Drayton Manor Park

[Sazzle]

I would love for Drayton to install their much-talked-about launch coaster and woodie, but I remain skeptical that they'll ever get them. They've done so incredibly well with the family market and Thomas Land, that I think they'll continue to expand with that in mind - families mean money.

I'd be rather perplexed if Apocalypse got this 'Dexter' retheme that's been mentioned... why ruin such a die-hard thrill ride with a kids theme?! It wouldn't suit the market, and it would surely put teens off if they were to be seen riding anything remotely connected to Cartoon Network?

The zoo was once a great place to visit, but I now find it run down and shabby. The enclosures are far too small in comparison with what we now expect for captive animals, and things just don't seem to be given as much attention as they used to be. I'll never forget a black cat they used to have which continually paced up and down its enclosure, almost out of its mind. Very sad!

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[Ian]

If Drayton ever install a wooden coaster it can only be a good thing! Hopefully they'll be brave enough to step out and build one when the major parks of this country are reluctant to do so. Maybe it'll give Alton a bit of a kick to do something

As for a launch coaster I'd personally put money on something from Vekoma. The park seem to have gotten on with them, and Ben 10 has turned out as a good little ride. Hopefully we'll see a nice new Vekoma, using all their latest track and train designs.

 

[Tim]

My only query with a Vekoma launch ride is what exactly it could be? The Motorbike Coasters use LIM's but I can't imagine them going with that. Their proper LIM coasters are quite an old design so again I can't imagine one of those. That only leaves some sort of custom coaster.

I do hope though that they go for Wood after that. For them it'd be a huge boost to their line up as no other park in the UK would have a modern wooden coaster.

 

[John]

I've become somewhat jaded towards news of new coasters at DMP. It seems there's always rumours of some big rides in the pipeline but they never seem to materialize. It's got to the point where I'll only believe it when I see it, or at least see a planning application for it.

 

[CGM]

My only query with a Vekoma launch ride is what exactly it could be? The Motorbike Coasters use LIM's but I can't imagine them going with that. Their proper LIM coasters are quite an old design so again I can't imagine one of those. That only leaves some sort of custom coaster.

I do hope though that they go for Wood after that. For them it'd be a huge boost to their line up as no other park in the UK would have a modern wooden coaster.

Is it just me that counts Megafobia as a modern wooden coaster? I know it's getting on for 20 years old now but CCI are the company that GCI and GG came from.

 

[josht]

It would be amazing to see a woodie at Drayton it would really work within the park, glad the park is on it's way up they just need to sort the zoo out its horrible to see many of there bigger animals looking cramped.

But hopefully Drayton will get there planning permission

 

[BigAl]

That's exactly why I don't think we're likely to see a Vekoma. A custom prototype from them would probably cost too much or be more money than it'd be worth.

Premier have just opened 'Superman: Ultimate Flight' at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and are currently working on 'Full Throttle' for Six Flags Magic Mountain, as well as three other coasters for next year. And let's not forget many of their other triumphs such as all of the Revenge of the Mummy coasters, Speed - The Ride, Powder Keg, the Backlot Stunt Coasters, the Mr Freeze coasters, Poltergeist, Joker's Jinx and the two Flight of Fear rides.

Take a look at their coasters here.

They're not the most expensive manufacturer either, with Superman at Discovery Kingdom only costing $6,000,000 (about £3,780,600).



The we have Gerstlauer who've had some success with their own launch coasters across Europe. Lynet and Anubis are both highly regarded coasters which offer a lot for their small size. Anubis only came to €7,000,000 (about £5,607,300).

Gerstlauer are now even building a launch coaster for Tripdrill which opens next year. It may be a clone of Anubis, and it seems that the few members on this forum who have experienced said ride say it's very good. Perhaps Drayton Manor could get the same thing? After all, most people seemed okay a few months back with the suggestion of an Intamin Megalite, but a compact launch coaster which costs less may be more suitable for a park with little space available. So long as a clone is good, the other examples aren't near and it's themed well, there's not really a lot to complain about.



