SW9

Got an idea of how the Alton Towers Resort may develop over the coming seasons? Discuss it here.
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nicky.borrill
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Dom wrote:
MakoMania wrote:Launch coasters aren't gimmicks in any way. In practical terms, they are perfectly suited to a park like Alton Towers which cannot have a high lift hill in most areas.

We need a thrill ride for SW9, it has been nearly 6 years since the last one.

An Intamin blitz in Forbidden Valley would do the job nicely.
I feel I just need to clarify that I don't think launch coasters are a gimmick. By my gimmick statement i meant like their usual worlds first gimmick idea. Also AT have managed for many years without launches. If memory serves me right (Which it probably isn't) AT have only had 1 launch coaster out of all the ones it has had, and all bar Rita have always been a hit with enthusiasts. 
Swarm Chris wrote:A launch coaster makes the most sense given Alton's restrictions. Perhaps there's a gimmick side of things in terms of it being the current fashion for roller coasters. However, it allows a pretty decent level of freedom to control the rides flow that gravity based rides lack.

If they went for a launch coaster, they would need to outdo Blackpool in some manner, to distinguish itself to the public. The simplest way I can see to do that is through theming. Market the experience, not the ride's technical features.

My feeling is that SW9 will be more family based, or family thrill. I wonder if Wicker Man has showed Merlin that rides can be marketed on more than intensity alone. That building something that as many people can enjoy as possible, will end up with more guests coming through the gates. Plus Varney has made a fair few mentions of shared experiences for families recently.

I could see SW9 being their most heavily themed attraction. Something that taps into Alton's magic and that has things to get everyone excited for. I have it in my mind that Merlin bought into the interactive magic wands at one of their European parks, following Universal and Efteling this year I believe. I could see them bringing that to Alton and if they wanted to do it properly, rather than just a cheap cash grab, a new well themed world would be a great way of doing it.
I agree. I think Merlin would stick with the family thrill market as Wicker Man was a hit and they have a habit of repeating on successes. I don't think they will go down the interactive magic wand idea as other places would already have it and Merlin would be late to the party, though that being said, i've just convinced myself that they will now do :lol
Thunderlooper was technically a launch coaster too I think. 
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Podulator365098
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I think they'll be going for a more thrilling ride for SW9 as they had Th13rteen, Smiler then Wicker man. If they continue this pattern then they'll probably opt do a more thrilling attraction like an Intamin blitz. Also since they have been removing most of the attractions from cloud Cuckoo land SW9 could be located there as a new rethemed area.
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Mr_Gibson
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Is there enough space in cloud cuckoo land for a coaster? I could see some thrilling flats but I’m not sure what the size of the area is like.
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The area behind Cloud Cuckoo Land is rather large for a new themed area, however this area is used for storage and other mishaps currently.

A flat ride or 2 with an addition of a coaster, (being SW9), could be a likely opportunity.. however, with a new theme park opening in Sheffield soon, and with the new area at Paultons Park with a potential Mack spinning coaster.. it's likely that Merlin will want to invest in a coaster that is fun for the family but also caters for the thrill side of customers. So having a Intamin Blitz could be a good idea, but this would make Rita pretty much irrelevant. (Even though she already is).

I do see Alton potentially getting a launch coaster next, but this would replace Rita, as it is needed and the area where Ug Swinger used to be housed, and Bone Shaker makes a pretty big area for development.

