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

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That is just one thing with poor punctuation.
Looking forward to this now, ignored all the hype, just happy to be getting a new family woodie at the Towers.
I have no interest in sheds or flames, I just hope it keeps a decent pace through the whole ride.
And just think how much shorter the other ride queues will be!
 
So many ups and downs with this ride ... initial design = disappointment see the themeing structure = delight not hearing that potential cuts have left us with an AIR (so close yet so far from perfection if you see the plans) = greater disappointment

Why oh why will they not just fund a complete project?
 
Right, I'm trying to begin organising an old farts trip for the weekdays after opening, and me and shakey are getting different opening days.
I know he is from the wrong side of the pennines and so may have more limited levels of complex understanding, but then again I am suffering from 'spoons Saturday, so...
I say it is open 19,20, 22 and 23 March, shakey says closed.
Anyone sober, not from Yorkshire,clarify matters?

Edit...
You should not have looked on the Blackpool opening hours for an early visit to the new woodie, should you shakey.
 
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On another note have we all seen the original 1973 Wicker Man film? (Not the Nick Cage nonsense). It's one of the all time great horrors. Genuinely unsettling and creepy! Haven't seen it in years so will make sure I give it a watch perhaps the evening before riding to set the tone.

Can confirm the fire seen on the final scene is in fact orange.

I'm not trying to over-hype this coaster but I can't see this being a flop at all. Thirteen for me is incredibly dull and I will only ride once per visit. Whereas I can see this being very re-rideable.
 
RicketyCricket said:
On another note have we all seen the original 1973 Wicker Man film? (Not the Nick Cage nonsense). It's one of the all time great horrors. Genuinely unsettling and creepy! Haven't seen it in years so will make sure I give it a watch perhaps the evening before riding to set the tone.

Can confirm the fire seen on the final scene is in fact orange.

I'm not trying to over-hype this coaster but I can't see this being a flop at all. Thirteen for me is incredibly dull and I will only ride once per visit. Whereas I can see this being very re-rideable.
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It’s a fantastic film, a true classic. I wonder if some of the eerie atmosphere will be captured with the ride even if they are not directly linked. Obviously some inspiration would’ve been drawn from the two films so I hope that the subtle horror from the first is represented in some capacity as I feel that that is the type that would go over children’s heads yet unnerve some adults which would be ideal for a family ride.


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I'm now even more excited for this than I was before, because I'm now confirmed to be riding this on 18th March 2018, provided it's open and nothing goes wrong. If my Dad putting WICKER MAN on the calendar isn't confirmation, then I don't know what is! We're going to leave at 6am to get to Alton for the start of ERT at 9:30 so we can ride Wicker Man early! Also, the ride will literally be 1 day old when I ride it, so everything should be working!
 
Matt N said:
I'm now even more excited for this than I was before, because I'm now confirmed to be riding this on 18th March 2018, provided it's open and nothing goes wrong. If my Dad putting WICKER MAN on the calendar isn't confirmation, then I don't know what is! We're going to leave at 6am to get to Alton for the start of ERT at 9:30 so we can ride Wicker Man early! Also, the ride will literally be 1 day old when I ride it, so everything should be working!
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3 and half hour journey just to ride WM. hope it’s worth it :eek:
 
I’ll be attending opening day in the hopes that it’s running, gonna get at the park for about 8 just to be safe. If it’s not open then I’ll just go the next day. Should be a good opportunity for plenty of rides on everything and to see the great work TLC have been doing


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DiogoJ42 said:
I have to agree with what has already been said about the colour of the flames. Never judge colour based on video! My guess is that to the old mk.I eyeball, the flames will look normal (because, you know, they are), and the lights inside Alan* will be a redder hue, more akin to burning embers. Which even I have to concede is "doing it right".

*I'm calling him Alan from now on. If you don't get it... never mind.
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Good one. Showing my age to get it though!


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I was thinking a lot about Wicker Man recently. (I know, I shouldn't think so much, I'll hurt myself)

I'd say the majority of enthusiasts have wanted a Wooden Coaster at Alton Towers for years, as much as this coaster isn't what we would have asked for (it's no cross valley woodie, it's no airtime machine and it's not an RMC) but what it does do, and this contributes to Wardley's postings, is that it introduces modern Wooden Coasters to the general public, it looks to be a low entry point for younger riders to enjoy.

This is the kind of Wooden Coaster that we need, maybe not that we want, but it does fill the market in a particular way;

  • Accesible to younger audiences
  • Well themed (At least for now (Let's leave 2 years from now out of the question))
  • Enjoyable, it looks to be a fun family thrill layout that the park is crying out for
  • Throughputs, although likely to be quite low in comparison, it's certainly going to fill it's queueline and increase gate figures
I'm not one to forgive Merlin for all of it's promises, however this does look to be one of the most unique and interesting projects from them in a long time (DBGT aside because that was shambolic in presentation in its first year)

If there's anything to take away from this project, is that we should be praising Towers for at least trying to do this, rather than criticize them for the smallest thing. We're all enthusiasts and we want the best from the parks, but really, to the people slating this coaster already, let's just see what popular opinion from the public brings and hopefully if this coaster is successful, another park in the UK will build something just as good if not better.
 
I think it would be fair to say that the majority of commentary about the ride on TS now is leaning towards the positive.

It's certainly rather different from the more negative that we were seeing before the ride was built, and I can appreciate that for some people the idea of anything positive about any project that Merlin develop is hard to handle.
 
Indeed this could be a real watershed moment for UK parks if both Icon and Wickerman appeal to their respective markets, as they should.

It also fits the narrative that we would be in for a tough 2.5 years since that day in June. The initial signs not just on this forum but across the internet look more optimistic for 2018 :)

The only negative for me? I've made other plans to get value out an EP clubcard that I purchased instead of a MAP on the back of the opening times debacle in January. So no Wickerman until the end of the season for me :(
 
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