• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

Legoland Windsor

Rob said:
I'd be shocked if it's not Vekoma, why would you not go with them when it is a proven product!? Having said that, the track on the plans does look more like Zierer, but it could just be used as a placeholder.
Click to expand...
Thing is the same could be said about Chessington, I just don't think that's really a consideration for them. Thing is I don't exactly thing it's revolutionary technology to do a shuttle coaster now, it's not like it's that complicated, especially as each side will only have one train, so no turntables. I think there are plenty of manufacture's capable of doing such things.
 
WillPS said:
Isn't 'checking it's lawful' just planning terms for 'checking that you won't tell us we needed planning permission after we've installed it'? Like the Nemesis retrack for example?

Presumably it's better to do it this way around as you then have a black and white agreement that the development would not breach planning regulations.
Click to expand...
Yeah exactly. I've not read the statement which is part of the documents but it will be that Merlin/Legoland believe that what they are proposing is acceptable under permitted development rights, and they just want this confirming beforehand.
 
Rob said:
Yeah exactly. I've not read the statement which is part of the documents but it will be that Merlin/Legoland believe that what they are proposing is acceptable under permitted development rights, and they just want this confirming beforehand.
Click to expand...
Permitted development rights, thank you, that's the phrase I was looking for.
 
In terms of manufacturer I wouldn't be surprised if it's a Zierer. They are a good manufacturer for child scale thrill coasters. Perfect for the Legoland Parks, which is why they've built so many of their coasters.

It's also not the first or the most surprising time they've been chosen over a more established manufacturer for a ride type. Polar X-Plorer caught everyone off guard. Opened 2 years after Intamin pioneered the drop track at another Merlin parks. Yet Zierer was chosen.

I don't actually know who the manufacturer is for this so it's just speculation on my part. But either way I think both the likely candidates could do a great job. That flyby in the opposite directions looks like a lot of fun.
 
MattyH said:
Looks like Warner Bros Movie World on Australia have dueling vekoma junior coasters opening in 2024 with the exact same layout as LLWs new plans...

Kansas Twister - Warner Bros. Movie World (Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia)

Looking for statistics on the fastest, tallest or longest roller coasters? Find it all and much more with the interactive Roller Coaster Database.
rcdb.com
Click to expand...
The layouts are different , while similar a quick glance you could assume they are the same, but are in fact different. The Warner brothers ride which is a is a clone of the existing Vekoma Dueling family boomerang at Wildlands adventure zoo. Legolands ride has the the reverse spikes either side of the lift spikes and the layout between the spikes is also different.
 
You get a lot of bang for your buck. They're fairly helpful if you don't have a huge site in terms of ensuring a longer ride time.

Plus, in the family market especially, the track layout doesn't have to be that interesting to provide a fun, semi thrilling ride.
 
I suspect Zierer is a good shout. Curious as to what the price delta is between them and Vekoma. Not insignificant I suspect.

Merlin don't seem to be opposed to using Vekoma for select projects and their family coasters are pretty well renowned at this point (always have been, really).
 
I think you might be onto something there @Danny; that "Dueling Reverse Coaster" looks exactly like the layout LLW is building!

A cops and robbers theme would also make sense; it would suit a duelling coaster, and it would also suit a LEGO City theme (which I believe is quite popular in Legoland parks).
 
I went to Legoland yesterday with my family and I could not believe how poorly managed the queues are! I have had a long break from Merlin parks after starting to feel very short changed by them some years ago. Coming back to Towers my experience has been mostly positive, and things feel like they're generally heading in the right direction. Legoland, however, was a vastly different experience, and it largely came down to queue management and miserable staff. The queue time boards and app regularly competely disagreed with eachother with as much as 30 minutes difference between the advertised times. Not that that mattered much in the end as neither remotely reflected the actual wait (Sometimes it was more, sometimes less). Advertised wait times jumped by as much as an hour when there were relatively few people arriving.

Then there was the constant stream of RAP and R&R put on in place of the actual queue, no ratios in use, just fill from the R&R line and if you were lucky, someone from the peasant line might get a go. Long queue times across the park, but rides not being filled to capacity, most cars/trains/boats being sent half empty. Now I have young children, my oldest is diagnosed autistic and I understand how stressful queuing can be. I appreciate that parks put measures in place to help people who would otherwise be completely excluded and unable to enjoy a day out at all. However I believe that waiting your turn is an important life skill that should be taught to anyone physically or mentally capable, even if it is challenging, so if my children don't stand in line, they don't ride (I won't even get started on buying your way to the front). It is then very difficult to explain why the queue they are standing in doesn't move while hoards of people just arriving get to ride ahead of them. Pirate falls didn't even have a staff member at merge, people just forced their own way in when they arrived.
Perhaps this is the way Merlin run their parks and I've just been out of the game for too long, fast track was certainly an irritant when I last went to one but it wasn't so insanely out of hand, not filling attractions was reserved for only the quietest days and staff still knew how to smile and greet. It all left a sour taste which is a shame when it really wouldn't take much to fix most of those issues.
 
Rob said:
Legoland have been given a certificate of lawfulness in regard to the proposed duelling coaster; it is indeed deemed to fall under permitted development. Source.
Click to expand...
Very good news. This project although just family coasters in certainly interesting. For starts we have only got one other dueling coaster here so thats certainly a cool aspect too it but also its unclear who the manufacture is which could get interesting.
 
Historically that's not what blue light days were like, seems they're either over selling them now or there's been some ride availability issues? I won't be bothering in the future if that's ther way theyre going to play it.
 
pluk said:
Historically that's not what blue light days were like, seems they're either over selling them now or there's been some ride availability issues? I won't be bothering in the future if that's ther way theyre going to play it.
Click to expand...
I would assume it's up to Blue Light how many tickets are sold? They'll book out the park for a price, and then offer tickets to their members, presumably with guidance from the park. In this one case, I would apportion at least some of the blame with Blue Light.
 
Islander said:
I would assume it's up to Blue Light how many tickets are sold? They'll book out the park for a price, and then offer tickets to their members, presumably with guidance from the park. In this one case, I would apportion at least some of the blame with Blue Light.
Click to expand...

Oh, 100% blue lights decision on how many tickets to sell so how busy it is, unless it is unexpected ride availability issues on the day, which I don't think it is.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top