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

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Not sure if it’s really PH related (but there isn’t a future dungeon development thread?) but with the marking on the floor showing up on the general area (pictured) and around more to the side closer to the PH area.
I can’t find reference videos from 2023 FV but I’m 99% sure those white markings ended up as the new entrance structure. So could we be getting a new sign or something ?
Also off to the side there’s white arrows (which in the FV development indicated “direction of clearance”) and red lines (usually to show power line locations)
So I’m fairly confident we’re gonna be seeing something fairly soon. But what?
You watch it relate to AITAL and scare fest 😂
 
Clearly it’s going to be a development site, along with blades pit I’d guess.

So it’s possible these marking indicate the start of something.

On topic - I don’t actually think we need Horizon just yet. So much redevelopment space going, makes sense to use that first then add Horizon
 
Jb85 said:
Clearly it’s going to be a development site, along with blades pit I’d guess.

So it’s possible these marking indicate the start of something.

On topic - I don’t actually think we need Horizon just yet. So much redevelopment space going, makes sense to use that first then add Horizon
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Dig a trench or do a bit of ground/site clearance to “start work” so the PP doesn’t expire would be pragmatic at least.
 
Alphe86 said:
IMG_5641.jpeg
Not sure if it’s really PH related (but there isn’t a future dungeon development thread?) but with the marking on the floor showing up on the general area (pictured) and around more to the side closer to the PH area.
I can’t find reference videos from 2023 FV but I’m 99% sure those white markings ended up as the new entrance structure. So could we be getting a new sign or something ?
Also off to the side there’s white arrows (which in the FV development indicated “direction of clearance”) and red lines (usually to show power line locations)
So I’m fairly confident we’re gonna be seeing something fairly soon. But what?
You watch it relate to AITAL and scare fest 😂
Click to expand...
I hope they get rid of TWODW and tie gangster granny, the theatre and the dungeons to project horizon similar to how FV is going, along with some flats
 
Jb85 said:
Wow - almost worth like @dave___ said then - dig a hole and clear the site.
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It happens everywhere all the time. Meant for things like not being able to start construction due to weather and whatnot but more often used for land banking really.

Tangentially it’s also why you can’t set much store on anything happening over on the Universal thread even despite all the planning bureaucracy yet to happen.
 
The park is really crying out for another big marketable coaster investment (alongside flats). It does seem to be what spikes attendance at towers. Not counting the Nemesis retrack, it's been 7 years since Wickerman opened as a family/thill coaster investment. By the time project horizon is completed, if it's not cancelled, we're looking at a minimum of a 2027 opening if not later. That's creeping to 9-10 years with no major 'new' family/thrill coaster investment which would be the longest period in Towers history and specifically for the secret weapon projects. Since the original Nemesis opened in 94, it's been a 5 year maximum gap between thrill coaster investments. It's quite worrying.
 
The park now has several large coasters, in a wide line up.
What the park really needs is a sharp focus on current standards of atmosphere, operations and maintenance, in my humble opinion, and a few bits of filler to mop up the queues.
Not another headline attraction, it has several of those already, lets get the park back up to scratch before additional big rides.
 
rob666 said:
The park now has several large coasters, in a wide line up.
What the park really needs is a sharp focus on current standards of atmosphere, operations and maintenance, in my humble opinion, and a few bits of filler to mop up the queues.
Not another headline attraction, it has several of those already, lets get the park back up to scratch before additional big rides.
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100% correct. Get the buzz back. Recreate the atmosphere of old. Put that back, with better ride availability (flats/indoor rides) and you are on to a winner. You can then build your big shiny new investment.

3-5 years depending on investment levels. So 7-8 years for the new big thing. Bang on time for universal you would say ?
 
rob666 said:
The park now has several large coasters, in a wide line up.
What the park really needs is a sharp focus on current standards of atmosphere, operations and maintenance, in my humble opinion, and a few bits of filler to mop up the queues.
Not another headline attraction, it has several of those already, lets get the park back up to scratch before additional big rides.
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I would say they are working on this. Whilst ride availability needs sorting, over the last two closed seasons they have embarked on wide cleaning repairing and painting sprees.

Alton after dark this year has shown they have invested in a lot more permanent lighting which we have been asking for.

