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

[DistortAMG]

If it is a dark ride then it is a pretty huge area, actually, given how HH was the larger dark ride in Europe when first built, maybe Towers want to try and reclaim that title again? Actually what is the current largest dark ride to date now I think about it?

Larger or largest? Pirates of the Caribbean & Phantom Manor at DLP opened within a few weeks of The Haunted House and are much larger dark rides. So if it even did hold that title, it was only for a couple of weeks. I mean, at the time of opening, it was not even the largest dark ride in the UK. Pirate Adventure at Drayton Manor was much larger is both area and volume. That opened 2 years earlier.

Back to this project, interesting size, this would be a tight squeeze for a full blown coaster, which leads me to think that perhaps this is going to be some other family oriented dark ride. I personally fell a family oriented dark ride would be the better fit for Towers, even if an Arthur like dark ride.

I did at first think a flying theatre, with the obvious connection between flying and horizon. But I think that is perhaps looking into it a little too much.

I wonder where they plan on putting this building exactly, in relation to the old Jazz Land plan.


I *think* the "enclosed transit system" shown on these plans is the general free area these days. With the "enclosed 5D attraction" being roughly where Merlin Studios is today.

 

[Jb85]

This being codenamed Project Horizon is interesting.

 

[BarryZola]

Could just mean 'let's make sure you can't see the building from the village when looking across the horizon'. Or it could not mean that.

 

[Tim]

The codename certainly is the most intriguing part of the announcement. For starters it confirms this is not a SW project. Which either means they've changed the way they define large scale projects, or as the name 'Horizons' suggests this is something very different to what the park has done before.

Edit: having just read BarryZola's post I think there's some merit to horizon being a reference to having to be hidden.
Project names often refer to the original concept, not the end result. This is why Nemesis is SW3 despite loosing the secret weapon theme. If the goal is to make the biggest ride that's also completely hidden 'horizon' is a fairly good shorthand for that.

 

[AT86]

I presume the park are having to tread carefully with the locals for this application due to the history that comes with this location.

Slapping an SW label on the project at this stage could risk spooking the residents as the association with SW’s is a coaster, and a coaster = noise.

Horizon could have been chosen as a more neutral/generic sounding name.

 

[George W]

Also so with planning permission if they're making a indoor ride do they literally just need to get the building approved and can keep everything else on the low?

 

[Skyscraper]

My money is still on Mack Suspended Powered Coaster. Also, as it will have an extension which will house the entrance and queue, I think it will be just one large ride as opposed to an area with multiple small attractions

 

[Tom]

Also so with planning permission if they're making a indoor ride do they literally just need to get the building approved and can keep everything else on the low?

Yep, just like Sub-Terra.

 

[Nick🎢]

Doing some measurements you can almost fit a smiler in that space. Not to get hopes up as it won't be anything like that, but we cannot completely discount it either. But replace the lifts for launches and drop about 1/8th of the length and it would go. Purely academic and likely not practical.

And for reference... X / WD

 

[Steve74]

Do we think this will be a separate land or expansion to David Walliams World? If the latter, could this be a flying theatre or coaster-type ride based on this book of his?

Grandpa's Great Escape - The World of David Walliams

GRANDPA'S GREAT ESCAPE by David Walliams, and Illustrated by the award-winning Tony Ross is available in hardback, paperback, audio download and ebook.

www.worldofdavidwalliams.com

It involves planes and flying (link to "horizon") - to what degree I don't know - and they are escaping from Twilight Towers retirement home - another link, if only by name!

 

[tayspru]

Do we even *want* this to be a coaster? We already have 10. Surely the best option for the park is a non coaster, indoor family attraction

 

[BarryZola]

As it will have an extension which will house the entrance and queue, I think it will be just one large ride as opposed to an area with multiple small attractions.

That's a good point.

 

[Skyscraper]

Do we think this will be a separate land or expansion to David Walliams World? If the latter, could this be a flying theatre or coaster-type ride based on this book of his?

Grandpa's Great Escape - The World of David Walliams

GRANDPA'S GREAT ESCAPE by David Walliams, and Illustrated by the award-winning Tony Ross is available in hardback, paperback, audio download and ebook.

www.worldofdavidwalliams.com

It involves planes and flying (link to "horizon") - to what degree I don't know - and they are escaping from Twilight Towers retirement home - another link, if only by name!

Nah It'll almost certainly be completely separate. The location is a fair bit behind TWoDW for a start.

 

[Shaggy_Dog_]

Do we think this will be a separate land or expansion to David Walliams World? If the latter, could this be a flying theatre or coaster-type ride based on this book of his?

Grandpa's Great Escape - The World of David Walliams

GRANDPA'S GREAT ESCAPE by David Walliams, and Illustrated by the award-winning Tony Ross is available in hardback, paperback, audio download and ebook.

www.worldofdavidwalliams.com

It involves planes and flying (link to "horizon") - to what degree I don't know - and they are escaping from Twilight Towers retirement home - another link, if only by name!

Can’t see something of this size and scale being an extension to Walliams World, my guess would be that what you see with Wally World at the moment is pretty much all you are going to get with it in terms of major attractions.

 

[BarryZola]

Nah It'll almost certainly be completely separate. The location is a fair bit behind TWoDW for a start.

...and the fact that Walliams World should preferably be stripped out, rethemed and never spoken of again, not extended.

 

[WickerWonder18]

This could easily be a flying theatre, and Dungeons may get a retheme to fit with it. Especially seeing how well Lego Mythica has done, it's definitely a good bet.

 

[James]

I would love something like Arthur. I’m probably the only one but I’m not hugely fussed on flying theatres.

It will likely be in its own new area, but I would prefer Walliams world to be gutted and this form as a part of a huge project involving the whole area being rethemed.

 

[Squiggs]

Also so with planning permission if they're making a indoor ride do they literally just need to get the building approved and can keep everything else on the low?

We will probably gain a few other titbits of information to play with. The height of the building and noise levels are the two that are likely to be most revealing. Also, anything relating to the impact on the nearby historic structures.

 

[BarryZola]

I made a little speculative plan of the area, going on the little bits of info we have and I went with Squiggs' idea of the orientation of the main building. Could be way out, but I enjoyed doing it

 

[Matt N]

I made a little speculative plan of the area, going on the little bits of info we have and I went with Squiggs' idea of the orientation of the main building. Could be way out, but I enjoyed doing it

I think something similar to that could work very well!

I could see it being something a bit like Lego Mythica, with 1 or 2 smaller rides being put in within the Adventureland 4-11 GDO area and the ride itself being built upon the Coaster Corner site.