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Lightwater Valley

I just looked at the light water valley website for the 1st time and if I wasn’t a member of forums and known they had removed there 2 best coasters I would think it was a good amusement park with a good selection of flat rides for all ages. Like it must be the only UK theme park that still operates a breakdancer. Also their drop tower must be good if it’s got a minimum height of 1.3m.
 
Themeparksandy1981 said:
I just looked at the light water valley website for the 1st time and if I wasn’t a member of forums and known they had removed there 2 best coasters I would think it was a good amusement park with a good selection of flat rides for all ages. Like it must be the only UK theme park that still operates a breakdancer. Also their drop tower must be good if it’s got a minimum height of 1.3m.
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When I visited in 2021 and twice in 2022 the Breakdance wasn’t operating on any of those visits didn’t look like it had been for some time even though it was listed on their website. I’d be curious as to whether or not it is actually running this year. The drop tower isn’t anything that spectacular, it’s the same Moser Rides tower that you find at other parks (ie Gulliver’s Valley).

In terms of other parks with Breakdances a couple of smaller amusement parks have them, Blackpool South Pier (theirs is a Sobema, not a Huss) and Ocean Beach in South Shields who this season have replaced their on loan Huss with a different Huss that they now own.
 
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Serious question but between Lightwater or M&D's...which UK park would you like to see closed down more? Can't think of any other theme park enthusiasts who'd want a place shut down unless we're including Disney fans over DLP.
 
QTXAdsy said:
Serious question but between Lightwater or M&D's...which UK park would you like to see closed down more? Can't think of any other theme park enthusiasts who'd want a place shut down unless we're including Disney fans over DLP.
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Neither.

LWV has moved audiences and seems to be more successful for doing so.
 
QTXAdsy said:
Serious question but between Lightwater or M&D's...which UK park would you like to see closed down more? Can't think of any other theme park enthusiasts who'd want a place shut down unless we're including Disney fans over DLP.
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I think the difference is that Lightwater Valley previously had some iconic rides and could have massive potential under the right ownership. There’s the scope there for it to be a good theme park under a Looping Group style owner.

Whereas with M&D’s if it went under tomorrow I don’t think too many people would notice or even be that bothered sorry to say, it seems to have very little significance in the theme park community whereas LWV was the home of both The Ultimate and Raptor Attack (aka Rat Race) and still has great grounds for a theme park if money was put in to it. But of course though you’d have more knowledge of M&D’s and both its history and potential than we would.
 
I loved Lightwater and would take little kids today.
Constantly stuttering development, loads of "watch this space" spare land to build on, masses of potential, never realised.
Lots of good stuff pulled because of management changes, pub, balcony bar, dodgems, shopping bit, garden centre, all gone, without decent replacement...leading attractions closed.
Was doing well again, then lots of bad reports last summer, and half term, then a shocking pile of fake reviews by the bucketload this spring.
Hope it bounces again, but I would still go with my mates if it went back to the strawberry picking fields and row boats on the lake, as I did as a kid.
 
Spark said:
Drop tower had been removed at the end of last season, not sure why
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Interesting. It’s still on their website under the list of attractions. If it’s gone then Eagles Claw must be absolutely crapping itself seeing so many other rides removed.
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joelpagett said:
I am truly surprised that they've spent the money on removing it. It can't be a cheap exercise and all that money will be coming off the park's future development budget. On the other hand, I'm sure they were sick of people asking when's it opening - so at least that doesn't need answering anymore!
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Can’t build houses or holiday chalets on top of a rollercoaster! But seriously though, I wouldn’t worry about the park’s future development budget, it probably doesn’t have one.
 
You can't build houses without change of use planning, which is unlikely in the area.
They had planning for the chalets anyway, and still didn't build them!
The cost would not have been too great, I'm just drooling at all that wood for my fire!
Probably worth quite a bit as recycled lumber, it has come down quite nicely.
Bloody sad...
 
The land that the park sits on is still owned by the Staveley family and the company that operates the park leases the land from them.

If the terms of the lease allow it, I suspect that they are hoping to reduce the size of the land that the parks consumes - why wouldn't you.

The Holiday Village plan isn't dead, but it won't be built on that portion of the park, it's next to the quarry.
 
A Holiday park is exactly what Lightwater Valley will eventually become. A mix of Butlins and Haven as it's much lower risk and slapping some static caravans, lodges or glamping pods around the site would be a money spinner. It's days as a theme park are numbered.
 
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Relife said:
A Holiday park is exactly what Lightwater Valley will eventually become. A mix of Butlins and Haven as it's much lower risk and slapping some static caravans, lodges or glamping pods around the site would be a money spinner. It's days as a theme park are numbered.
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They've had planning permission for ages though. The fact they've removed the thrill rides makes the appeal of staying there for anyone that doesn't have small children less and shrinks the demographic that might want to stop on site.

Butlins and Haven have on-site entertainment offerings etc. which I don't see LWV implementing, at least not to the same extent.

Unfortunately I think the current trajectory is small family park that keeps costs low and aims for a small profit each year without massive ambition. I don't see the chalets ever been built.
 
Fuct said:
They've had planning permission for ages though. The fact they've removed the thrill rides makes the appeal of staying there for anyone that doesn't have small children less and shrinks the demographic that might want to stop on site.

Butlins and Haven have on-site entertainment offerings etc. which I don't see LWV implementing, at least not to the same extent.

Unfortunately I think the current trajectory is small family park that keeps costs low and aims for a small profit each year without massive ambition. I don't see the chalets ever been built.
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"They" is a bit of a misnomer when it comes to that park. The planning permission was obtained by Heritage, who sold the park to Livingstone who have now sold it to Brighton Pier. The park has transformed quite considerably in that time, for good or for ill, depending on your point of view, against the background of a pandemic.

I don't think the lack of thrill rides is inherently problematic, it's a very nice part of the world and people stay locally without access to any entertainment or rides. It'll come down to how it's priced and marketed.

I think your conclusion may well be right. Brighton are still working out what to do with the park, there were some specific challenges with The Ultimate, but ultimately ;) it was a bit Hobson's Choice given the widescale removals and sales under Livingstone who tried to model the park around Flambards in terms of the offer and how it was operated. Adding that ride back into the offering without three or four other significant rides would have been difficult to pull off.
 
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