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TPR Video from IAAPA, GG want to build at Alton towers

It is such a shame the UK general public are wary of wooden coasters, but it is nice to see the fact that companies are chomping at the bit to work at Towers. I am now really intrigued to know what was so good about it now though.
 
Love the GCI guy's response at 2:53 to the question "What's the craziest thing anyone's ever asked you to build?" Everyone else's responses are all ridiculous things (apart from Walter Bolliger of course).

"Son of Beast"

:p
 
Interesting Video, was hoping for some Gerst though, maybe in another video. Also interesting how a few were saying that water is the big thing.

A couple of the flat rides in the background looked awesome too! Any one know what the below was?

 
Yeah I believe it's the Zamperla ride.

It's a shame to hear that Gravity Group and Alton Towers have worked together in the past. It would definitely be a good asset to the line-up.

On a side note, is it just me or has TPR's coverage gotten awful this year?
 
A Zamperla Air Race is a ride at least one of our parks should be looking at...

Preferably Chessie...
 
Alton Towers must have seriously looked at a woodie in recent years which I find interesting (most of the time they've just made it clear that a woodie is always a passing thought).

Linking in with hints from Wardley's interviews post-retirement it seems that the only thing that is actually stopping Alton Towers building a woodie is people within Merlin who are still fixated on having "world's firsts" to market a new ride.

A wooden roller coaster at Alton Towers would sell to the general public. You can flog anything to the public these days as long as the marketing is top notch.
 
If the valley was used, wouldn't/couldn't it be the worlds largest drop? Would it be a giga?
 
smudge said:
If the valley was used, wouldn't/couldn't it be the worlds largest drop? Would it be a giga?
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Don't think it would have been anywhere near a Giga. There isn't even a hyper woodie at the moment, and going by Wardley's assertion that it would have had the tallest drop in the world - it'd probably have been around 200-250ft.
 
There's the USP then... Worlds Highest Wooden Coaster with lap bars

The landscaping and themeing could be something truly spectacular too.

For the woodie experts, would Gravity Group be the best option for towers then?
 
James said:
Alton Towers must have seriously looked at a woodie in recent years which I find interesting (most of the time they've just made it clear that a woodie is always a passing thought).
Click to expand...

On the contrary, it's been looked into in great detail by the park before. There's a hefty section in the "Tales from the Towers" book that details Tower's various run in's with wooden coasters. It mentions the planed one for Coaster Corner and the whole cross valley woodie plans pre Rita and how whole plans were drawn up etc. The plans are still online at Towerstimes:

plan4.jpg


A shame that these plans were so heavily criticised and opposed by locals as a wooden coaster is ideal for Towers in my eyes.
 
I do believe that Wardley did say that it would probably be the tallest drop and I would seriously love GG or GCI to make a woodie on the park. GCI with Wodan, proved that they can make a seriously fun and exciting coaster using new wheel types that would reduce noise. Europa Park also proved just how amazing a woodie can look if done properly.

Seriously towers, if they wanna work with you and build it, let them! I know that there would be a load of issues to solve along the way, but if a manufacturer wants to put a ride on your park, they will be willing to come up with some pretty unique ideas to make it work and that could be the unique selling point Merlin need to make it financially viable.
 
It does seem like the only thing prevent a woodie at Towers is Merlin. I think Towers would quite like one, the manufacturers would like one, Wardley would like one and most fans would like one. I wonder if things will change now that the Towers marketing director Wardley spoke so highly of has apparently been promoted to Merlin's director of marketing? I'm not sure if this has been confirmed though, I only heard it mentioned briefly.

:)
 
LiamC said:
On the contrary, it's been looked into in great detail by the park before. There's a hefty section in the "Tales from the Towers" book that details Tower's various run in's with wooden coasters. It mentions the planed one for Coaster Corner and the whole cross valley woodie plans pre Rita and how whole plans were drawn up etc. The plans are still online at Towerstimes:

plan4.jpg


A shame that these plans were so heavily criticised and opposed by locals as a wooden coaster is ideal for Towers in my eyes.
Click to expand...

Oh I know those plans. Any enthusiast knows about the infamous original cross valley wooden coaster!

I meant in recent years, as in, looked at seriously the past 5 years under the helm of Merlin (the original cross valley was planned back during the Tussauds days). Wardley recently mentioned concepts and designs for a circus/clown themed wooden roller coaster that Candy Holland drew up. With Gravity Group now also confirming that they've worked with Alton in recent years I find it interesting that it has been looked at seriously of recent years, after the original plans back in the mid 00s.
 
Regarding the woodie, and Merlin's concerns about whether it'd be viable. I have seven words.

If you build it, guests will come.
 
You know what? I don't like woodies. They rarely blend well thematically into anything other than some boring Wild West cliche.

I hope Alton Towers never fall for the wooden coaster gimmick.

*Runs and hides from the angry mob*
 
That's hardly an issue at AT, since their rides rarely fit their supposed themes anyway. I'd far rather the next coaster be a totally unthemed woodie than a badly themed steel coaster.
 
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