As much as a Mack or Intamin would be a lot better, the price of a similar launch coaster from either of Premier or Gerstlauer can't be ignored. Drayton Manor could do a lot more with their net coaster if the ride doesn't cost as much to start with.



As for a woodie, something like a GCI Big Fun or Gravity Group's Wooden Warrior may work a treat as they're cheap (around £4,000,000 for a Big Fun and £5,000,000 for a custom compact wooden coaster from GG) and take up very little space.

And yes, should Drayton Manor build a wooden coaster, Merlin will then be able to see how popular they are (unless Drayton's goes horribly, horribly wrong ).



But as there was no timeline given, this could all be many years away. Hopefully they'll keep to their promise of 2014 for their next coaster.

 

[Sam]

As much as it seems weird to us enthusiasts who have been following the industry for a decade or so, Vekoma are now a premium manufacturer, almost up there with Intamin, B&M and Mack.

Gerstlauer are now the mid-range manufacturer, with Premier and Maurer as the low-budget option. I think they'd go for a Gerstlauer over a Vekoma, especially as Alton just got one. I can imagine Drayton saying "We want one like Alton's but launched."

 

[CGM]

As much as it seems weird to us enthusiasts who have been following the industry for a decade or so, Vekoma are now a premium manufacturer, almost up there with Intamin, B&M and Mack.

Gerstlauer are now the mid-range manufacturer, with Premier and Maurer as the low-budget option. I think they'd go for a Gerstlauer over a Vekoma, especially as Alton just got one. I can imagine Drayton saying "We want one like Alton's but launched."

I would disagree with the ordering of Gerstlauer and Maurer. I feel that Maurer's reputation in the UK has been tainted by G-Force but elsewhere, their coasters tend to be of a pretty high quality. When B&M were too busy, Universal went to them to build Rip Ride Rocket. I can't see Universal buying a coaster from Gerstlauer.

I personally also think that Vekoma have dropped a bit in the pecking order. Whilst it's clear that the quality of their coasters have shot up in recent years, it's very much in reaction to Gerstlauer and Maurer who have eaten up all of the orders in the sector that Vekoma used to dominate.

Vekoma used to be the go-to manufacturer if you couldn't afford a B&M or Intamin. Now I feel that parks have realised that they can get better value for money elsewhere and Vekoma are very much on the back foot. They're still up there but they're not getting the sales they used to.

I'm still not convinced by Gerstlauer. Their coasters tend to be good for a season or two but after a good few years' wear and tear, it's a different story. I don't see their products as very good long term investments really. Their low price makes them attractive but I feel that over a 20 year span, you'll get better value for money with other manufacturers.

This is how I view the current crop of steel coaster manufacturers

B&M
Intamin

Mack

Zierer
Vekoma
Maurer Sohne
S&S

Gerstlauer
Premier

Anyway, Maurer would be my first choice for Drayton's LIM launch coaster as it seems to be something that they're very good at, then Vekoma then Gerstlauer.

 

[John]

I'd drop Maruer well down that list purely because of how dangerous the restraints on their spinning coasters are. Their product line is also rather limited, they only really do spinners, mice and X-cars all of which are of mediocre quality.

Gerstlauer meanwhile have Eurofighters, launched coasters, bobsled coasters and family coasters springing up all over the place. The issues with Saw may have harmed their reputation in the UK slightly, but most of their other stuff is engineered to a much higher quality.

 

[Lordy]

As much as it seems weird to us enthusiasts who have been following the industry for a decade or so, Vekoma are now a premium manufacturer, almost up there with Intamin, B&M and Mack.

Now? They have been a leader in the amusment park industry for many, many years now. If anything, the amount of new installations have dipped over the last 5 years or so.

My only query with a Vekoma launch ride is what exactly it could be? The Motorbike Coasters use LIM's but I can't imagine them going with that.

