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TBC: SW9 Speculation

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I would actually love to see some kind of new water ride for SW9, after losing the flume and having the rapids run really badly with awful throughout, it would be great to have a new water ride, I would love the likes of Poseidon at EP, but a newer more refined version, half coaster, half water ride. Rather than just a ride like Atlantica which is over too quick.

If not a modern log flume like Chiapas would also be fine.

As for the Location, who knows!
 
ATI said:
^Don't know why everyone wants a Gerstlauer Polyp ... I admit they are decent family-thrill rides.
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Answering your own question there. Yes, there are bigger and more thrilling flats in the world, but a good capacity family flat or three is exactly what they need and exactly what this is.

Still think SW concept is completely on hold for the foreseeable, they'll have ideas about the what's and where's of what could come next but as said previously they are going to need to know capacity will be able to increase before investing in something big that needs a return. I really hope they see an opportunity here to invest in fillers, which can still be well marketed as Thorpe's trio were if installed in high numbers more than a stand alone might be.
 
pluk said:
Answering your own question there. Yes, there are bigger and more thrilling flats in the world, but a good capacity family flat or three is exactly what they need and exactly what this is.
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Alton's biggest gap is definitely family rides, things for though around 1.2m, too old for CBeebies, too young for Nemesis. Several flats would really help. Just filling X Sector and Dark Forest empty plots.

I would then probably add back a dark coaster, similar the the Black Hole. Add a new building behind Cuckoo Land area. Not sure what theme I would go for, but could get a simple coaster with a 1m or 1.2m restriction but make it feel more exciting by being enclosed.
 
A mack powered suspended coaster (ie Arthur) would be a good choice combining a dark ride with a coaster and suitable for the family market. Certainly the park should focus future investment on the family market with a good mix of pure family and family thrill attractions and get the balance right before the next major thrill investment.
 
Thameslink Rail said:
I think Wicker Man would have been ideal to bridge the gap if it wasn't horror movie themed. Merlin need to learn how to make a good thrill ride without horror theming, they tried with Galactica but on a very low budget which spoilt the refurbishment.
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I don't think there is a horror movie theme to Wicker man. Its a cult/sacrifice theme and its not based on any particular movie really.

Glactica of course wasn't really "themed" in person, it was all done in VR. Imagine if the VR money was spent on actual physical props instead!
 
jon81uk said:
I don't think there is a horror movie theme to Wicker man. Its a cult/sacrifice theme and its not based on any particular movie really.

Glactica of course wasn't really "themed" in person, it was all done in VR. Imagine if the VR money was spent on actual physical props instead!
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Regardless of whether Wicker Man is themed around the 1973 film, it still isn't a very nice theme. When Coaster Studios visited Alton Towers he noticed that most of the rides are themed around killing you in some twisted way.
 
Thameslink Rail said:
Regardless of whether Wicker Man is themed around the 1973 film, it still isn't a very nice theme. When Coaster Studios visited Alton Towers he noticed that most of the rides are themed around killing you in some twisted way.
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I don't think it is about killing in a "twisted" way, but there are a couple of scary themes for sure.
Nemesis - alien invasion
Oblivion - fear of the unknown
Air - flying / Galactica - flying in space
Spinball Whizzer - you are inside a pinball table
Rita Queen of Speed - Drag racing / Rita - escape the evil forest
Thirteen - what is in that building in the evil forest?
Smiler - I want to make you happy via medical intervention
Wickerman - I want to burn you alive but it will make you feel good!

In that respect, Wickerman probably is the most "death" themed as there is a direct feeling that the Beornan want to burn you. But many of the other rides are about fear of the unknown more than death really. Who knows what the Nemesis monster wants? The Oblivion queue video asks the question what is at inside that tunnel at the drop? They are scary, not deathy.

Thorpe Park has slightly more death themes.
Colossus - Lost temple (no distinct story)
Nemesis Inferno - volcano! (no distinct story)
Saw - Jigsaw wants to torture you
Swarm - the aliens will abduct you (this is shown in the queue video I think?)
Walking Dead - scary zombies

Overall these are more death or torture related compared to Alton's more "fear" scary themes.

