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Drayton Manor Park

Rick said:
It might allow for a lower height restriction. I guess given the nature of the gondola, it makes sense to bring something over your head.
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Yeah perhaps but I still think the experience would be better with lap bars personally as is the same on most rides. Maybe the Nebulaz V2 will have them who knows. Still a good addition though.
 
This video that was uploaded on YouTube today of Pirate Adventure must have been taken just before it closed down in 2015 as I was told during the closed season of 2014 that the park had installed new lighting around the ride circuit and I went on it In Oct 2014 and there was areas where the lights didn’t work or burned out.
 
I thought in areas it was to bright as when it dropped down originally it felt like a night time trip around the market and Port but In the video above the scenes were lit up nicely but you can see that your in a warehouse building.
 
Themeparksandy1981 said:
Without going off topic it’s a win/win this agreement with Shawn and Drayton Manor. Drayton don’t have to pay Shawn a penny but have agreed that he gets exclusive construction videos and he gets paid by ad’s and views and Drayton get free marketing as his video will get shared on all social media platforms and the park don’t have to do a thing.
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He's not just an enthusiast who gets paid – as a part-time professional journalist I would say Shawn has quietly upped his game to the point where I would honestly describe him as an industry journalist.

To bring it vaguely back on topic, at the end of the day the problem with Drayton is that all* their rides are rubbish.

*with the exception of Stormforce, but at the end of the day that's just a tarted-up log flume, and Apocalypse, which is great but is a standard drop tower you could find at tiny parks all over Europe... and it's leaving anyway
 
Sam said:
He's not just an enthusiast who gets paid – as a part-time professional journalist I would say Shawn has quietly upped his game to the point where I would honestly describe him as an industry journalist.

To bring it vaguely back on topic, at the end of the day the problem with Drayton is that all* their rides are rubbish.

*with the exception of Stormforce, but at the end of the day that's just a tarted-up log flume, and Apocalypse, which is great but is a standard drop tower you could find at tiny parks all over Europe... and it's leaving anyway
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Drayton isn’t aiming for your age group and if it’s working for Paulton’s park aiming for the under 12 market then I can’t see why it can’t for Drayton. They know they can’t match Merlin on Coasters as they not got the capital to spend £20 million on a well themed coasters but they can try to be the best non Merlin theme park in the uk.
 
Rob said:
Been a busy few days for me so just catching up on things. This looks to be a great investment for Drayton, just what the park needs. Gives encouragement for future investments going forward, I really hope a new coaster is in the works.
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Something like Pégase Express at Parc Astérix, only with a different theme of course, is what I'm expecting. Think that would be perfect for them.

If they go for something slightly more thrilling then maybe one of the new Vekoma Suspended Thrill coasters that are springing up everywhere now. That would be pretty cool too.
 
From what I hear the looping group have brought new flat rides but most of there coasters at there other parks are re-themed coasters or brought 2nd hand and as this Jonathan Hitching said in Shawn’s construction video last week that plans for this new viking area started Feb last year so they must already know what they want to do for this big Project next year.
 
One idea I had, which granted unlikely but would fit the family market, plus attract the thrillseekers and would be a huge blow to Merlin is a Junior RMC, I saw plans a while ago they published for a junior version of an RMC. They haven't built one yet but imagine if Drayton got the first. So not inverting and not that extream but with their classic overbank turns maybe so its a fast thrill machine but not too high/extreme. I'll try and find the plans I found but imagine if Drayton opened the first RMC (albeit a junior version), they did after all have the world's first Junior boomerang. Imagine what that would do for the park, sticking with the family market but massives of thrillseekers would flock there anyway in a similar way they did to Plopsaland over Ride to Happiness. That would also be a very 'statement' ride by its new owners too.

Family Hybrid like this: https://www.rockymtnconstruction.com/family-hybrid-coasters/
 
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Themeparksandy1981 said:
From what I hear the looping group have brought new flat rides but most of there coasters at there other parks are re-themed coasters or brought 2nd hand and as this Jonathan Hitching said in Shawn’s construction video last week that plans for this new viking area started Feb last year so they must already know what they want to do for this big Project next year.
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If it is a big project, with new hardware, especially coaster hardware.....

