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

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I think it's a safe bet that the vast majority of guests don't go to a park for the dark rides and flats. It's coasters that they want.
(Obviously there are exceptions to this with parks like Universal).

I agree other ride types are needed as well, but you can never have "too many" coasters!

I would say that nobody goes to any of the Disney parks or the Universal parks for coasters and they are some of the most successful in the world. So yes family audiences may go to parks for dark rides and family adventures. But then look at a Six Flags park and it doesn't attract as many younger families as they are very coaster focused, see also Thorpe Park. The best parks probably have a mixture of both and looking at Alton Towers history that's what made it successful the right mix of attractions, adding Nemesis but also Peter Rabbit on Ice.
 
...and Haunted House, and Hex, and the old 3D Cinema. Ripsaw was undoubtedly the best flat. All added to the mixture of great attractions. Don't get me started on the level of shows and entertainment pre-2004.

I love coasters, 100%, but they are not what draw people to the world's most successful parks.

Merlin could learn a lot by following these parks, not following crappy "here today, gone tomorrow" fads and trends - like VR. Instead, they think themselves as the best thing since Disney, but in reality absolutely not.

it's called Marauder's Mayhem!

Yes, what a crap name.
 
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I hope that with SW8 they start to go back to basics and realise that a park needs both traditional and new fads as part of a park line up.

I have just visited Carowinds (trip report when I'm back in the uk) and seen their new country fair area and it looks great, they have put in three classic flat rides in and it really compliments the coasters in the park.

I do feel that SW8 will be a great addition to towers and I hope they theme it right to fit in the area it's in. I really hope they don't go for a theme that clashes with both Katanga Canyon and Mutany Bay. Even if it's a stand alone theme, I hope it compliments both areas and not stand out like a sore thumb.
 
SW8 News everyone!
178950.jpg

178950-zoom.png

Pictures from TowersTimes Forum.

So Towers released this in the planning application.

I've noticed there's only 1 theming structure this time opposed to 3 theming structures in previous planning applications. They did the same with The Smiler and Galactica though so maybe they were looking at possible sites for the wickerman to go. Like how Galactica's portal was going to be around the chain lift. And I hope that grey isn't concrete like the site is now... EDIT: The grey is grass!

EDIT: Anyone seen the horns on The Wicker Man? Could they be Flame Throwers? Oh and there seems to be a shed for the rumoured launch on the LSM lift.
 
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That...does look like it could be a giant wicker man. Also, there's this discharge of conditions notice, giving details of the finishes that will be used on SW8, and it's unsurprisingly heavy on wood usage. That grey won't be concrete - it's presumably that colour on there to differentiate between the different surface types. It should be block paving in brindle on hard standing areas.
 
SW8 News everyone!
178950.jpg

178950-zoom.png

Pictures from TowersTimes Forum.

So Towers released this in the planning application.

I've noticed there's only 1 theming structure this time opposed to 3 theming structures in previous planning applications. They did the same with The Smiler and Galactica though so maybe they were looking at possible sites for the wickerman to go. Like how Galactica's portal was going to be around the chain lift. And I hope that grey isn't concrete like the site is now...

EDIT: Anyone seen the horns on The Wicker Man? Could they be Flame Throwers? Oh and there seems to be a shed for the rumoured launch on the LSM lift.
It looks like an elephant's head to me, with the 'horns' being tusks, the middle bit protruding between them the trunk and the round edges on the left and right the ears!
 
So wickerman does look very likely, which isn't the worst idea, it sort of fits into both Mutiny Bay and Katanga Canyon with witches etc.
Entrance is exactly where is expected and looks like the main queue goes under the ride nicely, with some extensions right at the entrance area.
 
SW8 News everyone!
178950.jpg

178950-zoom.png

Pictures from TowersTimes Forum.

So Towers released this in the planning application.

I've noticed there's only 1 theming structure this time opposed to 3 theming structures in previous planning applications. They did the same with The Smiler and Galactica though so maybe they were looking at possible sites for the wickerman to go. Like how Galactica's portal was going to be around the chain lift. And I hope that grey isn't concrete like the site is now...

EDIT: Anyone seen the horns on The Wicker Man? Could they be Flame Throwers? Oh and there seems to be a shed for the rumoured launch on the LSM lift.

The grey area has the word grass in it, so no need to worry about all the grey :) I hope there won't be flame throwers, not because of the amount of kindling in the area but because if its anything like The Swarm's flame thrower, it will work for half a season and then periodically for the rest of the season before being neglected forever.

Also the 1.2m iron railings in front of the ride is a bit reserved for Merlin. I thought it would at least be a 7ft fence covered in danger of death signs.

The 'wickerman' looks interesting, I hope it ends up looking half as good as the portal does.
 
IF it is a wickerman it would be best viewed face-on, an item of themeing this size would be the most photographed part of the ride, this is what they want to see on Facebook, Instagram etc.

So... that would make one of the pink areas in the image below the best area for photographs (depending on which way hes facing) of the "wickerman".... but the areas in red are going to be the areas the park and the guests will want people to stand for photos. Seems odd, I cant help but think its something else entirely and designed to be viewed from the side.
178950_2.jpg
 
It would be odd if the entrance is in Mutiny Bay as the ride is apparently in the Gloomy Wood...

The ride entrance is in Mutiny Bay, the exit and shop is in Mutiny Bay, so for all intents and purposes SW8 is in Mutiny Bay! It just so happened that the Mutiny Bay box on this year's map was full so they decided to pop it in Gloomy Wood.

:)
 
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