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2015: General Discussion

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It's the public perception issue too. Many people associate thrill flats with fairs and therefore don't see them as anything new. I don't remeber the last time Ripsaw had a serious queue. The only one I really like is Rush at Thorpe and that is the sort of ride you will only find at a park, not a pier or a fair.

Also think about places like Universal IoA. I could ride Spider-Man several times, or Harry Potter and spot a detail I never saw before each time. But Dr Doom drop tower, its only interesting once, and not really different to any other drop tower anywhere else. Theme parks need to offer something unique and offer THEMING! Something only Legoland seems to get right out the Merlin parks and that is mainly as they already has something to build it out of (pun intended).
 
There are multiple places they could located Blade. X Sector, Mutiny Bay and Dark Forest are all areas it could go. Easier and cheaper to remove it instead though.

Regarding the future, attractions like Sub-Terra and Ice Age are the way to go. Smaller attractions that you can visit inbetween the big rides and attractions. I would love flat rides as much as the next person although given the way things are going within Merlin and also within the wider world of the theme park industry there are different approaches other than flat rides to creating filler attractions.

Towers really lack a selection of small filler attractions and a large scale modern dark ride. These are both the bigger areas that need to be sorted over the next decade.

If SW8 is a woodie I'm not actually bothered about new coasters beyond that. When Towers have a woodie they will have a complete line up on the coaster front. I would rather see SW9 become the year of a new dark ride if it were a choice of a £20m coaster or a £20m dark ride.
 
Flat rides are usually a bit rubbish and the throughputs are generally crappy, that's why parks don't invest in them anymore.

This could also be a maintenance thing like Black Hole - they were told they had to spend x thousand pounds on it to get it open this year so they just brought forward its closure. Wasn't it rumoured to have been condemned by Huss?
 
Blade is in a perfect condition, they spent some money on it over winter apparently.

Be good if another park does want to buy it really, even if it is old.
 
There are multiple places they could located Blade. X Sector, Mutiny Bay and Dark Forest are all areas it could go. Easier and cheaper to remove it instead though.

Regarding the future, attractions like Sub-Terra and Ice Age are the way to go. Smaller attractions that you can visit inbetween the big rides and attractions. I would love flat rides as much as the next person although given the way things are going within Merlin and also within the wider world of the theme park industry there are different approaches other than flat rides to creating filler attractions.

Towers really lack a selection of small filler attractions and a large scale modern dark ride. These are both the bigger areas that need to be sorted over the next decade.

If SW8 is a woodie I'm not actually bothered about new coasters beyond that. When Towers have a woodie they will have a complete line up on the coaster front. I would rather see SW9 become the year of a new dark ride if it were a choice of a £20m coaster or a £20m dark ride.

I think that is the way forward, although a couple of flats here and there will be good. But there are plenty of attractions that can be placed indoors, similar to the size of Sub Terra, and these have the benefit of being inside. And then Alton will have more of a balanced lineup, not relying to much on coasters
 
I remember about 3 years ago hearing that after the smiler the next big project would be a major indoor ride in 2016 (that was before Merlin moved to 4 year cycles) now all the rumours point to the 2017 ride being an outdoor coaster. I wonder if the dark ride Thorpe are getting was originally intended for Alton and Merlin switched the project to Thorpe with Alton getting a new coaster instead.
 
Alton Towers has seen slightly higher investment levels compared to Thorpe recently, so it's not impossible for them to get a 2016 and a 2017 attraction. But I think if 2016 is a dark ride it will just replace Duel, although even if they still use the same track and building there is a lot that could be done if all the show sets are gutted. Then a coaster in 2017. We could then see a few years of smaller investments, mainly adding smaller kids stuff and the possible loss of Spinball.
 
With the British weather, dark/indoor ride seem like a good idea

That's why I think Merlin are investing in more indoor attraction, albeit on the small scale. But funnily enough one of the reason the massive influx in dark ride technology in the recent years has been because of the weather, in Orlando it's the heat. And really now days there is no excuse in making a substandard dark ride as there are rides on every budget, rides at different scale and complexity.
 
Always drives me nuts how Merlin burns money like this (again...). The park invest in an old ride only for someone higher up to turn round and tell them it's going. They wouldn't need to keep cutting budgets if they communicated better.
 
Just seen this
avkfbd.jpg
 
Some pictures of resort improvements this year from TowersStreet Facebook Page

Corner Coffee repainted again (i much prefer this style i have to say)

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Guest services is now closed
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Inside Corner Coffee
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Prospect Tower
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New ticket machines for car park
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I'm glad they have changed Corner Coffee again, I think the refurb last year gave it a very cheap and tacky look. However it's another example of money being wasted.

:)
 
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