• 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.

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

Status
This topic has been locked. No further replies can be posted.
If the Sea Life shed is part of mutiny bay, then I fail to see why this new ride can't be?

Do I need to answer that? Mutiny Bay is a pirates/nautical theme. Sea Life fits perfectly into that, and there's pirate theming throughout. That's why there's no problem it being part of Mutiny Bay.
 
There's no doubt 13's 'horror ride' marketing got people through the door initially, so it probably makes business sense to repeat a proven technique,
I think Thirteen's promotion as the world's scariest coaster (when it was intended to be marketed as a spooky family ride, like Hex) was seen as a mistake, which got a very poor public response even though lots of people turned up initially.

Thirteen's marketing got the park's marketing director let go at the end of the year, The Smiler's marketing got the marketing director promoted to global head of Resort theme parks.

As for the dark theme, if its done well then who knows, it might still have the right humour & appeal (like Smiler) and not just pure bleak sinister. We've only just started the promotion. :)
 
Missed opportunity enhancing Mutiny Bay or Katanga I reckon.

Katanga I can kind of see, seeing as there's little more than the Rapids in there. But Mutiny Bay is packed full of stuff, and is mostly an eating area these days. It didn't need a major new ride. There's nothing to Gloomy Wood apart from haunted hollow (which isn't really an attraction) and Duel. Alton Towers has heavy dark/horror/spook theming so it just makes sense.
 
I think Thirteen's promotion as the world's scariest coaster (when it was intended to be marketed as a spooky family ride, like Hex) was seen as a mistake, which got a very poor public response even though lots of people turned up initially.

Thirteen's marketing got the park's marketing director let go at the end of the year, The Smiler's marketing got the marketing director promoted to global head of Resort theme parks.

As for the dark theme, if its done well then who knows, it might still have the right humour & appeal (like Smiler) and not just pure bleak sinister. We've only just started the promotion. :)

Morwenna wasnt "let go" due to Th13teen marketing.
 
Morwenna wasnt "let go" due to Th13teen marketing.

Sorry for my wording, I was drawing the parallel from the pretty dysfunctional situation with Thirteen and the fact she had gone before the end of the season (I have no idea if she was fired, left, or why etc).

Compared to Justin Platt with the Smiler who is now very senior within Merlin and had lots of priase. And I'd hazard a guess is one of the big reasons we now have a wooden coaster at all.
 
Last edited:
From what I've heard, I wouldn't believe everything you see about the entrance at face value. There are ways of shifting things.
 
Katanga I can kind of see, seeing as there's little more than the Rapids in there. But Mutiny Bay is packed full of stuff, and is mostly an eating area these days. It didn't need a major new ride.

I think given the strength of Duels facade (shame about the interior) and it's secluded feel, I've always felt ok about it being on its own.

I think a pirate themed family woodie would have been great (Splashdown!) and could have felt more of a match in terms of the Flumes general flavor.

We've now traded an upbeat attraction for yet another spooky/sinister one. The park really doesn't need it. Again, easy to market, send out the challenge, Brits love a challenge.
 
From what I've heard, I wouldn't believe everything you see about the entrance at face value. There are ways of shifting things.

So far the sections of the ride supports that the plans indicated would have queue under them have got steel support beams so I expect the path is going to be largly as the plans showed. To route the whole queue path somewhere else would be hard as the woodlands are more protected.

There is of course the possibilty that SW8 will be on its own (no themed area) but given The Flume didn't match Mutiny Bay at all but was listed there it doesn't seem likely.
 
I'd like to see a new water-based ride that actually replaces the Flume, and the best place for that would be Katanga now that the land on Mutiny is gone. I'm just not sure where they'd fit something like that. Although, knowing Merlin they probably don't think another log flume is necessary because of Battle Galleons and the Rapids.
 
f045ef70f045db4ecd86f47e9b0e23b0.png

New scare maze looks to be connected


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Did anyone just see that article about the new food/drink place they're replacing the Pirate show stage with in Mutiny Bay? That's interesting purely because it suggests development of Mutiny Bay, which could coincide with it getting a new ride. Now I don't know what to believe!!
 
So far the sections of the ride supports that the plans indicated would have queue under them have got steel support beams so I expect the path is going to be largly as the plans showed. To route the whole queue path somewhere else would be hard as the woodlands are more protected.

There is of course the possibilty that SW8 will be on its own (no themed area) but given The Flume didn't match Mutiny Bay at all but was listed there it doesn't seem likely.
It being in its own area makes the most sense really. The gloomy wood idea won't make much sense because the current name and theme of duel won't fit well at all with the Wicker man theme that's predicted.
In terms of towers having lots of sinister themes although this is true, I do think after this ride a few happier areas will be added. I would imagine whatever Cloud Cuckoo land gets re-themed to will have a happy theme. Katanga Canyon, in my opinion, is due a big over haul after this. Galactica's theme isn't sinister although it doesn't fit well in forbidden valley.
 
So happy that you approve. Job done.
I don't know what's up with this forum at the moment or if I'm coming across utterly the wrong way, but the constant sarcastic, unreasoned and pointless responses to my posts these past 2 weeks has been pretty bizzare! As far as I know, I've not said anything controversial.

I appreciate when people who disagree with me explain their reasoning, like @Rick, or have a point to make rather than be plain sarcastic. It's a discussion forum and that's what it's about. But there's no point the constant tit for tat stuff that's derailed this topic and others a lot recently.

I never intend to annoy or contradict anybody, or profess some kind of great "knowledge", I'm just politely adding to the discussion like everybody else and giving clarity on things I feel I can contribute to. But it's clearly not welcome, so bye folks.
 
I'd like to see a new water-based ride that actually replaces the Flume, and the best place for that would be Katanga now that the land on Mutiny is gone. I'm just not sure where they'd fit something like that. Although, knowing Merlin they probably don't think another log flume is necessary because of Battle Galleons and the Rapids.
I'd put it in a new warehouse on the old coach park. Plenty of room there for a decent dark ride come Flume with final drop outside behind pizza pasta.

Gloomy Wood just needs a family flat like Quantum at Thorpe rethemed to a coffin or something to feel more complete.

All this of course would only be worth while if this new coaster and it's theme doesnt completely ruin the immersion of the themed areas around it. So far, its likely it's going to have a massively detrimental effect on KC and MB at least.
 
New scare maze which definitely seems to be connected - from the towers Instagram: "
altontowersNEW FOR SCAREFEST 2017 - The Welcoming: Be Chosen

A mysterious group who worship the woods and the animals that live therein like Gods have been disturbed. Every year they host a festival to celebrate their own interpretation of Halloween - the crossing of the worlds of the living and the dead. For the first time they have allowed outsiders to celebrate with them. But what part will you (‘the outsiders’) play in this ritual? Is this really an initiation? #scarefest #altontowers #halloween #thewelcoming #bechosen"


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Status
This topic has been locked. No further replies can be posted.
Top