Alton Towers next thrill ride

[Vik]

[quote=""TittersTowers""]If planning starts in 3 weeks will we see some early ideas by Christmas? And were any hints given that John Wardley would be helping the design for SW7? I hope that the 2012 attraction for the BH tent happens - it would be great to see it being used and would help x-sector a lot [/quote]

I doubt we would see anything for a long long time yet, possibly a couple of years. Any ideas will be kept strictly in house.

The design brief is for something that has a 1.4M min height limit and is a white knuckle ride. These early planning stages will be just vague ideas and anything that will resemble what the final design will be will take some time. I just hope the BH tent sees something in 2012 as if it is left until after SW7 then we would be looking at 2015 or more likely 2016, by which time it would of been empty for 11 years.

[henry96]

Overall, pretty pleased with what's been said.

My heart did drop a little bit when I read there won't be a woodie. Especially when it said it would have the biggest drop on a wooden coaster.

At least it hints that there is a chance of a cross valley coaster even if it's not a woodie. B&M Hyper anyone?

As for the black hole, it's pretty much what everyone thought, although I'd rather they spent more on SW7 than on the Black Hole tent. Pretty pleased that that won't be the home for SW7 anyway

Surprised that a flat for DF wasn't mentioned, does this mean we won't be getting one soon or just that it wasn't in need of mentioning?

[El Patricko]

Wow great news then, SW7 being in the pipeline must mean whatever goes into the tent will be on the scope of gerstlauer or somekind of medium sized attraction (perhaps a flat-ride), either way great news

SW7 has got me really excited already, i would love to be involved with the project from day 1, They could go one of two ways. They could take a tried and proven ride type and give it a great layout or... They could opt with an original ride type and prospectively produce something amazing.

Can't wait to see what divulges in the next few years

(I vote for an open wingrider type concept if anything goes through the infamous valley)

[Rob L]

John Wardley, and Morwenna Angove, would both love to build a woodie at Towers, but due to woodies giving back negative market research, it's unlikely to happen, as Merlin will not allow it to go ahead. Merlin need proof that a new big investment is guaranteed to bring more visitors to the park.

But as for new thrill rides, 2012 will be a new family thrill ride, which I'd assume would be a flat ride of some sorts. I'd imagine that this would either be in the Black Hole tent, or in Dark Forest. Then 2014 is the most likely year for SW7, and it was great to hear Morwenna confirm that it will be a 1.4m height restriction thrill ride for thrill seekers. I'm sure a cross valley coaster will be considered for SW7, though I wouldn't actually expect it to happen due to planning difficulties.

[Blaze]

[quote=""bradpeet""]

I agree entirely with what you are saying about wooden coasters and the non-enthusiasts. But Alton Towers are obviously happy with the market they have reached. Perhaps a good opening for Drayton Manor then

But the feedback from the replacement 'Thirteen preview' event said :-

The ride was always intended to be a family ride, with no aim to create a ride solely for the thrill market. so surely that puts paid to any idea that it was anything but a family ride.

EDIT: From a marketing perspective, a wooden coaster was determined to be unsuitable for the park. Surveys have shown that a large number of people perceive these rides to seem unsafe, therefore any wooden coaster at the park is considered to be highly unlikely. I'm going to play with words here - but isn't that part of the attraction of wooden coasters? They somehow feel more out of control than steel rides, and that all adds to the enjoyment / excitement? (It specifically says that they 'seem unsafe' rather than that they actually are unsafe)[/quote]

Yes, but Thirteen was marketed as a thrill And general park marketing has been thrill orientated (for example, that fantastic image on the site with the promo shots of the four secret weapons).
2010-thrill 2011-family 2012-thrill (BH) 2013-family 2014-thrill (SW7).

People are thick for thinking woodies are dangerous, they are just as safe as steelies, in some cases more so! Ah well, I'm already excited for SW7, even though the havn't even begun designing it or anything! 2014 suddenly feels a long way away Great they want it to be a major thrill and I will look forward to following it's development again, providing there is no apocalypse in 2012 Following Thirteen was so fun and I can't wait to do it again!

Cross-valley hyper wing-rider woodie F T W!

[Ritadz]

A unique coaster in which parts of the track twist, rotate and tilt. And it will be built in the haunted hollow area and will feature tunnels and special effects. It also may feature a launch system of some kind.

It will be JW's last ride before he fully retires, meaning it should be one of his best.

[Joelio]

^ Well, you seemed to have spoiled the surprise, thanks pro'.

Anyhoo, I hope the rides a nice Intamin or B&M and I especially hope they don't blow the budget on some Worlds First element, even though it will be a worlds first hopefuly, find something cheap to revolutionise :P I'll be following development closely.

