The Future of The Flume

Thu Mar 08, 2012 7:52 am

Intamin Super Splash. That is all.

Thu Mar 08, 2012 7:12 pm

Years ago the boats never used to touch the bottom of track you just floated around last year when we went on it most of the time all you could hear was the bath rattling on the bottom of the track i don,t know alot on this subject but it kind of spoilt the ride is this to do with old age or not very good pumps working as they should

Mon Apr 02, 2012 7:45 pm

I don't know if this was mentioned before but if it hasn't....

whats happened to the duck in the 2nd indoor section? i went in easter last year and it wasn't there? is it still there today and the day i went it wasn't working or has it been taken out altogether?

Tue Apr 03, 2012 1:43 pm

I went yesterday and the duck was there however wasn't playing any sound effects nor was the shower working, however this was working on opening day

Sent using Tapatalk

Tue Apr 03, 2012 1:47 pm

owenjones92 wrote: I went yesterday and the duck was there however wasn't playing any sound effects nor was the shower working, however this was working on opening day

Sent using Tapatalk

Maybe they have been having troubles with the sound effects and duck anatronics. When I went the duck wasn't there but I think the sound effects were there.

Hearing this is very worrying, I love the flume, it's a great family ride, I would be sad to see it leave

Tue Apr 03, 2012 11:12 pm

I'm gonna assume the shower was turned off as the weather isn't fantastic right now...

As for The Flume still being a "great" family ride - it's aged horribly. The ride is more like a toboggan run than a log flume right now and it needs serious work.

Wed Apr 04, 2012 9:25 am

As much as I love the flume I think that it needs a re-theme. A pirate theme to be honest, I looks out of place as it is part of mutiny bay! Have new pirate ship boats like the ones at Legoland Windsor, create new buildings with some effects, but one thing they would have to keep is the darkness!

One idea I have is when we come to the final drop we could drop into a broken ship like the krake at Heide Park with smoke and fire coming out when you drop! That would be amazing!
Another idea is that the ride could have a storyline, like looking for treasure or just try to break a curse. Simple I know but it could work

These are just two ideas of many!

Mon Apr 09, 2012 12:49 pm

Deadjack5 wrote: Maybe they have been having troubles with the sound effects and duck anatronics.

Eheheh duck anatronics.

djtruefitt · Mon Apr 09, 2012 8:06 pm

When I went on it on opening weekend the water sprayed us inside but the duck didnt light up at all, so I have no idea if it was still there or not. I cant remember if it had any sound effects or not.

Benjsh · Mon Apr 09, 2012 10:07 pm

I have fond memories of the flume going back 20 years. I'll be sad to see it leave but I know that's what needs to happen. Times move on and the park has to as well.

A Pirate themed Water coaster would be fantastic for Mutiny Bay and give the area a STAND OUT attraction. Failing that, remove it and replace the ride with one similar to Tidal Wave with Theming to fit in with MB.

The duck and bathtubs have to go though !!!

Wed Apr 11, 2012 7:27 pm

Let me put my points across:

1. Don't get rid of the Flume!!!!
2. Retheme it but don't make it a pirate theme. I know it would fit in with Mutiny Bay but there are solo many pirate themed flumes!
3. Just get rid of any sponsors. I have nothing against Imperial Leather.
4. Make the whole ride (especially the final drop) a lot bigger, better and wetter!
5. And please don't get rid of the ducks! They're funny and child-friendly, not annoying!

Wed Apr 11, 2012 11:22 pm

Benjy Alton Towers Kid wrote: Let me put my points across:

1. Don't get rid of the Flume!!!!
2. Retheme it but don't make it a pirate theme. I know it would fit in with Mutiny Bay but there are solo many pirate themed flumes!
3. Just get rid of any sponsors. I have nothing against Imperial Leather.
4. Make the whole ride (especially the final drop) a lot bigger, better and wetter!
5. And please don't get rid of the ducks! They're funny and child-friendly, not annoying!

1 - Why not? It's old. Too old in fact. The ride is knackered... The boats don't float and the whole thing just looks like it's falling apart - because it is.

2 - What would you retheme it as then? Mutiny Bay is the area which it is in and ideally the Flume should fit that. Though I do like the bathtubs!

4 - How could they do this without replacing the ride, something you already stated you don't want to happen?

