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

As mentioned from someone else on these forums, an IP is more trouble than they are worth unless you own it like Disney or Universal as half your budget will go into getting the IP which means a poorer overall ride though some will argue about Jumanji being good.

With that budget for this ride, the park will need every single penny to make this ride the best it can be and an IP could honestly be the ride's downfall.

So thus original theme > IP theme pretty much everyday of the year IMO.
 
I think half of the reason why an IP can be more trouble than it is worth unless you own it, is due to how most IP's work.

When something popular comes out, you then realise you would like to licence it, so you go ahead and do that. You then commission the attraction to be designed, built and all that. 3, 4, 5 or so years could have passed in that time. By which time, the peak of the IP's popularity has dwindled and past. If you own the IP, you can design your attraction alongside the movie or TV show and generally have access to the IP way, way before any third party could get access.

Check out the Uncharted ride, that IP really hit it's peak 10 years ago. A ride has only just opened.

This is why it is so important to pick a timeless IP, one where the peak and troughs in the IP's popularity are less severe, so you always guarantee it will be popular. CBeebies and Dr Who absolutely fit this bill (as do many others), not only are they timeless, they are also still current,
 
Alton Towers have generally avoided typical theme park tropes when it comes to large investments, the likes of Space, Wild West, Pirates etc aren’t used.

Instead we have had Post apocalyptic alien wastelands, secret government testing facilities, eerie forests with dodgy trees, a government ministry designed to make you Smile and pagan human sacrifice rituals.

You can’t really deny that they don’t think outside the box with the themes, Horizon could go the same way.
 
AT86 said:
Alton Towers have generally avoided typical theme park tropes when it comes to large investments, the likes of Space, Wild West, Pirates etc aren’t used.

Instead we have had Post apocalyptic alien wastelands, secret government testing facilities, eerie forests with dodgy trees, a government ministry designed to make you Smile and pagan human sacrifice rituals.

You can’t really deny that they don’t think outside the box with the themes, Horizon could go the same way.
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We absolutely do have pirates in Mutiny Bay :)
 
havaska said:
We absolutely do have pirates in Mutiny Bay :)
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Aye me hearty, but I was specifically referencing the themes chosen for high investments I.e SW’s.

Case in point being they could have gone for a pirate theme for Wickerman with it being in that area, but they didn’t. They went with something pretty outside the box for a family wooden coaster.
 
Scott O'Neil teased in an interview after World of Jumanji opened that a potential Ghostbusters attraction could open somewhere. I do reckon that we could see a Ghostbusters themed attraction if it is an IP. It's widely known now that Merlin and Sony want to bring more IP's to the parks, so there's potential there.

Otherwise a space theme would be perfect.

EDIT: here's the interview on the Variety website. A lot of Sony IP's could be on the way.
 
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I agree Alton towers do have some very original themed areas, backstory’s and rides unlike any other theme parks across the globe. looking forward to this mystery.


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Nosferatu said:
Scott O'Neil teased in an interview after World of Jumanji opened that a potential Ghostbusters attraction could open somewhere. I do reckon that we could see a Ghostbusters themed attraction if it is an IP. It's widely known now that Merlin and Sony want to bring more IP's to the parks, so there's potential there.

Otherwise a space theme would be perfect.

EDIT: here's the interview on the Variety website. A lot of Sony IP's could be on the way.
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Both worrying and exciting, Merlin have mixed results with IP. Fundamentals remain the same, an attraction has to be good on its own merits, if that’s the case why not make it your own IP and benefit off the back of that? Again many of our European counterparts (Efteling/Europa/Phantasialand) get by pretty well without IP, focussing on quality and execution.

Problem is, Merlin hasn’t continued what Disney started and further developed its own ideas and brands into further money making machines to feed back into the park. Not even internally within its own ecosystems (see Europa Park)

Give me a Nemesis/Oblivion/Thirteen/Smiler/Wickerman over Uncharted the ride any day. There’s a reason they’re so lasting and iconic, because they’re creative and distinctly British. Losing that is a slippery slope. Could we about to see the first IP based secret weapon?