[Ritadz]

[quote=""JDog053""]^ Well, you seemed to have spoiled the surprise, thanks pro'.[/quote]

You've obviously not yet learnt the concept of "what do you think it might be.." then.

[Joelio]

My apologies.

[Moley]

Would Merlin fund the Spiderman style ride John's been wanting to create for years? If so, could/would it replace Duel?

[Maelstrom]

^probably not as much as i would love a ride like that at alton, it would cost more than a a white knuckle coaster which without a major dark ride based on an Film/book property would not generate the same increase in numbers as a major coaster would (however good the dark ride is). Plus the cost would be big forgetting that Spiderman was around $200m the much cheaper version at Busch gardens Dark Kastle was still expensive (i am sure i read about $30m which is alot for the number of guests a park like alton attracts).

As has been previously said when Alton Towers go in front of Merlin to get Money for future project they have to prove the return on the investment so a major £15m+ coaster is always going to beat a dark ride (plus doesn't look like merlin will take a risk spending that kind of money on a dark ride).

As for 2011 i am sure we will see some kind of new attractions,but not sure what we will see apart from maybe a 4d cinema or the beastie could be replaced as previously rumoured.

[Blaze]

I for one hope they never build in the valley. No matter how good the proposed woodie would hav been or any other ride would be, I think the valley should stay seperate. The whole point of Alton Towers is having the house, the gardens and the landscape, an them being seperate from the rides. They should stay sacred and untouched. Plus, in terms of design, it's just taking the easy way out, rather than creating something big in a small space in the way they have been so successful, throwing a ride into a ready made valley seems a bit lazy. I've no doubt if they do build there, it would be fantastic, but I wouldn't agree with it being there.

[Vik]

Though peoples frustrations about a wooden coaster being more or less ruled out for the short to medium term, I don't really agree with referring to people as being idiots, thick or stupid just because they gave their opinion as perceiving wooden coasters to be unsafe. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and it doesn't matter what 'group' of people they are determined to come from (ie the often used term of General Public) they are entitled to that opinion. To use derogatory remarks to dismiss them kind of gives the impression the argument has been lost really.

Alton Towers have to take note of these market researches as these are the bulk of the people they want to get through the gates. If they show no interest in such a coaster, then, as already mentioned, Towers would have a very hard job convincing Merlin to part with their cash to pay for it. Merlin need to see a return on their investment, that being more guests, repeat visits and ultimately these people spending money whilst on park.

As of yet the market for a wooden coaster doesn't seem to be there. But that doesn't mean they have given up just yet, they will keep trying. So maybe one day? :

[D-Man]

This means that the flume replacement thread started by '2006 + Planning Worker' or whatever he/she is called, again is a big lie and is again wrong. Why do people just decide to do that, it's just really annoying. Hopefully this new ride will be John's best creation yet , but in my opinion nothing will beat Nemesis :P

[NemmyNut]

put a valhala in the bh tent ,no seriously , i say put in a compact coaster in the bh tent for 2012 as an interim attraction,ya know to whet people's appetites and then the biggy sw7 in 2013/14.

[Johno]

I can concur with the public perception of 'unsafe' wooden rolleroasters.

My family see them as old, worn out and entirely unsafe and uncomfortable to ride.

[Nightfall]

It doesn’t help that all of England’s woodys are worn out and unsafe. If only a non Merlin park built a modern woody and changed everyone’s opinion.

[quote=""D-Man""]This means that the flume replacement thread started by '2006 + Planning Worker' or whatever he/she is called, again is a big lie and is again wrong.[/quote] Yes I have a feeling they lied. I’m not convinced there wrong. The double pair yesterday seemed pretty sure 2012 will be a family-thrill ride. A replacement for the flume would certainly fall in that category. As they don't seem to know exactly what the Black Hole tent will be used for I doubt it's the same thing as the current suggested 2012 ride. Looks like 10 years of emptiness

[bradpeet]

[quote=""Nightfall""]It doesn’t help that all of England’s woodys are worn out and unsafe. If only a non Merlin park built a modern woody and changed everyone’s opinion.[/quote]

But they aren't worn out and unsafe!

They are certainly old. Even the one in Wales is 14 years old now. But if a modern woodie was going to change public opinion, surely it would have happened with Megafobia?

It's a great shame, but it seems that too many people are convinced that wood is old fashioned and unsafe - and just want the 'latest technology' all the time. And part of the blame for that is down to Alton Towers themselves.

[Nightfall]

Whoops! Copied the wrong bit

I meant to write
Old and un-comfortable

As opposed to modern twisters. Megaphobia sounds good but very out of the way, one of the reason I haven’t ridden it (although would love to someday).