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Where are all the flat rides?

xRetroxCraftx

xRetroxCraftx

TS Member
Hi guys so over the past year your must have noticed how alton towers are getting ride of alot of flat rides the twirling toad stale has now be removed but Im hoping its got to do with the theming for the sw8 which I recon will be an enchanted village theme and they keep the twirling toadstall as its my favorite ride as a kid so does anyone have any ideas as to whether ATR are going to get new ones i dont think its gonna be much longer for ripsaw if Im honest
 
Ripsaw is currently sat in a car park in Northern Germany and has been so for well over half a year.
Toadstool has been dismantled as part of the TLC program, so is likely to be sat in pieces in a workshop gathering dust for a year until they decide to do anything with it next closed season.

As for the other flat rides that have recently left, either relocated or are pieces of scrap in landfill.

But don't worry, any further flat ride removals will be fully replaced by a state of the art HB Leisure attraction/stall. They're in good hands.
 
thanks for your reply and yay they need to keep the twirling toadstall shame about ice age never saw it :/ dont think i missed must the only 4d I liked was the drayton manor marshons film and few I did inbox the park asking about a gyro swing they put it across to the team so they should be thinking about more flat rides I hope as they bring ques down
 
The social media team don't have a lot of say on how the park is run. I doubt we'll see many new flats as merlin don't seem keen to build them...
 
I could have sworn I saw a pic recently (maybe not from this site) showing one of the Submission gondolas being left to rot in the old coaster corner area.
 
xRetroxCraftx said:
twirling toad stale
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EOYvt8l.jpg

More specifically, it's old and in desperate need of work. Despite its every changing external changes over the course of three decades.

Furthermore, if you've ever been involved with risk assessments in a park setting, you'll know that Wave Swingers are a pain (especially the traditional ones whereby a rider can choose to leave their seat when the ride is at its full height if they so choose to do so).

I do understand the frustration with a lack of flat rides, but they're difficult and expensive to maintain, have a lower capacity* / typically less popular and are less marketable.

* - that's not an invite for 'Well the capacity of the park is lower now' - because that's demonstrably untrue.
 
I been going to Alton Towers since 1993 when it did mean where Magic never ends. They had 7 coasters which they replaced 6 of them just the Runaway Mine train left. Like with the flats they had 6 flats and 4 of them is still there. They also had shows all around the park.
Fast forward 24 years and since Merlin been in charge they removed,closed more rides than they have opened.
They removed rides without notice with no plans to replace them straight away. They let contracts run down with no plan in place to replace them but happy to still charge more each season.
Under Tussards it was about having a good time but under Merlins it's all about queuing and if you don't like it then buy fast track tickets or go home.
 
I honestly believe the park is missing flats massively and I agree with them just letting the IP run out without a plan look at Drayton Manor Ben 10s IP has ran out it's not accelerator and the theming in my opinion is 20x better then Ben 10 ever was! And I just wish they would add more flats to the park
 
Merlin nowadays are only interested in rides that are linked to IP's. They looked how well it's worked with Thomasland,Nickelodeon land and Peppa Pig world and its proven to be a big hit for the parks so that's why CBeebies has seen more attractions added.
Merlin been in control 10 years now.
In that time they added

2008 Merrie England retheme with battle galleons and a 2nd hand ride from Drayton Manor.

2009 Cred Street retheme no new rides

2010 Retheme Ug land and 13

2011 Nothing

2012 Ice Age (gone) Sub Terra (SBNO)

2013 Smiler

2014 CBeebies land

2015 Octonauts Rollercoaster Adventure

2016 Air retheme

2017
Go Jetters Vroomster Zoom Ride and the Furchester hotel

They also Closed Submission,Ripsaw,Charlie,Wobble world,Flume a year to early.

I don't know how Merlin think 2 thrill flat rides that are the oldest attractions in the park Is good enough for the park.
I think we will only see new thrill flat rides if they are linked to IP's as that what gets the crowds to the park and SW coasters.
 
I think there plenty of rides to come without IPs, but Merlin have said that they are proceeding with a strategy concerning "An increasing focus on Intellectual Property (IP) as the key ingredient to delivering compelling propositions and attractive financial returns. This is fuelling ever greater partnerships between brand/IP owners and delivery platforms such as location based entertainment."

They could easily have used an IP with Video Air, but opted not to.
 
I agree new flat rides need to be built. As for the old ones, unfortunately, the points that Rick has highlighted are likely to be correct in terms of high costs/low efficiency, and are much less scarce and demanded than Roller coasters. That, and age , and possibly a bit of planned obsolescence (if they were made with the idea that future technology would allow better rides to replace them) will unfortunately mean a limited lifespan.
In saying that, their plan for Ripsaw was disappointing in every meaning of the word.
I think the new flat rides need to be the kind that are hard to replicate, are unique or innovative. Maelstrom at drayton manor fits quite well with this. I would of said Slammer too, but its operational history kind of defeats my point :p
 
I'm probably in a minority, but most flat rides don't do it for me.

Repetitive motions, with little in the way of travel or spectacle delivering little that you can't do at a travelling funfair.

AT needs large, custom, unique attractions for both family's and thrill seakers. Unfortunately, a distinct lack of imagination since a certain well known individual left, has resulted in a string of attractions that need too many staff to run, fail to deliver the theme park magic and close after a short spell.

I love coasters, both family and thrill, great water rides with thrilling elements that get you soaked and dark rides with atmosphere imagination and ambience.

That said, as much as flat rides don't do much for me, I'd rather have them than any number of VR attractions. I don't see the point in spending millions of pounds on VR headsets and videos when in just a couple of years, the technology will have improved to the extent that in a short amount of time, you will have a better experience at home with a hundred quids worth of equipment.

VR removed any sense of speed or G Forces from air, diluting the experience. As for DBGT, for the amountime it cost, I found it a little... boring!
 
i'm no lover of flat rides either and this post could go in another thread because they make me feel sick

i do have a soft spot for enterprise though and can just about manage a go on it as it brings back fond memories of being 'big enough to go upside down' when i was growing up and a regular at BPB being originally from blackburn
 
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