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The World of David Walliams: General Discussion

KolonelKlink said:
For those (understandably) sceptical that Merlin might actually invest in some new hardware - and not simply redress the Charlie boat ride again in 2021 in ‘phase two’ of Walliams World - a reminder that fairly decent dark rides are available at relatively low cost these days. Legendia paid just over £2.5m for their trackless:

https://blooloop.com/features/legendia-bazyliszek-interactive-dark-ride/
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Legendia also paid around 4.36 million euro for one of the best roller coasters in Europe. Merlin are not sensible with their cash at the best of times.
 
Lech coaster would be a huge hit with enthusiasts but it wouldn't offer anything unique for the GP. That's all Merlin care about. Everything must be a gimmick or the first of a kind.

You could argue Icon has been a bit of a flop for the GP as great as it is for us nerds. It's a launch coaster with a few inversions. Neither element is unique to the country. I know advertising has played a part too but I do think the GP aren't exactly blown away by it. They still see The Big One as the main draw.
 
Benjsh said:
You could argue Icon has been a bit of a flop for the GP as great as it is for us nerds. It's a launch coaster with a few inversions. Neither element is unique to the country. I know advertising has played a part too but I do think the GP aren't exactly blown away by it. They still see The Big One as the main draw.
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I can see why you think that - but I believe that you are wrong. IMO Icon was all about bribing a more modern ride to the park - and it has done that. Yes, BPB believed they were getting one of the best coasters in the world and it isn't... but I believe it has filled a gap in its lineup. Big One will always be the draw for BPB - it's big, intimidating and that is what 99% of people who visit want.

In terms of gimmicks - these are not always a bad thing . Towers has 3 coasters based on gimmicks that are phenomenal (Nemesis (the trenches), Smiler (the number of inversions) & Oblivion (its just one vertical drop)). Lets be positive - Merlin can do some good things and hopefully this is one of them :)
 
ScottishChris said:
I can see why you think that - but I believe that you are wrong. IMO Icon was all about bribing a more modern ride to the park - and it has done that. Yes, BPB believed they were getting one of the best coasters in the world and it isn't... but I believe it has filled a gap in its lineup. Big One will always be the draw for BPB - it's big, intimidating and that is what 99% of people who visit want.

In terms of gimmicks - these are not always a bad thing . Towers has 3 coasters based on gimmicks that are phenomenal (Nemesis (the trenches), Smiler (the number of inversions) & Oblivion (its just one vertical drop)). Lets be positive - Merlin can do some good things and hopefully this is one of them :)
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Icon hasnt been a huge hit visitor wise though. That's the point I was making.

I think it's gone down better with us (the enthusiasts) more so than with the public it seems.
 
Benjsh said:
Icon hasnt been a huge hit visitor wise though. That's the point I was making.

I think it's gone down better with us (the enthusiasts) more so than with the public it seems.
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Again, I would disagree with that. I would assume it is every bit as successful as Wickerman - if not more so... comparatively speaking. Going from my experiences (no numbers - sorry!) I see BPB being notably busier since Icon was installed. I also think the lines can be deceptive - on 3 trains it must be the highest throughput coaster in the UK by quite some way. So although other rides may have longer lines, I doubt the come close to Icon's pax per hour.
 
Is that not good? On Friday a train was going up the lift hill a soon as the other train hit the breaks and I thought that was quite fast. Can it go even quicker? (Only ridden it twice so not a clue).
 
Does anyone else think it's a bit risky to base a theme park attraction or area on a public figure? Not that David Walliams has embroiled himself in any particular scandals (to my knowledge) so far in his career, but celebrities can be 'cancelled' and criticized very quickly these days if they act or speak in a way that is deemed socially unacceptable.

I appreciate that David Walliams as an individual is distinct from his books and 'brand', but any attraction bearing his name is going to be mothballed pretty quickly if he ever does anything that might turn public opinion against him.
 
Harv said:
Does anyone else think it's a bit risky to base a theme park attraction or area on a public figure? Not that David Walliams has embroiled himself in any particular scandals (to my knowledge) so far in his career, but celebrities can be 'cancelled' and criticized very quickly these days if they act or speak in a way that is deemed socially unacceptable.

I appreciate that David Walliams as an individual is distinct from his books and 'brand', but any attraction bearing his name is going to be mothballed pretty quickly if he ever does anything that might turn public opinion against him.
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I don't. I think if thi was the world of Rohld Dahl (so), or the world of JK Rowling you wouldn't have these thoughts. I get that Walliams can be a bit controversial, but an adults view of him is quite different to those who read his books.
 
Hmm... If Universal had framed the Wizarding World as "J. K. Rowling Land" then I definitely would feel the same - Roald Dahl less so, seeing as he's no longer alive and there's less potential for controversy.

With any IP development, the bonus of cashing in on a known brand is mirrored by the risk of spending a lot of money on something that might rapidly wane in popularity. When that IP is named after a living individual - who can easily say and do things to change the public's perception of them - the risk is magnified, in my opinion.
 
I wouldn't say the risk of controversy around a popular figure changes whether they are alive or not - recent years do surely demonstrate that as much as an individual can say or do things in the present to damage their reputation, past allegations can be just as impactful, if not moreso.

That being said however, I've always been of a mind that unless there's a reason to doubt someone's integrity then we really shouldn't need to discuss it. David Walliams has never to my knowledge done anything to bring himself into disrepute (you know, besides some slightly risqué humour in Little Britain; a show that was very much a product of its time and in no way aimed at the target audience for this attraction), and so for that reason I don't see any issue with having his name attached from that perspective. Obviously I hope that never changes of course.

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Little Britain was great though wasn’t it ;-)

My kids love his books, and have no idea who he is in terms of his tv work. I think that’s says a lot really
 
Jb85 said:
Little Britain was great though wasn’t it ;-)
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It had some funny moments, but it hasn't aged well.
Not that this development has anything to do with LB, of course. ;)

I know nothing of his books, so can't give a fair comment on whether or not they are a good IP. The mere fact that it is an IP is enough to put me off.
 
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