• 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.

London Entertainment Resort: All Discussion

Nick Varney’s probably a bit biased. I wouldn’t expect him to say, ‘the Paramount Park will be a huge success, steal all our visitors and spell end of the Merlin Entertainments Corporation’.

Having said that he’s probably right. At least partly. It’s very hard to make money scratch building a park. Disneyland Paris has lost money most years since it opened, despite Disney waiving royalties, offering loans with below market interest and the French government giving them a very preferential rate of tax. Disney Hong Kong has also required extra support from the Hong Kong government to keep things going. Epcot cost double the original projections and California Adventure struggled to attract the visitors they expected and required a billion dollar package to put it back where they wanted.

If Disney has hit their share of problems then I’d assume the Paramount Park will fall on hard times. I certainly can’t see them filling that many hotel rooms. I’m not sure about the IPs being a problem though. Possibly, but my favourite Disney ride is Splash Mountain even though I’ve never seen the film. I also love The Mummy at Universals even though I haven’t seen that film either. If a ride can stand on its own merits, then I think it will be successful.

When Paramount had their parks in America they had the rights to James Bond and had some simulators called A Licence to Thrill. If they could use James Bond again, then that would be a massive scoop. But the Paramount, BBC, and Aardman brands should have enough to keep them going.
 
I don't think Nicholas would say anything other than what he did in a public forum.

The reality is that he is HOPING it fails. It could potentially wipe out Thorpe and Chessington.
 
Don't think there's much left at Chessington to wipe out, Merlin has done most of that for the past few years (quite literally when it comes to theming).

But yeah, he's hardly going to praise this when it could potentially rival Merlin one day. I'm still not holding my breath on this, it seems to be the most 'advanced' theme park project we've seen in the UK for a long time, although these things usually fall through pretty quickly. I'll believe it when I see it tbh.
 
Looks like the ship is sinking

Tony Sefton , the man Varney-harney-marny described as unable to run a chip shop, has left the project.

I also checked out Varneys comments about all paramount parks failing and its not only true but its in spectacular style also , check out Paramount Spain, not many months ago everyone involved promised a second half 2015 opening , as of last week, apart from the time capsual, there is still nothing there at all .

Shame really as I'd have loved more parks/coaster/rides in the uk, but I agree with Varney, it aint ever gonna happen.

http://myinforms.com/en-gb/a/118863...-paramount-resort-in-kent-leaves-the-project/
 
Guy leaves project due to illness, doesn't automatically mean that it'll fall flat on it's face...

The irony of Varney criticising other people's business acumen is amusing, given the current state of affairs within his own parks... People in glass houses etc...
 
BUT this quote says

"He is now said to be looking to pursue new major projects."

Varnys parks are making millions in profits (Im not a fan of his as I like my parks cheap and full of huge new rides)
 
Varney's commnets came across with a tint of frustration and desperation. He may have been right, but he also sounded hopeful that it wouldn't happen.
 
Benzin said:
Guy leaves project due to illness, doesn't automatically mean that it'll fall flat on it's face...

The irony of Varney criticising other people's business acumen is amusing, given the current state of affairs within his own parks... People in glass houses etc...
Click to expand...

Completely agree. I do often wonder if Merlin management do actually experience the park like a guest does. Maybe Nick Varney should go on the TV programme Undercover Boss and stick him in Ritas queue for an hour or so. :)
 
I still don't think this is as dead-cert as some people seem to think.

As much as I believe it may happen, I also believe it may yet not.
 
But the Paramount parks failed because Paramount didn't know how to run parks. (Of course, many of the US ones are still there - they're just Cedar Fair now).

Paramount are just lending their name to the park owners.

I still don't see this happening. We just don't have the mentality that they do in the US for

1) work ethic
2) opening hours
3) cleanliness
4) customer service
5) bombastic cheesiness

BUT - we could all be proved wrong!


OFF TOPIC a bit - I am shocked at how amazing the queue for Oblivion The Black Hole is. I showed it to my friend and colleague Robert Coker (who presents on the Season Pass a lot) an he said it's of Disney standard. I hope they can mirror that standard over here - and if they do, they'll sure be up there to match (not beat) whatever this park has planned.
 
Ohh something will get built here, I have little doubt about that, but I worry that as budgets tighten the theme park will be scaled back in favour of more profitable enterprises, such as shops and offices.
 
Dave said:
Ohh something will get built here, I have little doubt about that, but I worry that as budgets tighten the theme park will be scaled back in favour of more profitable enterprises, such as shops and offices.
Click to expand...
You could be right but it won't be shops, bluewater Europe's largest shopping centre is seconds away. It has entertainment and a conference hall. I doubt it would be a retail park as lakeside is also a stones throw away. So offices are a possibility.
 
SuperMuscleMan said:
You could be right but it won't be shops, bluewater Europe's largest shopping centre is seconds away. It has entertainment and a conference hall. I doubt it would be a retail park as lakeside is also a stones throw away. So offices are a possibility.
Click to expand...

If "Paramount London Entertainment Resort" ends up as just offices, then I think we might as well give up hope for the UK theme park industry...
 
Alastair said:
If "Paramount London Entertainment Resort" ends up as just offices, then I think we might as well give up hope for the UK theme park industry...
Click to expand...
I hope it does not. Its such a perfect location for a massive park with such great transport connection, a 5 minute drive and your into the kent countryside too.
 
If it was built it also means that your not far away for food in the evening as blue water is a late night operator and that means post park nandos (or other tax avoiding food chain!)
 
A "Community Consultation Document" has been uploaded, which gives a little more info on the development - including a map of the different areas of the Resort. Unfortunately, for now the theme park bit is just listed as one big space, but it looks even more promising given the detail this goes into.

A little disappointing note is that they have only reserved about 21 hectares for the "indoor and outdoor spaces for events, themed rides, attractions, shows and parades, entertainment venues, cinemas, theatres and nightclubs."

For comparison, Disneyland Anaheim (one of the smallest "big" theme parks) is 65 hectares.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tom
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top