Tim
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Air / Blue Fire
Thought I'd start this topic ahead of the new season, as I'm sure it's a discussion that's going to come up.
It seems to be a common trend in enthusiast communities to want to see anything removed that isn't up to the standard expected of the park. Sometimes even things that are still beloved by many, or serve a functional purpose. Which often makes me wonder, why so eager to see a ride close? Especially in the UK, where a lot of our parks already lack filler rides. Surely anything that helps spread the crowds is a good thing?
This brings me to the Retro Squad. I get it, they were temporary fairground rides that diminished the Theme Park feel. But that was the point, the park was at a stage that it needed these rides to fix the multiple dead spots left by removed attractions, and the park needed the extra capacity brought in.
Yet the main argument for their removal wasn't that the lineup had been fixed, It hasn't. The only notable returning ride since they were introduced is Nemesis Sub-Terra. No, the reasoning was because they'd 'outstayed their welcome'. And I can't help but feel that this continues feedback from so many people is why the park removed them.
Yet, I'm sure that as the 2024 season starts we'll see the phrase 'outstayed their welcome' become 'why remove them without a replacement'. Which leads me to my point, would it really have been that bad to keep them for another year, giving the new management actual time to replace them? We know they have a plan for the Funk 'N' Fly site, but even then I don't forsee construction starting there until the end of the summer season. And what happens if Nemesis's reopening actually does respark the publics interest in the park again back to pre-2015 levels? I myself havn't been back to the Towers since then, but after the improvements last year and this I'm more excited than ever to head back there again! Yet their capacity hasn't been fixed.
But what do you all think? Were we too eager to see them go? Or am I wrong and there are attractions out their (not just at Alton Towers) that you can make a good argument for why they actually need to go!
It seems to be a common trend in enthusiast communities to want to see anything removed that isn't up to the standard expected of the park. Sometimes even things that are still beloved by many, or serve a functional purpose. Which often makes me wonder, why so eager to see a ride close? Especially in the UK, where a lot of our parks already lack filler rides. Surely anything that helps spread the crowds is a good thing?
This brings me to the Retro Squad. I get it, they were temporary fairground rides that diminished the Theme Park feel. But that was the point, the park was at a stage that it needed these rides to fix the multiple dead spots left by removed attractions, and the park needed the extra capacity brought in.
Yet the main argument for their removal wasn't that the lineup had been fixed, It hasn't. The only notable returning ride since they were introduced is Nemesis Sub-Terra. No, the reasoning was because they'd 'outstayed their welcome'. And I can't help but feel that this continues feedback from so many people is why the park removed them.
Yet, I'm sure that as the 2024 season starts we'll see the phrase 'outstayed their welcome' become 'why remove them without a replacement'. Which leads me to my point, would it really have been that bad to keep them for another year, giving the new management actual time to replace them? We know they have a plan for the Funk 'N' Fly site, but even then I don't forsee construction starting there until the end of the summer season. And what happens if Nemesis's reopening actually does respark the publics interest in the park again back to pre-2015 levels? I myself havn't been back to the Towers since then, but after the improvements last year and this I'm more excited than ever to head back there again! Yet their capacity hasn't been fixed.
But what do you all think? Were we too eager to see them go? Or am I wrong and there are attractions out their (not just at Alton Towers) that you can make a good argument for why they actually need to go!