bluesonichd
TS Member
3:30 including the pre show?
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Wicker Man - General Discussion - Part Two
- Thread starter Craig
- Start date
KingNemesis
TS Member
Not sure if this has been posted already, it's from inside the WM ride photo booklet...
Surely the ride isn't 3 minutes 30 right? Maybe it means the queue 3 hours 30
Maybe they include the minute preshow which makes it probably about right.
ThemeParkOwen
TS Member
Yeah i forgot about that. Some pretty cool info inside the booklet about the history of SW's etc - thought it was a nice touch
Rob
TS Team
- Favourite Ride
- Steel Vengeance
Apologies for the double post, but Owen Ralph has written a brilliant article about Wicker Man for Blooloop; well worth a read.
Matt N
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Shambhala (PortAventura Park)
Thanks @Rob! That was a really interesting read! However, I do note that some of the statistics listed here go against what Alton originally said. For example, it says that the ride length is 2,610ft and it hits a top speed of 42mph, whereas Alton themselves have said that it is 2,028ft long and reaches a speed of 44mph. Is Alton understating the statistics, or does this article just have typos?Apologies for the double post, but Owen Ralph has written a brilliant article about Wicker Man for Blooloop; well worth a read.
Coaster
TS Member
Having ridden Wicker Man on Sunday, I take back anything negative I said about it whilst watching it being constructed last year. It's AMAZING.
The presence the thing has from the moment it comes into view is quite something, with the richly decorated ride entrance and surrounding area making a great first impression. The theme music works well, and whilst not being fantastic in terms of the musical ideas used, it fits the ride perfectly.
The overall theme of the ride is absolutely fantastic, it's exactly the style of theming Alton Towers should be going for IMO and the first time in years that they have perfected a "complete" theme. I'd say the queueline is the best in the UK with all the unique views of the ride and combined with some really nice theming throughout. The pre-show and station are also stunning and further add to the overall experience of the ride, the attention to detail throughout is superb.
Onto the coaster itself, it's just so much fun! Whilst not an airtime machine, it makes up for this with the low-to-ground twisty nature and packs a punch. The tunnels make the first two drops hugely effective, and my favourite section of the ride is where it throws you from right to left and then into the ground-hugging turn - sheer brilliance. The dives through the Wicker Man structure are good fun, and the coaster runs with a decent level of intensity throughout.
Whilst the ride time isn't the best, I didn't feel short-changed as I do with, for example, The Swarm. I think the flat corner goes somewhere towards making the ride feel longer, as it gives you time to gather your senses before heading into the next section of the ride.
Finally, the shop is brilliant although I wasn't a fan of the linear route.
I honestly can't believe how good Wicker Man is, it's surprised me so much. Alton have finally hit the nail on the head with this one.
The presence the thing has from the moment it comes into view is quite something, with the richly decorated ride entrance and surrounding area making a great first impression. The theme music works well, and whilst not being fantastic in terms of the musical ideas used, it fits the ride perfectly.
The overall theme of the ride is absolutely fantastic, it's exactly the style of theming Alton Towers should be going for IMO and the first time in years that they have perfected a "complete" theme. I'd say the queueline is the best in the UK with all the unique views of the ride and combined with some really nice theming throughout. The pre-show and station are also stunning and further add to the overall experience of the ride, the attention to detail throughout is superb.
Onto the coaster itself, it's just so much fun! Whilst not an airtime machine, it makes up for this with the low-to-ground twisty nature and packs a punch. The tunnels make the first two drops hugely effective, and my favourite section of the ride is where it throws you from right to left and then into the ground-hugging turn - sheer brilliance. The dives through the Wicker Man structure are good fun, and the coaster runs with a decent level of intensity throughout.
Whilst the ride time isn't the best, I didn't feel short-changed as I do with, for example, The Swarm. I think the flat corner goes somewhere towards making the ride feel longer, as it gives you time to gather your senses before heading into the next section of the ride.
Finally, the shop is brilliant although I wasn't a fan of the linear route.
I honestly can't believe how good Wicker Man is, it's surprised me so much. Alton have finally hit the nail on the head with this one.
Rob
TS Team
- Favourite Ride
- Steel Vengeance
bluesonichd
TS Member
Maybe they only run the fire effect when there’s a certain amount of people on park like the Swarm fire effects.
Rob
TS Team
- Favourite Ride
- Steel Vengeance
Maybe they only run the fire effect when there’s a certain amount of people on park like the Swarm fire effects.
That's certainly not going to be the case this season.
One of the potential reasons for no fire at any given time is ride breakdowns. Whenever the ride goes down, the fire effects are automatically turned off (for safety reasons). Therefore when the ride is back up and running again, the fire effects need re-setting/turning back on. This required a member of staff from Ents to go to the effects control room by the Wicker Man theming object and flick a switch (or do something more fancy, I do not know).
So if the ride is breaking down a lot, there is a chance that the effects are not being reset consistently.