Wed Apr 11, 2012 11:36 pm

Perhaps if they repaired the areas that needed the most attention on the Flume and then retheme the boats to small rowing boats. The station could become a large galleon and paint the flume to look old and rustic to suit an a pirate theme. Merlin like their aging themes so it would be right down their street! :P

However, I'd rather wait another few years and then see the Flume replaced with an Intamin Super Splash with dark sections and animatronics, etc... But the area around the Flume is protected, so I've no idea whether such a ride would ever be able to replace the Flume. If not, an improved Flume might be the only thing that could really replace the one that's there now.

Wed Apr 11, 2012 11:43 pm

In all honesty I would rather The Flume stay as it is than be given some cliched pirate theme.

When the time is right it needs tearing down for a major new family water ride. The problem is, as you say, would planning regulations allow them to utilize the woods for a new ride as much as the current one does? I'm not too sure.

Thu Apr 12, 2012 7:03 am

It's a theme park, so there's nothing wrong with clichés and cheesiness! :P

But yes, the Flume doesn't really affect it's surroundings too much (apart from the water splashing) as it's supports are minimal and it's up off the floor rather than being low to the ground with any landscaping. This was probably done because they weren't really allowed to do anything major when they installed it. And Alton already have a splash battle, indoor boat ride and rapids, so I've no idea what else they could put there? I think it's highly unlikely to be a big coaster or a flat because of the lake, so that leaves...

Thu Apr 12, 2012 9:43 pm

I stand by what I've said for a while, instead of removing another classic ride at Towers, get it back to its former glory and get rid of those bathtubs in the process!

I'd hate to see the Flume removed.

Thu Apr 12, 2012 10:16 pm

But Alton Towers doesn't want to fall into the trap of becoming a stagnant museum for it's old rides. It's sad to see rides that you've loved and have fond memories of being removed or scrapped, but if that process didn't happen then the park wouldn't be able to offer anything new, or innovate with ever advancing technologies.

The theme park industry wouldn't work if every park hardly ever removed rides and replaced them with new ones. Think of it like the scrappage scheme for cars. You get rid of your old banger for a brand new car with more bells and whistles than you can shake a stick at and it's more safer, comfortable and sooooo much more efficient, and it keeps the manufacturers going too. You'll love your old car and never forget it, but your new car will do so much more and be so much more. It's the same for theme park rides.

I'd be very sad to see the Flume go, but if something even better takes its place and brings joy to the generations that follow then that's fine by me. But while it's here we can enjoy and cherish the Flume, even if it is no Super Splash or Aquatrax!

Fri Apr 13, 2012 2:33 am

BigAl wrote: But Alton Towers doesn't want to fall into the trap of becoming a stagnant museum for it's old rides. It's sad to see rides that you've loved and have fond memories of being removed or scrapped, but if that process didn't happen then the park wouldn't be able to offer anything new, or innovate with ever advancing technologies.

The theme park industry wouldn't work if every park hardly ever removed rides and replaced them with new ones. Think of it like the scrappage scheme for cars. You get rid of your old banger for a brand new car with more bells and whistles than you can shake a stick at and it's more safer, comfortable and sooooo much more efficient, and it keeps the manufacturers going too. You'll love your old car and never forget it, but your new car will do so much more and be so much more. It's the same for theme park rides.

Well, seems to work for PBB!

Fri Apr 13, 2012 8:45 am

By "theme park industry", I didn't just mean the theme parks themselves. If every park followed-suit, then we'd only fall further behind every other country in the world and manufacturers wouldn't make enough money from the UK. It would affect theming companies too. I wouldn't class Blackpool as a theme park along side Alton Towers, it's a fun fair. Alton Towers prides themselves on their latest rides and attractions that make each visit different. If they don't make changes then gate figures fall and no better example of this is 2011 when nothing new was brought to the park, besides the odd crab. Rewind to 2010 and Th13teen gave way to the largest amount of people at the Towers since Nemesis opened in 1994.

Fri Apr 13, 2012 10:39 pm

Scott wrote: I stand by what I've said for a while, instead of removing another classic ride at Towers, get it back to its former glory and get rid of those bathtubs in the process!

I'd hate to see the Flume removed.

By "classic", do you just mean old? Old rides aren't necessarily classic. It also has to be good to be a classic.

The Flume is a rubbish log flume. Drayton, Thorpe, Chessington and LegoLand all have better log flumes, and Alton is the biggest park in UK! Get rid of it and build a well-themed modern flume, with a bigger last drop, a backwards drop and less aimless meandering in the woods.