Bert2theSpark
TS Member
Generous donations will be accepted to Alton Towers Resort, ST10 4DB. A donation of one flat ride will mean that your rides will be greatly loved by a new family who aren’t as fortunate as you…
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Jb85
TS Member
You know something I’ve been very critical of towards Merlin and towers redently
But it does seem that capex is being funded everywhere we look.
In regards to AT - maybe they aren’t adding new rides - but they are at the very least refurbishing what they have which never happened before e
But it does seem that capex is being funded everywhere we look.
In regards to AT - maybe they aren’t adding new rides - but they are at the very least refurbishing what they have which never happened before e
Towers4ever
TS Member
Hoping they are saving the best til last. Give Chessington some good basic fodder and put the glitz at Towers
Matt N
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Shambhala (PortAventura Park)
Why do all the parks not deserve “glitz”?
If anything, I dare say Chessington arguably deserves more investment than Towers given how relatively neglected it was throughout the 2000s and 2010s!
Dave
TS Founding Member
At the end of the day a brand new topspin will cost around £1 million, so you can’t argue its not a significant investment.
It’s not exactly dung heap and a themed path territory when Tussauds was breathing its last.
owenstreet7
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Taron
If a bog standard Reverchon Flume is knocking about whether that's from near Southampton, the fair circuit or elsewhere, that generous donation will be gratefully accepted at Alton Towers Resort
Bowser
TS Member
Sure, nobody said it’s not an investment. Chessington replacing their entire carpark is an investment (which might cost even more).
It was more the notion that AT are matching Chessingtons 3 years plans with a flat ride, an unknown children’s coaster and a seemingly delayed family coaster we don’t know much about.
In comparison Chessington have a children’s coaster, 2 new flats, a new themed area with facilities, an Intamin multi-dimensional coaster, another flat ride, another new themed area with facilities using one of the biggest IP in UK theme park history and potentially a water park.
Dave
TS Founding Member
Squiggs didn’t say Towers and Chessington investment were matched, he just pointed out the concept that Merlin had cut all investment at Towers to fund the south parks was hyperbolic.
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Bowser
TS Member
I certainly didn’t say this, I don’t believe anybody else did.
Well…
Not far off and certainly closer than what you’re suggesting.
At which point I demonstrated that based on current plans Chessington’s forthcoming projects dwarf AT rather than follow a broadly similar strategy and questioned the definition of “three major new rides”. It is what it is, I have no skin in this game. I’m sure we’d all like to see AT receiving the level of investment Chessington appears to be getting.
flyingguitar
TS Member
I think the investments in AT is probably on a similar level to chessington. Ignoring nemesis reborn just at AT there are quire a few projects ongoing or finished:
Project ocean:
If a topspin costs £1mil, that may not seem much but it will probably have costed them a huge amount for the engineering an construction of the bridge / foundation and the queue or theming.
Project horizon: we don't know enough about this yet, but assuming it is an indoor rollercoaster it could be similar to the rollercoaster part of project refresh.
Hex: they have spent money into hex to ensure it can last.
sky ride: money has been put into maintaining and refurbishing the ride
Cbeebies coaster: this could be similar if not more (considering the maintenance building) to the rollercoaster in project play.
I would argue these are probably similar to Chessington's investment and there could be more projects in the pipeline for AT (If I recall correctly the old enterprise site and in the dark forest has a general ride planning permission allowing a new ride to be installed without needing permission) also if galactical gets rethemed in the next couple of years it could add to that.
Bowser
TS Member
I suppose it’s hard to tell without actual numbers available. The figures we do have (eg the Minecraft announcement) seem to suggest more is being spent at Chessington (IP, entire areas and water parks don’t come cheap) but in the end we are all speculating.
A lot of it is about perception. Chessington seem to be opening lots of new areas, rides and expansions whilst AT are focusing more on existing maintenance. As a result one park feels like it has a much more exciting future.
Dave
TS Founding Member
I think you are trying to stretch the words Squiggs used to justify your point. Saying there is a broadly consistent investment strategy doesn’t mean you are saying the funding is of equal monetary value.
Personally although I don’t have any great emotional attachment to Chessington as I didn’t visit as a child, I think it’s great it is getting the investment. It’s stagnated for over 20 years so it deserves some focused love, I am also not overly concerned about the monetary amount Towers are getting, I have a bigger beef with the lack of focus on the 0.9m to 1.2m attractions at Towers and unless something is planned we don’t know about they don’t seem to have any real plan for that. On the flip side it if I was a Chessington fan I wouldn’t be overly keen on the place becoming IP central, hopefully that’s a fate Towers will be spared.
