Ug Land / Rita 2010

General discussion regarding the UK's No.1 Theme Park. Talk about anything and everything Alton Towers here.
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Kaycee

Welcome to the Ug Land 2010 topic. Discussion surrounding the area theme/potential re-theme as well as discussion on Rita in relation to the new project belongs here.

As mentioned in the sub-forum guidelines, this topic will be heavily moderated by the team, particularly in time of increased forum traffic as construction continues. As a result, please ensure that you are contributing to ongoing discussion, and not simply posting for the sake of it. Any posts which are considered to be irrelevant to the ongoing discussion will be deleted.

Before posting, please think whether your post is suited to this topic, or whether it would be more suitable in one of the other SW6 topics within this forum.

The sub forum and the topics within it are currently being run on a trial basis. You may find topics are reorganised or renamed or removed altogether over time.

As always, if you have any feedback regarding the forum, please use the TT News and Your Views forum.

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Joe Koopa
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Again sorry if this is considred spammy, I'll just thought I'd paste what I posted in the old SW6 topic about Rita being re-themed, it didn't receive much attention with all the mumbo-jumbo going on-

If Alton Towers are going to bother with the ride then Rita simply has to be sorted out and in Phase One please. Just imagine it, walking through your local race-track, then suddenly you come to a crypt. What a coincidence, you will probably still be able to hear Thunder Rock Radio from the queue line, you could definatley hear it from Corkscrew's. So as your on an adventure, meanwhile a race is going on nearby, with rock music playing.
How mysterious!
To be honest, if the park could be even bothered to do the ride, they could simply do it right. Rita's been a problem right since 2004, when construction started, ruining one of the park's best-themed and (some might say) the best themed area in the park.
Now let's not let it ruin the best ride in the park, and for all that the GP don't care stuff, as a matter of fact they do. I visited last summer with my two cousins, who aren't enthusiasts and as soon as they walked into UG Land, they noticed it looked like a place out of The Flinstones, and then in their own words said- "So what's Rita doing here? I thought areas were meant to look the same".
Yes it may not directly effect how popular the ride's going to be, but it's just one of those touches Alton have done so well over the past year, in which Merlin have been in control.
In fact, if the ride opens without a re-themed Rita, I will create a facebook, my-space, bebo, you-tube and what not group just to get Alton Towers to re-theme Rita.

[/Rant]
Few, rant over. Don't know what bought that upon.
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Oblivion_
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[quote=""Koopa-Troopa""]Again sorry if this is considred spammy, I'll just thought I'd paste what I posted in the old SW6 topic about Rita being re-themed, it didn't receive much attention with all the mumbo-jumbo going on-

If Alton Towers are going to bother with the ride then Rita simply has to be sorted out and in Phase One please. Just imagine it, walking through your local race-track, then suddenly you come to a crypt. What a coincidence, you will probably still be able to hear Thunder Rock Radio from the queue line, you could definatley hear it from Corkscrew's. So as your on an adventure, meanwhile a race is going on nearby, with rock music playing.
How mysterious!
To be honest, if the park could be even bothered to do the ride, they could simply do it right. Rita's been a problem right since 2004, when construction started, ruining one of the park's best-themed and (some might say) the best themed area in the park.
Now let's not let it ruin the best ride in the park, and for all that the GP don't care stuff, as a matter of fact they do. I visited last summer with my two cousins, who aren't enthusiasts and as soon as they walked into UG Land, they noticed it looked like a place out of The Flinstones, and then in their own words said- "So what's Rita doing here? I thought areas were meant to look the same".
Yes it may not directly effect how popular the ride's going to be, but it's just one of those touches Alton have done so well over the past year, in which Merlin have been in control.
In fact, if the ride opens without a re-themed Rita, I will create a facebook, my-space, bebo, you-tube and what not group just to get Alton Towers to re-theme Rita.

[/Rant]
Few, rant over. Don't know what bought that upon.[/quote]

I completely agree with you.

If the SW6 theme is the hounds, they could theme Rita into some dogs, so it's kind of like on Nemesis, when you're "riding the monster"
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Jon
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I think the problem that can be had is that they think about the story of rides in an oh-too-real sense.

I mean, in the real world, if there was an old creepy crypt where strange things have been reported on the outskirts of a bustleing racetrack, it would be quite forboding. Like Edward Scissorhands, a shiny suburban little street and then this horrible mansion looming over them.

But, in a themepark, that is a fairly complex idea to convey towards guests. They would have to have an area landscaped ideally to befit the theme of a contrast between a happy area and a mysterious one. They'd have to make it clear that they are both supposed to be looked at together to apprechiae contrast while, at the same time, try to show distance, and only with immersive and clever themeing on either side could this really be done.