Then I would have thought contracts would have been signed by now. They would need to be signed by now (or very soon) to have any chance of it opening around easter next year.

I would have thought their plan for next year would be completely drawn up by now, manufactures already chosen, with contracts being signed and manufacturing starting very soon if not already. Assuming the ride is brand new. If all this was not already done, then it would tight / almost impossible to get anything decently sized open by easter next year. Especially if it is a popular manufacturer, where lead times on any hardware will be longer.
 
DistortAMG said:
If it is a big project, with new hardware, especially coaster hardware.....

Then I would have thought contracts would have been signed by now. They would need to be signed by now (or very soon) to have any chance of it opening around easter next year.

I would have thought their plan for next year would be completely drawn up by now, manufactures already chosen, with contracts being signed and manufacturing starting very soon if not already. Assuming the ride is brand new. If all this was not already done, then it would tight / almost impossible to get anything decently sized open by easter next year. Especially if it is a popular manufacturer, where lead times on any hardware will be longer.
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Interesting, thinking back to Coaster Challs source both Apocalyse and Panadamonium were originally rumours to be leaving at the end of 2021. We now know Apocalyse has been given an extra year. Perhaps that is related to the lead time of their chosen coaster manufacturer? Though that does make you wonder why they removed Pandemonium at the end of 2021 as it looks like that site will just be left empty for 2022. Unless it actually was sold to another park?
 
pjanvil said:
Interesting, thinking back to Coaster Challs source both Apocalyse and Panadamonium were originally rumours to be leaving at the end of 2021. We now know Apocalyse has been given an extra year. Perhaps that is related to the lead time of their chosen coaster manufacturer? Though that does make you wonder why they removed Pandemonium at the end of 2021 as it looks like that site will just be left empty for 2022. Unless it actually was sold to another park?
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Perhaps they decided they needed some extra capacity from apocalypse until the new ride arrives. We also need to take into account the time they'll have to work on this, they probably didn't have time to remove both pandemonium and apocalypse in time for the coaster to be installed and testing.
 
If this is a another new area which will include removing the old fish and chip building then I can see ground work starting around June/July as that top entrance will not be available after the entrance next to Viking’s opens.
 
pjanvil said:
Though that does make you wonder why they removed Pandemonium at the end of 2021 as it looks like that site will just be left empty for 2022.
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They have removed pandemonium first as it is not economically viable to remove apocalypse, without access to that portion of land. With a ride in there, they would have to either crane over the Tower and Hamilton suites (a very bad idea) or remove them (an even worse idea) and considering the time it took to take out pandy, and the projected time to remove apoc, it just hasn't made sense to remove it in one season, so looping took the decision to stagger it and develop the Buffalo site first, towards the start of 2021.
 
immelmanloop said:
They have removed pandemonium first as it is not economically viable to remove apocalypse, without access to that portion of land. With a ride in there, they would have to either crane over the Tower and Hamilton suites (a very bad idea) or remove them (an even worse idea) and considering the time it took to take out pandy, and the projected time to remove apoc, it just hasn't made sense to remove it in one season, so looping took the decision to stagger it and develop the Buffalo site first, towards the start of 2021.
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We already had this discussion and when Apocalypse was 1st installed they didn’t have to temporarily remove the sky flyer. The crane was positioned over the former queueline of Apocalypse

Drayton Manor Park

Drayton will not be getting a coaster like Ice breaker. The rumours point to the Apocalypse, Pandemonium and Test Track site for the new coaster and that layout will not fit on that piece of land. Doesn't have to be that particular layout though, would most likely be custom for Drayton's site...
towersstreet.com towersstreet.com
They will remove it in November as they will block that end of the park off just past the 4D cinema for the Christmas event, Feb half term and Thomas weekends.
 
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