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Qiddiya - The City of Play [General Discussion]

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cloudburster said:
Another Falcons Flight construction update - look at that overhang! I want to ride Huge Big Giant Coaster 1.

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Looks to have a nice pop of airtime now after the launch, if I remember rightly that wasn’t part of the original concept images. Just a shame I’ll probably never want to go over there to ride it.
 
Saw someone mention the coaster height requirements on Twitter.

Seems a low maximum height restriction on the Woodie (only moaning as I wouldn't get on it!)

Falcons Flight: 130-196 cms
Colossus: 120-190 cms
Iron Rattler: 120-205 cms
Spitfire: 130-196 cms
Sea Stallion: 120-195 cms

Rollercoaster, Water Rides & Attractions in Saudi Arabia | Six Flags Qiddiya City

Experience an unparalleled thrill with over 28 rides and attractions at Six Flags Qiddiya City in Saudi Arabia, including the world's tallest, longest, and fastest roller coaster.
sixflagsqiddiyacity.com sixflagsqiddiyacity.com
 
Can't say I'm too enthused by this!

I'm reasonably confident this will end up being one of those "seen to be succeeding" parks, where realistically its peak season is limited to events eg. the Grand Prix. The place is in the middle of the desert, the climate isn't pleasant, and "Falcon's Flight" (whilst incredible stats wise!) has far too many potential points of failure. This will likely limit its operations severely with downtime galore.

Which is why I can't see (long term) people travelling from all over the world to go there, when there's a good chance the main draw "Falcon's Flight" won't be operating. Why go there when you could go to Disney or Universal parks all over the world, in far more suitable locations with much more to do outside of their boundaries?

Call it a controversial take if you like, but I see this as just another Gulf State "willing waving contest" to try and stand out. Rather than focusing on quality and good planning practices (as seen with gulf state cities) they focus on who's got the biggest this or that thinking that's what will make the world take them seriously as they transition away from oil.

Build a city with excellent urban planning, near the coast which puts the needs of the country's own people first, building on their own culture (rather than size like NEOM) to show their worth. Then build a high quality theme park within that city which has its own local population base as well as an international one.

Don't mean to put a downer on it as there's no doubt its an exciting project for the industry, but just pointing out that amongst all the hype its worth tempering it with reality and ethical concerns over where money is spent in these states! My respect for them would go up considerably if they focussed on the above, rather than vanity mega projects. The general public's perception probably would too!
 
GJMarshy said:
Which is why I can't see (long term) people travelling from all over the world to go there, when there's a good chance the main draw "Falcon's Flight" won't be operating. Why go there when you could go to Disney or Universal parks all over the world, in far more suitable locations with much more to do outside of their boundaries?
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Getting to Saudi is an easier journey for most of Europe, Africa and lots of Asia than getting to the US.

It also benefits from a favourable climate for operating theme park rides for a good chunk of the year, particularly in a season that European parks struggle with.

People specifically travel to Florida solely to visit theme parks so i don't think it's unreasonable to assume they could do the same here as i understand there are multiple large theme and water parks either operating or under construction.

I don't disagree with the notion that this park is being built for reasons more than operating at a profit but i think the main drawback to international visitors rather than the reasons you cite are the cultural and political barriers.
 
Seems almost a certainty that they'll be hosting the 2034 Fifa World Cup now. So imagine over the next decade the idea of holidaying there will become more and more normalised the way Abu Dhabi and Dubai have become.
 
It's objectively nuts in every way.

I took this screenshot a while back and didn't post it.

sfq.png

I like it because what looks like the first drop on any other hypercoaster is actually the first hill... like... the train is going up that... I just can't imagine this thing running.
 
Mi-Nigle said:
It's objectively nuts in every way.

I took this screenshot a while back and didn't post it.

sfq.png

I like it because what looks like the first drop on any other hypercoaster is actually the first hill... like... the train is going up that... I just can't imagine this thing running.
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It looks like the coasters I used to make in Rollercoaster Tycoon. It's an impressive feat of civil engineering and metalwork and I will be intrigued to see it running but could you imagine the logistics needed if it valleyed or did a rollback anywhere
 
I love the fact that the industry is now focused on quality over pure record breaking as much as the next person, but I must admit that there is something quite exciting about seeing a ride like this go up.

We’re very used to coasters that break very obscure records nowadays, but this is a coaster that absolutely obliterates all three major roller coaster records. Prior to the announcement, I never thought I’d see a coaster like it built, and I honestly think we may never see a coaster like this built again.

Whether it rides well is another question entirely, but from a pure engineering standpoint, I still think Falcon’s Flight will be one of the wonders of the modern roller coaster world, without a shadow of a doubt. The raw scale of the thing is obscene; we’re seeing elements that would make up whole rides on many coasters in the Western world being reduced to mere footnotes within this layout! When you think about it like that, I think it’s really quite a remarkable feat of engineering…
 
Matt N said:
I love the fact that the industry is now focused on quality over pure record breaking as much as the next person, but I must admit that there is something quite exciting about seeing a ride like this go up.

We’re very used to coasters that break very obscure records nowadays, but this is a coaster that absolutely obliterates all three major roller coaster records. Prior to the announcement, I never thought I’d see a coaster like it built, and I honestly think we may never see a coaster like this built again.

Whether it rides well is another question entirely, but from a pure engineering standpoint, I still think Falcon’s Flight will be one of the wonders of the modern roller coaster world, without a shadow of a doubt. The raw scale of the thing is obscene; we’re seeing elements that would make up whole rides on many coasters in the Western world being reduced to mere footnotes within this layout! When you think about it like that, I think it’s really quite a remarkable feat of engineering…
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Speaking of records I always wonder why no one has beaten Smiler's inversion one yet. Tallest/fastest/longest is an easy one when you have the space and money to just go nuts and I wouldn't be surprised if one of the neighbouring Arab states decides before long to build a bigger one just because they can.
 
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