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2018: Wicker Man - General Discussion - SPOILERS! - Part One

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Regarding launch - why would the noise tunnel not therefore also include the lift hill?

The plans also include a 1.8m noise shielding wall around various parts of the ride, corners etc.

Those complaining about it not utilising the site well are being ridiculous - this is clearly a ride which is fitting into the site which towers believe they will 100% get planning permission for. By restoring the woodland to its original state, it's a conservational gain - and is thus likely to be approved.
 
Can anyone understand why the first section post lift hill is basically long straight and flat, with a small drop half way along? Seems odd to me.
 
I'm quite liking the look of this project! (Even if i'm not too font of re-using the flume's infrastructure) It looks to be the thing Towers really needs right now. A Quality, family ride with plenty of theming, also not too intimidating to people new to roller coasters.

Also I've noticed the ride follows Wardley's philosophy of being entertained as a spectator. The way it drops into those low curves in an "arena" type fashion will look absolutely brilliant! Something I don't think people have thought about yet! Each track following that curve goes in the opposite direction to the adjacent one. This could be incredible if trains were allowed to run together. Though I can't spot a MCBR or anything so not sure how the block system would work with that one!

And that new pathway! Something else that could prove some great views over Katanga and surrounding area, and should help ease congestion through KC. That building on the path, could it be a restaurant, or new shop for the rapids? Considering the rapid's exit is around that area, could people b diverted out that was as opposed to through the cargo shop?

Some seriously great potential here!

:D
 
Wardley didn't invent laying out a coaster to look good from one direction. If anyone did, it was Anton. ;)
 
Someone posted this over on coasterforce.. Surely not?

gHPWarA.jpg
 
It looks underwhelming, but it's difficult to get a feel for it until you either see a 3D model or a CGI version of this ride.

One thing I have noticed though is just how far behind UK parks are now compared to European ones. Look at Europa Park for example. The detail, the rides, the ambition is all over the park. Arthur and Wodan are two very good coasters. Galactica and Thirteen are two huge disappointments.

The UK needs to step out of its comfort zone and build something truly remarkable.
 
Blizzard said:
And that new pathway! Something else that could prove some great views over Katanga and surrounding area, and should help ease congestion through KC. That building on the path, could it be a restaurant, or new shop for the rapids? Considering the rapid's exit is around that area, could people b diverted out that was as opposed to through the cargo shop?
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Do you mean the pathway that goes alongside the Rapids and then under the lift and drop of the new coaster before turning left? If so that is an existing pathway, albeit modified at the start due to the new station building being where it currently begins. I'm not sure what new buillding on the path you are referring to either?

As for the image posted above, it certainly does imply at least one inversion. Hard to interpret exactly but interesting.

:)
 
Ryan B said:
Someone posted this over on coasterforce.. Surely not?

gHPWarA.jpg
Click to expand...

I don't think those are inversions to be fair. I think they're banked hill crests, the kind that eject you sideways.

I shall stand corrected though if they are. It would seem to go against the family-thrill ethos of this build though, an inversion or two would take it instantly to thrill and cut out a large demographic.
 
Could be either, I'm hoping they chuck in an inversion, and I've figured out the worlds first.. Worlds first wooden coaster fully dedicated to Alton Towers.
 
cactuselves said:
Can anyone understand why the first section post lift hill is basically long straight and flat, with a small drop half way along? Seems odd to me.
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It's because the ground that the ride is on is hilly. The top of the lift is at the top of the hill, the end of the straight bit you mention is at the bottom of the hill. So the coaster will stay high until it gets closer to the end of the straight meaning that the drop can be bigger and steeper than a drop at the top of the hill could be. From there it looks like the layout will be ground hugging for most of the rest of it, which should make for quite a fun ride. Small hills taken at a fair amount of speed means lots of air time.
 
Looking at this plan it looks like the flume site just falls outside the GDO area (purple boundaries), so it seems these plans have to be legit?
6XveW8e.jpg
 
Dar said:
Looking at this plan it looks like the flume site just falls outside the GDO area (purple boundaries), so it seems these plans have to be legit?
6XveW8e.jpg
Click to expand...

I saw this and it's very strange. As of the publication of the Churnet Valley Masterplan in 2014 the site does fall within a GDO area but it would seem several of these areas have been removed. Not sure why this would be.

:)
 
Looking at the small size of the area that they are going to build this on, it will make the Octonauts Rollercoaster look epic :eek:

In all seriousness, I'm going to reserve my perception of SW8 until the day I ride it.

Roy :)
 
PeteB said:
Well, I couldn't be less excited for this and hope these plans get pulled. It just looks awful and carelessly thought out. It's not long enough by far.

They've chosen to build something like this at a VERY peculiar time. I mean, they've openly told us the problem which has stopped them building a woody up to now has been the public perception that they are old and unsafe, yet they go ahead and build one immediately after one of the worst rollercoaster accidents in modern times! On top of that, from pure speculation this looks like it's aimed at families. Add to this you have the park going H&S crazy building fences on top of fences around just about everything in existence. Wow. You're living right on the edge here Towers! Just goes to show you cannot take anything these people at Towers or Merlin say seriously.

It's also a massively disrespectful "F YOU" to John Wardley who's been campaigning for a woody for like 25 years. Soon as he's out the door, it's their very next project! How nice!



I totally agree and glad it's not just me.



That looks about a million times more interesting than SW8 :(
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Totally agree with all the above, this is a massive disappointment, I'm absolutely gutted. And at 43 I've probably been waiting longer than most on this forum, it's always been a sad little dream of mine that one day Alton Towers would build an amazing woodie and this really doesn't cut it for me....at all! But then what can we expect really, the park have noise restrictions, height restrictions and a ton of red tape. Sorry to be so negative but what is the future of Alton Towers? A cross valley would really have put them back at the top, this just reinforces my belief that other parks will be the ones pushing for big projects and tall scream machines and Alton will always struggle. And sadly they may even become a second thought for those craving the latest in roller coasters, Blackpool have sealed it, maybe Paramount in the future, I feel Alton are going down, rant over.
 
I've been thinking and - though probably a ridiculous idea - do people think that there may be an IP used for sw8? I know it's sounds unlikely, but I see no reason they wouldn't. Thorpe seem to be going that way more often than not on there recent additions, and I'm sure it was speculated that the smiler would originally be an IP.

I know it's a little far fetched, especially at this stage, but I just want to see people's opinion.
 
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