djtruefitt
TS Team
Seems odd to remove as its a cheap traveling model. Unless it's moved elsewhere on park?
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Lightwater Valley
MiserableMonkey
TS Member
It's been relocated to up by the Mouse coaster, to make way for the new London to Brighton car ride.
Sammy
TS Team
BUMP!
Theme Parks UK reported on Facebook yesterday that Whirlwind has left the park and is being replaced for the 2016 season!
*Drumroll Please*
Apollo an 80ft Star-Flyer featuring forwards and backwards spinning will open this spring!
... Yay :\
Theme Parks UK reported on Facebook yesterday that Whirlwind has left the park and is being replaced for the 2016 season!
*Drumroll Please*
Apollo an 80ft Star-Flyer featuring forwards and backwards spinning will open this spring!
... Yay :\
They announced a few weeks back that they’re partnering with a high ropes company, which should open at the site before the summer:
http://www.heritagegb.co.uk/new_site/news_main.php?id=160
I don’t know if they’re still planning the holiday village, but they do have an interesting mix of attractions now with the mini golf, the birds of prey centre, the shopping village and this. Oh, and someone was telling me they have a theme park?
In fairness it doesn’t really affect the business too much as it’s an operating participant, so presumably Lightwater Valley will just take a percentage of their income.
http://www.heritagegb.co.uk/new_site/news_main.php?id=160
I don’t know if they’re still planning the holiday village, but they do have an interesting mix of attractions now with the mini golf, the birds of prey centre, the shopping village and this. Oh, and someone was telling me they have a theme park?
In fairness it doesn’t really affect the business too much as it’s an operating participant, so presumably Lightwater Valley will just take a percentage of their income.
TheMan
TS Member
On the windy Yorkshire Moors as well. Seems legit to me.
Maybe that's why they mention forwards and backwards spinning.
Depends on the wind.
When I joined here, there was always a lot of love for LWV.
That seems to have somewhat evapourated!
Anyone know why? Seems strange to me.
Martin
TS Member
Wondering this myself. Maybe it's because they've not done much recently? Don't even see The Ultimate getting raved about any more and I for one am not happy about it.
Dar
TS Member
The park's old marketing manager has left I think, and he was very interested in interacting with enthusiasts which lead to quite a bit of interaction. But now I think the jokes worn off, people have realised that The Ultimate isn't very good and have got bored with the 5 rides they have
I’d like to think it was more than just a joke. I agree that having a marketing manager who engaged with enthusiasts probably helped a lot. I think Valley Mania (excellent fan site that’s now closed) deserve a lot of credit for building a fan base for the park.
There was a time when several mid-sized parks closed in quick succession (American Adventure, Camelot, Loudon Castle and Pleasureland Southport). People wondered whether Lightwater Valley or Pleaurewood Hills would be next (they’re still not completely safe, but in a better position than they were a few years ago). Having seen so many of these parks close I think people were rooting for the few that were left.
Lightwater Valley and Pleasurewood Hills have in a sense both done similar things: engaging with enthusiasts, developing a social media presence, establishing Halloween events, re-theming tired attractions… what they’ve both done is show how much you can do on a tight budget with a bit of frugality. A lot of parks could learn from them. Some people will only want the parks with the big budget rides (Lightwater Valley has a couple), but a lot of smaller parks could learn from Lightwater Valley and Pleasurewood Hills who were at least for a time firing on all cylinders.
There was a time when several mid-sized parks closed in quick succession (American Adventure, Camelot, Loudon Castle and Pleasureland Southport). People wondered whether Lightwater Valley or Pleaurewood Hills would be next (they’re still not completely safe, but in a better position than they were a few years ago). Having seen so many of these parks close I think people were rooting for the few that were left.
Lightwater Valley and Pleasurewood Hills have in a sense both done similar things: engaging with enthusiasts, developing a social media presence, establishing Halloween events, re-theming tired attractions… what they’ve both done is show how much you can do on a tight budget with a bit of frugality. A lot of parks could learn from them. Some people will only want the parks with the big budget rides (Lightwater Valley has a couple), but a lot of smaller parks could learn from Lightwater Valley and Pleasurewood Hills who were at least for a time firing on all cylinders.
Rob
TS Team
I never understood the love the the park in the first place. I've only been once but it didn't have the feel of a nice park, had next to no decent rides and in recent years they've done almost nothing. I suppose they did go through a period of trying, what with Raptor Attack and the pirate area which everyone raved about at the time (it looked very average to me). It seems that any money they did have has dried up, or they are not willing to spend it as much.
