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Paultons Park: General Discussion

TedShatner10 said:
Yeah, there's a realistic chance that by the mid to late 2020s Paultons Park will be a cross between Legoland Windsor and Alton Towers back in their 90s/00s prime.
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I'm thinking more Chessington and Alton Towers but very good chance šŸ¤©

Paultons has already surpassed Legoland with thrills, rides and theming a long time ago when Lost Kingdom came along šŸ™‚
 
I think there might be some over optimism going on here. Considering the hardware already there I'd expect fewer new things than we saw for Tornado Springs or Lost City. I'm expecting a new coaster and/or water ride that along with the theming envelops the existing attractions. It would make the area of a similar scale and standard to others in the park but with far fewer actually new things.
 
pluk said:
I think there might be some over optimism going on here. Considering the hardware already there I'd expect fewer new things than we saw for Tornado Springs or Lost City. I'm expecting a new coaster and/or water ride that along with the theming envelops the existing attractions. It would make the area of a similar scale and standard to others in the park but with far fewer actually new things.
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Yeah, as great as it would be I canā€™t see Paultons spending the Ā£50m or whatever that some of these suggestions would cost!
 
Bowser said:
Yeah, as great as it would be I canā€™t see Paultons spending the Ā£50m or whatever that some of these suggestions would cost!
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Thatā€™s true, but I wonder out of interest how much Lost Kingdom would have cost the park when it opened in 2016 with two Vekoma coasters, Boulder Dash, and the tracked Dinosaur Tour ride? Not a massive amount by the standards of Merlin or other big boys but it must have been a good investment and one that worked out really well for the park, though theyā€™d be looking at coasters the next level up though now.

With regards to Ā£50 million I donā€™t think the park would be spending that much. If you look at a park of a similar-ish size in Europe then Tussenfryd spent ā‚¬9m on their (excellent) launched inverted Gertslauer coaster Storm: The Dragon Legend in 2023, and Iā€™ve read that Linnanmaki spent ā‚¬10m on their Intamin Blitz coaster Taiga in 2019. Though obviously Paultons would spend a ľot more on theming than those two minimally themed rides I donā€™t see why they couldnā€™t realistically target something along those lines.

Edit - I also wouldnā€™t be surprised if the park took a multi year approach with the Vikings area, say a new coaster in 2025 alongside a relocated junior ride or two, and then a major new water ride in 2026 perhaps?
 
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I can imagine they'll invest smart with this one.

A coaster with inversions seems to be a almost certainty and a modern flume, rapids, shoot the chute or water coaster seems to be a logical addition.

Any supporting rides I'd imagine would mostly be family based with the current hardware in the area being more family-thrill along with the major rides being a coaster and potentially a flume.

A Mack Seastorm, Mack Teacups or Mack Twist N Splash would be logical fits for the area. I'm thinking the Seastorm is a logical replacement for the Dragon like how Windmill Towers replaced the Jumping Bean/Jack.

Other options include a Gerstlauer Polyp, Zamperla Nebulaz, Dodgems, a Mini Jet style ride or a larger Pirate Ship ride. Although I don't see all of them coming initially.

If anything thrilling will come, I'd see it being a single ride (or two if we're lucky) to complement the existing offering such as a Zamperla Endeavour, Zamperla Hawk or a Zamperla Air Race. A supporting thrill ride to add to the thrilling signature coaster I'd say.

We do have Edge, Cobra and Magma included to be rethemed already so it's possible we won't have too much family thrill, it'll be either family/children's or it'll go to the other extreme and be more thrilling.

I can imagine any rides that will come will both replace Raging River and Dragon with upgraded replacements along with adding rides that the park haven't already got in their offering.
 
Many of the rides for the new land are already in situ so it's not as if they are starting from scratch. I'd like to see the park on a similar level to Emerald Park in Ireland in terms of thrills. The new coasters and area they installed is very much the demographic Paultons has a aiming for.

I don't think it will be too.long before we find out what coaster they are getting. Markers are already all over the site.
 
owenstreet7 said:
I can imagine they'll invest smart with this one.

A coaster with inversions seems to be a almost certainty and a modern flume, rapids, shoot the chute or water coaster seems to be a logical addition.

Any supporting rides I'd imagine would mostly be family based with the current hardware in the area being more family-thrill along with the major rides being a coaster and potentially a flume.

A Mack Seastorm, Mack Teacups or Mack Twist N Splash would be logical fits for the area. I'm thinking the Seastorm is a logical replacement for the Dragon like how Windmill Towers replaced the Jumping Bean/Jack.

Other options include a Gerstlauer Polyp, Zamperla Nebulaz, Dodgems, a Mini Jet style ride or a larger Pirate Ship ride. Although I don't see all of them coming initially.

If anything thrilling will come, I'd see it being a single ride (or two if we're lucky) to complement the existing offering such as a Zamperla Endeavour, Zamperla Hawk or a Zamperla Air Race. A supporting thrill ride to add to the thrilling signature coaster I'd say.

We do have Edge, Cobra and Magma included to be rethemed already so it's possible we won't have too much family thrill, it'll be either family/children's or it'll go to the other extreme and be more thrilling.

I can imagine any rides that will come will both replace Raging River and Dragon with upgraded replacements along with adding rides that the park haven't already got in their offering.
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I definitely don't want to see the park get a Nebulaz or Air Race, we already have those rides at Drayton Manor and I don't think that Paultons would want to have their ride line up be too similar. Both parks already have a Vekoma Junior Boomerang and a Zamperla Disk'o as it is, Paulton's can do better than a Nebulaz and Air Race anyway.
 
