• 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.
I'm pretty sure someone said a water ride would be unlikely because now they have to completely isolate the water supply and make sure it is clean and fresh at all times. Unless they go for something big like a "Journey to Atlantis" or "Jurassic Park", I can't see them being willing to splash that much cash.
 
Maelstrom said:
Will also be interesting to see what we get in 2015, with the new enchanted village opening will this have an impact on the budgets for new park attractions. Ideally 2015 should be a kids coaster and a new thrill flat ride.
Click to expand...

The lodges will not have any impact on budgets for new park attractions. It will be treated separately. :)

A kids coaster has been heavily rumoured for 2015 so we will most likely see that included in a CBeebies Land extension! A thrill flat would be nice although Towers seem reluctant to look into new flat rides for the park.
 
BenBowser said:
Whatever gets built in the next major investment, I would definitely not want it to be a coaster. They haven't invested in a proper family attraction since Battle Galleons*, and I think one is due. Unfortunately, we can't trust Merlin with a dark ride, so they may have to think a little outside the box.

An attraction that I really enjoyed at another park was Speed of Magic. I have no idea what its ride type is but here's basically what it does: Guests (wearing 3D goggles) sit in a single carriage that can hold about eight people. I moves through various rooms with screens. The screen plays a 3D film whilst the carriage moves around in time with it, once that two or three minute film is over, the carriage then moves into the next room where another film is played etc. Each room as a small amount of physical theming, some thing with Merlin know how to do well... ;)

Here's a video of the ride: This video also includes the ride's preshow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwckAD4ik3U

It is totally soundless from the outside, perfect for coaster corner. Even a theme like Speed of Magic's would work in Cloud Cuckoo Land. The ride's throughput is nice and high, so queues won't get too long. :)

*By family attraction I mean something that everyone can enjoy, together, with no bravery required. So Thirteen doesn't count, neither does Ice Age or CBeebies.
Click to expand...

Yeah, as Tim says I'm fairly sure that's the same system as Spiderman, which is a fantastic ride. Fairly costly though, which probably rules it out. If ETF could do something similar but for cheaper than I would definitely suggest that as a possibility.
 
I agree with the comments about lack of proper family rides with broad appeal.

Sure we have seen attractions in recent years for this market - Haunted Hollow, Sharkbait Reef and Ice Age, but these are not rides.

Battle Galleons hardly appeals to anyone and is unsuitable for most of the year meaning that the last real family ride built was Spinball a decade ago. Even this is something the likes of my parents would not ride.

We need something on the level of RMT, Rapids, The Flume, Duel, Hex or The Blade. That list shows just how weak the current line-up is.

We need another year like 1992 to happen.

:)
 
I can't imagine that the Empire of the Penguin thing at SeaWorld in Florida cost very much? I'm sure a decently themed version would go down well. However, I am almost certain that Merlin will continue down the IP route so I think any dark ride they decide to build is on the wrong footing before it even begins.

The Shrek project in London will apparently feature other franchises such as How To Train Your Dragon; I can only see Merlin taking further advantage of pre-existing stories and characters from this point on. Nemesis: Sub-Terra, Ice Age 4D, Cbeebies Land, Angry Birds Land at Thorpe, Madagascar at Chessington and now the ridiculous Oblivion cross-marketing in Europe have all utilized brands that have not been originally conceived by Merlin - it's just a trend that they've found profitable.
 
Generally speaking I don't like flats as they're all variations of spin ride, but what about the old plans for a flat in the Black Hole tent? Could they be referring to a similar concept when it mentions 'indoor ride'? (I don't know what the ride on the plans actually was) I am imagining something done up like X at Thorpe.

In an ideal world maybe we'd see Spinball moved indoors along with a family flat...like a cut down Wuze Town.

I would be genuinely worried if Merlin announced a family dark ride!
 
As much as I think IPs are no where near as good as original theming ideas (take all the AT SWs for example), we can't escape the face that IPs will bring in more and more mainstream guests.
 
Tom.B said:
As much as I think IPs are no where near as good as original theming ideas (take all the AT SWs for example), we can't escape the face that IPs will bring in more and more mainstream guests.
Click to expand...

Maybe, but there's still a balance to be struck as IPs can be so eye watering expensive.

IPs done well are fantastic tho. I know we refer to it far to often but IOA and Harry Potter are the perfect example. I hate Harry Potter. I think the books (the couple that I've read anyway,) are pretty naff and most of the films are terrible, yet the area was done in a way that didn't make me feel like an outsider. I didn't need to 'get' every bit of detailed themeing to appreciate the place.

Merlin parks & IPs are reliatively new ground. I refuse to accept Sonic as an IP invested ride (it's more like cheap sponsorship,) Ice Age 4D is dross... and until the end of this month I don't think we have a lot else to go on?
 