Would I be opposed to a PlayStation land? Or a Sony studios second gate? Probably not. But I’d rather see the BBC used, or not at all.

There is more than enough room with the “lore” of Alton Towers to go in any direction they want, Tussauds/Merlin placed a lot of emphasis on the marketers in the past to sell their new creations, it seems now the business model is fundamentally changing.

Merlin becoming a poor man’s version of the Dubai or Genting parks is just not a good place to be.
 
pluk said:
We can only hope it is an IP of the long running bbc documentary series, and is a 50 minute long dark ride presented as a visual essay on an interesting but dry subject.

In reality I also think that the project name alludes to space. What is considered the best example of a coaster to space? In terms of effects and sensation?
Space Mountains are obviously the big ones, but they are all running on ancient rides and effect technology. I think there is a realistic opportunity for MMM to make the best and most exciting representation of space coaster travel in the world with this, if that is their direction.
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Top Gear the ride?
 
Just to jump back to manufacturer for a second

B&M track has just arrived at Sea World Orlando for their new family coaster. It is a compact (ish) layout that has dark ride scenes, and all the tech that comes with that (multiple blocks, variable speed). It’s unlikely Horizon will be B&M but seeing SWOs new coaster I think it shouldn’t be completely counted out as a possibility
 
tayspru said:
Just to jump back to manufacturer for a second

B&M track has just arrived at Sea World Orlando for their new family coaster. It is a compact (ish) layout that has dark ride scenes, and all the tech that comes with that (multiple blocks, variable speed). It’s unlikely Horizon will be B&M but seeing SWOs new coaster I think it shouldn’t be completely counted out as a possibility
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It’s an interesting possibility for sure, particularly given that Merlin themselves have been working with B&M on numerous family coasters.

However, I’d say that B&M’s track design, even on a family coaster, is still a pretty robust, bulky track design to use, and I’d wager that they would not get the most out of the relatively small (in enclosed coaster terms) Horizon building by going with a B&M coaster.

With a budget of £12.5m and a building area of only around 4,000m2, I personally think that we’ll probably be seeing something with a less bulky track design that can better facilitate a compact layout.
 
DistortAMG said:
I think half of the reason why an IP can be more trouble than it is worth unless you own it, is due to how most IP's work.

When something popular comes out, you then realise you would like to licence it, so you go ahead and do that. You then commission the attraction to be designed, built and all that. 3, 4, 5 or so years could have passed in that time. By which time, the peak of the IP's popularity has dwindled and past. If you own the IP, you can design your attraction alongside the movie or TV show and generally have access to the IP way, way before any third party could get access.

Check out the Uncharted ride, that IP really hit it's peak 10 years ago. A ride has only just opened.

This is why it is so important to pick a timeless IP, one where the peak and troughs in the IP's popularity are less severe, so you always guarantee it will be popular. CBeebies and Dr Who absolutely fit this bill (as do many others), not only are they timeless, they are also still current,
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i think a doctor who ride would be incredible and also would also be very marketable, i could imagine it being a vekoma spinning coaster like cosmic rewind at epcot.
 
Matt N said:
It’s an interesting possibility for sure, particularly given that Merlin themselves have been working with B&M on numerous family coasters.

However, I’d say that B&M’s track design, even on a family coaster, is still a pretty robust, bulky track design to use, and I’d wager that they would not get the most out of the relatively small (in enclosed coaster terms) Horizon building by going with a B&M coaster.

With a budget of £12.5m and a building area of only around 4,000m2, I personally think that we’ll probably be seeing something with a less bulky track design that can better facilitate a compact layout.
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The track at SeaWorld is much “flatter” (for lack of a better word) than standard B&M. They also just worked with them for MM for an 1 at the time - unthinkable family coaster project
 
Also in addition to Mandrill don’t forget the other Legoland B&M plus Nemsis retrack so that’s three coasters Merlin are working/worked with B&M on in the last 12 months.

So I agree we can’t rule B&M even on cost grounds as Merlin will likely have gotten a hefty discount for buying multiple coasters.
 
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