Shaggy_Dog_ said:
I definitely don't want to see the park get a Nebulaz or Air Race, we already have those rides at Drayton Manor and I don't think that Paultons would want to have their ride line up be too similar. Both parks already have a Vekoma Junior Boomerang and a Zamperla Disk'o as it is, Paulton's can do better than a Nebulaz and Air Race anyway.
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I definitely see where you're coming from.

Both parks aim for a very similar audience much like Chessington and tend to aim to get similar rides and experiences.

I don't necessarily mean that the park should get them however it is the ilk of ride they are likely to get.

A Zamperla Air Race would work well for the audience with it being low to the ground making it a fantastic first upside down flat ride.

A Zamperla Nebulaz has been coming to a lot of theme parks over the last few years with Liseberg, Asterix and Drayton getting their own Nebulaz. It is a fantastic in between ride and fits perfectly within Paultons.

I would be concerned about seeing a Viking themed Disko Coaster and a Nebulaz when Drayton Manor have the same models with a similar theme. Although Drayton Vikings is more Norse Gods and Paultons Vikings seems to be more about Vikings themselves.
 
Paultons Park was (I'm pretty certain) the first theme park I went to that I was old enough to remember visiting - we lived about 40 minutes away by car and I was very fortunate in that my mum bought season tickets for herself, my brother and I for five straight years; I can categorically say that I would not have this passion for theme parks if she hadn't done so - and Dragon Roundabout was one of the rides I remember best from that time. It was my brother's favourite ride and we absolutely had to go on it every time, even if 7-year-old me wasn't so keen back then.

I was sad to hear that it was leaving the park but delighted to find out that it happened to be moving to Hayling Island Funfair - the park just a few minutes away from where my grandparents lived when I was growing up, and another park that I go to regularly. I love when life gives you those little coincidences.

I'd still pay almost any amount of money for the chance to go back in time and experience Wind in the Willows, Jumping Bean/Jumping Jack, Magic Forest, Rabbit Ride, even that Dinosaur walkthrough thing (and probably loads more attractions I'm forgetting) one more time.
 
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ThemeParkAddict said:
I'd still pay almost any amount of money for the chance to go back in time and experience Wind in the Willows, Jumping Bean/Jumping Jack, Magic Forest, Rabbit Ride, even that Dinosaur walkthrough thing (and probably loads more attractions I'm forgetting) one more time.
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Jumping Bean was a great ride, lots of bum off seat time on that one. I miss Astroglide with the big dinosaur next to it as well.
 
ThemeParkAddict said:
Paultons Park was (I'm pretty certain) the first theme park I went to that I was old enough to remember visiting - we lived about 40 minutes away by car and I was very fortunate in that my mum bought season tickets for herself, my brother and I for five straight years; I can categorically say that I would not have this passion for theme parks if she hadn't done so - and Dragon Roundabout was one of the rides I remember best from that time. It was my brother's favourite ride and we absolutely had to go on it every time, even if 7-year-old me wasn't so keen back then.

I was sad to hear that it was leaving the park but delighted to find out that it happened to be moving to Hayling Island Funfair - the park just a few minutes away from where my grandparents lived when I was growing up, and another park that I go to regularly. I love when life gives you those little coincidences.

I'd still pay almost any amount of money for the chance to go back in time and experience Wind in the Willows, Jumping Bean/Jumping Jack, Magic Forest, Rabbit Ride, even that Dinosaur walkthrough thing (and probably loads more attractions I'm forgetting) one more time.
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I'm old enough to remember their original rollercoaster; The Runaway Train & the Bumper Boats :tearsofjoy:
 
Themepark-newbie said:
That's a long time without a decent water ride (excluding splash lagoon!)
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The park only just opened Splash Lagoon (which by all accounts is a very decent family flume) six months ago. If they are going to build a major water ride then I donā€™t think that three years on from that would be an unrealistic kind of timeline. Clearly the coaster will be big investment for 2026, so who knows what might come the season after that.
 
Shaggy_Dog_ said:
The park only just opened Splash Lagoon (which by all accounts is a very decent family flume) six months ago. If they are going to build a major water ride then I donā€™t think that three years on from that would be an unrealistic kind of timeline. Clearly the coaster will be big investment for 2026, so who knows what might come the season after that.
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I'm thinking Splash Lagoon was always intended to be separate to and not replacing the gap that Raging River left.

It was likely originally intended that the new flume/rapids/shoot the chute/water coaster would open in 2026 and Raging River would've went either at the end of 2024 or 2025.

It's not unreasonable or unrealistic for a coaster and a water ride to be the major additions of the Viking area, I'd say it is most realistic especially if it's intertwined.
 
Bowser said:
Seeing the closures of other water rides due to expense I would be surprised if a rapids in particular is something theyā€™re looking at.
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I'd be very surprised if it's a rapids either way considering that Health and Safety has tamed Rapids rides over the years.

The only way I see it is if it really stands out like a drop, whirlpool or both like from Hafema or the new gen Intamin ones. Something that really discourages kids from standing up during the ride.

I'd be more inclined to think it's a flume ride of some sort or style. That being a Super Flume, Water Coaster or Shoot the Chute/Spillwater. I think a more traditional flume is possible although more likely to be something that's a step up from Splash Lagoon.
 
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