tech
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And when the Cross Valley Coaster invariably…valleys. I park my telehandler where exactly?
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2025: General Discussion
And when the Cross Valley Coaster invariably…valleys. I park my telehandler where exactly?
It's crystal clear that Merlin wants an RMC at one of their parks and have even gone as far as edging (sorry) us Thooooosies with hints of such a possibility on social media. We also have to recognise the fact its been nearly ten years since Wicker Man broke ground at Alton Towers which was the last major coaster they had.
Merlin are absolutely bricking it over UGB because Thorpe and Chessington will be fine, but Alton Towers, the crown jewel of their trifecta, won't be thanks to a number of factors. And to be honest, Project Horizon, an indoor coaster themed to space (seriously? it's not the 80's anymore) doesn't seem like the sort of thing that would carry enough momentum for the park to even stand a chance against UGB's opening.
They could pull an MG Rover circa 2004 (sorry to bring them up again, I'm still sour) and say 'sod it, we're dammed if we do and dammed if we don't, we might as well go ahead and stick a great big supercharged V8 right into the heart of Alton Towers'. And considering everything that's been built since Wicker Man across Europe and even the UK with the likes of Hyperia, I think they have to go for that approach. Especially with UGB around the corner.
They know Alton Towers have lost ground, lots of it, and an RMC CVC could be the perfect way to stimulate that approach. It would be a big bet for Merlin and Alton Towers, but so was Hyperia. And speaking of Thorpe, I know I've said that they'd get an RMC first, but to be honest even if they do I doubt they'll even get another coaster until after UGB opens. That park can hold its own, and so can Chessington. Firmly with an iron grip.
I do think the Cross Valley Coaster is a possibility and I am going to start questioning Project Horizon if we don't hear about that by December. It seemed like a good idea you'd start drunk one night and then end sober when you woke up the next day.
As an aside, both Johns were on site last week. Maybe that's nothing though.
Bert2theSpark
TS Member
RMC as a company have kind of stagnated as of recently, they’re not the industry trend anymore as the other manufacturers have taken on their design philosophy. Mack, Vekoma and especially Intamin are all prime examples of this and have built better quality products than RMC.
We’ve already seen it with Hyperia, and it’s likely it’ll be the design philosophy of whatever the next thrill coaster at Towers will be. Just that Towers hasn’t built a new thrill coaster since 2013, so they haven’t had the opportunity to design something with the RMC philosophy and the industry has past them by.
I feel like Towers needs a new statement coaster now they’ve refreshed a good proportion of an aging lineup, but I feel a cross valley woodie wouldn’t worth the hassle as you could get just as good of a coaster for half of the headaches it would cause.
We’ve already seen it with Hyperia, and it’s likely it’ll be the design philosophy of whatever the next thrill coaster at Towers will be. Just that Towers hasn’t built a new thrill coaster since 2013, so they haven’t had the opportunity to design something with the RMC philosophy and the industry has past them by.
I feel like Towers needs a new statement coaster now they’ve refreshed a good proportion of an aging lineup, but I feel a cross valley woodie wouldn’t worth the hassle as you could get just as good of a coaster for half of the headaches it would cause.
I didn't know that RMC had stagnated to be fair, I wasn't even aware that could happen to a coaster construction company.
I was going to retrofit that last portion of your entry into my previous message but you beat me to it.
You're damn right.
Brad97
TS Member
Might have been for the best they didn't build a launched RMC given Lightning Rod's issues.
I do wonder where the park would be today if The Smiler never crashed. That was where it all went wrong wasn't it?
QTXAdsy
TS Member
Even if Smiler didn't crash, many of Towers issues still would have happened given Merlin's running of the park, Smiler just accelerated all the issues by a decade. So in a best case scenario they would have been 20% better than what they are now, not great but still damn sight better than what we have now.
Still to this day think 2016 is by far Towers weakest season so many rides were closed that year
Ripsaw
The Flume
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory the Ride
Nemesis Sub Terra
Driving School
Wobble World
All closed
And the following season wasn't much better with removal of Twirling Toadstool and Ice Age.
And Although the ride line-up today isn't as strong as it should be its still far greater than what was there in 2016 and 2017
In that case then, and in an alternate world without the Smiler crash, COVID would've seen the removal of those rides.
The Flume would've still been scrapped when it was. It was absolutely knackered anyways.
So that's only an extra 3 or 4 years.
If Project Horizon really is canned then you have to hope and pray that the powers that be have some other grand plan to replace it.
In reality AT needs (at a guess) £100m+ thrown at it if you consider flat rides, area rethemes, old and failing coaster fixes/replacements, new investments, it’s impossible to do that with such short term thinking.
In reality AT needs (at a guess) £100m+ thrown at it if you consider flat rides, area rethemes, old and failing coaster fixes/replacements, new investments, it’s impossible to do that with such short term thinking.
I doubt Project Horizon more and more each day.
At least we have two more Huss flats on the horizon. Pun not intended.
Not all the areas need retheming some just need updates. 3 Areas of the park that are in need of retheming the most X Sector, Dark Forest and World of David Walliams
World of David Walliams needs it the most in my opinion that area has always been quiet even during Cloud Cuckoo Land known as where rides go to die for reason as many met their ends here.
They need a headlining attraction in that area of the park
Its perfect area to retheme because much of it is already empty and unused ready for redevelopment
QTXAdsy
TS Member
Always felt that all you had to do for X-Sector to modernise it was turn into a Blade Runner/Cyberpunk look with LED screens plastered on say the Smiler station building (which honestly would make a hell of a difference improving the look from a concrete Soviet tower block) and some neon look all round and a new soundtrack which wouldn't be major to do so though Oblivion's theme would bee an update, more likely looking like her Italian cousin.
I have thought that they are waiting for the licence to expire so that they can kill two birds with one stone or three birds if you include the Dungeons building. Would all make perfect sense to do it in one go providing Merlin are willing to splash that cash out.