Guests barely notice themeing. They won't comment on "oh look at the detail in the themeing of this African style area". It doesn't happen. However, the atmosphere created by such areas does permeate to guests in a more subconscious way, improving their experience without them realising it. This only happens when the themeing in an area is easily absorbed. It has to be simple or cleverly conveyed through continuity in themeing and colours used. In this sense, Ug Land was the best area for this.

So, yes, it might be weird to have a contrast between a fun, roaring land with creepy wooded outskirts, but the two rides are so close together and with little themeing on Rita's part seperating them, it just isn't going to work.

I'd prefer to see Rita genericly themed than to keep the "loud" themeing it has at the moment. Or better still, if it is genericly themed based around colours and shapes used for SW6, like Corkscrew was to Ug Land, sortof had a connection to bones but otherwise just "fitted in". The same deal Enterprise, Submission, The Blade, Ug Swinger etc etc have. No tangible ideas as to what the ride is, just loose themeing that allows for a consistantly themed area.
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stretchy
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I have a feeling that Rita is going 'green' and will have at least a new tag name for next season.

At best I think the whole area is going to have vines and roots coming out of the SW6 area and entwining RITA's supports. The main buildings in the area will get an 'aged' look and thunder rock radio will be quieter and mixed with odd eerie noises.
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Dormiens-Dave

TBH it wouldnt take all that much to alter rita, the car themed trains are just clip on fiberglass covers, they could easily get more generic ones from intamin (like kingda ka) and replace the current ones,

The operator cabin and the sides of the station could be plastered and made to look like crumbling ruins with some crenulations and the such. and a simple new entrance feature and hey presto the whole lot fits.

And the beauty is that no planning permission is required as Rita sits in the General Development Order Area.
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I think we could see Thunder Rock Radio being removed 2010 onwards as it would clash with the new themed area. Alton made this mistake with Charlie and CCL at the start of this season but the external music has now been turned off.

I like the idea of vines/roots coming out the ground and surrounding Rita's supports. Maby they could keep the name 'Rita' but just change the rest of the name 'queen of speed' to something else. I personally can't see Rita's track being re-painted unless Alton have the money to do this.

I hope the area include's some form of entertainment whether it be a show or just characters walking around the area. By looking at CCL and Mutiny Bay this should be another great addition and should continue with the great theming that Merlin/Alton have done the last 2 years.
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The operator cabin and the sides of the station could be plastered and made to look like crumbling ruins with some crenulations and the such. and a simple new entrance feature and hey presto the whole lot fits.[/quote]

I think that would look really good actually. Its a very simple retheme that would work, something that Alton are likely to go for. The supports are already brown - if they painted fake vines along the bases (perhaps even use a bit of actual themeing and plant some) then it could be a really striking image.

[quote=""dormiensdraco""]
And the beauty is that no planning permission is required as Rita sits in the General Development Order Area.[/quote]

Does that mean that the Rita queueline could alter too? I remember there being a bit of negativity over the SW6 plans due to the Rita queueline being the same, but it would be brilliant if the Cattle Pen was altered.
Kaycee

I have a horrid feeling that Alton Towers see Rita as a strong 'brand' in itself and would think it confusing and a waste of time and money to re-theme it and re-market it under a different theme. This is just what I've picked up, and I really hope it's not the case - to open a new, re-named Ug Land in 2010 a coherently themed area rather than a mish-mash of clashing themes would be infinitely more impressive.
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Joe Koopa
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I know how much I want Rita re-themed but they can't keep the UG Land name, I mean it has nothing to do with it. :|
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[quote=""Kaycee""]I have a horrid feeling that Alton Towers see Rita as a strong 'brand' in itself and would think it confusing and a waste of time and money to re-theme it and re-market it under a different theme. This is just what I've picked up, and I really hope it's not the case - to open a new, re-named Ug Land in 2010 a coherently themed area rather than a mish-mash of clashing themes would be infinitely more impressive.[/quote]

I think Rita is so popular know I don't think it will be rethemed, I know its theme is weak but I kinda like and have got used to it I want it to stay. What you say Kaycee about it being confusing is true, people will think that suddenly, the ride that was fun and vibrant is now eerie and creepy seems really odd to me, and people will be scratching their heads when they see the same ride just looking different.
I know logic says it should get a retheme but I dont like the idea of changing Rita! :cry: Plus, with a "dark forest" theme the current name would not work and a new one would be needed, in the eyes of guests it would be total identity confusion.
I mean how many major rollercoasters do you know that after just 4/5 years are completely rebranded with new theming and names? (Basically unheard of).
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haydn!
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There are some aspects to RITA which probably are better off staying the same, especially when approaching the matter from a financial, and branding point of view. However I think this is limited only to its actual name. The actual theme is very weak as it is, and although RITA is a popular name I think it's connotations are 'fast roller coaster' not 'fast roller coaster with a mashed Ug theme'

The name RITA and 'fast coaster' persona could easily be transferred into a new visual identity, whilst at the same time remaining the same fast ride experience.
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I think it's pretty much certain that Ug Land will be re-named, it has nothing to do with either Rita or SW6. Then there's the issue of a possible Rita re-theme, and I really hope that it does happen. All you need to do is look at the SW6 teaser banner in the Rita queue to see that it and Rita do not go together at all. Surely Alton aren't going to open in 2010 with a new area consisting of two coaster with completely different theme, it really won't look good.