There are lots of companies out their promoting lots of new dark ride systems, many cheaper rip offs of Disney/Universal systems. The big issue though is would Merlin/Alton risk £18m on a dark ride? I can fully understand from a business perspective why they would be hesitant, they know that if they spent £18m on a coaster at Alton they almost guaranteed will see the return on investment, its a big risk and that something we know Merlin don't like to take. I have to wonder if the indoor ride on the 10 year plan is actually some kind of indoor coaster.

I think we more likely to see something like Maus Au Chocolat (Cheaper version of Disney's Toy Story Mania) as a medium investment as a new dark ride rather than the next dark ride being the next £18m ride.
 
I'm sure they would risk it. Every ride is a risk really. As long as it is marketed well then the crowds will come in. It's Alton Towers at the end of the day. We're not talking about a small park that needs to work hard for guests. We're talking about the UKs biggest theme park that will pull in the crowds either way.

I'd rather see Alton Towers stay away from the IP route. The park already has too many IPs. Cbeebies, Ice Age, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sonic - anything more and they may as well become an IP park and ditch the unique themes. Even The Smiler was originally planned to be themed around Halo! I worry a little too much that Merlin are going too far down the IP route with their parks as a means to rake in guaranteed profit.
 
Fingers crossed 2016 will see nothing new.

I would happily see no new investment in 2015 and 2016 if it meant the park got a full refurbish and everything was brought back to a standard where you could not tell it has been untouched for 10 years.

Ideally this would happen anyway, along with a nice new ride, but we all know what Merlin is like.

I think there will be other things happening, at other European Parks in 2016 that I will be a lot more interested in, than anything Towers attempt to build.

Ian
 
I think 2015 will just bring some further tidying up and maybe a slight Cbeebies expansion, hopefully with some extra rides (rather than shows/experiences) probably a Beastie replacement as expected.

I think for 2016 a good water ride with decent dark ride sections to replace the flume would be great, although Legoland already has a pirate themed flume. Of course a proper fully themed dark ride would be great but expensive or difficult to get themeing right. Merlin/Tussauds can do decent dark attractions (Hex, Haunted House, Sub Terra, Hocus Pocus Hall) but they need to make sure it is at least of this standard. There is space in Coaster Corner area that could be used for a decent sized dark attraction and I wouldn't object to a family IP (Doctor Who would be obvious choice) but I'm sure they could come up with something.

I also like the idea of a Katanga Canyon dark water ride (Jungle Cruise or Priates of Carribean style) but again the theming would have to be top notch so it doesn't just turn into a River Caves!
 
I disagree with comments that no attractions = bugger all guest figures. While new attractions do bring an increased amount of guests even if there was nothing park figures would stick to an average, probably around 2.5m. We're kinda spoilt with Towers (and other UK parks) that we get something new year on year, most parks around the world will go for a season or two with nothing.

BigAl said:
There's still the matter of a Beastie replacement...

:S
Click to expand...

2015. ;)
 
I hope! That really should have been addressed already. Especially for a park like Alton Towers!
 
Plans are already set in stone for 2015 (from what I've heard) and it's rumoured to be a new kids coaster added as an extension to CBeebies Land so I think we can expect a Beastie replacement next year. :)

It will be interesting to see how an extension to the area will work. There's land at all sides although I wonder whether we will see the back of Spinball due to this. Towers have expressed interest in removing/relocating Spinball and lowering the area GDO height so it wouldn't surprise me if they went down this route. As with everything else at Towers you never know what they'll do next so it'll be interesting to see what happens in reality.

Out of everything though a Beastie replacement seems to be the most likely scenario and it will link in with Towers wanting to keep the hype and attention up with CBeebies Land in its second year of operating.
 
I really hope for a new dark ride.... JW has spoken for years that they have been trying to develop cheaper versions of the spiderman tech. Garmendale have premiered theirs last year

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibpoGyZVlkk

I've ridden one of their trackless transit systems along with some 3D visuals, worked pretty well.
 
jon81uk said:
Merlin/Tussauds can do decent dark attractions (Hex, Haunted House, Sub Terra, Hocus Pocus Hall) but they need to make sure it is at least of this standard.
Click to expand...
I'd hardly call Nemesis: Sub-Terra decent! ;)

Whilst I'd love for a new ride, I think the park needs a good clean and cut back of hedges etc. Forbidden Valley and Katanga Canyon especially both look very overgrown. The ivy is growing quickly and spreading everywhere. I think its time RMT had a full refurbishment, as I wouldn't want it to leave. Something to replace Ripsaw and The Blade is also needed.
 
You've all taken leave of your senses.

I need to find a roller coaster forum rather than a theme park one ;D

Cross Valley Woodie please, stuff the dark rides, done them once or twice, unless they are truly epic, they get dull.
 
Status
This topic has been locked. No further replies can be posted.
Top