• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

Which major coaster will be the next to go?

Which major coaster will be the next to go?

  • Total voters
    177
I know that hating Rita is a popular opinion on this forum, but I don't think many visitors see it the same way. It's not a bad ride at all, and the experience it provides is becoming rare. I think criticising Icon for "the launch" is like criticising another coaster for having a boring lift hill, so by that logic, only Stealth offers a better launch in the UK doesn't it? So therefore it's awesome?

Rita is an uncomfortable contraption, with silly retaraints, a wasted layout, and it's ridiculously placed in the middle of the area. An area that can't really move on untill it's gone. But it's too young to go anywhere anytime soon, and it's too old to be flogged on for any tangible amount of money. Nothing to suggest that Alton would replace it with anything better having sold it for a pittance. If people still like it, it'll probably live out it's days to the bitter end like the rest of Alton's aging line up.
 
Jb85 said:
I have a lot of hate for DF, but neither are bad rides.

I’d ship RITA to Chessie and build a proper planned ride in it’s place.

Thirteen stays but needs some serious work to stop the rot and sort out the technical issues.
Click to expand...
Rita would be no good for CWOA given their target audience and the fact that it's a 1.4m ride, if Chessington were to get another coaster you'd want it to be something interesting designed for the family thrill market rather than a near 20 year old ride of a dying breed.

As for Dark Forest I also think that the removal of both coasters and a new land following a year long closure would be a good idea. But I'd perhaps rather just see one nice 1.2m coaster (with a great capacity) and several supporting rides rather than two coasters. Something the park could realy do with is a Chiapas style flume as well as the obvious need for more thrill flats (which we can see with Project Ocean is now happening).
 
Rita as a ride on it's own isn't that bad, it's not a classic by any stretch but it's not awful.

It's difficult to see how that area can be improved without it's removal though as it dominates the surrounding space so much and was poorly integrated to begin with.

Maybe they could ship it off to Gardaland when the time comes.
 
Corkscrew was very old and out dated at it's time of removal but I can't see any other existing ride that is approaching the same level of jankiness. Rita still gets a good ridership but the cable launch will probably bring forward the retirement well before the track actually needs replacing IMO
 
Wildboy1983 said:
Corkscrew was very old and out dated at it's time of removal but I can't see any other existing ride that is approaching the same level of jankiness. Rita still gets a good ridership but the cable launch will probably bring forward the retirement well before the track actually needs replacing IMO
Click to expand...
They should sell Rita on like they used to with older rides. Then use some of the cash to build a new one.
 
I know its capacity isnt the greatest looking at a full train of approx 12 riders but id love to see what Intamin could do with a Hot Racer in DF to replace Rita,Thinking of a theme of the spirit of the earls horses corrupted by the DF. Mahuka looks pretty good from the test runs and the track width doesn't take up a lot of space meaning you could have a really twisty ride with a good length too plus Intamin might do a deal to take Rita back . Th13teen Id like to keep , its a great build up for younger riders to get ready to take on the big thrills, However i would do something with the dark helix tunnel, personally id like to see some strobe lit angry wraiths on the walls or ceiling so it looks like you are being chased out tied in with some audio to increase the chase.
 
RIPCorky said:
They could flog Rita, I'm sure some European park would take it off their hands or somewhere like South America, the further the better really. Ideally Thirteen would move to somewhere like Mars.

Ug land was destroyed but it was themed around the Corkscrew being old if we are honest, and Corky wouldn't be here by now anyway.
Click to expand...
Gardaland doesn't currently have a launch coaster. If I was Merlin, I'd send it there following a major refurbishment 😊

It could potentially be a hit there 😁
 
Last edited:
I wonder how feasible a Zamperla LSM conversion of Rita would be. Better trains and removal of the scaffold tunnels would be welcome but a downgraded launch might lessen the appeal of the ride.
 
John said:
I wonder how feasible a Zamperla LSM conversion of Rita would be. Better trains and removal of the scaffold tunnels would be welcome but a downgraded launch might lessen the appeal of the ride.
Click to expand...

Entirely feasible id say
 
John said:
I wonder how feasible a Zamperla LSM conversion of Rita would be. Better trains and removal of the scaffold tunnels would be welcome but a downgraded launch might lessen the appeal of the ride.
Click to expand...
Could get Gerst to do it, their LSM launches are some of the fastest accelerating out there.
 
Many thoosies may hate Rita, but TCV/The Cazzy Viz (term approved for widespread use by appointment of @GooseOnTheLoose) feel differently I feel. For all its faults as an attraction, there's very few opportunities to experience a launch like that elsewhere these days.

I don't think relocating is an option. It's nearly 20 years old now. Maybe a few years ago it would be worth selling, but not now. It'll be there until the bitter end, possibly being harvested for parts to keep Desert Race and Stealth ticking over maybe?
 
John said:
I wonder how feasible a Zamperla LSM conversion of Rita would be. Better trains and removal of the scaffold tunnels would be welcome but a downgraded launch might lessen the appeal of the ride.
Click to expand...

Rita isn’t a special ride like Top Thrill Dragster was. I could see Stealth getting the LSM treatment one day but Rita seems a much more likely case for just a removal and possible relocation to a lesser theme park in Europe or perhaps somewhere like India.
 
I think Rita will go once they shift thier attention to dark forest. Might be a few years before this happens and they need to get the flat ride situation sorted first. X Sector is a much easier area to spruce up and a couple of flats plus a lick of paint and it's fairly sorted. Dark Forest needs a retheme and a Rita replacement
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top