent solution. Whether there is funding available is another debate.

delta79 said:

If the protection is to become permanent, they could do so much better.

Click to expand...

Yep. They should use the structure to their advantage to create a themeing focal point. They could make the tunnel reasonably tight and dark. The problem with the Dark Forest is that it's a naturally quite open landscape, so having a 'moment' of closeness in the experience of walking around the area could be really effective.

They could extend the enclosing of the tunnel to the small portion of the Rita queue that goes under the track. Somehow.

All was fixed until a few days before the 2013 opening day when Health and Safety did an inspection and deemed the 'trough' was not safe (Of course, it was...). This meant that they had to rush and build a bigger scaffolding tunnel to avoid closure of the area.

I'd expect something to be done about it this closed season as we don't want another Air tunnel.

I would imagine a well themed, realistic, hollowed felled tree piece of themeing would serve as decent replacement, with guests walking through the hollow trunk placed underneath the launch track. Not only would it keep H&S happy, it would also add to the area's theme quite well.