Is the 'flat ride' dead in the Merlin chain?

[Thomas]

Just something I've been pondering, since Merlin have taken over, we've not actually seen many, if any 'flat ride' additions.

Alton Towers has seen: The Smiler, a new aquarium, 13, Nemesis Sub Terra (Not really a flat ride as such, more a dark ride) and Ice Age (Which I definitely wouldn't count as a flat ride)

Thorpe Park has seen: The Swarm, The Swarm Backwards, The Saw Ride itself and the spin off scare maze and Storm Surge.

Chessington has seen: Zufari, and Wild Asia, which included Kobra which is the closest (Even though to the general public it looks like a rollercoaster) thing to a flat ride that they've installed.

So has the flat ride gone out of fashion? I understand that rollercoasters are the most marketable and 'best' return on your money. I can also see the need for themed visitor attractions such as Nemesis Sub Terra and Zufari. Thorpe Park also has pretty much every variation on a swing/spin ride you can think of and a couple beside, so installing a new flat ride would be harder.

It's a shame because personally I think Alton Towers needs at least 3: one for the dark forest, one to replace Beastie and one for Gloomy Wood, just as crowd munchers, don't even get me started on the used fairground rides still hiding! It's time for Blade and Enterprise to move on and let something big and thrilling take their place.

Chessington needs a kick up the bum.

So yes, do you agree? Is the flat ride dead in the Merlin investment cycle?

 

[Ted]

Kobra at Chessington? Vengeance 5D? And there's loads more which have opened at the Legoland parks, as well as Gardaland and Heide Park (Someone correct me on this please?)

Remember that Merlin owns more parks than Alton, Chessie and Thorpe

 

[Thomas]

Kobra as I've said is a flat ride, but in appearance to the GP it looks pretty much like a rollercoaster should do: track and a car on top. Vengeance 5D was within one of the dungeons as a show wasn't it? It was more 'an experience' akin to Sub Terra.

I admit however, that my list does exclude Legoland, which due to planning constraints will find it easier to install flat rides than it will rollercoasters. I'm not fully up on my European and indeed global parks. You make a good point Ted, perhaps I am generalising too much.

 

[BigAl]

I've also been thinking about this too. Bar Kobra, have Merlin actually installed any other flats? It seems that unless it's something small like a mini water ride (usually a splash battle, though if you're lucky they might build something like that flume ride they made for the German Sea Life) cinema attraction, drop ride, coaster or something for a Lego park or discovery centre, they don't do anything else.

Both Alton Towers and Thorpe Park both have drop rides and cinemas (or a room with benches in in Alton's case) so all that's left now is to sort Chessington out with a '4D' cinema and a larger drop ride and that's that. Unless they buy any other parks and send any second hand water rides our way like they did with Storm Surge for Thorpe Park?

Once the parks run out of space for coasters, then what? Thorpe's not going to be able to keep filling the lake in and Chessington is already about 85% filled. Lucky for Alton Towers that we've got enough space for coasters to last a good few years yet.

Merlin need to seriously consider branching out a bit more with the kinds of things they install at their parks. New dark rides and flat rides are must now. Retheming the old ones like Duel, C&tCF and Bubbleworks would be a good place to start so they don't have to fork out for a whole new system.

 

[Ian]

I think it's very much a case that flat rides are simply the fillers, used to ease the load on the coasters and dark rides at Merlin parks. Both Alton and Thorpe certainly have quite a large collection of flats (Thorpe probably having the upper hand). There's no denying that at least 3 of Alton's major rides are coming up for renewal sooner or later, and o agree that it would be nice to see some more appearing in areas such as Adventure Land and Dark Forest.

I can't see any of the parks really having anything new added in terms of flats for the moment. Instead I think they'll just replace the old ones as they wear out (Though quite a few are already past it if you ask me ). Alton is in dire need of updating in this department. Mondial have some brilliant looking rides which would make for suitable Ripsaw and Submission replacements. At Thorpe the only thing I can see changing in the short term are probably Slammer if it dies again, and possibly some new ones where the beach and Depth Charge currently reside when they eventually go.

Flats are great additions while parks are growing. Alton had its spree with Blade, Enterprise, Boneshaker, and alike when they all came in new. Thorpe's boom seemed to come later, with Vortex, Quantum, Samurai, Rush, and Slammer. Unfortunately though nothing lasts forever, and for Alton at any rate they all seem to have come up for renewal at once. Compared to say Drayton, who's flat boom came a few years ago, Alton looks very stagnant.

As Al has said, I think it's finally time Merlin began to assess it's current assets in the flat ride department, and look at selling/scrapping the old in favour of fresh acts. Alton's old Huss beasts have done the park and manufacturer proud, with what must be getting on for, if not more than, 80 years service between them! Can't say Tussauds and Broome didn't get their monies worth! But all good things must come to an end (I really will be sad to see them go though ) But yes, now is as gooder time as any. New flats could be easy crowd pleasers in the low, or as part of mid, investment years

 

[Jason10808]

Yeah it would be nice to see a few more flat rides popping throughout the Merlin parks, i believe they have only installed Kobra at CWOA and Jolley Rocker at Legoland Windsor but apart from that, not alot has been going on, Vengeance is more of a dark ride/cinema!