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The World of David Walliams: General Discussion

Can the park actually just get some proper family rides back? They’ve been lacking a proper fun family area with rides everybody can enjoy since Rita massacred Ug Land in 2005.

As well as immediately dating the rides, constantly going for IPs means they only focus family rides on one small segment of that market. Cloud Cuckoo Land should become an area with rides everyone will enjoy- a solid family dark ride that will attract young adults as much as tolders as well as approachable but enjoyable flats like Toadstool and bone shaker. This re-so is the perfect opportunity to add more universal rides, something they haven’t added since ‘92 with the Mine Train and Haunted House. That way they’d solve both problems of their not being enough broad family rides, and there being little besides the coasters for older guests to enjoy. In going for a David Walliams IP for example, they’ll only be catering for the primary school market.

They could still aim for a fantasy Willy-Wonka style area, but with their own IP, so that it doesn’t immediately alienate anyone older than 10 who sees ‘David Walliams’ and walks the other way.
 
The problem is distinguishing between what would be best for Alton Towers and its customers; and what Merlin are likely to do.
I don"t see Merlin doing anything original and imaginative to fill the gap in their offering. Slapping an IP onto the rides they already have seems like the MOST plausible outcome for CCL. This worked well for CBeebies, so it will be their approach to CCL as well.

An IP, which can head-up an advertising campaign will be seen as a surer option by Merlin. Dreamworks remains the most likely tie up, Shrek, Kung Fu Panda etc. as they already have that relationship, and it has strong brand recognition.
 
I got a brilliant idea for the retheme. YorkshireLand.

And the main ride will be with Holovis, it will be a bike style coaster based on the old Hovis advert of a delivery boy riding down a big hill on an old shop bike

Considering how many members on here joke about reading HoloVis as Hovis. It seems fitting :D

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HermanTheGerman said:
As well as immediately dating the rides, constantly going for IPs means they only focus family rides on one small segment of that market. Cloud Cuckoo Land should become an area with rides everyone will enjoy- a solid family dark ride that will attract young adults as much as tolders as well as approachable but enjoyable flats like Toadstool and bone shaker.
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It depends on the IP really. Pleasure Beach were able to create (recreate?) a pretty compelling area with Nickelodeon Land that is pretty solid for all members of the family - with everything from a slow moving boat ride, an interactive water ride to a flume, coasters of two sizes and flats from a Crazy Bus, to a junior tower, to a Seastorm to a Disk'o.
 
Personally, I would rather see an original theme and an investment in quality ride hardware and entertainment, but i think the success of CBeebies land will see the continuance of the IP model.

Spend lots of money on the IP, retheme the limited and aging hardware that is there and add a few inexpensive, small scale attractions from virtually unknown manufacturers.

Half a dozen ''enterainers" in colourful costumes selling IP themed novelty items to kids (or rather pressured parents of kids) will tick the show box.
 
Altonadvocate1 said:
Spend lots of money on the IP, retheme the limited and aging hardware that is there and add a few inexpensive, small scale attractions from virtually unknown manufacturers.
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That could well be the case, but I don't see what's wrong with any of those things if you're a kid looking for something new or Merlin seeking to re-establish a fairly dull part of the park.

An IP will no doubt secure some appeal - granted, but I'm not sure why that's a bad thing. Merlin were pretty late to the race on IPs really and they are now seemingly only using them when it makes sense to do so and not by default.

If the existing rides are servicable, it makes little sense to replace them. Opportunities with Charlie in Toyland for 80 Days are endless. The theatre could be whatever they want it to be. Toadstool & Driving School - let's see!

I don't understand what's wrong with using new or relatively unknown manufacturers. Mack were relative unknowns when they built the flume and 80 days... so what? They used Garmendale for Go Jetters - a company who has kept the UK industry ticking over for decades.

The outcome of any retheme is important, how they get to that outcome, less so. Plus, that's all it is (if it is :oops:) - a retheme. This is not Toon Lagoon.
 
I think the irriatating thing for myself is not the use of the IP, it’s the fact that it tends to be used instead of actually creating a good ride.

An indoor CATCF water ride has the potential to be absolutely epic. Imagine if Disney or Universal got a hold of that? That room in the movie with the chocolate river alone could be absolutely incredible if done properly, but instead you get a half cooked, old ride system, with a few dull aniamatronics and that glass elevator thing.

The same goes for the Ghost Train at Thorpe, what a great idea, getting Derren Brown to redesign the ghost train, except he didn’t, did he? They just got some dodgy VR, didn’t think the rest of it through and have ended up with one world class element right at the very end, and the rest an awful ride.

Universal and Disney are pretty much 100% IPs but they’re done well. I realise Merlin don’t have the same budget, but stuff like CATCF annoys me as it could have been absolutelt brilliant.
 
Even Disney can fudge an IP up (Pixar Pier comes to mind, and the Toy Story areas aren't particularly thought of fondly)...
 
If there was any way they could renew the Charlie IP and perhaps re do the ride ina. Different location and make it a proper water ride to replace the flume I think it could be fantastic.

The park is in desperate need of a new water ride either way.
 
Has there been any sort of activity around the area this season so far? I wonder when we will start to hear things and wether or not we will see this ccl retheme for next season. I think it would be great for the park if it was of a high standard :)
 
I guess I'll see when I visit next week. However (correct me if I'm wrong) I'll only be passing through since with Charlie and Twirling Toadstool closed I can't think of any rides still left?
 
Unlikely to be 2019 what with WM this year. 2020 though I'd say looks a good bet.
 
I doubt that we'll see much progress from the front if any at all as they literally have the MMM theming studio round the back of the building. The only progress we may see is the facade around Scarefest/Fireworks but even then it could be done in the off season.
 
Sorry to bump the thread, but it looks like we may have the first signs of development in CCL, as Shawn Sanbrooke spotted what would seem to be yellow markings by Ice Age 4D in his latest Vlog from Towers! Here's the video (the point I'm referring to is at around 16:14):

Do you guys think this points to CCL seeing major redevelopment in 2019? I reckon it potentially does, as I remember Air having similar markings around it in late 2015 prior to its transformation into Galactica.
 
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