2016: Theme Park Developments

[Ian]

Whilst it's pretty much inevitable that Duel will be changing in the near future (God knows it needs it), I doubt we'll see anything too removed from the original concept. The haunted house genre is a pretty timeless and staple theme park attraction, so to try and remove it and go for something totally different would be utter madness. They are an attraction where you can install it once, then just go back every few years and update or change bits, but ultimately the popularity and draw remains (How else do the likes of Haunted Mansion keep going?).

Removing the ride system would be daft if you ask me. It's a completely bespoke ride system which even by todays standards is pretty advanced for what is just a transit system. Re-shelling the vehicles shouldn't be an issue if needed, and I dare say Mack could reprogram the spacing system (And no doubt they could also work out any of the little bugs, given how technology has moved on since 1992). It would save them a few million pounds retaining the old ride system, all of which could be piped back into theming, which is going to need a huge budget given the scale.

Similarly, the Gloomy Wood area and extra facade are all so well integrated, and still look damn good. It would be an easy way to save money to improve the theming, which as I've said is where all the focus should be.

A new name and brand will be needed for increased marketability I dare say. This doesn't need to be anything too complicated. Simple is effective in this case. Just a creepy old manor in the middle of a creepy forest in the grounds of the Towers. It doesn't need some elaborate story to make it work, else Haunted House wouldn't have been so effective. Again, looking to Phantom/Haunted Mansion. They do have back stories of sorts, but there's no need to try and tell it all to the guests. Just a basic mood setter. There's no promises or massive expectations to be held to, so shouldn't be too risky to miss the point and fail to convey anything. I do fear this could be a downfall of a Merlin retheme. I worry they might try and overcomplicate with some elaborate story, but fail to truly live up to it when aboard the ride itself (See Sub-Terra V.1). If they miss the point on a ride of this scale I don't see there being an 'easy fix'. It'll take more than two weeks downtime to fix up all of that.

They have the building, they have the ride system, they have the queueline, they have the area, and they have the facade. All they need is new interior theming, and a new story and brand. It's should be an easy one when it comes to cost and effectiveness, so long as they stick to the old values of these rides.

 

[jon81uk]

I see Duel as a location for a new dark ride. You have a ready made good sized building and there wouldn't be any costs associated with groundwork and construction of a new building. Duel is far from popular, even on busy days it's pretty much walk on (I know the ride's throughput does help this). I can easily see them gutting it and starting again with a new ride.

A new ride, with half the capacity of Duel. Sounds like Merlin.

I think you could quite easily gut it and keep the track, it is a great high capacity ride, but they would have to find the right theme. It might even be possible to add to the experience with something after the ride (like the elevators on Charlie) or an acted beginning (like Sub-Terra).

I would love to see a Dr Who themed attraction, a set-up with the Doctor on a big screen introducing a new assistant (the actor host) who leads you through a few room sets (similar to a Dungeons) and then onto a ride vehicle. But this would suit a screen based ride (like Spiderman at IoA) rather than set based (like Duel or Charlie).

I think a cross-valley coaster before 2020 is quite likely given that is marked on the long term plan, they just need to work out steel or wood. I also think Ripsaw is likely to get replaced and they should build on the vacant submission plot. An extension to Cbeebies land also seems likely and it seems likely Spinball will go at some point.

 

[James]

Yeah as far as dark rides go all Duel should have all the theming gutted out, ride system kept with some minor tweaks to the system. New station design, new car shells, investment concentrated on theming. Exterior cleaned up/painted/tweaked to draw in attention.

CATCF is the one dark ride that could do with being gutted out and started from scratch. While many people on here have said they could use the lifts in future, the state of them this year is appalling, they creak everywhere, the image quality looks worse and the projectors are not in line with the screens properly. Charlie's lifts have aged terribly and I'd rather see them removed and the whole warehouse used to a fuller advantage with a new ride system, maybe something like Arthur at Europa. A good family dark ride!

Dark rides cost a lot to do so when Duel comes to it's end keeping the system would be for the best really. Then Merlin can invest a hell of a lot on theming and animatronics (no screens please)!

 

[jon81uk]

(no screens please)!

Although on the boat ride section of Charlie it is the mirrors and screens of the nut room that work best because all of the animatronics have such limited range of movement.
That's the trouble with them, you either; need lots so you don't realise each one has limited movement (like Pirates of the Carribean) or only see them for a few seconds for a scare (like Duel) or have great movement (Hall of Presidents or New Seven Dwarves).

 

[ianto42]

As good as the secret weapons are, I would much prefer Alton to spend a good few million on buying a load of good flat rides instead one year. When you consider the size of the park and the number of visitors it really doesn't have the number of rides that it should. Therefore it means all the big rides get huge queues because there's nothing to soak them up. There's only Blade, Ripsaw (rumoured to be going in the next couple of years?), Enterprise and a few kiddie rides that can be considered flats. They're much cheaper and would have a big impact if each area got an extra one or two. Opinions?

 

[Martin]

Crabbe's answers in that Q&A are awful, pure corporate nonsense. Completely skirts around the issues with Smiler's construction and ongoing issues with an answer that has almost no relevance to the question. As well as completely denying the LTDP having a second entrance.

 

[CoasterCrazyChris]

Eurgh, no wonder Alton Towers is in the state it is considering it is being run by individuals with attitudes like this.

"Sonic Spinball is an excellent ride and soaks up considerable volume". Yeah, right.

 

[Scott]

Not sure what people expected from a Crabbe interview... He was hardly likely to reveal much.

