Wicker Man - General Discussion

[NemesisRider]

But, again, 13 came in 2010. That was a psycoaster. Do you not think it would be a little similar? And not an SW?

[Coasterfellow]

That ride looks amazing! Alton towers needs this tpe of coaster. The side slide and the tilt and drop look so cool!!

[NemesisRider]

Yeah, it looks good, though it is still parents pending (basically it is super New). If AT gets one they will probably be bested by an American park 2 years later.

And this is Merlin. They like to play it safe.

I have so many amazing ideas for an AT B and M wing coaster but Thorpe have the Swarm. A wing coaster that hugs the floor but is still thrilling. Inversions in ditches and crannies, etc.

[sw7nutter]

Wing riders need huge amounts of space and massive drops. Their turning circle has to be massive and as the trains are heavy they need large drops to pull nay G's. It will not be a wing rider.

[Alex]

Yeah, it looks good, though it is still parents pending (basically it is super New). If AT gets one they will probably be bested by an American park 2 years later.

And this is Merlin. They like to play it safe.

I have so many amazing ideas for an AT B and M wing coaster but Thorpe have the Swarm. A wing coaster that hugs the floor but is still thrilling. Inversions in ditches and crannies, etc.

Well gringotts bank coaster already has a few of those elements

[RCandrew]

I agree for a wing rider it has to be massiv with huge drops and very long to have a decent speed..
Unless it was to be really high with massive drops like this then I'd rather not have one.. And considering ATs restrictions.. I don't want a wing rider

[Alex]

I agree for a wing rider it has to be massiv with huge drops and very long to have a decent speed..
Unless it was to be really high with massive drops like this then I'd rather not have one.. And considering ATs restrictions.. I don't want a wing rider

AT wouldnt get a wingrider unless it was 4d as it encroaches on The Swarm too much. Considering The Swarm caused a flat line in terms of visitor numbers I dont see how AT would justify it.

[sw7nutter]

The swarm didn't cause it, i would say it minimised the damage of that year. Swarm was at the time when no one had any money to spend and along with very little promotions and an amazingly high ticket price, online and at the gate. However the hole needed for one would not be worth the cost.

[Alex]

Well that was the opinion of one of the managers we spoke to at the Southern Screamer. I dont see why he would have any reason to lie.

[sw7nutter]

Thats what i was told on a trip to Thorpe park where they talked about management and marketing. The lack of promotions at the time and a reduced discount on the online tickets resulted in massive gate figure losses.The second they started to up those to the amount of the year before gate figures started rising again. They also went on about how the swarm was meant to be the hunger games but lionsgate pulled out at the last minute.

[Alex]

Thats what i was told on a trip to Thorpe park where they talked about management and marketing. The lack of promotions at the time and a reduced discount on the online tickets resulted in massive gate figure losses.The second they started to up those to the amount of the year before gate figures started rising again. They also went on about how the swarm was meant to be the hunger games but lionsgate pulled out at the last minute.

So you accept that The Swarm was going to be about the Hunger Games, a massive film and book series but yet are surprised the BBC would license out a major IP :-s

[sw7nutter]

So you accept that The Swarm was going to be about the Hunger Games, a massive film and book series but yet are surprised the BBC would license out a major IP :-s

No that's my point Lionsgate pulled out because they underestimated their film and were not impressed by the budget or what Thorpe park had to offer. In the design process they had no idea how big the hunger games was going to be as hardly anyone had heard of it and the book series hadn't taken off at the time of the original plans. Hunger Games was chosen as the swarm would have opened in the run up to the film. I highly doubt the BBC would license out a major IP such as Doctor Who. DW is their flagship program and i doubt that the BBC would give it to them.

[Alex]

So you accept that The Swarm was going to be about the Hunger Games, a massive film and book series but yet are surprised the BBC would license out a major IP :-s

No that's my point Lionsgate pulled out because they underestimated their film and were not impressed by the budget or what Thorpe park had to offer. In the design process they had no idea how big the hunger games was going to be as hardly anyone had heard of it and the book series hadn't taken off at the time of the original plans. Hunger Games was chosen as the swarm would have opened in the run up to the film. I highly doubt the BBC would license out a major IP such as Doctor Who. DW is their flagship program and i doubt that the BBC would give it to them.

Well I guess we'll just have to wait and see then Lets move back over to the right topic

[NemesisRider]

Hunger Games the ride sounds a little too similar to Saw for my taste. Still, I must admit the Swarm is a great ride. My 2nd favourite.

[lewis97]

Please remember this topic is to discuss an investment at Alton Towers, and not the (lack of) success of Thorpe Park's past additions.

[NemesisRider]

I am I the first to think AT could do an amazing floorless? Put it in Forbidden valley. Make it a ride about a Nemesis creature running riot attempting to save the current Nemesis? Give it 6 inversions, a section of track over the entrance, a bit of airtime and a big publicity stunt. I always had the idea of a "meteor" landing at AT with very strange signals in my head. Put it in a pit and make it like Nemesis (around a central piece of theming, the station.)

[RCandrew]

In my honest opinion I would love another B&M but not in forbiden valley. I think it'd be a little too much for the area and I think an intamin, mack or even gerst would work well in the area. 3 B&Ms right beside each other would seem quite similar even with completely different experiences (they'd 'look' the same to general public)
I think the best place for a B&M would be Katanga canyon so it's in a large open space and can travel over everyone's heads, above the lake even! It would just look so much better in open space like that rather than stuffed between another 2 B&Ms
In FV a small track type like intamin would work best as the third rollercoaster of the area, one to be more hidden away within trees or ground

[Adz]

For the record.

The Swarm was never at any point intended to have any involvement with The Hunger Games.

Thorpe Park have/had/are investigating The Hunger Games as a potential IP (and have featured it in the park before as a film promo) but there's nothing to report on that.



Now. Back on topic and less ludicrous claims please.

[sw7nutter]

Well i was told that the swarm was going to be hunger games related at a college event thingy there about marketing, i guess it was about sept 2013. This means they lied to us, don't see what benefit they got from that.

[RCandrew]

Back to SW8.. And Alton towers for that matter.. Does anyone else think a fast B&M of any kind would work well in KC like I suggested?? It could have ground hugging parts in the trees and also long airtime hills over the lake etc