Wicker Man - General Discussion

[Dan]

Hi guys I follow this page but never comment as I don't know half as much as you lot. If I remember correctly I think someone mentioned that the the wicker man theme could breath fire or water. Probably sounds crazy as the last thing towers needs is for the ride to go up in flames. Anyway it got me thanking that what if the words "groundbreaking" meant that the ride/track broke and dropped, only like a meter or something before shooting off round the rest of the track. Just a thought but probably too difficult to do.

By dropped do you mean in the same way Thirteen does? :-k

[lkav1983]

Not on that scale no, maybe as part of themeing/effects some structures(wood) could be made to break around some areas of the ride making it look like the ride is falling down; all caused by the wicker man.

[AltonOperator]

I have no doubt at all that there will be a USP. John Wardley has said many times that Merlin wouldn't even listen to an idea if there was no way of marketing it.

[Chigaia]

Finally bothered to make an account here after years of lurking, just because the breaking/falling element seems entirely possible, if not likely, but maybe not in the sense we'd think. Mystic Timbers (also GCI) opened recently and features a large room at the end filled with underwhelming screens (sorry for the mild #whatsintheshed spoilers). Perhaps the ride could similarly finish in a room, but this time feature a large concave screen showing the wicker man interacting with the Ride Vehicle. There could be a small amount of movement in the track perhaps (which I believe would be a world's first for wooden coasters) to accompany the screen, and maybe even a few real effects in the room (like Gringott's at Universal Orlando). Purely speculation, however, the idea of something thirteen-esque got me thinking.

I should probably go post on the introducing myself board now [SMILING FACE WITH OPEN MOUTH AND COLD SWEAT]

[Chris]

I would prefer if they just created an immersive, high quality pre show rather than some gimmicky element that is hyped up like Mystic Timbers (ending) which then became a disappointment.

Most GCI's are great fun solid rides, which should speak for themselves.

[Capt.Barnacles]

Several friends of mine stateside have told me even with a fairly mediocre LOOKING layout like the one we've been presented with so far, is something to get excited about as just like Chris says, GCIs are brilliant coasters packed with airtime and snappy transitions. You only need to look at rides like Wodan and Gold Striker to see that, plus the aforementioned Mystic Timbers which has been incredibly well received as a coaster, but lets itself down with it's overhyped finale. I believe Mystic Timbers suffered a similar way to Th13teen. Overhyping the wrong part of the ride and as such leading to an underwhelming experience because of it.

[Zach]

Now I'm just throwing this in because you know who doesn't love a good bit of speculation.

They threw that station up very quickly over closed season almost as if they was of importance to be up before the public got into the park and could see construction much like with The Smiler and Th13teen I do believe. So perhaps that station holds some secrets, I'm not saying a gimmick or SW element but perhaps a layout that holds hints as to what we can expect in the pre-show or perhaps cool layout of track that will give cool start to the ride much like the inversion on The Smiler.

My guess is there will be lifts involved in the pre show.

[MakoMania]

When it says pre show, do we know if this means a pre show for the ride train before the lift hill/launch, or a pre show for guests before boarding the trains?

[Owen]

Before boarding. Although I would personally take the term "pre-show" loosely, seeing as the irritating EVE video for Galactica was classed as a pre-show too - so who knows what it'll be :P

[Luce]

It would be good if the pre show was a decent one as sometimes they can be pulled off well and set up guests for the ride or attraction to come.

The start of Hex for example perfectly sets the scene and creates the atmosphere as well as the towers themselves so I hope Merlin will do a good job.

[Chigaia]

My guess is there will be lifts involved in the pre show.

It would be interesting if there was a big wickerman themed pre-show to hide a lift, á la transformers: the ride. Perhaps a scene showing the wickerman coming alive, picking up the ride vehicle and throwing it, with the ride being launched as it happens.

[Justin]

It would be nice if it did move. Hopefully we will find out more soon. It has been a while on the official side!

[Zach]

Pre-show will definitely be something decent, this ride has to be successful especially as Blackpool have Icon in the same year. A decent story with significant theming and pre show (actual pre show) with lights, sounds, action and effects will set this ride apart.

[simononestop]

I'm not a great fan of on ride pre shows, they are good the first time you ride after that they are meh. So id rather have a better ride in the whole.
With the exception of saw, I still like the inside drop, kind of pre show. something like that would be good. ok it was really amazing the first time as I had no idea. but I still love it now even tho I know its coming.

[SonicChips]

Good afternoon y'all. Not posted on here since the building of the Smiler, so firstly... "Hi!"

Now, I've had a brief squiz through the forum and looked at stuff and read stuff so bear with me here, folks as I'm crawling up to date with all you frequenters of posting.

So, my thoughts........... This ride has always been AT's new "SW" so we know it's not "normal". It'll have something to set it apart from other rides - this could be a world first or just a first for me, who knows? (Well the designer does but the question was rhetorical.) I've seen a video on the ol' tube of you which simulates what the ride will do (or at least the publisher's vision of what it'll do), and I don't get it - it was just a wooden roller coaster going up and down and round and WAKE UP NOW! Yeah, boring. I can't see SW8 being that.

What is (or are) the general consensus regarding a potential secret element? Will there be one? The commonly used "ground breaking" term seems, to me at least, a suspicious use of words. I am leaning towards an underground thing or a launch from underground ("breaking" the ground to be out in the open); but would these things seriously be enough to warrant the use of the SW tag...?

Wha'do we think, Peeps? (Yes you're all Peeps because it makes me think of you as people in Roller Coaster Tycoon)

[Burniel]

I think some of your underwhelmed feelings may come from the fact that SW8 is going to be a more family-orientated coaster to follow The Smiler. There's unlikely to be anything too intense or "scary". Just something to consider.

As for the secret element, I doubt we'll see anything too "out there", due to the media's continued focus on Alton Towers and their tendancy to report anything they don't understand as unsafe, but I would agree that they will try to market a USP of some kind. The idea of a launch and ideas about it going underground have both been discussed, but it seems far more likely that "groundbreaking" simply refers to the excavated ground in which the ride will sit. The launch idea may have some potential, but the profiling at the top of the hill would have to change from the original plans (which is entirely possible).

Personally, I'd lean towards thinking that there's not going to be any game-changing secret element, but I guess we'll find out in due time.

[MakoMania]

If we get a decent amount of airtime I'll be happy as AT is lacking in this area.

[Burniel]

If we get a decent amount of airtime I'll be happy as AT the entire country is lacking in this area.

Fixed :P

I definitely think that if SW8 has a good amount of airtime, it will provide much better depth to the park's lineup, even though it probably won't be many people's favourite coaster. Seeing as we're never going to get a large-scale steel airtime machine at the park, SW8 is probably the best shot we have at a coaster with good airtime, so hopefully it turns out well!

[Nickolai]

From what the plans show so far there are no trim brakes. They are kill joys for air time!

[T0mPr1ce]

Im sure the plans don't show brakes anyway, we don't know if there's going to be trim brakes or not?