I personally think the Dark Forest needs this uplift as currently I don't mind not doing the area compared to the rest of the park. And with the recent installation of the Dungeons, this would be the most ideal scenario to my mind.
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Mr_Gibson
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I can’t say I’ve been a fan of the Rita area since UG Land went. The Dark Forest theme feels a little ‘tacked on’ when you can still see the Ug Land theming throughly the paint. Definitely a candidate for a retheme, I agree.
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Mango18
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They should replace Rita with B&M launched wing coaster. Something to rival nemesis with the feeling of near misses and low inversions. It’d be cool to have a retheme of Dark Forest with some sort of water theme, and a decent flat thrill ride to give the area a good kick up the bum.
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TheBeornen
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Mango18 wrote:They should replace Rita with B&M launched wing coaster.   Something to rival nemesis with the feeling of near misses and low inversions.  It’d be cool to have a retheme of Dark Forest with some sort of water theme, and a decent flat thrill ride to give the area a good kick up the bum.
It doesn't need to be a full retheme but they could make the ride swamp themed if you wanted some water theming with the new ride. 
I think the Dark Forest has a lot of potential if they add new rides and experiences and try and create more of an atmosphere... maybe remove the huge, out of place racetrack in the middle which would completely open up the area. Making it feel a lot bigger than it currently does.
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Mr_Gibson
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The Dark Forest area of the park isn’t small yet the way it’s currently laid out makes it feel pokey and cramped. There is potential to do a lot with it if they can be creative.
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Guitar
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Mango18 wrote:They should replace Rita with B&M launched wing coaster.   Something to rival nemesis with the feeling of near misses and low inversions.  It’d be cool to have a retheme of Dark Forest with some sort of water theme, and a decent flat thrill ride to give the area a good kick up the bum.
I thought powered launches were out of the question due to power supply restrictions in the park?
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Guitar wrote:
Mango18 wrote:They should replace Rita with B&M launched wing coaster.   Something to rival nemesis with the feeling of near misses and low inversions.  It’d be cool to have a retheme of Dark Forest with some sort of water theme, and a decent flat thrill ride to give the area a good kick up the bum.
I thought powered launches were out of the question due to power supply restrictions in the park?
Easy, invest in a big solar power project. Oh no, we're talking about Alton Showers here.. Err, rainwater diversion to turn a huge water wheel.  
Ok no, hook up a small wind turbine to the back of every Nemesis row and then it will power from the screams.
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davey_will1980
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Mr_Gibson wrote:The Dark Forest area of the park isn’t small yet the way it’s currently laid out makes it feel pokey and cramped. There is potential to do a lot with it if they can be creative.
Totally agree with this, when it used to be Ug Land and housed Bone Shaker, Swinger and Corkscrew I used to love going to that area, it seems huge and open, now it seems cramped and always feels unfinished to me.
I know it's meant to feel dark and gloomy but it doesn't come off like that to me, I just don't like it there anymore, something needs to change. 
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Mr_Gibson
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davey_will1980 wrote:
Mr_Gibson wrote:The Dark Forest area of the park isn’t small yet the way it’s currently laid out makes it feel pokey and cramped. There is potential to do a lot with it if they can be creative.
Totally agree with this, when it used to be Ug Land and housed Bone Shaker, Swinger and Corkscrew I used to love going to that area, it seems huge and open, now it seems cramped and always feels unfinished to me.
I know it's meant to feel dark and gloomy but it doesn't come off like that to me, I just don't like it there anymore, something needs to change. 
Exactly what I think as well. It definitely doesn’t feel finished, it doesn’t help that you can still see some Ug Land theming from the Skyride too! There is a lot of hidden space in that area and some creativity could make it an excellent part of the park to redevelop.
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I think SW9 would be a combination with Suspended and Non Suspended coaster. The track would flip halfway and so would the trains then either launch or go up a lift hill.
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Yeah that would be cool. Plus, I would personally like it to be track-on-track and I think Intamin are perfect.

Suspended and Looping Coasters themed to the Galactica story would be a good fit.
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I thought of a name for what I think would suit it best Tripwire

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Dan
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I really don’t think we’ll see a concept such as the above for SW9.

What Towers really lacks is something with airtime. For this reason my preference would be for them to go with either an Intamin or Mack multi-launch coaster.
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Harry347
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I totally agree, for one I don't think Alton Towers will be looking to fund a new ride type as nothing like that currently exists (that I'm aware of).

I would like to see the removal of Rita and an Intamin Blitz or Mack Multi-Launch installed in its place. However I don't think we'll see much air time due to the height limits, I think snappy transitions and some hang time, maybe something along the lines of Copperhead Strike at Carowinds in the States.
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davey_will1980
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Would something like Icon be above the tree line, that's an excellent ride that seems to be small enough to fit in the constraints of the towers?
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Harry347
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^ Icon is a Mack Multi-launch like mentioned above :) A lot of people seem to think it'd be a good fit for the park but it would kind of make Rita defunct so whether they'd build another launch coaster with Rita still there is the big question.
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Harry347 wrote:^ Icon is a Mack Multi-launch like mentioned above :) A lot of people seem to think it'd be a good fit for the park but it would kind of make Rita defunct so whether they'd build another launch coaster with Rita still there is the big question.
The idea is to remove Rita and use the space created for the Mack Multi Launch. 
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