Flamingo Land: General Discussion

OK so when I looked at this post earlier there was just a big blank space in place of the Facebook link - tbh I thought that was the point of the post!

 

The camp site is what makes the money apparently.
The theme park usually subsidises the zoo side, but both have been running at a loss due to covid.

 

I don't think it's this at all.

I really don't think this was the forum/audience for announcing a new ride, nor may the guy being interviewed have been given the nod to do so to some local journo.

 

I think the reluctance is due to Covid possibilities. The ride itself has clearly tested as seen by wheel marks on the track (not prewheeled either) and is complete.

 

I think you're probably correct but there is still lots of work for them to do. They've got to do all the landscaping and hopefully some theming. The park has also got to get things like safety certificates. But I agree that the overall hesitancy to say when it will open is financial and COVID related issues. What they do need to do is market it well and as the bloke says in the interview it's there new flagship ride. Therefore it needs to be treated as such in marketing material.

 

At Flamingo Land? I wouldn't hold your breath, the current "concrete wasteland" aesthetic is probably as good as it's going to get.

 

It’s hard to promote a attraction that should have opened in 2020. Now I can understand that wasn’t gonna happen but as they not even painted the coaster yet or even tested it.

 

Are you sure they wouldn’t theme it even a little bit?

Maybe that might be where the bulk of the £20,385,000 budget is headed… Flamingo Land looks to have some nice theming in places from pictures I’ve seen, so I reckon they could do a good job!

 

Given their last major action was to remove most of the theming in the nicest looking area I wouldn't hold one's breath over it being landscaped or themed.

Might put a station building up. And it'll look modern and terrible like the Go Karts building.

 

You very obviously have never been to the place Matt!
The place is a bit of a dump, old theming is rotting, the drop tower is in a disgraceful state, and Kumali's entrance stonework shows chicken wire and dodgy cement render.
And twenty million is another theme park lie...nothing more.

 

Also the biggest pull would be to get visitors from the Midlands and below as it be quicker to Thorpe park to ride Colossus and cheaper with 2-1 vouchers unless Flamingo land offer them.

 

Hence why I said hopefully. I don't expect much as flamingo land isn't really a theme park but more an amusement park from what I've seen. But I would expect some landscaping, especially as they've got to build a queue line. They can't leave it looking like a complete building site.

 

They can and probably will leave it like a building site. Look at the Runaway Mine Train, bare concrete and they removed the station building giving it even less themeing.

 

But surely you'd think with it being there new flagship and at the entrance to the park they might be a little better (probably me being naive and overly wishful)? Also they have to do certain things like fences and signs for health and safety and they've got to build a queue line.

 

The fences were being installed around the tunnels on my visit. They will do the bare minimum and open it Easter 2022 sans themeing. If it wasn't for COVID I'd actually put money on it opening then.

 

Have we heard anything new about the new coaster as of late? Is it testing or anything yet?

I find it really interesting how much it's flown under the radar given its significance; yes, it's a Colossus clone, but it's the tallest coaster built in the UK since Swarm 10 years ago, as well as the biggest ride at Flamingo Land (I think?), so it's pretty significant for the UK coaster scene in that regard!

On a side note, Flamingo Land is going to have a pretty epic coaster collection by the time this opens... they're going to be joint with Towers & Blackpool for most coasters in the UK according to RCDB, and they're going to have 5 thrill coasters! That's nothing to be sniffed at, in my view... it must surely put them in contention for having one of the strongest coaster lineups in Britain, possibly even one of the strongest in Europe?

 

I think it'll be evident when it's testing; but alas it isn't right now.

Flamingo Land and "epic coaster collection" do NOT belong in the same sentence together, sorry Matt. This is very much quantity over quality. Kumali is the only decent coaster currently operating. The rest are sub par, atrocious, or off-the-shelf kid coasters.

They don't even have the strongest coaster line up in the North, nevermind the UK or Europe.

Good grief.

 

Are none of them rated very highly by yourselves, then? I know Hero has... a reputation, but I always thought Mumbo Jumbo and Velocity looked like good fun, and I've heard surprisingly good things about Kumali (I say surprisingly given that Infusion is my all-time least favourite coaster, and I know SLCs generally get a horribly negative reputation)!

Looking at RCDB, they do seem to have a surprising amount of family/kiddie coasters given the size of the coaster selection... 5, by the looks of things. It's almost like a British Energylandia on a smaller scale, in that regard; a surprisingly extensive kids' lineup!

I've never visited Flamingo Land, but I always thought it looked fun; kind of like a British Busch Gardens Tampa, but on a smaller scale coasters-wise! I need to go at some point (it's probably the most significant UK park I haven't visited yet), but it's far away from me, and incredibly hard to get to on public transport from the South West... maybe one to save for when I can drive?