With news of Paramount - will development plans change?

Sat Jul 12, 2014 5:29 pm

Do you think Alton Towers will amend the development plan, now the timeline for Paramount has been released?

Sat Jul 12, 2014 5:35 pm

I don't think Alton towers will do much to amend the development plan compared to legoland, thorpe and chessington. If i were merlin i would start coming up with drastic ideas because paramount is going to be a massive game changer. They are expecting 15 million people a year which is huge considering Alton gets 2.5 million. Paramount has huge areas to expand, amazing transport links and amazing budgets. Merlin will either fall or up their game to try and contend.

Sat Jul 12, 2014 5:44 pm

Yeah definitely the Studio Parks have more money behind them that the rest of the parks in the country and I wont be supprised if a 1£100 mil+ coaster is on the cards.

Sat Jul 12, 2014 5:48 pm

However, Paramount Parks plans don't actually reveal a large section that will be a theme park. It focuses more on the worlds largest indoor waterpark, concert venues and a downtown Disney restaurant and shops area. In the drawn up plans there's no noticeable theme park in view.

I think the majority of the 2 billion pounds investment will go on ground work and the focuses I've mentioned above.

Sat Jul 12, 2014 7:13 pm

If you look closely i can make out about 3 coasters in the concept image, but we will have to wait to see some more detailed plans.

Sat Jul 12, 2014 7:28 pm

They haven't been confirmed as coasters, nor could anyone say they were for definite without hearing it from the company themselves.

Sat Jul 12, 2014 7:31 pm

Yeah we should get some finalised plans soon if they expect to start construction soonish.

Sat Jul 12, 2014 8:23 pm

Planning permission isn't being submitted till next year. So construction probably wouldn't begin till 2016, which is what they plan. Start 2016, open 2018.

Sat Jul 12, 2014 8:30 pm

Things may change a little, and maybe Merlin will have to put in a but more money, but I'm sure it will be able to cope without too much of a problem – they know what they're doing (some of the time

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Edit:
The more I think about it, the more it makes sense for them to choose extreme development plan now. I think when they were considering it they ticked some of the wrong boxes (quite literally).

The most important thing arguably now, is to provide public transport. Invest in buses and new, faster roads. Also, drop the stupid parking charge, along with the whole 'give us so much money' attitude.

Sat Jul 12, 2014 8:31 pm

Let's face it, the parks would be a 3 hour distance away. If anything it's Thorpe that should be worried only being an hours drive away.

Sat Jul 12, 2014 8:37 pm

DannyG wrote:Let's face it, the parks would be a 3 hour distance away. If anything it's Thorpe that should be worried only being an hours drive away.

That is exactly what I was going to say, but I only didn't in case I was wrong (as I haven't yet looked at a map showing the location).

Maybe extreme development is not necessary, but transport links definitely are needed. Bus service is shocking (and ought to be free if you've pre-booked).

What would the approximate cost of a new train line be? I reckon about as much as £10bn realistically

Sat Jul 12, 2014 10:49 pm

By the sounds of it, PP will be very family based which makes Thorpe's move to a family park even worse. It also sounds a lot more suitable for families than most of the theme parks we currently have. I imagine AT won't suffer too much but the southern parks probably will. Especially Thorpe as it isn't exactly first choice for a family and the change in image will probably ruin the park for thrill seekers. Also a massive gap in the market for the UKs thrill capital will be left so maybe Merlin or Paramount will make changes to their plans to take advantage of the gap.

Sun Jul 13, 2014 1:30 am

The problem is though, if Thorpe suffers, Alton will feel the effects. The money all goes into one company, and is then pumped into different areas. Money which should be spent for AT will end up being given to Thorpe.

Sun Jul 13, 2014 1:54 pm

If PP has a large negative effect on Thorpe then they will need to change to an amusement park to try and survive. Legoland will be alright because its lego and everyone loves lego. CWOA may be suffer greatly. They would have to put in huge amounts of money to stop loosing guests as PP will easily be able to overtake them and make chessington seem 2nd best. The effect on alton will be minor. They will end up becoming 2nd best theme park and will probably loose customers traveling from down south as they will just go to PP instead.

Sun Jul 13, 2014 2:07 pm

I just think Merlin needs to change their parks images. PP by the looks of it will have very little coasters and rides and even if they get the best coaster in the country, thrill seekers aren't going to travel for one coaster, even if it is the best in the country, they will travel to where there are lots of thrilling rides. Legoland, I agree will be fine, and maybe Chessie needs to advertise itself more in the zoo market. Thorpe has just left it's thrill capital image so that would be easy to get back. AT are far enough up north to carry on as normal as they will get all the Northern guests.

Sun Jul 13, 2014 2:15 pm

I think most of you are looking the wrong way. Yes merlin parks I think will have to up there investment a bit. But PP will bring in a lot of people from outside the UK. I would like to see the figures for park asterix in Paris for the years after Disney opened. With Thorpe just down the road people will go to both parks while they are over here. When you go to Florida you don't just go to do one park. If more people are going to Thorpe because of PP then they will have more to invest in better rides.

Sun Jul 13, 2014 3:34 pm

I don't think AT will be effected, like said, people still want to go there for the thrill rides. For example if i am going to pick a park to go to purely based on rides i'd pick AT over disney land because of the more unique thrills and i think PP will be like the UKs disney, more stuff for everyone rather than huge coasters. As for thorpe, i think this family friendly thing will only happen over the next few years while they install family areas, family rides etc and by the time PP opens they will be focused on the thrills again so i don't think PP would be similar to thorpe at all, in any way to damage its reputation or income.

Sun Jul 13, 2014 3:55 pm

intesresting. i had to google about what you guys were on about. its actually kent that was one of the planned areas for euro disney.

Sun Jul 13, 2014 4:49 pm

Euro Disney, Or Disneyland Paris, was also planned for Rainham Marshes in Essex! Silly insects and lizards, along with other issues, made it a no no.

But anyway back on topic

Sun Jul 13, 2014 5:34 pm

Alton Towers wont be affected too much. It might lose its marketing angle of being the biggest/best theme park in the Uk in regards to what the general public feel about the place but that'll be about it.

Thorpe Park will also largely continue as it is. You might see an overhaul of the seasonal events to compete - for instance Fright Nights will almost certainly become a bigger budget affair.

Chessington is the park most likely to struggle. It's already the weakest of the Merlin UK portfolio in terms of investment and visitor numbers. Paramount Parks target audience is also the same as Chessingtons. You might see them aggressively expand the animals side of the attraction however as that's something Paramount Park will not be able to offer.

At the end of the day, Paramount Park will be a hugely successful and welcome addition to the UK theme park scene. Merlin have the budget and the design abilities to rise to the challenge and the overall effect will be a vastly elevated theme park experience for everyone.

I'd worry more about the smaller parks with less budget...