Airtime Quote - Future Plans?

[Anonymous]

I reckon this second entrance is for hotel guests and busy days like Fireworks, the main entrance will be used most of the time.

[Anonymous]

[quote=""Thirst""]But he said it was a coaster and not a sim ride![/quote]

Did he? Oh, ok. Perhaps the woody then, but if refering to Alton Towers that ain't so unique compared to the likes of Oblivion and Air, and Thorpe Park haven't got anything unique on the horizen. Chessy. haven't got a ride "we all love", so I have no clue!

I agree with Ade though. There isn't an ounce of logic in removing to entrance to Towers Street, or replacing it. The secondary entrance will be secondary to the main one used now, and for the Resort.

[John]

Just because its a woodie doesn't mean it won't be unique - it could be a new type with something never before seen on a wooden coaster, no idea what it might be though.

The one thing alton towers is lacking (in terms of coasters at least) is a woodie and it seems that both AT and JW want to build one!

[CGM]

Just because its a woodie doesn't mean it won't be unique - it could be a new type with something never before seen on a wooden coaster, no idea what it might be though.

It could be called unique because it would be one of the very few woodies with a drop of 200ft or more for example

[buggy]

[quote=""edat2""]The next major ride that Alton want to install is a Spiderman type ride, which will go where Magic HQ and the staff car parks are. Which is one of the reasons for the 2nd entrance in the Valley, the other reason being that the monorail will clonk out soon and Alton won't pay for a new one.


The woodie is not coming any time soon, if ever.[/quote]

Was thinking that too, but it's not really a coaster is it?

I'm thinking the woodie would be more likely than a B&M 4D. New woodies are unusual, and it would definetly be special for AT.

[Martin1]

I just thought, slughtly off topic but it is about the new entrance, could be an entrance for hotel guests, but it may be just used as an exit for night time to empty the park quicker.

[Anonymous]

This new entrance obviously has the resort and it's future in mind. but I think they should consider really going all out on this. Entrances are important, they are the very first impression and therefore should reflect the awsomeness of the park! If the entrance fed into a woodland area rather than Forbidden Valley this would be universally superb. Little kidy's aren't entering an intimidating land, and are aren't starting off with the the most immense part of the park. The full throttle right at the start will lessen atmosphere as it will decrease throughout the day, not increase!

Imagine entering a big terrace of shops, with lively music playing, and with Splash Landing behind you and just being able to hear from screams from FV. then after paying slowly feeding into a mysterious woodland not knowing what can come. Then bamn. Ug-Land here, Forbidden Valley there, X-Sector just up there. Feeding into all the areas from a secluded base, what a fantastic way to do things.

I'm really getting into this. I think I believe this one idea could really add alot of depth to Alton Towers and heighten initial atmosphere immensly. Unfortunatley, apart from possibly being infeasable through woodland (not sure), this is a Disney/Universal type proposal, not Tussauds.

(Waits for Tussauds to proove wrong :P )

[Squiggles]

Umm, two things spring to mind. If there was a second enterance at FV, this could be used by hotel guests and also those who have pre-bought tickets. Then Towers Street could be kept for coach parties and people who need to buy tickets. Of course this makes little sense, as Towers Street is perfectly capable of coping with all the guests it does now.

However this leaves teh question of why would they need a second enterence at all, as Towers Street is perfectly capable to dealing with all current needs.

The only real reason I can think of is in order to remove the monorail from the equation. This would work on two fronts.

1) Money, saving on power and staff expediture, also the park can seel the monorail/trains and make some cash off of it.

2) It frees up land on two fronts: all those areas the monorail passes through (Gloomy Woods, Dynamo Site, etc) can suddenly utilise sapces that were previously un-usable/very restricted. Also, it would mean the area which currenlty holds the monorail storage facilities (in between GW and FV) become available for development - it's just a heftily sized area and is nowhere near any houses/hotels.

[Anonymous]

Ooo no. Can't see that working.

The Monorail is a very effective way of handleing crowds, and allowing sufficient use of the car-park far from Towers Street, aswell as allowing a magical beginning to your day.

A second entrance allowing access for all the main guest's would be comletely infeasable. Thousands of guest's all in Forbidden Valley would be craziness, as would the miss use of a very effect and beautiful/atmospheric central entrance. As space is concerned, there are plenty more un-used spaces Alton should be concerned about. I don't think they are that desperate just yet at all.

For the Resort, a secondary entrance is almost a nessecaity, expecially if they plan to add this rumours Casino themed hotel. But it is simply incapable for main use. Towers Street has been cleverly designed as a central beggining to Alton Towers and it would be pure craziness for this to become secondary.

[adricorbo73]

I like the idea of the two entrances, as I think Alton Towers needs another entrance. Towers street can't hold the amount of people wanting to get in anymore! Have you not seen the amounts of people queuing just to get a ticket and manage to get into the park! I beleive it would work better if pre bought tickets, season passes also when large events are on they could universaly open both gates up. This would free up queues and make the normal guests who wait to buy their tickets a shorter time to wait, giving them a more positive attitude at the start of the day! And Alton towers can always control or pusuade people to go to either gates with interactive signs saying which ones busier. just a thought

[Liam]

I agree that the monorail will be key to any new major entrance. They might very well be thinking of removing the monorail, and this decision just might be the most efficient and economic for the park in the long run. Although it would be a huge shame to see it go, this is one of the decisions that couldn't be taken lightly.

. . . however, if the monorail does disappear and the park wants to expand, IMO the skyride would need to be replaced with a more extensive transport system (be it another gondola ride/ or a new monorail) that goes around the park and into the main resort areas too, as well as the car parks. If the monorail goes they will need a very well organised replacement planned out in advance.

