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Drayton Manor Park
- Thread starter Matty
- Start date
Benjsh
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Steel Vengeance
I love it how lots of people were so adamant they knew what it was because of an animation that was released on the Intamin website and now nobody has a scooby do and we are a few months from opening.
It was only yesterday that we found out it's definitely not a spinner.
The mystery and intrigue is refreshing. I think the theming is going to have to be done to a very good standard to entice me to visit though as the layout looks fun for sure but not enough to make me drive 2hours for when Towers is only 90mins.
It was only yesterday that we found out it's definitely not a spinner.
The mystery and intrigue is refreshing. I think the theming is going to have to be done to a very good standard to entice me to visit though as the layout looks fun for sure but not enough to make me drive 2hours for when Towers is only 90mins.
dazza4783
TS Member
Drayton told us that it wasn't a spinner just after the tags were spotted and the speculation started, not just yesterday.
The "different modes" part is the most intriguing, maybe at quieter times they would be able to send it up the lift-hill twice, so the trains switch from forwards to backwards every cycle.
Or it could just be like Verbolten at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, where the show scene alternates between 3 different ones every cycle.
Themeparksandy1981
TS Member
I know no building have been built yet but the coaster track could all be installed before Thorpe and Legoland finish there’s. I do think it will be mid to end of May it opens.
Bowser
TS Member
Legoland was nearly finished before Christmas, I reckon it'll be all installed in time for the Feb half term opening.
Themeparkplanet
TS Member
Benzin
TS Member
I mean still have no idea about the type of ride or what it looks like.
Compared to many parks who show off the concept art and full layout prior to any construction. Hell Drayton did all that for Viking Land. Currently the marketing seems to have finally gone "oh yeah there's a coaster being built better mention it".
GP need more than "Family Thrill Coaster" to make these decisions.
Compared to many parks who show off the concept art and full layout prior to any construction. Hell Drayton did all that for Viking Land. Currently the marketing seems to have finally gone "oh yeah there's a coaster being built better mention it".
GP need more than "Family Thrill Coaster" to make these decisions.
IDB
TS Member
It may well be. But you can bet if BPB followed the same strategy they’d be lambasted for it.
ScottishChris
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Legend
Bowser
TS Member
I'm still of the opinion a park like Drayton doesn't need to spend time and resources marketing a ride many months before opening, especially when the ride likely won't be ready for the start of the season. A gradual trickle of posts on social media and attention from bloggers seems adequate till nearer the time.
ScottishChris
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Legend
If done strategically, they could actually use the paid-for hype of Merlin to draw more attention to their coaster too. It would be quite clever to let Thorpe pay for adverts, and use free social media and PR's to basically say "that coaster is great for serious thrill seekers, but look - we have a new coaster suitable for absolutely everyone!"
It’s great to see the park being reinvigorated by the Looping Group. I personally haven’t visited for some years due to the ride line up somewhat stagnating and a lack of standout attractions being added. I think this new coaster changes that!
I see a huge opportunity here for the park to attract the family market. Rival parks won’t be competing in the same space this year i.e Towers and Thorpe adding thrill additions and Paultons new family flume ride being a smaller investment and geographically far away from Drayton.
What really confuses me is why Drayton have to date been so coy with the marketing for this coaster and have kept cards so close to their chest. I’m yet to see any real creative marketing for this ride and it will be opening in a matter of months, not years.
To quote Nick Varney in the Magic Factory documentary about Alton Towers, and specifically Oblivion: “every teenager in the country needs to know about this ride”… I think Drayton should be taking this approach but applying it to the family market.
It’s legitimately marketable as a UK first, and from what i can gather looks to be a very unique ride. AT started marketing Nemesis ages ago (albeit with a merlin budget).
The slow trickle out of information through influencer videos, small local press snippets and social media replies to the GP seems to lack creative direction from a marketing perspective.
I think more detail of the theme, USP and storytelling aspects of the ride are desperately needed at this stage of the project to create a buzz for families to want to visit, and for their children to insist on their parents taking them to the park (insert Bart and Lisa ‘can we go to itchy and scratchy land’ sound clip here).
As enthusiasts, we know about the manufacturer, that it’s a lift and launch model, contains a switch track and has a western theme. I don’t think this has been successfully communicated at this stage by the park into something tangible for the GP. I hope to see this as we get closer to opening, I have high hopes for the full ride experience and think the park will be onto a winner.
I see a huge opportunity here for the park to attract the family market. Rival parks won’t be competing in the same space this year i.e Towers and Thorpe adding thrill additions and Paultons new family flume ride being a smaller investment and geographically far away from Drayton.
What really confuses me is why Drayton have to date been so coy with the marketing for this coaster and have kept cards so close to their chest. I’m yet to see any real creative marketing for this ride and it will be opening in a matter of months, not years.
To quote Nick Varney in the Magic Factory documentary about Alton Towers, and specifically Oblivion: “every teenager in the country needs to know about this ride”… I think Drayton should be taking this approach but applying it to the family market.
It’s legitimately marketable as a UK first, and from what i can gather looks to be a very unique ride. AT started marketing Nemesis ages ago (albeit with a merlin budget).
The slow trickle out of information through influencer videos, small local press snippets and social media replies to the GP seems to lack creative direction from a marketing perspective.
I think more detail of the theme, USP and storytelling aspects of the ride are desperately needed at this stage of the project to create a buzz for families to want to visit, and for their children to insist on their parents taking them to the park (insert Bart and Lisa ‘can we go to itchy and scratchy land’ sound clip here).
As enthusiasts, we know about the manufacturer, that it’s a lift and launch model, contains a switch track and has a western theme. I don’t think this has been successfully communicated at this stage by the park into something tangible for the GP. I hope to see this as we get closer to opening, I have high hopes for the full ride experience and think the park will be onto a winner.
I wondering if the slow marketing is due to them not having a firm opening date. We still have no idea of the name or what themeing is going to be added. I think it's odd we have not seen the new trains for Shockwave yet as I assume this will be open at the start of the season. I'm guessing marketing budgets are very different from Merlin's deep pockets.
DistortAMG
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- POTC Disneyland Paris
I don't know if anyone noticed but did anyone notice the ride appears to have a transfer track with 3 tracks on it.
You can clearly see all three tracks are on a switch rail at the bottom (black) the two tracks to the left are not connected as that are not in the track position. The track on the far right in in the track position, but slightly out, so you can see the rail join from the switch track to main track.
After seeing this photo, this sort of matches up with what Veronica was saying that the ride will have a different ride at different parts of the day, is this because there are two possible endings / second halves or even sections to the coaster. The triple switch track suggest so, it could also potentially be a third track for the maintenance run off, given the profiling of some of the track sections though, it am doubtful of this. Exciting times seeing how this pans out!!
You can clearly see all three tracks are on a switch rail at the bottom (black) the two tracks to the left are not connected as that are not in the track position. The track on the far right in in the track position, but slightly out, so you can see the rail join from the switch track to main track.
After seeing this photo, this sort of matches up with what Veronica was saying that the ride will have a different ride at different parts of the day, is this because there are two possible endings / second halves or even sections to the coaster. The triple switch track suggest so, it could also potentially be a third track for the maintenance run off, given the profiling of some of the track sections though, it am doubtful of this. Exciting times seeing how this pans out!!
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