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

James said:
As long as the IP does not affect theming/budgets hugely I don't mind either way, oh, and as long as it's an IP that won't be a short-lived fad.

Doctor Who, anyone? Merlin has a partnership with BBC already... (it won't happen I know)
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Doctor who would be a good IP for a dark ride / indoor coaster, but I just feel Alton Towers isn’t the park for it. Give me an original concept any day for a major new attraction at the park. An IP would scream laziness and would add to the notion that the GP are unable to understand anything these days unless they’ve seen it on the tele.
 
Other than for shows as we saw with Peter Rabbit ice show back in the day, I flat out refuse anymore IP based attractions on the park as not only has most attempts by the park have been, at best, lack lacklustre but the amount of money for getting an IP is wasted on something that could have been done to improve an attraction.
 
QTXAdsy said:
Other than for shows as we saw with Peter Rabbit ice show back in the day, I flat out refuse anymore IP based attractions on the park as not only has most attempts by the park have been, at best, lack lacklustre but the amount of money for getting an IP is wasted on something that could have been done to improve an attraction.
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I do think that in some regards IPs can be a bit of a cop out but there have been cases where its worked out very well, Saw the ride is a good example and the CBeebies land franchise has made that area a huge success
 
s_g_k said:
Doctor who would be a good IP for a dark ride / indoor coaster, but I just feel Alton Towers isn’t the park for it. Give me an original concept any day for a major new attraction at the park. An IP would scream laziness and would add to the notion that the GP are unable to understand anything these days unless they’ve seen it on the tele.
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Could I add here as a useless aside (I'm good at them), I would love a Who theme, (as a particular type of anorak), I have a number of dub reggae versions of the theme tune.
The Dub Syndicate version is a real party pleaser.
 
QTXAdsy said:
Other than for shows as we saw with Peter Rabbit ice show back in the day, I flat out refuse anymore IP based attractions on the park as not only has most attempts by the park have been, at best, lack lacklustre but the amount of money for getting an IP is wasted on something that could have been done to improve an attraction.
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Peter Rabbit was one of the defining parts of 90s Alton Towers I think, that show was a major part of the parks line up. The Barney and Tweenies shows also I think were good additions. Big Fun Showtime sort of replaces them I think, its just a shame they went with an outdoor arena.
Even Ice Age was a pretty good IP use.
 
tayspru said:
I also suspect that the construction crew will be moving out of the Nemesis site fairly soon, handing over to contractors for theming and other site enchancements (queue lines, repaints, landscaping etc), which would free them up to begin on Horizon
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Matt N said:
This is a good point; they do seem to have been getting a real wriggle on with the reassembly of the Nemesis track as of late. Could this be so that the construction crew can swiftly move onto the Project Horizon site?
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I very much doubt it, that is not how it works. When Alton Towers booked the crews for Nemesis, they would not have booked Horizons at the same time. It was not even past planning. Constuction crews generally do not just sit around waiting for work either, they are usually booked up for a some time into the future. Meaning they will more than likely be booked up for another job that's nothing to do with Towers once they finish up there with Nemesis.

Besides, steel erectors are on site on Nemesis right now. You don't need them for Horizon just yet, you need ground workers to dig services and lay the foundations, which will take a good few months I would imagine, long before any steel arrives. Construction is not a one man fits all type of job, there are specific disiplines for specific jobs. If any if the crews were going to go to Horizon, it would have been the people shuring up the foundations, they however, are long gone.
 
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The only possible overlaps would be crane ops (unlikely) and surveyors. Again, probably not booked at the same time. Same companies used? Probably. Same time planned and booked? No. I know of only a few jobs like that and they're multibillion £ specialist projects with very limited specialist staff members, not a simple shed and ride build.
 
As we are on the edge of a huge worldwide recession that is claimed could be larger than the 2009 one, with rampant inflation and what else we have seen recently, I fear that if this does not start construction this year for a 2025 opening, there will be a very high chance of this project being postponed indefinitely.
 
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DistortAMG said:
As we are on the edge of a huge worldwide recession that is claimed could be larger than the 2009 one, with rampant inflation and what else we have seen recently, I fear that if this does not start construction this year for a 2025 opening, there will be a very high chance of this project being postponed indefinitely.
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You cannot forecast an economic downturn with financial/footfall numbers at Alton Towers. You're forgetting that the park has weathered many recessions, coincidentally including opening as a theme park in 1980.

Then Tussuads brought the park during the recession of the 90's, bringing in what many regard as the park's golden age shortly after.

Then lastly during the last recession, Merlin took control of the park and built Thirteen, attaining record levels of attendance. Alton Towers as a business is pretty good at weathering economic downturns. This is largely down to the reason that people prioritise domestic travel as opposed to international travel in recession.

However, the park has evidently gone through its own periods of recession in the history of the park, most notably in 2015/16. Not to mention the park seems to struggle when the park's owners become stagnant as a business (Broome and Battersea, Charterhouse/DIC Tussuads and Public Merlin).

The UK economy as a whole is set to snail on in stagnation with the economy set to grow at a decimal of percentage and cost pressures on take-home pay. It's evident the park may not be performing as it did in the 2021/22 seasons but it's still a safe bet that it'll return to those levels in a season or two.

I get the feeling there's a real sense of innovation of the company at the moment, which is exciting to see a more holistic perspective on the business than just looking at the most cost-effective option on a spreadsheet as they have in the past.
 
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Both good points. My original post was just my thinking, I've not heard anything.

But my thinking was not only are we going into a recession, inflation is really, really bad too. We are already in a cost of living crisis, people are already really struggling. That has not been the case with previous recessions. That is something that makes this potential upcoming one stand out. People can barely afford staycations as it is, the recession has not even hit yet.

I hope it doesn't, I am just blue sky thinking really.
 
tayspru said:
Don’t domestic theme parks historically do well during recessions as less people are travelling abroad? I wouldn’t worry about Horizon being delayed
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Unless the recession is deep and long, when they tend to go bust.
I think Blackpool has been bailed more than once in the hard times, in the end, if people don't have the spare money, it is the first thing to be cut.
 
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