I'm not a fan of The Ultimate but I know a lot of people are. However if it wasn't there then I can't imagine any tears would be shed if LWV was to close. I'd love to see the smaller UK parks do well but for whatever reason, even when they seemingly promise to do something exciting, they fail to deliver. Just think; Flamingo Land have been rumoured to get a woodie for years (never materialised), LWV were meant to get a Simworx Immersive Tunnel which would be great for such a park (never materialised), for a while it was thought LWV may get a second hand decent-ish Vekoma or something (never materialised), always rumours of Drayton getting a coaster whether that be Vekoma or Mack (never materialised), Oakwood were meant to be getting a new themed area following on from their really good looking Neverland area (never materialised). It's a sad but continuing trend.
It pains me to say that we're lucky to have Merlin in the UK but at times we are. Yes their monopoly on UK theme parks does mean that others struggle. But it's not as if without this monopoly other parks would get such a boost that they can suddenly afford multi-million pound rides. At least Merlin do have the money to provide Towers and Thorpe with rides that are worth looking forward to. And I'm not sure of another theme park operator who could potentially take over the parks and continue with such capital expenditure.
I'm just praying Blackpool's 2018 coaster does actually happen and doesn't go the same way as many other promised projects.
I've managed to drift somewhat off topic through this post! As I say, I would love to see smaller parks such as Lightwater do well and grow to be able to add slightly more exciting rides in the future. There do seem to be more and more better value rides on the market these days, hopefully this is a trend that does continue and maybe allows a smaller UK park to get something worth riding!
I'm not a fan of The Ultimate but I know a lot of people are. However if it wasn't there then I can't imagine any tears would be shed if LWV was to close. I'd love to see the smaller UK parks do well but for whatever reason, even when they seemingly promise to do something exciting, they fail to deliver. Just think; Flamingo Land have been rumoured to get a woodie for years (never materialised), LWV were meant to get a Simworx Immersive Tunnel which would be great for such a park (never materialised), for a while it was thought LWV may get a second hand decent-ish Vekoma or something (never materialised), always rumours of Drayton getting a coaster whether that be Vekoma or Mack (never materialised), Oakwood were meant to be getting a new themed area following on from their really good looking Neverland area (never materialised). It's a sad but continuing trend.
It pains me to say that we're lucky to have Merlin in the UK but at times we are. Yes their monopoly on UK theme parks does mean that others struggle. But it's not as if without this monopoly other parks would get such a boost that they can suddenly afford multi-million pound rides. At least Merlin do have the money to provide Towers and Thorpe with rides that are worth looking forward to. And I'm not sure of another theme park operator who could potentially take over the parks and continue with such capital expenditure.
I'm just praying Blackpool's 2018 coaster does actually happen and doesn't go the same way as many other promised projects.
I've managed to drift somewhat off topic through this post! As I say, I would love to see smaller parks such as Lightwater do well and grow to be able to add slightly more exciting rides in the future. There do seem to be more and more better value rides on the market these days, hopefully this is a trend that does continue and maybe allows a smaller UK park to get something worth riding!
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Spike
TS Contributor
For me it was the home of my first looping coaster - Soopa Loopa. I have very fond memories of the park as a child but it is a shadow of it's former self sadly.
It's an enjoyable day once every few years but they seriously need a big investment soon. The Ultimate is their only bargaining chip and even that's getting old now.
I wouldn't oppose a Merlin takeover but I have a feeling their neighbours over in Malton would. I'm not sure if Merlin would be allowed to either. I'd rather that than closure though.
It's an enjoyable day once every few years but they seriously need a big investment soon. The Ultimate is their only bargaining chip and even that's getting old now.
I wouldn't oppose a Merlin takeover but I have a feeling their neighbours over in Malton would. I'm not sure if Merlin would be allowed to either. I'd rather that than closure though.
Sm1lingAdvocate
TS Member
Went here at February half term, whirlwind has already gone, and the tower is already completely up, there was some filming on eagles claw, go pros attached all around a section of seats and the place seems to be doing quite well, I would happily go just for Eagles claw, got 7 rides on it. It would help if half the food outlets accepted cards though
MattyH
TS Member
It seems to me that LWV has gone the same way as Pleasurewood Hills. A couple of years back they were both getting great at interacting with enthusiasts, but then due to marketing people leaving and a couple of years of bad investment that link with the enthusiast community has disappeared.
Rob
TS Team
Lightwater Valley has been sold to Livingstone Leisure for an undisclosed fee (£5 and a few bars of cheap chocolate strongly rumoured).
Livingstone Leisure also own Flambards in Cornwall. It will be interesting to see what this means for the park going forward. Probably not a lot though.
Livingstone Leisure also own Flambards in Cornwall. It will be interesting to see what this means for the park going forward. Probably not a lot though.
