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Dreamland Margate: General Discussion

Lordy said:
One thing they need to change with regards to pricing, is to have the park free to enter. Thats how these seaside parks their atmosphere.
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If they were to do that I would only agree with this if a wristband system was in operation. As I say my friend who visited the other day only took one ride on the Scenic and said he would have liked to try out the other rides but that it wasn't worth the risk of spending the money on tokens, the park got £5 out of him all day. This has also put me off visiting during winter season which is a shame because I enjoyed my visit during main season.

With a wristband option available guests will spend longer in the park and therefore spend money on food, drink, games etc and experience more rides therefore leaving with the feeling that they have had better value for money. If only tokens are available guests will spend a very short amount of time in the park but part with more money and leave feeling that they haven't received good value.
 
Since the last post, the Dreamland operator went to court and negotiated a CVA (Company Voluntary Arrangement) where their creditors will give them more time to pay.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b070j60s/inside-out-south-east-08022016

There was an item on the BBC Inside Out the other night. It’s about 9 minutes and 20 seconds in. It includes one of the housing developers being very smug about the park’s problems, but as a councillor points out the previous owners had allowed the site to deteriorate into a very bad state. Toby Hunter and his merry band of housing developers clearly didn’t want Dreamland to succeed as an amusement park.
 
It was quite fun interviewing the head of technical at Dreamland last year to see his smugness on how the park prevailed over becoming a housing estate, nice to see both sides of the coin (even if Mr Hunter is a monumental nimby).

10 points also to whoever can spot me in that video segment ;)
 
I have real concerns for the park. As many companies fail within 6 months as make it on, and very few go on to thrive. It's easy to see why too - nobody will now be lending them any credit. All stock will have to be paid for up front, and they've got 5 long months to go through (Easter aside) before they'll be making a day-to-day profit. I honestly think the park could be in the hands of the administrators by that point.

I really hope Thanet District Council and The Dreamland Trust are working on a contingency plan that keeps Dreamland operational. I really think they need to look back at their own plans, the ones which won the Heritage Lottery funding. A great looking park has been delivered - but the Scenic is not a strong enough USP by itself. They need more Heritage attractions.
 
They need some time to find their feet & exploit their niche market - which it is.

I hope they get through this period and flourish.
 
After a few wobbles things seem to be perking up at Dreamland. They’ve upgraded their website, which looks pretty snazzy for a seaside fun park.
https://www.dreamland.co.uk/rides-and-attractions/rides

They added a Huss Enterprise this year and opened a Caterpillar Coaster for the bank holiday weekend (they had one last season, but removed it before this season started due to technical issues, but they’ve hired one in until their one’s fixed).

They’re hosting the Scare Convention this Friday (Friday 13th). Screamland is a big part of Dreamland, so it’s good to see them getting recognition in the industry. For half term they’ve got an Only Fools and Horses exhibition with sets from the films:
https://www.dreamland.co.uk/events/...ly-fools-and-horses-the-jolly-boys-exhibition

Now the Scenic’s open they seem to be getting quite a bit of publicity. The Scenic’s just been nominated for a design award:
http://www.thanetgazette.co.uk/Drea...design-award/story-29239390-detail/story.html

The smaller parks don't often get much coverage, but it's good to see a lot of things going on down there.
 
I know double posting’s not normally a thing, but Dreamland are about to open a vintage chairoplanes. You can see the restoration on the Littleboy’s Restorations website.
http://www.littleboys.co.uk/chairoplanes.html

As with the other vintage rides at Dreamland it’s very well presented. The lighting will look great get when they do their Twilights in the summer or Screamland for Halloween. It brings their ride count up to 22.

7110460_orig.jpg


The Caterpillar Coaster they've bought in has gone RCDB official.
http://rcdb.com/13964.htm
This too has quite a bit of lighting.

aadzhhd
 
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Given they've been selling off bits of King Solomon's Mines on auction websites, I don't think it's returning. Wasn't some of it foolishly entrusted to MTCRC?

Similarly so little of the water chute was saved that I really doubt it'll be rebuilt - remember too that it would need to be tanked and chlorinated.

Some pictures went up Pleasure Beach Experience (which were sadly deleted due to BPB's influence) a few years ago showing the electronics of the River Caves to have been smashed to pieces (presumably by BPB on their way out). Again, I'm not sure that a collection of boats is much of a help towards getting a functional River Caves going...
 
But..... they keep spending money on other rides that really aren't in fitting with what they're going for.

Top Spin, Wild Mouse coaster, two Big Apple coasters, for example. Solomon would have had a much bigger impact than all of them rides put together
 
Lordy said:
But..... they keep spending money on other rides that really aren't in fitting with what they're going for.

Top Spin, Wild Mouse coaster, two Big Apple coasters, for example. Solomon would have had a much bigger impact than all of them rides put together
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If not enough of it exists anymore, HSE will judge it to be a new ride and expect it to comply with current regulations (see also: Scenic). I think without the 'grandfather' rights it previously enjoyed a ride of that kind is basically undoable, same as a Virginia Reel.
 
I rode King Solomons Mines both at Morecambe and Southport.
It was slow and creaky,
often struggling to get round the track when it was cold and windy...
(most days in the north!)
It deserved scrapping.
Not in the same league as the Blackpool Mouse.
A Top Spin and a "Metal" mouse are a far better option in my humble opinion.
And a Reel could be built today, and would be a ride worth recreating.
 
Steel mice bore me. They are all identical, and they layout is so badly thought out. Why waste half the available height putting the hairpins at the top? Stick them at the end and use that height for bigger drops!

I'm not sure a reel will ever be built again, sadly. The cars have no restraints, and getting in and out of them is hardly disabled-friendly (pretty sure everything has to be wheelchair accessable these days?)
 
I really (reely?) hope that Dreamland works out for them, I'm just not entirely sure how the financials will work out. It's in an area that is trying to regenerate, but it feels like that the success of Margate as a whole is the biggest determining factor in terms of whether Dreamland will be a success or not. I say that, because outside of quite a niche market, I would suggest that Dreamland will not serve to be an attraction to the area in itself, with the current scale of the operation.

There's a very interesting Radio 4 documentary about the regeneration of Margate here

They took so many heritage rides from Blackpool and Southport (and Rhyl?) yet it feels like a terrible fairground with the Scenic (which might as well be new) in the background.
 
I was at Margate the other weekend and it was interesting speaking to the locals, who said that since Dreamland has reopened it's really started bringing tourists back. I do hope they'll be successful, the park feels like it's missing something but has a great atmosphere and there's so much potential for holding events there.

The CEO of Dreamland seems understandably very proud of the park. Hopefully they can develop the heritage aspect a little more, the enterprise and Top Spin complete with loud pop music didn't quit fit fit with everything else, in my opinion.
 
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