Future Flat Ride Speculation

[DistortAMG]

I feel like it’s more on the side of a silly rumour these days.

You’d have to think that toxicator was bought at the earliest 2023 since they started working on it in 2024.

Would seem a massive waste to have bought 3 rides for two of them to be open at least 3 years after purchase.

A waste how exactly? What exactly is the waste? There could be a lead time of a few years on the other attractions for all we know. Generally there is with rides.

 

[Poisson]

They might have even signed an MOU, with a bulk discount in it valid for x years. Not even committed to a purchase or specific ride types, just the fact they want to if circumstances are to their advantage and the companies can work together when specifics are decided.

 

[Jb85]

Time will tell but I think it’s safe to say next year is just the CBeebies coaster

And let’s not assume the deal was exclusive to Alton…… these rides may end up at other Merlin parks

 

[DistortAMG]

Time will tell but I think it’s safe to say next year is just the CBeebies coaster

And let’s not assume the deal was exclusive to Alton…… these rides may end up at other Merlin parks

Since 2023, we have had the following additions for specific demographics;

2023 - Family addition with TCAAM.
2024 - Thrill addition with Nemesis Reborn.
2025 - Thrill addition with Toxicator.
2026 - Young children's addition with this CBeebies themed coaster.

Given the above, I would be surprised if we will see anything else for next year too, especially anything thrill related. They have ticked that box multiple times over the last few seasons.

I have specifically excluded Nemesis Sub Terra, Skyride and Hex. I have just kept this to the headline updates for each season. I also do not think any of the mentioned three were properly marketed either if at all, meaning their demographic pull would be minor at best. Which means of course, they almost do not count when building / re opening rides to bring in specific groups of people to the park, you have to market your additions and market them well if that is the intention. Which makes me think those were more capacity related decisions / refurbishments than demographic ones.

 

[rob666]

Nitpicker here.
The new nemesis was a replacement, not an addition, surely.

 

[DistortAMG]

I guess so yeah. But I was marketed heavily and marketed as a new thrill experience. It is a difficult one to be fair, but you are sort of correct.

 

[rob666]

Straightforward replacement with a new paint job and hype, nothing more.
And a slight loss with the front row queue removal.

 

[dave___]

Straightforward replacement with a new paint job and hype, nothing more.
And a slight loss with the front row queue removal.

I don’t think TCAAM should be classed as a new ride under those rules either really. The actual ride engineering hasn’t changed other than getting rid of the guns, just the theming.

To me a new ride is effectively “breaking ground” on something in a place where there hasn’t been a ride before. Or where something has been and something totally new takes its place.

 

[DistortAMG]

I don’t think TCAAM should be classed as a new ride under those rules either really. The actual ride engineering hasn’t changed other than getting rid of the guns, just the theming.

To me a new ride is effectively “breaking ground” on something in a place where there hasn’t been a ride before. Or where something has been and something totally new takes its place.

This one I disagree with. Because the theming, story and scenes are specifically what make the ride. The ride would not be anything like it is now if it was just the transit system going through a bare / empty warehouse.

Just like how Disney's Pirates would not be the same ride if there was no scenery and theming and you just went through an empty warehouse. Given this, when the scenery is updated enough, it can make the ride new. Based on the logic you mentioned here, you could argue that Frozen at EPCOT is still the same ride as Maelstrom, the boat system is still the same one from previously afterall, just the theming has changed, so by the logic you put across, would make them the same attraction. Clearly they are not the same though.....see the point I am trying to make?

But going back to my list, the list was more so created in jest of rides that had huge, national marketing campaigns. The fact that some rides were repaints etc was sort of irrelvant to the point being made. The national marketing campaigns would have brought in new guests from the designed demographics regardless of if the ride was a repaint or not. That was the sort of point I was getting at.

 

[Secret Weapon]

Apologies if I haven’t posted this in the correct thread, but I can’t find a thread dedicated to the Retro Squad (probably for good reason!).

Is it possible that Alton Towers deliberately included somewhat underwhelming flat rides in the Retro Squad because they didn’t want fans to enjoy them so much that they pressured AT into making them permanent (as happened with Detonator, Vortex, and Zodiac at Thorpe Park) ?

I have been on some great flat rides recently, and I wondered why Alton Towers never considered using any of them during COVID.

Was it simply the case that AT had to use whatever flat rides happened to be available locally at the time ?

Did they avoid temporarily installing a Huss Top Spin in case this would have upstaged Toxicator?

Also - a separate question: has every available part of AT already been ear-marked for flat rides, or are there any major unused areas which can be used as well? What I mean is: I often hear people say that there should be a flat ride at the bottom of X-Sector (which I agree with), but is it possible that AT could carve out some space in the woodland as well (e.g behind Thirteen) - or is this a non-starter, due to planning issues? If so, then when was it decided which parts of AT could be used for rides, and which parts couldn't? Is the current map of AT the 'final' map that there will ever be? Is it the case that AT must re-use existing land occupied by previous rides first, before applying to use additional land?

 

[Bert2theSpark]

Is it possible that Alton Towers deliberately included somewhat underwhelming flat rides in the Retro Squad because they didn’t want fans to pressure them into making them permanent (as happened with Detonator, Vortex, and Zodiac at Thorpe Park) ?

Your overthinking it too much, the park needed ride capacity at a time ride capacity was limited, and then kept them around to help fill out the attraction lineup post-pandemic.

The rides that were chosen for the Retrosquad were picked purely because they could be installed (and disassembled) quickly…

 

[Poisson]

Retro Squad were directly drafted off the fair circuit. Nothing more, nothing less.