Attraction Source Forum

I doubt Merlin will get rid of Rita intentionally - it will probably keep going until it does a Submission and has to go. When it does go, I think the area will have huge potential!

Could they not relocate it to KC? i think that area need a bit of attention. It hasn't had a new ride since it was created.

I would love AT to apply a consistent theme across Dark Forest, with HEX linked to Thirteens wraths. And a flat Ride - off the top of my head - a magic carpet style (Ali Baba - smaller than the previous one obviously) ride themed as the Chained Oak perhaps?

I know this is about Rita and not DF but Rita sticks out like a sore thumb at the moment - If it is to stay cant they make the station more like the towers/thirteen maybe even cover the launch with fake branches so it looks like a tunnel? and while i am at it what are we escaping from?

Rita needs to go and as for it will go when problems get too much then we wont be waiting long. In the last few years the accumulators have been having problems which has reduced how often they can launch. Hopefully it means its more likely to go.

Don't get me wrong it is a good ride. Its just in the wrong place and not themed to the area well. They might just replace the launch system if its a cheaper viable option?

I would say that rita is the worst coaster that i have been on. There is nothing to it at apart from pain and a long wait to get on it. I would love to see it go to get replaced by a multi launch from mack or intamin.

Being realistic, Rita is too old for anything big to happen to it, but it is too young to be going any time soon. The chances are it will only go when it becomes unpopular with the general public, or is costing too much to run.

Currently, it has one of the longer queues, arguably due to a small throughput, but people are still prepared to queue that long for it.

I love rita as a ride! I Missed it out when I first visited (probably because of how people complain about it and i had not enough time :lol ) but second time I visited I went on it 4 times and just love it!
but, the position it is in isn't so good.. especially for AT.
If it were moved to another area or something, it could have a much better theme and also the launch and station could be closer to ground level (even lower) meaning it could have higher hills and longer track. I doubt this will happen because of the cost and how long its been around for, but that's what should have happened! The best they can do now is move and re-theme it and they'll only do it to make space for a great SW needed in DF. And yet they probably still won't, because it isn't really worth it.

If they were to move it they would probably take the opportunity to extend it, and remarket it as new.

That said, I agree that it is a good ride.

If Rita is "relaunched" (pun intended) Thirteen would probably go as Rita is themed around Thirteen.

Why? They can do whatever they want to Rita, no need for it to affect Thirteen at all.

There isn't exactly a lot of theming to Rita and it isn't huge or custom fit in the area so it probably would be one of the easier coasters to move. They could then retheme it and locate it somewhere where a lot of the track is hidden in the trees so it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb. They could also use the opportunity to maybe add an inversion but would an extension be likely? Wouldn't the forces etc prevent this.

The only way I can imagine an extension is to leave the whole layout alone but replace the current brake run with a second launch and have another layout stuck on, so it would be almost like having two coasters stuck together. I would quite like that to happen as it could be the next SW and could be a good ride thanks to the second launch. Plus it must be cheaper than a whole new coaster as they would already own half of it.

But as all of this is unlikely I think simply adding new trains would make Rita blend in a lot better. Along with a new name.

EDIT..

As Paramount Park is opening in a few years, and they have much bigger budgets than Merlin, Rita's replacement may happen a lot sooner than planned. Paramount dont have tight restrictions like AT meaning their big American style coaster will be easy to build for them and they can go high. AT have tight restrictions therefore to be able to compete with PPs coasters they may replace Rita with a new Multi Launch coaster to achieve a long thrilling ride than doesn't have to be mega high to get enough energy to complete it's course. Or they will do the unlikely extension of Rita, although I imagine AT will want quicker more intense launches.

Still, the whole reason Rita has long queues is because it is thrilling but not inverting or "too scary" like Oblivion.

AT have no reason to replace Rita, other than nearby competition. However, Rita has the advantage of attracting previous riders and people might say PP's is too similar to Rita.

Rita is just an off the shelf model though, isn't it? nothing original to the park, therefore can be found at other parks. Also for first time riders, the launch can be quite intimidating. Im currently having this problem with my sister trying to work her way up to The Smiler, she doesn't really know what Rita is, so Im going to just stick her on and not let her look at the ride.

Even if it is off the shelf, it is doing well.

People are prepared to queue for a long time to get on Rita.

nemesisrider wrote:Even if it is off the shelf, it is doing well.

People are prepared to queue for a long time to get on Rita.

One of the reasons Rita gets such a long queue is because of it's dire throughput.

If it had anything like a decent throughput it wouldn't get the queues it does.

But it does get the queues, and people still are willing to wait.

I think the launch is the gimmick, and is why the GP queue for Rita. Averagely Stealth has similar or longer queues to Rita, so there is some sense in the GP's system. I think launch coasters are seen as "a different league".

But if the dire throughput means 45 min queues, the queues are 45 min all day because people are willing to wait that long for Rita.

What a waste of 45 minutes, i would prefer to do 4.5 oblivions in that time. Unfortuantly rita is likely to stay with no changes until it starts going wrong and becomes very expensive to run. It already burns through money to provide the launch system with power so it isnt cheap to run. Also rita was built in a rush and overtime that will have consequences (the smiler will have the same problem). It will be around for a fair few years but it wont be there the longest, i would say it will be the 2nd coaster to go after oblivion.

Dan.B wrote:But it does get the queues, and people still are willing to wait.

I think the launch is the gimmick, and is why the GP queue for Rita. Averagely Stealth has similar or longer queues to Rita, so there is some sense in the GP's system. I think launch coasters are seen as "a different league".

Hence why a mack launch would be good, but that's for another topic

Alex wrote:

Dan.B wrote:But it does get the queues, and people still are willing to wait.

I think the launch is the gimmick, and is why the GP queue for Rita. Averagely Stealth has similar or longer queues to Rita, so there is some sense in the GP's system. I think launch coasters are seen as "a different league".

Hence why a mack launch would be good, but that's for another topic

Indeed :P

fillc85 wrote:Could they not relocate it to KC? i think that area need a bit of attention. It hasn't had a new ride since it was created.

That would be just a tad expensive. I'd much rather a new coaster be built in KC, and Rita to be replaced later on.