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Oakwood Discussion

Yep, I've been on that and it's horrific. Like everything at M&D's, I remember it vividly.

When it came to boarding the ride, my legs didn't fit into the car properly. To actually be seated required quite a painful act of contortion. When I did finally manage to squeeze into the car, I had the fibreglass lip of the bodywork pressing against my knee and a bolt digging into my shin for the duration of the ride.

As others have mentioned, this is a ride that for some unknown reason has OTSRs. But that's not the end of the story. The point at which they're hinged is far too low, so if you're even slightly tall, you are forced to ride with an arched back as the restraints forcibly press down on your shoulders. It's actually sort of impressive just how unpleasant this coaster is even when it's not moving.

As for the ride experience, it's incredibly uncomfortable, full of jolts that go right up your spine and nasty vibrations throughout. It's one of those coasters where you can hear every join between track sections as the train passes over them.

I thought its next home would surely be the scrapheap so I'm quite surprised by this development. It's one of those rides where adding it to your park is actually worse than doing nothing. I really don't see what Oakwood will gain from this coaster.

The really scary thing is that despite all this, it's far from being the worst coaster at M&D's.
 
The thing is, Oakwood was quite busy during the summer months when they actually invested - I remember the park being heaving during the After Dark events when Speed was new, and before that even.

Such a shame that Aspro are running the park into the ground, it does have potential despite being in a poor location, but it has been neglected for years. :(

Regarding that Pinfari coaster, I'd say it doesn't look that bad but... OSTR's? Oh dear.
 
As a person from Scotland, I am so sorry that the poor Welsh folk are getting that piece of rust and s***e from us.

Why do we still have Pinfari's in this world? When it comes to football, food and cars, the Italians are very good at that, but when it comes to making coasters...avoid like the plague!
 
Pinfari only made two types of restraint, didn't they? The kiddy train lap bars, or the OTSRs of Doom for everything else. I've only ever been on ONE half decent Pinfari: the Alpine Thriller that's been at Winter Wonderland the last few years. The layout itself is rather good... it's just ruined by being a Pinfari! Were it made by Schwartzkopf it would be a wonderfull ride. Hell, even fitting Swarzy trains with lap bars on the current track would be an improvement!
 
TBH, Tsunami is, despite looking like a baby Vekoma SLC, is actually smooth. True it's nothing to write home about, but still a hell of an improvement over it's cousins.
 
The park effectively died when the McNamara's sold the place.

Aspro will put the final nails in the coffin within the next decade, it's the one park that I would actually like Merlin to own just so it gets some sort of investment.
 
I'll have to take your word for it, given it's easier for me to get to Germany than to M&Ds ;)
 
Fences! Thats what they need! Fences! Alton have done it and look at the guest numbers going up!

In all seriousness though - Oakwood once upon a time was a great little park and it had (and still does have) a lot of potential. Regardless of where it is sited - if its good enough , people will travel from anywhere to get to it (look at Alton!). I stopped going many years ago, I no longer had any trust in the rides or their safety, or the abilities of the staff to control the rides safely after witnessing a few things, and if this is also true then its not going to encourage any more visitors is it! So sad for what could have been a great park.
 
I recall one of the old Season Pass podcasts, where they were interviewing Wardley, and one of the other guests, an American who's name escapes me, said that Legoland Florida would never work because the site was not directly connected to a freeway. Cue John's response, "...You've never been to Alton Towers, have you?"
Location is not the issue. The phrase that springs to mind is, if you build it, they will come!
 
To be honest, if it weren't for Megafobia, then I say the current people who visit wouldn't visit the park at all.
 
Christ.

They have Megafobia. They have Speed. And now they install a 30 year old Pinfari?!

I know they haven't exactly got amazing cash flow nor can they attract huge attendances but this is the kind of crap I'd expect someone like Pleasurewood to pull rather than a park which has actual decent rides already there...

It's a shame as the Neverland development made it seem like the park had a really bright future.


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Lordy said:
If this turns out to be true, this could be one of the worst coaster additions to a (sort of) major park in UK history....apparently this is going to be the new coaster at Oakwood:

DSC_0067-2.jpg


A friggin 30 year old Pinfari contraption, with OSTR's...
Click to expand...

.........

BAHAHAHAAHAAHA

we've spent the last 3 or so yearswaiting for the "Investment" and we get this? Cmon Oakwood, you've got to be having a laugh?

also... http://s725.photobucket.com/user/martynkbranford/media/FB_IMG_1459371942096.jpg.html

Praying that is the other rumoured coaster, supports seem similar to this http://rcdb.com/8587.htm
James and The Giant Peach rustbucket was also trademarked by the park..
 
God, this is just sad. The same park that built Megafobia and Speed (two pretty good coasters) are going to install something that belongs in a scap yard.

It seems each time a small UK park show some sort of promise (a few decent years at LWV, Neverland at Oakwood) they just fall away into the realms of dispair.

:)
 
When I went at the beginning of May, the wild west area was still being cleared and the green supports were still next to the entrance path. They do need another family coaster in my opinion, but does a 30yr old Pinfari fit the bill? Sadly not. :(
 
What happened to Sleepy Hollow?! Real shame that. The park is in a lovely setting, Megafobia is excellent imo and Speed is a solid ride. Geographically though, it's not in the best spot.
 
Has anyone visited and sampled the catering since they opened the Oak Tree Bar and Grill thing?
 
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