 

[Rob]

You can't really complain, he's never going to say things like "The Smiler is a botch job" or "yeah we all hate Sonic". I think it's good of him to actually do a Q&A, even if the answers are somewhat predictable. And heck he confirmed that there are some form of plans for Duel which we didn't know about before!

 

[NickT04]

The only IP I would accept is "Luigi's Mansion". I'd rather Alton spruced up the likes of Gloomy Wood and the Flume before moving onto their next big coaster, or indeed make big changes to Forbidden Valley. Imagine the queues with three coasters there!

 

[James]

No IPs! There are are too many as it is.

I was thinking that if they do go down the route of a CBeebies Land extension next year they could, in an ideal world, remove Spinball, Spinball Noodles and the play area near there. Then they could build a new kids roller coaster, a new large indoor restaurant and a new outdoor play area connected to the restaurant. Given the lack of anywhere to sit and eat within CBeebies Land I think that would work pretty well, families can sit in somewhere to eat within the area, there's a second play area for kids and a new coaster that compliments the area (as well as replaces the Beastie).

I'm probably setting myself up for high hopes.

 

[siralgenon]

No IPs! There are are too many as it is.

I was thinking that if they do go down the route of a CBeebies Land extension next year they could, in an ideal world, remove Spinball, Spinball Noodles and the play area near there. Then they could build a new kids roller coaster, a new large indoor restaurant and a new outdoor play area connected to the restaurant. Given the lack of anywhere to sit and eat within CBeebies Land I think that would work pretty well, families can sit in somewhere to eat within the area, there's a second play area for kids and a new coaster that compliments the area (as well as replaces the Beastie).

I'm probably setting myself up for high hopes.

'Given the lack of anywhere to sit and eat within CBeebies Land'?!

It has the huge Big Fun Time area with benches and tables for picnics and the large Little Explorers Lunch Box Restaurant. Thats more than enough for the Land. And I doubt Alton Towers would remove one of their most popular attractions to build another restaurant seeing as they cant keep the original ones open as it is!

 

[James]

I meant a proper restaurant, with cooked meals. Sandwiches and a drink are not that!

Spinball is more disposable than you think, too.

 

[siralgenon]

I meant a proper restaurant, with cooked meals. Sandwiches and a drink are not that!

Spinball is more disposable than you think, too.

I don't think CBeebies Land needs another eat-in restaurant with the new Towers St. Bar & Grill literally just around the corner. As for Sonic Spinball, it may be 'more disposable' but it is still one of the Parks main and most popular attractions. I can't see it going anywhere anytime soon.

 

[Rob]

I meant a proper restaurant, with cooked meals. Sandwiches and a drink are not that!

Spinball is more disposable than you think, too.

I don't think CBeebies Land needs another eat-in restaurant with the new Towers St. Bar & Grill literally just around the corner. As for Sonic Spinball, it may be 'more disposable' but it is still one of the Parks main and most popular attractions. I can't see it going anywhere anytime soon.

Parents won't be saying that on busy days when they are forced to leave the area to head of to Towers St. Bar & Grill only to have to queue to get back into CBeebies Land. Saying that I think what's there is just about ok for now, they could do with a small kiosk type place in Big Fun Show Time though.

As for Sonic, it may be popular but it will be the next coaster to leave the park. Towers have pretty much said as much and the council would like to see this also. They will remove it in the near future and that area of the park will lose its GDO status.

 

[James]

I would write a reply but Rob's views are pretty much what I'm thinking.

Spinball will be the next coaster to go for sure. The negatives outweight the positives of the ride. It has low throughput, it ruins the view as you enter the park, it's very loud and it comes near houses outside AT grounds. I can see it gone soon and the area housing something lower and quieter.

 

[Poisson]

I do feel that Towers will pull the same trick as they did with the BH Tent/The Smiler, and get as much as possible whilst using Sonic as a benchmark.

 

[Johno]

I meant a proper restaurant, with cooked meals. Sandwiches and a drink are not that!

Spinball is more disposable than you think, too.

I don't think CBeebies Land needs another eat-in restaurant with the new Towers St. Bar & Grill literally just around the corner. As for Sonic Spinball, it may be 'more disposable' but it is still one of the Parks main and most popular attractions. I can't see it going anywhere anytime soon.

Parents won't be saying that on busy days when they are forced to leave the area to head of to Towers St. Bar & Grill only to have to queue to get back into CBeebies Land. Saying that I think what's there is just about ok for now, they could do with a small kiosk type place in Big Fun Show Time though.

As for Sonic, it may be popular but it will be the next coaster to leave the park. Towers have pretty much said as much and the council would like to see this also. They will remove it in the near future and that area of the park will lose its GDO status.

I'm gonna be intrigued as to how busy the land gets over the summer, whether opening week was a true test of it or not, I suppose?

But yeah, I can imagine some kind of cart type thing being put in the grassy-picnic area. Either selling ice creams or something like sandwiches/paninis or something?

 

[BigDave]

You could probably put in a youngstar or something similar and they are fairly quiet too. That said, there isn't much room there for anything major. It would have to be fairly compact.

 

[Dave]

As for Sonic, it may be popular but it will be the next coaster to leave the park. Towers have pretty much said as much and the council would like to see this also. They will remove it in the near future and that area of the park will lose its GDO status.

I doubt it will lose the GDO completely but the height limit will be dropped and a few other restrictions added, Spinball is probably the most annoying coaster in the park for locals due to its proximity to Farley.

I think 2016 will be a small year, even if they go for something cheap in the park in 2015 they will have spent millions over the previous years with Smiler, CBeebies and Enchanted Village.