Jb85
TS Member
Let’s not forget though that we’ve also had a multi million refurb of Duel and a brand new b&m - nemesis must have cost £10m at least….
Bowser
TS Member
It’s not a brand new b&m though is it, it’s a retrack which is essentially maintenance rather than a new ride. Certainly in terms of perception, though I appreciate not in terms of expense.
In a similar period Chessington had an actual new b&m plus two flats in a new themed area which was their biggest ever investment so again we have one park fixing things and one building new things.
Also I believe that £10m figure was for the original, the retrack would no doubt have been less though presumably still many millions.
James
TS Founding Member
In a way, nothing has changed at Alton Towers. They are still consistently receiving new attractions, re-themes, and hardware yearly, with millions spent. Whereas Chessington, a park completely neglected by yearly investments, now seemingly has multiple projects in the pipeline of a significant scale. More investment appears to be happening at Chessington, but I wouldn't say Alton Towers is being left behind or investment is slowing down.
I would be more concerned about the operational side of things regarding Towers.
I would be more concerned about the operational side of things regarding Towers.
Benzin
TS Member
The number of projects happening at Chessie are likely to the number of things about to fall apart (like their overhead queue lines of old).
Mexicana replacement is happening because Scorpion Express has died. So a clear candidate for investment.
No idea why Minecraft is happening in Wild Asia. Guess easiest area to stick a dark coaster into? But then the two flats going into that area are replacing the 3 being removed that currently exist? And if one is believed to be just moved over to the Mexicana refurb (Bus) then it's not much in terms of expanding the existing line up. Just refreshing 2 attractions which originally opened 24 years ago. Which parks should be doing anyway.
End of the day the park had been at the bottom of the investment list for at least a decade. No wonder it's suddenly got a million projects going forwards; half the park has been in disrepair since 2009! If not earlier.
They HAVE to invest into things because the place had become incredibly stagnated with only the odd retheme to tide them over. Zufari was their last brand new dedicated ride for the park (i.e. not a retheme or a freebie from another Merlin property) before Jumanji, and that was 2013! Compare that to the investment received elsewhere.
Mexicana replacement is happening because Scorpion Express has died. So a clear candidate for investment.
No idea why Minecraft is happening in Wild Asia. Guess easiest area to stick a dark coaster into? But then the two flats going into that area are replacing the 3 being removed that currently exist? And if one is believed to be just moved over to the Mexicana refurb (Bus) then it's not much in terms of expanding the existing line up. Just refreshing 2 attractions which originally opened 24 years ago. Which parks should be doing anyway.
End of the day the park had been at the bottom of the investment list for at least a decade. No wonder it's suddenly got a million projects going forwards; half the park has been in disrepair since 2009! If not earlier.
They HAVE to invest into things because the place had become incredibly stagnated with only the odd retheme to tide them over. Zufari was their last brand new dedicated ride for the park (i.e. not a retheme or a freebie from another Merlin property) before Jumanji, and that was 2013! Compare that to the investment received elsewhere.
owenstreet7
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Taron
I'd say before Rainforest, Croc Drop and Shipwreck Coast, you are correct.
We've had in the couple of years before Jumanji, there was a number of new and replacement rides that opened.
- 2020: Rainforest with Jungle Rangers (like for like replacement rather than retheme for Toadie's Crazy Cars) and River Rafts (Mini Flume relocated from Weymouth)
- 2021: Blue Barnacle (like for like replacement for Black Buccaneer) and Croc Drop (replacement for Ramases Revenge)
- 2022: Shipwreck Coast with Barrel Bail Out (Brand New Zamperla Watermania) and Trawler Trouble (Relocated Rocking Tug from Thorpe Park)
Just read the brackets and I think only Barrel Bail Out, Blue Barnacle, Jungle Rangers and Croc Drop fits in that category of brand new. River Rafts and Trawler Trouble are recycled from other Merlin parks.
Matt N
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Shambhala (PortAventura Park)
The tables have turned a bit, though, and I think they did need to turn.
For Chessington, this flurry of new investment is coming after absolutely years of investments that mostly fell into the category of “essentially maintenance”. From when Merlin took over in 2007 pretty much right up until Jumanji in 2023, much of the CAPEX money was going into simply maintaining and refurbishing the existing lineup due to how decrepit much of the park was when Merlin took over.
For Alton Towers, the focus on refurbishments is coming after a relatively good few years of heavy CAPEX investment into new rides, with three major new roller coasters built during the 2010s.
Benzin
TS Member
Tbh I'd completely forgotten about Croc Drop's existence. So was wrong on that one.
Not that it's a particularly good addition. Does it actually spin anymore?