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[202X] Project Horizon (SW9?): Planning Approved

I would feel Horizon would be there either in 2026 or 2027 personally if 2025 might be a low key year for the park in trying to sort out the many issues on the park.

Given we have new folk running at Merlin who are very much aware of the park's failings, that I'd suspect they'd sacrificed a year, 2025 let's say, to actually get their hands dirty just to get at least half the problems on the park sorted.
 
Tom said:
They are overdue a major new rollercoaster. Plus, with all the bad impressions people will have been left with this season, they need to give people a reason to come back. Licks of paint and improved reliability alone will not be enough.
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That comes down to short term vs long term thinking...

A new ride may generate short term buzz and get new / more guests in the park.

But when they have to walk to the entrance because the monorail is down, or when they only get on 4 rides because there are no flats to absorb crowds, or when they spend huge amounts of money on dreadful food, they may look at other places the following year when there isn't a major new attraction to enjoy.

With a cost of living crisis I'm sure value for money is becoming more and more important.

We always tot up the number of rides we've been on (and you see it a lot on the review sites). If Merlin haven't replaced these flats and guests only have the coasters to go on, their perception of value will go down if they haven't been on many rides.

Just look at Disney. Put in lots of measures that were bad for the consumer and after the post covid bounce, are now struggling to entice people back...

Contrast that with delaying Horizon a year and getting the park with it's best foot forwards. The shiny new attraction will draw new and returning people back, and with the park looking it's best they will appreciate what an amazing day out it is and will be keen to book a return visit...

'People don't remember what you do, or what you say - they remember how you made them feel' - how will Alton Towers make guests feel when they leave?
 
jon81uk said:
No it doesn’t need drops. A slow moving dark boat ride is a classic, spend the money on the scenery, animatronics and experience.
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So is a slow moving dark boat rides with drops? There are so many to think of and I can't think of any of them where removing the drops would make it any more of a classic. Doesn't have to get you very wet, just something like the small drops Pirates of the Caribbean has.
 
benpicko said:
So is a slow moving dark boat rides with drops? There are so many to think of and I can't think of any of them where removing the drops would make it any more of a classic. Doesn't have to get you very wet, just something like the small drops Pirates of the Caribbean has.
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The original Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland only had a drop to get the ride under the railway track. It was never really intended to add anything to the experience. I don't know of many others that use a small drop in a scenic boat ride? I just don't think it would add anything to the experience. I suppose River Caves has the one at the end, but it doesn't really do anything, if it wasn't there the ride would be the same. If you want a flume, build a flume. But the best use of the budget on anything in that building will be on dark ride scenery and animatronics, not the ride system.
 
jon81uk said:
The original Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland only had a drop to get the ride under the railway track. It was never really intended to add anything to the experience. I don't know of many others that use a small drop in a scenic boat ride? I just don't think it would add anything to the experience. I suppose River Caves has the one at the end, but it doesn't really do anything, if it wasn't there the ride would be the same. If you want a flume, build a flume. But the best use of the budget on anything in that building will be on dark ride scenery and animatronics, not the ride system.
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Pirates in Batavia at Europa Park has a small drop.
 
Whilst it'd be fun to have a lil drop in there, it'd also be nice to have a big dark ride that's entirely focused on experience rather than a physical sensation. This sort of thing is the perfect sort of ride that the whole family can go on, or something gentle right after lunch etc.

If they're spending a considerable amount on an adjacent warehouse for whatever Horizon turns out to be, it'd definitely make sense to discreetly sack off the Dungeon at around the same time, but realistically there probably wouldn't be a huge amount of cash to do so. Perhaps we could see some sort of retheme in 2025 (whether it would keep the second station or reinstate the last scene, who knows) so the area is a bit fresher and more relevant for Horizon in 2026.
 
Blackhole_Sun said:
Pirates Adventure at Drayton Manor also had a drop from memory.
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That is correct but it wasn’t so much the drop but what it dropped you into, a huge cave with a massive pirate ship reminiscent to the scene in the Goonies movie.
It really was an amazing ride when it was new, the theming was some of the best I have seen.

Slow boat rides are a classic though, look at it’s a small world at Disney, the queues are always huge.
 
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Not much happening post fireworks…

No signs of clearance. Heard rumours they’re moving the same team over from nemesis once it’s done.

Considering they’ve got to prep the site, build the ride and the building, this feels a little late in the calendar for Alton…
 
Ash said:
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Not much happening post fireworks…

No signs of clearance. Heard rumours they’re moving the same team over from nemesis once it’s done.

Considering they’ve got to prep the site, build the ride and the building, this feels a little late in the calendar for Alton…
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The ground works team are long gone from Nemesis so I doubt that’s the case.
 
So it’s been confirmed than an Axis coaster will be coming to Saudi Arabia as an indoor coaster.

Obviously there were suggestions a couple of years back than an Axis coaster had been sold to a European park (and was said to be opening in 2023) but nothing seemed to come of it as of yet. Bit with the announcement that an Axis coaster can indeed be an indoor ride does this increase the chances that Project Horizon might just be an Axis coaster as well?
 
Shaggy_Dog_ said:
So it’s been confirmed than an Axis coaster will be coming to Saudi Arabia as an indoor coaster.

Obviously there were suggestions a couple of years back than an Axis coaster had been sold to a European park (and was said to be opening in 2023) but nothing seemed to come of it as of yet. Bit with the announcement that an Axis coaster can indeed be an indoor ride does this increase the chances that Project Horizon might just be an Axis coaster as well?
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The ride envelope for Axis is big due to the swing, you wouldn’t get much ride in the building planned for Towers.
 
JAperson said:
So whatever they are building on the mouse site would need some way to take riders through what is now a backstage area? So they'd surely have to build a queue line down there and either attempt to hide the backstage area or actually get rid of some of the stuff back there.
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They'll probably relocate some of the backstage area for this ride's building/queue. Either that, or they might try to theme part of the backstage if possible (Although I doubt this) I mean, AT are good at theming, so I suppose we wait and see...
 
Dave said:
The ride envelope for Axis is big due to the swing, you wouldn’t get much ride in the building planned for Towers.
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It’s going to have to be a compact ride design. I think it rules out a lot of manufacturers and models. Still leaning towards Zamperla or maybe intamin myself. But Zamperla seems to make the most sense, more affordable, small track design and they seem to be a lot more trusted in the industry nowadays. Would be interesting to see them bring a major coaster to the UK.
 
There is talk over the in the flat rides thread that Horizon may indeed be delayed until 2026 based off a video posted by TPWW.

Not to mention the fact there doesn’t appear to have been any work started on site which would mean they can’t meet a 2025 season opening based on the projected building schedules included in the planning docs.

If this is indeed the case it’s a positive move in my view. Bianca only started in Feb 2023, the same month Horizon was given planning permission, meaning the project was in the works long before the new management team arrived.

If indeed this delay is because the management have recognised (like many on this forum) that a new coaster isn’t perhaps the priority for Towers right now, and that filling the gaps in the flat ride line up, along with improving ride availability (eg Hex) are more pressing, then great. Hopefully 2025 can become the year of the flat ride(s), and Horizon can follow in 2026.
 
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