Older rides have been getting refurbished but since they were so bad in the first place, these are massive expenditures and as such they can only do a couple at a time.

They’ve worked on signage and general upkeep of the park.

It’s easy for all the positive to get lost when 5 major coasters are down over opening weekend but there IS work on making the place better.
 
If Project Horizon is a coaster, I think that ticks two boxes: it would be a large coaster after a long gap (since Wicker Man) and an indoor ride (Towers needs more indoor attractions).

They need to address flat rides quickly, and I would like to see two built in the same year.

While Toxicator is great, Blade and Flavios have been removed. One step forward, two steps back, literally. They need to increase/expand the offerings, not decrease them.
 
I disagree with some of the posts here. I think Horizon needs to come soon, preferably within the next few years (by 2028, in my view).

As much as people talk about there being bigger priorities, it’s been some time now since Alton’s last new major attraction (Wicker Man in 2018 was already 7 years ago). While the park has invested a fair amount in recent years, a lot of it has been into refurbishments rather than meaningfully new attractions. Things like Curse and Nemesis Reborn, to the casual visitor, are just old hits painted a new colour, and even with Toxicator, people have been talking about how “it’s just Ripsaw painted a different colour” despite it being a brand new ride. In terms of the time since the park has had a big, new statement ride, the last one was Wicker Man. I’m not saying a big, new statement ride even has to be a big thrill coaster; something like a major new dark ride or substantial water ride would fill the void as well.

People might talk about how “it’s the little things that matter” and how “the wider experience” needs investing in, but I feel that the time since the last major attraction is a concern if one isn’t installed soon. As much as the refurbishments are positive and necessary, there’s only so long that the public will keep visiting for without anything meaningfully new and different in terms of major attractions being installed.

As much as you can cite the strength of the experience “back in the day”, the crux of the matter is that people were pulled to the park by the multiple statement ride installations during the 80s and 90s, in my view. The Haunted House, Nemesis, Oblivion, Congo River Rapids… there was regular investment into these statement attractions.

Without that regular investment, I fear that Alton might tip into the sort of rut that Thorpe Park found itself in pre-Hyperia, where the park’s lineup arguably began to feel a bit stale to the casual visitor and the place felt a bit directionless. People on here might dismiss headliners, but I think they are needed regularly to keep a park on the straight and narrow. Without new headline rides, people will grow bored of the existing lineup and go “why should I go back to Alton Towers when nothing’s changed for years?”.

As @James said, I also feel that Horizon itself will fill gaps in the lineup. It’s indoors, which is different and helps to weather proof the park further, and I also think it’s quite likely to have a 1.2m height restriction at most, which should help to bolster the heavily squeezed “too big for CBeebies, but under 1.4m” demographic.
 
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It's a difficult one this......One one hand, everyone loves a new coaster and they are the biggest single attractions that draw people to the park so you have to keep investing in new ones. Trouble is.....the more they seem to add, the bigger strain it seems to put on the maintenance teams and general park operations seem to suffer massively because of it.

I'd probably go ahead with Project Horizon as I think it will provide them with another unique experience coaster wise and also another indoors ride which would be hugely beneficial to the place. However after that I'd look at scaling down the coasters in the longer term and maybe not replacing Spinball and Rita at all when their time comes to an end. I wouldn't massively miss either of those two rides personally.
 
The “it’s just Ripsaw” crowd will be out in force when they open what is very likely going to be an indoor coaster - “it’s just The Black Hole” will echo across the internet, regardless of whatever new ride tech is in there

The park need some completely new additions before they get to Horizon. Ideally I’d like to see Flat ride + CBeebies coaster in 2026, 2 Flat rides in 2027, Horizon in 2028 and then sort out the surrounding areas to fit Horizon for 2029
 
tayspru said:
The park need some completely new additions before they get to Horizon. Ideally I’d like to see Flat ride + CBeebies coaster in 2026, 2 Flat rides in 2027, Horizon in 2028 and then sort out the surrounding areas to fit Horizon for 2029
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Also a permanent show needs to come back, not just flat rides. A family "flat ride" gap could be filled by re-opening the 4D cinema with either 4D film again or a live show. At present there is no live entertainment outside of CBeebies which is just as big a gap as flat rides are.
 
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