Plus, what are the chances of a new hotel/entrainment complex being built at the top of towers street, on the vip and staff car-parks? Towers Street would then have a use if there is the other gate, as a night-time shopping area, etc. With they they could even keep the monorail for taking guests between hotels.
If this 2nd entrance ever gets the go ahead, this might just be the perfect solution to all the monorail/Towers street shop/main view problems. Which just leaves the incapacity for hundreds of guests filling FV and getting grid-locked on the KK/GW paths each day.
But, yes the free land that alton own is up towards FV, so it would be logical to them, with the need to expand to move the "grand entrance-way" up there too.

[CGM]

Can't really see the new entrance happening because as I mentioned earlier (more like lectured actually), FV would just fil up and the main reason why I don't think it will is because of the Towers themselves. This is the only reason why the entrance is there and why there's a monorail service to it

[John]

At the mo FV isn't set up to have an entrance there - there's only one main path into/out of it and its not suited to getting large amounts of people to other areas of the park. The current entrance is perfectly placed for crowd dispersion - people can go left to FV straight on to ug land or right to x sector - if everyone started off in FV every morning think how busy it would get - 3hr q's for nemmie and air within a couple of hours of opening probably, even on relatively quiet days. The number of people in FV might even become a health and safety issue.

(we seem to have abandoned the original topic here!)

[Squiggles]

The Monorail is a very effective way of handleing crowds, and allowing sufficient use of the car-park far from Towers Street, aswell as allowing a magical beginning to your day.

Effective, but not necessary. Other parks can mange their crowd control without the use of a monorail, so AT shouldn't really have any trouble without it.

And surely that would be the point of having a second enterance, for the use of the carparks far from Towers Street. (hence negating the need for the monorail)

A second entrance allowing access for all the main guest's would be comletely infeasable.

It wouldn't be for all the main guests though. Neither Coach parties nor hotel guests would need to use it, as both these groups have their own enterances.

As space is concerned, there are plenty more un-used spaces Alton should be concerned about. I don't think they are that desperate just yet at all.

I think they are - when was the last time a ride was built that didn't require the relocation/removal of other rides? I think it was probably Hex, and before that way back when the SBL was built in 1997. When the park has to build its latest coaster on top of an exsisiting area, it kinda suggests they are running a little short on space.

Plus, what are the chances of a new hotel/entrainment complex being built at the top of towers street, on the vip and staff car-parks?

hmm, you just gave me another interesting thought. What if the monorail storage area was moved to the VIP Parking area at the top of TS. Then the area alongside GW would be available for park devlopment. This would be a more suitable situation, as the VIP parking area is sited right by people's houses, so isn't ideal for park expansion.

[Liam]

I totally I agree - Forbidden Valley is definitely the wrong place to have an entrance. . .
. . . at the moment that is.

You see, with future resort and park expansion inevitably revolving around FV, Alton will have to widen paths in the area and will have to build more paths, maybe even get ride of attractions such as Ripsaw and Blade to do this. But it will be done, if not in the next few years, it will be in 10 years or so from now.


On a side not, and relating to my previous post, with this new expansion and/or entrance up past FV (the entrance would not be right next to air IMO) it would be sensible to build a transport hub. Somewhere that a future hotel to hotel sky-shuttle might stop at, somewhere where guests would get off from buses, and maybe board a brand new whole park monorail.

This opens a whole series of new possibilities for the park, and this is why I now realise why they would want to consider it.


[quote=""Squiggles""]hmm, you just gave me another interesting thought. What if the monorail storage area was moved to the VIP Parking area at the top of TS. Then the area alongside GW would be available for park devlopment. This would be a more suitable situation, as the VIP parking area is sited right by people's houses, so isn't ideal for park expansion.[/quote]

Yep, another possibility. Another Duel-sized attraction could indeed fit in the present monorail service area - not to mention the other space behind Duel that is home to long-dead rides.

[And.]

I really can't see Magic HQ and staff car parks going in favour of a new ride to be honest. Next to MHQ is the stores and distribution area of the park (basically where all the deliveries go in and where all the stock goes out to be put across the park (shops, games, food outlets - everything).

Getting rid of MHQ/Stores/Staff Car parks would be a logistical nightmare - where would it all go? Where would the lorries that go to the park go? At the moment, it's a convenient area near to the main entrance to the park.

MHQ is closed for maintenance at the moment as well - so it's not likely to be going anywhere in my opinion.

What do I know though?! I only work there!

On the second entrance - I think this'll be for hotel and resort guests really - the woodland walk isn't the best of entrances for them, and it's quite a trek from the hotel down to the main entrance (even with the monorail). I'm not too sure of the geography of that area though.

[CGM]

I totally I agree - Forbidden Valley is definitely the wrong place to have an entrance. . .
. . . at the moment that is.

This is what I've been saying for the last few days!

Ah well, at least someones' payed attention now

[teavee]

The distrubtion stores are at the back of the skyride station, its hardly merry england and I was talking about the staff car parks aswell.

[Rory]

[quote=""Liam_""]
[quote=""Squiggles""]hmm, you just gave me another interesting thought. What if the monorail storage area was moved to the VIP Parking area at the top of TS. Then the area alongside GW would be available for park devlopment. This would be a more suitable situation, as the VIP parking area is sited right by people's houses, so isn't ideal for park expansion.[/quote]

Yep, another possibility. Another Duel-sized attraction could indeed fit in the present monorail service area - not to mention the other space behind Duel that is home to long-dead rides.[/quote]

a very ineteresting suggestion. i think this area of the park would be great for development too, giving yet another part fo the part which isnt utilised enough, a major new ride to pull in the crowds

[Anonymous]

So I wonder what this coaster will be?

If it aint the woodie then it's got to be something new?

What coasters are in development at the moment?