I agree they do need to add more coasters that aren't so dark at both parks. But its also evident that you can end up with something like Colossus where there isn't really a story, just a theme. Wickerman could have been that, just a woodland coaster, but we wouldn't have got the central wickerman that adds so much to the ride.

I think the next ride does need to be something more family, but I hope it still continues to try to tell a story, rather than just set a place.
 
Alton's themes are better than Thorpe's excepting Rita which just doesn't really work by putting a few vines on the station and taking out the Queen of Speed. The whole Dark Forest area I've noticed this year needs a revive and all the buildings expect Th13teen's are showing some UG Land paint. The whole area of Forbidden Valley is good with Nemesis has awoken and invaded, you kill it with the Blade and then you fly away to escape on Galactica or Air when the theme worked better!
 
Pleasure Beach Valhalla said:
Alton's themes are better than Thorpe's excepting Rita which just doesn't really work by putting a few vines on the station and taking out the Queen of Speed. The whole Dark Forest area I've noticed this year needs a revive and all the buildings expect Th13teen's are showing some UG Land paint. The whole area of Forbidden Valley is good with Nemesis has awoken and invaded, you kill it with the Blade and then you fly away to escape on Galactica or Air when the theme worked better!
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I’d personally say that the two are actually pretty close to one another in terms of individual ride theming, personally, with Thorpe possibly edging it for me. I like the theming of Wicker Man more than anything Thorpe have done, but I think The Swarm & Saw are a very close second and third to Wicker Man for rollercoaster theming/experience in Britain. I’d also say that Stealth has a stronger theme than Rita and that Colossus & Nemesis Inferno are also really nicely themed, as well as Tidal Wave having stronger theming than any of Alton’s water rides.
 
Matt N said:
I’d personally say that the two are actually pretty close to one another in terms of individual ride theming, personally, with Thorpe possibly edging it for me. I like the theming of Wicker Man more than anything Thorpe have done, but I think The Swarm & Saw are a very close second and third to Wicker Man for rollercoaster theming/experience in Britain. I’d also say that Stealth has a stronger theme than Rita and that Colossus & Nemesis Inferno are also really nicely themed, as well as Tidal Wave having stronger theming than any of Alton’s water rides.
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Its the name that lets Stealth down, what is stealth-like about a 60m high coaster at 80mph? Originally Rita had a bit more of a drag racing theme too, but Dark Forest of course killed that. Of course it works better at Thorpe as Amity already had the american waterfront theme so extending it to drag racing was simple. Whereas Rita was shoe-horned into Ug land and Dark Forest was a mistake.
Grand Canyon Rapids at Alton of course opened without a theme so its not a suprise that Tidal Wave is better lol.

Although the themes at Thorpe are generally more cohesive they don't tell as much story. Original Nemesis is obviously some kind of monster, but Inferno is a generic volcano.
 
djtruefitt said:
I would actually love to see some kind of new water ride for SW9, after losing the flume and having the rapids run really badly with awful throughout, it would be great to have a new water ride, I would love the likes of Poseidon at EP, but a newer more refined version, half coaster, half water ride. Rather than just a ride like Atlantica which is over too quick.

If not a modern log flume like Chiapas would also be fine.

As for the Location, who knows!
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I personally would like it if they could go more like Valhalla, Indoor, themed and ticks 2 boxes what people think should be added
 
Spark said:
I personally would like it if they could go more like Valhalla, Indoor, themed and ticks 2 boxes what people think should be added
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I too would prefer an highly themed indoor water ride, along the lines of Valhalla (but not as much of a soaker please:tearsofjoy:). I just think it would suit towers more than a water coaster. I'd maybe guess it could be easier for planning applications too.
 
jon81uk said:
Wickerman could have been that, just a woodland coaster, but we wouldn't have got the central wickerman that adds so much to the ride.
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This made me imagine Wicker Man with the Gruffalo as the central figure instead. That would have been good ;-)

Never got the theming for a family ride, it scares the younger kids who are old enough to ride it before they get to the coaster. It should have had a Steampunk vibe like Baron 1898. Spooky, but not intimidating.

The fondness for intimidating theming at AT is something I can see Kirkbi, with their family focus, moving away from.
 
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