I'm pretty certain the Vekoma Motorbikes use a cable launch? See the trough;

Where as LIM's:

 

[CGM]

I'd drop Maruer well down that list purely because of how dangerous the restraints on their spinning coasters are. Their product line is also rather limited, they only really do spinners, mice and X-cars all of which are of mediocre quality.

Gerstlauer meanwhile have Eurofighters, launched coasters, bobsled coasters and family coasters springing up all over the place. The issues with Saw may have harmed their reputation in the UK slightly, but most of their other stuff is engineered to a much higher quality.

It's not just Saw though, in the US, Eurofighters are rapidly becoming seen as the new SLCs because of how rough the likes of Mystery Mine and Spongebob have become. Plus even with lapbars, I feel that Gerstlauer's rolling stock is very dated relative to most of the other manufacturers.

Whilst the incident regarding the Maurer lap bar was tragic and should never have happened, I have heard of no issues with the restraints since. Also, when it comes to questionable safety, Maurer aren't the worst offender on the list but few would say that Intamin aren't a top manufacturer.

I personally think that Maurer's trackwork has always been superior to Gerstlauer's and when it comes to their X-Cars, they're much more solidly built than any Eurofighter. Recently I believe that they have made strides forward in ride quality as well. Their new LIM coasters look very intense, particularly Freischütz at Bayern park and Shock. Anubis looks fit for purpose and a decent ride but nothing overly spectacular.

I don't dislike Gerstlauer, I think that they have been one of the more innovative manufacturers in the last decade and they offer more thrilling coasters to parks that can't normally afford them new. But if it was my decision, Maurer would be my preferred choice for the new LIM coaster.

 

[Maelstrom]

I have heard a number of times over the past 2 years that the planned Thrill coaster would be a worlds first launch coaster from Vekoma and was planned at same time as Ben 10. Not sure what the worlds first would be.

Vekoma have made some quality rides recently including the fantastic looking mine train that opened at HK disney land this summer (which features an LSM launch) expedition everest at animal kingdom, the battle star galatic coaster at Universal singapore. Plus their new trains that can be fitted to their older rides are great as well.

 

[TheMan]

Just adding a quick aside to this debate, when checking all the rides Premier did (Though I do doubt DMP will end up with one I have to say) - this little nugget appeared:

http://rcdb.com/8891.htm

It says "In Production" for an INSIDE TOP HAT for Mr. Freeze reverse blast!

I think Gerst are getting some stick here too, but, their coasters are untested in the longer term in terms of how much they need to be maintained or keep there "smoothness". I must say, I saw them as higher up that list - Vekoma seem to be lagging behind right now, which is a shame, I generally enjoy their coasters it's fair to say. Yes, even the SLC, something like this cheap and cheerful would actually benefit DMP too. I agree also with the woody.

My nearest park getting a woody? That gives me a - I'll stop there.

 

[Ian]

I don't think it's fair to rule out Vekoma on the grounds that they don't currently offer a product of that kind. I mean, Ben 10 was the first Junior Boomerang to be built, and that's turned out alright. As Sam says, Vekoma are becoming one of the premier manufacturers, and Battlestar Galactica has shown that they still aren't affraid to take on larger projects.

I'd be more than happy with one of their rides coming to the park

I think it's safe to rule out Maurer though. Drayton have said before that they regret G-Force, and aren't happy with it at all (And Towers apparently have similar views on Spinball ). During the mid 2000s there was a boom in big Maurer rides, as before then the only real rides of theirs were their Mouse coasters. I think a lot of parks jumped in, with Fury, Spinball, and G-Force to name a couple in the UK, but weren't fully aware of what they were getting. On the basis of the park's relation with them I'd discount Maurer right now personally.

Mack would probably be too expensive, as nice at it would be to see one, and I can't see them buying an Intamin. Their rides seem to be a bit "bulky" ususally, and I can't see where the park would fit one.