I'd like to see the following done to Rita. First of all it will need to be repainted, and the green that the highest parts of the track currently are would not be a bad choice of colour. It will also need a new name, Rita - Queen of Speed and a Dark Foresty type name for SW6 do not match. The trains shouldn't be too hard to change as it us just the shells that would need replacing, and then there's just the operators cabin and ride entrance that need some work. It's definitely possible and if Alton want SW6 to be as good as it possibly can be then something has to be done with Rita.

After saying all that though, it looks like SW6's theme is going to be something along the lines of some routine excavation work was taking place, and then a mysterious crypt was found. That would be a perfect excuse for Alton to leave Rita as it is, and I just hope that they do not take this easy option.

:)
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I really do think that we will be seeing a 2 Phase Development happening over a period of 2 years.

Phase 1 (2010) - Coaster & Station themeing complete.

Phase 2 (2011) - New flat ride & Complete area re-theme.

Thoughts?
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haydn!
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[quote=""Wes""]I really do think that we will be seeing a 2 Phase Development happening over a period of 2 years.

Phase 1 (2010) - Coaster & Station themeing complete.

Phase 2 (2011) - New flat ride & Complete area re-theme.

Thoughts?[/quote]

Although it makes sense financially to spread the cost over two years. I think I'd prefer they spent 80% of the 'two year' budget in year 1 with only minor new developments in year 2. After all, this coaster should be good enough to carry the park for a year or two without the need for anything major to immediately follow.
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I can't remember if I posted this a while ago, it was just me playing around with what a simple retheme of Rita that would make it genericly fit into the new area's theme.

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Just all foresty really. All quite natural and rustic. Then SW6 can be seen as something sinister deeper into the forest. All the cattle pen queue lines could be made to look like a tangle of trees.

I know my image editing skills are awful! I was just trying to represent what I mean.
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But the thing is, Rita is only a really popular thrill ride ATM due to its "light-hearted thrill" nature, the whole theme presence ATM creates a real buzz which is really fun. I mean some people hang around Rita all day and chill, whereas they wouldn't with Nemesis now would they? I think making it eerie and spooky would ruin the whole "craziness" of Rita, it would be such a shame to strip away the "fun" and replace with another deep, creepy theme. I mean we already have two big rides on park designed to scare the living hell out of us, I just think Rita is the thrill that appeals to a wider audience and for 2010 they need to carefully adapt it to keep its "buzz" or leave alone.
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haydn!
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If they leave it alone, it would completely undermine any effort they put into making SW6 an immersive experience. The rides will be just too on top of each other for either theme to work properly as stand-alone entities.

I think Merlin have proven with Mutiny Bay, and Cloud Cuckoo Land that their policy is everything must fit the bill - each area they've developed has created a consistent, and somewhat immersive environment. Okay, the flume is an obvious exception but their hands are currently tied on that project and I do believe we'll see change there soon!

I think we will see significant changes to RITA's appearance during the realization of SW6 and I doubt it will dampen the riders experience in any way.
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I couldn't agree with that more. There's almost no point in this whole project is they don't do something with Rita and the rest of Ug Land. Alton Towers is a THEME park, the theming is very important and has to take priority over whether or not people want to stand all day and chill in a certain places in the park. People will still go on Rita if it it re-themed, I'm 100% certain of that. People go on it because of the coaster itself and the launch, not because it's got a racer theme that gives off a buzz. If anything I think re-theming it will mean that it will be even more popular, it could be marketed as a new ride like Alton are doing this year with the Skyride, and if it's got a different theme people might want to go on to see if it's any different, of course it won't be though!

A Rita re-theme is a must, I'll be very disappointed if it doesn't happen, and if it doesn't it could ruin SW6 as when you go into what is not Ug Land you will see Rita first, not SW6.
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Let me explain, this is how I would like it to be laid out;

The yellow area is obviously CCL and the blue area would be the new UG Land obviously as a different theme, probably around a race track.

The Centre area would be the new Towers area consisting of HEX and SW6, maybe you could but a small flat ride were king 6 bungee is. Rita chicken an ribs would also be re-themed. The only problem I could see would be the Sky-ride station being in the way and access to SW6.
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