I don't think we'll see anything until 2015 at least though. From what I can gather the park are still making back their money from all the 2011 additions. Opening in 2014, unless the ride is radically different, it would still have the potential to be overshaddowed by SW7. Most of the SWs at Alton seem to have a two to three year period where they're still considered "new" by the public, and numbers are still high of guests wanting to ride them. I think Drayton realise this, so will probably play it safe and leave it a couple of years...

 

[Dave]

Most of Gersts European coaster are weathering very well, sponge bob and Mystery Mine are quite early models now. Maurer on the other hand build boring coasters, everyone I know who has been on rip ride rocket say if the music doesn't play it's very dull.

Drayton have in the past approached MACK for a launch coaster but didn't put an order in. maybe they will go back to them when they have money.

 

[TheMan]

I cannot help but agree with everything you said there Ian, that makes perfect sense to me.

As frustrating as it is, that it may be that long before a new major investment at DMP, they really are on the doorstep of towers and SW7 could really exacerbate that.

This being said, there are also many disgruntled Merlin/AT customers whom may well decide to take their custom elsewhere, should someone like DLP take a punt on something rather larger and more impressive? Let's not forget, they're smack bang on the doorstep, a mere normal bus ride, from the centre of the second city and close to major motorway networks.

Arguably, they're far better geographically located than Alton are! There is no reason why, with correct direction/investment they could not take a big chunk of that business.

Really, no reason at all (other than the obvious financial clout etc)

 

[Tim]

My only query with a Vekoma launch ride is what exactly it could be? The Motorbike Coasters use LIM's but I can't imagine them going with that. Their proper LIM coasters are quite an old design so again I can't imagine one of those. That only leaves some sort of custom coaster.

I do hope though that they go for Wood after that. For them it'd be a huge boost to their line up as no other park in the UK would have a modern wooden coaster.

Is it just me that counts Megafobia as a modern wooden coaster? I know it's getting on for 20 years old now but CCI are the company that GCI and GG came from.

My mistake I meant to write England but naturally put UK.

Although Megafobia is early modern. the designs have change a bit since then.

My only query with a Vekoma launch ride is what exactly it could be? The Motorbike Coasters use LIM's but I can't imagine them going with that.

I'm pretty certain the Vekoma Motorbikes use a cable launch?

Their website says LIM's so maybe they've changed the design?

 

[Dave]

Drayton has big constraints on where their allowed to build and what, more so than Towers does as houses come right up to the park boundary so noise is an issue.

 

[Tim]

While I do think Vekoma are the most likely based on what I’ve heard I think this ordering of companies in different quality/price tiers is too much of a black and white way of looking at things. In fact the only manufacturer I think we can rule out is B&M as they neither supply LIM rides nor do they make anything for cheap.

Intamin do offer cheaper ride models, although admittedly their LIM coasters are not one of them.

Mack probably is too expensive as like B&M they aim for quality over price. But it depends on how big a ride this will be.

Vekoma are the middle ground. As much as we call them cheap for their numerous SLC's, Corkscrew's and Boomerangs they also supply both Disney and Universal, making them in some respects just as big as B&M and Intamin. Admittedly Disney use them to save money on the ride hardware but still Disney do require a certain degree of quality.

Gerstlauer and Maurer Söhne I can't really imagine as they tend to make rides with single trains and I get the feeling this ride will have a carriage. Plus why compete with Alton (SW7 will be bigger than anything Drayton can afford) and why build another G-Force?

Premier Rides I'm not sure. They are similar to Vekoma in many ways. I think though that in Europe Gerstlauer and Maurer Söhne have taken over Premier’s market. Just look at this map of coaster locations. It's nearly all America with only a few others that are either quite old or fairly recent big rides such as the Singapore Mummy.

But the name that's been mentioned the least and really does deserve consideration is Zierer. It's a relatively new company to these types of ride (meaning they won’t be as expensive) but in the last few years they've bolstered an impressive line up of Wicked, Verbolten and Polar X-Plorer. If I was Drayton I wouldn't ignore Zierer. They could offer just what they need.